CJG
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Posts posted by CJG
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That is precisely the problem it does come out of the thread. I had the same problem with the brake master on my 4a and changed the lid several times until I eventually found one that was a reasonable seal as its the thread that the fluid migrates down despite a rubber seal at the top. Even then it still benefits from PTFE tape . Just poor manufacturing tolerances. I do remember they werent that good on most cars when new.
Stuart.
Thanks Stuart.
On which side should I put the tape: on the reservoir or on the lid?
Regards,
CJG
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Surely that would have an effect only if the fluid was finding its way
down the threads, and surely an effective cap seal would prevent that.
Maybe the fluid is coming out of the vent hole in the cap?
(but just looks like it's coming out of the threads)
AlanR
Thanks, Alan.
Just one question, though. If it's coming out through the vent hole, how do I stop it? Does that mean the system's overfilled?
Regards,
CJG
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Hi everyone,
I'm afraid the old girl is still dripping DOT4 - something I need to get sorted before I have the bulkhead resprayed!!!
The brake master cylinder (which is about 8 months old) seems OK, but I've noticed fluid oozing from around the cap of the reservoir on the clutch master cylinder (which is about 48 years old). The question is - is it enough to replace the seal at the top of the reservoir? Is the system likely to be overfilled? If I need a new cylinder, where can I get a reliable unit of decent quality? The problem occurs primarily after long runs, particularly when there is a lot of heat in the engine bay.
Finally, what precautions can I take when the car is stored for 3 years to prevent the seals from giving out and causing another catastrophic loss of fluid? I fear draining the hydraulic circuits will allow everything in there to rust solid.....
Regards from (still) Düsseldorf,
CJG
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If you have sufficient headroom in your garage (and given that the Caterham is pretty low) you might be able to get away with a "Doppelparker" - I'm not sure what these are called in English, or whether they are allowed in the UK, but they are reasonably common here. Basically, they let you "stack" your cars in the garage (the Caterham will have to go on top - I hope it doesn't leak oil!). They start at about €3-4K, plus installation.
Regards,
CJG
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I have just taken delivery of a replacement Surrey Top vinyl hood. Unfortunately, it came without the Durable Dot fasteners to secure the corners to the screen frames. I have sourced some of these fasteners, but how do I fit them? Do I need special tools, do I need to make holes in the hood?
Grateful for any advice.....
Regards,
CJG
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I had a similar problem with my TR4. Essentially, you are shorting the horn circuit with you electrically conductive Moto-Lita wheel boss! The original Bakelite wheel is a pretty good insulator....
The horn should be operated by a "horn pencil", a spring-loaded contact which goes through the wheel boss and is activated by the horn push. If this is missing, you need to order one from Moss or similar. As for the wheel itself shorting out the horn contacts, I adopted a "pragmatic" apporach (not exactly Vorsprung durch Technik....): a ring cut out of glossy-surfaced card, placed between the wheel boss and the contact strip on the column (don't forget to make a hole for the horn pencil, and to fix the position of the "washer" with a drop of glue!). Alternatively, you could extend the column slightly to increase the gap between wheel and column.
Good luck!
Regards,
CJG
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The battery is about 6 months old (Bosch), but the car is running on its original dynamo. Oh, and the Kenlowe has been on more or less permanently, due to the sweltering temperatures here.
Regards,
CJG
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Just got the car back from a comprehensive tune-up. The diagnosis: not enough oil in the carbs, an air leak at the inlet manifold and one carb too rich, the other too lean.
She runs beautifully now, and idles evenly at 800 rpm. However, at idle, the ignition warning lamp glows dimly (the car has been fitted with "Ignitor" electronic ignition). Should I be worried about this, or is this just a "quirk"?
Regards,
CJG
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Well, if the "donor" car is clearly beyond restoration, I don't see anything wrong with this kind of thing. It's still a lot better than what used to happen to quite a few E-Types, Mk2s and (would you believe it) Gullwing 300SLs. After all, a certain Mr. Shelby did something similar back in '62.....
But seriously, a TR without scuttle shake seems like an interesting concept - just a shame it didn't get a straight six. I'm sure a suitable BMW unit could be made to fit......
Regards,
CJG
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Does anyone out there have any experience of using the epoxy-filled Flamethrower?
Regards,
CJG
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I'm afraid my car is still stubbornly refusing to "just idle"!
I've replaced the coil (Flamethrower), rotor arm (Martin Jay's red one), distributor cap, leads and plugs (NGK). Oh, and there's an "Ignitor" module fitter, so effectively, the whole ignition system is new. Timing was adjusted when the Ignitor was fitted, the coil and other components were added later.
On starting cold, the engine runs just fine (but it seems to need two or three attempts to get going). After about a minute or two, it starts to idle lumpily (sounds like it's on two cylinders), but this smooths out to a normal, regular idle after a mile or two, when the engine is at its operating temperature of 85 degrees. There is still occasional popping on the overrun, but nothing like as bad as it used to be before the ignition system was fixed (sounded like gunshots!).
The front two plugs are clean, the rear two slightly black. My first thoughts are carburettor synchronisation or ignition timing (or perhaps an air leak which opens up when the block gets warm, then closes when the manifold has reached operating temperature?). I've had both compression and emissions checked, and they are fine.
Finally, I've noticed that when I have both the headlamps (H4 conversion) and Kenlowe electric fan on at the same time, sometimes the ignition light glows dimly at low speeds. Does this mean that the original dynamo (it's a positve earth car) isn't up to the job, or might need some TLC?
Regards,
CJG
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So you replace the whole brake system before you go, and then maybe again when you come back.
Or leave the Dot 4 and just replace everything when you come back. Although if it's stored in the dry you might be OK.
Or buy a Carcoon and a dehumidifier - is there someone who can keep an eye on it for you? - then it may survive.
No chance of taking the car with you then...?
Ivor
Thanks for the advice.
I guess I'll leave the glycol stuff in then, and change the master cylinder(s) when I get back. I'll have the bulkhead repainted now (the best defence against the dreaded tinworm), but I'll make sure there is something in place to catch any fluid drips. Is I intend to use the car in the mountains when I get back, I'm not taking any chances with dodgy seals (and potential catastrophic and very downhill failure!).
The car will be kept in a dry storage facility in Germany. I would take it with me, but the Chinese authorities don't encourage that sort of thing (ironically, as it was first registered in Hong Kong). Shame, as there can be few more pleasant ways to cruise down the Bund on a Sunday morning...
Regards,
CJG
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Does anyone have experience of switching a TR4 (standard setup, no brake servo) from DOT 4 to silicone brake fluid? Is a thorough flush sufficient before refilling, or do all the rubber seals need to be replaced?
If you knew you had to lay your car up for approx. 3 years due to a secondment abroad, would you make the switch?
After a nasty leak in the past I'm going to have to have part of the bulkhead repainted before rust takes hold - I don't fancy doing this twice!
I've heard rumours that DOT 5 destroys the brake light sensor - is there any truth in this, or is it just scaremongering?
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
CJG
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Hi Everyone,
I intend to fit a Pertronix "Flamethrower" ignition coil to my 1962 TR4 (positive earth). The car is currently still fitted with its original (very leaky) Lucas coil. Does anyone know if the car is fitted with a ballast resistor, and if so, where should I look for it - apparently I have to remove it for the coil to work properly. P.S.: the car is fitted with an Ignitor electronic ignition module.
Thanks in advance.
CJG
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Hi everyone,
Sorry about the very basic question:
How do I go about topping up the gearbox oil on a TR4 (no overdrive), and what oil should I use?
Regards,
CJG
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Hi CJG,
for 2 hours of stop and go in that heat I'd want a standard fan plus an electric fan as auxiliary . . . .
You have a new radiator, but what about the block ? Have you flushed and backflushed it, and then attacked it with radflush or kettle descaler to shift some of the crud that accumulates over the years ? The block gets bunged up, water doesn't circulate at the back, head gasket blows on no 4 . . . .
Also worth checking mixture and timing at low rpm - if either is out, the engine can overheat on prolonged idle. Just because it's fine in the mid and top ranges doesn't mean the botom end of the rev range is OK !
Cheers,
Alec
Hi Alec,
Thanks for the advice. The car has a Kenlowe auxiliary fan in addition to the standared one. When the new rad was fitted, the block was supposedly backflushed (as the car had been standing for some years). Just a thought though - could it be a vapour lock forming?
Regards,
CJG
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Hi everybody,
The previous misfire has just been solved (electrical), now there seems to be another problem. After about 2 hours of stop & go in 33˚c, the engine has started to misfire, will not rev clealy, and is seriously down on power. According to the temperature gauge, the Kenlowe was just about capable of maintaining an acceptable water temperature, and in any case, the car has just had a new radiator fitted. Does this sound like a carburettor problem (or is it normal behaviour after 2 hours of idling in hot weather)? Can heat affect the ignition system?
...or has anyone tried fitting a gas turbine to a TR - should be more reliable!!!
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How is the rotor arm. If you get a new one make sure it's from Martin (aka the Dizzy Doc). Otherwise use a very old one.
Dizzy caps are usually OK but using a substitute could eliminate that area.
Capacitor in the dizzy could be iffy
I don't think you will damage the coil just by fitting a wire
Roger
Thanks, I'll order one of Martin's red rotor arms - should improve things a bit. Incidentally, I checked the new plugs again after 50 miles, and found no. 1 to be clean as a whistle, nos. 3-4 all sooty, again. There is definitely a spark (of some sort) at plug no. 1. I've had the compression checked, and it is normal on all cylinders. There is a small amount of "mayonnaise" inside the filler cap, but I'm told this is normal with aftermarket alloy rocker covers, which can be very porous.
Any ideas? Had it been plugs 1 and 2, I would have suspected the carb....
Regards,
CJG
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Hi Everyone,
I mentioned that I had the engine running on 4 cylinders again - well today was the first outing, and after about a mile, she was back to her noisy, lumpy self. The car is fitted with an electronic ignition system which fits inside the distributor (it still has a rotor arm and uses the original distributor cap). There is a spark (of some sort) on all plugs. I did mention that I found the lead from the distributor cap to the coil to be loose and only resting on the contact, so I took out the screw from the top of the coil, wrapped the lead around it and made a "proper connection". Could this have damaged the coil, or is it more likely to be the dizzy cap and / or leads?
Should I just junk the lot and fit a 1-2-3 module (if they exist for positive earth)?
Thanks in advance,
CJG
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Hi Everyone,
I recently bought a replacement vinyl Surrey Top from ETC, which looks fine, except that it is missing the four press studs which attach the corners to the roof pillars. I was wondering where I can obtain the necessary studs, and how to fit them. Do I need special tools?
Regards,
CJG
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Thanks to everyone who replied with advice. The car is now successfully registered here in Germany, based on a helpful (!) TÜV inspector and a Heritage Certificate, which was accepted as proof of the date of manufacture and of the car's original export to Hong Kong. It appears to have been brought back from HK at some time in the 70s, missed the DVLA deadline and subsequently registered on an age-related plate in 1988.
Regards,
CJG
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Find the problem yet? Check those plug wires, boots & cap/rotor while your at it. Hopefully the ignition module is working properly. Ditto for the coil. Check your fuel filter, check the flow to your carbs. Sounds like an ignition/fuel issue. Good luck!
Thanks, yes - I think I managed to sort it last night. Firstly, the rotor arm was fit only for the bin - a new one made a big difference. I also changed the plugs and discovered, quite by chance, that the capacitor wasn't connected up properly - the lead to the distributor cap was just resting (!) on the contact (sometimes).
We haven't been for a test run yet, but she ran pretty smoothly in the garage. If the problem returns, I guess it's the air filters next (the last lot of plugs was quite sooty).
Regards,
CJG
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Im not sure if you can still get the re-enforcing plates but to replace would mean unpicking the stitching on the front and having it re-stitched. or if you want to go for a new one this is a good price.
Stuart.
Thanks for the advice. The advert says "Re-use of your front retaining bar is required to fit this product but is easily removed from your existing hood." Is that the disintegrating metal plate, or would this hood solve my problem?
Regards,
CJG
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Having finally got my car registered here in Germany (you won't believe the bureaucracy - getting it to England from HK was probably easier), and with the sun out, I decided to take the hardtop off. So far, so good - until I tried to put the vinyl Surrey top on. Unfortunately, the steel insert running along the front of the "hood" (the bit that is supposed to tuck under a groove in the header rail) has disintegrated into about 5 bits, so a tight fit is impossible (and an impromptu shower is inevitable). Is there any way to repair this, or do I have to either (i) wear a sou'wester and fit wipers to the inside of the screen, or (ii) ditch the soft top and get a new one? If I have to get a new one, where can I get a good one (at a sensible price)?
Regards,
CJG
Octagonal Centre Lock Spinners from Moss
in TR4/4A Forum
Posted
Hi everyone,
due to local German regulations, I will need to switch to octagonal spinners when I get my car out of storage. I have noticed that these are on offer from Moss at the moment (Part nos. 88G606 ond 88G607). Are these of decent quality? I remember reading in the past, that there were some octagonal spinners of decidedly dubious quality and/or poor fit about.
If these are not safe, do you know of a better source?
Regards,
CJG