Well, just finished 5 hours work out on the Beta. After a warm up on Bingley Bypass I changed the oil and filters which I got done in super quick time. For the third year running I used Comma Classic, probably a tad thick at 20/50, but nice and green like the old Duckhams that I used to like.
After lunch it was on to changing the fuel pump. I'd never been happy with this since a couple of years ago when changing the fuel lines the brass intake pipe came off. It tapped back into the body with a plastic hammer and didn't leak, but fuel always drains back past it in the winter lay off and it's a job that I have been putting off for a while. I had 2 spares, 'high' and 'low' profile. I assumed the former would not fit, as I only just got one on my pre-facelift car without fouling what seemed to be a much slimmer intake manifold. So, I was surprised when a 'high' profile pump emerged from the engine bay (you can only partially see the pump and what you are doing!)
This left a dilemma. I could fit my new high pump, but it would need dismantling to move the intake pipes through about 45 degrees, or, slap on the low pump, noting that the in/out pipes were transposed. I chose the latter and it didn't take long to fit considering that you can't see what you are doing and have to do up both bolts by 'feel'. But then I totally convinced myself that I had plumbed it in correctly and primed the carb before the new pump sucked all the petrol out of the float chamber! Worse still I did this twice before awarding myself 'dumb ass mechanic of the year so far' and swapped the pipes round!
Anyway, all running good now and ready for the long trip to Bristol on Friday after a test run in the Dales on Monday.
