A few questions

[Maggs]

So I have had a chance to have a quick look at the triumph. I am currently doing some work on my other car but as soon as i've finished that I will be cracking on with the Triumph.

I have a few, probably stupid questions. 

What does this toggle switch do? And the turning knob furthest on the left? the two prong thing I'm guessing is for one of those old school inspection lamp doodads and can be removed.

There is no interior light but there is a switch on the door ... i can't think as to what this is for?

The car has also had an alternator conversion, I didn't even realise that positive earth was even a thing, the battery is currently not fitted, what's the best way for me to check if its been converted to negative earth?

The car was originally stored due to an issue with the clutch. The clutch pedal actually sticks to the floor, I found a small spring when stripping out the carpet (ruined) should the clutch pedal have a return spring? I had a quick look but couldn't see where it would hook on. There is no apparent leaking from the master cylinder so I will take the tunnel off and take a look at the slave.

When the car was originally saved the paint was ruined and I was told it had a quick blow over spray job, I am finding a lot of overspray around the place, is this how they left the factory or just from the bad paint job? I was under the impression the inside hadn't been touched.

 

That's it for now for the stupid questions.

It's still covered in waxoyl but I have found a few holes already by poking around. The floorpans are all solid, there seems to be holes in places where dirt has sat. The chassis seems solid. I am hoping to get it cleaned off and see how bad the tin worm is. Here are some sneak peaks at the damage

Bottom of windscreen

Top corner of boot

Very thin around drain hole in the boot

The other drain hole in the boot

Below rear window

It's going to get worse when I strip it back, but its not too bad, the doors are solid and all the main points I have seen heralds rust seem good.

Thanks
Maggs

 

[dougbgt6]

Maggs,

Turning nob - tripometer reset.

Door switch - footwell light? Although your switch doesn't look very well.

Clutch spring - yes!

Toggle switch - not sure, but a lot of Heralds have a switch in that location.

Overspray - Careless previous owner!

Doug

 

[Colin Lindsay]

The switch / lever to the right may be screenwash, that's where it normally is on Heralds.

The interior light should be on the centre of the dash, under the overhang of the dash cover, with one switch in each A-post.

The clutch pedal return spring is underneath (or should be!!) linking the small hole in the pedal shaft (to the left of '22' below) with the hole in the bracket, (that little dot in the bottom right corner under '26') - the springs are available new but can often be very soft.

 

[Chris A]

1 hour ago, Colin Lindsay said:

The switch / lever to the right may be screenwash, that's where it normally is on Heralds.

The position looks correct as you say but the original is a combined wiper switch plus manual pump. In which case that switch would be for just one of the functions.

The plot thickens . . .

[Maggs]

2 hours ago, dougbgt6 said:

Maggs,

Turning nob - tripometer reset.

Door switch - footwell light? Although your switch doesn't look very well.

Clutch spring - yes!

Toggle switch - not sure, but a lot of Heralds have a switch in that location.

Overspray - Careless previous owner!

Doug

 

Thanks Doug, I meant the other left (doh) there is another turny knob on the far right that I can't work out

The switch like the rest of the car is covered in waxoil, which I am not looking forward to removing, I hate the smell of thinners.

I did think it was just bad overspray but having not had a classic before and knowing they were hand painted in the factory I thought it could have been a quirk.

1 hour ago, Colin Lindsay said:

The switch / lever to the right may be screenwash, that's where it normally is on Heralds.

The interior light should be on the centre of the dash, under the overhang of the dash cover, with one switch in each A-post.

The clutch pedal return spring is underneath (or should be!!) linking the small hole in the pedal shaft (to the left of '22' below) with the hole in the bracket, (that little dot in the bottom right corner under '26') - the springs are available new but can often be very soft.

 

Thank you Colin, I never thought to look under the lip on the dash for a light and had assumed there was just no interior light.

The spring is not fitted on the clutch so that's probably why it sticks on the floor and is more than likely unrelated to the clutch issue then, the spring was obviously removed while it was being fiddled with. I have the spring I believe, I found it in the footwell.

25 minutes ago, Chris A said:

The position looks correct as you say but the original is a combined wiper switch plus manual pump. In which case that switch would be for just one of the functions.

The plot thickens . . .

My father mentioned something about having to manually pump the screen wash, I think I will just need to see what it does when I get a battery in it.

Thank you.

[Colin Lindsay]

8 minutes ago, Maggs said:

My father mentioned something about having to manually pump the screen wash

You do, and expect a lot of pumping if it doesn't work at first, to prime the system. If you have a non-return valve fitted then it should work first time, but check the pipe inside the water bottle to see if one is on the end, and secondly that it's not stuck. A new one costs about £2 and works wonders. If you need new hose the silicon stuff from a fish tank is very good.

[dougbgt6]

I have a handraulic screen wash on my GT6, works first time, but no amount of violence can get the spray further up the screen. I've just bought a pump and contemplating ways of keeping the switch looking thw same.

Oh, that's a turny thing under the rusty clamp?  It looks like a potentiometer! Wonder what that could be? Variable speed wipers?

Doug

[DanMi]

All looks non standard so could be anything, Passenger ejector seat? The clutch pedal on the floor is likely a hydraulic issue either master or slave cylinder as well as the spring. When converting from +ve to -ve earth all that is needed is to turn the battery around and then polarise the dynamo, as its converted to alternator, there is nothing needed except to put the battery on -ve earth so it will have been done as all alternators are -ve earth

[Colin Lindsay]

2 hours ago, Chris A said:

The position looks correct as you say but the original is a combined wiper switch plus manual pump. In which case that switch would be for just one of the functions.

The plot thickens . . .

The original on the 1200 is a push pump only, with the wiper switch on the dashboard itself. The later 13/60 had the combined switch and pump.

1 hour ago, dougbgt6 said:

I have a handraulic screen wash on my GT6, works first time, but no amount of violence can get the spray further up the screen. I've just bought a pump and contemplating ways of keeping the switch looking thw same.

I've just refurbished the Herald system, it shoots right up over the roof and washes the bootlid. New tubing and a replacement non-return valve did the trick. Now I need to adjust the jets...

[Chris A]

1 hour ago, Colin Lindsay said:

The original on the 1200 is a push pump only, with the wiper switch on the dashboard itself. The later 13/60 had the combined switch and pump.

I hadn't twigged it was a 1200, I'll go back to sleep . .

[Maggs]

5 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:

You do, and expect a lot of pumping if it doesn't work at first, to prime the system. If you have a non-return valve fitted then it should work first time, but check the pipe inside the water bottle to see if one is on the end, and secondly that it's not stuck. A new one costs about £2 and works wonders. If you need new hose the silicon stuff from a fish tank is very good.

I may fit an electric pump while i'm doing the wiring, I will see how well I can get the original. I'm not looking to make this 100% original but also don't want to make it super 'modern' but there are a few saftey things I want to add as my elderly father wants to drive it and he has been in modern cars now for a long time. He won't drive it a lot but if a lot of pumping is needed I'd rather him not be distracted for that long.,

4 hours ago, dougbgt6 said:

I have a handraulic screen wash on my GT6, works first time, but no amount of violence can get the spray further up the screen. I've just bought a pump and contemplating ways of keeping the switch looking thw same.

Oh, that's a turny thing under the rusty clamp?  It looks like a potentiometer! Wonder what that could be? Variable speed wipers?

Doug

Yeah under the rusty clamp it does seem to be some kind of potentiometer. I also caught a glimpse of a scotch lock on the loom! so it seems its been assaulted fairly recently with after market things as I believe scotch locks are a newish thing? There is a receipt from 1999 in there so it was driven until at least then. 

4 hours ago, DanMi said:

All looks non standard so could be anything, Passenger ejector seat? The clutch pedal on the floor is likely a hydraulic issue either master or slave cylinder as well as the spring. When converting from +ve to -ve earth all that is needed is to turn the battery around and then polarise the dynamo, as its converted to alternator, there is nothing needed except to put the battery on -ve earth so it will have been done as all alternators are -ve earth

Thanks, I will remember to put the battery in the wrong way. It still boggles my mind that positive earth was a thing.

2 hours ago, Chris A said:

I hadn't twigged it was a 1200, I'll go back to sleep . .

Sorry that's my fault, I should have mentioned that.

[Colin Lindsay]

29 minutes ago, Maggs said:

I may fit an electric pump while i'm doing the wiring, I will see how well I can get the original.

Thanks, I will remember to put the battery in the wrong way. It still boggles my mind that positive earth was a thing.

Sorry that's my fault, I should have mentioned that.

Don't!! Put the battery in the RIGHT way...

Screenwash pumps are easy to obtain and fit but if you want to fit an electric version, (which I'll probably do myself over the winter) the pumps are very cheap, and just run a small switch to where the pump plunger is now.

Anyway from the pic of the dashboard we knew it was a 1200...

[Chris A]

1 hour ago, Colin Lindsay said:

Anyway from the pic of the dashboard we knew it was a 1200...

Except me obviously 😒

[NonMember]

7 hours ago, DanMi said:

When converting from +ve to -ve earth all that is needed is to turn the battery around and then polarise the dynamo, as its converted to alternator, there is nothing needed except to put the battery on -ve earth

Almost right. The coil connections should also be swapped to keep the spark polarity optimal. They usually run with the coil backwards but are more prone to misfire.

[DanMi]

13 hours ago, NonMember said:

Almost right. The coil connections should also be swapped to keep the spark polarity optimal. They usually run with the coil backwards but are more prone to misfire.

ah yes forgot that

[martyn wright]

Hi!  An easy way to locate items or find out if its missing a part on the car is to look at the "Canley Classics" website, they have all the diagrams and part nos and prices to give you an idea!

Best Martyn

[Chris A]

Then put the part number in the search box of other suppliers to see a photo, which can also help.

[Colin Lindsay]

1 hour ago, Chris A said:

Then put the part number in the search box of other suppliers to see a photo, which can also help.

Or to find the same part for less money, which is always a bonus..