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General Tech Had it with Venders

CJD

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Today I received my $500+ gas tank from moss. For those who have not followed...

I have been looking for a decent gas tank for the TR2 for 5 years now. After 3 I found one on Ebay that was “excellent with no leaks”. It arrived with glass cloth all along the bottom to keep the gas in. I removed the cloth and repaired 3 obvious holes. Installed the tank...only to have to remove it and fix one more. Apparently that still did not do it, as it is now seeping in the boot, and has been for 4 months. Bummer.

I found that Rimmer and TRF both source TR2 tanks from the same source. I called and special ordered from TRF. They even took 2 days calling the UK before they would allow me to order. “3 weeks”. I started calling at 4 weeks. “On the way”. 5 weeks, 6 weeks, 7 weeks. “Expected next week”. 8 weeks I learn it is NLA. Double bummer. The worst is my car is still leaking gas for the entire 2 months. 2 months to determine they couldn’t get a tank???

So, I decided to give Moss a chance. The good news...the tank WILL hold gas. It DID arrive in only 4 days! However, it looks home made. There are no brace stampings, and the tank is merely edge welded. All the panels are warped and wavy. Only one miss-located baffle, compared to 2 in the factory tank. It is powder coated...but that only serves to mask the warpage. Honestly, if I knew it was going to look home made for $500+, could have done a better job for $45 in metal and a day at the welding bench.

Just writing to say I have had it with the crap the vendors are marketing to us. If it is going to be home made, then that should be disclosed. Why are we all putting up with this? I for one am done accepting substandard junk.

I will repair the original tank. It will look better and function better than the junk they are dumping on us at outrageous prices.
 

dklawson

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My Mini's gas tanks have also become quite expensive but not NLA.

My LH tank sprang a leak about 15 years ago. I tried coating it with Kreem. Failed at 5 years. I stripped that and tried POR. Failed at 7 years. On the recommendation of a good acquaintance I tried Red Kote. Failed at 3 years. I was going to bite the bullet and buy new but U.S. sources for new LH tanks are now charging anywhere from $600 to $900 after shipping. I decided to give coating one more try. Two months ago I coated the tank with the Caswell epoxy kit. It's too early to predict the life but it cannot be any worse than my experiences to date. Next time I will give up and buy new.

I do sympathize about misleading vendors. For some of my purchases I contact the source before ordering and will not place an order for anything that is not currently on the shelf. I don't think they have any malice or ill intent but it certainly is common for vendors to string buyers along for months using choruses of "it's on the way".
 
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CJD

CJD

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Thanks guys...just needed to vent. Alicool is the vender's vender for the first aluminum tank I ordered from TRF. Apparently they no longer want to be bothered with the TR2/3 anymore.
 

sp53

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Yes the early pre60K tanks sit so low that when the trunk seal leaks they are under water. I saw a new one years ago on evil bay and almost bid on it for the future. When I was looking for a fixer upper tr3 the one car I look at had a new gas tank from standard part. Anyways, I have been saying that about vendor parts for over thirty years, so I am with you. I have some early Moss flyers form the 80ies- TRF still makes the effort to find local quality vendors, like with their battery boxes that do a nice job. Plus I would think for 600.00 a guy could make them in 2 to 3 days if he had the correct equipment. That is it, we will go in business, oh never mind I am too old. Anyways I am certain that You can make a bottom half and weld it or braze it to an original if anyone can. I wonder if Moss buys their tanks from that guy in Southern Cal that sells them on evil bay? I bought one from him for 350.00 not that long ago and it looked rough and the gas the splash when I turned corners. Oh John please post the rebuild; I regard you as one of my best teachers.
steve
 
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CJD

CJD

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Thanks Marv. I put the “crappy” moss tank in today, so I am set for a while. If it turns out your TR2 tank looks really good, I’d be interested for a future project. If it is full of rust, I think I’ll look at repairing my original tank at some future point.

The Moss tank was so bad it sits crooked in the car. One side higher...one side further forward. But that is due to construction, nothing I can do about it but cover it with the panels and hope to forget about it!?!
 

DavidApp

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I have found that I have to work on all the cage nut cages to stop the nuts falling out. Not too big a thing but easy to fix at source.

David
 

tomshobby

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When I worked for a used car dealer I repaired many tanks by welding them. John, you might look for a shop that can do that. A fairly easy thing to do and is safe if prepped properly. For safety reasons I won't tell you how to do it. But you might be able to find someone that knows how to do it.
 
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CJD

CJD

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When I worked for a used car dealer I repaired many tanks by welding them. John, you might look for a shop that can do that. A fairly easy thing to do and is safe if prepped properly. For safety reasons I won't tell you how to do it. But you might be able to find someone that knows how to do it.

Thanks Tom. That was my original attempt...twice. I am afraid the inside of the tank was so bad that pinholes were opening as fast as I could locate them. I will re-weld the original tank at some future date, and it will lookgood and have that "extra" TR2 gallon of fuel!

Along this thread topic. After I got the tank installed, and interior replaced (again), a new vendor problem became apparent. This time it is the generator, and specifically the rear bushing. Here is the story:

I noticed as early as 6 years ago tht ALL the vendors are supplying the rear generator bushings with too much clearance on the armature. I ordered multiple bushings from 4 venders, and all arrived oversize. I, as most of us do, and against my better judgement, decided to try the oversize, since I could not locate a correct bushing. I have rebuilt 3 generators in that time that have caused issues. In fact, now that I think about it, every rebuild I have attempted has gone south...much like Jerry's generators.

Well, the other rebuilds were quiet and worked up until, well, they didn't. This current rebuild on the TR2 is making a nasty, intermittent buzz, which is obviously the armature wallowing in the large rear bushing. I am now thinking that most of my generator issues are due to the rear bushing rattling the armature to death. I have a new (read 65 year old) generator to rebuild before the current one finally craps out. I will take the bushing to a machine shop on this one and get a good .002" clearance, and see how it goes.

Again...I grow tired of shoddy products being supplied to us.

On a lighter note...for a TR2 built in March of '55, can someone give me the correct generator stamping? I know Drew knows...as he told me a year ago, but I, of course, forgot. Drew, you out there??
 

sp53

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John I believe this should be a 1955 there is an older one that has a oiling spout deal, but I have only seen a few and I think they were 1954.
steve
 
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CJD

CJD

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Thanks, Steve. I can't make out the last letter in the part code. Is it an "E"? I think an E is what Drew had told me was correct. Personally, I wouldn't care, but it's one of those things that, now that I know my gen is too new for the car, I won't sleep until it matches?!?
 

sp53

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John the letter is an F. I have seen them on evil bay and craigslistin the past. I will keep my out for you. Did you ever find a hood wrench?
 
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