TR4 Rebuild

[stuart]

Roger - my 1962 TR4 arrangement is shown in the attached photo which shows the frame in the lower two mountings, but in a different orientation to yours.

 

I didn't fit the hood myself, but I recall the trimmer I used commenting at the time, he just couldn't get the new hood to fit until he realised the bracket was the wrong way round! Hence what you see and the hood seems to work/fit ok when in use.

 

As for the other pair of holes, I can't remember if mine had them or not. Might they be an early seat belt mounting?

 

I've got some weird re-inforcing plates in each rear wheelarch which are about 5" long by approx 1" wide with a threaded hole at each end - they are at an approx 45 degree slope to the front from horizontal - tried to show this in attached photo - which I assume were for early seat belts unless anyone knows any better? One of the mounting holes has been used for a modern seat belt installation.

 

Hope this helps

 

cheers

 

Rich

 

IMG_0234.JPGIMG_0237.JPG

Those wheel arch plates are for early seatbelt mounts.

Stuart.

[RogerH]

Hi Rich,

I think your pivot plate orientation is the same as in my pic - that must be a good sign.

 

My hood frame needs painting - what colour is it? it looks a shade of beige (to match the roof lining - I suspect)

 

Roger

[rcreweread]

Roger - your pivot plate looks quite a bit different to mine, and although the pivot is in same orientation, it looks slightly lower than mine because your bracket slopes down from its mounting point towards the pivot - I appreciate very little in it, and presumably the frame itself will allow for that.

 

I'm sorry about the orientation of the photos but they weren't like that before I attached them and I tried to find a way to rotate them on here but failed!

 

As for the colour, you are correct I believe, with your colour assumption for the frame in being a sort of skin colour which matched the interior of an original tonneau and surrey top I had but as I changed my hood to black, I decided to paint the frame to match.

 

I don't know the official colour of the pinkish colour but I'm sure someone will soon post the answer.

 

Nobody has commented yet on your top two holes - that may be fortunate!

 

cheers

 

Rich

[RogerH]

Hi Rich,

I see what you mean about the pivot plate being slightly sloping. I think this is a function of the floating plate - it should straighten up.

 

Roger

[RogerH]

Hi Folks,

had a funny couple of days.

I sprayed the hood frame with primer in readiness for a top coat. This went well.

 

The ebay cheapo dizzy turned up and fitted straight in and worked. However there was still something not right. The engine is still missing the odd spark.

I changed every thing that could be changed - with no success.

Today I decided to be cunning - I got my SU tuning book out and read it. It has a step be step procedure for the basic setting.

I followed this and guess what !!!! it worked, not perfectly but pretty good.

The missing is caused by the fuel not the spark.

 

Earlier on, stuck a colourtune on it and had a peak at the flames.

#4 started off yellow/orange and turned blue with a bit of throttle

#1 started off yellow and got orangeyish but not blue. But more significantly it was not sparking all the time.

The timing light suggests that ot is sparking correctly but it is not igniting correctly.

 

After the above basic tuning it all seemed to settle down.

 

I think it is good enough to get me to the MOT station tomorrow if the weather allows.

 

At some stage I will take it to an 'expert'.

 

I shall now get on with the upholstery for a while.

 

Roger

[RogerH]

Hi Folks,

for the last couple of days I have been starting to re-upholster the seats in the TR4.

I had bought TR4A seats and they were not very good. So I renovated the frames (rusted and broken) and bought new materials form Jon Skinner.

The only thing not supplied is the instructions

 

I re-did my White TR4A in the 90's; got on quite well and ended up with some good looking seats.

 

However today I am looking at lumps of foam and wadding and not sure quite were to start.

 

I googled how to do it and guess what I was given one of my posts from 2008 telling somebody what they will need - great start

 

So, what I've done at present -

fitted the new webbing across the back - 4 off straps per seat.

Fitted the rubber sprung pan

eyed up the sponge - then stopped.

 

What I need to know !

For each seat squab I have a thick lump of sponge and a horseshoe shaped piece of sponge.

Is the thick lump glued to the frame and the horseshoe glued to that? or is it the other way round.

 

I have a large roll of wadding. Is this generally laid over the sponge? or is there a special laying process.

 

The back/upright looks a little more straight forward. Glue sponge to frame, drape with wadding and slide the leather cover over the top - yes/no.

 

 

Roger

[Geko]

it's all here I think. Credit to AlanT

[RogerH]

Thanks Stef,

Very comprehensive - Well done Alan.

 

roger

[RogerH]

Hi Folks,

reading through Alan's very comprehensive instruction gave me the impetus to attack the seats.

Did I follow the instructions - probably not - but I got the gist of what problems Alan had found out.

You do not simply stick some sponge down and throw on the cover; it has to be fitted assessed, adjusted, taken apart, refitted, reassessed, readjusted and that is just getting it out of the packing box.

 

Warning - Aerosol glue and kapok type wadding really can make a mess - I looked like the fluffiest fluffy thing that Tufty fluffy lugs ever played with.

 

anyway just as the rain started (again) I sort of finished the nearside squab (temporary clips in place).

 

Tomorrow, I'll finish the squab and attack the drivers seat whilst I can remember what I've done.

 

Roger

[RogerH]

Hi Folks,

after doing battle with sponge/foam/leather/vinyl I am at a stage where I want to attach the back panel.

Now, I have a back panel, three clips and a seat frame.

Do you fit the clips to the frame and curse and swear while trying to get the clips into the hardboard.

Or

Do you fit the clips to the hardboard and curse and swear whilst trying to get the fitted to the frame.

 

If the latter - do you remove the vinyl where it is folded over the frame flange (where the other clips clip onto) to make life easier.

 

Roger

[stillp]

Assuming you mean the three clips at the top, than your latter option, fit them to the hardboard first. I didn't need to remove any vinyl, but I did find it helped to put a curve in the hardboard to match the seat frame. I did this by wetting it and standing a weight on it for a day or so, while supporting the sides with padded blocks.

 

 

Pete

[RogerH]

Thanks Pete.

 

 

Roger

[RogerH]

Hi Folks,

the blue TR4 has returned from its winter break in the garage around the corner.

It is now snuggled in the house garage.

I need to find out why the OS door window glass does not fit correctly.

Get the upholstery sorted

 

And fix the petrol leak from the rear carb - how did that happen.

 

July, August and September will be fun.

 

Roger

[SuzanneH]

Found it

[RogerH]

Hi Folks,

it's July.

Yesterday I had a serious look at the drivers door glass - I really stared at it; for ages.

 

I decided to fit the door off the 4A and see if there was an improvement. Surprisingly the 4A door gave the same result.

However upon refitting the original door I managed to get it to fit a little better. This improved the glass fit a tad.

So I progressed to get the door to fit as good as possible. The gap between the door glass and the front screen rubber is now much better.

 

An oddity that I found was that one of the original hinges had been tampered with - one half of the hinge had been extended by by about 1/4".

This would have the effect of pushing that part of the door out by that amount.

I fitted a pair of new hinges without problem and the door is a reasonable fit. Why was the hinge modified!!!!!

 

I can now get down to fitting the hood (soft top roof) - that should be fun

The hoof needs fitting in the warm weather so now is the time to do it - when it stops raining.

 

Roger

[stuart]

Roger I use a small fan heater sitting between the seats facing up and then with the frame erected just lay the hood over it to warm up, it is surprisingly effective and will make fitting a lot easier.

Stuart.

[RogerH]

Hi Stuart,

that sounds like a very good idea.

 

Will it evaporate the rain before it wets everything

 

Roger

[RogerH]

Hi Folks,

late last summer I started to re-upholster the seats. These are TR4A seats. I find them more comfy that the very early TR4 seats that the car came with.

 

I managed to finish one seat last year but inwardly I was not happy with the finish.

I part finished the other seat and this wasn't as good at all.

Yesterday I did a bit of work on them but wasn't happy.

 

So today I took them to Motobuild who are a local car restorer in all departments. They have a TRim man who knows his stuff.

Chatting to the chap that runs the show (I should have got his name) he was very accommodating but was snowed under. When I said two/three months he breathed a sigh.

 

Anyway looking around the work shops he had all sorts of fancy cars scattered about. A original white MGA police car was pride of place.

Outside there appeared to be a scrap heap - TR4, Ford Consul classic, MGB, MG Midget, spitfires, stags, and lots more - but all in poor condition.

Not sure if they were waiting for rebuild or the heavenly scrap heap.

 

 

Roger

[littlejim]

if you still havesoft top problems, send it over here and I'll stretch it in the sun for you.

My new Moss soft top needed a few hours in the sun with weights on, plus the windscreen unbolted and pulled back with rope winched in, before I could get it on. (Haven't mentioned the weight lifting course I had to do.)

After a few goes the front bit that tucks in under the chrome strip flattened a bit, and pushed in further.

After the eleventy twelfth fitting it isn't all that hard, despite still being a nice tight fit.

(Currently on the 70th floor of the Meriton in Brisbane. Great view, but UK still not visible. However still a great view out of the windows.)

[RogerH]

Hi LJ,

I had to put the upholstery on hold when I realised that I didn't have a clue how it all went together.

I didn't take enough pics when taking apart.

I'll have a good scrute at the IWE and take many pics.

 

70th floor - that's near the moon isn't it.

 

Roger

[littlejim]

Hi LJ,

I had to put the upholstery on hold when I realised that I didn't have a clue how it all went together.

I didn't take enough pics when taking apart.

I'll have a good scrute at the IWE and take many pics.

 

70th floor - that's near the moon isn't it.

 

Roger

Feels like late finals in the landing circuit, about 3 ear pops in the lift up and down.

Hoping that Athe stops them running a fire drill while we are here.

[RogerH]

Hi Folks,

I've been tidying up the car for its MOT next week.

Started the engine, sounds as sweet as a nut but there is a petrol leak.

 

Fuel dripping from the rear carb. Looks like the main jet assembly. Any simple seals in there to go wrong.

 

I shall have a look in the float chamber later on as it could also be the valve in there.

 

Roger

[ctc77965o]

HS6? Can only be dodgy jet if leaking at carb...if leaking at float chamber then the rubber seal of the jet flex pipe could need furtling.

[Lebro]

Roger.

Float chamber more likely, the only "joints" in the jet of an HS6 carb is where the clear plastic pipe pushes into the bottom of the jet, & the bottom of the float chamber. You can check the latter - undo the clamping nut, & pull the pipe out - there will be an 'O' ring (sort of) around the pipe, it may be stuck in the float chamber, check it is is in good condition, then push the clear pipe as far in to the chamber as possible before tightening up the nut.

The other end is just a tight push fit into the plastic base of the jet, these don't usually cause problems.

 

Bob.

[RogerH]

Hi Dave/Bob,

they are H6 carbs. I'm just popping out to have a look.

 

Roger