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A few possibly stupid questions...

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bash

bash

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Okay, a few questions have been in my mind, and I hope that someone on the list will be kind enough to help me out. Apologies if these are really stupid!

1. Turning the crankshaft. As you may know from anothe rthread, I am looking at adjusting the rocker gaps at the moment. The manual says "turn the crankshaft". Is there an easier way of doing this than pushing the car back and forth in gear?

2. Water pump greasing - according to both manuals I have, there is a place to install a grease nipple on top of the pump. I cannot for the life of me find the bolt to remove to install this nipple. I have a 1975 TR6, by the way. Do I have a weird pump, or am I just missing it?

3. I just changed to a spin on oil filter, since I just couldn't handle the cannister type. The spin on isn't that much easier, though. I have realised that I can't mount it straight down due to the clutch slave cylinder, but any other angle interferes with the fuel pipe and filter. Is my fuel pipe/filter in the wrong place? I wound up bending the feed from the tank to avoid the rubber tube to the filter being kinked by the oil filter, but it is still touching and really very difficult to change the oil filter.

Okay, that's all the stupid questions I can think of at the moment! I would really appreciate any help and advice you can all offer - I know someone out there must have the answers!

Cheers
Alistair
 
I will try to ease the pain of turning the crankshaft. Use 4th gear and if it is still a pain, pull the spark plugs and you will find it rolls quite easily. It does take more room for the car to roll when in 4th and with the plugs out you may find 3rd or 2nd easy enough. Use the sequence for adjustments in your book as it will require less crankshaft turning. Other than turning the crank, I do not know how you can adj the rockers.
 
Re: A few possibly stupid answers...

Yes use 4th and also... I stand along the wing and push the top of a front tire -- this gives you an additional 2:1 leverage. Also lets you keep a close eye on the valves while you push. With the plugs out you may even be able to grab a fan blade and turn the engine (careful not to scrape your knuckles though). Just for safety's sake I disconnect one coil wire when turning the engine.

Original H2O pumps may have a grease zerk... most aftermarket ones do not. They are 'greased for life' (of course that is the life of the grease). On a 4-cylinder you can introduce a little fresh grease into these, not sure about the '6 -- but if things come to that it's really new pump time. One of my cars has an aftermarket pump with a fake grease zerk in place -- some future owner will curse me after he finally figures that one out.

Can't give a definitive answer on the oil filter (they have plenty of clearance on TRactor engines) but I recall you have some flexibility in the direction the housing mounts. A search of the archives if you're in a hurry or just stand by and a TR6 owner will answer that.
 
Disconnect your coil before adjusting your rockers so that the engine won't inadvertently start on you. Better even, remove the plugs as Don said above. I use my starter to get past the first bit of crank rotation, then fine tune the valve lift/closure by putting it in fourth and rocking the car. REMEMBER to throw it in nuetral before moving on to the next valve or you will have the car dangerously lurch.
As far as the water pump goes, chances are, this is a replacement water pump (I say that because this is a 30-year-old car) and if that little hole on the shaft body of the water pump is pointing up, the water pump was installed at 180 degrees off. That hole is a weep hole for moisture to escape and not a lube point. The bearing in the replacement pump is pre-lubed and will not accept lubrication. If you are heck bent on lubing the pump, take it off, tap the hole and install an alemite. Don't recommend you doing this. I know the manual says something about lubing the pump, perhaps the original was doable, I don't know anyone that has the original pump still on their car.
As far as the spin-on filter, you will have to cant it at a slight angle to avoid the slave cylinder. The fuel filter may have to be moved up a few inches for more clearance in this area for room for the oil filter. It should be right below the fuel pump (mechanical). You might want to bend a new piece of 5/16 steel fuel line from the pump to go straight down to the filter. Make sure that the line hangs straight down as the action of the engine will cause this line to work the compression sleeve in the pump and loosen the steel line just enough to cause a nuisance leak.

Bill
 
[ QUOTE ]
Okay, a few questions have been in my mind, and I hope that someone on the list will be kind enough to help me out. Apologies if these are really stupid!

[/ QUOTE ]They're only stupid if they go unasked and, therefore, unanswered! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
[ QUOTE ]
2. Water pump greasing - according to both manuals I have, there is a place to install a grease nipple on top of the pump. I cannot for the life of me find the bolt to remove to install this nipple.

[/ QUOTE ]I'm not aware of there being a removable bolt (or plug) to be replaced with a grease nipple. Either there's a spot or there isn't; if there is, it would have a nipple already. Possibly later TR6 original pumps, and certainly almost all replacement pumps, do NOT have grease fittings.

[ QUOTE ]
3. I just changed to a spin on oil filter, since I just couldn't handle the cannister type. The spin on isn't that much easier, though. I have realised that I can't mount it straight down due to the clutch slave cylinder, but any other angle interferes with the fuel pipe and filter. Is my fuel pipe/filter in the wrong place?

[/ QUOTE ]From my own limited experience with this setup and from what I've heard from other folks who have done the conversion, a slight angle to the filter is about the best you can do on a left-hand steering TR -- just too much stuff all competing for the same underhood real estate!
 
[ QUOTE ]
...I don't know anyone that has the original pump still on their car...

[/ QUOTE ]

Now you do. It's 42 years old and yes, I carry a spare.
 
Wow! Thsi forum is amazing. 7 replies in less than 90 minutes. Thanks for the help guys. I suspected that I must have a replacement water pump, but I would have thought it would have the greasing point anyway.

I already have the plugs out to turn the crank, but it is still hard to move (and I have limited space at the moment)I suspect that after a couple of months without running the oil has drained down to the sump so I will have to turn the oil pump to get some lubrication. I'll give that a try.

As for the fuel line, I would like to re-route it a bit to try to make more psace, but I appear to have a full fuel tank (a bit less full after last night's oil filter change...). Is there a simple way to avoid spilling a load of fuel as I put on a new flter and some extra hose?

Thanks again for the replies. Appreciated as usual!
Alistair
 
I have used a ratchet on the alternator pully nut to spin the motor. This allows much finer adjustments & is easier that pushing the car around a confined space.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
...I don't know anyone that has the original pump still on their car...

[/ QUOTE ]

Now you do. It's 42 years old and yes, I carry a spare.

[/ QUOTE ]

now you know two and I'm living on the edge without a spare.
 
[ QUOTE ]
...Is there a simple way to avoid spilling a load of fuel as I put on a new flter and some extra hose?

[/ QUOTE ]

Harbor Freight carries clamping pliers specifically for closing flexible lines such as fuel & brake lines. Very effective... will hold against brake line pressure and I have never known them to damage the hose.

In addition to using them on the fuel line for changing a filter, fuel pump, etc you can also use them to keep from pumping fuel when you are cranking the engine for valve adjustment etc. With the fuel line clamped and plugs out you could crank the engine and get oil pressure and lube if the engine has sat awhile.

Okay... couldn't find them on the HF website, not sure what they call them. In a pinch (pun intended) I have used a C-Clamp (G-Clamp in the UK) with a couple of small pieces of wood to clamp off a fuel line.
 
[ QUOTE ]


Okay... couldn't find them on the HF website, not sure what they call them. In a pinch (pun intended) I have used a C-Clamp (G-Clamp in the UK) with a couple of small pieces of wood to clamp off a fuel line.

[/ QUOTE ]

In a previous life clamping off hoses was a daily thing. I used a set of needle nosed vice grips (the small ones). They have straight jaws so 2 pieces of 3/8 or 1/2 id clear vinyl tubing about 2" long slips over the jaws nicely. Since they are roundish with the tubing in place you get a nice clean seal and I never damaged thousands of hoses of various diameters that I clamped off.
 
...I don't know anyone that has the original pump still on their car...

Make that 3. Our 3330 mile drive across country was done with the original pump, tires, fuel pump... We did carry a spare fuel pump. After all we're not dare devils!
 
No spare, eh? Man, that's taking a chance. I'll bet you have brass lugnuts, too.

Bill
 
[ QUOTE ]
Wow! Thsi forum is amazing. 7 replies in less than 90 minutes. Thanks for the help guys.

[/ QUOTE ]

You think some of us need to get a life, myself included?

Bill
 
My Spitfire has a RED BUTTON selenoid just for that purpose!If you have the same setup pull the plugs touch the red button to turn the crank for adjusting the tappets.VERY HANDY to service the TR....KEN&WL
 
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