Main reason for early TR engine failures?

[roger murray-evans]

What do you think?

Anyone know when the change happened?

Roger M-E

[Motorsport Mickey]

Technicalities. ?

which particular failure ? camshafts, crankshaft (needed crossdrilling), and others.

Mick Richards

Edited April 23, 2019 by Motorsport Mickey

[foster461]

RPM Ruins Peoples Motors. No red-line on that Tach ?

 

[roger murray-evans]

Sorry Mick.Your TR model ownership would preclude that little factoid I'm after!

Excellent reply Foster461!I was rather hoping it would take longer to spot.

Any ideas when it was considered expedient to introduce the 'thin red line'?

I'm afraid I don't know myself, but I'd rather like to.This instrument came on the dash

of TS70L when imported from LA in 2017 and I presume is original to the car.It has had

to be freed up and cleaned up but otherwise works fine.

Any others out there?

Roger M-E

 

 

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

Mornin' Roger,

I like a challenge early in the day.

From the photo....The instrument build ref no looks like R? .......402-9  So I am guess the rest of it is the same as mine.  RC163. 51-111-402-9.   As against the later items numbered RN1402/9.  This type all being with domed glass and die cast case.

see photo attached of 3 instruments.  One without  red line, one with red line, one with luminous numbering and 'red' line. (alleged 'rally spec' but their is a lot of b*ll*c*s spoken)

Weird bit - The non red line (I have one and so do you) and the red lined tacho ( I have more than one) are all numbered RC163. 51-111-402-9. as is my luminous painted one.  This is odd as I would have expected Smiths to give a part number (or suffix) change for such an obvious cosmetic change.  ie The build spec would have been detailed to ensure the line got painted or not.   As far as I can see there is no Triumph part number change from 106970 - those with very early parts books please check.

The non red line tacho came from a long door TR2 (breaking in Keston 1972 ish.) Do you recall the car? No idea of the comm no. as the log book was retained by the owner.

I have a catalogue writing friend who has some of the Smiths of Cricklewood, parts books, build data & records, I will ask as that may shed more light on dates and change points.

Cheers

Peter W

 

Edited October 25, 2019 by BlueTR3A-5EKT

[roger murray-evans]

Peter,

Trust you to have one of everything!

I don't remember the Keston car in isolation, but if it was in front of me now it might

ring a bell!

You are correct, mine has the RC 163... numbering as per yours.

I have a First Edition parts book and nothing suggests a p/n change, although the

illustration of the rev counter, despite the general detail gone into  for all the instruments,

doesn't have a line at 5000.One would assume later parts books will carry the same illustration?

So, as far as dating is concerned, early would appear to be the answer, but how early TBA!

Roger M-E

 

 

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

There is a man in Seaford who says he will be going into his archives with a note pad and coffee later to delve into the Smiths Accessories black books...

On my parts catalogues the red line is not drawn on any TR2-4A (to-1967) tacho illustration. So essentially the same art work used throughout.  Whereas it is drawn on the Spitfire 4 (Mk1 - 1962-1964) and the GT6,  TR250/5/6 tacho.  (drawn as a quadrant)

Peter W

PS I'll get my anorak

[ianc]

I have Parts Catalogue Fourth Edition, covering TR2, TR3 and TR3 (1958 Model).

The Rev. Counter (sic) in Plate AD, #5, has PN 106970 with no indication of any change.  The glass is described as "Glass, convex, rev. counter".

A footnote states that the tachometer (its correct name - it doesn't COUNT the revs) was available "on our Factory Reconditioned Unit Exchange Scheme".

I agree with Pete that no red line appears in any of the Parts Book illustrations from TR2 to TR4A.

Ian Cornish

[TomMull]

The line in question does not appear to follow a true radius and looks to me like it was done unskillfully by hand.

[Long Door]

I agree with Tom.  My car TS3058 has a red line at 5000 extending past the numbers out to the circumference

[roger murray-evans]

From what I understand from my instruments man, an dial face would have a cliche' (trade name for

the printing face) for the basic format.A seperate cliche, in this case a red line, would be used to print over the

basic face.In the case of the TR2 rev counter under discussion, part 2 never occurred.

I'm sure that my description is not entirely accurate.Someone will be along shortly I suspect!

Tom, I'm not convinced that a trembing hand would have been responsible for the bulk of TR 'red lines', unless

an escapee from the pin striping department at Rolls Royce was trying his hand at easier work?

Pete, looking forward to Seaford man's conclusions!

Roger M-E

[Louis Metelko]

According to Bill Lynn (TR2 historian from Chicago, Illinois) the red line on early TR2s did not appear till approximately TS1100.  My TS981 does not have the red line.

Lou Metelko

54 TR2LD

Auburn, Indiana  USA

 

 

[roger murray-evans]

Thanks Lou,

That would narrow things down considerably.In market terms that's a relatively small

spread.Of course, one has to be careful of earlier cars retrospectively fitted with later

instruments with the red line.I'm thinking later cars with no red line are not likely to be

overly representative.

Roger M-E

 

[John McCormack]

TS3732O has a red line at 5000. As it is a 3 owner car (I am the 3rd) and the first two owners knew each other it is believed to be the original tacho.