RogerH

Hi Hag, stick with standard steel guides. As mentioned above unless you know what your doing steer clear of Bronze guides. Roger

Hi Rob, on the TR series, and I would have thought all others, the switch is Normally Closed (NC) when on the shelf. However the switch is adjusted so that the switch plunger is depressed and thus becomes Open Circuit with the brake pedal not operated. When you press the pedal the switch plunger is pushed out under spring pressure to move into the Normally Closed position and operate the lights. Roger

Hi Folks, lots of good info to read in those posts (except the first post) My simply view of the issue is that the inlet charge has only the depression of the cylinder to draw it in (ignoring supercharging etc etc). No positive push. Whereas the exhaust has the upward moving (plus pressure) to get rid of the gases. You need as much inlet charge as possible. Any restriction will stifle the performance. Roger

This front end wheel wobble always worries me. Usually bearings need a nice precise fit. Too much play will kill them. Taper bearings are in a world of their own. Indeed the WSM states to have some degree of 'float' but the actual dimension is iffy at best. The back to back taper bearings in the diff are under a pre-load and work well (but are in an oil bath(ish)) The Hubs on the IRS cars have back to back tapers, have a pre-load and are in grease. So why shouldn't the front wheel bearings have a pre-load (rhetorical point - don't answer it) I would have thought any dimension with Millimeters in its name is too big. Adjust till play is barely noticeable is my view. Roger

Hi Pete, A 'tell tale' will work if you have some sort of current sensing circuit. On my TR4A I have the power wire to the brake lights wound around a normally open reed switch. Reed Switch The reed switch powers a LED on the dash (one for each light) This circuit does not rob the lights of precious volts If you want more info just ask Roger

Hi Paul, this BMW switch fits onto the TR's a treat, is nearly half the price of the plastic ones that fail so quickly AND lasts for ages. Roger

Hi Dave, simply respray with Waxoyl. It has a white spirit base and when applied will start to soften the old stuff. if you brush with neat WS or paraffin you will simply remove what is there, but it may help a little. Examine the existing waxoyl carefully as when it ages it can become unstuck from the structure. Scrape any ose stuff off and re-cover. Most of these waxy coatings do not like other manufacturers coatings - they may not mix/stick. I did my 4A in Waxoyl but I am now wishing I used one of the BiltHamber products. Waxoyl is not very good. Roger

Hi Haggis, obviously you need to sort any external oil leaks. Your high consumption could also be due to inlet valve guides being worn. Do not fill the sump to the high mark. Run it at 1/2 to min marker. Sounds daft but it works on the TR's. Do your comp test and let that guide you. Roger

Hi Doug, Here we go !! not at all. The poster asked a question and I took the trouble to answer it fairly well. The theory of oil getting where it is needed is valid. However grease does migrate - but slower. Old greases were so so - modern greases work well. I do grease my trunions and I have not had a worn out trunion. The first ones lasted 210,000 miles before I changed them when after a wishbone bracket failure. Renewed the front end after that. the new ones have done 50,000+ miles with no wear. heavens knows how long EP90 would make the little devils last. Shortly after updating the trunion lubrication they started to specify EP90 in the gearbox & OD. Yet we all know that SAE40 gearbox oil works very well. There are many anomalies on our cars, just accept them. Roger

Hi Chris, I would have thought a Spitfire would have been a little lighter than a TR4A. My 4A is pretty good at any speed. Areas that affect the steering feel - tyre width, pressure, type. Camber and toe in. Steering rack - internal seizure etc TRack Rod Ends - not common but if seized will increase the weight. Dried out/ badly worn TRunion - grease works well. but if you prefer oil then go for it. Inspect the vertical link for corrosion near the thread run-out - will not make the steering heavy but the wheel could drop off. Roger

Hi Haggis, the comp numbers are not absolute - too many variables. Look for high 100's (eg 170) more importantly they should all be within a few PSI of each other (eg 5%) Is it a solid copper gasket or a copper fibre composite.. If solid copper they can be annealed and used again. If composite, then once only. Roger

Hi Mathew, sadly rubber suspension/steering parts are not good at all. Here is a company that only does these parts but using quality materials http://www.balljointboots.co.uk/ I have no connection with them but many people from another TRiumph club give then the thumbs up. Roger

If the studs go into the block (they do) then somewhere the bottoms of the stud must be below the waterline. If there is a crack or corrosion pit going through the block into the stud hole then it will eventually leak. So it could be the bottom of the stud. It could be the head gasket. There is also coolant in the head. So there may be a crack in the head. You could take a chance and use a sealant like K seal to get you through the summer. Or simply take it all apart. Roger

Hi Folks, if you do use the Vitessesteve site do consider a small donation as requested. It will keep available when needed most. Roger

I have found over the last three years or so that NGK plugs fail all too quickly - less than a 1000 miles use. Once misfires start the plug can;t be retrieved . My symptoms were - slowing down for a tight bend to apprx 10/15MPH come round corner and exit with a slight incline. Put foot down in 2nd gear and it misses badly. OK at speed. Plug life no more than 1000 miles. Changed to Champion L87Y and they have easily done 5000 without a miss. Many of the TR fraternity have had similar issues with NGK. Roger

Hi Paul, fitting the relay thus allowing a better 12V supply to the bulbs is a good idea. Fuses were not generally fitted originally as they were a mechanical weak link. Indeed they may well blow due to an over load but could well simply just stop working for various reasons. Today fuses are of better quality and if maintained annually shouldn't cause a problem. The fact that you could have a fuse going into the relay coil would still give a question mark over it - no different to having a fuse in the power line to the bulb. If you go for fuses have the offside and nearside bulbs fused separately. That way you will not lose all your lighting at once. Or have the dip and main fused separately. Roger

Just like the MOT; your evaluation of the roadworthiness is only valid for the moment you do it. Again just like the MOT - if you are stopped by Mr.Plod and your car is a wreck it is your fault. Nothing changes. Roger

Did you know that IKEA is a charity and pays nothing. Disgraceful. Roger

When were the cylinders last replaced.? It may be that if they were quite old then the higher than normal temperature killed the seals. Replacement seals would probably sort it but as you have gone for new cylinders then that is the full answer. Roger

Thanks Tom, that has explained (to me certainly) how that works. Roger

Hi Mark, they are some fine pic's. You have the car pin sharp but get that sense of motion with the background and the rotating wheels. Very nice. Roger

Hi Adrian, I simply popped - triumph gearbox material - into Google and was lucky to get a hit on the TRiuph 2000 site. The material will be pretty close for all boxes with in a manufacturing group. It costs a lot of money to fine tune spec's for production. Roger

On my 4A I have the water just covering the rad tubes. This allows room for the water/air to expand and not have the bottle constantly in use. Always have the bottle 1/3 to 1/2 full and ensure the bottom of the tube is cut at an angle so it does not get sucked onto the bottle bottom Roger

Wanner from Ebay - works every time. I started my BEA apprenticeship with a Wanner back in the 60's Roger

Hi Rich, the TRiumph cranks were supplied in a balanced condition. Roger