JohnD

Roger, if you were using your company's product then of course my previous comments don't apply! However, then what do you compare your readings with - everyone else is using non-precision kit, so their readings are doubtful, if yours are not! Can anyone say what compression should be, if the instrument is calibrated and precise? I fear it depends on the state of tune of the engine, but a figure for a standard rebuilt engine would be of interest. John

Roger, Your compression numbers are "okay (ish) ". The actual number is irrelevant - the gauges are not precision instruments! They are excellent to compare pressure across the block, but cannot be used to compare with readings from someone else, unless they are done on the same day with the same gauge. If your readings are +/- 5% across the block, then fine! And, oil on the bore always increases the pressure - even well-sealing rings have their seal improved by some oil in the lands! The Oil Test tells you if a low pressure is due to poor valve sealing, when the oil doesn't improve pressure. IMHO, you are quite correct to pursue a different cause for low power. You found and sorted a carburettor problem, well done. Ensure that ignition timing correct and use Equal Lift on Overlap (only the rocker cover needs to come off!) as a check that cam timing correct. John

Different engine, Steve. Unless a post-2014 UK model. But anyway, I quoted the 1L 3 cylinder Ecoboost to show that it's mixture control that gets power, not ignition volts! I'm not "Which? for Cars"!!! John

Moderns go for high tech mixture control, with swirl, tumble, stratified charge etc. to promote rapid, complete and efficient combustion, and more power. The 1L three cylinder Ecoboost engine gets 170bhp, with plug gaps and coil voltage like those on a Standard Triumph. It's all in the mixture!

Worn to min = replace! never mind noises or cracks. Just replace!

A picture would be interesting, Wagger, please! John

Yes, Johnny, but if Aristotle has ONE Metric fastener, he's not going to make that mistake, is he? And anyway, unless you want a tight bolt, the Metric/Imperial equivalents aren't too far off: Inch Equivalent Metric Size 1/4 M6 5/16 M8 3/8 M10 7/16 M12 Best is to have sets of both spanner sizes. You don't need everything from 3/16 to an inch and a half. The above four cover almost all bolts on your Triumph. John

Tipidave, Yes, you could do that and have a look-up table so that you could guess what the wrench was clicking at, OR you could get it recalibrated. Look online for someone near you, who can offer the work to ISO 6789. ( ISO 6789.2017 is a later, more expensive standard!). However it'll cost about £50, so a new wrench might be a better option. John

Aristotle, Without consulting the manual, I can say that 7/16" is an enormous bolt! Think about it - 8/16 is half an inch! I'm sure that Johnny is correct. But fasteners have not only gone Metric, but improved in other ways since our cars were made. "Nylok" nuts are now universal, with a plastic washer built in that grips the thread and resists loosening. I expect your Metric bolt has one, and this substitute will be fine! John

Hmmmmmmmmmmm! As said above, even without a 'flip', you should be able to set your timing to within half a tooth. (Can't recall what that is in degrees!) When your original complaint indicates it misset by more than that. Verniers are for people who want to advance/retard by micro amounts. John

But johnny, this is the site of the TSSC, an club for classic car enthusiasts, not for Sunday drivers. And with the needle probes that all multimeters come with you can probe the back of the light fitting! There is no excuse. Either you are competent or you are not. No blame if you are not, the spectrum of ability is wide. John

Oh. My. Gods. It took some time to register, then, the clip is between 33 and 35 mins in. Searching for it, I had to endure several commercial breaks, each lasting about three mins and composed of identical ads. For some nice amateur footage of the '66 race, but all that for 2 minutes? I shan't be going back to TPTV again! John

Quote " no easy way to know the correct orientation" Oh, come on! As I said above, a multimeter (one of the cheapest and most useful bits of kit!) will show you, or a test bulb! Try between one wire and earth, multimeter shows battery volts, OR the bulb lights up, that's positive. (Unless you have positive earth!) If no volts, or no light, that's negative I'm an electrical numpty, and even I know that. John

"Talking Pictures" is a free-to-air TV channel. Is there a catch-up version, as I'd like to see this! John

The gods' teeth! What waste! Double the number of diodes, plus extras to direct the current in the right direction, all to compensate for humans' incompetence! John

Half work in one direction, half in the other?

In my ignorance, what's a "G-4 LED"?

Has it been mentioned that LEDs have polarity? They must be connected the right way around, +/- wise. A multimeter, cheap as chips, will confirm that volts are getting to the wires, and which way round they are. Between wire and earth shows voltage = +ve, between wire and earth shows nothing shows -ve. OR not working! John

Like this.

Me, if position is important, I always use a small (3mm) drill to make a pilot hole first. It's much easier to position a small drill on a pop-mark.

Then I'm not doing to bad!

My apologies Puglet for crashing your thread! Yes, I have a MachineMart (Clarke) pillar drill, from the cheap end. Machine Mart Power Tools and Machinery: Clarke, Dewalt, Makita, Ryobi, Bosch - Machine Mart Never learnt the need for different speed, but its there! John

cyl reading1 reading 2 1 161 160 2 175 175 3 171 170 Wet Spark plug 4 166 165 Mean pressure 168 So 1/ -4.7 2/ +4 3/ +2 4/ -3 All good! But No.3 does look grumous! Are you sure it's firing OK? Check the lead and dizzie cap. JOhn

Clearly there is experience and knowledge here! I have an old Zyto lathe, which in size is adequate for what I do, but it's run by a cobbled together leather belt drive that won't change across the various drive pulleys and the traverse, the cross slide and tool post are all wobbly or only partly functional, from age and wear. I've been looking to replace it, but so often potential candidates run off 3-phase. Which is a better solution; a 3 to single phase converter (inverter?) or replace the motor with a single phase one? Either would appear to be about the same cost. John

Irony, irony, they've none of them got the irony!