[Oil pressure]

19 hours ago, Biggles said:

What sort of oil pressure should I expect when fully warmed up. Under load it seemed to be between 70 and 80. I can't remember what it was at before, is that high?

Mine goes to 70 on starting when the oil is cold. When really hot after a long run it can drop to 20 at idle or less, but soon comes back up to 60 above 2000rpm.

[More oil problems]

17 hours ago, Graham Baggaley said:

Thanks everyone. Looking through all the comments I shall:

reseat the oil pressure relief valve bearing

replace the oil pump (sump off anyway)

seal the sump

check the breather fit

start using duckhams after I run out of the oil I currently have in stock

 

once I have done all of the changes (except the oil), I’ll feedback to let you know if the pressure is changed. 
 

thanks all. It’s wonderful to be able to bounce these things off learned folk. 
graham

Hi Graham, please note my remarks about Duckhams oil was from experience in the late seventies when Duckhams Q was the old green stuff. Duckhams ceased to exist at one point, and the name was sold. It has since re appeared, but I don`t know who makes it, nor do I have any experience of it.

Ralph

[More oil problems]

18 hours ago, Graham Baggaley said:

Hi all. 
I have several oil related issues. The worst of them is a drop in pressure when engine reaches operating temperature from 70lbs at cold start to 10lbs at tick over when up to temp. 
 

thanks as always. 
graham. 

Sounds just like my car.  As long as it goes up to 50ish above 1500 revs I wouldn`t worry. Mine can drop to 10psi when really hot on idle.

Many years ago I used Duckhams Q in my rally Imp and never had a problem. One weekend changed to Castrol GTX, and at the first time control the oil light came on at idle. Changed back to Duckhams and the "problem" never re appeared.  Not all oils are the same, and cheapo brands are only good for the lawnmower.

Ralph

[Carburettor jet issue]

19 hours ago, davewhitefoot said:

Thanks for your responses gents.

My real concern is that I did not solve the engines failure to run until I lifted out the carb piston and did not notice a small brass bit on the needle and must assume it fell inot he carb. Having found an old jet in the "it might come in handy one day box" it put that in and the car fired up imediately - such a sweet noise after so long trying to find the problem. But if the detached top of the jet fell into the carb it might have been sucked into the engine.

I have asked Burlen for more info on what might have gone wrong and a guess at the size of the detached bit and how it might cause damage.

I'll post any response I might get.

I have run sidescreen TR's since about v1966 and have never seen this sort of problem and people I have asked have not seen it either!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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If your engine now runs and sounds sweet I would not bother trying to look in the engine for further problems. Might open another can of worms.  The small bit of brass, if it did indeed get into the engine is long gone by now. Unless the throttle butterfly was being held open when the offending part dropped off the needle it couldn`t have got through, although it could have rested there until the engine was next started.

Ralph

[Clutch oil dirty]

If you rub your finger tip on a piece of alluminium you quickly get a black finger. Same thing happens in the clutch cylinders and this blackness is transferred to the fluid. Movement is a lot more on the clutch system than on the brake so more pronounced, though it does also happen on the brake system eventually.

Ralph

[petrol temperature on my TR4A with mechanical pump]

18 hours ago, Z320 said:

Hi Ralph,

thank you for joining this thread.

Apart from hunting at tickover - did you have any problem to start the engine, please?

Ciao, Marco 

No, it started up instantly, but then after a couple of seconds started hunting, needing me to keep "blipping" the throttle, then after about a minute of doing that it cleared up and normal service was resumed. A similar thing happened a little later when I pulled over to remove my jacket, this time I kept it running while I got out of the car and removed jacket, got back in and re fastened seat belt, went to pull away and it started to misfire, pressed the clutch and revved the engine a few times and it cleared. Was fine for the rest of the day and has been OK since, but the weather has not been as hot.

Ralph

[Carburettor jet issue]

At least you found the problem, that would have been dumping neat fuel into the engine.

Ralph

[petrol temperature on my TR4A with mechanical pump]

I have been exclusively using Esso Super, which had no ethanol until recently. Last week I filled up for the first time with 5% ethanol. After a long run I pulled over for a 10 minute break. It was a hot day and when I re started the car it was hunting on tickover and I had to keep blipping the throttle to keep it running. Eventually it cleared and settled down to a steady idle speed. I am assuming that heat from the exhaust manifold had evapourated the fuel in the float bowls or the delivery pipes. Anyway maybe it was coincidental, but I had never had it happen before.

Ralph

[Forgot grease on clutch spigot oops]

18 hours ago, NigeS said:

Morning guys, so its all back together but no grease on gearbox shaft or spigot. To be honest at some point i just thought there shouldn't be any grease anywhere near the driven plate. Will I get away with it? Finishing off putting back together this morning so if it works I guess is the only real yes/no answer to this one.

thanks.

Hi Nige, I wouldn't take it apart just for the bush. The bush should be sintered bronze, not brass as some people think, and bronze is used because of it's very low friction properties, and sintered bronze also retains lubricant. The very small amount of grease you could smear in the spigot bush would probably be gone in a few thousand miles anyway. Clutches can last over 100,000 miles and the spigot bush normally outlasts the clutch, and although it is good practice to change it when the clutch is changed it rarely is. 

Ralph

[overrider fitment TR3A]

59 minutes ago, Aldy said:

Good morning

 

Having had some paintwork to the rear panel  carried out as agreed with paint shop I removed the overriders The driving distance between delivering the car and collecting was 25miles. On attempting to refit the overriders the distance tubes no longer align with the chassis holes. Could this misalignment be due to chassis body/ movement during the drive without them fitted and would an answer be to jack the rear of the chassis to try to align the tubes. Would appreciate your thoughts

Aldy 

Shouldn`t have moved as the body is still held by the bracket in the wheel arch. I assume then that the hole in the chassis mounting bracket is too low if you are thinking that jacking under the chassis will bring it back into alignment. That being correct you would have to remove the rear body mounting packers to allow the back body to sit lower down. All seems a bit strange to me, I would have expected the bolts to go straight back in, more likely the bumper brackets are misaligned, try putting the top one in first.

Ralph

[Alternative brake pads?]

Thanks Mickey, yes I know the feeling, I had Ferodo VG95 shoes on the front of my Sunbeam Stiletto I used to use for rallies. I had to remember that the car would not stop at the end of the street each morning on the way to work unless I braked about 100 yards earlier than normal. Fine when warmed up and used in anger though.

Picture below of myself, and Colin Chambers navigating back in 1978. Happy days, but unfortunately the only picture of us I have despite doing many night rallies all over the south west.

Ralph

[Alternative brake pads?]

Many thanks Peter, yes I have the standard non splitable calipers. From memory the caliper seal kit I bought had on the box Cortina Mk1 amongst others, though that might  only apply to the pistons and not the pads. If, as you surmise, that the pads may be made by a leading manufacturer that puts my mind at rest a bit, after all they have been fine for 3 years and about 5000 miles of driving, and how often does one encounter a 20% hill,?

Ralph

[Alternative brake pads?]

Last week I took advantage of the good weather and went off cruising in the 3a.  Going down a very long steep hill to Church Houses, just north of Hutton Le Hole, ( some of you may know it), with a 20% gradient, by the time I got to the bottom the car was reluctant to stop. The pedal feel and travel had not changed, but the retardation most certainly had. I am assuming this was fade of the front pads, which were "Classic Gold" fitted 3 years ago. The pads have always been OK up to now and brakes have been good with no reason to worry. Interestingly when I subsequently descended Sutton Bank the brakes felt spot on all the way down, as if the previous overheating had done some good. Maybe they were glazed and the overheating had burnt it off. I have no idea where, or by who, the "Classic Gold" pads are made, and was thinking maybe I ought to try different pads, what are the general thoughts as to the best pads?.

Ralph

[Margaret Foreman]

Hi Alan,  how far out are the holes?  Assuming that the shoes are correctly fitted sometimes they need tapping up or down slightly if only marginally out of line, or the cylinder assembly needs to be tapped one way or the other as it will have moved to acomodate the worn shoes. If a long way out maybe the shoes themselves are incorrect?

Ralph

[Gear box oil filler nut....again.]

Hi Clive,

as John says there must be a dipstick otherwise there is no way to put oil in the gearbox. I have just been out and taken a picture of my spare gearbox with a steel ruler laid on top. As you can see it is exactly 12 inches from the centre of the gearstick hole forward to the dipstick, and 2 inches offset from the centre line of the gearbox. If you remove the carpet and transfer these measurements to your tunnel you will be able to cut, or drill the required hole . You may struggle to get a drill with a hole cutter above the tunnel unless you have a 90 degree adapter for the drill. I would be tempted to use a cutting disc and angle grinder and cut out a square about 3 inches by 3 inches. You can then cover the hole with a larger piece of steel held in place with some self tappers. You could always drill the correct size hole in the steel cover to take the rubber bung when it arrives to make checking easier next time.

Ralph

[Gear box oil dipstick]

5 hours ago, Deggers said:

On the underside of the gearbox, you'll find the O/D drain plug (yellow arrow) forward of the main gearbox drain (red).

Deggers

Mine doesn`t have a hexagon on the o/d plug, it takes a "c" spanner to undo it. I thought most were C spanner types.

Ralph

[A-type overdrive problem when hot]

On 8/29/2023 at 5:54 PM, Sloop said:

I don't seem to have given a final response on this topic - apologies for the discourtesy.  

In the end I changed the solenoid: it appeared that the 'pull-in' coil was not working properly.  For the first few months - with very little use in the depths of winter - all was well and the o/d worked fine.  The reason I've come back to find this topic is that the same problem has arisen again.

Applying 12v to the solenoid, removed from the car, nothing happens.  With the old solenoid the pull-in doesn't work but the holding coil seems to - I can't pull the piston out.  

I'm reluctant to buy another new solenoid without working out why the last ones seem to have burnt out the pull-in coil.  Does anyone have any ideas?

(Incidentally I've just spent two days doing 700km on French side-roads - it would have been much pleasanter, quieter and more economical with the o/d working!)

John

Hi John, I think your problem is due to incorrect setting up of the operating arm preventing the solenoid pulling fully up to operate the hold in switch, causing it to  overheat. 

 Fit the new solenoid and then carefully adjust the operating arm by the book, you should end up with the solenoid piston fully up in the solenoid at the same time as the small arm on the right of the O/D matches up with the setting holes by using a 3/16 drill. If after a road test the O/d is not engaging it is sometimes necessary to advance the small arm slightly past the setting holes to compensate for wear.

Ralph

[Oil pressure gauge stuck]

23 minutes ago, adriantr4 said:

Thanks to all posters, much appreciated. Drove car again - guage now working again, so I suspect fair wear and tear. I'll keep monitoring it.

In today's news: sealed beam unit that is just under a year old has failed. Another poor after-market product?

Lastly, I have bought o-rings on eBay, very easy and cheap.

Again, thanks

Adrian 

 

 

 

 

I had a run of failures with sealed beam units, not on the TR, but on the Mini I restored for my daughter. After buying 4  that each lasted no more than a few weeks I bought a set of Wipac Quadoptics which take bulbs. Truly excellent lights and never changed a bulb in 4 years. Original Lucas units lasted years, the re pros are rubbish, ditch them and buy a set of the PL700s from better car lighting with halogen bulbs. Not cheap, but look right on a TR.

Ralph

PS, don`t be tempted to buy the cheaper PL700s from ebay, they look OK but are not optically correct and the beam pattern is rubbish.

["natural" fuel level (without fuel pump) on my TR4A SU carbs]

I have an electronic fuel shut off valve fitted which cuts off the fuel supply when the ignition is turned off. It has a by-pass tap built into it in case of failure, but been OK so far and it has been on there for three years. Makes working on the fuel system simple and stops syphoning. Keep meaning to put a hidden switch in the circuit too as an anti theft measure but not got around to it yet.  Doesn`t stop the fuel in the float bowls evapourating away though as they are open to air via the overflows.

Ralph

[Door seal]

The Furflex and the rear trim panel tend to take a battering in this area. Behind the trim panel, in the "B" post is a sort of twisted paper rope or a wooden fillet, which is there to nail/staple the Furflex to.  Cut the furflex longer than you need by about 2 inches and remove the rubber tube from within the last 2 inches, you can then fold this over and pin it back.

Ralph

Stuart got there before me

[Dash pot piston unscrews during driving.]

Cut the finger off a rubber glove and stretch over the damper knob and top of the carb. It will stop it undoing. May not look good but will work.

Ralph

[Newbie Coolant/Oil Questions]

46 minutes ago, Chris Fleet said:

Thanks for the replies all.

 

in fact, it was because of impending winter lay up that I asked the question!

In fact, regarding fluids, what do folk do for the winter period? Near empty fuel tank, cap off radiator?  Where we live can get blimin cold, the car will be in a garage in the house, albeit not heated or particularly well insulated. 

I always thought a full fuel tank was preferable to an empty one as less space for condensation to form. Also even if you do not use an additive normally, put an additive in the last fill before lay up, one with an ethanol neutraliser, that will stop any condensation combining with the ethanol which creates an acidic mixture. Not heard about taking the rad cap off, whats that for?. Just make sure your antifreeze is still good.

Ralph

[Newbie Coolant/Oil Questions]

Many on here recomend Classic Oils Heritage 20/50 because of the high ZDDP content. I have been using Morris`s Golden Film 20/50 and have been happy with it, but will probably change to Millers Pistoneze 20/50 at the next change as it too contains ZDDP.  For antifreeze use bluecol type.

Ralph

 

[Gear Stick things]

18 hours ago, stuart said:

You are supposed to do that for a TR box too, why do you think the gear lever has a spring on it?, Lots of people dont and eventually it wears off the ramp into the reverse cup and then its possible for it to go 3rd to reverse if your not careful.

Stuart.

Is that the same for the saloon box?, mine has a ramp machined on to the selector fork. Never actually used an original TR box.   For clarity I should mention that the anti rattle plunger was purchased from either Rimmers or Moss, can`t remember which, and looked to my eyes like a roller from a roller bearing and was only about 6mm long. I thought that when I lifted the gearstick it had allowed the plunger to drop out as it was so short, hence making the new longer one.

Ralph

[Gear Stick things]

The anti rattle plunger dropped out and jammed my car in 3rd gear. On my dolomite you have to lift for reverse, and I inadvertently did that on the TR one morning, all seemed OK until I came to change from 3rd to 4th. A quick removal of gearstick at the roadside and there was my anti rattle plunger nestled in the 3/4 selector.  I made a new longer one out of a bit of 6mm silver steel, counterbored 4mm to take the end of the spring. Only did it earlier this year but seems OK so far.

Ralph