Two questions

[Menno van Rij]

Hi all,

 

The title says it all: I have two questions that came up, now I’m (still) busy collecting and buying parts for the restoration of my TR3A.

 

First question about the door pockets. The existing ones are in a poor state and I think that I’m missing a part (parts?) of them. I guess that originally there was some sort of guidance hook or something like that to guide the steel pull cable through the door pockets. Both items are missing. Is there a picture of these guidance hooks available? So that I can copy them?

 

My second question is about brakes: currently the brakes on my TR are just the standard ones. When braking, everything works okay, (Well, last year it was, the car didn’t move under its own power since last December, when dismantling started). But I think that the stopping power is limited. Therefore, I’m thinking about upgrading the front brakes. I will not use the car for racing or rallying. Just for road use. Firstly I thought about Power Stop and Green Stuff, but I’m not really convinced after reading all posts about this subject on the forum.

 

I’ve seen adverts from Revingtons’ brake kits. They look great and I’ve read positive feedback on these brakes here on the forum, but I have my doubts. Last March I sent them an email about their thin pulley conversion, and there opinion about a balanced or non balanced pulley. Since then I haven’t heard from them. Maybe to busy, or something else. Anyway, I can not share ones enthusiasm for Revingtons’ service first hand.

 

So, I need more advice on the braking matter, and all is welcome.

 

Regards,

 

Menno

[jean]

Menno, I have standard brakes on my 3A and I have absolutely no complains, they work fine, and they are not servo assisted. If you want to change the disks try the Revington disks from Australia, they sell them in different lay-outs drilled, slotted or drilled and slotted. I got them on my TR6. The steel quality is for sure superior to standard disks as they show no sign of corrosion if the car hasn't been used for some time.

 

From my own experience, I spent over a week with the Revington staff at Middlezoy, I know that they are not so E-mail minded. This does not mean that they are not helpfull. Best is to give them a ring, but please realise that this people are buzy bees and sometimes it can be difficult to reach the right person in due time. Also keep in mind that too many tollfree phone conversations are bound to to leave, at the end of the month, their salary strip in a state of virginity.

 

I have a thin belt conversion on my 3A with a damper pulley from an MGB, but this does not give full guarantee with concern to crank failure, the same goes for the standard layout. Just saw a broken crank on a TR2, and on this car nothing was modified, I'm sure it's more a question how you handle your engine and not a question of pulley.

[Don Elliott]

Menno - Tell us your TS Comm. No. so we can help with the door pockets. There were different styles for different cars.

 

http://www.mossmotors.com/Shop/ViewProduct...teIndexID=29160

 

This is from Moss USA and the sketch shows a TR2. In my TR3A, TS 27489 LO, the wire is like a bicycle brake cable (covered with a black spagetti type sheath) and it is supported in slots inside the door panel near the top of the pocket.

[Menno van Rij]

Jean, Alec,

 

Glad to read that it's your opinion that it's not ignorance or something like that regarding my email! Sure gives moral a boost! As said: I'm impressed by the Revington kit and after reading your replies, I think phoning them is a better way to communicate!

 

BTW, I've bought a pulley conversion from Bastuck (Germany). Well, let's hope for the best. Later this week there the Dutch TR club (Eastern part of Holland branch that is) will pay a visit to a small but well-reputated engine workshop nearby my house. They were on my engine shop-shortlist already.

 

Don,

 

My commission no. is TS 61947 L. I am aware of the fact that there are differently shaped door panels with different shaped holes for the pockets. I wasn't aware that teh pockets themselves are also different! I'll take a picture later today and add that to this topic.

 

Menno

[jean]

Menno, did Bastuck send you the small pulley for the dynamo/alternator. I first had the large one, for racing purposes, what is more or less suitable for high reving engines. Is there no one in your vicinity for parts ?? because following my late experience I lost all faith in most mail order supplies. It's best to see before you pay for. In the TR3/4 book of Bill Piggott you can see the different shapes of door pockets

[jonlar]

Just saw a broken crank on a TR2, and on this car nothing was modified, I'm sure it's more a question how you handle your engine and not a question of pulley.

 

Hi Jean, as a matter of interest, was this an O/D car?

[jean]

Yes, it was an overdrive car, but not with a manual overdrive. This crank broke close to the flywheel. I would like to mention that the car is used for rally all over Europe

Edited June 4, 2007 by jean

[jonlar]

Yes, it was an overdrive car, but not with an manual overdrive.

 

Hi Jean, now you've totally confused me (not difficult these days!). Have you ever heard the after-dinner speech by David Gunson (ex ATC) "What Goes Up Might Come Down"? Just seen your edit - my pet theory is these crank failure is contributed to by the O/D thumping in and out - but others are sceptical, and I'm still confused!

Edited June 4, 2007 by jonlar

[Menno van Rij]

My 'Bastuck' pulley kit came with an alternator pulley. The box with this kit inside is stacked away on the attick of my garage. However, the alternator that I bought, came with a 70 mill. diametre pulley. It's an alternator for a 1989 Suzuki Swift, so I think that it will be the right diametre for my TR.

 

I often turn to Jasper Beukenkamp in Boskoop (situated in the triangle Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam) for my TR parts. I think he's a nice guy to do business with: he knows a lot about Triumphs and is always willing to discuss any ideas and cheaper alternatives before sending expensive parts to my home address,

 

A few weeks ago, I was able to borrow the doorpanels from an other TR3A, so I used these as a templete for my new panels. With Bill P.s' book in hand, I think that I copied the right set of panels for my car.

 

As written above: the door pockets themselves were in a poor state. I started to look around for a substitute pair. That's when I found out, that there's some sort of guidance hook to control the cable. Hence my initial question.

Anyway, last week I came across an advert on a Dutch website, sort of eBay (marktplaats.nl) A guy offered a pair of home made door pockets for sale, at a very low price. Turned out that he's also restoring a TR3A. This guy had made two pairs: one pair to learn the trade, one pair for himself. I bought the first of the two pairs he made, The asking price just covered the costs of the used materials.

 

Well, here are some pictures.

 

Menno

Edited June 4, 2007 by Menno van Rij

[jean]

Menno, that looks very good to me, the pulley will do the job, the one I mentioned is much larger and has the cooling slots integrated in the pulley. With concern to the door panel I would advise not to round the lower front side, if you do so you will be faced with a gap, due to the fact that the body opening at the A post is square. You can see this also in Bill's book. I made the mistake to follow the shape of the door inner side and got the gap, no disaster, but not as it should be.

Are you coming to the TRCH Summer Meet end of june ? I'll be there for 2 days

[Menno van Rij]

First back to my first question about the 'guiding hook' between the door pocket and the door panel. I think that I can fabricate one, but I also think that the hook has to be connected somehow to the door pocket before the door panel upholstery is applied (phew, it's difficult to write this down in English is a way that other people can understand...).

 

Jean, thank you for your input about the panel shape! I think that you are right. Tonight I was at local area meeting of the Dutch TR Register and I saw one TR3A (yes, only one -- all others were 4, 4A etc) with square corners. So, it's out with the jigsaw again, next Saturday!

 

Our local meeting was held in Holten, about 30 kms from the German border. In a scenic, rural village is an engine restoration company called Zomer. Some people had recommended this company to me. And after visiting the workshop, on my way home, I've decided to bring them the enigine of my TR, get a quotation and -if the price is right- let them take care of business.