Dashboard swap

[A TR7 16V]

I intend to swap the dash in the Herald 13/60 for a Vitesse one I have, so I can fit 2" fuel and temp gauges and then a tacho. I'll mount turn and mainbeam lights as LEDs in the board.

So, first main problem is how to remove the centre panel with the control switches. I see how to undo the heater valve and choke cables, though I'm not sure that's what I should do, but I don't see how or where to undo the control that directs the heat up or down.

Second main problem: do I have to undo the clamps that hold the speedo and other unit with the temp and fuel gauges, or just the connections to the units, i.e. are they clamped to the wood panel or the frame that mounts on?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Graham

[Colin Lindsay]

Morning Graham; two methods of attack here - if you can't undo the cables in behind them undo the black knobs (there's a pushbutton on the side, press it in and whilst pressing pull the knob off) then by unscrewing the silver bezel you can push the cable back through the dash. This might be easier for the choke and heater valve cables. The other cable might be one piece with a nut in behind, so if you look in the footwell by the steering column you'll see the large flap control that directs heat, just above the gearbox tunnel, and you can undo the short cable down there then remove it with the dash.

The wooden dash fascia is screwed to the back surround and the heads of the screws are easily found, but the gauges can be either screwed / clamped just to the wood or else to the backing surround - I've seen both over the years depending on whether they've been disturbed before or not. Some of them also have a metal 'rim' which acts as a strengthener in behind and against which the long clamps are tightened. If it was me, I'd remove both gauges before removing the dash, it makes it lighter and less easy to bend or crack when moved.

[A TR7 16V]

Thanks Colin,

After looking at it a bit, I found the buttons in the knob shanks. A much better solution than mucking with the cables. So, as of this lunchtime I've got the box lid and board in and the ignition and wiperswitch/washpump mounted.

After lunch, I have to go back and take the car apart to find the one knurled nut off the back of the speedo that's done a runner.

 

[A TR7 16V]

P.S. For those of you who abhor them, the scotchlock connects a lights left on alarm that isn't what I'd call safety critical.

Graham

[A TR7 16V]

And this should be what it looks like when I'm done. Though that modified tacho is untested, and I may want to move the bloodline half a k: The engine has twin carbs with a 218142 head, I think is from a Mk4 Spitfire, so 6k may be okay.

Graham

[Peter Truman]

Out of curiosity did the Heralds main dash surround have holes already drilled for the Vitesse style two small gauges fuel and temp?

[A TR7 16V]

Yes. At least my 13/60 does. But the smiths gauge from a dolomite. which is what I've got, is very tight against the steel frame. It fits, but only just and with more pushing than I would like. I think I may look for the mole grips and see if I can put a small kink in the frame there. It won't show after.

Graham

[A TR7 16V]

Oh, and I found the errant knurled nut off the back of the instrument binnacle. It was down a gap in the top of the column clamp. 

Graham

[Colin Lindsay]

15 hours ago, Peter Truman said:

Out of curiosity did the Heralds main dash surround have holes already drilled for the Vitesse style two small gauges fuel and temp?

Later ones did, early ones had just the speedo aperture plus smaller holes for the wiper switch and turn indicator.

[A TR7 16V]

On 31/05/2021 at 21:30, A TR7 16V said:

Yes. At least my 13/60 does. But the smiths gauge from a dolomite. which is what I've got, is very tight against the steel frame. It fits, but only just and with more pushing than I would like. I think I may look for the mole grips and see if I can put a small kink in the frame there. It won't show after.

Graham

I found the problem between the lower gauge and the frame: the dash had never been in quite right from when I got it, and I had put the new one in the same. Setting it right made the problem go away. 

The tacho works for a change of innards - I think I got glue in the front shaft bearing when I put the new pointer on -, but I need to check the calibration properly. I didn't get numbers as such: it was too sunny, so there were too many grockles on the drive in to Blackpool along the dunes from St Annes. But it was something a bit over 1500 rpm at an indicated 30 mph in 4th with no OD. Reckon I can work out what it should be just from the diff ratio without looking at the tire and wheel sizes. 

Now I need a new choke cable so I can get that knob to sit vertically. Like that's gonna happen!

Graham

 

[Colin Lindsay]

That column shroud has gone the way they all do... and impossible to get back to black again! Believe me I've tried everything from toothpaste to Autosol to black paint.

The only way I cured mine was to get the early metal version, shotblast it and repaint in gloss black. That works.

[A TR7 16V]

The heater control knob has gone the same way. I've had partial success improving it a bit with sanding, Brasso, and Yacht varnish. So I intend to have a more through go the same with the knob, and was wondering about the same method on the cowl. But it's struggling to get onto the bottom of my list.

I'd more like something to go at the back of the controls that matches the woodwork better.

Method

[Peter Truman]

I refurbed the daughters Mk2 Spit plastic steering column cowls using black vinyl spray even in the Aus sun its still good after nearly 20 years.

Re the switch panel wood effect, here in Aus Bunnings (Hardware superstore) used to have larger Formica/Laminex type swatch's for Laminae flooring finish's which were around 14in long 8in wide, there were some nice finish's in their range. The extra size swatch obviously very handy it was double sided laminate finish only no timber/planking backing.

I had a set of steel cowl's but gave the turn lever one to a club friend for his TR4 rebuild.

[Colin Lindsay]

14 hours ago, A TR7 16V said:

The heater control knob has gone the same way. I've had partial success improving it a bit with sanding, Brasso, and Yacht varnish. So I intend to have a more through go the same with the knob, and was wondering about the same method on the cowl. But it's struggling to get onto the bottom of my list.

I've checked through old photos and realised I had better success than I remembered! This was one of the first 'find things to do' lockdown jobs. Meguiar's Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner worked on this one.

 

  

 

[A TR7 16V]

22 minutes ago, Colin Lindsay said:

I've checked through old photos and realised I had better success than I remembered! This was one of the first 'find things to do' lockdown jobs. Meguiar's Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner worked on this one.

 

  

 

I've bought a better looking indicator switch side one off ebay for a fiver, so I can have real go at this one. The other side's got the overdrive switch, which I expect to be a bit more expensive to find a good one of. Also I'd much prefer that switch on the gear knob top, like the Sprints.

But I expect that's more complicated a job than it's worth. Drilling a hole down the middle of the gear stick is beyond me - I had enough trouble doing that job to modify hardtop sun visors to fit the convertible, and them rods is just mild steel. So I'd want a Bluetooth two-part switch with remote, possibly solar, charging. I don't think there's enough heat flow up from the box to drive a Sterling engine on a chip with the gear knob as the radiator.

Any idea what the active ingredient in that Meguiar's Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner might be? Is it a chemical or ab abrasive or both?

Graham

[Colin Lindsay]

It's not abrasive, it's a naptha / distillate based substance from what I've read of the attached:

https://www.meguiars.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/26-8067-6_UK.pdf

Overdrive column shrouds are only available in plastic but still available easily enough:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/373454715855?epid=1723946311&hash=item56f3a2bbcf:g:~Q0AAOSwvwRgIvyH

I like the ability to keep both hands on the wheel and flick in and out of O/d as necessary. I'm trying to remember which cleaning substance I used on one of the shrouds that actually melted the plastic, so a definite non-starter.

[A TR7 16V]

28 minutes ago, Colin Lindsay said:

I like the ability to keep both hands on the wheel and flick in and out of O/d as necessary. I'm trying to remember which cleaning substance I used on one of the shrouds that actually melted the plastic, so a definite non-starter.

I think of it as a gear change event, so it comes natural to me to go to the gear stick. But that may be inherited from the Sprint. I know when they had the overdriven Sprint box in the works group 4 rally16V TR7s, they had a big switch on the gear knob, at least for a while.

Also, I'm forever catching the switch on the column, which was a real problem before I put the selector limiter back in, and even drove in reverse with it engaged a few, maybe half a dozen, times. Didn't do any apparent damage, but it may have shortened it's life I suppose.

Graham

[Peter Truman]

On a 3 rail box gear stick I did drill a hole down the centre very carefully it worked out OK the hardest part was profiling the lower outlet hole so the wire radiused out and didn’t get caught where the wire comes out of the stick. Re switch I just used a push on push off in the top of the gear knob ie min protrusion

I suppose I drilled around 2.5in down the shaft.

[A TR7 16V]

47 minutes ago, Peter Truman said:

On a 3 rail box gear stick I did drill a hole down the centre very carefully it worked out OK the hardest part was profiling the lower outlet hole so the wire radiused out and didn’t get caught where the wire comes out of the stick. Re switch I just used a push on push off in the top of the gear knob ie min protrusion

I suppose I drilled around 2.5in down the shaft.

But did you drill that with a Black and Dekker, Lidl fake workmate, and a clamp on table top vice? That's the best I got without taking it to an engineering shop.

If I was to get such a modified stick somehow - 3-rail has reverse left and forward? - I have an unused knob top for an overdrive Dolomite (1500 or 1850?) that's the same config as I have in the Herald. Got it by mistake for the Sprint. Again, that recessed slide switch is only what the Doly has got me used to, but it suits. 

Like I said, it still sounds an over complicated fix for such a smallish problem.

Meanwhile, back to fitting the new, horrendously cheap, pancake airfilters. The edges are so sharp I may have trouble counting afterwards.

Graham

[Peter Truman]

Simple 4in vice and DeWalt 14.5v Li-on drill, and very slow drilling with a lot of checking the alignment.

Re sharp corners just got back to working on the cars after slicing the back of my hand  around 2in long and requiring 7 stitch's, the small movable vice on the pedestal drill fell off the drill table & I missed catching it! PRC stuff has very sharp edges, of course it happened on a Saturday morning around 11AM medical centre closed fortunately our Dr. also friend lives near by and was just packing up to go to his working farm so he stitched me up, he's just out of a back brace himself after cracking a vertebra from falling off the farm house roof, did he get some grief from his collegues over that,  I won't tell you what he called me when I fronted up at his front door with a dirty bloodied rag around my hand!

[A TR7 16V]

22 hours ago, Peter Truman said:

Simple 4in vice and DeWalt 14.5v Li-on drill, and very slow drilling with a lot of checking the alignment.

Re sharp corners just got back to working on the cars after slicing the back of my hand  around 2in long and requiring 7 stitch's, the small movable vice on the pedestal drill fell off the drill table & I missed catching it! PRC stuff has very sharp edges, of course it happened on a Saturday morning around 11AM medical centre closed fortunately our Dr. also friend lives near by and was just packing up to go to his working farm so he stitched me up, he's just out of a back brace himself after cracking a vertebra from falling off the farm house roof, did he get some grief from his collegues over that,  I won't tell you what he called me when I fronted up at his front door with a dirty bloodied rag around my hand!

Still think it's a bit hard for me to do considering it's not a huge problem. 

On the indicator switch cowl: I didn't do near enough preparation for a good job, and I did it with what I had to hand - Smoothrite satin black and gloss lacquer - but allowing for that, it's come out well enough for my needs. Just need the LHD indicator sticker now. 

 

[Clive]

On 04/06/2021 at 12:05, A TR7 16V said:

I've bought a better looking indicator switch side one off ebay for a fiver, so I can have real go at this one. The other side's got the overdrive switch, which I expect to be a bit more expensive to find a good one of. Also I'd much prefer that switch on the gear knob top, like the Sprints.

But I expect that's more complicated a job than it's worth. Drilling a hole down the middle of the gear stick is beyond me - I had enough trouble doing that job to modify hardtop sun visors to fit the convertible, and them rods is just mild steel. So I'd want a Bluetooth two-part switch with remote, possibly solar, charging. I don't think there's enough heat flow up from the box to drive a Sterling engine on a chip with the gear knob as the radiator.

 

Graham

as used on my sprint box. https://www.ukmgparts.com/product/brr-brr18-gearbox/silver-overdrive-gearknob-3-syc-5-16-unf-stn1051

[A TR7 16V]

I can't see from the picture. Does that not need the stick drilling then?

Graham

[Clive]

1 hour ago, A TR7 16V said:

I can't see from the picture. Does that not need the stick drilling then?

Graham

No, cables run down the outside of teh gearstick. Bit of heatshrink works a treat.

The switch is lovely to use, way better than the normal OD type. Used on rallying healeys and suchlike. 

My mk3 spit had it fitted, but on that I reverted to a column switch for originality (as we need to sell that car) But I do like a column switch too. 

[A TR7 16V]

5 minutes ago, clive said:

No, cables run down the outside of teh gearstick. Bit of heatshrink works a treat.

The switch is lovely to use, way better than the normal OD type. Used on rallying healeys and suchlike. 

My mk3 spit had it fitted, but on that I reverted to a column switch for originality (as we need to sell that car) But I do like a column switch too. 

There's a Doly one on ebay, which takes the same slide switch as the Sprint, that looks like it's already drilled for a wire out the side. Given the commonality, I may look at that if I can get it for a more reasonable price - but thanks for the tip on heatshrink.