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TR2/3/3A TR3 back on the road!

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T

TruCraft

Jedi Hopeful
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Got my brake pressure switch and a few other last parts I needed in today from TRF.
Put eveything together, all lights work, and fired it up!
Opened the shop door and.......
Couldn't get the car to go in gear.
This happens to my Opel Gt once in awhile, so I knew what it was.
Clutch pressure plate rusted to the flywheel, 24 years will do that.
Let the car warm up, then shut it off. Put it in 2nd gear, foot on the brake, clutch pedal down, and cranked it over. It worked!
Time to take it out, I drove around the parking lot, then onto the back road by my shop.
Forgot how much fun this thing was to drive!
Shifted smooth, clutch engagement good, accelerated strong and stopped smooth.
Will get my Insurance & plate tommorow.
And drive to the DMV to get legal.
Very happy!
:smile:
Thanks for help.
Of course not everthing worked:
*Fuel gauge
*Speedometer
Lyle
 
Great news and ain't they fun.
Have you had the car all of that time? What is the build number and how about a pic?
 
Lyle - congrats on the success! Believe me, I also know how good it is to feel that TR3 get back to roadworthy condition.

Here's some help on the fuel guage situation; diagnostics and calibration:

https://www.mgaguru.com/mgtech/electric/fg104.htm

I rebuilt my own speedometer, but don't know if that's what you need. Do a search on " TR3 speedometer" here, or start another topic here if you need some help on that.

Best wishes!
Tom
 
Hurrah! I know <span style="text-decoration: underline">just</span> how you feel. I did that initial run around the neighborhood (also without current tags or insurance) last September. Hooooweee! That's a great feeling. But not as cool as what it's like after you get legal and can really go somewhere...
 
Thanks folks.
Got my insurance and a temp tag today.
Will take some pictures and go for a drive on the big road tomorrow.
Will search on how to add a picture.
Lyle
 
Went for a longer drive today.
Temp outside was 84 degree's, high humidity, with gusting winds as high as 40mph!
Everything went well for first time out.
Had it to 3,500 RPM in 4th, Speedo & fuel gauge not working yet, so I don't know how fast I was going.
*Water temp ran about 175-185 when moving.
About 190-200 when stuck in stop and go!
Seems high, but no water from overflow.
*Amp gauge was at 0 with no draw.
slightly below with park lights on.
*Oil pressure 50-75PSI.
Are these good readings?
Fun day :smile:
Lyle
 

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With the 3.7 rear end that almost all TR3's have that should be about 71 mph @ 3500 rpm. All your gauge indications are good to go.
The amp gauge should not register below 0 with lights on etc. It should register a figure to the right of zero indicating the amperage draw and the response from the generator.
One of the first mods I did to my TR3 was put an alternator in place of the gen as the gen could not keep up with the halogens when other systems were operating (heater, elec fan etc). However, with just the parking lights on it should hardly register an amp or two to the right.
 
prb51 said:
With the 3.7 rear end that almost all TR3's have that should be about 71 mph @ 3500 rpm. All your gauge indications are good to go.
The amp gauge should not register below 0 with lights on etc. It should register a figure to the right of zero indicating the amperage draw and the response from the generator.
However, with just the parking lights on it should hardly register an amp or two to the right.
Click to expand...
70mph wow! It seemed pretty fast with all the wind noise. Had a slight vibration/shimmy at higher speed so will check front end.

I pulled the cable off at the speedo gauge and put a small screw driver in the gauge and it turned easily and showed movement, that's a good sign.
On the cable, the square inner cable will turn and can be pulled out, so I have a broken cable,
will replace.

The amp gauge never shows a positive reading. The battery is new and fully charged. Will look into what to do.

Fuel gauge check is next.
Thanks
Lyle
 
Lyle - just a thought on that "shimmy".

I see you have original (?) steel wheels. On my TR3, the original steels were "not exactly perfect"; I guess after 50 years of driving, they'd hit a few chuck holes and street curbs.

Wheels were balanced with weights, but still had a wobble (steering column, front end, back end) at speed.

I put each wheel on a spin balancer, spun the wheel, watched looking directly toward the front of the wheel, and saw the wheel actually wobble side to side. Pointed my finger from the side toward the edge of the rim, and watched the wheel move in and out, toward and away from my finger.

I tried a few "wheel shops" that said they could straighten the rims. No luck. Mortgaged the farm, sold my first born male child, buckled down and bought four new wheels from Moss. Put the tires back on, re-balanced, and the car runs smooth as glass. What a difference.

So ... your wobble might be due to your original steel wheels.

Tom
 
Tom, good thought. I had the wheels spin balanced, but don't know it they were running exactly true.
Will check into it.
Thanks
Lyle
 
Another thought on the "shimmy."

TR3s are also known to suffer from "scuttle shake." The wind buffeting around the windshield can cause the scuttle (the part of the body, over the dash, to which the windshield is mounted) to vibrate. Like a wheel shimmy, this will dis/reappear at different speeds. Because the steering column is mounted to the scuttle, as well, it can feel like a wheel shimmy. If your steering wheel is rotating back-and-forth, it's definitely the wheels/steering. If it is not rotating, but the whole column is moving side-to-side, it might be scuttle vibration. Another way to tell the difference is that wheel shimmies tend to change frequency -- slower shake at lower speeds. Scuttle shake is more constant. On-or-off, but not really faster-and-slower at different speeds.

Those plexiglass wind wings that many people attach to their windshields serve, among other things, to minimize this phenomenon. If you mount a pair, and it changes the character of your "shimmy," you may have identified the problem.
 
Glad to hear one more Tr is back on track!! I will add one little safety note,did you convert the rear turn lamps into turn/brake lamps???This mod takes 10$ worth of new sockets and 15 minutes to complete.It gives a tr3a 4 brake lamps and may well save your rear end!! Dont forget that an entire generation of kids has grown-up with cars having 3 brake lamps,you have to work to get their attention when they are texting......
MD(mad dog)
 
I lost all of my scuttle shake/shimmy recently when I changed from the stock steering to rack and pinion. I didn't expect this, just easier/more precise steering.
The front suspension was just rebuilt and the idler lever unit replaced. The steering box was not rebuilt but was tight (about 1/4 inch play with wheels fully loaded). I have pretty new Dayton wires.
With the stock steering there are six/seven flex points counting tie rods/silent blocks/idler etc.
I just guess that the constantly changing geometry allows for minute variances that can lead to shimmy/harmonics/scuttle shake.
As I went thru modifications...new wires, rebuilt front end, new idler the shimmy kept getting less and less and I thought I was as good as it could get until the R&P. That eliminated everything in the front end.
 
Moseso said:
Another thought on the "shimmy."

TR3s are also known to suffer from "scuttle shake." The wind buffeting around the windshield can cause the scuttle (the part of the body, over the dash, to which the windshield is mounted) to vibrate. Like a wheel shimmy, this will dis/reappear at different speeds. Because the steering column is mounted to the scuttle, as well, it can feel like a wheel shimmy. If your steering wheel is rotating back-and-forth, it's definitely the wheels/steering. If it is not rotating, but the whole column is moving side-to-side, it might be scuttle vibration. Another way to tell the difference is that wheel shimmies tend to change frequency -- slower shake at lower speeds. Scuttle shake is more constant. On-or-off, but not really faster-and-slower at different speeds.

Those plexiglass wind wings that many people attach to their windshields serve, among other things, to minimize this phenomenon. If you mount a pair, and it changes the character of your "shimmy," you may have identified the problem.
Click to expand...
Wow, that might be what I am feeling!
Just got back from another ride and the shake is still there at higher speeds. It didn't feel like the steering wheel was rotating, but more like a vibration all over.
Like you are saying.
This was it's first test weekend, so I will do a check on all suspension and wheel parts this week to see how everything is doing.
Thanks
Lyle
 
MDCanaday said:
Glad to hear one more Tr is back on track!! I will add one little safety note,did you convert the rear turn lamps into turn/brake lamps???This mod takes 10$ worth of new sockets and 15 minutes to complete.It gives a tr3a 4 brake lamps and may well save your rear end!! Dont forget that an entire generation of kids has grown-up with cars having 3 brake lamps,you have to work to get their attention when they are texting......
MD(mad dog)
Click to expand...
MD is there a thread for this mod?
Sounds like a good idea.
Lyle
 
Mad Dog (or any of our other gifted electrical engineers)--
I'm interested in this conversion too. How does one wire the circuit such that the brake and turn lights operate on the same lamp filament? i.e. either brake switch or turn switch operates the light AND turn signal continues to flash while your foot is on the brake.
 
About 10 years ago, I ordered some halogen bulbs from JC Whitney with the correct 2-prong base to fit the original sockets for the rear tail lights of my 1958 TR3A. The extra output is worth a few dollars so that those following you might see the red running lights and the red brake lights a bit brighter and a bit sooner.

I tried other similar single-prong halogen bulbs that fit the directional signal light bases on the rear and all I did was smoke the relay that makes them blink. Not a compatible match as the wattage of the halogen bulbs is higher that the rating for the relay. So I bought a new "original" blinker relay and stayed with the original bulb ratings and output.
 
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