TR2/3/3A TR3 control head internal pictures?

[Jim Lee]

Hi all,

Does anyone have a picture or drawing of the TR3 control head showing where the bits and pieces go together. I have seen Clive Elsdons fine MS Word document on disassembling it but it doesn't show where all the little pieces go.

Thanks very much,
Jim Lee

 

[Banjo]

If noone else has a chance I can probably get you a pic by tomorrow night

 

[Don Elliott]

The British TR Register has a fabulous magazine and I found this in Issue 144 dated Jan/Feb 1998. It is a reprint by the original author Ian Cornish From Issue 62 dated 1985.

Maybe this will help. See attachment for Page 1.

Don Elliott, Member of the TR Register since 1987.

 

[Don Elliott]

And here are the sketches from Page 2

 

[Jim Lee]

Thanks Don, that is exactly what I needed.

Also a note to anyone else who has a 'spinning' control head that turns either with the wheel or by itself. The three 'grub' screws that hold the head in a fixed position were not very hard to get out. A little bit of oil and a sharp and very small screwdriver worked for me. One was completely missing and the other two were there but not doing anything. I was able to get replacements that are the
same size and thread (10x32) only without the point at my local True Value hardware store.

Thanks very much,
Jim Lee

 

[Don Elliott]

Another reason the control head would spin happens if the embossed "key" that locks the unit to the long tube is worn or broken off. This "key" in on the outer diameter of the long tube about 6" down from the control head. Another reason is if the brass hexagon nut coming out the front of the steering box is loose, the whole tube will be free to rotate and the steering head rotates with it. Just check that this nut and the olive gland it seals which also prevents the oil from dripping out the steering box is tight.

 

[Geo Hahn]

Try this site (it is from a Bookmark of an archived site, I think the original is long gone). I'm on a dial up so I didn't wait to see if it loaded okay, looked like it was trying to.

https://web.archive.org/web/2004042901085...trafficator.htm

 

[Bugeye58]

George, I tried the site, and it loaded fine, although a bit slowly, even on broadband. Once it opened I could see why. Very picture intensive, but probably the best I've ever seen on the trafficator control. Wish I could have had that available to me years ago!
Jeff

 

[Jim Lee]

These pictures are incredible. It makes me wonder if it would be possible for me to work on this car if it were not for this
forum.

Thanks to all,
Jim Lee

 

[Jim Lee]

I am very glad to report that I got my original TR3 turn signals working with the help of all in this thread. It turns out I had a bad wire, bad switch, bad flasher, so it was more than due for an overhaul.

There are two more questions that I have now that are less vital but still nagging me. With the three new tiny 'grub' screws in the steering wheel it does a great job of keeping the control head firmly on the wheel but the head still turns right along with the wheel. I was hoping the 3 tiny screws would take care of that. I am pretty sure that what is happening is that the pipe like thing that is about 6 inches long and is solidly attached to the head is just turning inside the stator. There is supposed to be a key that prevents this inner tube attached to the control head from turning that I obviously do not have right. It did take some prying to get the thing off (head and attached pipe) but when I was reinserting it it just slid in with no positive 'lock in' feel. The only thing that might represent a 'key' on this 6" tube was a series of indentations, maybe 5 or 6, at the end. Is this the 'key' that is supposed to keep it from moving? At the bottom of the steering box I am unable to get the nut that the wires go through with the 'acorn' like piece of brass that should be holding in the steering oil tight. Either the threads on the stator or the nut are stripped some way because I can only tighten it up to a certain degree and then it loosens up again. I am hoping that it is the nut that is stripped and not the thread of the stator.

I am guessing that the real problem might well be that the entire stator tube is turning freely inside the steering column and the 'key' towards the control head may be working but to no end. Then again pulling it out of the stator was sort of a struggle and putting it back in did not feel at all like a snug or tight fit. I am not that worried about the control head turning with the wheel as it has been doing that for a while but if I cannot get the 'gland?' nut at the
bottom of the steering box tight I don't think I will have a chance of getting any oil to stay in there to lubricate the cam and peg. I am very much hoping that all it will take is replacing the nut at the end of the steering box where the wires come out.

Has anyone dealt with these same problems before?

Thanks very much,
Jim Lee

 

[Keoke]

Hi Jim, I think anyone who owns the adjustable trafficator has dealt with this problem. However, until you get the nut on the bottom to cinch up tight on the olive the unit is not going to function correctly. Should the head continue to turn with the steering wheel you are vulnerable to wire breakage or a short circuit.-Fwiw-Keoke

 

[Don Elliott]

RE: - Still rotating. You can see the "keys" in the last photo of the series of 24 photos archived at the address noted above. There are 4 of them in a line near the end of the 6" long upper tube. This tube fits inside the long tube that goes down to the steering box. There is a long slot up near the top of that long tube that these keys slide into. I have seen a tube that was mashed up at the bottom end (about 3" down from the top end) of this long slot and the long tube had worn to the point where it got very thin and then separated (broke). I had to MIG weld it back together, file off the excess weld and put it back together again. It still works fine.