DHC: Pre MOT check and first drive

Due to the current Corona pandemic I haven’t spent much time on the DHC so far this year. I only swapped the brake light switch while in the shed earlier this year. But as she is booked for her biennial safety and environmental inspection (or APK as it is called here) soon, I thought it a good idea to check if everything still was functioning properly. And that is what I did yesterday.

I started with the lights, and in particular the brake lights. And that’s because I changed the brake light switch earlier this year. I needn’t have worried, the brake lights worked. As did all the other lights. But I was in for a little surprise, as the lights in the instrument cluster (converted to LED last year) were burning in a different pattern now (the middle LH bulb was now on strike, instead of the one on the extreme left). Looking at the picture below I think it is safe to say that when I remove the two middle LED’s, there still is plenty enough light to clearly read all the gauges in the dark. Oohh … and I almost forgot to mention that the clock stopped working and the fuel gauge now reads ¼ full permanently!

The wipers, screen washer, heater and horns also did function properly. Time to move over to the engine bay. All levels still were as I left them almost 7 months ago, and no traces of oil or coolant in the rectangular hole underneath the water pump. Only the level for the carburettor’s oil dampers was low. But that was to be expected. And pretty easy to solve with the small oil container I carry in the engine bay for this reason!.

But not everything was as it should be. Despite a new front pulley and oil seal, which I fitted a few years ago, there still is an oil leak there. Will probably have to look at the markings on the dipstick. As it could be caused by over-filling the sump. To be continued one day when I find the time to calibrate the Dolomite dip stick to this engine.

As the suspension and brakes were thoroughly checked and refurbished last year, in preparation for Club Triumph’s 10 Countries Run, I decided to leave these alone. So I finished the inspection with the tyre pressures. They all had dropped a little, from 2,0 to 1,9 Bar to be precise. Easily rectified with a tyre gauge and a bicycle pump.

This afternoon I took the car for a short two hours’ (or 100 kilometres)  drive to see if everything else was OK with the car. It looks like! But more importantly it was nice to be driving with the wind in the hair again.

And after that she was tucked away again in the shed. Though not for 7 months but till this Wednesday, when she’s booked for her biennial APK inspection (TüV Prüfung for the Germans or MOT inspection in the UK).