That was a year that was..

[Mk2 Chopper]

Great result, inching ever closer to getting out and about again. 

Gareth

[Bfg]

Just a few more piccies from the scrap book. . .

  

^ front exhaust clamp. I don't know how a U-bolt and its saddle gets bent like this, let alone how M&T got it off, unless of course it was run over in their workshop. I can however imagine why they didn't bother to refit it.  As I didn't have another of that size to hand, I did straighten and refit it.   I also replaced the one under the gearbox mount which was the wrong size.  Result ; The exhaust pipe is now both clamped up and doesn't clonk on the chassis.

- - -

Katie's  oil filter spurted oil again, which is really very disheartening. 

  

^ From the Moss TR2-4A catalogue p.21 ..and very worthwhile reading.  But it doesn't tell us the whole story.  Item 15, that the text refers to - is the large rubber o-ring, which fits (supposedly) into a groove within the filter-head, whereby the canister screws and (supposedly) seals against it.  What the text doesn't tell you is that the recommended  oil filter, a Classic Gold - GFE104 (same part number as in the Moss catalogue even though mine came from the TR Shop) supplies (in the package) the wrong size and section of rubber seals. Unsuspecting individuals, including myself, select and fit the one which is nearest in size to the old squashed one we had carefully removed. 

Katie  is a 1967 TR4A and so among the last of the 4-cyclinder TR models to be made. And her engine has a Tecalamit 'full flow' oil filter assembly rather than a Purolator 'full flow'.  This information could only be read, on my car, by torch-light when laying underneath the car.  The Tecalamit's filter-head's groove, for the sealing o-ring, is wider than all / the complete set of my feeler gauges, and judging by feel (..because I cannot see when it is fitted to the engine and dripping with oil) is a splayed U shape (..or very round-bottomed V shape if you prefer).

So the narrow and sharply-rectangular sectioned rubber o-rings supplied (left in the second photo) with this filter don't work.  I might only image the wider of the two (which was closest in size to the old one) initially seals as you carefully screw the canister in place, but at some (unpredictable) time or place, when it's in hot oil and under pressure.. it flips to the side.  I guess, if you happen to be driving down the road, for a jolly around the countryside or perhaps a quick blast down the dual-carriageway - you wouldn't notice this until the oil-warning-light comes on (Oh, SORRY - we don't have one of those !), or else you happen to catch a glance at the oil pressure gauge just as its reading suddenly drops to nil. 

Credit to Moss for pointing this out in their catalogue, albeit in small text at the bottom of the page ..but no warning was / is on their website when I looked for an oil filter. Certainly it's not on the TR Shop's website, nor was I advised / warned when I ordered the filter. 

In the meantime removing the filter, when full of oil - is indeed a slimy, messy job that I would rather like to rub someone's face in !  

Despite the mess, the annoyance, and indeed the big hole in my confidence in this car - I consider myself very fortunate that It spurted its oil when I was watching for such things.    Because of the round bottom to the groove in the filter housing, neither, nor indeed both of the new seals, would work, and so I've refitted the old seal until I get the right one.   

NB., I lost 1/2 ltr, in the seconds between spotting it (..this was the second time so I was watching !) and switching the ignition off, and then in removing the canister.

- - -

 Next up was this . . .

^ After refitting the old seal in the oil-filter head all seemed to be well. The tachograph needle bounces around but the other gauges were steady at tick-over. But then . . . .

^ the rear crankshaft 'seal' on these engines is a machined scroll (as original) ..which screws the oil back into the engine as the crank turns (working to the same principle as an Archimedes screw pump).  I had the engine ticking over again, to watch for water or oil leaks, and had just blipped the throttle. Next I looked under was this leak (above).   I'm not sure what exactly has caused this but I'd speculate that with the engine just ticking over (for 30 minutes) oil was seeping passed the scroll, and then when I suddenly blipped the throttle and the oil pressure and crankcase pressure peaked, it was enough to cause this incontinence.    I've now removed the constricting one-way-out valve I had on the crankcase breather and will monitor what happens when I next start and run the engine.  I'll report back in due course.  Again, my confidence in this car is further shaken.

- - -       

 Another little job I did was to replace the odd-ball square-ended actuating rod into the clutch slave cylinder.  Thanks to Rich for finding one for me . .

 

^ while at it..,  I thought to try the clutch lever pin in its bottom hole Flat on my back underneath the car it seemed a good idea, thinking that this extra leverage would make the clutch feel lighter (which it does). Only when I slipped out from being under and took a photo from the side could I see that the rod's angle is now wrong.  I'll put it back to where it was, in the centre hole. 

- - -

Generally feeling fed-up with this work.. going on, and on, month after month.. I set to putting the car back together again, ready for the road. . . 

M&T had refitted the front RHS wing without the three bolts down the A-post.  Before I refitted the steering wheel and seats, and while access was still easier, I needed to correct this, and to fit those bolts.  In my view, every fastening between the body parts, and/or chassis, adds both to the structural integrity of the car and helps prevent rattles. In this instance, anything to lessen scuttle-shake would be a good thing, and yes the wing's end-closing-plate made a heck of rattling din when loose enough to knock against the A-post.

^ I now appreciate why M&T didn't bother to refit those fastenings.  To get the screws in the other fastenings, along the top and bottom of the wing, needed to be eased off again.  And with that first (easiest) fastening loosely in, it could be used (with wedges) to lift the panel sufficiently to get the bottom screw holes to align.

I was thinking, while doing this, how truly extraordinary and incredible dexterous human fingers, hands, arm, shoulder, neck and body can be when necessary. Even when mine are extra BIG n' TALL in size.   In may respects it poo, poo's Darwin's Theory of Evolution, where creatures evolve according to their environmental needs.  Personally I cannot envisage many tasks in humans everyday life that would leads us to evolve as a species, so that even an aged giant's hands might twist in such a ways at to get these (bleep'ing) awkwardly positioned screws (smeared with Copaslip, and with body & lock washers) in place.!  If his theory was right then the human race would more probably soon become lazy-excuses, fat-bottomed morons with absolutely no integrity. 

Oh.., perhaps Darwin was spot-on after all         

Anyway, in getting those screws first threads in, it was clear that the wing's closing plate was perhaps 1/4" away from the A-post that it was supposed to shut against.  Yes I could have just tightened the screws up to pull the plate back, or else I could take a moment to stand back and look to see why. 

^ There was a clue here and again at the door gaps..  The wing had been refitted just a little too far forward.  

So here we go again.. to fit just a few missing screws - led on to my undoing all this wing's fastenings, to move it backwards 1/4".  And then to move the door back on its hinges by 1/8", and then to adjust the bottom of the rear wing to suit.  

TIP ;  move the door back before you move the wing back, because that saves touching-in the chipped paint, which occurs when you open the door and the gap is not quite sufficient !

While at it I found that two of the screws into the top edge of the wing had no spire clips.  It was just their misaligned holes holding them in.  So five out of how many screws were missing.?  Nice one M&T. 

 

^ Result, not perfect but clearly better.

                 

^ with my being so tall and looking down on the car as I work, and with very limited stepping back room, I hadn't spotted that the door is also a few mm too high..  The camera being positioned low down revealed this. I'll live with it for the time being. That aside, without resorting to body work, I cannot even-out the shape of the front door gap above the chrome strip, nor the rear gap. Perhaps just dropping the rear of the door a couple of mm would be a fair compromise.  Fortunately, from other angles these gaps don't look so bad as seen in these detail photos.

   

^ Fortunately, from other angles these gaps don't look so bad. 

- - -

That five minute job took just a little longer than five minutes, so quickly (..or otherwise) moving on.

  

^ before I refit the seats, I wanted to assess what under-felt had previously been fitted and where ..a big felt jig-saw puzzle.!  And of course the handbrake needed cleaning, greasing and refitting.  And then of course the seat belts, which in turn led to my refit some of the trim which is fitted under those. . . 

 

^ oh dear !  that rear trim panels looks rather forlorn.  While at M&T, I asked them to remove the differential's (clearance) hump on the rear deck, as it's not at all required on the IRS cars.  I felt that space would be a little more practical if flat ..and I keep having thoughts of getting another dog.     The speakers are not required, as I've discarded the radio.  Out of interest whoever thought it a good idea to mount the speakers up there ..where they are wholly covered when the hood is folded down and its cover is then neatly fitted over it all ?  Oh yes, I remember, the chap who was much smarter than me ..he sold me this car ! 

 

       

^ mission impossible to make that look half decent.  I like that the one speaker hole was roundish while the other is mostly square.   ^^ Neoprene foam to close the hole. It's a case of needs-be until I get around to replacing it. 

^ I've reused the patchwork of felt underlay that was previously under the floor carpets, to cover the petrol tank, and the floor of the step. Because of lack of differential bulge I also needed to carpet that space.  I previously bought some second-hand green carpet because I think that would look good in a signal-red car, its lighter tones and being less prone to show the dirt than the black carpets which was previously fitted ..and less in-my-face than red carpets in a red car would have been.  Purely a subjective opinion of course. 

This second hand set has quite a few frayed edges and bald patches (where I guess it had been glued or screwed down, and then those tufts had been left behind when it was removed) but I wanted to see the colour green, and how it looked before I invested in a new carpet set.   I'm guessing it was previously fitted to a TR5 or TR6, as I've never seen green carpet in a TR4A.  Anyway, as this carpet is such a poor fit, in its shape around the floors (..which I haven't changed !) - I'm very glad I didn't just go out and buy a new carpet kit.

^ little steps but we're making progress.  By the way nothing is glued down, not even the wheel arch covers. 

One of the things they don't tell you about the change in handbrake position, of the TR4A and later cars, from its floor position in the TR4, is the 3" extra height of the drive-shaft tunnel.  As a big chap, I really don't need to compromise the interior space any more than necessary, so I've chosen to compromise with (..and I'm just trying it out) the handbrake cables run neatly over the carpets inbetween the seats.  There is underfelt over the tunnel, under that carpet.  As you might notice, I've removed the top-rear bracket for the cable's grp cover.  Naturally the pre-cut and second hand carpets didn't take this lowered height into consideration !  So a bit of patchwork is called for. 

   

 ^ Bearing in mind, this will mostly be inbetween the seat back's bolsters, it'll not be so glaringly obviously a Heath Robinson affair.  You can see frayed edges and bare-of tufts, that there's only a limited amount I can do about, but overall these carpets and my patch-working of them will give a fair impression of what new carpets would look like if and when I get around to changing them.

The photo on the right shows back face of the same carpet, yesterday evening, as I painted latex around the edges. This dries mostly clear and so is a useful edge binder, which meant that I could trim off the worst of the loosely frayed and irregular shape. When re-laid it ought to be a little more robust, and look (I hope) slightly better than it was. 

That's it for this evening, I do hope you've enjoyed a good bank holiday weekend and your own car behaved impeccably, 

Pete.

 

[Mk2 Chopper]

I can imagine going over old ground with things you took to be resolved would be pretty frustrating, but hey its still progress, the car is a little better for it each time. 

Gareth

[stuart]

FWIW The rear tunnel on all 4a/5/6 cars has an over cover to hide the handbrake cables hence why the carpet doesnt fit the rear shelf carpet when you delete it. https://www.moss-europe.co.uk/tunnel-cover-plastic-809046sap.html This part is out of stock though I suspect TR Shop still have the hardura version.

Stuart.

[stuart]

Oh and fit a firewall!

Stuart.

[Bfg]

5 hours ago, Mk2 Chopper said:

I can imagine going over old ground with things you took to be resolved would be pretty frustrating, but hey its still progress, the car is a little better for it each time. 

Gareth

it is what it is Gareth, I still have a host of old ground things to go back and correct.  mojo is down so I'm just taking little steps in, hopefully, the right sort of direction and one day they'll all be done ..just in time for the new ground issues 

 

5 hours ago, stuart said:

FWIW The rear tunnel on all 4a/5/6 cars has an over cover to hide the handbrake cables hence why the carpet doesnt fit the rear shelf carpet when you delete it. https://www.moss-europe.co.uk/tunnel-cover-plastic-809046sap.html This part is out of stock though I suspect TR Shop still have the hardura version.

Stuart.

Yes indeed, as stated - mine was a fibreglass one. . .

.. think of the weight saving i've made in not refitting it !

 

 

Edited May 3, 2022 by Bfg

[Bfg]

5 hours ago, stuart said:

Oh and fit a firewall!

Stuart.

Stuart, thanks but that would be too much bling in this car's interior for my conservative tastes.

.... I  jest

  

[PodOne]

7 hours ago, stuart said:

Oh and fit a firewall!

Stuart.

Nice fit Stuart. 

I had a go making one out of 1.2mm Ali I had lying around but scrapped it as I wasn't happy with the fit seemed to struggle to get it to contour to shape. Can I ask what gauge you have used and it looks like you have pop riveted it to the shell?

Sorry Pete for the hijack!

Thanks

Andy

Edited May 3, 2022 by PodOne

[Bfg]

13 hours ago, PodOne said:

Sorry Pete for the hijack!

no problem at all Andy,  Sensible questions, not least in light of your having tried / are in the process of fitting one. 

In the meantime perhaps a look at this  < Mickey's conversation  >  or < i-installed-a-revington-gas-tank-firewall-in-my-tr4a >   or perhaps < firewall > or for the sidescreen cars which shares useful advice < side-screen Firewall > 

I note that pop rivets are commonly used and that Stuart suggests 18swg., while Andrew Willmott In their groups < In the Garage > states that he was using 1mm aluminium. Mick referring to Stuart's post says "popriveted every 25mm with a intumescent sealer (it swells upon contact with fire or smoke) in between firescreen and the shell"

cheers, Pete

 

 

Edited May 4, 2022 by Bfg

[stuart]

15 hours ago, Bfg said:

Stuart, thanks but that would be too much bling in this car's interior for my conservative tastes.

.... I  jest

  

I hope you are jesting and are going to fit one.

Stuart.

[stuart]

13 hours ago, PodOne said:

Nice fit Stuart. 

I had a go making one out of 1.2mm Ali I had lying around but scrapped it as I wasn't happy with the fit seemed to struggle to get it to contour to shape. Can I ask what gauge you have used and it looks like you have pop riveted it to the shell?

Sorry Pete for the hijack!

Thanks

Andy

I used the same gauge too, use the tank board as a pattern but make the top very slightly higher to give a better overlap to the deck. It is indeed pop riveted using the brackets that are there to hold it in place, it needs to be tight down to the transmission hump. The two corner pieces are the hardest to make but with the aid of CAD design  (cardboard aided design ) It was sealed with the same stuff that they fit bonded windscreens with so it also strengthened the shell. Dont forget to allow for the wiring loom on the left hand side and use a grommet to protect it.

Stuart.

[John Morrison]

               Dont forget to allow for the wiring loom on the left hand side and use a grommet to protect it.

 

..and fit a couple of extra cables, to allow for extra whatever in the future, and label them 'Spare' at either end.

John.

[PodOne]

Thanks all. 

I’ve no interior as a reference so need to get a tank board first as a template. It’s most likely why I struggled to get a decent fit even with CAD 

Andy

[Bfg]

 

   

^ Stepping back in time to Christmas / New Year holidays and my planning to give a pair of cheapo e-bay MX5 seats a try in Katie < here > and < cleaning the seats >  ..and then back in time to now. . .

The Mazda seat's squabs are a light grey colour, which is nice and light and therefore airy in a small car, but to my eye they look incongruously modern in a 1960's Triumph.  And so when I bought them I had the idea of toning them down by repainting them all black ..but for the neat white stitching around the bolsters.  Since trial fitting, modifying the runner's brackets as well as Katie's  rear inner-wheel-arches (to move them further back for maximum leg room ), and also cleaning them - all of which task I was happy with.. other things happened which knocked my mojo into dark places, and with it my self-confidence to tackle such a task has been lacking. 

And then, as tends to happen.. the longer I leave what appears to be a 'challenging to do well' job.. the more that anxiety grows into a ugly loosely-shingled cliff face in the dark.  

But then what happens in my crazy head is, as time goes on - I become less n' less interested. I literally trudge-on to do each task, simply because that's the better option than having yet another unfinished project in bits to continually pull me down. The importance (of pretty much anything) becomes less and less, until I get to the point where I pretty much don't care a jot (..or whatever word springs to mind) any more.  Too many times I have I considered an untimely and ignominious end to Katie ..just to get rid of her endless job list. 

Another month of the car not being on the road, so what's a day or two more to get this job off my list.?  

    

^ Moving on from where I left off, quality assurance picked up on my not having cleaned thoroughly into every corner.  Out with the toothbrush and washing up liquid to clean that out. After all fresh paint wouldn't stick to it.

 

^ Masking tape along the edges of the squabs and also over the white stitching, as I didn't want black painted finger marks over those.

You might also note the strange bum-shaped lighter patches on the front of this (driver's) squab. When I cleaned the seats it emphasised those. Around each of the 'ventilation' perforations the leather raised like little volcanoes. I took these down with 240-grit wet n' dry, so the face of the leather was flat, and in doing so it removed the grey paint to reveal a light fawn colour of the base leather .

  

^ The kit's product range, plus plastic tubs I provided, and leather binder and an alternative hue of black, which I ordered from Furniture Leather.  Despite being a Bfg I find oversized cloths and sponges (clean white cotton, a round sponge and a scouring pad) awkward to handle in detail - so I cut those down to a size I thought easier to handle.  The 1" thick sponge was round and so cutting a piece off it left me with a wedge shape for getting into the seat's creases and a flat for wiping the paint over a flattish surface.

First product to use (after the seats had been cleaned) is the Leather Prep, item 4. in the instructions provided ..which smells like cellulose thinners.  This spirit cleaner is applied to a cotton wool pad (also supplied with the kit) to hold the cleaning fluid with the scouring pad wrapped around it.  

 

^ The difference, seen above on the RHS of this squab, is to remove the sheen, ie. the paints original sealing coat and perhaps just a little top surface of paint. You can see on the scouring pad a light deposit. The leather feels a tad softer and my vitriol gloves found the exposed paint have very much more adhesion.  I might try that on my motorcycle's tyres some time !

I lightly rubbed the surface until the effect was apparent, and then wiped the excess (removed paint and any silicons or grime) with just the leather prep on the piece of cotton wool. I then did the same, to wipe further excess off, with leather prep used on a piece of clean cotton.

I've seen on YouTube where the person has cleaned almost all the paint off the leather's surface.  That would take a lot of effort and far more Leather Prep  than was supplied with this kit and so I opted not to follow suit.  I reasoned that ; if the paint already on the leather is good then why remove it ? ..just make sure there is a good key for the new paint.  I think the cleaning spirits and scouring pad do that well enough.  Well, I certainly hope so.!

 

^ Next up, item 5. was their Alcohol Cleaner, which I used on another clean piece of white cotton rag, just scrubbing what I could from the surfaces and out of the creases. Not much evidence of anything much coming off but its supposed to remove other oils and silicons from the leather to be treated.

 

^ bought in addition to the kit was this Leather Binder.  I telephoned the nice lady in their sale office to ask when in the re-colouring process I should use this, and she said at this stage (after the alcohol cleaner).  My reason, concern if you like, is from having seen leather seats with perforations split between perforations.  And as the one seat squab had the raised dimples and exposed leather, I wanted to give it a chance to standing up to my size of person sitting and swiveling around while get in and out of this small (for me) car.

Using another segment of the sponge supplied, I generously rubbed the binder fluid deep into the perforations, the stitched seams, and any other creases, before wiping off the excess. I did this three times, letting it dry inbetween times as I worked in rotation through the four squabs.   This was done last night before going to out local TSSC club meeting at the Sorrel Horse, and so by morning it was thoroughly dry and ready for the next stages.

However, the nice lady in the sales office also recommended I redo the Leather Prep stage after using the Binder had dried, so I did so.   It strikes me that the scouring pad and the clean white cotton (white I think so the cloth's colour doesn't run when applying spirit cleaners) are for surface wiping and cleaning, whereas use of the sponge is to get the binder, and later the paint, to penetrate deeply into the leather's grain and any perforation, crevice or crack.  So going over the surface again, I used the Leather Prep on clean white cotton rag, simply to remove the binder from the surface, so that the new paint to be applied has a good key. 

Once that had dried for an hour, to allow the spirit to evaporate away, it was time to move on with doing the scary part - re-colouring what were perfectly usable and attractive leather seats !

^ at this point you exasperate something to the effect of "oh deary me, that's not looking very good is it !  Perhaps it was a mistake in my trying to tackle this"  (..feel free to substitute your own words !! ).

The instructions say to apply "a thin coat of colour".  I might only imagine that what may be 'thin' to one person does not mean the same to the next.  I smoothed the streaks out as best I could but my heart was in my socks. 

Following instincts, rather than knowing what I was actually doing, the next and subsequent coating of the other squabs was progressively 'thicker' and more confidently applied.

  

^ sponging it on hard and fast ..as if rubbing butter into toast ..with a sponge..  around the edge-crease first and then applying the colour in downward strokes, before finishing off across-wise as evenly a sponged brush stroke covering as I might ..and in the meantime, wiping off heavier build ups, wherever I could not see through to a little grey.  In short, I applied the colour, as best I might judge, in coatings of 1/3rd the opaqueness required to cover the grey in three coats - the number suggested (despite the instructions not knowing from what colour I was trying to change, nor indeed to what colour I sought).  That worked very much better.

  

^ After the three coats the coverage was good but, as suggested in the instructions, there were still some streaks. These are to be covered by a coat of the same paint - to be sprayed on, with the model-maker's spray gun and aerosol propellant. . .

I'm feeling happier that these are not going to look so terrible after all, but then also a little anxious because I have not sprayed anything for years.

"In for a penny, in for a pound" as the expression goes . . .

  

^ My "spray booth" consisted of working in the poly-tunnel, to the gentle pattering sounds of rain showers.  I clamped a piece of timber vertically, in the B&D workmate, so as to prop the seat-part up, which of course could then be rotated 90 or 180 degrees ..as might seem easiest when spraying into the crevices of bulbous squabs.   ^^ The spray equipment supplied and my first and only practice shot (I was encouraged by the paint not coming out too fast nor in a splatter). 

Hey ho., it didn't start off very well at all. . . 

^ spraying a mist of black paint onto the same colour black surface isn't as easy as when one sprays over something a little different, and in this case I sprayed until I saw the sheen of wet paint.  While doing this,  the coil of plastic hose to the air gun, pulled and toppled the tall, thin aerosol canister of propellant over. No damage done ..except that freezing-cold spray then spurted out of the trigger's plunger. !  

It transpires (I learnt when I inadvertently managed to repeat the incident later on) that when the aerosol topples over as the trigger is being fired - the liquid propellant goes into the long tube ..and subsequently spurts ice all over the place.  And if you don't spray for long enough, at the piece of cardboard being used as a masking shield (..which saves having to mask / cover all the seat's bolsters) to clear this - then droplets of propellant, from said long coil of tube, land right in the middle of your painting.  

Two lessons learnt, 1. was not to apply nearly so much paint, in fact just spray enough to 'dust the surface' ..as you follow a systematic spray pattern over the squabs.  Then once that was done - rotate the squab (against its vertical prop) and do the same again.    And 2. was to clamp the aerosol canister down !  In my case I used the other end of the B&D workmate to hold the can upright.

With the first squab ..with splatters, I used a piece of clean white cotton to wipe the paint back off again, and then a hair drier to dry any residue.  ie., I started again.  Second attempt (light dusting and systematically following a spray pattern) I was successful - phew ! . . .

Note.. on two occasions while spraying, the amount of spray coming out noticeably diminished. This was the caused by the propellant in the canister or its nozzle freezing. I stopped spraying, propped the spray gun where it wouldn't topple over, and placed my hands around the canister for their warmth to unfreeze it.  It only took half a minute to do so, and then the spray pressure was restored.

 

   

^ Ok colourant is now evenly applied, no streaks or patches showing through, and no blotches of propellant, rain, nor dust either.  We're getting there.!

And now to seal the surface, and its new colour in.

^ Leather Finisher  in Gloss and in Matt. Both come with the kit and they may be used as they are or mixed.  So the range is described with percentage of each mixed together as Gloss 100%,  Semi-Gloss with 75% gloss and 25% matt, Satin at 50/50, Semi-matt as 25% gloss and 75% matt, or simply Matt @ 100%

A tiny and very difficult to read measuring cup is provided.  I went for the semi-matt finish, I mixed 10ml of gloss with 30ml of matt, and tried it on the painted seat squab, out of sight.   

I let that little sample of Leather Finisher  air dry.. to see the effect, and decided it'll do.  It looked a little too dull but I reasoned - I can always feed &/or polish the leather seats later if I want them more glossy, and of course clothes will tend to polish the leather as well, but if they're too glossy - how do I then dull them (evenly).?

These components are part of a water-based two-pack system, and so a tiny (15ml) bottle of activator (which they call 'crosslinker eco'  is supplied to be mixed in, at a 8:1 ratio (by volume with 1/8th activator ). 

Here I made two mistakes in reading the instructions it reads " for reference, add 15ml of Crosslinker to 125ml of Finisher".  My mind, then pre-empting the volumes ..that my poor old peepers could barely read on the measuring cup, absent mindedly thought I'd mixed 100ml of the two (gloss and matt) Finisher fluids, so I added, as best i could read, 12.5ml of the activator.  Only then did I realised that the spray gun's tiny bottle holds less than half this amount of fluid.  Without knowing how long the working time was, after the activator was mixed in, I filled the spray bottle up, and placed the remainder of the mix in the fridge (..yep I'm still single for some reason !) to slow its setting time.  I'd done this with 2-pack paint and it worked, so I had nothing to loose by trying it.

Of course, 10ml of gloss with 30ml of matt, add up to just 40ml of the Leather Finisher (gloss & matt fluids) and so I should have just added 1/8th of that volume.. 5ml of the activator.!  (..not 12.5ml ) Oops !   What was that word I used to describe myself ?  " You Twtt Pete ! "

Hey ho, I hadn't realised ..and so I didn't worry about it.  Until the following morning. And thankfully nothing untoward has since happened to the leather or paint.  Phew, again !!  . . . . .

 

Spraying the seats squabs with the Finisher was the same as applying the colourant, save now your spraying an almost colourless fluid onto a black surface.  Again I just dusted the surface with the spray, following the invisible but systematic spray pattern.  I turned the seat part over 180-degrees and did it again.  Put that aside and did the next piece.  

Once each were done, I again using a hair-dryer to speed the drying process up, and then repeated the same light spray until each squab had been coated for a second time. . .

 

^ With the masking tape carefully remove.. I was very close, but not quite there.

As you can see, because I was lazy in my masking, there's an over-spray edge showing on each bolster. That's fine, I removed the overspray with leather prep on clean cotton rag.

 

There were also spots where the masking tape into a corner crease prevented it from being painted. These were soon resolved by touching in the colourant with a fine paintbrush. 

     

^ And then again there was some restoration required of the bolsters.  (NB. it's colour looks very black in comparisons with those from today, because this photo was taken with the flash). 

So again a little cleaning, recolouring and sealing was required . . .

^ Better, and not bad for an old and worn seat off of e-bay.

^ Q.A. inspector has said "That'll do - move on"  

Thank you. It took me a whole day but I'm pleased with the result. And judging by other TR's I've seen with this model of seat, I think they'll look very smart and be much more supportive than the original TR4A ones.

I've bought a fresh tub of Connolly 'Hide Care', which is the product I used to revitalise the exceedingly dry leather of my old Jaguar's seats. I was very pleased with the results so plan to feed these seat too.  But I'll leave that for another weekend.

For the time being  another job off the list.

 

Very sorry for the long length of this post, but I hope it will be useful to anyone else who is 'anxious' about tackling such a task.

Pete.

 

 

 

Edited May 6, 2022 by Bfg

[Mk2 Chopper]

Brilliant post, what a result and all in your poly tent!

Can't wait to see before and after of the complete seat installed in the car. 

Way to go Pete, now your motoring. 

Gareth

[stillp]

That was very interesting Pete, particularly as I've noticed that my end of our leather settee is wearing through the colour! Where did you get that recolouring kit?

I sympathise with your despondency over the never-ending list of jobs. I felt somewhat the same; I bought my 4A naively thinking it would take 6 months to get it back driveable and sell it at a profit the following spring. Of course every panel that needed patching covered two more that also needed patching or replacing, the chassis repairs had been done really badly, etc, etc. A year later I would have happily sold it for what I'd paid, except that nobody else would be stupid enough to take it on, and it looked even worse after I'd removed various rusty bits.  A couple of years into the project and I'd stopped thinking of it as a car - it was just a pile of jobs that needed to be done, which kept me out of the pub and kept my wallet empty.

Eventually though, most of the jobs had been done, and some of the bodywork started to look like a car again, especially when I could cover the repairs with some paint, and suddenly the motivation came back with a rush. The same will happen to you I'm sure - keep plugging on, Katie will drive again!

Pete

[Bfg]

Thanks Gents,  despite several mistakes I feel they turned out looking good, and I'm sure after a few thousands of miles these seats will start to reflect a little patina, that would take new seats tens of thousands of miles to achieve.

I've a better mojo today, having felt like I've achieved something, rather than just spending another day correcting faults.  I know the oil leaks will kick me back down though but in the meantime I'll be cheery that it is sunny and warm today.  

Pete

 

13 hours ago, stillp said:

Where did you get that recolouring kit?

< FurnitureClinic.co.uk >  Furniture Clinic.  Unit 10 Hobson Ind Est, Bunopfield, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE16 6EA.   tel ;  0844 879 3691

[John Morrison]

 

14 hours ago, stillp said:

That was very interesting Pete, particularly as I've noticed that my end of our leather settee is wearing through the colour! Where did you get that recolouring kit?

I sympathise with your despondency over the never-ending list of jobs. I felt somewhat the same; I bought my 4A naively thinking it would take 6 months to get it back driveable and sell it at a profit the following spring. Of course every panel that needed patching covered two more that also needed patching or replacing, the chassis repairs had been done really badly, etc, etc. A year later I would have happily sold it for what I'd paid, except that nobody else would be stupid enough to take it on, and it looked even worse after I'd removed various rusty bits.  A couple of years into the project and I'd stopped thinking of it as a car - it was just a pile of jobs that needed to be done, which kept me out of the pub and kept my wallet empty.

Eventually though, most of the jobs had been done, and some of the bodywork started to look like a car again, especially when I could cover the repairs with some paint, and suddenly the motivation came back with a rush. The same will happen to you I'm sure - keep plugging on, Katie will drive again!

Pete

 

I've a better mojo today, having felt like I've achieved something, rather than just spending another day correcting faults.  I know the oil leaks will kick me back down though but in the meantime I'll be cheery that it is sunny and warm today.  

 

Pete, I well understand these comments, especially doing the tremendous work with basic facilities.

What I would say is that at the moment, there is no balance, no give and take, no payback for all the effort, you are not driving or enjoying the car, its simply one way stuff,

Believe me when I tell you, it won't take many miles for all to become worthwhile, and the inner glow that comes from having resurrected your car is magical.

Stick with things, think of everyjob done as one less to do, and that first drive is getting closer.

In the meantime, thanks for the posts here, listing the good and the bad, what you supply is much better than most manuals.

John.

 

[Bfg]

Thank John,  I'm sticking with it but as a bachelor I hoped to have opted out of the lady's job list 

2 hours ago, John Morrison said:

thanks for the posts here, listing the good and the bad, what you supply is much better than most manuals.

That's the objective, to share the reality as I feel it of buying someone else's to-do list, which I think most of us have experienced and so can relate to,  and then how paid professionals are not always the best person to do the job (..Stuart and one or two others excluded).   And at the same time to fill in the gaps where the manuals &/or instructions are sometime 'a little unclear' and don't cover what happens when I make a mistake. 

My hope is quite modest ..to advance a deeper and more profound understanding within the human race    (tongue in cheek)

 

 

 

[stillp]

3 hours ago, Bfg said:

 

 

< FurnitureClinic.co.uk >  Furniture Clinic.  Unit 10 Hobson Ind Est, Bunopfield, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE16 6EA.   tel ;  0844 879 3691

Thanks Pete!

Pete

[Lo100469]

Good to read that your mojo is better today.  I'm sure that your motivation will spike as soon as she is running.  I get the frustration of fixing what should have been fixed being there too but to a lesser extend.

What a great job you do and your documentation is gold to me as i'm new to the car and a lot less skilled,

Many thanks Pete,

Laurent

[PodOne]

+1 for all the above Pete.

To say you are doing what you have done outside in the freezing cold and damp is inspiring at your stage of life (no disrespect intended). I've done it outside and it wasn't pleasant at less than half your age!

Keep at it not long to go now I'm sure.

Andy

[Bfg]

5 hours ago, PodOne said:

at your stage of life

that reminds me ..

"      Bob, a 70-year-old, extremely wealthy widower, shows up at the Country Club with a breathtakingly beautiful and very sexy 25-year-old blonde-haired woman who knocks everyone's socks off with her youthful sex appeal and charm and who hangs over Bob’s arm and listens intently to his every word.

       His buddies at the club are all aghast.  At their very first chance, they corner him and ask, “Bob, how’d you get the trophy girlfriend?” Bob replied, “Girlfriend? She's my wife!”  They’re knocked over, but continue to ask: “So, how'd you persuade her to marry you?” “I lied about my age,” Bob replied.  “What?  Did you tell her you were only 50?”

       Bob smiled and said, “No, I told her I was 90.”

[Bfg]

Although it may seem that I jump about all over the place, doing jobs that might otherwise wait, instead of just dropping the seats back into the car and driving her as if there were no tomorrow.. there is indeed madness in my method, insomuch as I know a number of these jobs involve a massive Bfg inversion.. whereby my arze would not only over my tiz, but my head n' shoulders would be back down in the foot wells.  Yesterday's task was another of those . . . 

 

I've observed how panel alignment, door gaps, and the adjustment of the door-glass window, are a recurring theme on old car forums, not least on the Triumph ones. Rarely, if ever, do I read much about windscreen adjustment ..although there is of course volumes on the difficulty in fitting the glass into frames (both windscreen and backlight).

When I bought Katie, her door glass to windscreen gaps weren't too bad, in fact if I recall the angle was very good on the LHS of the car, although the height of the glass needed its stop adjusting.   However on collecting the car, subsequent to its body-off chassis replacement, the glass to A-post angles were pretty atrocious. . .

     

^ On the LHS ; the top of the glass hit the A-post hard enough to chip the paint and to kick the glass sideways, and the top corner of the RHS glass has a chip out of it and a through 'ventilation' gap at the bottom (measured horizontally, there's 1" between the glass and the A-post).

Because they were not nearly so bad before, I might reasonably conclude the windscreen had tilted back.  The hood fit was always ridiculously tight to pull forward, but I suspect that's the TR6 hood frame and cover not fitted as well it might, its hinge pins are worn, and that the vinyl hood has rarely seen the light of warming daylight ..and so has not stretched to shape in the hot sun. 

The hood needs to be fitted to a car, only once the windscreen is in the right place.  I had asked (in a previous post) - if there was a measurement or angle for the screen ?  I received no reply to that, so I guess Triumph's build tolerances, and the distance between the rear deck and the top of the windscreen, are too varied on a soft top car to make much sense of a definitive dimension.

OK, so what are the reasons behind Katie's  windscreen having changed angle ?   Well quite probably the answer is three-fold.  1. Its fixing bolts are loose,  2. the windscreen frame has been used as a handle to push the car back n' forth in & around the garage / workshop,  and/or  3. that the top corner of the windscreen is the most convenient hand-hold when lowering oneself into, and for lifting oneself out, of the car  ..&/or when man-handling a heavy gearbox.  I put my hand up and say that I might well have contributed to the issue insomuch as I do use the top corner of the windscreen frame as a handle when lifting myself out of the car ..if only the angles weren't so bad when I collected the car after its chassis change.  I think by then the windscreen had already tilted back as far as any slack in the holes &/or adjustment might have allowed. However, it doesn't matter who or when ..other than learning not to do it again - the question now is how to correct it.

 

Considering the first point ; 1. The bolts are loose, but I was to discover worse. . .

  

^ These are the securing ..and adjustment, bolts that secure the top of the windscreens clamp bracket.  The drawings in the workshop manual and parts book are each misleading (and therefore confusing) insomuch as they show these fastenings aligned vertically one above the another, whereas on my car - the rear bolt of the two is positioned up at an angle from the horizontal.  Hey ho., don't believe all you read ! 

The forward of these two bolts is also  used to secure the flange of the front wing.  Each, like the securing bolt at the bottom of these brackets, are 1/4" UNF hex-head set screws.  And each screw into a captive nut.  The captive nuts for these top two fastenings are welded onto the back of (item 19) the windscreen mounting bracket.  And the captive nut for the bottom screw is within the box section of the A-post.  You can see where I'm going with this train of thought can't you ! ?

Anyway, that's a step away, because first I needed to secure the angle of the windscreen, relative to the door's glass.  I did this with a length of 4x2 timber, a screwdriver, a G-clamp, and a bundy cord . . .

  

^ It's not elegant but it works !  The screwdriver's blade is poked into the hole where the hood's turnbuckle goes, the G-glamp adjusted the tension in the bundy-cord so that the screwdriver pulled vertically. The timber (49-7/8" / 1267mm long ..for this car) was the wedge.. to angle and hold the top of the windscreen forward.  The bolt in the middle of the trim piece, across the rear deck, was already there. I just loosened it so that the timber had more to latch against. 

The timber then served the secondary purpose as a jib to hoist myself in and out of the foot wells ..numerous times. I also used it, when laying within the car, to pull down on the windscreen as I tightened the fastenings up.  

With this setup, and the windscreen clamps already being loose - the door's glass readily resumed a very good angle with the A-post.  "All" I needed to do was to tighten the bolts to hold it there ..so I would have to drive around with a lump of timber through my or a passenger's head.

 

^ So again with my head in the passenger foot well (..which is why I couldn't do this after I'd fitted the seats), and a torch to guide where to point the camera and allow it to focus - this is what I could see (for the 1/60th second of the flash).  The (1/2" AF) nut on the bottom of the windscreen's leg I've already loosened, because it was missing a washer.  A thick plain-washer with 5/16" ID hole and 3/4" OD is required here to pull the screwed-threaded-end of the windscreen-post down into the bracket.  Oddly the nickel-plated nut looked brand new.  Just besides that, you can see (painted over with pink primer) the head of the bracket's bottom securing screw.    My 7/16" (with 1/4" drive) socket isn't quite long enough to get the ratchet on, over the tube. And my extended 7/16" socket was too long to get the ratchet head between it and the face-vent ducting !   What an awkward little "conundrum".! 

After much ado, I found the captive nut on the inside of the A-post has a stripped thread.  That's a hidden, middle-finger-tip reach up inside the A-post.  Anyone restoring a car would be wise to check these are good n' secure before paint work, refitting the wings &/or reassembly. 

With a good deal of patience, I managed to remove the screw and replaced that with a new one  ..and while at it I fitted an 1/8" thick spacer-washer under its head to bring it a little further out from behind the tube, so my short 7/16" socket might better reach.  Again the screw's thread turned within the out of sight captive nut.  I couldn't get anything in there to grip and rip out the old captive nut, but with divine intervention I somehow managed to get another nut onto the end of the (1" long) screw I'd fitted, and then also to get a 7/16" spanner inside the box section to tighten it up.

  Mental note ..for when the wing is next removed ;   drill a hole big enough through the outside face of the A-post, to get that stripped nut out.  As my friend Steve pointed out, if I'd found this unreachable bodge done by someone else, then I'd be seriously cussing his socks.  I hold my head in shame, Yes I would. But what could I do without delaying things even further, by stopping to remove the front wing and cutting my way in there ?

Fortunately, the bolt in the top of this windscreen bracket, the one which also secured the top-rear-corner of the front wing was OK. That pinched up OK from inside the door shut.  However the rear of those two top fastenings .. well here we go again !

That captive nut, supposedly welded onto the bracket, turned.  And it was too far up in the gap inbetween the face vent and the dashboard and the A-post to get a spanner in there.  Well I could, but because there was not a straight line (not flat enough) - I couldn't get it to lock onto the (square) nut.   I couldn't drop the windscreen bracket out to repair it ..because the loose captive nut wouldn't allow me to get its bolt out,  so . . .

   

^ it was out with the glove box. And then, with my camera in where the glove box was, I could almost see over the face-vent to the two captive nuts.  I still couldn't get my long-nose grips in, nor a spanner to hold, but I did managed to get it loose and then out with the aid of a long slender screwdriver, forceably poked in, between the square captive nut and the generous hole through the bracket.  

 

^ sort of like this.  

But now I was faced with how to get a replacement nut onto the end of the bolt when it was refitted, and to hold that well enough to tighten it ?

  

^ I swapped the original bolt for another.  I reasoned ; a step up in size (from 1/4" UNF) would offer greater clamping force and also take up much of the slack (adjustment), which in turn would better hold the windscreen at this angle.  And a  5/16" UNF bolt happened to fit in through the holes of both the body's A-post and the windscreen bracket, without my needing to open either out.    This was the longest bolt of that thread I happened to have, which was used to reach over the face vent.  I cut a steel tube (compression-post) to fit over it, so the washers and a nut were within reach of a standard socket.  ^^

As it happens - I could have done with an inch longer bolt, but then I'm not sure that would have fitted in passed the door skin. 

  

^ Although still a reach, compared with the others, reaching to get the plain & lock washer and nut onto this was a doddle. It all pinched up nice and tight. 

 

In resetting the windscreen angle - I'd also undone the three clamps at the base of the windscreen frame, on top of the dashboard. . .

   

^ Two of these clamps had oversize holes in their washer, and the third had no washer at all, just its thin aluminium trim plate. Again thick washers are required with the right hole diameter, so that they don't dish in when tightened or pulled against.   I've used a thick washer under the trim plate, a thick washer and also a thin plain washer under the domed head (nut on a stud ?).  Then these also pinched up securely to hold the front edge of the windscreen frame down.

Next..? 

... the other side .

 

^ Again no washer under the nut at the bottom of the windscreen post ..which was easily resolved. On this (RHS) side of the car, the visibility was much better. I don't know why that should be so, but as you can see it was.  And each of the captive nuts did their job.  I found an 11mm six-point socket with 1/4" drive that was 1/8" longer ..and that was almost enough to clear the windscreen bracket's tube which looks to have been welded. That socket worked well enough, but its still an awkward task, not least because I'm right-handed and working in the rear top corner of the right side of the footwell.

The timber wedge / brace was of course swapped to this side of the car, but its set up was exactly as before.   I also made a point of pushing the base of the windscreen back as far as I could to try and close the 1" gap between the glass and the windscreen frame. 

^ you can just about see the previous scuff marks, of the edge of the windscreen rubber, some 1/4" further forward than where the windscreen is now fitted.  That helped, but then I also fitted spacers in behind the door glass runner's brackets to push the door's glass forward another 1/8". 

 

Results ;

   

^ RHS, with hood off - although a noticeably larger gap than on the LHS of the car, the door glass now sits at a good angle with the A-post, and ought to offer a reasonable weather seal.  And with this very taught (drum tight) hood, the top of the windscreen similarly pulls back, by about 1/4" but the fit against the door post's rubber seal still works fine.

 

   

^ LHS, with hood off - the door glass now fits very nicely with the A-post. It ought to be a good seal.  And with this very taught (drum tight) hood, the top of the windscreen pulls back by just 1/8" ..but the fit against the door post's rubber seal is still good.  I've fitted an 1/8" body washer behind the front glass runner bracket to pull the door's glass back by that amount, and also adjusted the door glass's stop to prevent it winding too high.  My fingers, hands, and my forearm are just too big to get inside the door (read; quite painful ), but it needed to be done

Windscreen angle / door glass adjustment.    Done

Although on both sides the hood-frame's screws into the B-post are loose, it is really too hard to get it to pull forward, shorter &/or lighter persons would struggle even more, so I'll have to see how to adjust that. That may be just a matter of the webbing straps (particularly on the RHS) being too tight ..evident perhaps because it's torn in two places and about to break.  In any case, I'll be taking this hood and frame off very soon (but not today !) to replace it with the grp Surrey-top back-light I picked up last year. 

I'm also ordering new door-glass felts, weather strips, and clips, and the LHS door needs welding.  That door is also 1/8" too far forward but there's no room to do this without pulling the B-post back by 1/4".  M&T did a great job in improving the unevenness of this door's gap, but they really didn't get the length between the A and B-posts quite right. 

The job list isn't getting any shorter because for every job I do, I find two others !  Still, those ought not to involve me inverting into the footwells, so I must be closer to getting seats back into the car. 

Bidding you a good weekend.

Pete

 

 

Edited May 8, 2022 by Bfg

[stuart]

Theres been some serious bodging going on with those screen brackets and the Phillips headed screws are definitely non standard! The 6 type frames are always a pain to pull down if the hood is a little tight as you have to get the header rail far enough forward to get the camlock handles into the holes hence why most of the cappings on the later cars are scuffed around the holes. Original 4a screen to hood clamps are much easier to fit

Stuart.