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TR2/3/3A Rocker cover question

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mallard

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Now that I have the correct oil filler cap for my car I see I have the wrong rocker cover. The early caps had a tab on the inside so you kept the cap facing front. The early rocker covers had a groove on the left side of the filler neck for the tab to slide down and kept the cap pointed to the front because it had two vents in the front. Does anybody have a picture that shows a rocker cover with the groove and how long is the groove? I hope to be able to make my own groove in my re-chromed rocker cover by putting a dowel rod inside the neck and pressing a groove into with out distorting the neck or cracking the chrome.

I know I should just remove the tab on the cap.
 
Keith - I still have the original rocker valve cover and oil filler cap on my 1958 TR3A (TS 27489 LO) bought new in May, 1958. I have a bunch of holes around the lower flange of the filler cap and there is no slot in the vertical pipe that the filler caps slides down onto. Inside my filler cap there were two flat-blade springs (much like the chain tensioner spring) each about 1" to 1-1/4" long. One of these flat springs broke off about 1965 but the filler cap is still secure on the pipe and it works fine.
 
Don thank you for the reply. I found what I was looking for today while helping a good friend today with his car. I included a couple pictures to help describe what I was looking for. The valve cover is from a TR2 that is painted black from the factory with the correct style cap for TR2s and early TR3s. It was installed backwards even with the groove, and is currently stuck on the neck. Also if you look at the neck you can see the groove for the tab inside the cap. Even better news is that I have a small shipment of the correct waterslide decals that I had produced that is just for this style cap, nobody else sells them. Again I want to thank Bill Close for all his help and his huge stockpile of parts that has been instrumental in helping me get this car as correct as I can.
 

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Vurrry interesting... never knew that.

mallard said:
...I want to thank Bill Close for all his help and his huge stockpile of parts that has been instrumental in helping me get this car as correct as I can.
Click to expand...

I recall Bill's backyard -- when I saw it I told him I thought there were 2 or 3 more TR3s out there if he would just put the parts together.
 
I'm going to try to salvage the black cover and cap for now. Hopefully they are not to rusted to be painted and chrome plated. If I have to redo the chrome plated one I was going to use a hole-saw to drill a hole in a piece of wood to cradle the neck, then put a broom handle or something in the neck so it won't crush. Then use a piece of metal rod to form the groove by pushing it into the outside of the neck with a press. Sounds good enough but don't know if it will work.
 
As for the decal, it is my understanding that the shop would rotate the oil cap with the brand of oil they installed facing forward. On my 58 (like Don's)it rotates with the spring clips keeping it secure so I rotate mine because I like the story.
 
Peter interesting story never heard that one before. Later style caps like yours could be put back on any way, but the early ones could only be reinstalled with the vent holes facing forward. The correct cap for TR2 and early TR3 1956 had a tab on the inside that had to fit into the groove on the neck of the rocker cover. The decal that I had produced has an arrow on it the points forward.
 
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Well Kieth, now I've got to re-study all my parts to see what I've actually got for the TR2!
 
John it's amazing how many changes have been made to our cars over the production run. Only a handful of people, myself included go the extent to try to get them as correct as possible. I was thinking the car was done, but I have about 10 things that need corrected, I'm sure I'll find more, it's fun for me though. Don't want to drive the car right now anyway with it being 110 degrees.
 
I know my valve cover does not have the groove, and I bought a Rover cap from the UK that was supposed to match the original TR2 cap...but I'll need to see if the cap has a tab inside or not. Always something new to learn!
 
John could you post a picture of the Rover cap?

Thanks
Keith
 
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