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angelfj

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Posts posted by angelfj

  1. Hello again.

    Came across this advert in eBay.

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/TRIUMPH-TR3-TR3a-57-62-NEW-CLUTCH-MASTER-CYLINDER-3-4-bore/143069972878?hash=item214fa2898e:g:3l8AAOSwTM5YtGzS

    Anyone know of this business and can you recommend.  

    The clutch MC looks like the original Girling and not like the new design casting being sold by Moss, Roadster Factory and others.

     

    Thanks,  Frank

     

  2. Hello old friends!  It's been quite a while but I've been spending more time enjoying my cars, and grandchildren.:)

    Because of the sudden and unpredictable nature of this failure I was compelled to report this incident.

    My '59 TR3A recently had a clutch master cylinder failure. Basically, it came apart internally while my mechanic was delivering the car after annual maintenance. He was forced to shift by speed matching to get it back to his shop. This car has approx. 5K miles since the restoration was completed in June 2012. The MC that failed is an after market unit that I bought in 2011, and it looks just like the originals. However, when we searched a replacement MC , we noticed that the casting was redesigned, with a totally different shape. So, I'll be looking for a NOS or rebuildable master.

    Now, we are concerned about the brake master cylinder, which is the same design, and will be forced to replace both with the new design. 

    This really bothers me. After a 12 year restoration during which Brian and I were meticulous about originality, its a shame to be forced to use this bastard design. However, a sudden clutch failure,  one can usually recover from, but not necessarily the loss of brakes. 

    The worst part of this event was the unpredictable and sudden nature of it. Hey, look, it might be a fluke, but reproduction parts quality has been declining for years. So please allow me to be pessimistic!  No one on this side of the pond offers a replacement master cylinder that looks like the original.  

    We did have a possible lead for an authentic part from a company in the UK,  MEV Spares, but after inquiry found out that its the same rubbish offered by the other firms. 

    Following are some photos and the words of my mechanic, Brian, as he reported the details.


    Made it back to the workshop by starting in gear and carefully timing the gearchange for clutch less shifts. Everything underneath looks OK but took the pushrod off and MC piston is stuck deep in the bore. Non-return valve should cause this to hold fluid in the slave and keep the clutch itself disengaged, but obviously that's not the case. 

     

    image.png.d3cfb83e36ff34d0c9c02b29c43a0887.png


    Internal pushrod for the non-return valve failed.  Popped out of retainer cup (see where retainer metal is torn by my fingertip) and pushrod bent over on itself.  Didn't we have problems with these cylinders when the car was going together? smartphone.

    image.png.4bcc0b9b96ed673dfef1bdcb7a0d6b72.png

    Oy-vey!  New cylinder is quite a bit different from what we got back in '11/'12.  Going to remove the old one and get a better look at the condition of the bore.

     

    image.png.d545a7bc633ed5f4decae2bb45c61d0d.png

     

    Bore on the old cylinder is in pretty poor condition.  I know the clutch is used more frequently than the brake, but I'm wondering what the brake MC looks like and is it destined to bend the link rod like this one did?

     

     

    image.png.52b9692d3d195cf1cf738cc8d35822af.png

     

     

    So, has anyone had or heard of a failure like this one and do you have either a  NOS or rebuildable master cylinder for a 1959 TR3A.

     

    Cheers,  Frank.

  3. Hi Frank - Just under the horn button, after you have taken it apart, is a round copper ring and if this has become tarnished, then it won't make contact. I have also had one or more wires break where they are screwed into the upper rear inner plate.

    Thanks Don. That's what I thought. Can this be repaired in the car?

     

    Frank

  4. The horn in my 3A stopped working recently. I checked all of the obvious things. The horns do sound when connected by a jumper wire to the battery. The fuse is OK. All of the earthing points are clean and tight. The wiring to the horns is OK as there is a constant 12V at the horns. I isolated the NB wire coming from the steering column harness and connected my digital multi-meter to it (on the ohm scale) and to earth and then pushed the horn button. The meter reads inf. or open circuit. I have heard of situations where the horn circuit would short out and the horn would sound during a turn or with heavy torque on the wheel. However, I was not aware that they could fail as an open circuit. So it appears that the horn push contacts are not making contact or there is a loose or broken wire in the NB wire circuit. Incidentally, the turn indicators are working correctly.

     

    This car has clocked a few thousand miles since a complete restoration in 2012 and has been garaged ever since. The control head was new from TRF when installed. This car has an adjustable steering wheel. In order to further diagnose this problem does the control head have to be removed? Is there anything in particular that I can/should check.

    Thanks, Frank

  5. Frank -

    I take it to mean there should be a further 10-20 thou ( mil in US I believe) of movement between when the contact has first 'made' and the point where the armature is fully bottomed on the pole piece. This ensures there is some spring pressure on the contacts.

     

    Rob

    Oh yes! I remember now. When I was a young electrical engineer. Over here we used the term, "contact wipe" to describe the distance that a moving contact arm travels after the contacts touch. So, different word, same meaning, I believe.

     

    Many thanks, Frank

  6. You wont need a regulator for an Alternator as the sensing is built into the case but my reply above re overheating of the units still applies.

    Stuart.

     

    Update: I have found two firms in the UK who offer alternators designed to look like a dynamo. Both offer a Lucas range.

     

    1. WOSP Performance Products

    Product called Dynator - £375.00

    C39/40 replica http://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/product/1070

    Output 50amps

    This company will also convert your dynamo to an alternator. I have enquired about this service and awaiting a reply.

     

    2. Powerlite - Product called Dynalite - £335.00

    C39/40 replica http://www.holden.co.uk/displayproduct.asp?sg=1&pgCode=080&sgName=Electrical&pgName=Dynamos+%26+Starters&agCode=1551&agName=Dynalites&pCode=081.200

    Output 40amps

    post-772-0-84404600-1435694382_thumb.jpg

    post-772-0-65473100-1435694412_thumb.jpg

  7. Although this post is related to a recent topic concerning my charging system , see http://www.tr-register.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/52461-bloody-ignition-light/, I thought I better start a new topic. This is more related to the simple question of a C45 versus a C39 dynamo, and whether or not it would fit into a TR3A. The reason for these questions, there is a guy in the US who can take a Lucas dynamo and convert it to an alternator, using the original case. Unfortunately, his design will not fit into the C39 dynamo. The only dynamo that is compatible is the C45. Now, I realize the physical difference is mainly the diameter of the case, 3.9 vs 4.5 inches, but are there any other features of the C45 design that would prevent it from fitting a TR3A?

     

    Thanks, Frank :)

  8. Hello all, from partly sunny, hot and humid Solomon's Island, Maryland, USA. Here at our 2015 TRA Convention I encountered just as many opinions regarding the charging system. More in a moment.

     

    Yesterday, we had a cats and dogs thunder shower late in the afternoon. We were very careful to permit some rain this week in order that your own Mr. John Saunders would feel at home. John doesn't say too much, but once you get him started we find that he is a wealth of knowledge in all things TR. For those not familiar, there are two main TR clubs in the USA, The Triumph Register of America (TRA) catering to the side screen cars + TR4 and The Vintage Triumph Register (VTR) which cover all the TR range + Spit and GT6. TR4's were added to TRA a few years ago, although many of us think they look funny. They are allowed because except for an Italian body shell, underneath they're really a TR3B! :)

     

    Now, back to my 3A. My mate Brian, the young man who restored the Grey Lady came to the rescue after dinner on Tuesday. I had already discovered the cause for the crazy findings reported in the first post. It appears that my dynamo had lost all of it's residual magnetism. During one of the Lucas recommended tests, they have you disconnect the leads from the dynamo, and then measure the voltage from terminal "D" to earth. There should be maybe 1.5 - 3 volts at a high idle. I measured approximately 0.6. This made me very depressed and thoughts about trip cancellation started floating through my brain. However, it just didn't make sense. I thought I should check the field windings for continuity. I measured about 6 ohms from terminal "F" to earth which is about right. I repeated the first test, but first I "flashed" the field. I just took a bit of wire and briefly connected the field terminal of the dynamo and battery positive. The other tests indicated a good dynamo but perhaps a control box that needed adjustment. Those adjustments sorted and I was soon to be headed South!

     

    After reflection, I still don't know why the dynamo needed to be flashed, because I stored the car over the winter, just like I always have.

     

    Cheers,

     

    Frank

     

    P.S. - I'll post some photos of this event in a few days.

     

     

  9. I once drove 6 miles with the red light on. I assumed that the dynamo had failed and that I could just get home on the battery. However it was the cut out and the extra voltage, allowed to enter the circuit, heated up the loom and burnt the cable behind the dash so that a small hot wire fell on to the carpet and burned a hole.

     

    After a long winter rest the contacts can be flicked with a hand and will start working again. It is certainly best not to drive with the light on.

     

    Good luck Richard :)

     

    Hello Richard! Good to hear from you. Gee, I have no desire to allow things to get that serious. Hopefully those contacts can be sorted!

     

    Regards, Frank

  10. On the assumption that it is a dynamo, I have also seen the insulating sleeves where the terminals go through the endplate break down and leak to earth

    Dick, that sounds more serious but the checks suggested here should reveal if that;s the cause.

     

    Thanks, Frank

  11. Frank - On the first day in April that I drove my 1958 TR3A, I had the same problem. The car had been stored during the winter in my warm dry garage. After this recurred about 3 times while driving and stopping, I left the red dash light lit and motored on. Later, I turned off the engine and when I restarted - ALL WAS NORMAL ! It has not happened again in over 300 miles this summer.

     

    Cheers

     

    Don

    Hello Don! I swear you lead a charmed life. You know if I continued driving the car would self-destruct! Sounds like maybe oxidized control box contacts, but of course you'll never know. But, why should you care?

     

    Regards,

     

    Frank

  12. Frank do you still have that electronic regulator fitted, I remember you had trouble with it before could this be the same problem.

    Stuart.

    Hello Stu! No, I have the conventional Lucas control box now. The solid state one worked a treat for over a year and then crapped out. I tried to send it back for repair but learned that the poor guy had passed on. So, I've been running with the Lucas kit for over a year with no trouble. But, yes it needs to be checked.

     

    Cheers, Frank

  13. The ignition lamp staying on does not indicate a low battery - in fact it shows just the opposite. The light should go out when the generator voltage is higher than the battery voltage, so if it stays on it shows the generator isn't working. What does the ammeter show when you run the engine?

     

    What the fault could be depends on whether you have an alternator or a dynamo. The test Dick suggests above will not work if you have an alternator - without a good excitation current from the ignition lamp the alternator will not start to generate (as people have found out when they try to replace the bulb with an LED)

     

    Rob

    You know Rob, I can never remember that fact. I do realize that the voltage across the bulb is a "difference" potential, but I had it bass ackwards. I do indeed have a dynamo, and I'll be making those checks.

     

    Thanks,

     

    Frank

  14. If you still have a dynamo it might be worth cleaning up the regulator contacts especially the cutout.

     

     

    Hello, PJ and thanks for the suggestion, and yes I still have a dynamo. This certainly on the list of things to do.

     

    All the best, Frank

  15. Frank!

     

    Nice to read something from you on the forum again! We had some PM exchange, but I always like your forum contributions.

     

    About the red light. Before braking out the tools, I would star with retracing your steps. Try to figure out what might have gone wrong when you accidentally touched the wiring with your sleeve etc. When all looks good, THEN start looking for an internal fault!

     

    Menno

     

    Menno, you may have a point there. I may have disturbed some wires like you say. Tomorrow will be the test. I'll keep you posted.

     

    Cheers, Frank

     

     

  16. Hello mates! It's been a while, I'll admit, but life is busy when your retired!

     

    I'm planning a trip to our annual Triumph Register of America meet and leaving early Wednesday morning. This year the trip is a short , about 160 miles, since the meet is on the Chesapeake Bay.

     

    It never fails, but once again something crops up just whenI need the car to be most reliable. Last week, she started right up for the first time since last October and she ran very well. I proceeded with all of my annual maintenance, oil and filter change, lube, adjust rear brakes, check idle, mixture and timing and adjusted the valves. When I finished, I started the engine and noticed that the ignition warning light stayed on bright. But, I just assumed the battery was low and put it on charge, at low rate, over night. The next morning, the battery charger indicated full charge, so I started the engine. She started right up, but the ignition light did go out. In fact, if I increased the engine speed, the light got even brighter!!! I have never seen this before.

     

    Well it's Sunday morning and I really need to sort this out. I will be driving some remote roads near the coast in order to avoid heavy traffic to and from Washington DC. So,I can't afford to have an electrical system failure enroute.

     

    Any advice on how to diagnose/fix this problem will be most appreciated.

     

    Best regards, Frank

  17. Personally, I prefer not to have anything made of glass in the engine compartment. With my luck, I'd drop a spanner and crack or shatter that glass jar.

    Over here, the most common brand installed by Triumph dealers was Tudor followed by Trafalger. These were quite simple, completely manual push type pump. I'm told that Tudor sold a foot operated pump but I've never seen one. The Lucas ScreenJet was commonly fitted to US Jaguar cars, both saloon and sports types.

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