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TR2/3/3A My Reassembly journey

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The workshop manual specifies "colloidal" graphite rather than oil. Says oil tends to make the bearing sticky.

I got annoyed with the too-thick felt from TRF, and turned a Delrin bushing to fit in it's place. Unfortunately I didn't record the dimensions.
 
Thank you John and Randall

I need to order a few things from one of the big 3. Do you know if the Roadster factory felt bush is thick enough?

I looked up Colloidal Graphite and think the dry graphite may be what they want. How about Moly grease?

We are back on our wheels after 28+ years.
The new rear springs I got made feel OK just pushing down on the car. Just a little movement with my weight on it.

Am now chasing the tiny pinholes in the paint.

David
Back on our wheels.jpg
Hunting down the pin holes.jpg
 
Coming together David!

Cheers
Tush
 
That was several years ago (bought in 2008 IIRC), but the felt I got from TRF was oversize in every dimension. I cut it to length and width, but it was still too thick. Rather than trying to slice it thinner, I gave up and replaced it with Delrin (aka acetal, aka polyformaldehyde, a hard slick plastic somewhat similar to Teflon).

I don't know about using moly grease. I think it's primary component is still oil, with (in effect) a metal soap added to thicken it (make grease) and a relatively small amount of moly added to improve performance. But maybe they aren't all like that.

I used dry moly spray (which comes out in a carrier solvent that rapidly evaporates) but only saturated the surface of the felt with it.
https://www.crcindustries.com/products/dry-moly-lube-11-wt-oz-03084.html
 
Hello Randall

That was the lub I came up with when I looked up Colloidal lub. I have used that on chains and gears at work where we needed something that did not have a greasy component.

Just ordered a Rubber and Nylon bush from Moss. See how that goes.

David
 
Trying to fit the seal for the spare wheel cover and found it seems to be too thick. The cover will not go in deep enough for the latches to catch.

Tried several orientations for the seal and am coming to the conclusion I am going to have to shave it down. It is a Roadster Factory seal.

I am presuming the photo shows the correct orientation.

David

Spare wheel cover seal.jpg
 
Car is looking great David. I have used the thick stuff before and also used 2 wrenches and some force to install the cover. You want it tight; they can fall off, and hopefully you will not be going in there too much, plus it will break in over time/ lose its stiffness.
steve
 
I'm wondering if that is really the right seal. Your photo looks more like the trunk lid seal on the early bodies to me. IIRC, the seal I got from TRF was much closer to being flat on the bottom, with a slight curve where the edge of the cover sits against it.
 
It came from TRF in a bag marked spare wheel complementer seal and I have another seal for the boot/trunk lid that has a slot that will fit over the edge of the boot opening.

I did get the felt for the fuel tank straps. 4 long pieces come in a kit. One piece for each strap and I presume the other pieces go under the tank somehow.
Getting the filler neck connection in is a tricky job that I am still working on. I am assuming that has to go on first then slip the tank into place.

David
 
Had a closer look at the Moss catalog and I can see that they have 2 strips long wise on the tank. One does not seem to do much so I put the ends over the "U" shaped brackets that come up under the front of the tank.
Did finaly manage to get the filler neck in and secured. It is a tight fit.

David
 
Took a break from working on the TR this weekend and went to a local British car show. Not the most dignified way of arriving but we got there.

I was one of the works in progress cars. The other was a MGB that a member had bought to give his son a project car. He seems very excited about it which must be a good thing for the hobby. They had a neat rotisserie to clean the fuel tank. It rotated in all planes.

David

We are going to the show.jpg
We got to the show.jpg
Tank cleaner.jpg
 
A rotisserie for a fuel tank. What'll they think of next?

Your car looks like you could have driven it there without the trailer!
 
If I could have found something to plug the temperature gauge hole in the thermostat housing I had considered starting it to get it on the trailer. Fortunately my wife a come-along and I got it on with no problems. The You Haul trailer only just accommodates the TR wheel spacing.

Was good to get it out in the sun and get an idea what it will look like when it is done.

David
 
Said that it will make coating it with the POR tank seal easier to control.
They did get a lot of rust out of the tank almost a quart zip lock bag full. Had bolts rattling around in there.

CJD said:
A rotisserie for a fuel tank. What'll they think of next?

Your car looks like you could have driven it there without the trailer!
Click to expand...
 
Got the Dash covering out and went back to review John's very detailed thread on the covering job. I think that I have it.

I notice that Skinner does both LH and RH drive versions in one piece in vinyl but when it is leather it is only the hand you need. I did not see this dash reinforcing in John's photos. Maybe a TR3A mod.

David

Dash.jpg
Dash frame.jpg
 
That's sorta neat. I guess they are showing compassion for the cows...although the extra leather would come in handy.
 
DavidApp said:
If I could have found something to plug the temperature gauge hole in the thermostat housing
David
Click to expand...

IIRC a 5/8" bolt and nut will do nicely. Run the nut onto the bolt, then turn the bolt by hand into the housing, just until it stops. Then tighten the nut against the housing.

Or, any number of cheap aftermarket gauges come with a probe that fits the Tr3 hole perfectly. I used the one out of this set on my Ferguson tractor (which has the same hole in the Tstat housing as a TR3)
https://www.harborfreight.com/electronic-triple-auto-gauge-set-41017.html

Unfortunately, the capillary tube got damaged during installation, so it doesn't work. But it would have. Here's the slightly more expensive gauge (whopping $20) I used for several years in the TR3
yMiHQTA.jpg
 
Went and got a cheep temperature gauge today. I then found an oil leak from the oil pressure line. The beaded section after the line from the oil filter. Did not notice it before as I did not have a gauge on it when I ran very briefly on the engine stand.
Ordered a new piece from Moss.

David
 
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