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Riders on the storm... My 1956 TR3


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If you can wrangle a length of cord or wire down and under the bottom (layshaft) gears and try lifting the gear cluster. Try at each end. If there is any up and down movement the shaft and bearings ha

Hi all, 15 years after buying my TR6, a spitfire, an abandoned TR6 project and many Land Rovers later, I'm finally back in a TR! A 1956 TR3 with a rather flashy colour scheme. A huge thanks

I just need to paint the chassis where its sitting on the lift pads but other than that...  Mission accomplished! 

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43 minutes ago, EliTR6 said:

I'm more interested in making sure she's doesn't go up in flames right now. Will sort out the fuel tap and the tired loom before thinking about air filters. 

And she pulls like a train already! B)

Quite right. A battery emergency switch onder dash a sensible cheap precaution, widely adopted these days. New silicone pipes joints, glass inline fuel filter

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41 minutes ago, David Brancaleone said:

Quite right. A battery emergency switch onder dash a sensible cheap precaution, widely adopted these days. New silicone pipes joints, glass inline fuel filter

I've fitted the switch. Fuel lines will happen soon.

I've been reading through the invoices left by the PO. It was shipped new to the US in 1956 when it was beige with a red interior.

Must have returned to the UK in late 80s/1990 as there is an invoice for floor pans and inner sills in 1990. The PO must have spent a few years restoring the car as the earliest MOT in the file is for 1995 with a mileage of just 2mi!

It had a full engine rebuild in 2002 but had only covered 5000mi since when i bought it. It seems like it had some overheating problems with a suspected blown head gasket in 2005 but I don't know what the outcome of this was.

It has a competition water pump and starter motor, narrow belt pulley, a later TR3A head  (diagonal slant under thermostat housing), TR4 stainless manifold, mild 3TY piper cam and HS6 carbs from a dollie sprint (fzx1257).

I was told that it's a stage 2 head and capacity is 2.2L but I've got no real information on the internals or head spec. There is a much older invoice for a full engine balance and a crank regrind (still only 7000 miles ago).

Pulls very well, doesn't use oil or water and everything feels nice and tight. No shakes or rattles. MPG was 27mpg on the trip home from Manchester driving at 60mph (no overdrive) and many hours of horrendous London traffic.

I've already put 500mi on the car which is more than the PO managed in 2 years!

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2 hours ago, EliTR6 said:

I'm more interested in making sure she's doesn't go up in flames right now. Will sort out the fuel tap and the tired loom before thinking about air filters. 

And she pulls like a train already! To me

So much work has been done. Extra power, surely with a view to rally and hillclimb? Wasted potential not to, in my opinion. The fact you don't have scuttle shake is very reassuring. Many do. Suggests a solid restoration.

I agree with you. Best to prioritize. Deal with any safety issues first (not a bad idea to invest in a fire extinguisher), harness. Check tyres for age, perishing hoses, typical of cars which live in a time warp from component replacement during restoration to whenever now is. The basis is very promising: state of engine sounds great and body sound. You can check oil pressure and do other tests, such as rolling road, to establish accurate HP figure and torque. I was referring to brake hoses as well. And distributor leads and cap. Anything not worn out through use, but perishable, perished or flawed.

Edited by David Brancaleone
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2 hours ago, EliTR6 said:

I'm more interested in making sure she's doesn't go up in flames right now. Will sort out the fuel tap and the tired loom before thinking about air filters. 

And she pulls like a train already! To me

 

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5 minutes ago, David Brancaleone said:

 

TS no.? Date of build? An early TR3?

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3 minutes ago, David Brancaleone said:

TS no.? Date of build? An early TR3?

 

12 minutes ago, David Brancaleone said:

So much work has been done. Extra power, surely with a view to rally and hillclimb? Wasted potential not to, in my opinion. The fact you don't have scuttle shake is very reassuring. Many do. Suggests a solid restoration.

I agree with you. Best to prioritize. Deal with any safety issues first (not a bad idea to invest in a fire extinguisher), harness. Check tyres for age, perishing hoses, typical of cars which live in a time warp from component replacement during restoration to whenever now is. The basis is very promising: state of engine sounds great and body sound. You can check oil pressure and do other tests, such as rolling road, to establish accurate HP figure and torque. I was referring to brake hoses as well. And distributor leads and cap. Anything not worn out through use, but perishable, perished or flawed.

TS 13737L, rolled off the line on the 22nd of October 1956. Engine is TS 14167E so it could be the original block.

I've got a tilt lift stored away at my parents place that will make looking over the car a lot easier. TR Bitz carried gave it a full checkup, a full service and MOTed it too last month.

Tyres will have to be changed soon as they are from 2009 (shame as they only have a few thousand miles wear on them).

I'm not fussed about hp numbers as long as it feels fast but I love finding out the history of the car. My Land Rover (1970) was used to pull hot air balloons in Bristol at some point and there's a sticker for Mr Cameron's Balloons on the back. My dad filmed Mr Cameron in the late 60s/early 70s, a pretty crazy coincidence.

Thanks for the friendly advice!

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9 minutes ago, EliTR6 said:

I got hold of the cam specs. Looks pretty fast road to me! Vroom vroom

cam tr3.png

Eli, to be honest, it's double-Dutch to me! Can you translate the figs. Into words for those less knowledgeable, please?

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1 minute ago, David Brancaleone said:

Eli, to be honest, it's double-Dutch to me! Can you translate the figs. Into words for those less knowledgeable, please?

David, same for me but the numbers are higher than those of the stock TR3 and TR4 specs and similar to those of the Revington Fast Road cam on this page: https://www.tildentechnologies.com/Cams/TriumphCams.html

:D

 

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19 minutes ago, harlequin said:

Eli

What is going on with the dashpot on your front carb? It looks to be 90° out of line which ofcourse is not possible unless its the wrong item.

George

Don't panic I have just found a set of HS6 in my shed that are exactly the same as yours, I know my set is right as I bought them new from Burlen years ago

Edited by harlequin
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1 hour ago, Lebro said:

20170713_172501.thumb.jpg.b9ee3abe38472367cf020f64e9f447e3.jpg  I think you will find that is correct - here are mine

Bob

Bob, excuse my ignorance, but why do fuel line hoses connect to rocker cover? Not oil-rich air to lubricate rocker? I have seen catch tank breather pipe connected to rocker cover. But that serves for oil lubrication, I think.

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Not fuel line hoses, the HS6's were on offer back in the 70's from Cox & Buckles spares, brand new for a silly low price. Re-jetted for TR's they were a bargain not to resist !

They were originally setup for the Austin Allegro Sport  (yes, I know), and as such had additional ports on the manifold side of the carbs which were blanked off for TR use.

Much later I discovered that these ports were intended to suck crankcase fumes back into the intake, a simpler version of the PCV valve fitted to later TR's.

Having learnt that, I plumbed them up, as you can see, & it all works very well.

Bob.

Edited by Lebro
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6 minutes ago, Lebro said:

Not fuel line hoses, the HS6's were on offer back in the 70's from Cox & Buckles spares, brand new for a silly low price. Re-jetted for TR's they were a bargain not to resist !

They were originally setup for the Austin Allegro Sport  (yes, I know), and as such had additional ports on the manifold side of the carbs which were blanked off.

Much later I discovered that these ports were intended to suck crankcase fumes back into the intake, a simpler version of the PCV valve fitted to later TR's.

Having learnt that, I plumbed them up, as you can see, & it all works very well.

Bob.

Thank you. So it sounds like a practical mod then. But forgive me for asking, I am a genuine ignoramus, the crankase? Isn't that where the crank is situated? But the rubber hoses are connected to the rocker cover? I don't understand. But feel free to ignore my ignorance. Fumes would be hot air. Not as good as thicker, cold air. Is that correct? So.. confusion still reigns in my brain box.

Edited by David Brancaleone
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that cam is warmed up but not too hot. there shouldn't be much roughness at tick over if at all.  When you get past 270 in duration things start getting rough at low rpms then SNAP its comes on like gang busters as we say in the usa.

 

Edited by friarmike
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28 minutes ago, friarmike said:

that cam is warmed up but not too hot. there shouldn't be much roughness at tick over if at all.  When you get past 270 in duration things start getting rough at low rpms then SNAP its comes on like gang busters as we say in the usa.

 

Great, thanks for confirming. Went for a drive at lunchtime today with a GPS speedo open on my phone. Speedo is pretty much spot-on. The ease with which the car reaches 80mph is impressive. Braaap Braaap Braaap! 

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On 3/7/2020 at 11:39 AM, Kiwifrog said:

Hi Chris

Its Wonderful that your old 4X4 managed to find its way home without a driver :D years ahead of the Google autonomous car experiements, you should have patented the idea Chris you would be a billionaire by now :D:D

 

:D  Alan ;)

Well, I should have mentioned the ghost driver was called "Régis" :lol: 

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But how do you get the numbers? Where from? Info when you buy such a cam a chart that comes with the box? Ie. Not originated through tests?

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11 hours ago, TwinCamJohn said:

Yes, but we have SP98 with 5%, although I accept it is not at all pumps.

John

i live in the Dordogne and 98  with 5% is getting harder to find , as I was replacing the fuel lines as part of the resto I thought it would pay to future proof the car

cheers

Alan

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