The RM workshop manual online

Replacing centre dashboard trim.

Originally this is grained paintwork. You can have this redone by one or two specialists around, and it costs around $70, and takes 4 weeks. One problem may be that if your car has been restored, the wood may vary in shade from the refinished panel.

I thought I'd try something different. Actually, I was sick of working on Rileys; that year on the Drophead alone I have had to replace a set of exhaust valves, a clutch and the brakes. Not bad for a year when I had only planned to do the carpets. Getting back to the panel. This comes off with six screws. It is a sheet of aluminium stamped with the appropriate holes for the instruments and the three warning lights. Once you have removed it, the aluminium tubes at the back unscrew from the plastic light bezels, and the metal instrument frames on the panel can be carefully prized off with a screw driver.

I had found a good match to the dashboard wood in a sheet of veneer from the
local hardware store. Around $13.50 bought me a large piece of Tasmanian Oak, big enough for six panels (I'll use the rest on boxes for the radio speakers in the car.) So as an experiment I followed the instructions, cut a piece to suit the size of the panel, and proceeded to iron it on to the aluminium.

The veneer had been treated on the back with a heat sensitive glue. It works fine on wood, however you have to roughen up the surface of the aluminium panel with a sander in order to get a bond. Before you use the iron, put a couple of sheets of cardboard down underneath the panel, as when heat is applied, all the glue melts and will stick the veneer through the various holes in the aluminium to what ever is underneath.

Once ironed, the panel can be turned over and the excess veneer trimmed away with a scalpel or hobby knife. A light sand, then on with the varnish. I used Feast Watson's Proof as it gives a great finish (and is only a one-pot mix so there's no wastage) and applied one coat a night for five nights, sanding with very fine wet-and-dry paper in between.

After this it is ready for reassembly. The light bezels on mine were faded brown and cracked, so I went to a large haberdashery shop and bought three buttons that matched in size and shape. These are a good red, with no holes as they were designed to attach at the back, and fit perfectly. They were translucent rather than transparent, so the backs of the buttons were ground down slightly and drilled with a 0.5mm hobby drill to improve light transmission (not really necessary.) As they lack the thread of the originals (which screw into the masking tubes at the back) they had to be reassembled with Zapgap, a high strength hobby glue. I used this on all the chrome instrument frames too.

Before replacing the panel, check that the lights are working ok, and replace any globes that have darkened from age. So what's the result? Pretty good. It took a week, used only part of the $13.50 worth of veneer, plus 90 cents worth of buttons. And the best part was, working on a piece of Riley that wasn't covered in oil..

About Roadster petrol tanks.

I forgot that the discovery of perpetual motion - the repetition of the same jobs on Rileys - is one of their less endearing features. Having one of the best off-road vehicles in the Club does that. Keeping it ON the road is the problem!

I came by the Roadster in 1965, a period so distant that my children thought that Barney, of the Flintstones, was driving one.

After many weeks trying to make it go, then finding that it wouldn't stop, it was almost a relief to find it immobilised with a split fuel tank.

I thought that was acceptable. After all, it was an old car at a time when the EK Holden was Trendy. The Riley didn't even have fins. And a 20 gallon fuel tank was irrelevant to an impoverished student anyway.

The Roadster tank is mounted at an angle, semi vertically, behind the boot. It hangs from only three mounts, which seems supremely optimistic compared to the usual over-engineered structure that surrounds it.

Metal fatigue is one of the key features of the car. My particular example had been used for cattle round ups in the northern Territory in the early 60's, and if that appears to you to be an impractical application for a Riley Roadster, please tell me what, if anything, is better suited to these strange cars.

As usual, the rear springs had snapped early in it's career, so the saloon version with 2 extra leafs were fitted. The front lower suspension arms were the later reinforced types also. This latter modification of course robbed the car of a traditional Riley front-end-collapse design feature; I had the front end of a late series 1.5 (1961 model) do this in an endearing (non-fatal) fashion some years later, so obviously Nuffield were keen to retain the marques historic virtues.

After I bought it, the car was lowered two inches front and back.

Please note this was not for aesthetic or pretentious road-holding ideals; the truth is that the mid-60's was the era of the mini-skirt, and those and a low slung Roadster were an irresistible combination for a young voyeur.

The Roadster ride is far from ideal in an unmodified form. With lowering, stiffer springs and revalved shockers, plus the latest in regrooved Hardie Highway Horribles, it was transformed from indecisive to traumatic. Both the tyres and the mini-skirts would squeal appreciatively on the corners, whilst the unplanned shock loading sprung doors, bonnets, and yes, petrol tank seams.

The first time this happened was of course on the eve of a National Rally. I think it was Parkes, in the late '60s. Of course it was raining in Sydney; I had just invested my life's savings at the Ampol service station at Willoughby to put 20 gallons in the car, driven home and found that the top ten gallons had fallen out through a fractured seam half way up the tank.

It appears that vibration, age and crook design make this soldered seam prone to fracture. At 3am, lying in the mud under the car watching my life's savings dribble down the drain was not exciting; I would have taken up smoking if the car had been insured.

However, Parkes was calling. I had to leave in an hour to pick up miss mini-skirt for the long trip, and the quick solution was a hot mix of fibreglass over the seam. This lasted well; I was past Broken Hill before the starter motor fell off it's bolts, and strike the tank on the rebound before lodging itself in a very dead kangaroo road pizza. This caused me to regain my usual posture under the car and give me the chance to see the dreaded petrol waterfall.

I would rather not have, though.

Perpetual motion then was me winding a crank handle desperately before running out of petrol. And forgetting to retard the ignition, thus pioneering man's early unpowered flight attempt as the Roadster kicked back. I was not pleased.

Back in Sydney, via Addle-aid and Melbourne, the tank was finally removed and I resoldered it. Sounds easy, but let me tell you, Roadster tanks only come out at a certain angle. They catch on various impediments, and then plummet earthwards to catch the unwary. The fiendish designers made sure that you had to lie under to undo the bolts.

Good grief, that probably explains why no Riley has ever won the Good Design Trophy, although the Heath Robinson Shield was in perpetual award to them. (This looks like a battered oil drip tray; perhaps you have one of these awards too)

The results of my laborious essay in soldering lasted precisely 4 years, before the hard suspension and design peccadillos caused it to fracture again.

This time I had the Riley Club master craftsman Paul Baee do the soldering. He used a VERY large soldering iron and a blow torch, a practice which I chose to observe from behind a distant tree. He lived, and the soldering was of course a work of art.

I also tipped in a large can of that wonderfully expensive USA neoprene solution designed for fuel tanks, the one which gives a "life-time" of security to owners of aircraft and old car folk, as it seals the inside of the tank with an impervious skin.

Please note that Life-time in this case refers to IT, not yours or the vehicle.

Whilst the tank did not leak, I began to have problems with fuel flow. The twin pumps had trouble delivering enough fuel, and even though the Riley engine is considerably modified, surely two pumps were adequate?

At 4600 rpm the engine would act fuel starved. With special valve springs (when they were new) it used to pull almost 6000 rpm, and now it was positively geriatric. Sure, it would rev out, but only for seconds before losing interest.

About that time I noticed that the white neoprene film up to the neck of the fillers was changing colour to pink. And then I noticed it had disappeared from the neck altogether. Strange, after five years.

Next, the dreaded seam leak started again, and with petrol stations in Sydney charging like wounded bulls, it was time to take the tank out again.

Yes, of course it fell on me, as usual. With advanced senility, it seemed much heavier, too.

The neoprene skin had transmuted itself into pink chewing gum, and sat in large gooey lumps on the bottom of the tank. And of course over the fuel filter gauze for the pickup pipe.

I took the tank to a local radiator place for unsoldering. They did not look pleased. For $80 they resoldered the usual seams, but were amazed that a week in the chemical cleaning bath would not remove the pink gum.

Believe me, it took hours and hours to laboriously scrape, stretch , chisel and pull out miles of rubbery ex-tank-sealant from the enormous Riley tank. And it was about as much fun as replacing a broken half shaft in the rain.

Putting it back was the usual joy. There are two tank senders, which work in a special Riley way. In technical terms, they use ordinary resistance wiring and a mechanical wiper linked to a float, all this carefully cooled by PETROL. Dont worry, they work. But dont smoke.

You offer the tank up to the fuel line which is easily accessible if you have two elbows in each arm, and can see through metal. "Offering up" a twenty gallon tank from below whilst attaching simultaneously a fuel line at the top, and all this with only the blood from your knuckles to help get it past the chassis members and diff..

The first time the newly fixed tank was filled was at Muswellbrook, at the 1990 National Rally. And yes, the old familiar petrol waterfall was there, too. With both sons rolling up a mix of epoxy ribbon, the Roadster was quickly elevated onto a trolley jack on the driveway of the Mobil service station. Now, would the epoxy ribbon stick to the cracked seam, I ask you?

No. It stuck to my fingers, the jack and everything else, but the Petrol kept falling. Of course, once the level falls lower than the split seam, it stops. Ten gallons left means you can still drive, and so we enjoyed the Rally as usual. Usual in my case means driving 4 up in a three seater, in the rain. Anyway, I enjoyed the break afterwards; pleurisy and near death does that for you.

The tank came out again. As usual it fell to earth with speed and style, cracking the concrete floor despite being buffered with the appropriate knees. Mine.

Paul Baee volunteered to fix it once more. This strange aberration resulted from the fact that he wanted to take a pattern from it to make one for the Roadster he is working on (silly person) and is a damn' nice chap, probably with a death wish or heavy insurance.

As the repair again required heavy soldering the tank was taken to Paul's place. A potential firestorm at my house was to be deplored; I had children and a Drophead to consider.

At last the tank was ready. The exhaust system was laboriously removed, the tank placed on a trolley jack and carefully raised into place. Yes, it fitted, held petrol and worked!

I was so pleased I took the Roadster for a short run. It revved out fine. I broke a valve. And the diff CASE fractured when I backed down the drive afterwards. But the tank doesn't leak, I think; I can't afford to fill it now at the current prices..

Riley electrical check up.

The failure of the engine to start when hand cranked could be down to the spark plug electrodes and insulators being wet with fuel. In this condition a vigorous blast is necessary to dry them off and that means an open throttle, no further enrichment and brisk continuous movement of the pistons. Hardly possible with the crank handle. Failure to start with jumper leads but success with a borrowed battery signifies resistance in the starting circuit at the time the jumper leads were used.

POINT #I There are at least ten places where resistance can occur and some of these are fickle. Tracing the circuit through from the live battery post to the ground (positive) post, the first possibility is the internal connection between the post and the cell grid. Not visible, difficult to detect without test gear, and subject to change as the clamps are removed and replaced.

POINT #2. is the clamp to post situation; these must be clean and tight. An obvious one.

POINT #3. This one is not so obvious and is the connection between the clamp and the lead. These have been found to be heavily sulphated with very little copper left to carry the starting current.

POINT #4. is the solenoid starter switch terminals. Are they loose or dirt? A small 1 1/4" B S W spanner does the trick but remember one terminal is live and the spanner is a good conductor if it is grounded. so disconnect the battery first.

POINT #5. is the copper contacts inside the switch. These deteriorate due to arcing as the circuit is broken and a bit of pressure on the rubber armature cover can help overcome the resistance at this point.

POINT #6. Inside the starter motor there are numerous possibilities for build-up of resistance. The most common is the condition of commutator and brushes and this can be spasmodic as one burnt commutator segment can stop under a brush and cause an open circuit. Armature windings are rugged and generally trouble free but field winding connections can be suspect when the motor is old.

POINT #7. is the starter motor flange and through bolts. These must be tight as they provide the completion of circuit to the grounded side of the battery.

POINT #8. A satisfactory ground strap from the engine to the chassis-frame must exsist. The engine being rubber mounted is insulated from the battery cradle where the battery earth strap bolts on and the absence of a ground strap leaves the starting circuit to be completed by the various controls which run from the engine to the body.

POINT #9. The connection of the battery ground strap to the body (battery box on most Rileys) is frequently overlooked and a slack bolt or rusted surfaces can be just as troublesome as resistance in the "live" sections of the circuit.

POINT #10 . We're back to the positive post of the battery with the same observations being made as at the negative (live) post.

A BIT OF NEGATIVE THINKING: CONVERSION TO NEGATIVE EARTH

The vast majority of cars produced in the last 20 years have negative earth systems and this is reflected in the limited choice of currently available electrical accessories, e.g. radios, cassette players, electronic ignition systems, which will accept the positive earth system used on RM's, and those that are available are often very expensive. This difficulty can easily be overcome by converting the car to negative earth, the procedure is very simple and should take less than an hour.

I have already carried out this conversion on two cars without any difficulty or special equipment. The longest part of the job is changing over the connectors to the battery if they have been soldered onto the heavy current wires. The battery itself should be turned around so that the negative terminal (now the earth) is -to the nearside. It is not unknown for this terminal to touch the bonnet top and if it is the live terminal the bonnet will be damaged. If it has not been done already it is a good idea to re-position the earth lead as that it goes to the starter motor fixing bolts instead of to the side of the battery box;

this often gives a considerable improvement in cold starting. There is no need to make any change to the starter motor, this will continue to turn in the right direction as it is series wound. Before the battery is re-connected the connections to the ammeter should be reversed at the back of the ammeter. No other changes to the instruments are needed, the fuel gauge and the clock will work quite happily with their polarity reversed (assuming that they worked before!). However, the opportunity should be taken to check the condition of the wire which feeds the clock from the ammeter as this is very fragile and is not fused. The next job is to reverse the polarity of the dynamo and for this the battery must be re-connected.

The polarity of the dynamo is controlled by the residual magnetism in the field pole pieces and this needs to be reversed by passing current through the field in the new direction. This can be done by holding open the regulator points with a piece of card and connecting a jumper wire from the battery live terminal (now positive) to the F terminal on the dynamo or the regulator, whichever is most accessible.

The idea of holding the regulator points open is to prevent excessive current flowing through the regulator and dynamo armature. The jumper wire should give a small spark when it is connected. It is only necessary to let the current flow through the jumper wire for a second or two, after which the polarity should have been reversed. The piece of card may now be removed from between the regulator points. While this operation is being carried out, the points should not be closed by accident; if they are a very heavy current will flow and damage will result.

The final task is to interchange the low voltage connections to the coil, i.e. CB and SW, this will preserve the polarity at the plugs. The engine can now be started and all should be well. If the ammeter should show a discharge which increases rapidly as the revs. rise then the polarity reversal of the dynamo has not been carried out properly and should be repeated.

No other changes to the system are necessary unless later additions have been made, e.g. radios, electric washers, heater. Items such as wipers, horns, lights and electric petrol pumps will all work properly with the amps flowing the other way.

So, what's that strange car smell mean?

by Kel Thompson

Some drivers claim to drive by the seat of their pants while others say they have an ear for an engine on full song. There are those who have an eye for a bargain or a good line and we have all met the guy who has that magic touch. But the sense that contributes most to our understanding and excitement of magnificent motoring must be that of smell.

Step into a well used car with eyes closed and straight away you know a great deal about the vehicle and those who regularly use it. It can smell unloved and unmistakably close to its final resting place or it can have the pleasant tang of tender loving care and an odour that suggests health, vigour and dependability.

The unscrupulous may try to mask that smell of death knowing the uneasy feeling it promotes but no nose that knows the real thing can be fooled by such deception because there are positive factors which contribute towards the blend of aromas which tell us all is well - or that there is cause for concern.

Individual smells of lacquer, vinyl, carpet, new rubber, plastic and bright metal do nothing to excite the nostrils but bring them together in the correct proportions and this is the new car smell that is loved by all and defies reproduction - except in the genuine article.

What then is the ugly smell which eludes description and why does it speak of brutal use combined with neglect?

A fan belt breaks while cruising at speed and the driver fails to notice the alternator warning light. If the engine bay is not too well sealed, his nose will tell him before any damage results that engine temperature is rising dramatically. If no smell is sensed the stalled water pump becomes an obstruction to natural water circulation and temperature becomes high enough to char the paint on the cylinder head, expand pistons until they crush their skirts and dry out the top tank of the radiator. The pistons won't have a different smell they just slap when they return to normal operation but the smell of the overheated head and radiator will be a reminder that there was a crisis. Incidentally the loss of the fan when cruising is not a contributing factor to this situation.

During the running of the Hardie-Ferodo race there were occasions when the announcer exclaimed "Looks like so-and-so has blown his engine". The clouds of blue smoke from the exhaust and engine bay were sure signs that one or more pistons had failed in the ring bank area and the seal between crankcase and combustion chamber was lost. On a smaller scale the hard pressed family car will succumb to high temperature and pressure at the back of the compression rings and the resultant blow of hot gases will scorch the engine oil. The pungent fumes will be drawn into the air cleaner for after-burning but not so completely that the smell of hard work will be prevented from reaching the passenger space.

Careless use of a manual transmission will cause abnormally high temperatures on the clutch plate friction material. The asbestos and resin when heated give off a strong and unpleasant odour but once recognised is a sure warning that expensive replacement work is imminent.

The car ahead of you in the queue accelerates and a puff of black smoke issues from the exhaust. Driving at a uniform speed, the exhaust system will have a steady decrease in temperature from manifold to tip of tail pipe and products of combustion will coat the inside of the system where the temperature is low enough not to burn them away. A sudden increase in power output will increase the temperature of the silencer and pipes and these products will partially ignite and produce smoke - and they pong!

Your nose will tell you to look for a point of entry - boot lid seal, rear window of a station sedan, rusted floor, loose trim or unsealed panels.

An overheated cooling system, piston ring blow by, burnt clutch facings, exhaust gas ingress; add to these the smells of soggy trims over rusted door skins, threadbare carpet over corroded floors, a neglected ashtray and spilt baby formula on the back seat and there's a recipe for a real stinker!

Talking Riley one night recently, we agreed that much of our pleasure comes from just standing looking at our car walking past and giving them a pat or simply sitting in the car and running a duster over the dashboard but how much of this pleasure stems from the fact that our Rileys have such a pleasing smell. A car that not only smells nice but looks nice too.

Some notes on buying an RM Riley.

By Ean McDowell.

As with buying any second-hand car, unless you are very familiar with the model, there are bound to be faults that you overlook at the time of buying and then find you have to fix later. This article is not intended to put you off buying a Riley, but rather to point out a few things you should look for.

Rust is not likely to be a problem in Rileys like it is in more recent cars. If rust is present, the most likely spots will be the water channel around the boot, the boot floor, battery and toolbox floor or front compartment floors. On Dropheads there seems to be no way for water running down the rear side windows to drain, so rust may be found in the panels below there. Rotten wood is more likely to be a problem than rust and it is usually first noticed around the back window. By giving the body a solid thump below the rear window and watching for any movement it is possible to get some idea of this timber, or by looking inside the boot at the rear parcel shelf to see if the timber is O.K.

Perished rubber around the rear window, stains on the head-lining or even fungi growing inside (don't laugh, it often occurs) are all signs that the timber around the rear window is not up to standard. Up front, the door pillars sometimes give trouble - watch for loose striker plates on front doors and listen for movements in the joints above the windscreen whilst the car is on the move. Watch also for water stains, separating veneers on dashboard, or movement around the windscreen as signs that this part of the frame may be rotten.

Check the spare tyre door - this neglected part is often found to have broken joints or rotten timber. Signs that the lower timbers may not be up to scratch could be hanging running boards (after all the screws have fallen out). Watch out for gaps where the front guards meet the body but don't worry unduly about floppy front guards as these are easily fixed by adjusting the stays up front. There is plenty of adjustment on all doors (by tie bars and by repacking body mounts) so doors that don't fit well, within reason, need not be a problem. Body cracks can occur, the most likely places are where the steering column passes through the scuttle, the boot floor at the rear body mounts, or the front wings on the lower edge where they change direction (i.e. down under bumpers).

Channelling inside the wheel arches often comes adrift and can cause an annoying rattle. The front end is of sound design but things to look for are excess movement up and down in the centre of the steering rack, worn rubbers, loose front hubs (may be shown by grease spattered around inside hubcap or wheel wobble). You can usually tell if the car has had a front end crash by a twisted or welded up sub-frame. Check also if the torsion bar adjusting screws are broken - these are hard to get and it makes releasing the torsion bars difficult if they are broken. Under the bonnet, look for loose fan belts and worn pulleys on 2 1/2's, cracked manifolds, worn out engine mounts and broken steady cables. These are just a few points that may not be obvious to someone who has never "lived" with a 1 1/2 or 2 1/2- litre Riley. Of course, if buying a car, you should give it a thorough visual inspection. Have a look for seats that won't slide, windows that won't wind up, worn door locks (particularly on Drophead Coupes and Roadsters). Bonnets that don't fit or won't close or are full of ripples from being slammed, crazed or dried out roof, rotten stitches or bumps under the roof, cracks in the steering wheel, check the turning indicator switch, see if the water temperature gauge works and so the list goes on. No doubt, there'll be points I've forgotten.

If I haven't put you off a Riley, I hope you'll go ahead and buy a good one. You should find the 11/2 a very satisfying car to drive with excellent handling, good economy (28-32 m.p.g.) and although not a fast car, you'll find it is able to cruise for long distances at 60-65 m.p.h. On the other hand, the 2 1/2 is still a fast car and although old, a good one would probably still crack the magic 100 m.p.h. Both suffer from limited boot space but have adequate leg room and are comfortable inside. They should be draught and rattle-free, but they will never be entirely free of movement (the radiator and body are almost independently mounted on a flexible chassis). The ride is firm and road and engine noise is always noticeable inside the car although it should not be excessive. As the advertising slogan during the post-war years stated, a good Riley is "truly Magnificent Motoring" and it's only after you own and drive one for some time that you realise how true this is - at least I did.

Removing broken axles

(by Paul Rodis, NSW)

Usually these half-shafts break at the neck of the spline nearest the diff centre. This broken piece must be removed carefully as there is a danger of this falling into the diff housing. If this happens the diff banjo housing will have to be removed, entailing much work.

Jack up the car, remove both rear wheels, taking care that there is sufficient room to remove both half shafts if this work is to be attempted in a garage. Disconnect brake rods from balance lever on diff housing, remove brake backing plates and hubs from diff housing. These are secured by eight bolts and are a sliding fit on the machined ends of the diff housing.

The two half shafts will come away with the units, and if a torch is shone down the inside of the diff housing, you'll see the broken piece.

Rather than use a "rod and spoon" arrangement to tap out broken axle ends into a "spoon" I have a long drift (in this case the inner steering column from a Post War Daimler, but a 2 1/2 rear stabiliser bar fits nicely) and a sledge hammer. Place the drift through the diff from the other side to the broken piece and belt the outer end like hell with the sledge hammer. The broken piece will come out like a bullet, so do not have people or breakables in the line of fire. I and others have used this method about ten times and we have not dropped a broken end into the housing.

Before filling the diff with oil it should be cleaned out to get rid of small pieces of broken axle. Kero should be used and the diff turned slowly over by hand , not by the engine. This will clean bits of metal from the diff.

After draining the kero, a piece of bent wire through the drain hole turned through 360 degrees will scrape out any bits of metal left in the bottom of the diff housing.

If nuts and bolts come out you know the crown wheel is shearing the bolts holding it to the carrier so this must be attended to fast to prevent it coming away completely. To do this one must take the diff housing from the torque tube and springs.

The Riley tool kit.

The official Riley Spare Parts list for the post war RM series Rileys (dated December, 1946) lists these:
Smiths Mechanical jack  Jack handle Starting handle                             Wheelbrace/hubcap remover    Tyre pump Tyre valve spanner Tyre levers Distributor feeler gauge  Grease gun	1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1

There was also a canvas tool roll complete with:
double ended spanner 3/16 & 1/4" double ended spanner 5/16 & 3/8" double ended spanner 7/16 & 1/2" Box spanner 3/16 & 1/4" Box spanner 5/16 & 3/8" Box spanner 7/16 & 1/2 Tommy bar Pliers        Hammer 3/4lb Screwdriver   Spark plug box spanner 14mm  Tappet spanner 1/8" Whitworth  Adjustable spanner	1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Which way is correct?

Adapted from Rileyfax Vol. 8 no. 1 (1980) by kind permission of the Riley Motor Club U.S.A. Inc.

This is, undoubtedly, the most frequently asked question among Riley restorers. It is also the most difficult question to answer, with qualification,simply because of the individualism in each and every car that left the factory. Additionally, modifications, out of necessity or desire, over the decades have further confused the issue. Which way is correct or are the particular points BOTH factory correct? The 2 1/2 litre Drophead rear window configuration, is a case in point.

Let us examine some of the options found on surviving cars as well as those seen in old photographs from around the world. Due to the lack of factory literature on the subject, we are left to speculation and educated guess.

1. Side vents. Their present or absence does not relate to model year - of the car. Nearly all, but not ALL, saloons 1948/53 have them. Roughly one third of the Drophead Coupes do not have them and a few Roadsters are minus side cowl vents. Because this condition is spread over several years of production with fewer cars ventless than are vented, there are two logical explanations for it. (a) They were common unless the customer said, "Do not put them on the car I just ordered". (b) They were not installed on cars exported to frigid climates.

2. Extra chrome bits. Types which only Riley could use such as fender skirt chrome strip most commonly seen on Roadsters but sometimes found on the other body styles. That curious hook atop Roadster bumper guards which often appears on Drophead rear bumpers but very seldom on saloons. Factory items they were and we think also customer option.

3. Tachometer. Optional, at extra cost, factory item most common on Roadsters. A different instrument was available for saloons and Dropheads made to match their instrumentation. In the U.S.A. very few saloons and not many Dropheads were fitted with tachometers.

4. White wall tyres. Customer/dealer option quite common in the U.S.A. but seldom seen elsewhere.

5. Driving or fog lamps. Butler driving lamps with bodies painted the same colour as the car were standard equipment in England and Australia but were added cost equipment in the U.S. Some cars were not fitted with them and no wiring or switch provisions were installed either. The same Butler lamp, fitted with amber glass, as a fog lamp may have been a Stateside item or factory supplied to overseas dealers. This type of lamp was not legal in some areas but they were a fashionable accessory often found on American cars.

6. Radiator mascot. It seems certain that the Riley factory did not design or supply a mascot for RM series cars. However, some dealers and distributors did, particularly overseas, and the item itself was a modified BMC product used on Morris cars. In Morris form the enamel discs (red) carried the numerical hp size of the car, 12, 18 etc. Melbourne, Australia's dealer (Kellow-Falkner) placed the same unit on all RM's sold by them. The unanswered question is, did K-F replace the red disc with ones of dark or light blue displaying the Riley script "R" or were the items supplied by BMC in England. Of the various mascots seen implanted on an RM, and there are quite a number, this one looks most like it belonged on the car.

7. Wing mirrors. Lucas "wing mirrors" were a standard factory item usually fitted only on the driver's side. We suspect that a second mirror on the other front guard, was a customer's extra cost option in England and Australia. The majority of cars exported to the U.S. had twin mirrors and we wouldn't be surprised if the dealers charged the customer for both of them. Dealer accessory loading, on all makes of cars, was very common in the forties.

8. Roof luggage rack. This item was a built-on as opposed to a suction cup stick on unit. The shape of its side frame complements the slope of the saloon rear quarter and windshield post suggesting that it was especially made for the Riley. Identical units are seen on cars in various parts of the world suggesting factory or export distributor origin.

9. Outside mounted spare wheel. Common to Roadsters but occasionally found on saloons and Dropheads where the bracket is affixed to the "bootlid". It was a handy way to carry an extra spare in areas where gravel roads and sharp stones were a hazard and service stations non-existent. It is not beyond possibility that the factory supplied this modification to customers in such places as the Australian outback, Africa, India, South America, Asia, etc. We don't know.

10. Cowl-side mounted radio antenna. The factory standard unit was affixed top centre above the windshield and installation access is designed into the interior headlining of the saloons. Some pictures show the same installation point on late 1951 Dropheads. Antenna at top centre above the saloon windscreen is "authentic" but side mount with period hardware is equally acceptable. By "period hardware" we mean do not use a 1980 streamlined unit representing a 1950 state of the art and design. Appearance authenticity is an important ingredient of a good restoration.

11. Fully chromed wheel covers and rimbellishers. The all chrome wheel cover, lacking painted panel matching body colour, was common to most Roadsters exported. Some buyer asked for them on saloons and Dropheads as well and Riley's distributor was quick to oblige. The inserted chrome rim bands are the most common item to come off accessory supply shelves everywhere. Riley catalogues do not depict them BUT their coloured advertising does, particularly on cars of colours not listed in their sales catalogues as they must have been on their option list. Nearly all of our Rileys have them as did the bulk of 16 inch wheeled cars of all makes. The units were standard catalogued bits in loads of car sales catalogues. For example, Ford 1936 to 1941.

12. Single air cleaners for each carburettor. Three forms of single large air cleaner were used by Riley and two single unit types were used, at least on exported cars. These had to be factory option on specially tuned cars and they are standard SU units in the single filter form. The just off the boat Riley road tested by Road & Track Magazine in 1952, had single SU air filters.

13. Blumell's "Brooklands Type" steering wheel. This also had to be a factory optional bit of equipment because the one we are talking about would not fit any other make of car. It is a lot stronger than the standard spring spoke type so if you are lucky enough to have one on your car you have a rare item.

14. Map reading lamp. Affixed to the passenger side shelf under the facia. British made and a factory option on Rally prepared cars.

15. Under bonnet trouble light. Again Rally equipment undoubtedly installed at customer's request when the car was built.

16. Jackall jacking system. A rather expensive addition fitted by a number of British sports and Rally prepared cars. Rare on RM's but does exist.

17. Windwings. Chrome framed, glass, wind deflectors mounted outside the forward end of saloon front door windows. Factory option in 1948 particularly on export models. Standard equipment 1952 and later. Recently remanufactured in Australia.

18. Sealed beam headlamps.Converting to sealed beam is both logical and quite acceptable during restoration.

19. Electric cigarette lighter. A British made unit in matching decor to the Riley facia and installed in the location normally occupied by headlamp high beam indicator. Also found installed in the wood panel to the left of the instrument panel on left hand drive cars. Although rare, this item is original factory or distributor installation including its British wiring. It may, however, have only made the options list for LHD (to the U.S.A.) cars.

20. Extra ash tray in the facia. Roadster type ash trays centred on each side of the instrument panel in the wood dash. Exists both in addition to, or in place of, standard type saloon units. Factory installed probably to suit customer. As anyone knows, who has whacked their knuckles on an open saloon ash try while trying to fast corner, this was a smart modification which Riley should have standardised.

21. Windshield post spotlamp. A useful item and a great fad accessory but mot from Riley's factory options list. The few observed have been American made off the shelf items.

22. Wire spoked wheels with centre lock hubs. A specialised unit of unknown manufacture aimed at interesting the Company in adopting them as a factory accessory. It is believed that not more than a dozen or so cars were fitted with these handsome wheels and only five of these cars are known to exist. We understand that although Victor Riley had them fitted to his own car the Company did not add them to its options list.

23. Opening saloon windshield. This was a standard feature from 1946 into early 1948 when it was replaced by solid mounted windshields. Why anyone would request and secure this feature on post 1948 to 1951 cars is difficult to understand but they did. Incidence is rarer than that of wire.spoked wheels but they DO exist.

24. Competition kit. Mainly consisting of one extra leaf in each rear spring and extra heavy duty tubular rear shock absorbers plus larger cross-section brake cables. May also include other, not easily visible, alterations. The origin is not known but appearance looks to be original. Moreover, its purpose defies logical reasoning by today's standards.

25. Rally preparation specifications. This covers a large area of mechanical and appearance modification by the factory for customers involved in the sport. Little is known about the extent and detail of these features. Factory photographs of two examples have appeared in Rileyfax: Capt. Kessach (Isle of Man) competition Roadster and Mr. Frank Cooper's Monte Carlo saloon. There are a number of survivors known to have been prepared for competition use in which they achieved their goals. What we don't know is what made them outperform their standard counterparts.

What do Rileys weigh?

Based on weigh-ins, the laden weight of a Riley is considerably higher than that shown in the instruction manual! On the road, your Riley with a full fuel tank and a passenger or two is around 30 Cwt for a 1 1/2 litre, 34 Cwt for a 2 1/2 litre and 35 plus Cwt for a Pathfinder. In contrast, an Imp should weigh in at just under a ton.

For those of you who think in metrics, the conversion is one pound to 0.453592 kg, and there are 112 pounds to the Cwt!

Service points on post war Rileys.

1. The rear wheel races are supplied with grease nipples or grub screws; two good shots of suitable grease are sufficient.

2. Lubricate with ordinary oil where rear springs are clamped around the differential housing; there is a canvas composite packing there.

3. The generator has a removable oiling cap which is generally hidden beneath the carburettors on a 2 1/2. Refill the container. Don't forget to replace the small spring felt pad.

4. Remove the fan pulley assembly complete and repack with grease (heat resistant)

5. The rack and pinion steering box has adjustable stops each end of the steering tube. Remove these and replace with a grease nipple to suit, and pump in light grease. Replace stop bolts to the previous positions and tighten securely.

6. Remove the earth strap of the battery from the metal bulkhead to a suitable place on the engine itself, or add an additional earth strap from the engine to the chassis. This will usually improve starting.

7. Add oil to the S.U. carburettor dash pots. Use engine oil, and you should get increased mileage and reduced misfiring.

8. Inspect the stabiliser wire which holds the motor down at the front. Remember, the 2 1/2 engine only lays on a cradle of rubber, it is not securely bolted down. Look at the back mounting rubbers too, near the gear box. If they are soft, replace them.

9. Pathfinder owners should fit protective safeguards to their machines. When travelling on dirt or stony roads the vacuum cylinder for power brakes positioned under the offside in the chassis needs a plate or strong mesh guard to prevent damage. Also, when the front carburettor floods or leaks, the fuel drips onto the rubber insulating bushes of the steering shaft universal. Not being neoprene they soon deteriorate, thus a suitable shield to deflect drips is worth fitting.

Simple modifications for the Pathfinder.

A HOLE FOR PUTTING AIR IN THE SPARE TYRE.

The hole is 1 1/2" in diameter and is plugged with a rubber grommet used for the same purpose in the Standard Vanguard.

The hole is located by laying the largest circumference of the grommet so that it just touches the extreme of the two ribs on the floor of the boot, to the right of the middle line. It will then be directly above the inside of the wheel rim when 6.00 ins. tyres are fitted. It is noted that a spare fan belt will fit in the rim of the spare wheel.

RELOCATION OF THE STARTER AND PANEL LIGHT SWITCHES.

By placing the starter switch on the right in the place normally occupied by the panel light switch, one hand only is required for normal starting. The wires do not need lengthening, but one of the holes needs enlarging.

RE-EARTHING THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES.

Normally the earthing terminal is attached to one of the bolts attaching the assembly. This tends to prove inadequate, and a better location is one of the bolts holding the boot locking studs. No modification of the wire or its terminal is required.

DUSTPROOFING THE PATHFINDER.

"My first trip in the car when new included 80 miles of gravel to test this very point. Result - dust from under the instrument panel, and plenty in the boot. The boot can be sealed as follows;

1. Plug up the holes between rear bumper supports and rubber grommets.

2. Seal numerous small holes around tool boxes and wheel arches. These can be found at night with the aid of a light and an assistant.

3. Put an assistant in the boot and close the lid. He (or she) can then locate the places where sealing is inadequate with the light on the outside. The likely places are along the bottom and the lower parts of each side. It is estimated that there is enough air in the boot for the assistant to survive for about 1/4 hour. The sealing is made with 1/4"x1" sponge rubber stuck to the edge of the boot lid.

4. Check hole on top of shock absorber mounting.

5. Next, check the holes in the bulkhead. These will probably need the grommets repositioned and sealed if any work has been done on the car by th average garage.

6. The doors fit well, but it is worthwhile trying to plug up the holes in the front pillar where the bar to control opening is fitted.

7. In the steering column, believe it or not, take the cover (with the Riley badge) of the centre of the wheel and feel the wind that comes up the hollow shaft. This can be blocked at the top with caulking compound.

8. Now for the place which lets most of the dust into the car, and all the other Pathfinders as far as my research goes. This one took me 18 months of patient searching to discover. Place the hand under the body, just behind the front wheel arch, (under the Pathfinder insignia). Feel for the inner edge of this part of the body and then upwards, with the chassis now on the inside of the fingers. In front two large square holes can be felt, and further back under the front doors are two large round holes. Dust can get from this part of the body up the section in front of the front door and out of the front of the instrument panel on each side. These holes can be sealed with "Malthoid" and "Bostik"

After attention to these points, the car is now dustproof..

(Contributed by James Isbester, July & September 1959)

Rileys and sticking valves.

Arthur Babbington, Sydney July 1999

So, you and your Riley are motoring along at highway cruising speed...the miles are slipping by, the side vents are open, windows down (or in open cars the hood)....the day is hot (like say 30 degrees plus). All is well until by chance your eye perceives a flickering of the ammeter in a regular rhythm and you ponder... what it could be. This may continue for several hours but the old girl doesn't seem to be suffering so the flickering ammeter is ignored.

As you approach some hilly country you are quietly confident that your RM will be able to show some "moderns" its backside as you power up the hills. But the old girl doesn't quite have the same grunt as it used to. in fact, it feels a bit lame in response to the throttle and pings when given the boot. The water temperature might also be climbing and at the next town you stop to investigate.

The engine idles a bit rough and you've noticed a constant "miss" in the engine through the gears. After closer investigation you discover that compression is down on at least one cylinder and having then removed the head you find a couple of burnt exhaust valves. So you do what all owners do.....you try to determine what went wrong. All sorts of theories are put forward but at the next Rally, several more cars suffer the same fate.

Going back to ammeter and analysing its behaviour is more than just a clue - it was the car's way of telling you that the probability of it burning its exhaust valves was very high.

That rapidly flickering ammeter, showing charge, was the S.U. petrol pump cavitating from the vapour lock caused by under bonnet temperatures reaching a level that exceeded the vapour pressure of the fuel.

The location of the fuel pump, high on R/H side of the firewall is another factor that significantly contributed to the onset of vapour lock.

Vapour lock.

Fuel from the tank is drawn to the fuel pump which is then fed at low pressure to the float bowls of the carburettors. The path of the fuel from the pump to the float bowls forms an inverted 'U' which is a real NO NO as far as fuel plumbing layout is concerned. The purists of course will scoff at this slight, that their Mr Nuffield built gem has a basic flaw in the fuel system layout. But it is nevertheless a fact of life that you may choose to live with or to modify. More of that later....

In the operating conditions already described the fuel pump is working overtime, it pumps a mixture of air and fuel which is then fed to the fuel bowls which of course are hot like the rest of the engine. The fuel in these bowls being hot has a specific gravity much less than that of cool or even warm fuel and less of it is being delivered by a cavitating pump. What chance then have the carburettors to meet the demand of the engine? What is delivered to the engine is a leaner mixture atomised with intake air that is also hot and therefore at a reduced density and so here you have a fully developed recipe for detonation , piston disintegration and burning valves but not necessarily all at the same time.

The causal factors in the above are high ambient temperature over 30 degrees, fuel plumbing layout, suction type fuel pump, high fuel and high inlet air temperature. The above of course assumes that the rest of the engine and cooling system is A OK.

Lets consider the engine itself now rather than what's going into it and detail some other factors that might contribute to the sticking and burning of valves.

Valve clearance.

One factor is valve clearance. A riding exhaust valve will eventually burn and so accurate clearances are important. Indeed one or two thou. more than the recommended setting is common practise amongst RM owners and wisely too. But for this exercise lets assume that the clearances are OK.

What else could prevent the exhaust valve from seating properly, that might cause it to fail? In a word - varnish.

Varnish.

It is a fact of life that with today's leaded fuel unless preventative measures are taken, varnish will build up on the stem of the exhaust valve and progressively inhibit the capacity of the valve to close fully onto its seat. Now that is somewhat of a sweeping statement one might say. Maybe so, but has been arrived at after a considerable amount of exchange of information with other club members as well as personal experience of having sticking valves and seeing the varnish and carbon on valves from numerous heads, including several of my own.

One symptom of varnish build up, as mentioned, is valve sticking which causes the engine to miss, to run from mildly to very rough, emit clattering noises and it may even stop. It is more likely to occur after a period of sustained running, at the point where the throttle is released and compression no longer assists in the closing of the exhaust valves. The amount of sticktion caused by the varnish overcomes the capacity of the valve spring to close the valve. The amount it remains open is the deciding factor in whether the piston hits the valve and the degree of damage that occurs. What usually happens is that the valve in striking the piston is bent sufficiently to prevent it from ever seating efficiently again. Even if the valves are not bent, they are sticking and therefore not seating fully and in this situation valve burning will soon occur.

Fuel additives.

So what's the solution?... To prevent this varnish build-up or to remove it while the engine is in service? From my experience, the only thing that will successfully do this is a good quality fuel conditioner and upper cylinder lubricant. I'm not going to nominate any particular brand but I would recommend RM owners to do their own homework and choose a good quality brand. It should have the capacity to remove varnish as well as to prevent its formation and act as an aid to the efficient burning of the fuel. Another useful quality would be the ability to cure run-on as this has been experienced by members with engines running at 8.5:1 and above.

Fuel pump improvements

Going back to the fuel system. The fitting of a pressure pump at the fuel tank outlet that is matched to the fuel delivery pressure for the carburettors will overcome cavitation in hot conditions. Depending on the type of pump chosen (one that has internal bypass) it may be possible to leave the S.U. pump active in the circuit. That is, with the solid state pump operating the S.U. pump diaphragm is deflected and its points are open. If the solid state pump is then switched off or it fails, the diaphragm relaxes as the pressure drops and the points close on the S.U. pump, and it happily ticks away as it supplies fuel. This is one option that leaves the fuel plumbing as standard yet has a standby pump, the S.U. pump, to use if needed. However it would be useless if needed on a 30 degree + day. While the other pressure pump is operating the chances of vapour lock at the inverted U bend in the plumbing is much diminished.

In the above.. the fuel system still has a lot of plumbing that is exposed to under bonnet temperatures that raises fuel temperature. If the S.U. pump is deleted from the system so is the plumbing and when new plumbing is fitted it would be a good idea to insulate it. This system has no redundancy and therefore it may well be advisable to carry a spare solid state pump. As they are about half the weight and price of an S.U. pump and more reliable this is no penalty.

One important difference between the original system and the solid state system is that when the S.U. is operating (at normal speed) one could say with some certainty that it was supplying fuel. With the solid state system it can tick away for years and over time the pressure at which it supplies fuel may drop off but you would never know it. Fitting a fuel filter before the pump, if recommended, will significantly extend the life of the pump. The fitting of a fuel pressure gauge will allow you to monitor fuel pressure but who wants to add another complication? Alternatively, if a "T" union is fitted to the fuel plumbing at a convenient location the pressure can be verified at any time, e.g. as preparation for a long trip, by connecting a suitable pressure gauge.

Other types of pumps are available, e.g. impeller type, but some may require a fuel return line to be added.

So with a modified the fuel system that is preferably insulated in the engine bay, and having added an effective fuel conditioner/ upper cylinder lubricant to the fuel what else can be done to improve the ability of the engine to run reliably and also cope in very hot conditions?...

Cool air.

Ensure that the temperature of the air as it enters the air cleaner is no hotter than the ambient temperature. How can this be achieved?... By fitting flexible ducting that sources air from ahead of the radiator and directs it to the air filter or carburettor inlet. The following example illustrates a typical temperature differential.

The under bonnet temperature that is drawn into the carburettor intake is the sum of the temperature of the air as it leaves the radiator plus whatever temperature is radiated by the engine and the road. Lets say that the indicated water temperature is 90c so the air at the top of the radiator that is travelling rearwards is at about 90c. What might the block temperature be? Somewhat above this temperature and also above the temperature of the oil in the sump (my car senses oil temperature both going into the engine AND in the sump) which would be around 125c. With the turbulence imparted to the air by the fan and forward motion of the car the temperature could be well over 125c as it enters the carburettors. This low density, high temperature air adds to the internal operating temperatures of the engine and reduces power output.

If the outside or ambient air temperature is 30c, plus say another 10c considering the effect of radiant heat from the road then, if this air is directed towards the air intake it reduces by around 2/3rds the relative air temperature at the carburettors. The relative air density is then maintained somewhat closer to the density that the settings to the carburettors were adjusted to and so the possibility of enrichment of the mixture is minimised. Keeping the intake air cool has a significant gain and is not to be ignored.

If the aiming of this ducted intake air happens to spill intentionally towards the carburettor bowls then engine radiant heat will also have less effect on raising fuel temperatures at this critical point. The relative air density exerting a pressure on the fuel in the fuel bowls will be marginally higher than would be otherwise and so the tendency for the mixture to become leaner is minimised.

When altitude considerations (decreasing air density with increasing altitude) are added to the above the effects of mixture enrichment are even more pronounced. Note that in the case above vapour lock and fuel starvation are not the issues. The issue is how to use ambient air to 

maintain the carburettors in optimum tune when motoring.

What diameter should this flexible duct be?... 3". It should preferably be non metallic, fitted to the lower right of the radiator core (after

repositioning the coil) then aft to the intake or intakes depending on air filter configuration. A deflector may be necessary to channel the air towards the fuel bowls.

I haven't mentioned side panel louvres as they are ineffectual on a very hot day,.. but they look good. What is more effective is... pressure cowling! What's pressure cowling? Essentially it is the maintenance of as much airflow through the radiator and over the engine to then exit below the engine to the underneath of the car. How is this achieved?

By the sealing of firstly... any air that spills around the radiator without passing through the core. The sides of the radiator can be more effectively sealed with something as simple as split plastic hose or electrical conduit and to seal below the radiator thin sheet metal can be secured to bridge the gap between the front of the grill and radiator.

Fans.

Something else worthy of mention is to replace the small engine driven fan with a more efficient, larger diameter nylon fan that really stirs the air even at low engine speed. It will weigh a lot less than the original but may draw marginally more power but this is offset by the greater cooling capacity particularly at low to medium speeds. As the forward speed of the car increases, the ram effect helps to reduce the power consumed to drive the fan. The net benefit in terms of increased efficiency far out weighs any tradeoff.

A supplemental thermo fan is useful in peak hour city conditions and sometimes to dissipate heat quickly after a high speed run when entering a town. I haven't experimented with a thermo fan only to replace the engine driven fan but imagine that this would be more beneficial in cold conditions.

Radiators

Other radiator improvements include the pressurising of early non-pressurised radiators which of course raises the boiling point (a must) and the replacement of the core with a finer\deeper core... non essential but beneficial.

Oil is also an effective cooling medium within a Riley engine especially the 21\2 and therefore an air\oil or water\oil heat exchanger is a valuable add-on. A heat exchanger is essential for another reason as well... to prevent bearing temperatures from reaching a critical level (around 140c) as heat stress will occur and when the oil temperature (and associated bearing temps) goes above 152c white metal puddles!...and your rally comes to a halt.

For those members with white metal big ends the word is ..convert to shell bearings.

So in closing... if the correct fuel flow and pressure are maintained and the fuel temperature is kept as low as possible, AND if the intake air is kept as cool as possible in spite of high under bonnet temperatures, AND an efficient upper cylinder lubricant\fuel conditioner is added to the fuel, IF the rest of the engine and cooling system are in good serviceable condition, then ones chances of enjoying a trouble free rally are greatly improved.

Arthur Babbington