Thursday, December 28, 2006

Christmas Loot!


Got some good stuff for the TR4a for Christmas and my birthday. Best thing was the TR4/TR4a official workshop manual above. My folks got me this. Used it to figure out how to adjust the rear drum brakes last night. There is a little adjustment screw on the back of the drum. Tightened the screws on both drums then took the TR out for a drive. Brakes are now 200% better than they where, I guess the rears had not been adjusted in a looooong time so I have been driving around with just the front brakes stopping the car! So, that may put off the brake work until later this year. First section of the book is quite good, nice section detailing all the maintenance the car needs, grease spots, fluid changes and at what miles. Also a nice chart showing recommended fluids. If you have a TR4/4A and don't have this book get it! I figure I will get all the fluids changed by the end of the month with the help of the book, going to replace the rear differential seal as well to see if that will help with the rear oil leak. That is all for now.

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Merry Chirstmas!

Hope everyone has a safe and happy Christmas. Kel and I are off to Savannah to see my folks and brothers. Hopefully I'll have some time and capital to work on the TR after the new year.

Friday, December 08, 2006

To Cold to Work...

Ok, still haven't done anything new to the car. Heck, I haven't driven it in over a week. It has been to cold and I have been out of town a lot. I did obtained a kerosene heater from my dad to use in the garage this winter. Figure it will keep the temperature bearable when I am working on the car. Hopefully I will have some time and money to do some work after the new year. Figure to start with changing the fluids out then getting to the front brakes.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Thanksgiving Week

Happy Thanksgiving to all those out in the world reading my blog.

Haven't done anything to the car in the last week or so. Just driving it when it is warm enough and keeping a running list of things to do. I am planning on finally getting to the front brakes and master cylinder around Christmas. After that, hopefully I will have the capital to add the new stereo.

I should have some new pictures some time this week when my folks come to town. I'll post them when I get them.

Friday, November 10, 2006

Quick thoughts

Drove the TR to work yesterday, weather has been great and the car seems to get stronger every time I drive it. No work to do in the next few weeks with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up, not to mention a few sales trips I have to take to Tennesse and the Carolina. I have decided that I am going to re-do the front brakes, adjust/inspect the rears and rebuild the master cylinder. Figure it is a good first major project on the car that I can do in a weekend or two.

Monday, November 06, 2006

Brake Work Weekend

Ok, bled the brakes and did some more digging around underneath the car this weekend. Front discs are going to need some attention this winter, they just look worn and old. Victoria British sells a front brake rebuild kit that should cover everything. Don't know about the rear drums yet, wasn't brave enough to try to get into them in the time I had set aside to work on the car. Brake bleed was pretty straight forward. One "different" thing that I did run in to, in order to bleed the rear brakes you only bleed the right rear. No bleed nipple on the left rear. Why? Because the right rear brake runs from the left rear brake, odd but then again it is British and 40 years old. Anyway, ATE Super Blue was used and the Motive bleeder worked great. Some pics below.....


Picture of the TR in my garage before starting the brake work


Up on the stands and ready to bleed


Engine bay shot, engine is in great shape. And yes, the engine is derived from an old tractor engine.


Interior, again in great shape. The radio even works!


Front discs, need some work. I'll get to it this winter.


Brake bleeder setup, worked well. Leaked a bit but no big deal.


So, that was the brake bleed. Won't do to much else to the car until after Christmas. By then I should have everything together to replace the brakes, install a stereo, flush all the fluids and replace some of the trim pieces.

Friday, November 03, 2006

Weekend and Long term plans

Ok, plan for the weekend is to bleed the brakes on the TR. I bought a pressure bleeder from ebay that came with attachments that will fit the TR and MINI as well as my wife's Lexus. ATE Super blue is going to be the new lifeblood of the TRs braking system. Figure while I am bleeding the brakes I will take a good look at the pads, shoes and rotors (TR4s have disc fronts and drum rear). Also going to hunt around and see if my car came with the optional brake servo that kind of gave it power brakes. If not it is going to be something to be added to the "to do" list. Right now the "to do" list is as follows..

Bleed Brakes
Change pads and shoes if needed
Change out/fix Tachometer (it started squeeling something wicked)
Switch Tach and Speedo locations (they are in the wrong spot for a TR4a)
Switch heater and airflow knobs (again, in the wrong spot)
Change out all fluids (flush radiator, engine, differential, tranny oils)
Add brake servo if needed
Change out hood emblem (current one is fadded)
Zero-rust the battery tray and other small spots
Tune up
adjust carbs (or trouble shoot fuel mileage problem, could be a few things)

That is about it at the moment. Figure I can get all this taken care of by the spring. I'll post pics of the brake work I do this weekend early next week.

Also got to thinking of adding a decent stereo to the car. If I do it, I am going to mount the headunit under the dash so that I can keep the stock radio for apperance sake. Nothing fancy, just a Clarion HU, some Polk front speakers (that should fit the original spots) and some enclosed speakers to mount behind the seats so I don't have to cut anything. Some pics below of
the stuff I had in mind. I haven't redone a stereo in a car since high school, looking forward to doing it if I can scare up the funds.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

First Post...

Ok, figure I would try the blog thing. In the future I will post pictures of my new (new to me) 1967 Triumph TR4a (non-IRS) and keep track of my progress in keeping it running. I am sure that some pictures of my other British car ('04 MINI Cooper S) will make it on the page at times as well. Hope everyone enjoys my mis-adventures in British Motoring....

Here are some starting pictures of my TR4a:



And here is a picture of my MINI in Autocross action...