The embarrassing Herald restoration thread - saggy and off-centre, just like me...

[daverclasper]

Thanks for "richness" reply Colin, sorry it caused you such a long answer😊

 

[Colin Lindsay]

2 hours ago, Mathew said:

Jam jar for the rings?

Ignition coil.

 

2 hours ago, daverclasper said:

Thanks for "richness" reply Colin, sorry it caused you such a long answer😊

 

Stuck inside waiting for Parcelforce to deliver the same parcel since last Friday; if I can't go out, I can type.... 

AND IT ARRIVED!!
Carpets for the convertible. Not bad looking, some areas of slight concern where the edges are not bound due to being fitted under trim and other concealing factors but on the whole looking good. Not sure what the little round bit is, though - beautifully bound but doesn't seem to fit anywhere. The camera also appears to change the colour at will; they're actually dark brown as in the first photo. 

 

 

 

[Chris A]

1 hour ago, Colin Lindsay said:

Not sure what the little round bit is, though

Yes, odd that. Could be for the little oddments tray on the gearbox cover/tunnel? but doesn't look quite the right shape.

[Casper]

Probably to allow radio to be fitted to the front of the oddments tray

Ignore me - that's nonsense

 

C.

[NonMember]

It doesn't look right for the oddments tray and having just a bit of carpet in there makes no sense. No idea what it is intended for, though.

[dougbgt6]

As Colin has bought this on my recommendation, I'm very anxious that this goes well!  so no negative vibs man.

Doug  

[PeteH]

I`v only got the one "project". But the "other" demands on time, seem to take priority😭. So I am resigned to another year yet, only 6 and counting so far!. I see it as giving me something to engineer, as opposed to festering behind a desk.? It IS actually progressing, just at a pace slower than a snail!. Cill`s to-day. (hopefully).

Pete

[Colin Lindsay]

10 hours ago, Mathew said:

This has been playing on my mind, and its not even my car! Been there before, four years later back on the road!. While this is now drivable have you considered using as your winter driver while you concentrate and complete one of your other heralds during the winter. I have the spit and 2500s which are on the road, both needing a few little bits done but will be left over winter while i concentrate to finish the yellow spitfire.

Just a thought

Have you forgotten the title of the thread? The white Estate was commenced in 1995, the red convertible in 2008. Always in the garage, always being worked on, never driven.... and the red one was the subject of the famous line: "I'll have it back on the road by April..." That's why it's embarrassing... but I think I've learned...

Doug - the carpets are quite good, I'd go back for a black set for the convertible if I ever got that far. 

[Peter Truman]

Yep them carpets are manky, interesting looks like the fresh air grill has been removed and bolted back. On the daughters Mk2 Spit the PO had cut the mesh out and it’s been replaced with chromed diagonal mesh which I’ve held in with one rivnut thro the mesh and an alloy strip that goes over the top thereby locking the mesh in place the mesh is bigger than the holes so locks under the bulkhead lip.

[Colin Lindsay]

30 minutes ago, Peter Truman said:

Yep them carpets are manky, interesting looks like the fresh air grill has been removed and bolted back. 

This is going to be the main investigation when winter comes. Note that the wipers are inboard of the washers, as in early cars. The entire heater panel has been screwed in place using what look like proper mounting points all round the sides and across the top by the intake vents, and there's also a drain pipe on the heater panel, not the rubber flap of later cars. It's possible the original car was supplied without a heater which was added later, but until I remove the heater and see what's in behind, and how that panel attaches, it's remaining a mystery. 

 

 

[daverclasper]

On 19/10/2021 at 18:09, dougbgt6 said:

no negative vibs man.

that should be "Viiiib,sssss,,,,Maaaannn", or something like that 

[PeteH]

3 minutes ago, Mathew said:

Is that oddball from Kelly's heroes?

Donald Southerland?. "takin some rays man".

[Colin Lindsay]

"Turn off them negative waves, Moriarty..."

[dougbgt6]

Odd ball? Moriarty? Kelly? Crapgame? Don't know what you're talking about, man.

db

[Colin Lindsay]

Another busy few days on the Herald front... the carpets have arrived but have been salted away for the winter strip-down. I like to have everything ready for a straight swap. Still waiting on rear trims and a tan hood bag from Newton Commercial; they did say ten to twelve weeks but again there's no hurry.

I've stripped down and rebuilt the gearbox; this is an 'FK' box from an American-spec Spitfire and so has J-type overdrive. The gears are all nearly perfect so it was just replacement of seals gaskets and bearings, plus the solenoid wiring. I'm also fitting an alloy bellhousing, for no reason whatsoever other than I have one.

I need a pivot pin, bronze bushes and a crinkle washer, but prices are all over the place so I'll shop around. The clutch release lever is seized solid so I'll build one from scratch; I just need the rollpins and have found a source for 48p each, and the side plugs at £3 each if the others won't release without damage. I should have all the other parts bar the clutch, so again it will be a shop-round for the best quality versus the best price.

It did give me a few headscratching moments when it was reassembled and refused to select any gears; stripped down again, rebuilt again, and the same thing. I referred to it by its' name. FK! Third time lucky, and now all works as it should although I might swap the Spitfire gearlever for the proper Herald version. The propshaft has already been shortened.

I've rebuilt a spare steering column; the bushes went in surprisingly easily when drawn in using a threaded bar, plus a block of wood to spread the load and avoid damaging the alloy. This one will have the column-mounted overdrive switch.

  

After that a spare 13/60 petrol tank has been blasted and is currently in black primer; I'll consider sealing the inside to make it ethanol-proof once I can find a well-recommended product that doesn't flake off and block the fuel lines. At the engine end, I also discovered that some PO had attached the vacuum advance pipe to the breather pipe with cable ties, which had squashed it flat. No chance whatsoever of any vacuum getting through. That's been replaced with a spare, and the manky breather pipe with a new replacement.

Finally I took pity on the Estate, for which I'm taking a step backwards, and am replacing the alternator, so rebuilt an old dynamo which will be perfectly adequate to get the engine up and running. Very very grimy, and as you can see very worn and seized brushes, so a good clean, new bronze bush, brushes and springs and it seems ok, but I'm not sure if there are too many noises from the front bearing. I might have to find out the hard way... so still looking for a local replacement just in case.

  

That's it for now. I'm off to York for a few days on Tuesday so need to clean and service the Freelander. The Herald might be more fun but doesn't carry so much luggage, especially on the return trip... but we're well on track for the winter restoration.

[Colin Lindsay]

On 24/10/2021 at 11:24, Mathew said:

Will you be picking up some bits on your travels?

If I knew of anywhere local to the York / Penrith / Carlisle corridor I would; I need light tan millboards, a Spitfire diaphragm clutch, and a 13/60 dashboard to renovate. You know the sort of thing - they're always marked 'collection only' or 'please ask for postage rates' online. In August I detoured to James Paddock in Chester only to find them closed due to Covid... but thankfully called at the rear door by accident and was able to obtain diff oil, which they couldn't post. York's great for antique shops so we need something that may have to carry furniture, just in case...

Oh, and need a 13/60 exhaust manifold too... postage, for some reason, is quite high.

[Colin Lindsay]

It's been a busy enough week; spent five days in York, time flew, never saw even one Triumph. Came home again, swept leaves, cut grass, painted some DIY then thankfully back to the garage. I'm intending to have a lot of parts pre-restored so that the Herald 13/30 can have a straight swap for many of the components, plus the other two cars will also benefit from having the parts ready and waiting.

I've been restoring steering columns; the safety clamps are getting new bolts and spring washers, the tubes are getting new bushes and a coat of paint. I have five, for some reason, so since I need three might as well do them all. The bushes are the easiest bit to do now, although getting them out can be a pain. Did you know there are two types of Herald steering column? I only realised that tonight. One is a shorter version which has the tube flared at the end, and the top cowl sits into that. The other is longer, the cowl is flared, and the tube just slides up inside to the required height. I have two of one version and three of the other so it's not a bodge, but I think I prefer the later version with the flared tube - the cowl cannot slip downwards under any circumstances. I don't want the indicator stalks ending up round my ankles.

 

The dynamo I renovated is a C40L, longer than standard to accommodate bigger windings so slightly more power. Because of the higher output I'm not sure if the RB106 control box will do, as this one - originally from a GT6 - would have used the RB340. I'll have to research further - no point in having larger output limited by an incorrect control box. In the meantime it looks well with a good clean, new brushes and bronze bush, and a coat of black gloss; now fitted to the 1200 Estate. I may yet go back to alternator, but don't have a long bolt for the underside, so this is more convenient at present.

I also finally got the replacement petrol tank cleaned out and the sealing bolt installed. It required tapping - unlike the steering nut this one is simple straightforward UNF - so I called in with the In-Laws and used some of their spare equipment. I'm trying a fibre washer with a small quantity of petrol to see if it seals but more importantly to test if it's ethanol proof before risking a tankful and watching it pour out of the bottom... but it means than when I come to the winter layup, I can remove the old one and replace almost immediately. Depending on what the bodywork in behind looks like, of course...

  

 The In-Laws - otherwise known as AJM Engineering - have a business that was built up from about the 1950s, originally in a small garage, then to a larger shed, and finally to a huge modern shed full of computers and other modern machinery. Clean, well lit, completely safe and very boring. Consequently I spend a lot of time in the old shed where the original machines all still stand. The majority of this place is Imperial, so I'm surrounded by UNF, UNC, Whitworth, feet, inches, fractions and non-digital equipment. A lot of the tools are ages old, very solidly made, and all professional quality so do the job first time with no faffing about. It's absolute Heaven.

  

  

Guess what the lathe is called? A Colchester Triumph 2000. It was almost meant to be...

 

[PeteH]

18 minutes ago, Colin Lindsay said:

Guess what the lathe is called? A Colchester Triumph 2000. It was almost meant to be...

We had 3? I think of them in the engineering workshop at the tech college back in the (Dark ages??). actually not bad lathes.

Pete

[Peter Truman]

Colin when you get the new clutch pivot pin get the aftermarket one with a boss built into one end (top) so it can't fall thro the crinkle washers, never happened to me but seems a good idea. 

Ref Alloy Bellhousing I have an original Herald type like yours and a later alloy copy of the cast iron one, which is the same thickness as the cast iron one (thicker), & more strengthening ribs, don't know where it came from or who made it, it's only for a 3 rail box, it was on a second hand Herald/Spit gearbox I purchased around 20 years ago. I believe the original thinner version is very popular with the boy racers (Oops)

Re the column overdrive fitted switch tell me how and what you think of fitting the extra wiring loom through the column lower outer cable cover/duct all very very tight, worried me about damaging the insulation?

Oh you also need the reverse and 1st/2nd inhibitor switch and bracket at the front of the selectors where the paddle switch is on the selector rod protrusion.

Fuel Tank drain hole that's where my Vitesse has been converted to draw the fuel normal supply from ie always positive suction to the pump rather than drawing thro the top of the tank. the draw off level has been adjusted to be the same as the reserve level in the normal setup.

[Colin Lindsay]

Morning Peter! All in hand, uprated pivot pin already purchased, and the switch / bracket came with the gearbox. I haven't refitted it yet due to cleaning, and a shortage of spade connectors. I'm mulling over replacing the switch but although dirty it looks fine, and the contact isn't worn.

  

I have two alloy bellhousings and they're different; one has very thin ribs and the other thicker. One, I suspect is very early and the other one a revised version with strengthening ribs, which must have been found necessary somewhere along the line. I think the thinner is early Herald and the other possibly Spitfire, so the thinner is fitted to my early 1200 and the thicker to the current overdrive box for the 13/60. I can't fit the all-alloy box as I broke the hinge and am STILL waiting on one being remade. I don't think I brought the nephew enough chocolate biscuits last time so need more bribery. I'm not using them for weightsaving, it's just because I have them sitting in the garage and they're less strain on my back when carrying about.

The wiring for the overdrive switch will fit inside the cover easily, but I usually refit all of the connections at the same time and feed them through the cowling in the best order so that none are twisted or bent. Once the protective bracket is ready for fitting it's just a case of being careful and seating the cables properly before tightening. As long as nothing is nipped then light compression won't harm any of them. It's just a simple circuit - power to switch to inhibitor to solenoid to earth, and I'll insert an inline fuse behind the dashboard just in case. I'm doing this in advance off the car, so that when the time comes it's just a matter of removing the steering wheel and the clamps, slide one tube off and replace with the restored version, and this makes arranging the cabling a lot easier than lying under the dashboard.

 

[Peter Truman]

I agree the extra OD cables will fit but very very snugly I just don’t like the severe compression of all 3 looms in the column sleeve, had thought about stripping the outer sheathing of the looms off that would leave the individual wires loose but I think it’s a bridge to far!

somewhere I’ve got Triumphs instructions to their dealers on how to retro fit OD to our cars should search and read that to see if there’s any advice.

[NonMember]

1 hour ago, Peter Truman said:

I agree the extra OD cables will fit but very very snugly

It's how the factory did it on Vitesse and Spitfire and early GT6. All the same column and the same wiring.

[Pete Lewis]

you could  always delete the channel and use some copex  lashed to the column to keep it neat 

Pete

[Peter Truman]

The sleeve is attached to the column and the two are clamped to the dash frame with a split architectural U bolt type clamp which makes it hard to bypass.

colins right you just need to be careful not to damage crimp the looms cables and as nothing moves it should be safe? Just seems an afterthought and poor design!

[Colin Lindsay]

Still working between the white Estate and the white Convertible, and progress in some things, two steps back in others. The only things holding up progress in the Estate were firstly the lack of an exhaust gasket - I can't believe that out of all the head sets, and spare gaskets, not one of them is for a 1200. Such a simple component yet I couldn't fit the exhaust without it.

I managed to buy one online and it arrived within 24 hours, which is great. So: exhaust on. The only other little job on that side of the engine is refitting the steering, and once again I'm short of a lower column bush. Ordered one online, it arrived today, so steering joint fitted to the rack, steering column (lower) fitted to that, fed through the bulkhead, and a new seal and coverplate fitted. That being done, the monumental step of closing that side off, and fitting the side valence, could be completed - the valence is the full stop, as it were, to say: 'job done. All in behind is finished.' I've fitted seals to the rear of the valence where it meets the bulkhead, to prevent paint damage as much as anything - this is an old bulkhead to bonnet seal cut to length; the flap will help keep dirt and moisture out. It's tighter to the metal than I remember but the thickness of that seal means it won't vibrate about.

  

The passenger side is being delayed due to the lack of a working dynamo; I'm still holding out for a proper C40 that won't require any modification to the control box. The radiator is awaiting fitment and that, believe it or not, is the engine bay almost complete. We can even refit the bonnet, which will make extra room on my floor.

The only fly in the ointment was the upper steering column; I fitted the replacement bush, added both column switches and cable clamp, plus the two cowls, but the upper column would not pass through the lower bush. No amount of greasing and gentle persuasion would help. Eventually I decided on one - ONE - whack with a nylon-faced hammer, whereupon the shaft dropped through. Great, thinks I, now we're sucking diesel, then looked at the end of the column, only to find the inner nylon bush pushed clean out of the outer. 

I just cannot be bothered replacing the bush again, so I'll run with the rubber outer and see what happens. The shaft turns freely enough and I cannot see sufficient mileage that would allow the shaft to eat through the rubber too soon. I don't know if it's a cheap bush or incorrectly made, and of course can't check now. In any case I should have the column fitted by the weekend.

On a slightly different note, I treated the convertible to a bit of bling... this tan hood bag looks so much better than the tatty black version it came with. All I need to do is to work up the enthusiasm - or the courage - to fit the poppers. Still, it's all progress.