angelfj
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Posts posted by angelfj
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Yes, I know, "dynamo" isn't a word that you hear very often these days. I just think it is way too cool not to use.
Seriously, on the way home from FALLFEST 2012,this past Saturday, the Grey Lady was running great, and I was enjoying the open air motoring until I reached the NJ - PA bridge across the Delaware River.
Please allow me to deviate for the benefit of my British mates. This place is called "Washington's Crossing" and is famous. Washington's crossing of the Delaware River, which occurred on the night of December 25–26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, was the first move in a surprise attack organized by General George Washington against the Hessian forces in Trenton, New Jersey on the morning of December 26. Planned in partial secrecy, Washington led a column of Continental Army troops across the icy Delaware River in a logistically challenging and dangerous operation. Other planned crossings in support of the operation were either called off or ineffective, but this did not prevent Washington from surprising and defeating the troops of Johann Rall quartered in Trenton. The army crossed the river back to Pennsylvania, this time burdened by prisoners and military stores taken as a result of the battle. Washington's army then crossed the river a third time at the end of the year, under conditions made more difficult by the uncertain thickness of the ice on the river. They defeated British reinforcements under Lord Cornwallis at Trenton on January 2, 1777, and defeated his rear guard at Princeton on January 3, before retreating to winter quarters in Morristown, New Jersey. Every Christmas morning, weather permitting this crossing is reenacted by a group of history buffs. it''s a real hoot to witness this event with this guys, sometimes a bit inebriated, in authentic garb, etc!
Thank you for indulging my need to quote history.
I had slowed down for the E-Z Pass lane and was beginning to accelerate when a horrible shrill sound started. It reminded me of the noise made by a slipping power-steering belt. As soon as I had the opportunity I pulled off the road and popped the bonnet. I also noticed that the engine vital signs were normal, temp approx. 180F and oil pressure at 50psi.
With the engine at idle the sound was somewhat less, so I goosed the carb linkage and the sound became louder and now sounded more like shaking a tin can filled with loose nuts and bolts. I turned off the engine and had a closer look. So, I figured I should focus on the rotating parts because the noise got louder as engine speed increased. I checked the fan belt tension - OK. However when looking closely at the dynamo, I noticed that the fan was free to rotate. WTF? Now, how could that be, and aside from the noise, what would be the consequence of running without the benefit of fan cooling?
So, let me ask, has anyone experienced this problem. I have not been able to find a good drawing showing how the fan is secured. It appears that the fan is sandwiched between a step in the shaft and the pulley. Should there be a key way in the fan hole? None of my Lucas docs show a dynamo with a fan attached, so I assume that this feature was optional.
Anyone have a solution?
Thanks in advance, Frank
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Frank - What a timely topic. Last night coming home in the dark, I had the same experience. The TR was running fine. It has been running like a jewel all summer so I was surprised when it would skip and buck during acceleration for the last 15 miles home. The engine was showing about 180 deg. F. If I was at a constant speed, or coasting to a stop or on a slight down-hill run, there was no bucking. But pulling away at stop signs and traffic lights, it was bucking something fierce.
I made it home and turned off the engine. It re-started immediately and it revved up normally from idle in neutral in my garage.
This morning after checking this topic, I took a look at my coil and capacitor. It wouldn't start at all. I took the wires off the coil on the low voltage side and measured 3 to 4 ohms so I knew the problem was not there, then I checked the capacitor. The problem was right there staring me in the face. The screw that is supposed to secure the capactor body to the ground plate was loose. I tighened it up and took it out for a test drive.
The problem is resolved. Another simple solution to a simple problem,
Don: What a coincidence! Glad you got that sorted. Yes, that screw completes the circuit between the condenser tab and distributor plate. I added a tiny lock washer to keep it from loosening.
Regards,
Frank
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Frank
Have you considered the external condenser as made by Swiftune? Take a look at their website www.swiftune.com where it will tell you all about it. They use it on all their competition engines where it is necessary to keep the original points set up. I have got one and it is very well made and comes with full fitting instructions.
Peter M
Peter: No, I haven't, but that's because I wasn't aware of them. Thanks for pointing out yet another option!
Cheers,
Frank
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thank you gents - will contact J
Frank
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We have been having a ball driving the Grey Lady and put about 1000 miles on the clock. However, as of this past weekend, we have now had four condensers fail. Here's an account of the first failure which prevented us from enjoying the breakfast run at the TRA meet in North Carolina.
"TRA has a long tradition of conducting a breakfast run on Saturday morning of the meet. We were running the car up the mountain roads to the show field on Friday and noticed a misfire. We only had 25 miles on the car before we left for the show, and we had not yet established any history on the carburetor or ignition tuning. After the show, the car ran great for about ten minutes and then the miss came back. After inspecting the float bowls and swapping distributor caps, rotors, and wires, to no avail, we watched the breakfast run depart past us and our spirits sank. Reasoning that the condenser was the next logical substitution, we dove into our “spares department” tote bin and brought the car back to life with the next push of the starter switch."
After returning home we have experienced three more condenser failures. The circumstances seem to be consistent. Start out, engine cold, runs great, smooth idle. Engine warms up, approx. 180F still OK. Get into a bit of traffic, usually stop light and as engine approaches approx. 2/3 full scale on the temp gauge, the engine begins to stumble. If I try to accelerate, the engines misfires and at times will backfire. After these incidents I have pulled off the road and gone for a coffee whilst the engine cools down. If the temp goes below half scale, about 180F the engine will start up and run nicely. Upon heating up a little the cycle repeats.
We have conducted all of the usual checks and have ruled out timing and carb settings. Colour Tune looks ideal. The plugs are a bit sooty and we have considered going to the next highest heat range. But when we replace the condenser with a new one, the engine runs well regardless of temp. This fix does not last long though and eventually the condenser completely craps out, usually a few days later.. Considering that condensers are most difficult to test, we have reached this conclusion based on a process of elimination. At least one time a new condenser did not cure the problem and we could only conclude that it was dead out of the (green and white) box.
So, perhaps you can offer your experience and suggestions. I hear that better condensers are available. Does anyone know of a source?
Except for poor quality, is there anything else that may be causing these condensers to fail?
Cheers,
Frank
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I was fortunate to find an original pair of driving lamps, Lucas SFT576 & SLR576. However, upon examining the bulbs I found that they are 6 volt rather than 12 volt spec. They are conventional pre-focus type, not quartz halogen. I intend to fit these to the TR3A. Since I need to replace the bulbs anyway, what options do I have that would be compatible with the original lamp. Would halogen work? Any other issues such as heat, etc from the newer design bulbs? I don't want to fry my lovely new lamps.
Cheers, Frank
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Hi Frank,
it's for real, we all saw them at Malvern, they deserve a gold medal for masochism . . . .
I mean, they went to Wales, it rains in Wales even on a fine day. There is no Welsh word for drought.
As my Uncle Randy used to say "Wales is God's Urinal and He pisses on us daily" - but being Welsh, atheist, and from the Valleys he was allowed to say things like that. His wife, my Auntie Lucy, was English - and a damn sight ruder about Wales. Can't say I blame them.
Cheers,
Alec
He was just probably in constant emotional pain since his parents decided to call him "Randy"
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hi my friends
me and tors went to north Wales after the international with Guy and Stuart
and then on to Stafford Sports 6 club door to door 700miles
A Quick Summery re the Car with aero Screens
The Car performed well in the rain, and the two of us stayed dry due to good wet gear
the Goggles i bought were useless in the wet (good quality driving goggles) however i bought some skiing goggles of e bay, they were excellent due to being curved the rain blew of them and were very comfortable with interchangeable lenses
i found it easier to drive in the rain when the screen was pushed forward
i bought a leather pilots hat great until it started to rain heavy, it took two days to dry out
the road noise was terrible, and we had a job communicating i recon on buying a motorbike intercom set
Seats were very uncomfortable and i shell upgrade them
A brolly is a must sun and rain
the above is our experience, i loved it, however tors found it hard work and would prefer to travel in the 6
pink
Pinky - have any photos to prove that this really took place?
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Hi,
One info, one question:
- The upper joint in some repros rad caps is too thick, so the valve does not apply correctly on the collar and leaks pressure. Car consumes water and heats up.
- Who makes the best water pumps? I hear that six-vanes units cavitate and the original four-vanes should be preferred. Opinions?
Badfrog
Hello JF - did you enjoy IWE?
- we are using a NOS AC rad cap (4 psi) and it is working great. Grey Lady now has approx. 1000 miles on the clock and even during the 100 degree weather last month never exceeded approx. 2/3 temp gauge reading at tick-over
- this is the 6-vane pump we are using - not sure where Brian found it, but it was in England - no cavitation.
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A few weeks ago the wife borrowed the TR to go out with her mate for a beer. On return she reported that the car lost power on the hills and she barely made it home.
I drove the car the next day and it was all ok do I put it down to her driving!
Well tonight I took the car out for a spin and the same fault occurred. It felt like the car was only running on two going up a steep hill.
When I got the car home I started checking the fuel system and lo and behold the pump is spraying fuel all over the side of the engine.
Once stripped, the fault was the brand new diaphragm I fitted a month ago had split.
It actually looks like the sodding thing has been made incorrectly as the shape compared to the old one was upside down and the metal carrier for the spring was on the fuel side. Luckily I'd kept the old one and fitted that. The car even idles a little better now.
I'm going to stop buying new stuff as I always seem to have problems with new parts failing.
Now I have to appologise to the wife for saying she's a **** driver!!
Paul
Paul: Just curious, why did you replace the diaphragm in the first place? Don Elliott (another Canadian - Montreal) who is also a member here, complained about diaphragm failures after using ethanol blend fuel during the 2007 VTR convention here in PA. Once he returned home to Canada and resumed with ethanol-free fuel his problems were resolved.
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Yes the 2 hubs with faulty studs had been welded at the back - somehing that I am told is not uncommon.
This TR2 had spent much of its life in the States before returning to Blighty and this may have been done there.
Before the MM I spent a very large amount of cash having the car fully checked by a classic car "expert" who replaced the rear oil seals and should therefore have noticed the fault, very apparent on the front hub.
Barbone: The expert missed something, I believe! caveat emptor! Glad that you weren't injured!!
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If you look closely at the photo you will notice that:
- the loose studs shown are not original type
- there appears to be remnants of weld around the holes
Could these modifications have contributed to the failure?
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I should have posted this some time ago. Last year I competed in the Mille Miglia in a 1955 TR2, but only managed 1/3 of the distance as the rear wheel assembly parted company, fortunately at very low speed. This was due to very worn hub studs - see photo.When replacing the hub and studs I also had the fronts checked and one of these had the same wear.
Following this some members of the Rome TR club checked their cars, some of which had the same problem.
Would that have been No. 222 entered by Peter Cox?
Cheers,
Frank
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Some interesting observations from BP . . . . . and bear in mind that there have been some more radical changes in fuel formulation since this was written in 2005
http://www.bp.com/re...intage_Cars.pdf
Cheers,
Alec
Thanks Alec - great paper!
Cheers,
Frank
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Frank, I know you were looking for opinions from the experts on the other side of the pond but here's my 2p, for what it worth. Although heat shields do have some value, I often find "vapor lock" to be a symptom rather than a problem in itself. Heat shields will not correct the underlying issue, often a weak fuel pump, ignition coil or carburettor issue.
Tom
Tom: Hello and trust you are well. This is an interesting response. Perhaps we need to look elsewhere.
Cheers,
Frank
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The following query appeared on another site. We would very much appreciate comment, recommendations.
Within the last couple of years my Roadster's ( a TR-4) been experiencing vapor lock. I've had the car since the early 70's and up until now, it's never had this problem. It happens after the motor and compartment reach full operating temperature and I shut down for several minutes. It typically takes about 20 minutes or so until the engine and carbs cool a bit to restart. Now, when I shut down, I open the hood just so it doesn't get even hotter from soak-back, (the rise in engine temperature after the motor stops running, which naturally stops circulating the cooling water through the block). I'm thinking it's the new gas with methanol. Is anyone else having this problem? If so, any remedies out there?-kdlsHello Dom! This has been an unbelievably hot summer - going for a record July here in SE Pennsylvania with over a month of day time high temps close to 35C. I think this will be the norm in future years.
SO, I have seen lots of TR owners, both 4 and 6 cyl. engines tend to install heat shields. This was a hot topic (no pun intended) of discussion at this year's TRA. All you have to do is look at the proximity of the exhaust manifold to the float bowls of your SU carbs. This isn't something you might be concerned about in 1950's Great Britain, considering their very mild summers! Also, I wonder if modern fuel formulations are more prone to vapor lock, that-is, comparing 1950-60's leaded gasoline to current unleaded, 10 percent ethanol mix, which one has the lower boiling point. Does anyone know?
Frank
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Hi all.
Your opinions sought!!!
What would you chose and why when refurbing a set of std steel wheels?
A good paint job.?
Stove enamel.?
Powdercoat.?
Other?
Cheers
Pilkie: Assuming that the wheels are true, I would use a good polyurethane paint. There is a temptation by folks to go the powder coat route. However its a lot easier respraying a painted wheel at some point in the future than having old powder coat removed and reapplied, IMHO.
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Thanks gents
Your the best!
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Apologies my friends. My original query was less than clear. What I am actually looking for is a Triumph assembly drawing of the reservoir. I have never seen one in any documentation. Were these "cans" used in other British cars?
Thanks
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Someone asked me about these recently. I scoured my collection of manuals, books, etc It appears that Triumph did not issue a drawing. Could this be?
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Well, folks: I trust this will be the last in the series of updates following the breakage of the oil pump driveshaft dog and its ingestion by the pump rotors as I travelled with gusto along the A1 a few weeks ago.
The remedying has been long and laborious mainly because of my enforced stay in London during the week. However, this afternoon I finally got the car out for its test run after having installed a mixture of pump components old and new; I drove it for about 35 miles in urban traffic and at speed on the open road and was most relieved to discover that the oil pressure sits at 70 lbs/sq.in. at sustained high revs, dropping back, as it always did in typical ambient UK temperatures, to around 18/20 at idle.
So I've bought another gallon of 20/50 and a new spin-on at Halfords and dropped the new oil out. Next I'll examine the new filter (to which I'd attached a couple of good magnets) before discarding and loading up with the freshly bought items.
Many thanks for the good, detailed advice and general encouragement from all of you who answered my Qs. You have been an immense help. Now, fingers crossed!
It's too late to use the 3 for the run to Classic Le Mans, but I can pack even more gear into the TVR...
Cheers,
Tim.
TR for TRusty! These really are near bullet proof.
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Louis
As the duct is cardboard, most recommend waterproofing it in some way. I applied several coats of PVA and then sprayed the front with several further coats of body colour paint.
Miles
In the USA this cardboard shroud was offered free of charge as there was a service advice letter sent to dealers/owners. I have often wondered about the colour of these dealer-installed shrouds. Those installed by the factory were painted body colour. Surely the dealers didn't stock multiple coloured shrouds. Maybe they did???
During the restoration of Gray Lady, we painted our shroud with the same Silverstone Grey DuPont Chroma polyurethane used on the body. It amazed us how much paint was absorbed by the cardboard. It was quite heavy and almost bullet-proof after painting.
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hi three'ers
I am going to take the three on holiday with me with aero screens and have a couple of questions,
how do mi keep my sat nav dry and were do i locate it
were can i buy waterproof mats that also fit onto the transmission tunnel
any advise welcome on any other things that need to be addressed
thanks pink
"Sat Nav??? We aint got no stinkin' Sat Navs!" Strictly seat of the pants!
Blue Ridge Parkway, Tennessee - North Carolina, USA
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What a beauty! This must be "The Summer" for newly commissioned sidescreenTR's
LUCAS CONDENSER FAILURES
in TR2/3/3A/3B Forum
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Ian: Great long-term memory - but what did you eat for breakfast this morning?![:P]()