Rover Sports Register Forum

Does anyone know if the two bars of the center lamp support on a tourer should have two holes along the back of each bar? The support I'm refering to is shown between the horns in Snobhill38's photo here: http://www.rover-forum.thersr.co.uk/vie ... =17&t=1501

The question came up because there are two holes on the back of each bar on this support on my fathers tourer. We're about to have this and some other parts chrome plated, and wondering whether to have the holes welded shut.

Thanks,

Steve Manwell

The lamp bar shown in the picture should be of a one piece construction not two

I gather some of these supports are fabricated from multiple pieces (five?) similar to the construction of a bicycle frame with lugs brazed to tubes. Are there others that are a single casting?

Here is a photo of the light support on Tourer #54; this one looks like is might be a single piece.

Hi Steve
The one in your last post is identical to the one on my 1947 12 tourer. On close examination the two end pieces and the centre piece are solid metal, possibly Brass?? However the two connecting pieces are hollow tubing with small holes in the back at both ends to feed the wiring through. Again on close examination you can just see a join where I presume the tubes go over the ends of the solid bits to form a one piece fitting. Trust this helps.

Regards
Andrew

Andrew,

Thanks for that observation -- now I see what the holes are for. Just to confirm, there are two holes on the back of each tube, for a total of four?

Steve

Hi Steve

Yes I confirm there are 2 holes at the back at either end of both tubes ie 4 in total

Regards
Andrew

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Hello Steve and all.

Three or 4 years ago I had my Bar re-chromed and striped off the old chrome myself beforehand.
As Andrew says its made up of 3 brass casings and 2 steel tubes. The brass castings are a tight [interference] fit within (inside) the ends of the tubes. Each tube had 2 holes which were I think, taped out to about 2BA
I assumed they were there to affix cable clips for the light cable and also for badges?

Before plating I filled all the holes with Silver Solder [filing smooth afterwards] During plating they put the work in various solutions which would get inside the tubes and cause corrosion from the inside if they are not carefully washed away, and its fully dried out inside.

A few months after mine came back from the Platers and was fitted on the car, I noticed fluid seeping from one of the joint near the lower casting. This was trapped liquid within the tubes, despite “filling the holes” as above. Therefore the join between the tube and casting should also be looked at the ensure it wont leak. [Together with the Liquid , Rust was starting to develop]

By the way,
This was overcome by drilling a small hole in the rear of the tube, heating with blowlamp to expel all moisture, putting in lots of Waxol [whilst hot] taping the hole and fitting a 2BA or 4BA screw to seal it. No problems since then.

Hope this helps. Rod Scarman 47 12t

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Some suggestions:-.

If I recall, the lamp support ( I am talking here about the slightly larger but otherwise similar 16hp sports saloon support ) is made up, (as has been said) from brass ends and central support secured to mild steel tubes. The tubes are secured to the brass bits by a steel pin driven through holes at the end of the tube and through the brass bit. It is possible to get stainless steel thick wall food grade tube fractionally larger than the mild steel tube, and have it polished, securing with pins or gluing the ensemble with araldite or J B Weld to give a rustproof light bar. This avoids having to deal with excessively rusted mild steel tube after stripping the chrome, and lots of repairs prior to polishing. As regards the wiring, run it in chrome plated shower hose or similar, clipped to the lighting bar

Mike

The on going problems above with chemicals left inside an item after replating also applies to other items with an internal chamber....another forinstance is the petrol cap, before chemical cleaning, drill a couple of small holes around the spring hook to ventilate the cap afterwards and fill with warmed waxoil.