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Alcan 5000 Rally


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Quick update:

 

Engine is in and I've been bedding in the rings with the usual Italian tune-up approach (I shall go into details and trials and tribulations later).

 

Last little bits of fettling and snag list-doing are underway right now as I pack the boot with the spares, make sure I have all the warning triangles, nuts tightened and nipples greased and a hundred other last-minute jobs before I take the TR to the rail-yard in Toronto for its journey across the country to Vancouver (from where I shall drive it down to Kirkland/Seattle for scrutineering on Aug 17th).

 

We had a quick photo-shoot for the major Toronto newspaper at the end of last week (feature planned in the Wheels section before the start) and will do the interview once the car's on its way.

 

It's all seeming frighteningly real right now......

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Great to see and read about the progress.

 

One thing I noticed: you 've installed to coil on the usual place: on the engine's side. However, there's a lot to say about a different spot: on the inner wing opposite of the engine. Cooler, less vibration. In fact, I've read on these pages about a spare coil next to the original one - on the inner wing. Makes changing easier.

 

I am not an experienced rally driver, so perhaps I am talking nonsense here. I think that Ian and / or Tony van tell you more about this. In fact, I would ask their advise on nearly everything before setting off on an expedition like this!

 

Menno

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Hi Menno - good spot! I do indeed still have the coil in the original place - the works cars (and likely current UK rally TR4's) had twin coils on the inner wing and they obviously put them there for a good reason. Having said that, I've rallied my TR4 a fair amount here in Canada and have not seen any problems with coils - but I do have a spare one with me! Maybe moving them is a last-minute job before the train journey...I'll give it some thought this morning.

 

As you say, Tony is a mine of useful information and we have spoken quite a lot over the past few years - including before I started preparing for the Alcan. Anyone thinking of rallying a TR should tap into the experience of him and others to avoid some obvious pitfalls.

 

In most areas my car is far more standard than his Beastie - rallying here tends to be a little less tough on the cars than in the UK. Certainly outright performance isn't as necessary and I find that a mildly "warmed over" TR engine gives all the performance needed. My favourite example of this was on a night rally in the winter here in Canada: down a twisty, partially snow-covered gravel road through a forest we managed to catch a couple of young guys who were driving a Subaru WRX, until the road straitened out and they managed to pull away a little (we were on time, so didn't need to chase them).

 

Mostly, the TR just likes to be driven - and it's definitely going to get a lot of that on this rally!

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Good Luck Tim.

 

If you need any help at Vancouver end, give me a shout and I will try and help.

 

Cheers

 

Graeme

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Thanks, Graeme, I'll certainly keep that in mind. If only we had a TRR member in Whitehorse or Dawson City too... ;-)

 

The TR will be delivered to the shipping (well, training) company tomorrow. It doesn't take 4 weeks to actually get across the country on a train, but it's not guaranteed how soon it will leave as there needs to be a carriage full first.

 

Always an interesting experience leaving an old car for others to manoeuver... I have at least written instructions on how to start it (should be easy), how the fly-off handbrake works (hmmm) and where to find reverse gear (assuming there is someone at each end of the journey who knows how to drive a manual-gearbox).

 

I am trusting that it is still fit for a rally (or even to get out of the rail yard) by the time I collect it on the 15th August.

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Tim,

 

I know how you feel, our TR4A travelled with a shipping co. from Liverpool to Montreal, then by train to Vancouver and road to the island, all in a container.

 

I had shown the shippers how to disconnect the battery using the Dis-carnect(SP?) but even so they had insisted on removing both connections from the battery slightly damaging them in the process.

 

I guess your car is not in a container, but a regular freight car?

 

Cheers

 

Graeme

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Yes, Graeme, regular car-transporter-type freight car. As always in these situations, I always fall back on thinking "they are professionals and do this all the time - no need for me to worry"......

 

Anyway, I haven't got a choice - I'm not driving it out there (although I might drive it back!), so I have to leave someone else responsible for it.

 

On another tack: The TR has been delivered, so this whole thing is feeling more real today than it has so far. Feels good...mostly!!

 

:-)

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Here are a couple of photos of the Rally TR undergoing pre-transportation inspection. What do you mean, there's orange-peel on the door?????

 

DSC_0602crop_zpsb6c896f9.jpg

 

DSC_0603crop_zpse364a864.jpg

 

Next time I see it will be in Vancouver, three days before the start of the epic (and a little scary) event!!!!

Edited by TorontoTim
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Looking forward to seeing it with some dirt on it, Tim!

 

Good luck on the transport. Manual gearchange would make me only slightly nervous. Fly off handbrake would definitely worry me.

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Thanks Nigel!

 

Now that the TR is in the hands of the shippers, I'm in a strange lull between getting it finished and packed (and re-packed, and re-packed) and flying out west to start the event in three weeks' time.

 

Plenty of time to keep going through in my head what might break that I haven't yet got a spare part for or some other kind of planned running repair. All fun ;-)

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Tim, it would be most interesting to see whst's on your spares/maintenance and equipment/tools list.

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Good question, Don. Here's a list that I have put together from memory and my packing list - the car's not here to check, so it's possible I've missed something.

Most of these things I carry with me whenever I'm rallying (and, frankly, any time I'm going on a long run in the TR) but I have added a couple of things to my usual list either because this event is bigger than usual or because I've had specific advice. For example, our dear departed Badfrog wanted Alec to pass on a message that he felt we should pay attention to a spare fuel pump and to the ability to isolate front and rear brakes in case of emergency; I don't normally carry those, but if it's important enough for Badfrog to pass on, that's good enough for me and they're in.

Those things marked with an asterisk are extras for the Alcan that I haven't carried before. If anyone thinks there are glaring omissions - please shout!!

Spare parts:
Spare coil
Spare distributor cap and HT leads
2 x spare points
2 x spare rotor arm
2 x spare condenser (I don’t really need two of each of these, but I had them & they’re tiny so I took them)
LT lead/bush (internal to distributor)
4 x spark plugs

fan belt
Fuel pump & gasket*
Radiator hose
Windscreen wiper (1)*
Spare bulbs (headlamp x 2, stop/tail, indicator, rally lamp x 2)
Front wheel bearing*
2 x brake bleed nipples
Brake pads
Braided brake hose
2* x spare wheel & tyre (The “extra” one is being kindly carried by the “sweep” truck)
2 additional inner tubes*
12V compressor/tyre pump*

Generic Spares and “fixing stuff”:
Electrical wire (3 colours & ratings; a couple of pieces made up with lucar connectors already fitted)
Assorted electrical connectors (male/female; spade/ring, etc.)
Assorted fuses

A couple of spare dash switches
Tape (electrical x 2; double-sided mounting; gaffa/duct tape, 2 colours)
Fuel hose (1/4-inch and 5/16-inch)
Assorted jubilee/hose clips (fuel hose, water hose, general “hold something on” sizes)
Cable ties (both plastic and metal)
Exhaust clamp x 2
Assorted nuts & bolts, washers, etc.
Roll of bailing wire (to tie things on fi they’re falling off. V good for exhausts!)*
2 x tie-down strap*
Tow-rope
2 x warning triangle
Fire extinguisher
First-aid kit
Tub of body filler*
Epoxy JB-weld (2 types: 1 specifically oil resistant)
Engine oil
Brake fluid
Rain-ex (both internal and external)
Emergency octane booster*

Tools:
All the usual undo/do-up spanners, sockets, screwdrivers, brake adjusters in all the sizes I ever use + adjustable
All the usual grippy/snippy/grabby/strippy types of pliers, scissors, knife etc.
Magnetic picky-uppy thing

Rubber discs that fit the inside of the brake/clutch fluid reservoir caps - helps to stop all the fluid draining away if you need to change something in the hydraulics
Feeler gauges
Tyre pressure gauge
Mole/vice grips and a couple of useful clamps (for brake lines, fuel hoses etc.)
Grease gun*
Torque wrench*
“racing” trolley jack
Electrical multi-tester*
Lead hammer (for wheel spinners)
Torch/flashlight
Swiss Army knife (in glove-box)*
Cigar cutter and lighter (for, well, cigars!)*

Edited by TorontoTim
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Hi Tim,

 

I always carry M/cyl and wheel/slave cyl repair kits. Also, considering where you are headed I would take several cans of Mosquito repellant. ;)

 

Cheers

 

Graeme

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Badfrog is right. I got stranded again in my car the other day (something I'm unfortunately getting used to almost every time it goes out) and I suspect you'll be interested in the details. (Your pm inbox is filled, so I'll post in your thread here).

 

My car died in an intersection about 15 miles from home last weekend. As the fates had it the guy behind me was a member of our local Triumph club and he and his buddy pushed me to the side. I did NOT feel like having the car towed again, dammit. I was able to prime the float bowls and the car would run, but the pump wouldn't keep them filled. Couldn't quite figure out why that was, but it got me home stopping every 1/8-1/2 mile to fill the bowls again.

 

Turns out when our shop had my car recently they concientiously attended to a bit of oil weeping from the pump-block gasket, and put the pump back on with the lever below the cam eccentric, not above. Remarkably, the car ran for a hundred miles or so betwen their test driving and my debugging around my neighborhood before the lever arm wore so much the feeble stroke from the f'ed up mount wouldn't let it run anymore. I have the pump out now and I'm rebuilding an original spare for reinstallation.

 

Yes, I'd say it's a good idea to have a pump. Take one and Bagfrog's good will with you. The diaphragm, of course, can be replaced by taking off only the dome and leaving the rest of the pump body in place.

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Master and or slave kits a good idea. I'd probably take a complete spare slave cylinder ready to install.

Thermostat and housing gasket?

Hylomar or some gasket sealant?

Siphon hose -- SuperSiphon or equivalent?

Nitrile rubber disposable gloves?

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Good idea on the master kits and slave cylinder. I've never had one fail (other than just a slow leak), but you never know - thanks. I do have gasket makers/sealants (forgot to list them) so should be ok for thermostat gasket - if the (brand new) thermostat fails, I'll just chuck it away and run without. SuperSiphon looks very clever - in extremis I just use regular hose, but that looks a lot less unpleasant!!

 

Gloves are a good idea, but I know I wouldn't use them in an emergency. In fact, I don't really use them even when I'm not in an emergency...I just get oily hands!

 

But some good additions there - thanks!

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A whole bunch of rally cars looking to refuel in some backwoods location can pretty soon drain the filling station tanks . . . . the guys at the end of the queue get water and muck in their tanks, along with what's left of the fuel . . . . a problem worsened in recent years by ethanol content.

 

Spare fuel filter and a bottle of dri-fuel to soak up the water . . . .

 

Cheers

 

Alec

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