terryj

Having checked on the Triumph 2000 Register Forum it turns out that the registration number is JKV 76N and not JKU 76N. Sorry about the misinformation. Terry

Thanks John - will give that a go. Terry

JKU 76N is not my car but I'm looking on behalf of a friend who sent me the following:- I had a message from the son of one of my apprentices,(that made me feel me age!) trying to trace his Dad's old car....his dad died a few months ago. It's a powder blue Triumph 2.5 PI registration JKU 76N its at present on SORN. I know the car well I helped him balance out the injectors and was co driver with him around Britain also I followed behind him in my Gentry when I did the round Britain run. Can anybody help with the whereabouts of this car please and would like to be put in touch? Terry

There is plenty of food for thought in everyone's answers so I had a look at a pair of old CD150's today and see that the drilling from the advance/retard vacuum pipe emerges in the airway in front of the butterfly on the intake side, not the manifold side, which seems to be not what PeteH thought. I will probably not pursue this and use Pete Lewis's manual method which is pretty much what I have done in the past. I just wanted to be able to check the balancing by an alternative method. Incidentally, I wanted to check what my old carbs are from. No brass tags but number C1854F & R stamped on the flange. I remember having seen a website which listed what ref. No. carb was used in a whole list of cars but have been unable to find that website again. Does anybody know what that website is please?

Sorry Pete and Nigel but I forgot to mention that in the Gentry there is very little room for air cleaners. Many owners have been unable to fit them at all so using a tube to match the hiss of intakes is possible for them. However, I do have pancake air cleaners fitted and they are a pain to remove and replace so I would like to be able to balance the carbs without access to the air intakes, hence my interest in the vacuum pipe method. Terry

There was an interesting article in the August 2020 Courier No. 482 p.62 on SU Carburettor Balancing. However, my Gentry has twin Stromberg CD150’s on a Vitesse Mk2. The carbs were originally from an Avenger GT I believe so linkages and chokes are different from the usual Vitesse setup. The SU balancing requires a vacuum connection from both carbs but, although my carbs both have a tube for attaching a vacuum pipe to, only one of them is drilled through and in use for the vacuum advance connection. Is it feasible to drill through the tube on the unconnected carb into the air intake to create a vacuum connection to provide the two vacuum connections required for carb balancing in the Courier article? I would, of course, have to devise a method of blanking this second vacuum tube for normal running purposes. I’m not really au fait with all the drillings and workings within the carbs so any expert advice will be much appreciated.

Thought you may like an update on this. Originally the engine would rev OK but was woolly and perhaps missing a little at high revs. All plugs (NGK) were firing and a nice colour brown. I fitted a new set of WR78 plugs and took the car for a short test drive taking it up to 4500 rpm in the gears and it accelerated and ran beautifully all the way. So it would seem that one of the old NGK plugs was probably breaking down at high revs. Certainly the WR78's have made a noticeable improvement. Thanks for everyone's comments - they were informative and very helpful.

Thanks Johny and Pete. The video does indeed show that non-resistance plugs appear to be preferable so I phoned Green Spark Plug Co. to ask when their W78 plugs would be back in stock and was told that they are now obsolete. They suggested WR78 plugs would still do the job adequately. Terry

Having seen discussions on use of these spark plugs I am a bit confused regarding W78, WR78 and WR78X. I want to try these in a Vitesse 2l Mk2 but don't know which to order. I note Pete's comments about not ordering plugs with an R in the number but also others have used WR78 satisfactorily. Green Spark Plug Co. are out of stock of W78 but do have WR78 and there are some on ebay WR78X. Is there any difference and which would you recommend please? Terry

Many thanks Pete and N/M. I guessed it could be an early number but confirmation that spec is probably standard is useful. He has a workshop manual given to him by Dave at Canley Classics and lives in Coventry so should be OK for advice and parts. Terry

I am asking for a friend who has a Gentry with a Toledo 1300 engine No. DG3948HE. He thinks that the engine may have seized and wants to remove the cylinder head to check for damage but wants to know more about the likely specifications of what he may find. He has only been able to find references to engine numbers with five digits, not four as in his case. Can anyone advise what year this engine is likely to be please and what is the best source for obtaining relevant specifications, tolerances etc.? Thanks in advance for any help you can provide. Terry Johnson

Hi Tony That's going back to the old days of freeing up a jammed starter which I hoped I had left behind. Thanks for the tip though, I will bear it in mind. Terry

Tony, I saw your post after I had reinstalled the starter so was unable to check the flywheel ring gear. Refitted without the two shims and on first turn of key (HT lead removed) - screech...... oh b*gg*r! But every turn of the key since has been OK, around half a dozen times. Having been an intermittent problem I will just have to see how it goes but thanks to all for your help. Terry

More pics. of the pinion after putting a chamfer on the teeth.

Hi Paul. Many thanks for the Bendix offer but I probably still have my original starter around somewhere and I'm in Hampshire quite some way from Bury St Edmunds. Interesting to hear though that you removed the two thin shims. I have just been putting a chamfer on the pinion teeth and will post some pics. shortly. Terry

Tony - yes they appear to be metal filings, probably from where the starter pinion has been clashing with the flywheel ring and that would account for the horrible screeching noise that occurs when it does not engage properly with the flywheel. Pete - you make some very valid points. I did the indexing check on the solenoid and it does move the pinion a fraction each time. I agree that there does not appear to be any chamfer on the pinion teeth (see two more attached photos) which would not help in engaging with the flywheel. I cannot see that Canley Classics sell this hi-torque starter motor now and perhaps that's why! I will try to put a chamfer on the pinion teeth to see if that helps as you suggest. Going back to the spacer, I said I have two thin shims but I do also have the thick (c. 7/16") spacer fitted as well. Would leaving out one or both shims make any difference? I have not measured them but probably about 25 thou thick each. Thanks for your offer to look at these starters at HQ on 7th April but I need to get this sorted before then as I need the car for a 4 day Gentry Register event starting 8th April. Terry

Thanks for your comment Pete. I have now removed the starter and found that there are two thin spacer shims fitted which presumably means that the pinion stands off from the flywheel more than it should do. When tested on the bench the starter worked fine and the pinion throws out OK. I attach some photos of the stripped down motor which shows the motor itself is fine, nice clean commutator and brush gear. When turned the reduction gear operates OK. I have not stripped down the solenoid because, quite frankly, I don't know what I'm looking for there! The pinion teeth look a bit worn where they engage the flywheel. Do you think the extra spacer shim could cause my problem and removing one shim could cure it? Terry

Thanks Paul and Tony. I guessed I would have to remove the starter and was just trying to get confirmation before I got down and dirty to do so. Will report back on what I find. Terry

The hi-torque starter motor (ex Canley Classics) fitted to the Vitesse Mk2 engine in my Gentry often appears to fail to engage. When I turn the key it emits a loud scream which I presume is the motor turning but it fails to engage with the flywheel starter ring. This has happened occasionally in the past but has occurred several times recently. This may happen several times before it eventually engages and fires up the engine. I am familiar with the need to graphite lubricate the throw out pinion mechanism on a traditional starter but is there any likelihood that I should do the same on the hi-torque starter? I don't have a diagram of the hi-torque starter workings so don't know if it operates in the same way. Terry

Many thanks - all sorted now. One turn of the crank did the trick so you were absolutely right. Thanks again. Terry

Pete Pump now removed and appears to function OK. Looks like you are correct that the pump lever is on top of the cam so priming lever will not operate. Is the pump operating lobe on the camshaft a single lobe cam and how far should I turn the crankshaft to get the lever off the top of the cam please? Terry

Thanks Pete. I thought I may have to remove the pump and check it out. I can then compare it with the old pump too. I will let you know what I find. Terry

Thanks for your replies. I have considered a one way valve but would regard that as a last resort. I have just tried the primer lever again and it really feels as if it is not connected to anything which is why I thought perhaps the pump is faulty. I too have a filter before the pump but unfortunately it is hidden away below the brake servo so not very visible when using the lever (remember this is a Gentry).

I have a similar problem getting fuel up to the carbs from the pump using the manual priming lever after a period of non-use. It is a new pump and there is no pressure feel when manually priming unlike the old pump on which I could feel the pressure and hear the fuel going into the carbs. Pump was only replaced as a precaution following an engine bay fire. Engine starts OK after much churning of the starter and then runs faultlessly so pump lever is presumably installed on correct part of the cam. Is the new pump likely to be faulty or is there another way of maintaining fuel in the line from pump to carbs which, incidentally, contains a Malpassi pressure regulator to restrict pump output to around 3 psi ? The engine is a Vitesse Mk2 in a Gentry and no fuel leaks are apparent (one fire was enough!) Terry

The rear CD150 Stromberg on my Vitesse Mk2 engine often flooded and I traced this to high fuel pressure (around 6+ psi) from the new mechanical pump I had installed. I fitted a Petrol King pressure regulator adjusted down to about 2 psi and have had no problems since. However, the engine bay of my Gentry was recently gutted by a fire which was probably caused by a fuel leak judging by the smell of petrol which preceded the fire. The seat of the fire appears to have been on the ignition side of the engine in the coil/alternator area. There was a short rubber hose joining the copper pipe which came out of the pump to the copper pipe along the side of the engine and around the front to the carbs. This was proper fuel hose, not old enough to have perished and I use Super unleaded to reduce ethanol effect. With the pump pushing out 6 psi, being restricted to 2 psi by the regulator further along the pipe, what happens to the build-up of pressure between those two points? Could that have caused a fuel leak at the hose joining the two lengths of pipe? During the rebuild I am considering re-routing the fuel pipe around the rear of the engine, away from the ignition. Has anyone else done that? I am also considering fitting a low pressure electric, or electronic pump, either SU or perhaps solid state e.g. Facet. I believe that the AUA25 or AUA66 Low Pressure SU operates at 1.5 psi and the AZX1307 at 2.7 psi. Does anyone have experience of using these pumps please? Terry