[TR] A flood of flukes

Tue Jun 25 21:46:38 MDT 2019

I also use Pertronix and without any problems so far.  Knock on wood.  Not that I couldn't do it myself, but Jeff at Advanced Distributors installed it during the dizzy rebuild back in... 2010ish.  4,500 plus miles and 18 race weekends.  I do have a couple distributors set aside, waiting to send to him.  One with points as a spare and the other with Pertronix for another motor. 

I definitely think it's good idea to have a spares standing by.  If not another Pertronix or a set of points and condenser. 

Dave H.

> On June 25, 2019 at 7:50 PM dave at ranteer.com wrote:
> 
>      
>      I had a drive ruined by a pertronics failing. first one, then two of the magnets fell out.
>      
>     but I always carry a full distributor, with points, rotor, cap, and labeled wires, ready to drop in, already timing set.  this was on the tr4, which I've only had for about 5 years.
>      
>     for those of you who are sunday drivers, I can understand it.  but we get better performance out of the pertronix.  my son seriously autocrosses the TR6, and has trophies to prove it.  have had that car since 2001, and a pertronix for most of those years.  never a problem.  the failures are few and far between, but if it happens on your car its 100%!
>      
>     love the pertronix, but have a backup.
> 
>         ------ Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [TR] A flood of flukes
From: " Wbeech at flash.net mailto:Wbeech at flash.net " < wbeech at flash.net mailto:wbeech at flash.net >
Date: Tue, June 25, 2019 7:30 pm
To: TERRY SMITH < terryrs at comcast.net mailto:terryrs at comcast.net >
Cc: triumphs < triumphs at autox.team.net mailto:triumphs at autox.team.net >

Ouch, at least you had a nice 4+ hour drive.   Not a fan of electronic ignition, just call me an old pointy head. 
Bill
tS30800L

Sent from my DynaTAC 8000X

On Jun 25, 2019, at 4:03 PM, TERRY SMITH < terryrs at comcast.net mailto:terryrs at comcast.net > wrote:

My wife had an old college roommate over for lunch on Sunday, so better part of valor I made myself scarce with a 4 and a half hour aimless drive in the TR3.  I should say four hours and twenty-eight minutes, because exactly two minutes from home the car lost all power.  No coughing, stumbling, fluttering.  Just total power one minute, complete shutdown the next. 

Towed it home with the loader, got it in the garage and went to work testing.  No spark out of the plugs.  Good spark out of the coil.  Swapped the Pertronix unit out for points, engine started and car ran fine.  I think I'm done with electronic ignitions.  I very likely killed the thing leaving the key on or somesuch idiocy to which I am prone.  Fluke number one. 

Next I ran it up to temperature at high idle so I could check the mixture one last time, I noticed it was overheating.  There are no knocks, rattles or grindings going on.  Oil pressure is steady and good.  Tested this twice, so I've either got a water pump or thermostat problem.  Fluke number two. 

Happen to have a new spare water pump already so I thought to replace both the thermostat and pump while the coolant was already drained.   I got under the car to unscrew the plug from the radiator to let the water out.  Got the plug out, then noticed that not only the plug came out, but the threaded housing came out with it.  Apparently it's like a plug within a plug, one threaded, the other weakly soldered it in.  This is one of the new radiators from one of the Big 3. Fluke number three. 

Gadfrey. 

Spent today pulling the valence and the radiator.  I'll take it to some radiator place to have the plug housing brazed in instead of soldered.  At least getting at the water pump is going to be easier. 

Terry Smith, '59 TR3A  TS 58667
New Hampshire

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