Lord Flashart Posted March 16, 2013 Report Share Posted March 16, 2013 The snow is all but gone and the roads have been cleaned of all the winter gravel and ****. So today I insured the car and took it out to blow the cobwebs off. Very very nice to be driving a proper car again after months of driving my revolting pick up. Couple of observations, the new (moss) anti roll bar is a bugger to fit, but makes a hell of a difference on cornering speeds. Even on damp roads the car felt much more planted and flat going through the bends. There is more vibration through the steering, so less comfortable, but it's definitely worth it. I may have made some progress with the dieseling problem as well. I was setting the timing with a dial back timing light and the car would run on every time a shut off the ignition switch. I'd more or less given up on it, but I read an article somewhere that suggests setting the crank pulley mark 3/8 of an inch before the marker point and setting the points to just open at this point. The article even suggested that using a light would end up with retarded ignition. Well, I tried it, the article was right, the ignition needed advancing considerably and since then I've have no run on at all! Can't for the life of me work out why it should make a difference but it certainly did! Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TorontoTim Posted March 17, 2013 Report Share Posted March 17, 2013 Hey Paul, SO glad you had the TR out - I love the winter here, but it is long, huh? Great news on the running on too - it's not always clear why some things work and others don't, but if you have the right result.... Also I agree on the ARB up front - I have a bunch of ther suspension changes too for rallying, but the anti-roll bar was certainly a good call. I had mine out for the first time on Thursday - ran out of the city for a few hours and down a bunch of backroads. There was still some ice and a fair amount of standing water so I managed to get the car properly dirty on those gravel roads, but MAN OH MAN it's good to be back in a TR!! It snowed again today (just a little) so the beast got a little dusting and some icicles while sitting in the driveway (I didn't take it out...). But the forecast looks sunny tomorrow so I think I'll be off out again with a huge grin on my face :-) I owe you a couple of photos, and will get them to you this week. Cheers, Tim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lord Flashart Posted March 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2013 Tim, Mine is also filthy now as I live on a gravel road. Not that I care, mine's no trailer queen. Which other suspension mods have you done? My next job is to poly bush the rear, but I'm always looking for something to muck about with. Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lord Flashart Posted March 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2013 Tim, Mine is also filthy now as I live on a gravel road. Not that I care, mine's no trailer queen. Which other suspension mods have you done? My next job is to poly bush the rear, but I'm always looking for something to muck about with. Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
terry Posted March 17, 2013 Report Share Posted March 17, 2013 nice to get the first drive of the year under your belt,...in my case only 25 miles but most of it was along the twisty b roads,...great. very interesting about the vibrations coming through the steering column because of the front anti roll bar, i too had these vibes before th 4a was layed up for a while , tried to cure it by countless attempts at wheel balancing, rubber bush changes, and new front shock changes,all to no avail time to have a look at that anti roll bar.? today i had planned to give it a good Italian tune up along the A1,but will give that a miss because of the weather!!!!,snow. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Menno van Rij Posted March 17, 2013 Report Share Posted March 17, 2013 I can not believe that you, living in Canada, can report about your first drive of the season at the same moment I can see snow flakes falling, overhere in Holland! I changed the oil of my car last week and the keys are in the drawer... waiting to be picked up for the new season. But not as long as there's salt on the roads. Oh well, I'll wait for a few weeks and then things will be better I'm sure. In the mean time, enjoy your TR! Menno Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lord Flashart Posted March 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2013 Menno, It's been a funny winter here this year. We've had more snow than the last few years, but then it warmed up and it was all gone within two weeks. They don't use salt on the roads here but spread gravel on the snow and ice. It's horrible stuff and gets throw everywhere, damaging paint and windscreens. At the end of the winter they go around with road sweepers and clean it all off and that's when the TR comes out of the garage. Terry, it's probably worth a look at the ARB. Mine is all poly bushed and is defiantly transferring a small vibration to the steering that feels like very mild wheel balance vibration. It's only arrived since fitting bar. It's not bad, just feels different. Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
terry Posted March 17, 2013 Report Share Posted March 17, 2013 hi Paul,...i certainly will have look at it,it is now on my list of jobs to do this spring, terry Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Badfrog Posted March 20, 2013 Report Share Posted March 20, 2013 Hi all, So the birds are out chirping? I just did my first drive (220 km) sunday as I profusely explained elsewhere and it was such a high! Can't wait for the next. Badfrog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TorontoTim Posted March 20, 2013 Report Share Posted March 20, 2013 Minus 5 here today, on the first day of Spring! Beautifully sunny and if it wasn't for the damned salt on the roads because of a late snowfall I'd be ripping it up out there. Love love love getting back in the TR after a long break :-) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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