keith1948
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Posts posted by keith1948
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5 hours ago, RogerH said:
The problem (usually) with rubber components on our cars is that the rubber perishes all too quickly.
Roger
Hi Roger
I had many a discussion with the sadly departed Dave Gleed on the pros and cons of rubber bushes. He was adamant that rubber was best. He said Triumph did lots of research on this topic and recommended rubber. I am just getting to the point that the 30 year old rubber bushes need replacing. The next lot (assuming they are good quality) will see me out as they say. I have heard that rubber gives a softer ride from people who have gone to poly bushes. Each to their own preference but soft for road use and hard for track seems to be what I have read.
Hope you are keeping well
Keith
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Rain is good. Leave your car out in a rain shower. The rain softens the dirt. Then use a bucket of rainwater to rinse it off before drying it. If the carwash police arrive simply point out that you are simply using rainwater that you are recycling with no additives.
Keith
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20 hours ago, AndyMat said:
ps you made laugh at the state of your garage…it sounds exactly like mine
If your garage is anything like mine you will need more than one skip ! - much more
Good luck with everything
Keith
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1 hour ago, AndyMat said:
Hi Michel,
Thanks for your response…I wish I had your optimism and energy… I’m sure someone who is very familiar with it all it could be a 1/2 days work. In my case it would probably look more like a month due to all the other stuff I have going on. Therein lies my problem…I would love to have it all laid out in a perfectly clear garage with space and time to work….that’s not a reality in my garage due to other forces at play (family dumping ground, fridges/freezers everywhere etc etc.)
In my mind it would be better if someone else now took the car away from here and completed the work and thus my question about recommendations for someone who might be able to do that.
Cheers
Andy
Hello Andy
This sounds very much like a cry for help. Can I suggest step one is to remove junk/stuff that is cluttering up your garage. I know myself that his can destroy the will to do anything. I have 2 trays of apples balanced on the boot rack and 2 more on a shelf next to the car. Add to that various spares, tins of paint, strimmer, bags of cement and plaster, various boxes of paperwork, freezer, 2 benches, 2 tents, the list goes on. Not easy but maybe gather some of the stuff for a trip to the tip or maybe a car boot for stuff you could sell or take stuff to charity shops. Making a start is the hardest bit.
Second break the big job down into bite size things that you could do in a day or so (or even an hour or two). There is no race to do this. Keep a diary of progress and you will find that given a couple of weeks of doing a bit each day, you will be able to see you are moving forward. Do this for both the car and the decluttering.
Sending the car off somewhere will deprive you of the satisfaction of getting it on the road and you will still have the family' dumping ground'. While the car is away you and the family will fill up the space the car used to occupy so there is no room and you will then be looking for somewhere to store the car.
Try to make a start now and over the winter when you would not do much driving in the TR anyway you could do an incredible amount on the car and make progress decluttering the garage. There are always cars that will look better but their owners will likely have spent lots of time and money. Just aim to get a mechanically sound car that you can drive and enjoy.
Finally find time to go to a local TR group meeting where there could well be people who would be willing to help you.
Good luck
Keith
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Hi Michel
Glad you found the problem. I would be inclined to remove the starter to examine it to see if it has any damage and look into bell housing at the flywheel to see what else it might have done. You may have problems removing starter past the exhaust but you should be able to pull it out far enough to look at it. Remove the half-moon plate mentioned in other posts to se if there are any bits of metal in the bottom of the clutch housing and make sure you put it back the correct way round or you will have another noise problem.
Keith
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Hi Michel
On your second photo it shows the alternator which you say you have changed. However between the pulley and the alternator is a metal 'fan' to keep the alternator cool. The sound track sounds like something spinning and catching on something and then goes less noisy. The metal fan disc should be tight. If it is loose then it will start to spin (noisy) and then catch up with the speed of the alternator and go quieter. On the dynamo system there is a woodruff key on the pulley shaft and the fan plate has a slot that engages with the key to stop it spinning separately to the shaft. Not familiar with the alternator but there should be something similar. If you can turn or move the fan plate separate to the pulley then that could be the problem. Maybe the slot in the alternator fan plate is worn or more likely the woodruff key is missing.
Keith
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Hi Phil
I made my own version of this device that Machine Mart sell.
https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-cec500ds-dual-hook-enginegearbox-suppo/
It sits in the channels each side of the engine bay. I use the lifting eye on front nearside of engine one side and a rope around the exhaust manifold the other. A couple of threaded eye bolts from Screwfix instead of the two threaded screws. Works fine. I can use the same device for holding up the rear of the engine during gearbox removal. I don't like jacking the sump. If you do then make sure the sump bolts are checked for tightness because chances are you will compress the gasket a bit.
I have in the past made something to fit over the bottom of the front engine plate that I could get a bottle jack on but wasn't entirely happy with that.
I used the round type mounts and was able to raise the engine a bit at the front by using steel spacing washers. For these I 'repurposed' the old round engine mounts, removing the steel 'bits' to make the washers. You can cut the rubber apart with a saw, knock out the threaded stud and hey presto you have a thick spacer washer same diameter as the round mounts. I have tried both round and square and I think the round ones seemed easier to fit.
Keith
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2 minutes ago, RogerH said:
The ultimate deterrent - RUST
They want bother with a rusty funmobile.
Roger
Brilliant - Rust the ultimate deterrent - I like it
Keith
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I have a crook lock style lock for my TR which I use. I did look at the type that fits over the handbrake lever and gear lever but no good for the TR because the gear knob unscrews so easy to remove that one.
I remember hearing about a driver in Manchester who thought he could fool the thieves by removing the steering wheel of his classic mini (some years ago now). The car was stolen and found some time later with no steering wheel still but with a wrench clamped onto the steering column. So if you have a steering wheel lock make sure you can't just take the steering wheel off. As Chris has just posted, if they are determined then very difficult to stop them.
Hidden devices probably best bet. I was going to suggest maybe a lockable bonnet lock but from the many reports of the bonnet jamming closed then maybe we don't need one of them!
Keith
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Some modern cars lock on all the brakes for various situations like a minor bump and rescue companies then have great difficulty towing them away or loading onto a trailer for repair. Maybe a device to lock on all the brakes might be a deterrent. Don't know how this could be done on a TR but I guess some of the more technical readers in our midst could advise or may even have done this themselves.
Or maybe a great big capacitor wired up to the battery and a couple of wires to the drivers seat.
Keith
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Hello Trevor
I see no-one has yet replied to you. I have a couple of suggestions. The screws that hold the sender to the top of the tank should have fibre washers under the screw heads. Fuel vapour can creep up the screw threads and escape into the boot if the washers are missing. I had this problem. I have replaced the original sender gasket with Viton. Cork can degrade in ethanol. Secondly you say you have replaced the hose. I recently did this with a hose I got from Holden
https://www.holden.co.uk/p/fuel_filler_hose_lined_2_in_51mm_dia_x_200mm_long
This hose is lined and they say it is ok for ethanol in fuel. You just need to cut it to length. Presumably you tightened up the clips on the hose and they have not loosened.
There is a 'rubber' connector on the fuel line under the car where it runs along the chassis near the diff area. Is this ok? I have replaced the fuel line from the tank to the engine bay in one length of pipe so I no longer have this connector or the one that was on the chassis as it entered the engine bay. Leaks from these 2 rubber connectors would smell outside the car.
Any sign of rust inside the tank? Ethanol said to make this worse. A pinhole would be enough to leak enough fuel to make a smell. It would also be difficult to locate.
Is there a leak where the fuel pipe connects to the bottom of the tank. I seem to remember I had a problem getting this to seal properly when I did the fuel line. You access this from under the car.
Keith
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If you Google 'how to spot fake NGK plugs' you will find a lot of useful information. NGK traditionally made in Japan but I have read they do have a factory in Thailand. The one you had that was broken may be genuine and just have been damaged when you bought or fitted it. On the other hand it may have been a fake. There is a lot of info on how to tell a fake plug. The boxes are not the same and the writing and stamping on the plugs are different. Just because it came from Rimmers doesn't mean they are immune from fakes. The fakes are widespread unfortunately.
I bought some NGK plugs for a MK4 Fiesta not long ago from Halfords and their supplies came from somewhere in Europe. I checked the boxes and plugs and they appeared to be the genuine article.
Modern times I'm afraid
Keith
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Hi Michel
Try removing plugs and listen into each cylinder in turn as engine rotates. You might be able to narrow it down to one cylinder. Just wonder if a piston ring has broken up. If it is just one cylinder then put a bit of engine oil into plug hole and see what happens as engine rotating. If noise goes away then you have narrowed it down to that area.
Fingers crossed for you
Keith
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2 hours ago, SuzanneH said:
On ya bike.
I really hope that is a carbon neutral bike and when riding it you don't breathe out any CO2. Interesting thought - if all Londoners swapped cars for cycling how much CO2 would they emit and would they be penalised under ULEZ. Just a random thought
Keith
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Our MP is as useful as a chocolate teapot. Written to him many times but have not yet been able to knock him off the fence and actually make a decision or viewpoint on anything. However if there is a suitable photo opportunity he is there like a shot. Funnily enough he doesn't want a photo opportunity being knee deep in sewage in the village. Can't think why.This apparently is outside his remit to get involved with. Our district and county authorities are just as bad with one exception.
Just had a contact from an insurance company quoting for our house insurance wanting to know if we have open fires or log burners. Is the chimney lined and what with. How often is it swept professionally. (I have done it for last 40 years but that doesn't count). Is the timber in the house treated with fire retardant. (By the time the main timbers are on fire the rest of the house will have disappeared). Do we have a gas boiler. How many fire extinguishers do we have. When were the electrics last checked (I keep an eye on all this but not being 'qualified' it doesn't count). Has the house ever flooded since it was built. (Tricky one this since I don't have records going back to 1650). What are these people on I wonder. The quote? - how about £988 per annum and that includes a discount. Needless to say I won't be taking them up on their "award winning insurance quote". Their words not mine.
So as a result of our politicians obsession with net zero etc we can expect insurance companies to formulate their policies accordingly. Next thing will be council tax bands based on whether we are considered green or net zero. This also extends to parking charges based on how green is your car. My Triumph is racing green but that doesn't count.
Well when we all meet up in prison for doing 1mph over the speed limit or driving more than 20mph in Wales, or falling foul of ULEZ, or having a log burner or open fire or gas boiler, or not having the authorised amount of loft insulation, not having a smart meter etc etc then we can reminisce about the 'old days' of steam trains, coal fires and frost on the inside of the windows in winter. No global warming then. The experts back in the day were predicting the next ice age.
Happy days
Keith
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17 hours ago, BlueTR3A-5EKT said:
Do we not like Minty Lamb then?
I had forgotten about Minty Lamb - thanks for reminding me. Mark you should be able to input your car data onto Minty Lamb to see what your revs should be at 70 in OD.
Problem on my 4A is that the speedo is the 1184 one as fitted in 1965. Looking at the Moss catalogue with 165/80 tyres it looks like I should have the 1152. My speedo reads about 10% high. I have 3.7:1 diff and A type overdrive. The odometer also reads wrong. At 60mph in OD the rev counter reads just under approx 2400 which is roughly double 1184. That doesn't really mean a lot since the speedo needle can be 'adjusted' to this figure. According to a tyre cross reference chart I have found, the 165/80 tyres do 795 revs per mile whereas the closest equivalent to the original cross ply would be 165/75 (815 revs/mile) or 175/70 (819 revs per mile). However more revs per mile to my mind would mean the speedo would read higher still.
I could get the speedo recalibrated I guess but is there an option to fit a slightly different tyre size to bring it back to 1965 reading. It must have been correct once. I'm getting brain fatigue trying to figure out why my speedo/odometer is high. I have learned to live with it but would be better if it was more accurate. Could I use Minty Lamb and set the speedo to read exactly 60 at 2410 revs. At the moment it will read above 60 at these revs.
Any help appreciated please
Keith
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Hi Ian
Holden sell one similar/same as yours
https://www.holden.co.uk/p/illuminated-push-pull-switch-spb101-1
Keith
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Hi Mark
Just deleted my reply because I think my calculations were wrong.
Maths eh
Keith
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30 minutes ago, Peter Cobbold said:
Our supplier Scottish Power are taking action. Today's post brought a pamphlet "How to prepare for power cuts".
1. Don't have a smart meter so they can't just switch you off
2. Make sure you have a log burner
3. Have a back boiler in a fireplace so you can have hot water and a warm room
4. Stock up on candles and torches. A wind up torch and a wind up radio are useful.
5. Don't have an electric car - have a petrol or diesel instead.
6. Have your camping stove and gas canisters at the ready.
7. An old fashioned gas cooker that doesn't need electricity would be handy.
8. Have a phone land line with the handsets connected by wire. Works in a power cut. Mobiles can run out of charge when you need them.
Wait a minute though. Several of these ideas aren't net zero and could land you in trouble with these new laws. Do I care? Not really.
Keith
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Hi Rob
Some years ago now I fitted the Moss headlamp relay kit to my 4A and the improvement in light output of the sealed beam units was instantly noticeable. It also reduces the current flow through the switchgear. Means I can still use the original headlights. The rims on my 4A clip on and don't have any fixing screw.
Keith
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The fly-off handbrake on my 4A has caused confusion a few times when the car has been in a garage. I remember a 'technician' at Kwik-Fit saying the brakes were jammed on so they couldn't change the tyres. He was a bit embarrassed when I simply released the handbrake lever. On another occasion a garage mechanic couldn't find where to plug in the diagnostic tool and was amazed the car didn't have one. MOT's could be a challenge for younger mechanics who are unfamiliar with a non-automatic gearbox. I go to garages where I am allowed to sit in the car and operate the controls etc including going up and down on the hoist and driving onto the rolling brake tester. Probably against all Elf n'safety but on the other hand I am familiar with the quirks of a TR and could save a young garage mechanic having a mishap.
Keith
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Whatever government that is in power pass lots of bills but then civil servants and councils and utility companies and multinationals are supposed to carry out the policies. This is where it all breaks down.
Net zero is a completely unattainable target. It's a bit like trying to reach infinity. If we all have to replace log burners, open fires, gas boilers, washing machines, fridges, freezers, radiators, gas and electricity meters, petrol and diesel cars, landline phones etc. then the energy this will consume will put us in a carbon deficit for decades to come and bankrupt lots of people. If houses can't be sold without the appropriate energy certificate and have therefore to be rebuilt then at what energy cost. The housing market will crash. There is also the need to triple the national grid to provide all the electricity we will all need for our electric car chargers. etc I have read that the bill for only part of this futile dream is over £3 trillion at todays figures. If HS2 is anything to go by then add a few more zeros and think in years for it all to happen. By then it will all be obsolete and we will all be on a new vision of net zero.
If we don't comply are we really going to be fined and go to prison with the prisons are already full to bursting. If hundreds of thousands of these cases go to court then it will be years before they can work through the backlog of cases and appeals.
Sadly those dreaming up these ideas seem to have no grasp of reality.
Keith
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Hi Waldo
I have something like this on my brakes
Each end of the springs clip under the guide rods and the bit in the middle clips over the top of the pad and anti-squeal shim. Yours look much more substantial though and look easier to fit as well.
Keith
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8 minutes ago, RobH said:
Using relays to minimise voltage drop makes good sense but if the Halogen bulbs are legal ones with normal wattage, there is no more chance of overheating anything than with the standard dim prefocus bulbs, as the current drawn is the same.
Hi Rob
Just going with what Moss information sheet was saying. One of our group had switch wiring meltdown with halogens a few years back. The sealed beam headlamps have been brighter since I did the relay upgrade from Moss on my 4A. Just be careful I think when 'upgrading' anything on a TR. There are usually secondary things you might need to change. The headlamp relay makes sense and has worked fine on my car for years now. It reduces the current draw through the switches which is a good thing I think.
Keith
Scum bags tried breaking into boot - now won’t open
in TR6 Forum
Posted
Hello Richard
Presumably you can't remove rear panel behind back seat and get access to the boot area and undo the boot hinges each side of the fuel tank? I once had a problem with a jammed lock on a 3 series BMW. I managed to access the boot through the radio speaker holes in the rear parcel shelf and then with a socket on an extension bar managed to undo the bolts holding the lock in place. Keyhole surgery!
Keith