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TR2 - It's all coming together now


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Well, the chassis is now sat on it's owm rear wheels... but the front is still on jacks!

 

All is not good however:

 

One of my existing rear dampers, which is about 3 years old, had decided to fail today... this despite me checking it over last week.  I'll have to order new replacement units on Monday.

 

Next to go wrong was two nylatron bushes disintegrated in my hands... don't know why, they just did.  TR Bitz will be sending replacements soon, meanwhile although the rear spring is attached, it's not quite complete.

 

Then, one of the "squared" u-bolts that hold the Moss rear anti roll bar in place decided to shear before the nut was even tight.  Must be a faulty unit, I'll have to tell Moss on Monday and get them to send a replacement bolt through.

 

So, not everything in the garden is rosey, but at least I've started bolting bits on at last!

 

Photo's will follow!

 

:blues:

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Another day... and more progress.

 

Today I've shotblasted all the remaining components that are to be re-used on the rolling chassis.  That includes the track rod, the metal plate the clutch slave cylinder attaches to, the cover plate that goes on the bottom of the bell housing, the piece the gear box mount fits to and all the other little pieces that go on the engine mounts and gear box mounts.

 

:D

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More parts are on the dining room table being painted, making me very unpopular, however, at least these are the last parts I'll need finished before the body is dropped back on.

 

Revington are sending me uprated lever arm dampers to match the rear competition springs and replace the damaged one(s) that I have.

 

Another modification that is now being made is the installation of a TR4a clutch... this also requires a modification to my flywheel which means it needs re-balancing!  Why didn't I think of it before?  This has set the engine back by a week or two because of the que at the balancers.

 

Alongside the 4a clutsh I am installing a dual circuit servo.  This will provide servo assisted brakes and a servo assisted clutch, which along with the lighter 4a clutch means that the pressure required on the pedal is reduced by A LOT!  This will hopefully mean that Wendy can drive the car on a more regular basis and make me a little less unpopular for the painting (hmmmm.... )

 

I'm still waiting for the missing parts (mostly nuts & bolts) from TR Bitz...

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Clive, did you choose for a ready dual system or build your own? Any decision of further upgrading the brakes (disks/calipers)?
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Clive, did you choose for a ready dual system or build your own? Any decision of further upgrading the brakes (disks/calipers)?

The Sevo comes in dual form... so you just leed your clutch into one side, and your brakes into the other... one assumes it's critical to continue the piping from the correct sisde to the clutch and brakes... otherwise life could get interesting as you declutch instead of braking and brake instead of de-clutching.

 

The unit is coming from Revingtons and is a bit (read as a lot) more expensive than a single servo, but not quite as expensive as buying two, and of course will take up less room in the engine bay than two would.  It is usually used to completley seperate the operation of a dual braking circuit on race cars.  Obviously the TR2 has only one brake circuit in it's "standard" form.

 

The brake upgrades I've made, excluding the servo, are replacing rear 10" drums with 9" alifin brake drums, and uprating the front brakes to discs.  This takes a bit more than you'd believe as I had to change the rear axle to a "Girling" unit, and also to take off my "propper" wire wheel hubs and replace them with the TR6 bolt on units.  Changing the rear axle also means that you have to change the u-bolts and the plates that go under the springs.

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The bad news is that Revingtons have today said they were wrong and we can't use the duel servo to operate brakes and clutch, so it's back to 2 remote servo's, one for the brakes and one for the lightened clutch.

 

On a happier note the replacement rear shock absorbers arrived today and are now fitted.  I'm just waiting for the u-bolt replacement from Moss (Stock taking may delay it I'm told... hmmm... I think customer service is more important than stock taking especially on a replacement for a faulty item).  The "missing" bits from TR Bitz, dispatched I'm told on Friday, have not yet arrived!  Consequently I can't get the fan blades balanced yet for the sake of some missing bolts!

 

In the dining room the remaining parts just need half a top coat and they are finished, I've already done the other side!

 

 

 

::rock:

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Well, the box of bits arrived from TR Bitz today, I havn't checked the contents fully, but the replacement rear bushes were included.  These are now on the car leaving the only one thing (the broken moss rear anti roll bar u-bolt) to redo!  That hasn't arrived from Moss yet!

 

Rob from Glavon TR's (Local group) came over tonight and we worked through the assembly order/method of the uprated front suspension bushes.  Once they were layed out in the correct sequence I took a photo and packed them away again.  At least he had a clue!  I was totally lost as they wern't the same as what came off!

 

The other thing that arrived today was my Carcoon from S&S.  Chears lads!  This had been delayed due to shortages at Carcoon, probibly following the NEC show!  As soon as I have a rolling chassis it'll be in there to keep it clean and moisture free.

 

The altered clutch is now at the balancers, and if the rest of the fan components are in this package I can send it following.

 

:blues:

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I've just checked through the parts that arrived from TR Bitz and found a few more that I didn't order and a number of parts missing that I did order.  I've made a list of the missing parts and sent it to Revingtons!  I'm not going to make to much of a comment here, but, the order was placed just after I got back from the USA! (I think that was the end of August! )

 

The missing parts are pieces of rubber, nuts and bolts... hardly rocket science!  Oh, and the rear window for the hartop plus the boot petrol tank cover are supposed to be instock but have also not arrived.   :(

 

On a happier note the Servo's both arrived from Revingtons today and Moss have the replacement u-bolt at Bristol branch so it should be with me at the weekend... and what a fortunate time for Moss to start selling a copy of the Chirchill Spring Compressor  :)

 

Time is moving on, but at least things are begining to come together!  I think it's about 20 weeks since I started.

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Guest davidferry

I am using Revingtons for my TR3a rebuild. I have been, and continue to be very happy with them in terms of service, work and development ideas.

I think you, and anyone else should be pleased with them!

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I am using Revingtons for my TR3a rebuild. I have been, and continue to be very happy with them in terms of service, work and development ideas.

I think you, and anyone else should be pleased with them!

I've been talking to them (Martin) a lot recently, and as well as excelent service (they had a delivery day of about 2 days from order once) I've had excelent advice and get the feeling that they both care and know what they are talking about.

 

Moss have also performed reasonably well, but with a few hic-ups... their locality is a bonus to me.  If they have it in stock I can get there and back in 40 minutes on a Saturday mornig you see.

 

I can't say the same about the other one.  It has been as though my order (about 3 grands worth) has been a pain, and althogh lots of it has been little odds and sods, other items have been pretty major.

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Just confirmed with revingtons that the "missing" parts are all on their shelves... so they will be with me in a couple of days!

 

The replacement u-bolt arrived from Moss and is now fitted.... tomorrow I start on the front suspension with the benefit of a copy of the Chirchill spring compressor that arrived today from Moss

 

Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye...

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More progress and a set back!

 

I've bolted a couple of more bits on, but my major progress this weekend has been the sorting through of new parts and combining them with the correct reconditioned ones into bags of "left" and "right" suspension.

 

Today, after three hours at the Castle Coombe skid pan I called on Eric, the Glavon Group's "Technical Advisor", who's advice is normally "Bring it here and I'll do it" with my upper wishbones and the new bushes.

 

Eric reamed out the wishbones to the correct size, there was a bit of corrosion in there that would have stopped the new bushes sitting right or even going in!  Then he popped the bushes in and made it look easy.  They are not the original "top hat" style busshes that are fitted in pairs, but resemble cotton reels.

 

The major set back was also discovered while at Erics.  I had taken the hubs supplied by TR Bitz with me to have the new bearings pressed in.  Once we had removed the old bearing outers it soon became obvious that the one of the hubs was so badly worn that the bearings would just rattle around inside.  This is very annoying as the hubs were in a right grotty state when I got them from TR Bitz, and I have spent hours cleaning them up.  :angry:

 

At least I can get the rest of the fromnt suspension bolted on now, but I guess I'll have to wait for a new hub at least!

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TR Bitz want the old hub back before they'll send a new one out!  More delay!  They better refund my return postage, that's all I can say!!!!
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Well, today I got confirmation that my engine will be ready for collection on Saturday... minus the inlet manifold which is being altered to take the servo's.

 

I also recieved from Revingtons the bits and pieces that I have not recieved from my original order with TR Bitz, and obviously e-mailed TR Bitz to say "stop looking".  There are a couple of bits that I understand are in stock at TR Bitz and I think I've paid for them, I've asked them when I'm going to get them.

 

 

The down side today was that I forgot to take the faulty hub with me to post at dinner time... oh well, I'll remember it tomorrow!

 

 

:rock:

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My engine has come home.  If it goes as well as it looks then I'll be a happy man.  Jigsaw racing seem to have done a splendid job and even through in a copy of the last issue of "Triumph World".  The carbs look so different I I questioned if they were the same ones I'd left there a few months ago!

 

Now all I've got to do is fit it!  Before I can do that I have to do a major modification to the Mondeo... the tube keeps coming off the bottom of the washer bottle, and you have to remove the inner wing to get at it... not for much longer... with the aid of an air saw and a drill I'm going to cut an access pannel... why didn't Ford do that?

 

If only everything in life was as good as a Triumph...  :D

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Clive, are you going to fit the 3deg trunnions to the front suspension in connection with the late tr4A upper wishbones. It will make quite some difference in steering. Adding the adjustable fulcrums from Revington will give you a nice negative camber.

Anyhow let's get back to reality, before you assemble the front suspension it's a good idea to add some spot welds to the 2 loose nuts holding the upper fulcrum, should you wish to remove the top, you will be able to do it without removing the front springs.

Jean

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Jean,

 

Argh... whish you'd told me that bit about the nuts before I painted it!  I never even thought about not being able to get at it with the spring in place...

 

I'm not upgrading to the TR4a bits "this time"... but... I might be in the future.  I've done a lot of upgrades and spent a lot of money on them, and I think that I picked that point to stop for now.

 

Cherers though... and nice article on your car in Triumph World!  Jigsaw Racing kindly gave me a copy while I was there!

 

:blues:

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OK... tonight I realised that despite the abundance of tools in my possesion, I am still lacking a major thing.. a worktop with a vice!  I went to fit a new thrust bearing, thinking it was a complete item, and (yes, I know I'm mechanically nieve) realised that something needed pressing out and then in to the new bearing... so.... result is that the engine and gear box are not fitted and I need to crawl around to a mates house again... Dear Father Christmas....

 

I must appologise for the lack of photo's in my recent posts... I'm having a problem with BM.... erm, no... with my laptop, which is the only pc in the house with the facility to upload.  Tonight I took some pictures of my "jigsaw" prepared engine, but I can't place them here....

 

I'm still very impressed with jigsaw's work and the "good crack" (is that a northern expression? ) that you get when you phone them.  The chassis will be a rollin just after xmas... that's a promise!!!

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As a vice I have my car.. as I have my car I needed a vice... now I have a vice because of my vice... duh!

 

But the vice is in a box... tomorrow.. tomorrow... tomorrow!

 

Yea, you are right, I've gone loopy... it's either the pressures of rebuilding a TR2, or it could be the Christmas Spirit... I vote on the latter!  :D

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  • 3 weeks later...
Has Clive left the country? NO update,s on rebuild since 22/12

Nope, I'm here, although I left "for a grand tour of the country" over Christmas and New Year visiting Durham, Windsor and Essex and all counties inbetween.

 

The update is that the workbench and vice have been installed.  The chassis has been turned around and the engine is dangling over it (well, for safety it's resting on some timber as well).  The gear box is almost there, but for some reason I seem to be unable to get them connected... it's called lack of space or lack of physical strength... so I'm awaiting a "little help from my friend", which I hope is arriving next week.

 

The other "major" task that I have done is to sort out all the parts into "pre-body" and "post-body".  Post body parts are safely stored in the atic while pre-body parts are in a shiney red 38 drawer parts cabinet, with the drawers all labeled... that should make life a lot easier.  All the parts for the front suspension have also been sorted into boxes of "left" and "right".  

 

The body is still with NDM, and I'm not chasing it, as usual.

 

TR Bitz have still not sent the rear window and cardboard boot liner.  They have also not responded to my pre-christmas e-mail asking when they were going to send them.  To be honest, I don't think they understand the words "customer service" at all, something that Revingtons and Moss do seem to understand!

 

Then along came Christmas!

 

:blues:

 

ps:  Today Smart confirmed that our new Roadster Coupe will be built on January 12th, then there will be 10 days for it to get from France to the Garage in the UK, 3 days to turn it around... watch this space!

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Hey Clive, just heard on the radio they are now going to build a Smart version in the Netherlands in the Mitsubishi/Volvo

plant. It's only about 10 miles away from my place and they started to recrute redundant personnel from Ford, ex Mondeo builders. Is that bad news ???

Jean

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I reckon that'll be the Smart forfour Jean.  The new four seater smart car.

 

I don't think that the quality of the paint used, or the alloy wheels chosen, for the Mondeo is the fault of the workers in Belgium.

 

The car itself drives well, is comfortable etc.. i think it's the specifiers who need blaming, although, actually, I reckon the specifiers would specify good stuff if the acountants alowed them, so lets blame the accountants!

 

 

 

 

 

:blues:

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Well, today a feather would have knocked me over...

 

A parcel from TR Bitz arrived at work and in it was the hartop rear window and the cardboard boot liner panel!

 

Maybe they read the post I made on the 7th?  

 

:blues:

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Engine and Gear Box are now sat on the chassis... thanks to Andy "Maddog" Smith for all the help.  He even came over on his Birthday to help me...

 

:D

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