Distributor problem

[TR3driver]

Great feeling, isn't it ! And to paraphrase some author, these cars really need you. You can't just push a button and go whizzing off at 90 mph.

 

[ekamm]

Awesome and I told ya it would be great now get her rollin. You've got a lot a work to do.

 

[Banjo]

JR, Great news! Glad it fired off for you. You may be able to run the carbs as they are for now, but I would venture a guess that if they're not leaking now, they will be soon (and right on the exhaust manifold!). those old cork gaskets don't like being dry for 10 plus years. Not to mention a carb rebuild will get all the gunk and varnish that is inside all cleaned out. Put a carb rebuild on your list as part of bringing the car back to being safe and reliable. It'll save a LOT of headaches in the future.
short list would be: Carbs, fuel pump, and rubber lines, brake cylinders, master, calipers and hoses, secondary ignition system (cap rotor wires, plugs) all fluids (eng oil, trans, dif, steering box, brakes. and new tires. Even if they have 100% tread. DO NOT drive on 15-20 year old tires. the rubber deteriorates and becomes unsafe. There'll be lots of other things, but this stuff is basic safety or has a limited life time to the parts, and not worth trying to keep using.

 

[TR3driver]

Even if they have 100% tread. DO NOT drive on 15-20 year old tires. the rubber deteriorates and becomes unsafe.

With especially that part.

For now, I wouldn't worry about replacing the throttle shafts & bushings (unless they are really badly worn); if you leave them alone, the rest of a carb rebuild on these carbs is pretty simple.

However I would suggest replacing both the jet return springs, and the jet gland springs. They aren't included in the kits, but are available separately from the usual suspects. TRF P/N is SUAUC1158 for the gland springs, and SUAUC4667 for the return springs.

 

[swift6]

He may also be close enough to Joe Curto to be a walk in.

 

[pjsmetana]

BE CAREFUL. These little cars can surprise you in the funniest ways.

Spoken like a true champion!

BTW, with the 30 year old gas in there, I can only assume those little diaphragms on the carb(s) have got to be toast. How the heck did it start? What you did would have never worked for me without that carb rebuild 1st. You must be one lucky chap!

 

[Andrew Mace]

Fortunately, SUs have no diaphragms (unlike the Strombergs), so they're a bit less fussy in that regard! Actually, SUs can be quite forgiving, so long as fuel can get where it has to and the piston is free to slide up and down. Not that cleaning and rebuilding as needed won't help, but...I'm just saying.... :wink:

 

[TR3driver]

Actually, SUs can be quite forgiving,

Quite true.

And the fuel dripping onto the hot exhaust manifold hardly ever actually catches fire ...

 

[Andrew Mace]

And the fuel dripping onto the hot exhaust manifold hardly ever actually catches fire ...

True! But guess where the "drain" for the intake manifold on a typical Triumph Herald leads to?

 

[SkinnedKnuckles]

Could that line be to allow warm air to be sucked into the manifold rather than a drain? Kind of an afterthought manifold heater?

 

[Andrew Mace]

Interesting idea...but the factory Spare Parts Catalogue identifies that pipe as "Pipe assembly, manifold drain"!