• Hey Guest!
    British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
Tips
Tips

TR2/3/3A TR3 Rear wheel cylinder attachment clips

Share this page

T

tmeinc1

Freshman Member
Offline
Can someone post a picture or refer me to a good diagram of how the clips are supposed to be attached to the wheel cylinders on the TR3? I have had these off and on on my TR6 without a thought. Now I'm restoring a TR3A and the system is the same but there is a third clip called a distance piece that I never had on the TR6. I can barely get the two large clips into the goove on the cylinder. I can't imagine how a third clip can be inserted. Also, I got dust covers that came with the kit. One end goes over the hand brake lever, but I haven't a clue what holds the whole thing in place. Sure hope someone can help.
 
Unfortunately, AFAIK all the diagrams are wrong. But if you follow the written procedure in the back of the workshop manual, it goes right together.

Poke the cylinder through the backplate, without the handbrake lever. Slide the distance piece (the smallest one) into place with the opening away from the handbrake lever and the tabs away from the backplate. Then slide the spring plate (the big one with the tabs sticking out) in between the distance piece and the backplate, also with the opening away from the lever and tabs out. Now install the lever. You may need to tap it into place, but I can usually just push on the cylinder and slide the pegs under the end.

Now tap the retaining plate in from the other side, between the distance piece and the spring plate, until the tabs on the spring plate engage with the slots in the retaining plate.

In theory, I think the boot is supposed to snap over the retaining plate, but mine never do. Doesn't seem to hurt anything to just leave it hanging there.
 
Many thanks to you and TR3driver for yopur replies. Both were very helpful. The TR3 and TR6 system is excactly the same. I just never had the small clip on my TR6. Looks like I have a fun job ahead.
mgedit said:
Not sure if they are the same but this site explains the TR6 ones very well. https://www.buckeyetriumphs.org/technical/Brakes/Rear/Rear.htm

Randall, am I correct is saying that the early Lockheed setup had no clips holding the wheel cylinders in place?

Cheers, Mike
Click to expand...
 
This topic comes up occasionally, and unfortunately it is one of the rare instances where the Buckeye information is not quite right. The little spring plate with the turned up edges is not the last piece to go in - it can be done that way as others (including me) have done, but it is much harder that way. Here is a link to the same topic, the message is - the middle piece gets put in last:
https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcf...p-Installation&highlight=wheel+cylinder+clips
 
mgedit said:
Randall, am I correct is saying that the early Lockheed setup had no clips holding the wheel cylinders in place?
Click to expand...
That's the way I remember it, but it's been a long time. The twin front cylinders are actually bolted to the back plate, but the single rear cylinders just float in the hole. There is a flange that keeps them in the hole while centered (and the shoes hold them centered), but no clips.
 
tmeinc1 said:
Can someone post a picture or refer me to a good diagram of how the clips are supposed to be attached to the wheel cylinders on the TR3? I have had these off and on on my TR6 without a thought. Now I'm restoring a TR3A and the system is the same but there is a third clip called a distance piece that I never had on the TR6. I can barely get the two large clips into the goove on the cylinder. I can't imagine how a third clip can be inserted. Also, I got dust covers that came with the kit. One end goes over the hand brake lever, but I haven't a clue what holds the whole thing in place. Sure hope someone can help.
Click to expand...

I just want to let everyone know that I successfully installed all the parts. I used a combination of the procedures from TR3driver and mgedit. I put the dust boot in place right after installing the spring plate. Then I slid the locking plate in place and the dust boot nested nicely beneath the locking plate and around the spring plate. What really baffled me was that the distance piece looks like it should be the last piece installed when, in fact, it's the first piece. Many thanks to all for your help. Now I have to get the missing pieces for my TR6 and do that job correctly.
 
Back
Top