Dynamos offer a perfectly serviceable system for classic cars that are used infrequently, but if you use your classic car often – and especially if you drive at night, have added accessories or even use things like sat navs and mobile phone chargers – that system will start to struggle. An alternator is the modern answer to classic car electrical charging problems and can be fitted easily either with a proprietary kit or with a little fabrication. This Skill Shack video tutorial will show you how to upgrade from a dynamo to an alternator and will share hints and tips along the way from fitting brackets, wiring and other considerations like fan belt size and ignition coil positioning. We recommend for owners of older classic cars, that you first view our video on converting from positive to negative earth before undertaking this project.
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18:26How to Decoke Your Combustion Chambers and Lap in Valves
In the previous class, Ed showed you how to clean the valves and prepare them for reinsertion into the head. Now, you’ll learn how to lap in the valves using grinding paste and then decoke the engine in order to increase its efficiency and ensure top-notch engine performance for another several thousand miles. Ed introduces the tools you need to complete this process and then shows you how to use them.
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15:59How to Check Your Engine for Wear and Tear
In the next step of basic engine maintenance, Ed explains how you can learn a great deal about a car engine’s wear and general health by inspecting a few key components and completing a test or two.
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10:02How to Install Auxiliary Lights – Step by Step Guide
Now that you know how to join two wires and you have a basic understanding of circuit diagrams, it’s time to try your hand at a simple project. Learn how to use essential tools and your new knowledge of electrical wiring to install auxiliary lights to the front of your classic car.
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1:44Classic Electrics Introduction – the Can-do Guide
As with most projects in the garage, it’s important to first learn the essential techniques and then challenge yourself on the more complicated scenarios. To help you gain an introductory understanding of classic car electrics, Danny Hopkins and Ed Hughes are here to demonstrate a number of simple car maintenance projects that focus on classic car electrics. With each of the five classes in this course, you’ll discover a new technique that you can implement in your own garage and grow more confident as a classic car restorer.
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