A TR7 16V

The quarterlight top hinge bracket riveted to the door of my 13/60 convertable has snapped off. It's the left hand one and the spare door I have is, obviously, right hand. But I could practice taking it off and maybe even see if I can get a mirror image copy made in stainless somewhere. Any suggestions about the best way to fix this problem would be most welcome. Graham

If anybody is scrapping a door, I'm after the top hinge bracket for the quarterlight that's riveted to the door.

I probably slagged the Herald's brakes off more than they deserved. I am well used to older car bakes, like the Doly, which split shifts as daily drive with the Herald, where it's necessary to press a bit to get a result. And I can still get the Sprint to lock the front wheels on a clean dry surface, even though I'm currently running a smaller (1850 or 1500) servo. It takes some effort, and usually some expletive, but I'm used to that. I don't think the herald get there quite, but I equally don't think it needs to. The real down side is I do tend to get the ABS to work when I drive the wife's car. I suppose there's also a heath and safety issue, in that if either car gets nicked by some 12 year old, they could hurt themselves cos they can't work the brakes. As to the socket, I'm investigating if I can use a box spanner, thinned only slightly and the right sized socket on the other end. Also. I have an 11/16ths crows foot, but I need to re-calibrate the torque wrench for that. But I'm coming to like the idea of a thin lock nut, not least cos I can tighten and slacken them without involving the brakes or some lock bar between hub and ground. Graham

Yes, but while Guillaume Amontons' two laws of friction have that for a given coefficient of friction between two surfaces it's only the force perpendicular to the interface that determine the frictional force, Amontons' laws only applies to true solids. But with rubber being a semi-solid, the frictional force, i.e. grip, is related to both the area and the shape of the contact, and the tread pattern, in complex ways. The result is that for wider tires of the same compound you can apply greater accelerative, braking, and cornering forces before it loses traction on any given surface, including wet tarmac. In this context, "complex ways" means ways I haven't taken the trouble to properly understand the physics of, but I accept as being true. Graham

Oh not "just". These are the second set of wires, and the best that India produce this time - nearly stainless steel in parts. But what is this verb "to clean"? I know it not. The first set seamed ok for prodding. But it turned out it was the rust holding the spokes tight. So after only a few turns, they got wonderfully flexible on corners and on setting off. They were put on with an open ender. And I worried about that. But I don't think it was any part of their problems. It's taking the car on the Motorway for the thick end of a thousand miles round trip to Cornwall and back that I worry about - not that it looks like this year's trip is on either. But the Herald don't get chucked round bends much - got the Doly Sprint, and hopefully soon, the TR7 Sprint, for that. I did take it by the backways over Wyre from St Annes to Lancaster last year - on the 5.5" Spitfire wheels - and it did well. Hardly touched the overdrive. But I don't get the confidence in the corners that the Doly gives and I remember of the several TR7 Sprints I've had (two of them proper ones). It does seem a bit better since I went from type 12 to type 14 callipers on the front. But it still needs planning and foresight as important components of braking. I have a remote servo for it, but I haven't really felt the need to solve the issues in fitting that. Graham

I've got 13 x 5.5 inch spitfire wheels with 175/70 tires on the Herald at the moment. The tire size was not a conscious decision, they came with the wheels and I just bunged them on. The std speedo reads spot on against a GPS head-up-display one. The only real problem was they came with no hub caps, and when I got a set the wheel nuts were wrong for them. But that's all sorted now. By eye, it's a tight fit between the tire and the wheel arch at the back, but I've been running for a while and there are no marks on the tires even on the pot holed roads of W. Lancs where there's no shortage of sleeping policemen. There is an issue that the near side front tire catches on the anti-roll bar a bit at full lock. But because there's an inch gap on the off side at opposite lock, I think that's the guy who replaced the knuckle tried to get the steering wheel centred (and failed) with the tracking, not disconnecting the knuckle to set it right. I will be getting that fixed.

I've got the wheels and hub adapters to fit wire wheels to the Herald (13/60), but I have a bit of a problem. That is that there isn't enough space between the 11/16th AF taper face 3/8ths UNF wheel nuts and the adapters to get even my thin wall socket in (I wouldn't be able to get a thin wall socket on 17mm AF nuts either - I've tried). That means I can't torque the nut up correctly and will have to do it by feel with an open ended spanner. I guess I can torque something up right and then get the feel of that with the spanner, but I'd rather do it more nearly right. I've been wondering about this issue a bit, and wonder if there's going to be space to fit a 3/8ths UNF thin nut, which will be 9/16ths AF, as a lock nut. That I can get a socket and thus the torque wrench on. My thinking is that, if it will take a lock nut, I can nip up the taper face nut tight enough there's no play with a spanner, then hold the main nut and torque the lock nut up to that after. But then, what factor would I need to apply to the torque setting on the lock nut? This might also have the advantage that fitting the front adapters won't need the wife sat on the brake to hold the hubs still when I put them on and take them off. That because I'll be turning two nuts against one another, not one against the hub/brake. Graham

Excellent solution from Mike, and so easy. The mirror and stem in our 13/60 convertible is black, so a spare Dolomite Sprint one I had, which is the same as the mirror part from the Midget, was perfect. I didn't have a grommet quite the right size in the box o' bits. So I found a slightly too big blanking plug, cut it in half, and used the bit with the hole in it. Perfect!

Yet to tie-wrap it down, but this is what I went for. Cost a fiver all told. Graham

Well I guess I was just assuming they were the same, but assuming they're different and the OD one is bigger, I can get/make/modify an adapter to fit the OD knob on the Herald stick. I meant the cowls, as I'll have to replace the OD one if I move the switch, and I've just bought an indicator one. That is, unless I think of something to use the old OD hole/switch for, like a wiper switch on the column. For that, I'd just need to mount it the other way up. And if I'm going to think about my 'druthers in this context, then, for commonality, I'd rather the main/dip/flash switch was on the same side as the indicators. I know that should be the right in an RHD car, but I also need commonality with modern cars where that battle's bin well lost: mourn that result as you may. I found this problem with the Sprint, where I was forever wiping the screen when I wanted to go right, indicating left when it started raining, and washing the screen when I wanted to obscure a detail in a shouted comment. So I turned that set over as well. In which case, If I mount the/another overdrive cowl on the left, I'd have a place to mount a different switch for the lights. So I wonder if I might find a two position up-down switch with a spring biased pull for flash, maybe off another car? But it might want a more robust mounting than that bit o' plastic if flash is going to be used as means to underscore some comments though. And moving the light switch frees the current one up as a possible two speed switch for the wipers with what was flash for a 'leccy wash pump. But then I need a two speed wiper motor that fits. Or possibly wipers and rear hi-vis rear lamps - I'm very much of the opinion that they should never be on unless the wipers are as well. And what to use the old wiper wash control for? Graham

That's not a bad idea if there's a good spot for it. The indicator cover and none overdrive cover are the same part if I do come to move the OD switch, right? Graham

Yeah, the top that's on is wrong, but as said I have the right one somewhere bought in error when I first got the mimosa sprint. As long as the thread's right, if the worst is worst I can file the legend off. I've seen, looking on eBay at OD sticks: little change of a ton, just for that! Graham

There's a Doly one on ebay, which takes the same slide switch as the Sprint, that looks like it's already drilled for a wire out the side. Given the commonality, I may look at that if I can get it for a more reasonable price - but thanks for the tip on heatshrink.

I can't see from the picture. Does that not need the stick drilling then? Graham

Still think it's a bit hard for me to do considering it's not a huge problem. On the indicator switch cowl: I didn't do near enough preparation for a good job, and I did it with what I had to hand - Smoothrite satin black and gloss lacquer - but allowing for that, it's come out well enough for my needs. Just need the LHD indicator sticker now.

Or maybe one that's 14-15mm OD. Graham

I was thinking of one of these on the pipe: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333914685410?hash=item4dbeddbfe2:g:saQAAOSwuB1gRuaK. Either the metal one coming out of the cover or on the and of the hose. I just need to find one that's about 14mm or 20mm ID. Graham

Thanks, I'll just stick a filter on the end then. Graham

I just fitted some new airfilters to the twin carbs (and Mk4 Spitfire head) fitted on my 13/60 - the K&Ns that were on were well battered and I didn't think worth cleaning. However, these new ones don't have a anything to connect the breather to and there's no vacuum take off on the manifold - didn't think of that, did I. So, pro temps, the breather is just stuffed down the gap behind the back carb. It's not blowing anything at the moment, and I've got it up to full running temp like that. But what problems am I storing up for later? Graham

But did you drill that with a Black and Dekker, Lidl fake workmate, and a clamp on table top vice? That's the best I got without taking it to an engineering shop. If I was to get such a modified stick somehow - 3-rail has reverse left and forward? - I have an unused knob top for an overdrive Dolomite (1500 or 1850?) that's the same config as I have in the Herald. Got it by mistake for the Sprint. Again, that recessed slide switch is only what the Doly has got me used to, but it suits. Like I said, it still sounds an over complicated fix for such a smallish problem. Meanwhile, back to fitting the new, horrendously cheap, pancake airfilters. The edges are so sharp I may have trouble counting afterwards. Graham

I think of it as a gear change event, so it comes natural to me to go to the gear stick. But that may be inherited from the Sprint. I know when they had the overdriven Sprint box in the works group 4 rally16V TR7s, they had a big switch on the gear knob, at least for a while. Also, I'm forever catching the switch on the column, which was a real problem before I put the selector limiter back in, and even drove in reverse with it engaged a few, maybe half a dozen, times. Didn't do any apparent damage, but it may have shortened it's life I suppose. Graham

I've bought a better looking indicator switch side one off ebay for a fiver, so I can have real go at this one. The other side's got the overdrive switch, which I expect to be a bit more expensive to find a good one of. Also I'd much prefer that switch on the gear knob top, like the Sprints. But I expect that's more complicated a job than it's worth. Drilling a hole down the middle of the gear stick is beyond me - I had enough trouble doing that job to modify hardtop sun visors to fit the convertible, and them rods is just mild steel. So I'd want a Bluetooth two-part switch with remote, possibly solar, charging. I don't think there's enough heat flow up from the box to drive a Sterling engine on a chip with the gear knob as the radiator. Any idea what the active ingredient in that Meguiar's Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner might be? Is it a chemical or ab abrasive or both? Graham

The heater control knob has gone the same way. I've had partial success improving it a bit with sanding, Brasso, and Yacht varnish. So I intend to have a more through go the same with the knob, and was wondering about the same method on the cowl. But it's struggling to get onto the bottom of my list. I'd more like something to go at the back of the controls that matches the woodwork better. Method

I found the problem between the lower gauge and the frame: the dash had never been in quite right from when I got it, and I had put the new one in the same. Setting it right made the problem go away. The tacho works for a change of innards - I think I got glue in the front shaft bearing when I put the new pointer on -, but I need to check the calibration properly. I didn't get numbers as such: it was too sunny, so there were too many grockles on the drive in to Blackpool along the dunes from St Annes. But it was something a bit over 1500 rpm at an indicated 30 mph in 4th with no OD. Reckon I can work out what it should be just from the diff ratio without looking at the tire and wheel sizes. Now I need a new choke cable so I can get that knob to sit vertically. Like that's gonna happen! Graham

Oh, and I found the errant knurled nut off the back of the instrument binnacle. It was down a gap in the top of the column clamp. Graham