Roger K

I'm just renovating the entire rear end, and the cylinders I removed are 5/8" unfortunately, so not correct. I think all the alternative makes that used these are using smaller sizes now so you can't trust the Lotus or Ford sellers as their websites will just say 'suitable for' or something similar. I'm trying to keep the car as original as poss so will go with 3/4" for now in the hope that either something comes along, or a more expensive marque that used them gets a batch cast. Happy to pay proper money, just like to get things right.

OK, it looks like I need 7/8" without the slotted casing, to take the auto-adjust - GWC1501. No such beast any more, so it'll have to be the 3/4". I'd guess the bigger bore cylinder (that's now NLA) was to match up to the servo'd discs up front in the last of the line. Spoken to everyone who might know, and there is no stock anywhere of these and no chance of them being remanufactured, unfortunately. If Powertrack have no insight, I don't think anyone else is likely to... the best advice is next size down, which is GWC1117 for MGC etc. which is a 3/4". These are only available in the cheaper castings, but I suppose beggars can't be choosers.

So... 3/4", or 7/8"???

Thanks Colin, I had spotted them earlier, but was hoping some Lockheed or similar would crop up - these are County again, but I've taken the punt and bought them. Hopefully they should be OK. Roger

Please would somebody let me know the definitive and correct wheel cylinder size for the rear brakes on a non-roto GT6, later than KE20000? I've got a pair from Rimmer's sold as for the late type, but they are 5/8". Another website has indicated they should be 7/8".... Anybody know for sure? And does anyone know where I can get a pair, made by a reputable maker (Lockheed, Delphi, etc.) rather than County - had some bad experiences with County cylinders on my Land Rover... Thanks, Roger

I usually end up with Hi-torque starters on my cars, they're just so much faster to spin (useful when you have a mechanical fuel pump and need to build up a head), and so much nicer to fit, due to being significantly smaller. I fitted one to my big block '68 Mustang in 2005, which has stainless 3" headers going down to a collector just 1" from the starter power cable and the clutch cable. A good quality aluminium cloth heat sleeve covers both, and I've never had a problem with heat damage. Modern heat protection materials are incredible, light years ahead of what we used to use.

I remember that happening on my old Mk1 Vitesse, back in ‘75! To be fair, the car did only cost me thirty quid, and was my daily driver for 3 years. RLP3E, where are you now?

If the heat from a MAPP torch wasn’t enough, I don’t hold out much hope for boiling water.... edit- oops, sorry, forgot to mention I tried a freezer and a torch. 0.5mm isn’t an interference fit, it’s a next size up!

I took a digital mic to the radius arms - large internal bore is nominal 45.55mm, not completely round but +-0.05mm by my measurement. The new bushing OD is nominal 45.90mm +-0.05mm - so 0.5mm oversize, I reckon. That's not an acceptable interference fit in my book. I turned them down to 45.60mm, so they have gone in as a tight press fit - possibly a little overtight, but rather that than loose. What do you do if you don't have a lathe?

As above, really - the large metalastik bushes, not the small end which have gone in fine. I have new rubber bushes from Rimmers, which are not genuine Metalastik but I suspect those are no longer available. After burning out the rubber, I hacksawed out the remaining steel sleeve OK and filed and emerey'd the bore smooth. Absolutely no luck in pressing the new bush in, though. I've used a little copperease as a lubricant, and filed a small taper on one end, and noted the taper in one side of the bore. Using press washers and tubes and the vice, and heating the radius arm bore with a MAPP torch, it still won't start without cocking over. I'll take some measurements later and see how much they're out, but surely they shouldn't be this hard to get in? Are there are any known problems with these from some suppliers? If I really can't get there, I suppose I could try turning them down a little, but that shouldn't be necessary. Oh, and no, I don't want to fit polybushes. Roger

Thanks chaps, just wondered if anyone had tried it in the Triumph six cylinder setup. I take on board all your points, and have heard all of them before - many times! One point about the flammability - yes, it is flammable - and I ran a controlled test to compare it with ethylene glycol. The short story is that both catch fire equally easily and both will burn for about the same length of time by quantity - the difference is that propylene glycol is not mixed with water, so catches a little more quickly. Ethylene glycol and water mix takes a little longer to get started, but once going burns just the same. It took a while to get either going properly. Evans really came through for me a few years ago in an event in Northern Spain, driving quickly over the Picos Europas in a '65 289 Cobra in an ambient of 40˚C. Both temp gauges had failed (capillary), but it kept going smoothly over the mountains with no signs of overheating whilst those around me were dropping like flies. Once water is boiling, it's not doing much for cooling and that particular car has a very marginal cooling system. Good to know the Triumph system can cope and doesn't boil. I know 4Life as well, as I used to run that in my Healey 3000s before I started with the Evans.

Just thought I'd lob this grenade in and see what happens... I run all my other classics on Evans waterless (propylene glycol) coolant, and have for at least 15 years now. I see two advantages - the engine never boils, thus avoiding steam pockets etc., and the most important - no evidence whatsoever of internal corrosion after 15 years without a coolant change. Downsides are cost (although I find that balances out), problematic topping-up on the road and an increased propensity to find leaks. However I know coolant systems can differ widely, so just wondered if anyone has experience of running Evans in a Triumph six-pot. I know this can divide opinions spectacularly, so I don't want to start a fight, just looking for experience! Roger

Just for info: the compete Borg and Beck kit as sold by Rimmers comes with a 19mm deep release bearing. Thanks for the tip, Pete, I don't like bodges! Roger

Yes, I'd go along with all of that Pete! Unfortunately the smaller Triumph diffs seem to be particularly prone to a whine. That said, they're not alone - my '68 Mustang has a Currie Performance complete rear axle assembly, warranted to 1200bhp (although I'd have thought a torque rating would be more relevant...), and that's whined from new. It's not loud, and it's got no worse in 45k miles, but still...

In my experience, the whine from a diff is usually produced by damage or wear on the faces of the CWP teeth. Worn bearings usually rumble or grind rather than whine - think of a worn wheel bearing. Setting up the gear mesh is the 'black art' bit, in my view.

Well, I asked in the hope that things might have changed since my last GT6 ownership in 1986, but clearly not! Not a job I want to do myself, I wouldn't do enough to justify the cost of decent tooling and I suspect it's one of those jobs where you need to be 'in practice' to get a good result. Triumph diffs have always been a weak point in my opinion - my GT6 got through two replacements in the six or seven years I owned it, and my two-year-old 1976 Stag needed a new one when it was three years old and had done 15,000 miles. Warranty? Ha! I'll try some of the suggestions above as I think they represent a better bet than throwing bucket loads of cash at Rimmers. I like Tony at Fitchett's, so might be tempted to ask him, too...

I know - I've done a number of CRP changes on other makes, and there's definitely a black art to it. That's why I pay someone else to do it and give me a warranty. I'll do pretty much everything else myself. Any recommendations?

It’s a typical diff whine, comes in gradually at 40 under mild acceleration, is pretty loud at 45-50 coasting and fades up to 60. It’s Intrusive under acceleration and coasting and vanishes on the overrun. Rimmers aren’t cheap for a rebuilt diff with new CRP - don’t know how good they are?

I have a pronounced diff whine at around 40mph which is more than annoying. Checked the levels etc., but this a CRP whine. Who's best for a diff rebuild? Are the main suppliers - Fitchett's, Rimmer's etc. any good? Or is an axle specialist my best bet? GT6 MkIII non-roto, 3.27 ratio. Any advice gratefully received, Roger

Good advice, thanks Pete - parts ordered from Canley, and I have an 'OEM' clutch kit coming from Rimmer's. If it's not a 19mm bearing it'll be going back as I doubt a 15mm one is genuine OEM (Witor has no stock).

Please would someone advise me on what parts I will need to fit a replacement gearbox with D-type overdrive to my non-roto GT6? I have: Gearbox with overdrive Propshaft Correct gearlever, switch and switch harness Do I need a gearbox mount and mounting plate? Relay? Anything else? I'll do the clutch whilst I'm in there as it's juddering a fair bit on take up. Any recommendations for make - Borg & Beck, etc.? Thanks, Roger

Thanks for the thought, Clive. If your ear that's close to the ground hears of any more, please give me a shout! Roger

Hi Ian, I have three 5.5 rims I'd like to sell, but they are 5.5 x 13 x 3/8, which I don't think is what you're looking for. Roger

Couple of things might help: To remove the glass retaining ring, sometimes a very gentle twist between the lugs that clamp it on and the body of the instrument with a small flat-bladed screwdriver will help to break the seal from old rubber, rust etc. and make it easier to remove. In severely corroded examples it is sometimes necessary to bend the lugs right up to 90˚, but do that very carefully and be prepared for some of the lugs to break and watch you don't deform the retaining rim. NEVER, EVER LUBRICATE AN INSTRUMENT DRIVE CABLE - they don't need it as they usually have either a nylon or PTFE lining, which gums up with oil; any lubricant you apply WILL find its way up into the instrument head as the spiral wound inner will take it up there like an Archimedes Screw. The instrument will soon start to fail. NEVER, EVER LUBRICATE AN INSTRUMENT MECHANISM - lubricating these things is a specialist job, requiring tiny drops of clock or watch lubricant administered with a fine needle. A single drip is too much. As Pete says above, if the instrument is old and very dry a tiny drop of clock oil on the mainshaft shouldn't hurt but needs to be applied very carefully, not dripped on the end to allow it to run down and soak in! Good job no Triumphs of this period had Chronometric instruments. I've had a few of those over the years and whilst the action of the flicking needle is gorgeous, maintenance and repairs are a nightmare - in both frequency required and cost.

If it runs OK for a while, then loses power and won't pull, that would indicate to me that either you have an electrical component that is failing when it gets hot, or gradual fuel starvation. The only electrical component I've had that produced those symptoms was a failing coil, easy enough to change to check. Make sure you get an appropriate one, either for a ballasted system or not (can't tell you which you have but someone will). If it's not had much use, I'd say fuel starvation is more likely. These days you have to add in to the mix the possibility of a rubber fuel line breaking down due to ethanol reaction, especially if it's had 95RON sitting in it for any time. 98 has a lower ethanol content, which is why I use it in everything, but you might try replacing the rubber hoses and seeing if that helps. If it's got a mechanical fuel pump, that might be failing gradually, too.