Drove the project to work today!

[Moseso]

Minnesota TR3 update.4

I've driven the car a little every evening this week. Today, it's glorious weather so, even though I can't fit a top or a tonneau yet, I drove up to work in the TR3. Woo (as they say) hoo!

I'm done adjusting the OD solenoid, so, yesterday afternoon, I put the transmission tunnel and the passenger seat in. Sure makes the car quieter and cooler..,. Seat belts go in today or tomorrow and then it's a complete driver!

Issues still to resolve:

Steering is stiff -- won't self-straighten out of a turn. I suspect the (new) felt bush at the top of the column. I'm going to pull the wheel and the bush and try some more graphite there.

Rear carb jet will not return to normal running position after choke has been disengaged -- the spring won't pull it all the way back up. I have to open the bonnet and manually push it home. Any suggestions? The jet is centered and the linkage is adjusted correctly. It just doesn't slide easily enough in the jet holder for the spring to pull it back up to the run setting. I am using the cork washers in the jet holder. Might the Moss Motors o-rings slide better? (The front carb works just as it's supposed to.)

Note: Car NOT parked in my garage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Brosky]

It was killing me today. Mine is still in the body shop and there was not a cloud in the sky and the temp was in the mid 70's.

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

It will probably start to snow the minute I get it home.

 

[DrEntropy]

Great news, Len!!! It LOOKS great from here too. Don't wait too long to get the seatbelts in... kinda helps keepin' yer butt anchor'd when ya get a bit overzealous about the handlin' aspects... they're a bit of a "buckboard" y'know. :wink:

It will probably start to snow the minute I get it home.

Ain't that one of Newton's corollaries?!?!

 

[NickMorgan]

Looking good!
The steering will never self centre like a modern car. Something to do with the geometry that someone may be able to explain better than me.
All I can suggest for the carbs is to dismantle the jet assembly and grease those little cork glands. That made all the difference on my TR3.

 

[startech47]

I polished the outside of my jets with progressively finer grit sand paper up to 20,000 grit. That solved the hang up problem. Also, used the o-rings and silicone grease.

 

[Don Elliott]

Moseso - Lift the front end so the wheels are off the floor of your garage. Then turn the steering wheel and see if it's free or if it's still tight.

Then let us know what you find.

I can't see a little oily felt washer causing this sort of stiffness in your steering.

 

[sail]

very cool

 

[Tinster]

Looks great Len but you need to more careful
where you park. That sure looks like DPO Pedro's
maroon minivan next to you. Ya might have a tater
in the exhaust pipe.

D

 

[NutmegCT]

My rear carb wouldn't return to "normal" after pulling the choke cable. After much wailing and gnashing of teeth, and all the other suggestions and replacements, I discovered the jet itself was just slightly bent. Actually rocked back and forth when placed down on a tabletop. Obviously would get "stuck" when trying to move up and down.

Replaced the jet - all works well.

Just my 2¢.
Tom

 

[DrEntropy]

Even a small amount of ~anything~ in the slide can restrict the jet return. Cleaning and polishing can be helpful in most cases. Some silicone couldn't hurt either.

The felt "bushings" ~can~ cause stiff steering. But doing the check of lifting the wheels off the ground and checking again is a good indicator of whether it's the felts or perhaps as Nick suggests; just the slight caster angle of the TR design.

You'll know kinda quick with the load off of the tire contact patch.

 

[Moseso]

Thanks for all the steering suggestions. The whole dang thing has been rebuilt, and I know that none of the components are exerting much stiffness. EVERYTHING has fresh grease on it! I had already lifted the front end, and all felt good. One of the reasons I suspected the top bushing was that was where I heard it make a noise when I turned the wheel with the tires on the ground. I did pull and lube the bushing this afternoon. Plenty of powdered graphite. I also realigned the top half and the bottom half of the column. Things are better, but I didn't get a chance to go far since this adjustment. It was stiff enough that I wasn't getting proper road feel in clover-leaf freeway ramps. That's too tight. I'll find out tomorrow how much improvement I've made. I expect a little stiffness due to the newness of the whole system. Driving it around may help. Yeah! That's it! I'll just drive it a lot!!

Thanks, also, for carb jet suggestions. That sounds like a later-this-Winter fix. I don't want to pull a carb til I'm done driving it a lot. That will surely come soon enough -- too soon.

 

[2wrench]

Yeah, drive it a bit more first. Congratulations....

PS. Cept better get the seatbelts in sos ya don't become a statistic.

 

[GBRandy]

very cool...it was a glorious day in the upper Midwest and glad to see your TR3 made it out. Looks great.

 

[Moseso]

Yeah, drive it a bit more first. Congratulations....

PS. Cept better get the seatbelts in sos ya don't become a statistic.

I envy you, 2wrench... You don't have to put it up for the Winter in Tracy, due to car-eating salt all over the road!

The belts go in tomorrow. Then I RIDE!

 

[prb51]

Great to see it on the road (or in the parking lot).
I suspect you chose the TR3 for all of the fine balmy open motoring your state offers???
The steering on my TR3 is stiff too and I've rebuilt the front end, someday I'll pull the steering box and have at it but I consider it a driving work out program for better motoring health.
It self centers when I steer it back to center.

 

[Trevor Triumph]

Car looks good. don't loet the cool weather slow you down. With the tonneau snapped in place on the passenger side there is lots of heat comming off the exhaust manifold. I drove my spitfire through our winters for several years wearing a sweatshirt and cap- didn't have a top. I guess snow and rain may be a good reason to add the top. T.T.

 

[DrEntropy]

:lol:

That's why they call it "driving"!!!

 

[martx-5]

... just the slight caster angle of the TR design.

What caster angle?? There is none in a TR3. That wasn't changed until early in the TR4 run when they went to 4 deg. If you're not into originality, it's a nice ugrade to put the later parts in.

 

[DrEntropy]

:lol:

"Vertical" meant just that.

If you're not into originality, it's a nice ugrade to put the later parts in.

Probably safer, too, unless you're driving the TR on a continual basis: we get used to anything if subjected long enough. :wink:

 

[sabot]

looks good Les, is the blue the factroy color/
tom