Since everyone is posting about their recent projects, I though I'd let
you know what I have been up to this winter. First, a little background
on my LBC. I purchased my 1966 TR4A IRS in July, 1981. At the time,
I was looking for anything that was a 2-seat convertible sportscar (hey,
I was 17, so give me a break). Also being rather poor, most of the
MGBs, TR6s and 7s, and (gasp! :^) ) FIATs and Alphas where out of reach.
Even most Spitfires (except really poor examples) were a little too steep.
Then one day, I saw and add for a TR4A, $1800. I didn't even know what
a TR4A was, but I figured it must be something like a TR6 (aren't all
British cars little convertible 2-seaters?). Well, $1500 later, I was
the proud owner of a TRG (that's Triumph Racing Green) TR4A, with no
interior to speak of, a set of knock-off wire wheels, new cast mags, and
a very tattered Haynes shop manual.
Well, I promptly made good friends with the local import parts dealer, who
eventually connected me to Moss Motors. I also visited the local Triumph
dealer (this was 81, you could still buy new TRs), who would grudgingly
dig up his old micro-ficshe to look up parts for me. Over the next five
years (until I graduated college), the car was my daily transport, and I
had carpet and upholstery installed, rebuilt the engine, got rear-ended
and had the car painted red, rebuilt the front suspension, rebuilt the
tranny, and generally treated the car like any wild young man would.
As my studies progressed, my free time for auto repair declined, and four
years of garageless storage took their toll on the backyard paint job.
After graduation, the car went into storage, first in at my parents in
Bakersfield, later with the my in-laws in Salinas. One summer the car
was used by my sister, and had some additional engine work done. Other
discoveries that I have made while owning the car are that it has apparently
been in a few accidents (besides the one that got it repainted), the right
front wing is white underneath, and is missing the turn lamp, and the
left b-post is somewhat mangled (no damage on the door or rear wing).
All of this leads up to last September, when I moved from Sunnyvale (in
an apartment) to Sacramento (into a house). Finally I had a decent place
do real work on the poor girl. The first order of business was a full
brake rebuild, during the time that my sister drove the car, she used
dreaded DOT 3 brake fluid, with the expected results. In addition, the
thing had always leaked fluid, which I could never trace (no big surprise,
a few drops of brake fluid would be lost in the torrents of leaking oil).
So the story begins with our hero attempting a complete brake rebuild,
including hard and soft brake lines. Upon removal of the bracket that
supports the master cylinders, I found quite a bit of rust underneath.
Also, the clutch and brake pedals tended to want to work together, further
inspection revealed that the shaft they ride on was a bit corroded as well.
I also found a good deal of rust under the battery, a plastic battery box
had been installed previously, but most of the bottom was missing. Since
I had decided that I eventually want to restore the car to the original
TRG, I realized that will all of the stuff removed already, there would
never be a better time to paint the engine compartment.
In other areas, disassembly of the rear brakes revealed that the rear
diff mounting bracket had broken (it had been previously been repaired).
With this discovery, I decided it would be an opportune time to remove and
inspect the half-shafts, and install new springs to replace the sagging
rear coils.
At the front end, the steering rack and column where given some attention,
and in removing the carbs in preparation for the engine bay painting, I had
broken one of the jets, so a carb rebuild seemed in order.
By now, TRF had my VISA account memorized, I was rolling in Winter Parts
Sale freebies, and the UPS guy and I were on a first name basis. Also, to
help in all this work, I purchased a parts washer and a compressor. Since
spring (and now summer) were closing in fast, I figured that I had better
get going on putting things back together. With the diff bracket back from
the welder, and the half-shafts checked out, the rear was re-assembled with
new nyloc nuts and liberal doses of locktite. Some of the original bolts
had worked loose, which may have contributed (caused?) the bracket to fail.
New brake lines where run, which was really gross under the car, digging
the old ones out of the accumulated dirt and grease. The rust in the
engine compartment was removed, the area under the battery was glassed over,
and it was primed and painted.
Though I carefully cleaned (and painted where appropriate) all of the parts
removed for the painting, they really look dingy next to the shiny green
engine compartment. This brings me up to last Thursday, which I had taken
off of work, along with Friday in an attempt to get the beast back on the
road for the weekend. Thursday started off promising, the rear wheel
cylinders where rebuilt (compressors are really nice, a little air pops
the old piston out (alot of air sends it across the room)), and the rear
brakes where re-assembled. One of the front hubs had been disassembled to
inspect the trunnion, as I was repacking it I noticed that the bearing was
a bit worn. Oh well, I can always replace that later.
Next, the front calipers where torn down. Trouble here, all of the pistons
are pitted and rusting. Two may be usable, but I decided to get four new
ones. Call TRF, too late to get them by Friday, and they run $17 each,
ouch! Well, getting on the road by the weekend is now not possible, but
maybe I can at least get the engine going. Begin reassembling the engine
compartment, install rebuilt master cylinders, paint and install the horns,
re-wrap the wiring loom, install all new grommets (oops, forgot to order one!).
On Friday, the carbs are rebuilt and installed, battery put in place, and
all wires connected. I notice that the throttle shafts are quite worn,
make note to get them re-bushed some day. Double check the engine compartment
for loose tools and bolts, and turn the key... whack! whack! whack!
Forgot to bolt the muffler hangers back up after installing the diff.
Quickly bolt them back up, crank it again. Crank for a few minutes, no
sign of firing. Check floats for gas, they are full, check coil for
current, looks OK. Decided to richen the mixture and open the throttle
some more (choke is not connected since I need to adjust the carbs).
At least all of the cranking has got the oil flowing, and I am thankful that
I trickle-charged the battery for the last two weeks. After some more
cranking, and a few mis-fires, she roars to life!
After she warms up, I roughly adjust the carbs, and take inventory of what
is left to do: install new front bearings, rebuilt and install front calipers,
install the steering rack and column, install the clutch slave cylinder, and
fill the hydraulic system up. It is getting close!
--
Darrell Walker walker@hprpcd.hp.com
(916) 785-4059 HPDesk: walker (hprpcd) /HP5200/UX
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