Where shall we start?
In my last column I spoke of my disappointment with the 30 grade oil I had placed in the Allard M’s sump, particularly after a run when on tickover it was just showing 4- 8psi and running along its 25-28psi. This is certainly lower than before and basically it’s lost 10lbs. As you can imagine, I wasn’t impressed and after talking with various people, the conclusion was the pressure relief valve spring is rather weak.
To get to it you have to take the inlet manifold off, which is in the centre of the engines V. This is all do-able but will take some work, especially as they say the replacement springs are not very good either and start off well, but when the engine is hot, go weak! Hum...
However, it was suggested that perhaps the oil I had in the engine when I drained it out was 20/ 50, which is a more natural oil for an engine produced in the late ‘Forties. In principal, the viscosity (plus zinc content) is of course slightly thicker than 30. With this in mind, I ordered two five litres of Millers Classic Oils Pistoneeze 20/ 50, which people have recommended. I can tell you that after I draining the ‘new’ 30 oil out of the sump and replacing it with 20/ 50 I’ve now got my oil pressure back! On tickover the pressure holds up very well and running up is the same.
I wanted to adjust the Allard’s clutch, as second gear is still a problem until it’s warmed up and after jacking the car up I placed it safely on my axle stands under the front axle. The clutch rod adjustment yoke on my Allard M is placed above the exhaust and is a fiddle to get at but after taking off and checking it’s condition, which is like new, it was refitted and adjusted so the clutch pedal is now higher and that just might help in grabbing the gear better.
At the same time the two bottom end rubber/bronze bush yokes on the gearchange were worn. However thanks to Allard parts ‘guru’ Mike Knapman, two new examples were obtained and fitted. When testing the Allard’s gear change mechanism after reassembling it, the rods were touching at one point. However after some ‘kamikaze’ bending, which took some time, the rods now miss each other again.
I now have all the hub trim caps on the M, but have not been able to road test the car to find if they will stay on the wheels. I just hope they do, as if they don’t I will have to repaint the rims as they are well scratched from fitting the trims. At the same time I have changed all the 1/2in UNF wheel nuts (the outside diameter fits a 21mm socket, same as a plug spanner). These are the same as on the front axle of a 1957- 64 Fordson Dexta tractor and other Ford cars of an earlier period.
However the externally large wheel nuts on many of the Allard’s are similar to what a Dexta has on the rear axle, but unfortunately the thread size is
5/8in and are no good to use, what a blow as the taper looked good. However Darell Allard had some wheel nuts made and has also laid out heavily with a partner for the disc type 16in wheels to be made for the Al lard L, K, M and P. He’s now taking deposits, so please support this venture as so many of us have bent wheel rims.
I was out in the Allard P1 to the Weald of Kent Steam Traction Engine Rally on Saturday, August 5, some 40 miles from my base at Woodchurch, Kent. It was an excellent event on a fine site organised by my friend Bill Giles. There was an excellent line-up of cars here as well. I left to hit the roads at 6.30pm as the Allard is a ‘Forties sports car and likes to be driven and go! But all I kept catching up was supermarket
When testing the Allard’s gear change mechanism after assembling it, the rods were touching together at one point
delivery vans travelling slower than I wanted. When driving through Hawkhurst I came across three sets of road works traffic lights and I had gone the short cut, which is around very twisty lanes. One has to be so very careful about overheating, so I came the long way back, but didn’t realise the traffic situation would be so bad, which my Waze app (comes recommended FOC) didn’t show up on my ‘phone.
In one of the queues a young lad came to talk through the passenger’s window to tell me the Allard was the most beautiful looking car he had ever seen! Just as I was leaving and drinking some water placed in the boot there was a couple from Germany (Opel owners) looking at the car and kept me there for ten minutes talking about it.
I should print up a log sheet, as I like reading about unusual cars myself that you come across in similar line-ups like this and it’s the same for other people as well. As for the oil pressure in the P1, well the engine is not very old and unfortunately I changed the oil to 30 grade during the winter in that car too. The oil pressure starts off when cold at 60psi and when very hot drops to 30lbs and tick over its clearly less, so it needs some Pistoneeze 20/50, which I will change again this winter.
Allard’s run very hot and this example is no different (there are many that run much hotter) at its highest point in the journey it was 180 degrees, but does not use water as such and finds its own level along the way. The car is fitted with a Kenlow fan that I switch on when needed from the dash, but have never used it yet.
Lastly I would love to see as many of you as possible on the Sunday, September 30, 11am3pm at the Star Inn, Waldron, East Sussex TN21 0RA. The Sussex Steam Engine Club is staging its 25th anniversary road run, which I created, and there will be approximately 25 engines at the event, besides loads of classic, vintage and veteran cars, commercial vehicles and motorcycles and tractors.
You are more than welcome to come with your vehicle and I will certainly make you very welcome. We will be having a number of Allard’s at the event as well. There are always plenty of people there and this is in an idyllic East Sussex setting. So hopefully see some of you there!