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trigolf

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Posts posted by trigolf

  1. Vit Mk2 Rear Diff Removal

    in Drivetrain & Rear Axle

    Posted

    Hi Steve - the simple answer is yes you can. See my method, which works, below.

    Gav. 

    I have a Mk2 Vitesse ( Rotoflex) and previously have removed/replaced the diff using a spring lifter several times in the past, but decided to try another way last time I did the job, as described below. It may sound complex, but is easier than it sounds and saves a lot of time. However, please do not attempt this method if you are in any doubt about your abilities.

     

    Slightly loosen,the rear wheel nuts. Jack up the car under the diff and support on axle stands under the vertical links.Then remove the rear wheels. It's very important to position the axle stands directly under the wishbone's outer trunnion bolt 'tube' in the middle of the wishbone.  Lower the car very carefully onto the stands, checking the final resting position of the wishbones on the stands ( As the spring takes the weight,it will tend to flatten out slightly, so constantly check the stands position until the cars' full weight is safely supported. Check and check again that the car is properly and firmly supported. 

    Remove the spring fixing access plate. Find a couple of bits of wood, about 2" x 2" x 3"  ( from memory) Then position these on top of the spring, directly next to the the outer edges of the spring clamp plate. You should be able to 'fiddle' these blocks into position either through the spring clamp access hole and/or reaching into the tunnel.  The idea is that the wood blocks should be a snug fit between the top leaf of the spring and the underside of the spring tunnel - to stop it moving up when you remove the spring clamp plate/nuts. Ensure that the blocks are firmly wedged in position. Then position the trolley jack under the diff to just take the weight, but no more, Do not allow it to jack the car off the axle stands. You can now remove the bolts/nuts from the halfshafts and rear propshaft flange. I found that I did not need to remove the exhaust pipe,but you might have to on a GT6. 

    Now you can gradually loosen and remove the spring clamp nuts and clamp plate. Then using the double nut locking technique unscrew the studs from the top of the diff. You can cover the stud holes with masking tape to stop dirt ingress into the diff. Then remove the diff mounting front and rear nuts/bolts.The diff is now ready to come out, by gently lowering the trolley jack. As I was doing the job on my own I also tied the diff with some strong rope, onto the trolley jack cradle to stop it sliding about. Note that the rotoflex couplings will be pressing inwards against the halfshaft flanges, so you will need to gently lever them apart with a large screwdriver or pry bar, whilst lowering the diff out.

    Replacing the diff is largely the reverse operation, but ensure that the spring centering blind hole on the diff case locates properly with the spring fixing 'peg' on the underside of the spring.Refit the diff mounting nuts/bolts.Then refit the diff studs and spring clamp plate. Remove the wood blocks. Refit the spring access plate. Replace prop and halfshaft bolts/nuts. Don't forget to torque up all bolts/nuts. Have a cup of tea.

  2. windscreen crack

    in Bodywork & Fittings

    Posted

    Hi all.

    I recently got a chip, with associated 'star' shaped crack in the laminated windscreen on the Vit, after a motorbike threw up a stone. The damage is a chip about the size of a match head and star shaped crack about 1.5cms long. It's not directly in the driver's line of vision but  below it  - about 3 to 4 inches from bottom edge of screen. According to Autoglass, it's not repairable and a new screen is required. The dilemma I have is that I intend to get the car MOT'd - I'm still in favour of it - and I understand that from Autoglass's criteria it will fail because of the location of the screen damage. The other issue is that cosmetically it does'nt look nice and the crack might possibly spread over time. I'm not sure whether to present the car with screen damage as is and see what the inspector says, or get the screen replaced beforehand ? BTW Autoglass were very efficient initially - calling me after I'd requested an appointment, online, to state that they should be able to replace the windscreen but might struggle to source a new one. The helpful lady on the end of the phone said that they would contact me the next day to confirm the appointment and /or if they were having probs getting a screen. I have checked and Rimmer's have them in stock. Two days on and I haven't heard a peep from them !

  4. Rear end whine

    in Drivetrain & Rear Axle

    Posted

    For some years now I've had more or less exactly the symptoms that Mike described on my VIt. Mine makes a whine under load from about 45-50 mph upwards,but goes completely quiet on the overrun. As Mike says the noise appears to be from over my left shoulder, although hard to pinpoint in a convertible even with the roof up ! It also started leaking from both output shafts from day 1. Soon after purchase I returned the diff to it's supplier  - the same well known company in Coventry for investigation. The boss reported that he could find nothing wrong with it, but replaced it as a gesture of good will. BTW both diffs had new Crown wheel and pinion fitted. I'm aware that the triumph diff is notorious for being a bit fragile, but the car is not driven hard,so why do Triumph owners have so many noise problems with reconditioned diffs ? I'm pretty sure that if MGB owners had the same sort of regular problems there would be protests ! My car does very few miles each year now and I've got sort of resigned to it. I check the GL4 oil level regularly, but I'm reluctant to try another supplier as I originally went to the no. 1 recommended supplier in the first place ! I've heard rumours that some new crown wheel/pinions are made in Turkey or India ? I'm not sure if that's total b***ls or not, but begs the question over quality control, if true. Whilst I appreciate that the core supply of diffs are now 50 years old, reconditioned ones should be more reliable and better quality in my opinion ! Rant over !

    Gav

  7. Tyres that REALLY work

    in Chassis, Suspension & Steering

    Posted

    I would like to fit original pattern quality tyres to my Vit , but unfortunately they are very expensive each compared to a modern readily available tyre. I appreciate that companies like Longstone work hard to persuade companies like Michelin to remake ' classic' suited tyres, but I suppose as long as they are made /sold in low numbers the price will remain high.

  8. Best Strategy for Traffic Jams

    in Engine

    Posted

    Been following this thread with interest - for years now my Vitesse has had a Kenlowe fan squeezed between rad and engine and I've fitted a manual override switch as well. I normally switch it on manually the minute I spot a large tailback in the summer, rather than wait for the thermostatic switch to kick in. With the fan running she's never boiled up, but unsurprisingly the temp gauge creeps towards the red zone. She also starts to suffer from lumpy tickover, which I put down to modern fuel combustion temps, despite having  a carb heat shield fitted. Also the fan continues to run for up to 15 minutes in the summer, after switching the engine off, which helps dissipate the residual heat. Finally I believe the old trick of switching the heater on certainly helps control the engine temp - many years ago I got stuck in a nightmare jam in the Dartford Tunnel, in a Hillman Hunter, on a Friday afternoon in the summer and during rush hour. Sure enough the temp gauge crept into the red, so I switched the heater on and opened the windows. I was dreading the car boiling over and failing in the tunnel. We crept along at snail's pace, my eyes glued to the temp gauge ! Slowly the temp came back down and I made it through the tunnel. Once past the jam the engine temp quickly recovered.

  10. Rimmer Bros rotoflex to cv conversion

    in Drivetrain & Rear Axle

    Posted

    Adrian, thanks for the info. It's useful to know that someone has completed the job without any major snags !

    Richard, if you have no knowledge of setting up the bearing end float I suggest you have a look at a copy of the factory workshop manual, which explains the process, (available to download ) using special Churchill tools that were available to Main Triumph dealer workshops only. They are very rare - I've never even seen any of the tools - at autojumbles etc. There is an alternative method, that uses feeler gauges, described on the Canley Classics Website -  Technical Archive - under Rear End Noises - Item 4. If you feel that the job is beyond your capabilities I would suggest you hand the job over to a classic Triumph specialist, who must be fully conversant with the process and has done the job before. If the end float is set incorrectly then the bearings will not last and will wear out prematurely.

    Gavin

  12. Triumph Crank Damper Pulley Survey

    in Engine

    Posted

    John,

    When I rebuilt my Vit engine years ago, I decided to get the crank balanced along with the clutch etc. I took one look at my crank pulley and decided to replace the pulley, as the rubber bonding between the damper and pulley was badly cracked and perished. At that time - circa late eighties- the only pulley available new was the later type with the larger pulley ,to suit later GT6 with alternator - which wasn't a problem as I had converted to an alternator anyway.

    Gav

  13. Rimmer Bros rotoflex to cv conversion

    in Drivetrain & Rear Axle

    Posted

    Clive, I've compared pics of the Canley item and the Rimmer/Jigsaw one and although Rimmer's seem to be using Canley's description/explanation - word for word  the product is not the same, unless Canley revised their specification later in the production run. The Rimmer item has a full length splined tip for the hub, whereas the Canley item is exactly the same design as the rotoflex outer axle - i.e. it has a plain shoulder after the splined  portion to fully support the hub around the inner bearing. I've got an old hub that I've tried on both CV shafts and it's a loose sliding fit on the splines. I intend to buy new hubs anyway which I presume would be a better fit on the new shafts ?

    Pete, thanks for Club tip but I believe they sell the Rimmer item and it's the most expensive even with the Club discount !

    Gav

    • Like 1

  14. Rimmer Bros rotoflex to cv conversion

    in Drivetrain & Rear Axle

    Posted

    Hi All,

    Canley Classics have announced that they no longer stock, or will sell their CV drive shaft conversion, as the minimum order quantity required from their supplier would make it uneconomical etc. Having saved my pennies I was about to place an order before Xmas, when I read their announcement, which was a big disappointment !

    I then noticed that Rimmer Bros sold an alternative solution, but broadly similar to Canleys' design - i.e. you still have to shim the bearings to achieve the correct end float. Jigsaw Racing also sell what I believe is exactly the same design, when comparing the pics. Not wishing to 'miss the boat' a second time I have ordered the Rimmer product, which appears to be well made and slightly more expensive than the Canley item. Does anyone have recent experience of fitting the Rimmer/Jigsaw product ?  Before I consider starting the project, I'm particularly interested in any problems encountered during/after the job. BTW I'm fully conversant with the end float shimming process, having replaced the bearings some years ago.

  15. FJ agreed value insurance renewal

    in General

    Posted

    Hi all,

    I spoke to FJ and got the AVI premium down to £180.00, if I did away with the the breakdown cover/ European cover and put a mileage limit of 1500 miles a year on it . I then got an AVI quote from PJ which included breakdown cover/ European cover etc AND unlimited mileage all for £98.00. Result - thanks everyone !

    Gav

    • Thanks 1

  17. FJ agreed value insurance renewal

    in General

    Posted

    Hi all, I have just received my insurance renewal quote from FJ. It's gone up again - from £234.32 to £261.12. This is for a Vit 2 litre convertible, with agreed value, unlimited mileage, kept in garage off road etc. It also includes RAC roadside recovery, onward travel and European motoring assistance, legal protection etc. I might be out of touch with current premiums etc, but I wonder if this represents value for money based on the following facts :

    I rarely manage to exceed 1 thousand miles per year now.

    I already have RAC roadside recovery etc.to cover my modern car.

    I live only two miles from my place of work, so don't bother using the Vit - as it's a main road and very congested, especially in summer.

    I've used FJ for many years now - as they point out in their letter - but they don't seem to acknowledge that fact by offering me a discount for instance. To cap it all they are charging me £15.00 as an arrangement fee !

    Am I being unreasonable ?

     

  19. stop that seized clutch !

    in Drivetrain & Rear Axle

    Posted

     I usually put the Vitesse away at this time of year for about three months to stop the dreaded salt worm attacking it. Over the years on several occasions I have found that the clutch plate has seized on to the flywheel at the initial start up after the layup.There then follows all the various attempts to free it off ! Although lots of people recommend 'pegging' the clutch pedal down to avoid this, I'm not very keen on leaving it permanently pegged, as I ended up with a snapped clutch pedal return spring - which failed during a trip, making changing gear 'interesting' !

    So instead I go out to the garage once every couple of weeks and peg the clutch with a bit of suitable 2 x 4 wood, select second gear, handbrake off, but chock the wheels, front and back. Then using a suitable socket + extension bar on the crankshaft pulley bolt rotate the engine for a few full revolutions. If the clutch has stuck to the flywheel you will know, as the car will try to move - watch those feet ! I find it normally frees off with a little 'pop' if it hasn't been left for too long. Assuming the car does'nt try to move when you rotate the crankshaft, you can be confident that all is well with the clutch and will not require various methods - some more brutal than others - to free it off !

     

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