Fixing Studs and other stuff.......

Finally got round to sorting out the stripped thread in the trailing arm of the yellow estate (got to get it done, the new owner is picking her up on Saturday!

So, popped the driveshaft out and inspected the hole.......... no thread at all!

Carefully cut the new thread with the cutting tool, and inserted a 5/16 UNF Helicoil......... carefully as it had to be done perfectly straight otherwise the hub would not have fitted back on.... but, it did....... all done!

On Sunday Sam and I took the Red PI out to the Club Triumph National day at the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu....... fantastic day, lovely weather and a really interesting place to look round. Handed my trophy back in (Car of the Show 2008) and then promptly saw it handed over to a very stunning TR3.........
I was experimenting with the settings on the metering unit, so I filled it to the brim and then set off heading for Beaulieu, planning for a refill on the way back......... sitting at a steady 70mph (most of the way!) I was stunned to see home get closer and closer with the fuel gauge still not registering empty!
By the time we got him, this is what it looked like........ 289 miles... filled it back up and it took 10.83 gallons...... working out to 27mpg (not bad for an AUTO PI!) Strangely the fuel light was on all the time, but if the tank holds 14.5 gallons, I still had 3 gallons left, enough to do another 75 miles. I'll try that agin and then empty the tank, add a gallon back in and bend the fuel sender unit to read empty.

The day before (Saturday) was fun! We took delivery of our new caravan in the morning, and for a few hours we had the old one (background) and the new one together on the drive. One of our neighbours suggested that if we actually started talking to each other, perhaps we could have just one van, rather than one each........!!

Anyway, emptied all the stuff from the old to the new, then I took the old one to deliver it to its new owners in Reading...... even got fed some home made Rhubarb Crumble for my efforts .................. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Busted studs.....

Last time I used the yellow estate (and its been a while!!) I was getting a ticking noise coming from the rear offside wheel..... must look at that, I though.

Well, finally I have a date to have the broken windscreen replaced, Saturday............ and then Sam reminded me that I still had the noise to look at first.

So, this afternoon I jacked the car up, popped the wheel and drum off to have a look and discovered the remains of a stud in the bottom of the drum assembly........


Closer inspection revealed one stud missing which holds the hub/backplate assembly to the trailing arm..... whoops!! Slightly important stud then!

I tried to put a new stud in, but as I suspected the thread has gone in the trailing arm. The proper fix would be to strip it down and helicoil the trailing arm.......... but I just don't have time to do that before Saturday morning when its got to be at the windscreen place in Worcester by 9am................. I found a long bolt the right size and it was just long enough to catch the remains of the thread at the end............ then I checked the other 5 and they are all still tight, so that'll do for the moment!

Quick shot of the cracked windscreen........ hopefully on Saturday I can post one of an uncracked windscreen!

Finished!!!!

So, the brakes were still a bit juddery......... I concluded the discs were shot......... on closer inspection............ they were!!

Luckliy, I had a new set of discs in stock.........so on they went.

Brakes now transformed. Smooth, progressive and no wobbles!

I then had to fit a towbar to it....... part of the agreement with the new owner. Got one from Canley's, rub down and 2 coats of black smoothrite......... one fitted towbar!

Bradley managed to keep himslef occupied by cleaning the interior........ he really has turned into a polisher!

We then went out for a spin, and then remembered I hadn't checked the oil level in the diff. Stopped at the local garage, bought some EP90, and chucked it in........... thanks to Dave for volunteering to crawl underneath and top it up!Then we took the car back to the original owners....... Roy and Edith. They were amazed at how good it looked and how quickly we had got it done. I took them out for a little ride in it...... Roy was close to tears............... but, he was glad he had seen it finished, and that it is back on the road.

However, on the way home the fuel blockage reappeared again. On closer inspection, the tank was full of debris again!!

Tank out again, this time I pressure washer washed it and then left it cooking on the lawn overnight with a mixture of Caustic Soda and water. Good swill out and the inside of the tank is now clean and shiney....... rather than black and gloopy!

Popped the tank back in this afternoon............ took it for a run...... all good.

Taking it out again tonight to put a few more miles on it and then its going to its new home on Saturday................ providing the test drive turns out ok!!!

New Tyres, New MOT....... one breakdown!

So........ I decided that the fuel starvation problem was due to a clogged up tank...... I took out the fuel gauge sender unit and had a peek inside with a torch (not a lit match as suggested by some!) and found a load a gunk at the bottom........ just due to the car standing with fuel in it for so long I guess.

So, I undid the union on the bottom of the tank and............... nothing. Hmmmm. Gave it a prod with a screwdriver and fuel started to pour out.... okay, definatly gunked up then.


I then removed the tank, taped up the vents, put some de-greaser in it and gave it a shake....... just look at what came out!!!!!!!


That could be why it kept stopping then!! Did that a couple of times, then popped the tank back in and put a couple of gallons of fresh fuel in and all seemed well.

I then went to my friendly local tyre place as the tyres I had ordered were now in. 4 new 185/70/13's (compromise as the original 175/80/13's not available!) and on they went. It did confuse the fitters a bit, especially as they couldn't find the car in their wheel nut torque guide! But, all done. Then went next door, and collected the MOT certificate!! She's road legal!!



All is not well though.... on the way home.. cough, splutter cough stop......... bugger! No fuel at the pump again!

I managed to get it home and jacked it up again, undid the union and this time the fuel gushed out of the tank.... so its not that then! On the advice of a Register member I took off the small length of rubber hose that connects the metal union to the main fuel line..........blocked solid with gunk...... ahhhhhhhhhh. So, new bit of fuel pipe, couple of clips..... refilled the tank and its seems to have cured it!

So, all I need to do now is to get it taxed, have to go to a VRO office to do it as it was off the road when it went tax free....... classification needs changing and you can't do that online or at a post office!!

Then, I can go for a proper blast!

Bit of cleaning to do on the interior, tow bar fitting and she's finished!

MOT........ FAIL !!

MOT this afternoon, and it failed.

On tyres and a steering rack gaiter!!!!

New tyres on order, ready for Thursday, gaiter is on the shelf so all should be well!

We do have a problem with fuel starvation...... don't know if the pump I put on is as bad as the original or if there is still a blockage in the tank. Going to put a brand new pump on and try it, failing that its tank out and a good clean out!

Ready for MOT !!!!

The blue 2000 is now ready for an MOT!

Stripped the front brakes today, thinking I would have to put new discs on. The discs were rusty but when I inspected them..... no wear ridges or lips at all. I cleaned them up and put new pads in and also changed the bleed nipples as the originals were all chewed up. All good now!





New (well, good second hand!) Master cylinder as the original had perished seals and was weeping a bit, then bled all the brakes again. I also fitted another fuel pump as the original one was just too gummed up to work properly. Now running like a dream! Quick oil and filter change and its done and ready for MOT....... then a trip to the tyre fitters for a new set of treads and its ready for a new home.


Bradley was helping out again............ but he seemed more interested in polishing the front bumper than anything else........... even Dave Marshall had to get his hands dirty and changed a headlight........... made him polish the chrome headlamp retaining rings before he put it back on though, I think he was a bit upset about that. Polishing just does'nt come as natural to him as it does to Bradley or myself!!



Look at the concentration om Bradley's face as he polishes the bumper............!!

Had a break for an hour to fit some parking sensors to the back of Dave's Shitroen..... Easy job using my favorite £25.00 ebay kits.......... looks like factory and should stop him stuffing the towbar into things!

So, MOT hopefully this week and see what happens...............

Nearly finished!

So, what do you think the most useful tool you have in your toolbox is??........

9/16th Spanner?

1/2" spanner?

Flippin' big hammer?

All wrong.

When working on Triumph's, I have discovered that you need a "Bradley" (not to be confused with a Bradall, that's a sharp pointy thing for poking holes in things with.) A Bradley is a very useful "spanner-monkey". Excellent for reaching hard to get at bolt due to its very long reach, does exactly as it is told and makes excellent coffee!!

Anyway, more work on the 2000 yesterday, aided by Bradley.

First stop was finishing off fitting and cleaning the carbs and cleaning out (yet again!) the fuel pump. Its all gummed up with slime and sticky old fuel and its just not pumping as well as it should. I fitted an in-line fuel filter just before the pump to try and help, but it wasn't happenening.

So, we drained the tank and then blew threw all the fuel lines with an air hose and soooooooo much rubbish and goo came out, it must be okay now.

This is what was living in the petrol tank......... pretending to be fuel........ it actually RAN on this stuff (not very well I must admit!)


So, with fresh fuel in a clean lines up it started and ran perfectly! Bradley then spent a few hours replacing the indicator switch I got from Stoneleigh last weekend. Should have taken a couple of minutes, but getting it lined up with the cowling took some time. We had right hand indicators, but no left, then left but no right......... but now its all fine.


Next problem....... stuck clutch. I was dreading this, as I had an awful feeling that the gearbox was going to have to come out. So, we started it up and left it running for a while to get it nice and hot. Back end up on stands, Bradley in the passengers seat hold the clutch down with his right foot, me in the drivers seat with the throttle and the brakes. Bit of power, progressively harder braking and then the clutch let go and freed off on the first go!!!

I couldn't believe it!!!!

Bradley was pretty stunned too!! (or did he just sit on the old indicator stalk?)

So, for the first time in 19 years, it moved under its own steam. Took it for a little tootle (well, down the drive and round the end of the cul-de-sac!) and all is well.

Jobs left to do.

New Brake Master Cylinder needed (seals perished and weeping)

Change the fuel pump for a better one

Change one headlight

Another oil and filter change

Then, its MOT time!!