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Wedge My new toy: 1981 TR-8

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I need to look at some old notes, but it sounds like you have a ground issue. It can create all kinds of bizarre things.

The ones I would attack are:

1. The ground in the trunk from the negative batter terminal to the body. Get a new length of wire.

2. There is one in the engine bay on the R/H side from the frame to the engine block. It is an unwrapped braided wire. It is a B&*^ to get at the connection on the engine block but you can get at it from below. I scrubbed mine nice and pretty while the PS was out :smile:

3. There is at least one under the dash. I do not recall exactly where at the moment, but it does give fits as it relates to switches, lights & other abnormalities. i would get under there and look for anything attached to the frame and clean it.

If that fails I would pull the alternator and bring it to a quality rebuild shop for a bench test or better yet a new rebuild.

Lastly I would pull the battery and have that tested as well. For me, if the battery is 5+ year old, I would simply replace it. It takes that out of the loop and it needs to be replaced soon anyway.

Beyond that, you are into wire loom issues, relay problems, etc.
 
Ask Paul about this. make sure the ground at the alt is connected to the frame.
 
:iagree:

Most of the problems I have had with my car have been traced to lousy grounds.
 
Sorry I'm late in coming back to the picnic here. Work + family + broken family car = no time for fun car stuff.

I had a bunch of wierdness continue to occur for me after all the wiring work. As has been echoed in earlier posts the source of it was grounding.

As an experiment I added an extra engine ground strap to the chassis from one of the alternator bolts. Once I did that the car started and ran fine.

Also, a battery voltage of 12.18v is actually a low battery. A battery with a good charge will put out around 12.5v.


Jody
 
Ok, where to start. Per GBR's suggestion of looking at ground wires, I found the front grd. to the frame and cleaned that connector, but not the engine connector-yet. I also started looking for the one under the dash (DS and PS). I haven't found it yet, I pulled up the carpet and sound deadening. Is it tucked up behind the dash? I have not been able to get the battery grd. unbolted because of corrosion-I have used penetrating spray for two days with no luck. It may come to sawing the bolt off and as suggested, replace the battery grd. Would replacing the steel bolt with brass (corrosion resistant) be okay?
Has anyone come across a list of grd. wire locations?

Per DNK's remarks.
I did not find a alt./frame grd. when I replaced the original alt. I noticed one is shown on the electrical schematic. I assume there is a proper way to install a grd. wire to the frame per Jody's suggestion?

You all have been a great help and I do appreciate you answering my questions. Thanks Again.
The hunt continues!
 
Here's Paul's ground on his.
starter%20022%20(Medium).jpg


I grounded mine to the alt. which I have been told is not the approved method as I might be getting less of a charge, I think Art said.
 
That is mine where it belongs. The fun begins when you leave it hanging down below.......an expensive lesson that could have been a LOT worse.

I actually bought a few extra ground cables at NAPA the other day. One extra for the TR6 and one for the TR8. Not sure where they're going yet, but they will be going somewhere on each car.
 
Also, on the shifter housing bushings, those can be changed from inside the car. You have to remove the console, then the cover over the shifter housing, then pull the carpet up part way and remove the next sheet metal cover.

Then you can work your way into the top mounting bolts. If you have a problem with the side bolts, raise the car, put a jack under the crossmember holding up the transmission and then unbolt the 4 bolts holding it in place. Now you can lower it just enough to get to the bolts. You can see the placement of the bushing here:

TransReady.jpg


Shifter%20Housing.jpg


PolyShiftBush.jpg


https://web.me.com/jclaythompson/iWeb/Site/Triumph%20TR-7.html
 
DNK,
On Paul's alt. ground, one end is attached to the bracket and the other to the frame-hard to tell?
I spent the morning tracking down and cleaning as many grds. as I could find. I found four in the trunk (1 for ea. tail light; Neg. battery-finally able to break it free; and 1 in the upper corner on the passenger side near the trunk shock).
In the engin bay I found four (1 for each headlight; 1 to the engine block; and 1 on the wheel well-wiring came from the coil and entered a ribbed rect. box).
One ground was in the interior passenger side on the RH side under the dash. In Roger Williams-How to Restore Triumph TR7 & 8-he suggested seven grounds. One is under the central dash cover on top of the dash. I see a green wire-looks like a grd., but can't tell where it's connected or how I'm going to get to it.
That's nine. I used Williams's list plus looked at schematic for my car for grounds on major components. That's a big list!
I don't have grd. for alt., dist., as far as I can tell.
Any other suggestions for ground wire locations or major components needing one?
 
GBR,
I'm afraid not. The car still won't turn over.
Am I thinking correctly that a working alt. is not required for the car to turn over and run. When an alt. is not working correctly (not charging the battery) the car will still start and run until such time as the battery loses its charge!
That is what the car was doing which perciptated my doing this upgrade. Now it won't turn over.
 
You mean when you turn the key nothin happens?
 
DNK,
Yes, when I turn the key nothing happens. I do hear a 'click' sound from the starter relay.
Before I replaced the alternator, the car turned over and ran until there was no 'juice' in the battery.
I plan jacking the car up and looking at the starter, ground, etc., connections tomorrow. Any ideas?
Thanks
 
The poop's not gettin' to the starter. The alternator has nothing to do with this issue.

is this a solenoid on the starter kind of starter, or a seperate solenoid kind of starter.

The seperate one is easier to troubleshoot. Test light on the heavy lead to the starter, have a helper turn the key to start. light on? yes, no starter? put light to engine block, light on? wonky ground. Light off when attached to the block but no starter? wonky starter. Same principle applies to the solenoid on the starter kind of starter, just harder to get at.

The click tells me that the starter decided it was jealous of the attention the alternator was getting.

If you played with the wires on the starter in this process it is possible that you disturbed it's karma, and now won't cooperate.

Try on last trick, smack the end of the starter with a brass or stiff plastic hammer, soft rubber ones just won't do. The lead hammer for the knock off wire wheels is ideal. Sometime's that will get one last cough out of a starter.

FWIW
 
Mike- Your starter is Kaput. I had no idea this was the issue with the nothin at key turn. Did you state this from the beginning,and if you did,my apologies for missin it.
 
DNK,
I did not go into greater detail in this thread. I detailed the non-turn over problem in another thread-the Wedge Shop forum (alternator upgrades)-along with headlight pop up problems. I had tested the battery and alt. because my battery kept running down. The alt. tested bad and I started looking for information here and on TWS.

The starter is only five months old (from Victoria British). I thought it would have lasted longer.

71MKIV,
The starter is an integral type, the solenoid is attached. I have been looking at using a 12V test light as you suggested. My plan is to look at the starter ground, connections, etc. tomorrow and clean what I can. I'm not sure about the Karma angle, in this situation.

Thanks for all the help, I have learned alot from this experience. But it looks like it ain't over yet.
 
Remove the starter and take it to a car electric place to be tested. Don't rely on a auto parts store.
 
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