ChrisR-4A
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Posts posted by ChrisR-4A
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Many thanks for that Chris, will take another look next week when it goes to my friendly workshop. Think it unlikely the springs (slightly lowered & stiffer) would be different as they were ordered together from TRGB for the restoration & have only 'done' 7000 miles! Will look again at the cross member but did not notice anything untoward the other day during a brief check with the car jacked up.
My 'gut' feeling is that the chassis is slightly 'out' on the offside either from a previous repair or something done during restoration.
Regards,
Monty.
Hi Monty, assuming the chassis is sound then the Rh side can be raised by using a 3mm spacer under the spring, see Moss Tr4 book page 76. Each spacer, max 2, raises the car 5mm and on my 4A I use one 6mm home made alloy spacer to raise the RH side 10mm.
I would not recommend mixing the swinging arm mounting brackets as this will give different geometry from side to side and could induce weird handling.
Chris
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Hi All,
I appear to have slightly more negative camber on the offside compared to the nearside. I assume it is important that the camber should be exactly the same both sides so is it just a case of removing or adding shims at the attachment points or is there more to it? To add or remove shims is there an easy way or do I need to remove the whole trailing arm assembly as per the workshop manual. I guess if that is necessary it would be well to replace the bushes with poly ones?
Regards,
Monty.
Hi Monty, has the RH side always been lower with more camber? Also is it the body which is lower, or the chassis or both?
There are basically two areas to look at, firstly check the length of the springs off the car are they matched in length and coil diameter? and secondly is the cross member which retains the springs at the upper end horizontal, the bit which overhangs the part which is welded to the chassis has a habit of cracking and the overhang bends up effectively raising the spring and lowering the car and increasing the camber. You can see this as there is a gap between the top of the crossmember and the body and it should be about the same both sides.
Until I bought new springs I originally solved a similar problem by swapping the springs over left to right, and right to left.
Hope this helps.
Chris
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Hi All,
It looks as if I have an oil leak from the oil seal @ the rear of the gearbox extension. Drips on the garage floor a little after a run. Is this normal, acceptable or do I need to renew by way of removing the gearbox as the workshop manual suggests? Can it be left or will it just get worse so that I lose all the oil! Seems a big job for an annoying oil seal or are there any short cuts?
Do not have the facilities or inclination to remove gearbox etc myself!
Regards,
John.
Hi John,
as long as you keep a eye on the oil level in the gearbox then all will be ok. The problem is to check the oil , as you know you need the car to be level, I postponed the same job for 18 months , until I needed a new clutch by drilling an inspection hole ("2") in my fibreglass trans cover in line with the level plug and checking the oil level every 500 miles from inside the car. It did not suddenly get worse and the most I ever added was about 1/3 pint.
Having said that I eventually did the job myself using 4 axle stands and a trolley jack. The gearbox comes out by lifting upwards onto the floor after having first removed the trans cover and the passenger seat.
A 'U' shaped bracket bolted to the top of the trolley jack is usefull to hold the gearbox level when refitting and a mate to hold it with a rope round the rear end.
The easy part is replacing the seal.
Best regards |Chris
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Been there got the tee-shirt and found a garage with "On car" wheel balancer.
The difference is magic. Its the only way to go. Do'nt worry about splines. Worry about broken spokes!
You'll never notice till you look.
I thought broken spokes were normally found on old high mileage poor condition wheels - wrong.
My standard chrome wires were bought new in 1999 (MWS) and still look new, although I have checked the spokes occasionally it was only recently whilst having new tyres fitted that I noticed one wheel was running slightly out of true. I found one broken long spoke ( mushroom head parted company from main spoke dia).
I replaced this one and then checked the other 3 wheels and found one more in the other back wheel. Apparently the best way to check for loose or broken spokes is to go round the wheel and tap each spoke with a sold metal bar about 3/8 dia, they should "ring" a loose or broken one will have a dull sound.
I replaced the broken spokes and just tightened until they all sounded about the same, surprise the wheels run true.
One point on ballancing, with the response to this post there must be an opportunity for the Register or someone to make a batch of the required adaptors. I have some made a while ago to the Moss data, and although my "correct" rear cone taper is a slightly different taper to the one on the tyre shop machine cones they both work the same, it is the adaptor which fits over the outer external taper on the wheel which is all that is really needed.
Chris
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Watched this debate with interest.
I too run a 2000 and a TR4 on points and condenser, completely standard set, and ran 15K miles last year in the 2000, 100% reliable, didn't have to adjust anything, just replaced after 12 months. Much quicker than fitting electronic ignition as well. 5 minutes.
From my experience, being time served on all things BL (1970s) up to and including modern electronic set up, points and condenser are robustly reliable
What I mean by this is that if anything fails with a points and condenser set up, you can be up and running again within 5 minutes, if electronic ignition develops an internal fault you will be going home on a trailer. And electronic ignition does fail, even recent Renault systems 2002 on, complete catastrophic failure and flakey technology at very low mileage.
The other interesting side of the standard set up is that you can learn about the slight variations you will have, depending on the amount of wear within your distributor, its all good fun. If you set points and condenser up properly you should get at least 12 months at fairly high mileage.
Mind you I have fitted thousands of the things to every type of vehicle imaginable, its second nature I suppose, Its certainly not a difficult job once you've practised a bit, its like changing a bulb.
Cheers
Dazzer
Further to my extolling the virtues of electronic ignition I cannot argue with the above " if electronic ignition develops an internal fault you will be going home on a trailer", except that I carry a spare dizy top plate complete with points condenser fitted and adjusted in the boot of my 4A and I can revert to standard set up just by removing the two phillips head screws and replacing the plate complete, now you can't do that with a modern Renault.
I purchased the spare top plate about 10years ago, I think it came off a mk 1 Cortina and cost about £1.50, unfortunatly not so readily available today locally.
Best Regards Chris
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Hi all.
The car seems to be developing a problem getting into second gear. It's not jumping out, but needs a firm hand to engage the gear. All other gears are easy.
Any ideas?
I don't realy want to strip the gearbox!
Flash
Hi, if the anti rattle spring and plunger have fallen out of the bottom of the gearlever they often end up just where the lever needs to be to select second.
With the gaiter removed you should be able to poke about with a bit of wire and see if the plunger is in there .
Best Regards Chris
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Is there such an item? my filler plug is so tricky to get to without removing the fibreglass belhousing every time i want to change the oil or top it up .Or is it a straightforward replace with a bolt job?
Any ideas please?
Hi Alan, the plug is just over 3/8 ins square and if you file it down slightly (it's probably worn anyway) then it will be a perfect fit with the female end of a 3/8 socket drive 3" extension. another socket can then be used on the male end of the extension either welded on or held with tape and this will reach through the hole it has been suggested you drill in the fibreglass cover. With the full square drive there is less chance of the plug falling off and ending up under the car.
Just be carefull you don't overtighten it, I use a smear of wellseal on the threads and do it about 1/8 turn past the point where it first goes hand tight.
Best regards Chris
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Hi everyone,
I've decided to fit electronic ignition to my TR4A and would like to know which type to fit. Any advice would be most welcome.
Thanks in advance.
Kev.w
Hi Kev, I have had the Magnetronic (in distributor unit on my 4A for 6 years, prior to that with points fitted the timing would need resetting every year (about 4000 miles), what a pain.
The only other changes are a K&N filters, a lucas sports coil and bob weight spring change using the Moss kit (about £9). Replacing one of the standard springs with a thicker one stopped the pinking without having to retard the ignition which would affect performance at all speeds.
This was before Martin Jay was offering his services and if you are not sure about experimenting with springs then I would recommend you have a chat with him.
Best Regards Chris
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Adey
I went for Michelin XZX 165/15 because they "look the part " and Michelin tyres I've had in the past have lasted well.
Too early , 2000 odd miles ,to speak from real experience but pleased so far..On Thames Valley's Norway trip in June all four wheels were airborne
when we hit a gouge across the road formed by recent ice and snow, coming down a mountain road.The car suspension hit the bump stop
and it was a bit " boingy" ( to quote you ") for a few moments after that.Wasn't going to check the precise tyre pressures whilst the car was still moving !!
Bob
I agree Bob, correct size looks best, I have just fitted two more 165/15 Firestone F560 to the rear of my 4A having put two on the front last year. These are on standard 60 spoke wires which on the tyre shop ballancer are showing as 4" wide rims, and there lies the problem as the tyres they replaced were 185/70/15 vredesteins which were really too wide for the wires. Over bumps and ridges the Firestones are much better and steering at all speeds up to 80 (don't usually get to go much quicker) is lighter and more positive. So maybe Triumph had it right with the original spec.
As a further plus point the recent two Firestones came from "MyTyres" arrived after 3 days for £87 the pair including delivery and fitted and ballanced by my local tyre shop for £10 per wheel.
Chris
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Hi Gilles, my 4A is similar to ollies, I have never adjusted the relief valve but do have a spin-on oil filter. On short journeys of 5-20 miles pressure is 50-70psi and 30 on tickover. After 200 miles pressure is still about 55-60psi at 3000 rpm in od top and about 50 around town at lower revs, at tickover, which is slower when really warmed up it is 25-30.
What will make a difference is the oil you use. A good 20/50 seems best and I have used Duckhams and Halfords Classic and noticed no difference except in the price, locally a can of Duckhams was £12 earlier this year.
Hope this helps.
Chris
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I can hear a rotational noise, with a squeaky sort of scuffing, on the right rear, which is a bit more noticeable on a roundabout. 1000 miles since I had all the rear suspension rebuilt, along with new rear bearings and a rebuilt diff. The rear tyre is not marked. I wondered if the rear brake lining was the culprit, could anyone suggest cause. thanks, regards, jc
Hi John, is your car a 4A with IRS? If IRS you could have a stone wedged inside the S/A casting catching the UJ or hub, also worth checking is the pin which goes through the brake shoe and the back plate to help align it, the retainer sometimes comes off.
Good luck, Chris
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Hi Andy, are you also planning to remove the pushrods?, if you do, remember to rotate them and be sure none are stuck to the cam followers as if they are then you could end up lifting a cam follower out of it's bore. They can be a bugger to get back in once out, I have had one sitting half on the ledge just above its bore and eventually got it back in using a magnetic pick up tool and a piece of wire coat hanger, otherwise it's a sump off job!
Also keep them in the same order, I use a piece of cardboard and push them through 8 numbered holes.
Best of luck, Chris
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Hi Grahamg, when the horns on my 4A became faint I traced it to an inline fuse down near the relay, this was in a black screw together holder, inside it was growing a green mould. A good clean up and all worked well. You may also want to check any bullit connectors in the feed line.
Chris
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Hi all, I am sure there are many oils which will work fine and I have used 90 gear oil for 11 years with no problems in my O/D box. However I thought a look on the Penrite web site was in order and have att the link below.
As you will see they actually recommend their mild EP gear oil for std and O/D boxes which is a replacement for ep 90 oils.
http://www.penriteoil.com/uk/nextpage.php?...;x=140&y=14
Chris
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On my own 1958 TR3A as well as another that I restored, I cut a hole in the side wall of the steel tunnel to gain easier access to the solenoid for my A type overdrive. I use the same rubber plug as for the jack hole in the floor for the TR3A and above I have two smaller holes which I fill with small rubber plugs. I use a long - very long - slotted screwdriver down these two upper holes to remove the two slotted screws which secure the solenoid.
Hi Don,Robin, I did virtually the same on my 4A fibreglass tunnel, although on a 4-6 the "H" frame is partly in the way and my alloy plate cover goes behind it.
To avoid removing the H frame if replacing the sol when away from home I also cut the carpet vertically so it tucks behind the H frame, looks the same but allows carpet to be lifted up to remove cover.
Chris
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Hi Robin, never assume it's not electrical until you are certain. Assume you have A type O/D, To chech the soleonoid get the front of the car on ramps or axle stands and without engine running operate the O/D switch and get someone under the car to check if the operating lever is being pushed right down, you can get your hand on it and try and pull it down. When they are old or due to poor bullit connectors the soleonoid can be slugish.
If it moves with a push then try with the rear wheels jacked up securly and run the car in second gear and operate the lever under the car, if the o/d goes in then it's either a new sol or detailed wiring check.
New A type soleinoids can be bought for less than £30 so it's handy to have a spare, I replaced one on the 4A last year and was amazed at the difference it made,
activation is now instant.
best Regards Chris
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Hi Driver, sounds like you have a fuel shut off needle valve problem. If carbs are Strombergs best to remove carb from manifold, remove float chamber and then rod which retains shut off valve. If sticking or dirt on seat valve can stick open causing flooding or shut cutting off fuel.
Try checking filter in pump glass bowl for sediment, rust chips etc.
When setting the float for valve shut off bear in mind that many sticking problems are caused as things wear and float is dropping down too far, do not exceed the dimension in the manual.
Best of luck and welcome to the Forum.
Chris
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Hi David, I agree with Alec, and would only add that having had one poor and two dud old style open bar type batteries I would stick to a high capacity modern designed sealed unit every time. A local specialist should be your first stop, as for make "Varta" among others have a good name.
Best regards Chris
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Hi again, further to my comment on setting the rear with some negative camber this certainly improves the handling which is probably why it was introduced on the TR6. There is some detail on this on the "Technicalities CD". At least starting off with a little neg cam means that going through dips when the rear of the car rises you don't end up with positive cam which together with lack of rear toe in can result in the back of the car steering its self.
Chris
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Hi all, I tried a friends Meguiars detailer last year and was so impressed that I went out and bought some along with polish and wax.
It is certainly the best finish I have achieved on my car and although the total cost was about £25 the polish and wax will probably last me at least 5 years.
The detailer is great for doing smaller areas, under bonnet, sills and lower boot which get dirty on a long run, it cleans and shines without removing the wax.
Chris
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Hi Bob,
have you checked with air filters removed, that the pistons are dropping freely? Sometimes they can go tight just before they hit the bridge, if this is the case try slackening the dash pot screws and tapping the top with a rubber or hide hammer to try and centralize them. If still tight then try recentralizing the jets, with them wound fully up and then resetting.
Best of luck Chris
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Hi Mike, I cannot say on the J type as I have only had a 4A with an A type but one point worth considering is if you intend to do a lot of miles, touring etc then if you had to change a soleonoid its much easier on a J type as you don't need access via the gearbox fibreglass/plastic cover. If you do go for the A type its a good idea to make an access hole/cover to allow easy replacement of the soleonoid.
Chris
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Hi Graham, 3 years ago I had 2 recon racks from one of our major suppliers and both were worse than the one I took off, so I returned them both and bought a recon unit from Revingtons, there was no comparison, the steering is now excellent and after about 1200miles the rack is performing as good as when first fitted.
It was worth every penny and if I had gone to Tr Rev first I would have avoided doing the job 3 times. I also use poly rack mounts, they ar much harder than rubber but more comfortable than alloy.
From memory the cheapest recon was less than £40, and the TR Rev unit was about £95, as they say - you often only get what you pay for.
Best Regards Chris
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Hi James, I have the following set up on my 4A
Front springs Moss TT4001 (about 1/2 ins lower)
Rear springs Moss TT4212 (also 1/2 ins lower)
Front shocks standard
Front anti roll bar - as shown in latest moss catalogue page 8
Rear - Konis using type 2 brackets,as shown in Moss Cat, TT3225TUV page 8, these have 3 point fixing, lower on bump stop bkt.
Superflex bushes in swinging arm.
S/Arm mounting bkts changed to give slight neg camber as shown in old TR Action
Front set to 0.75 neg camber.
Wheels are 60 spoke wires with std Firestone tyres on front
The car has been used like this for the past 4 years (4000miles/year) and the only change I have planned is 2 more Firestones when the vredestein 185 rear tyres wear down a bit more.
Hope this helps, Chris
Rear suspension arms
in TR4/4A Forum
Posted
I assume we are not talking at cross purposes Richard, what I meant was that if you use a 1 notch and a two notch bracket on the lh side then the same should be used on the rh side.
My understanding of changing the brackests was to do it in pairs to vary the camber as suggested in an article on the TR reg Technicalities Dvd, but I stand to be corrected, what does everyone else think?
Chris