[Big thank you]

This was a short 'dip' into the Classic car world this time around. It lasted a year! I had a blast with my TR4 both on and off the road. Muchos appreciados to all on here who guided me in the right direction, offering sterling advice and support when I needed it.

You are the salt of the earth and you experiences and expertise knows no limits.

I hope to be back one day with another Triumph (my eye will always be on the TR3).

Meanwhile I have a dream......!

And that dream got a whole lot closer having recently sold the TR4.........

 

Take good care of yourselves and happy fresh air and trouble free motoring to you all.

 

Wayne

[selling the car!]

Car sold!

[selling the car!]

Update.

Ironically the first guy who "actually" turns up, tells me he likes it a lot...a helluva lot! Wants to come back and take a closer look and a run in it.

 

Came back on Thursday and after a run out tells me he'll have it! Some negotiation (as expected) and voila he stumps up with a cash deposit.

 

BACS transfer imminent......but it's not over until the "dimensionally challenged lady sings"!!!

 

I'll revert i.d.c. Wish me luck.

 

Brian C: I couldn't agree more - if this falls thru, I may go dosn that route as I have a 2nd vehicle currently for sale and am getting more hassle with that too!!!

 

What happened to old fashioned down to earth bartering.........

[selling the car!]

buy me! Buy me!

[selling the car!]

It's been a while since I sold a car and boy has it changed!

The car went live about 10 days ago and since then I have had 4 enquiries, thus:

1st: SCAM. Guy e-mails me and says love your car - want it, tell me about it? (isnt that what the add is about???). He then comes back and says I'll pay for it via PayPal??? I say no you won't its either cash or BACS. He says "I work abroad and dont do either of those and my shipping agent and ..and...It was then I realised SCAM.

2nd: Some spotter decides to buy my car. Rings me up every day about something or other. Why is it this, why is it that.

"I have heard rumours about these California imports"!!!!!. He then rings on day 5 and says take it to TRBitz for an inspection and if it passes, I'll buy it??? He then finally decides to visit me and look at the car, so I take time off work - and guess what he doesnt show up! I ring him after an hour and he is about 70 miles away shopping and tells me he'll be late!!!

To blood* right he'll be late because the cars not available anymore??

3rd: A woman rings up: "Love the car, I want it whats your lowest price". I e-mail back and say 'negotiable but my lowest is". She says strange - your car is on another part of Auto T rader and is being sold for less. Check out the link (and she gives me a link). I click on the link and lo and behold my virus monitor says: Web forgery, this is not a legitimate web site??? It looked and felt like an Auto Tra der site asking for p/w and username but wasn't actually the correct web site??

 

It's a mine field out there............................Is there anyone genuine out there anymore?

 

[Gearbox oil]

Hi Pete,

well apart from the fact that the car manual tells you to use ep90....

When I only just bought it, I had it serviced in a local garage, some bits and bobs needed doing. I asked them to check it over and source any leaks. Upon my return to collect the car, I asked what leaks were found and they said some from gearbox and they had topped up with engine oil. A debate followed and they were adamant it was fine. I quoted the handbook and previous experience, stating it should have been ep90. I could even smell the stuff previously before visiting them EP90 has a very distinctive smell, I think you'll agree.

So I paid my bill and drove off. Within seconds of selecting o/d, it started to lurch into and out of overdrive of its own accord!! I turned around, went back to the mechanic and told him to drain the gearbox and replace all of the oil with ep90. After much moaning and shrugging of shoulders they did it, I drove off and the o/d is as crisp as ever! Definitely NO engine oil in the g'box I'm afraid, dont care what anyone says. If its in the manual - it's good enough for me.

[Gearbox oil]

I certainly wouldn't use any modern oils in the TR! It is too thin for the tolerances found in a 60's machine. Your leak rate would double overnight!

A good reliable run of the mill 20/50 for the engine and the same but EP90 for the box works wonders. Whatever you do, don't put engine oil in the overdrive gearbox.

[Ammeters and Alternator Upgrades]

Just finished my alternatopr/narrow belt conversion:

 

Swap Ammeter connections over.

Original wiring can cope with about 30-40amps for a short burst but anything more and/or for longer will fry your wiring.[Example being a flat battery or starter motor jammed on causing huge current demand.]. Hence why an alternator with a huge rating isn't necessary. Downside of original ammeter is that it baerly registers any activity! Votlmeter could be used to replace ammeter or placed in line in the engine bay for instance!

 

Original VS is fine - no damage and no excess readings to fuel/temp gauge. Modern or thyristor diode - will be damaged.

 

Any auxilliary components such as radio etc need to be changed for -ve earth. Wipers OK.

 

I have instructions and wiring diagrams and pics of control box terminals if needed.

 

Use a heat shield to protect your new alternator rear end from frying.

 

[The good news about a narrow belt conversion is that you can now change the fan belt at the side of the road faster than the car's 0-60 speed!!!].

 

Enjoy.

 

WT

[Bleeding cooling system]

The cap looks like a basic spring loaded rubber seal type - no double valve thingamy?

My overflow tube goes to the bottom of the overflow bottle but no 45 degree cut off just flat.

[Bleeding cooling system]

OK OK I'm sorry I mentioned Voyager!!!

 

Meanwhile back on planet earth:

 

I am struggling to bleed the bleeding cooling system in that everything appears normal except after the engine has cooled down, I take the rad cap off and find the water level about 1/4" below the lip - tick. The overflow bottle is half full - tick. I then squeeze the top hose and or the little bypass hose going into the stat housing and both appear empty or devoid of water coolant. Why isn't the cooling system completely full? Each time I disconnect the bypass top connection to the stat housing and gently fill it full of water until it comes out of the stat housing and then quickly fit it back onto its nozzle in the stat housing. But next run - the same happens again and the top hose/bypass hose seem empty of water.

Have I missed something here as my experience with modern cars teaches me that as much of the cooling system should remain full of water. If you squeeze any hoses on modern cars they sound full and the water level in the rad changes correspondingly????

[Bleeding cooling system]

Alan, how do you account for Voyager I then which launched in 1977 (36 yrs ago) and is destined to continue sending data back until 2020? Now thats reliability

[Bleeding cooling system]

Oh.......

[Bleeding cooling system]

Alan: Looks like you are correct: The gauges are behaving themselves.

Graham: Spoke to TRGB today about the elusive hole and they said because I had the bypass hose already fitted, the holed stat was surplus to requirement and the one without a hole in it would be fine???

I shall soon see........................................

[Bleeding cooling system]

Badfrog: To be specific regarding your point about converting polarity:

 

Are you saying the thyristor will/would fail if subject to a polarity failure during its operation? Obviously in my instance, I removed the battery, did the bsuiness with the alternator and then reconnected the battery the other way around. Would the thyristor be affected during this 'passive' phase of polarity change?

The fuel/temp gauges behaved until I washed the engine bay. This afternoon after PJ told me about the regulator, I double checked it and then checked the feed back from the fuse box. It 'appears' there may have been a poor connection inside that very sophisticated ( ) fuse terminal and after some tightening up the gauges are working again. Buit Badfrog's got me wondering whether the gauges are now telling me the truth.

 

Graham (Harris): If the new stat doesn't have a hole and pin in it, should I fit it? or ask for one similar to my original? OR - drill my own hole in it (without pin).

[Bleeding cooling system]

Thanks PJ much appreciated

 

WT

[Bleeding cooling system]

I have now received the new stat. The old one had a 3/16" hole drilled thru it with a little loose metal pin passing thru it. The new one doesn't have any holes in it. What is the hole for?

 

Later in the day, I washed the engine bay down and then went for a spin to dry it out. About 20 mins thru the drive the temp and fuel guage dropped to zero? Could that possibly be the resistor or whatever it is called which controls the current to these two guages getting wet?

 

Where is this resistor situated please?

[Bleeding cooling system]

Before the system was disturbed, the temp was perfect, even after idling for 30 mins in sweltering heat.

 

Now - when I took the thermostat out, I noticed that the bit that was protruding forward tow ards the rad was the bit which had the fixed metal arch and the bit hidden from view tucked insde the thermstat housing was the spring loaded shank of the thermostat.

 

Now this is the idiot bit where I show my ignorance:

 

I manually opened the thermostat valve by pushing FROM the arch side of the stat back towards the thermostat housing. Isn't this against the direction of flow,?

 

I thought that when the temp of the water circulating around the cylinder head got hot enough, the stat opened thus allowing water to transfer forward from the cylinder head thru the top hose into the top of the rad????

 

This is in the opposite direction to the physical opening of the stat spring mechanism.

 

Confused?

 

What is the correct way to fit the stat. And IF the above appears to be the wrong way around - why has the temp behaved itself in the past?

 

 

OK - found the explanation, thanks: The reverse logic of how I thought a stat would work:

 

[Bleeding cooling system]

PJ: I have asked around and looked again for this restrictor issue in the bypass hose? Still none the wiser.

I spoke to another Triumph place locally and they say pretty much the same - the original one is the best BUT a modern one will do for 'most' situations.

What is the purpose of restricting flow thru the bypass hose with a modern stat then?

 

I' ll report once the new one arrives and I have driven around with it for a while.

 

CTc: Sounds like you have the perfect TR there! 35mpg: OMG! I dream of that on my TR4. I am around 25mpg on my Strombergs.[And they are recently rebuilt].

[Bleeding cooling system]

Graham - left the thermo in.

This evening after work I took the thermostat out and went for a spin - problem gone! Temp normal to slightly cool.

 

I have ordered a standard 82 degree thrmostat from TRGB who never mentioned restrictors in by-passes (PJ)??

They said they have been selling these for years and a standard £3.95 thermostat is fine. Unless I want the all singing all dancing double bellows original design thermostat at £48 each!!!

 

Q: Can i drive around during the summer without a thermostat - any damage done???

[Bleeding cooling system]

What are the symptoms of the thermostat stuck closed?

 

Could it be the voltage stabiliser for the fuel/temp gauges (even though the fuel seems to be behaving).

 

What is the best way to remove an airlock (I have a modern rad not one with a header tank).

 

[Thermostat housing is red hot . So too is the rocker box!!.

 

Why is the water in the rad - stationary? Could this suggest there is no through flow from the engine to the rad?

[Bleeding cooling system]

OK. Just had an alternator conversion and narrow belt conversion done at the same time. Very very pleased with everything. Also fitted a new water pump.

 

Except when I drive it, the temp gauge is now registering almost maximum temp!!!!

 

No leaks.. but when the engine has been running hot for a while I noticed that the two hoses going into / out off the thermostat housing "appear" NOT to have any water in them??? With the rad cap off, the water is not swirling just stationary and squeezing the hose connecting the thermostat to the top of the rad feels like there is nothing in it.

 

I have raised the front of the car up and am happy the thermostat housing is the highest point. I have turned the heater on but still it feels like (a) no motion of water thru the system and ( both top hoses feel like they are empty.

 

I have undone the clips holding the hoses on - there is a tiny bit of seepage but not significant.

 

How do you bleed the cooling system of a TR4 properly please?

 

[Carbon fibre wings]

I guess if eventually all the wings were 'plastic' and then several years later, someone made a plastic boot, or even door skins.....do you still have a TR4 or a kit car. I also wonder what will happen to +ve earth cars using the frame to conduct DC? It probably wouldn't be a problem....or would it?

[Water pump advice required please]

Found the problem. Stripping the water pump ready for the narrow pulley - bearing shot to bits!

New one with gasket frpm TRGB on urgent courier: £35 plus vat.

Thanks for all your advice guys much appreciated

 

wt

[Water pump advice required please]

Westy: very kind indeed. I'll wait and see what happens after my conversion to an alternator. If it is still there, then I will get back to you and arrange.

[Water pump advice required please]

Thanks so far guys - keep it coming. Can't find Tony Seach anywhere on the members page or search engine??