Tom Fremont

I've been using the TRF Magic Clutch kit comprising Koyo bearing, Sachs PP and LUK disc since the last century. I'm guessing I've done over 100K miles with them ( 2 cars ) and haven't had any issues whatsoever - best setup I know of and that includes the Laycock which is also very good, just more abrupt engaging. They key in my experience is that I twigged misalignment to be the chief gremlin in circulation with these and got mine aligned properly every time beginning with my first TRF kit. I'm with Stagpowered above; it's probably a misalignment issue causing the TOB to scrub on the PP fingers in an orbital pattern. Not what it was designed to do! Tom

Years ago a powder blue TR4 fetched well over that figure on Barrett Jackson Auctions. It too had a Chinese lower valance, aftermarket steering wheel and 4-5 other deviations from original which I saw ( must be more! ) and no go-faster goodies like Webered engine, etc. nor Surrey hardtop. Will news someday that TRs are fetching what they cost to restore be taken badly? From the comments here it would seem so . Either way, 2X the asking price has been spent restoring TRs to very high standards, surpassing factory quality of course. Tom

Just think of the HP boost you got! Until now, the drag probably negated the savings from ditching the fan . Cheers, Tom

I was able to reuse the originals - the stuff lasts forever. I glued it into position with 3M Contact Cement. As for what it is, I guess horsehair. There may be a suitable carpet underlayment that gives a decent facsimile, but doubt it will come in black. Cheers, Tom

Sounds like the fabric is too small or perhaps the front/rear span is too long. Also, some capping pieces give scant gap with the windscreen seal and the front lip of the top has to be stuffed underneath with great difficulty ( I used to lubricate it ). My '250s have the early chromed brass capping which gives ample gap, and though a bit fiddly no wrestling is needed to install them, 3-5 minutes tops. This can be far too long if a sudden shower arrives out of nowhere! Better to fit it first if threatened. I once thought the fabric should be tight against the H-frame. At speed it is always lifted up so this isn't essential. Finally, even with a very tight front lip grip the top would peel out at 80 MPH in the rain. I found that opening the window slightly would mitigate this. Nowadays I just don't drive that fast in the rain with the soft top, and over the years I'd say the Surrey tops have been fitted for less than 1% of the total mileage excepting X-country driving. Cheers, Tom

I ran stock '250s from 1976 to 2004 using Champion N12Y, Autolite 55 and by 1990 NGK BP6ES, all giving the same colour. I used Bosch once or twice but don't remember the model; I would have cited N12Y Champion as a cross reference. The proper correlation between NGK and Champion is the question, and at the end of the day the colour ought to govern the choice. Tom

Hi Daz, I'm not versed on " Stage XYZ " heads, but one of my BP7ES equipped engines with CP cam has 9.5:1 c/r and the other has 10.7:1 with high lift ( 0.504" ) / 282 degree duration cam. Heads are both Racetorations produce ( caveat emptor! ). The [ dated ] information I have is that the 7s correlated to Champion N9Y and the 6s correlated to Champion N12Y, specified for TR5/6 P.I. and TR250/6 carb respectively, by TRIUMPH. So my experience amounts to " going by the book ". Cheers, Tom

Those are both hot plugs, and the BP6ES works well in the U.S. market applications, grey colour on my stock TR250 engine long ago. When I tried them with my CP spec engine with Weber DCOEs they ran white. So I've been using BP7ES since the 1900s. These get changed out at 30K miles whether they need it or not. Apart from LUCAS P.I. equipped TR5/6 fast road engines I'm told the 7s are the favourites. From what I've seen on this forum the P.I. cars do better with hotter plugs. The above issue about #s 5&6 is a recurring theme too. Some have fattened the plenum to 4" in an effort to correct this. Cheers, Tom

Hi Richard, There are various pedestrian tyres available in the 185-15 size original to the U.S. market cars with 3.7:1 final drive. Performance ones are expensive but also available - if your TR6 has been brought to " 150 " BHP since its repatriation to the UK you might consider the Michelin XVS in that size or the XAS in 180-15. Dunlop still offer their vintage SP Sport tyre with the iconic AquaJet tread in V speed rating. If U.S. spec there are redlines from COKER or Universal Tire in the original size. For 3.45:1 final drive: 195/65 tyres are smaller in diameter than the 165-15s fitted to the injected cars ( though not much ). 185/70-15 are spot on but choices are few for these, Vredestein or the 186 MPH Michelin XWX as I have on my driver ( I love them! ). Cheers, Tom

Years ago I bought some OE internals, several sets comprising the shaft, sleeve but not housing. One or two measured in spec with at least (3) having excess clearances. Mixing and matching helped. I fitted one to my driver. I'm fixed for the duration with at least one good set for the next new engine but I'm sorry to see the ones available today are sub-par. Tom

Lovely car! LHD too! Cheers, Tom

The manifold tightening torque specified in Uncle Bentley correlates to the lowest grade of bolt, half that of a high grade one. So the tensile stress is low, and if a stainless bolt is rated for 25 lb-ft I see no reason not to use it...other than the matter of wearing out the threads in the cast iron head a little. This is mitigated when a lubricant is used ( here in the 'States we like Never Seize which uses nickel powder ). I'm not convinced installation will be easier with bolts, however. I've been quite happy with the standard studs and stainless nuts/lockwashers, copiously lubricated with Never Seize. The nuts and lockwashers look like new after years of use too. Tom

When the fuel/air ratio is spot on the cam duration determines fuel economy. CP cams won't do as well as CR cams and CC cams will deliver the best ( 40 mpg Imperial highway with O/D ). The 280 degree duration of the CP cam is an anomaly amongst its contemporaries, exceptionally long with commensurate fuel economy penalty. Best I've gotten with Weber DCOEs and CP cam is 32 mpg Imperial ( 27 mpg U.S. ) and that was at 60 mph average. Any LUCAS P.I. engine with the same cam which surpasses this has been tuned very well indeed. A vacuum advance function for cruising would deliver another 2-3 mpg I reckon. Others can chime in on this. The early emissions controlled TRs have this and gain another 16-18 degrees of advance under light throttle conditions. Tom

Here in the 'States SAE 30W non-detergent motor oil has been thoroughly proven. I must have done over 100K miles with my Webered TR250 O/D transmission using the stuff. There should be a detectable, if slight increase in fuel economy with this over the gear oils, giving less viscous drag. Similarly, I noticed several more miles between fill ups using a synthetic oil in the differential ( poured like water, almost ). Cheers, Tom

My driver's has no valve guide seals and mileage before requiring oil be added is an integer multiple of the original ( 3000-4000 miles vs. 800 per quart ). I very much appreciate having more oil lubricating the valve guides, as the paltry amount given by the standard setup gives me little confidence. As to whether or not this auxiliary feed line is " necessary ", I suppose it may not be when the rocker shaft is chrome plated and the arms are bronze bushed. This is the case with both of my engines, so an incomplete experiment in my case. Valve guides in the driver's head have 90K miles so far and are bronze. Tom