Ian Vincent

I'm deliberating about whether or not to buy a few ratchet spanners - not a full set, just the three main sizes that I seem to need, 7/16", 1/2" and 9/16". Does anyone out there have a view on whether or not they are a good idea and if so, from where? Rgds Ian

A modern turbo charged unit. Rgds Ian

I have a cheapo item that I bought from ToolMart years ago. I regularly calibrate it against a bendy bar item that I have had for years and it seems pretty good. I also back it off to zero when I'm not using it. My logic is that there is nothing in a bendy bar one to go out of calibration provided you don't over stress it, they just aren't as easy to use. Rgds Ian

In the past I have used a dremel to carefully cut through a seal before levering it out with an old screwdriver. Rgds Ian

I’m using Penrite Classic Light. Rgds Ian

Robert, you could be on the money with that suggestion, but what causes it to stop when the engine warms up? Rgds Ian

Hi Roger, I don't think it is scuffing against the timing chain cover because I have put my stethoscope against that and there is no sound other than the rustle of the chain. It could be the block though. Rgds Ian

Stan, I have exactly the same noise on my 3a. It appears a few seconds after start up and disappears once the engine is warm. If you have one of those stethoscope things (or a piece of dowelling) and place it on the sump lip at the bottom of the block you will hear it clearly and it seems to come from the front. I have even gone as far as to drop the sump to check bearing clearances with Plastigage and they were all spot on, as is the end float. In the end I gave up looking. Oil pressure is good, I don't have a fan having replaced it with an electric one, and it doesn't appear to come from the water pump. Let me know if you ever find it pls. Rgds Ian

But does the owner know that it was once on Petula Clark's TR2? Rgds Ian

I saw Petula Clark’s TR2 parked in Torquay in about 1956. It had the registration PET 2 if I recall.

Seriously, within reason, does it matter what they look like as long as they work? To me it was a no brainer, £40 a corner vs somewhere north of £100. Like Monty said, my tyres get old before they get worn out. Rgds Ian

I use Penrite Classic Light. It costs about £30 for 5 litres which is £7.50 more than 5 litres of Halfords Classic which to me is an irrelevant amount extra. Rgds Ian

The workshop manual for the TR2 shows the early installation with what I assume is a Lockheed slave cylinder mounted on the gearbox side of the bell housing flange. The later Girling slave cylinder mounts on the engine side of the bell housing flange. When I rebuilt my TR3a, I installed the slave cylinder as shown in the workshop manual and couldn't work out how to make the push rod fit, it was too long. Eventually, just before I was about to cut it down to size I realised that the slave cylinder could be mounted on the other side of the bell housing flange - problem solved. Changing which side of the flange that the slave cylinder is mounted results in a significant change in the length of the pushrod. Rgds Ian

However, be aware that the Revington firewall for a Sidescreen needs quite a lot of fettling to fit it. It’s not a simple bolt on task. At the very least you need to make a template and cut it to fit before trimming the aluminium sheet you get from Revington. Rgds Ian

I'd go for dropping the sump in the first place - Provided you have the car jacked up well, it's a half hour job to drop the sump and try ramming some more felt in the holes. With wellseal all over it, the stuff isn't going to fall out. Rgds Ian