John McCormack
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Posts posted by John McCormack
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When my TR6 is cold the clutch works fine. When the car is warmed up/hot the clutch shudders. I counter it by using a few more revs when taking off and slipping the clutch a little bit. I don't always get the timing right and get a fairly severe shake.
The car is a CP which has had a J type overdrive gearbox installed. The gearbox mount is a hybrid based on a BMW mount which I suspect could be the problem. The engine mounts are quite new.
However, countering the view the gearbox mount is the problem is that it is ok before the car is warmed up. It could be the clutch itself, the operation of which which would change when hot.
Has anybody experienced these symptoms and what was the solution?
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15 hours ago, Mike C said:
I'd start by looking at the fuel enrichment lever on the side of the MU and make sure it is free and not stuck on full choke.
I suspect this is the problem. With little use the enrichment lever gets sticky. My car had had very little usage in the years before I bought it. The lever would sometimes stick on and could only be released by putting your fingers down between the engine block and metering unit to physically push the lever home. Push hard.
Soak the mechanism in WD40 or similar and move it back and forwards until it feels it is moving freely.
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I have two indicative quotes for a TR3. $10,000Aus for me taking the panels off and refitting them done to a very good workmanlike standard. $15,000Aus for a better quality job still with me doing the dismantling.
That is for an external paint job including door shuts, boot rim and bonnet rim. Not including the engine bay or any undersides. If structural rust is found it will be more.
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6 hours ago, R9mey said:
Hi
I have been looking over the various threads and youtube videos about refurbing the armstrong dampers
Most seem to describe the changing of fluid and general cleaning.
Mine are leaking from the shaft
Is there any way of replacing these seals?
I have opened one up and there is hardly any oil left,
The recon items seem reasonably priced but not sure if mine are servicable or suitable as exchange.
Thanks
Chris
I put up with a slight amount of weeping from the seals. Fixing it just doesn't seem worth the effort and off road time.
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I am pretty sure the sidescreens dimensions are the same for all TRs. I've just checked Bill Piggotts book and yes there was no change in shape.
The single rear window was only on the early TR2s up to TS4306. TR2s up to TS5254 had fixed windows in the sidescreens, later cars had sliding windows. For my early TR2, TS3732O, I had Skinners put in the single rear window. My later TR2 TS5038O has a 3 window hood. Both cars have fixed sidescreen windows.
In summary, your top should be fine with the sidescreens.
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6 hours ago, Mike C said:
Thinking back 50 years, I found when a head gasket blew bubbles appeared in the radiator filler neck after I revved the engine- a simple test that can be done before pulling things apart.
I've had a few head gasket failures. Symptoms vary. Usually, you can see gas in the coolant but not always and sometimes coolant loss is not obvious.
In the case where the temperature rises very quickly you should see something.
I bought one of these coolant gas detectors. They work.
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8 hours ago, Andy Moltu said:
If the heater is working ok the water pump is probably functioning. It could be your thermostat has stuck closed.
Yep, I suspect the thermostat either stuck closed or sticking when opening.
Water pumps very rarely fail to pump, they often fail through leaking seals. I've never had an air lock in 55 years of British car driving and 47 years of TRs.
Worse case it could be a blown head gasket. My TR2 had these symptoms soon after I got it in the 70s, temperature suddenly shooting up to boil. Gasket was blown.
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Having started this post 4 years ago I can now report I ended up fitting a hi torque starter. Problem solved.
I believe it was dirty contacts in the OE starter so the pinion wouldn't properly engage with the ring gear.
The ring gear teeth were worn down by about one-fourth of their full width, three-fourths still there. The hi torque starter works fine so it will stay that way until the box comes out when I'll turn the ring gear a 1/4 turn to have fresh teeth at the right spots.
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Sunny and 27 degC here!
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16 hours ago, Lebro said:
Looks like a normal 25D4 to me ?
Bob
It was the points that threw me, I've not seen them with two set screws. All of mine have the one screw and slot to put a screwdriver in to adjust the gap.
I've also put electronic ignition in all the TRs except for the concours TR2, which runs points for originality. The TR3 has Pertronix and the TR6 and daily driver TR2 both have Lumenition. Both types seem to work reliably and efficiently.
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14 hours ago, TonyC said:
I use 0 580 464 070, which I purchased from The Green Spark Plug Company. Used with EFI (Webcon Pro5)
TonyC
I take it the pump works OK on a PI. Looking it up it says it only has 3 bar pressure, I would have thought that was too low.
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I've never seen this type of distributor on a TR. Most of my experience is TR2s and 3s, is this on a late 3A.
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3 hours ago, roger murray-evans said:
The other thing that may influence the difference is that the standard TR3, as far as I can make out, has 1 3/4" SUs and developes more torque and at a slightly higher rpm than the TR2 on it's 1 1/2" SUs and pretty much around the 70mph mark in top gear. Plus it was advertised as having the extra 5 bhp! This, in conjunction with the smaller diameter tyres may well make a noticeable difference?
Roger M-E
Yes it does have what was called the Le Mans head. This was a modified low port head following the le Mans experience, in this car further modified with enlarged inlet valves, and with the 1 3/4" SUs.
It isn't easy to compare the performance of these cars, they all have different states of modification, tyres/wheels etc.
My long door TR2 has the low port head and 1 1/2" SUs but being a former race car has a mild cam, 87mm pistons and balance. It is a better performer than my other TR2, a short door, which has 86mm pistons, a high port head and 1 3/4" carbies but is otherwise stock.
The TR3 outshines them both in performance.
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My original starter was playing up, not engaging the flywheel or requiring a hit with something hard to make it work. I believe cleaning the solenoid contacts would have fixed it but I am never confident with old Lucas electrical components.
I bought and installed a hi torque starter yesterday. A fiddly job but not difficult. Th starter is a lot noisier than the original but at least it starts the car each and every time.
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Thank you all.
I have just confirmed it has a 3.7 diff. The diff has never been out of the car. A benefit of having acquired the car from the owner who bought the car as a near new 2nd hand car in early 1958, and who kept all his records, is you do know what has been done to it.
The TR3 does have 195/65 tyres which gives a 10% smaller diameter than the TR2s which have 175/80 tyres.
I think it is a combination of the engine mods, smaller diameter tyres and that the car has done less than 50,000 miles are the reasons for its performance.
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My recently acquired 1956 TR3 is a very stock motor with the only modifications being slightly larger inlet valves and 9lbs off the flywheel.
The car performs significantly better than my TR2s which have 86/87mm pistons and one has a mild cam and is balanced. The TR3 accelerates better and has more power on hills at 110-120 km/h.
It does have slightly smaller diameter tyres, 195/65 compared to 175/80 on the TR2s
I'm wondering how much difference the lightened flywheel will make to overall performance.
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44 minutes ago, Mike C said:
You start with the static timing , then add a bit of dynamic timing using the feel & sound of the car under high engine load.
Yep. With all the TR6 engines now at different modification states and condition using modern high-octane fuels with anti-knock additives the factory settings aren't even a starting point.
With the PI TR6 I set the timing at 10-12 deg advanced at idle. I then drive the car and advance the timing so the engine just pings. I retard it to stop the pinging and so on back and forwards until it is a couple of degrees retarded from just pinging. I think mine has ended up at about 14 deg advanced at 800 rpm idle.
I find I get heaps more power and better fuel economy than factory settings. I only use BP Ultimate 98, no ethanol.
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8 hours ago, John Morrison said:
As the title looking for a usablt TR3 bootlid, - anyone?
John.
I've got one in Australia I'll sell.
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Next year is now taken up for us. We are off to Italy and Greece for 9 weeks in April/May. Then to the US of A and Canada in September/October to visit friends in Arizona and drive through the National Parks north of Arizona to visit our oldest son who now lives in Toronto.
Maybe 2024 we will be back in the UK if this tour comes off.
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11 hours ago, Harbottle said:
Well done, a great looking car and a nice line up. Happy birthday
Paul
Thanks Paul.
The Australian TR Register is a purely sidescreen club (it is a long story) and we had over 60 TR2, 3 and 3As and one Doretti on display. A few members sidescreens weren't available and they came in other cars like the TR4 and TR6 pictured here.
The overall standard of the cars was exceptional, and everybody drove there and home from as far away as South Australia, Tasmania and mid north Queensland.
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32 minutes ago, billy l said:
That's a great looking car and a great result, Well done. My Son lives in Campsie not far from you in Leichardt, I've told him to keep a look out for your car. Cheers, Bill.
Tell him to drop over. As you say it is only 5 minutes away.
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34 minutes ago, RogerH said:
Hi John,
Excellent news. A beautiful car.
And Happy Birthday as well.
Roger
Thanks Roger. Didn't know my birthday was visible on here.
Wire wheel spinner hammer
in TR2/3/3A/3B Forum
Posted · Edited by John McCormack
The wooden tools are very difficult to get in the right position on the spinner and I've found with mine, from Moss, it started breaking up almost straight away.
I use the copper Thor hammer. On my everyday driver it has damaged the spinners but they are 15 or so years old and they match the car's patina.
I use a new Thor hammer on my concours car, after 15 years the old one has compressed the copper so it is too hard, usually tightening with a block of wood as noted above. I then give the spinner a lightish tap with the copper directly until it doesn't rotate any further and you can hear that 'right' sound that tells you it is tight.
A number of owners tell me they never tighten the spinners as they will tighten with the wheel's rotation. 47 years' experience, and the logic that there is very little inertia in a small spinner of small diameter, tells me this is not true. In my experience the spinner needs to be tapped tight until it doesn't move any further. This is achieved by tapping the spinner with the copper hammer, not big hard blows but a tap using mainly the weight of the hammer plus a bit of added force. Experience tells you how much.