Little Red, my 1500 EFI Herald convertible.

[mpbarrett]

So this year I had plans to do lots of work on the  Herald, sort out the oil leaks, remove the gearbox and change the ratios. Sort out the hood frame and fit the new one and finally get the body work sorted.

To be honest haven't managed any of this since we took the Herald on the 10CR last September, partly due to knee problems, Covid and other stuff getting in the way!
But this week I have finally started on the new hood.... 

Last year the joint on the edge of the front rail broke (usually  lack of lubrication). Managed to get a NOS one from a well known supplier but could never get it to fit properly. BTW for the 10CR we fitted the hardtop in which I had fitted a sunroof from a Land rover, actually it was a good call as the weather was so wet on the run.
This year I got hold of another front rail, and a new hood as the old one had shrunk, and finally realised why the NOS did not fit properly.

The NOS is on the left and the bracket does not have the kink  in the arm. This means that the geometry will never be correct. If this was really a NOS its probably why it was never used! I don't think I can put a bend in the arm with out drilling the rivet out and putting the arm in the vice  to bend it. If I do this it would be a good time to put some way to get oil into the joint....

 

I have always had some issue with the frame fit. The frame fits nicely around the nearside window

Not so good on the drivers side

Tried a bit of adjustment but have realised what a complex design the hood frame is with joints and hinges most of which are seized...
So this is turning into a strip down of the hood frame to free all the joints and hinges before I can start to try to realign the frame.....
At least I have a spare frame I can use for parts as there are a lot of unusual bolts specific to the hood frame. 

Bit committed now but there is always the hard top!

And the nearside window is jammed in the up position, no movement in the winding mechanism or the frame and cant see what caused to get stuck....

I don't think the Herald has appreciated being neglected over the last few months..... 

to be continued....

mike

 

[RedRooster]

Same thing with the Beam, had to get a bit forceful with the frame to get it where it needed to be. Think some one must have stood on it in the last. 

RR

[TimBancroft]

MIke,

Good luck with all the work. She's a lovely little car.

[mpbarrett]

lots of work getting the hood working again and replacing various bent bits.

 

no idea how it get bent but replaced with a spare part from my spare hood frame.

so hinge joint and plate fitted with a shouldered bolt. Both seized and a night of Plusgas and time in the vice they were free again. Probably the first time since I have owned the Herald over the last 20 years. I am amazed at how complex and clever the hood arrangement is.

Working frame

 

 

Finally got the hood on thanks to some very hot weather, not perfect and could be better but very useable!

 

[mpbarrett]

bit of a break to go to the Triumph and MG 100 years show. Ok lots of nice cars.

lots of MG's and some racing, MG's and 60's and 70's cars (everything from bmw to lotus Cortina) but a bit boring to watch in a stand, a few seconds of excitement and then a long wait for them to come round again! I think I have been spoilt by watching TV coverage of racing.

[mpbarrett]

even better was a visit by American custom cars at Bottisham airfield or whats left of it. Just amazing cars and quality. I think I have seen enough Triumphs and MG's. Have to say the custom car cars were very friendly and happy to chat about the cars. Amazing engineering.

 

Ford 100E with Rover V8 fitted in and Jag rear axle. Beautifully done.

[mpbarrett]

Finally had to get the screen replaced on the Golf GTE again, last done in Nov and this time big stone from a pot hole hit the screen...

after a couple of days there were cracks  half way up the screen. At least it was replaced at home this time. 2 Hours to replace it and 1 hour to recalibrate the camera that looks thru the screen and is used for the smart auto driving stuff, road signs, lane recognition, headlight control etc... 

mike

[Nick Jones]

Well done on the hood.
 

I remember the challenge of trying to create a fully-working, properly fitting hood frame!  It was “better” afterwards, but still short of perfect. That was in 2009. Hood is shot. Needs doing again. 
 

There’s a deep well of talent and skills in the hot-rod world. The results are not always to my taste but the execution is always worth a close look.

[sparky_spit]

That 100E with the RV8 engine belongs to a good friend of mine. I can confirm that it is very quick indeed, which surprises people as it looks pretty standard, apart from the wheels. 

[Escadrille Ecosse]

Well done with the hood indeed. Those frames are challenging.

10 hours ago, Nick Jones said:

There’s a deep well of talent and skills in the hot-rod world. The results are not always to my taste but the execution is always worth a close look.

Couldn't agree more.

That white hot-rod looks like it came out of the Munsters after a quick respray...

[mpbarrett]

17 hours ago, sparky_spit said:

That 100E with the RV8 engine belongs to a good friend of mine. I can confirm that it is very quick indeed, which surprises people as it looks pretty standard, apart from the wheels. 

nice guy very friendly and keen to talk about his car. I like the standard look.

mike

[Escadrille Ecosse]

3 hours ago, mpbarrett said:

nice guy very friendly and keen to talk about his car. I like the standard look.

mike

I like that look too, but boy that is a tight fit.

Changing the plugs must be 'trying'. I wonder if if has those litte doors in the bulkhead like the Sunbeam Tiger?

[RedRooster]

18 hours ago, Escadrille Ecosse said:

 wonder if if has those litte doors in the bulkhead like the Sunbeam Tiger?

Nothing that fancy, just a 2inch hole and a big gromet

[Escadrille Ecosse]

[mpbarrett]

Easter weekend, time to take the engine and gearbox out of the Herald. I need to change the clutch swap the gearbox over (risky as I have a new one that is untested) and hunt down a oil leak from somewhere near the back of the engine.

Taking the bonnet of is always a pain but easier with an engine crane.

 

lots of stuff to disconnect but its getting there.
Good time to change some of the hoses which have gone hard and to replace the engine mounts that are starting to break.
Starting to find lots of little jobs that need to be done.....

 

[PeteStupps]

Busy bank holiday weekend Mike! Good luck with it. Where did you get your new engine mounts? Mine aren't in great shape but I've heard so many reports of poor quality repro items that I couldn't decide what to do, so did nothing.

[mpbarrett]

not sure where is the best place to get new ones might ask around but I expect the usual suppliers all get them from the same place.

The ones on the car are from 2015! I know as I went thru a period where they kept failing so wrote the date on the ones in the car. 9 years for a Triumph part is quite good these days.....

mike

[mpbarrett]

so engine and gearbox are apart in  the garage. Delayed due to  grand children and Easter egg hunts!
Clutch not as worn as badly a I expected but 2 out of the 4 springs are very loose. New clutch, cover and thrust bearing ordered. Spigot bearing in the crank is very loose so will take fly wheel off and replace the bearing. Checked the end float and its about 0.2mm, feels much more than that  but within spec for a 1500. Would have been nice to know what it was when it was rebuilt 6 years ago.
Lots of oil  on the inside of gearbox bell housing but none on the clutch itself, it does have a seal on the gearbox shaft rather than the scroll that was on some gearboxes so not sure where its coming from but must be thru the seal. As I am changing the gearbox will have a detailed look at the seal.

Taken sump off the engine as the gasket was leaking, cleaned and new gasket fitted and replaced. It leaked since the engine was rebuilt. I have dressed the boltholes but it now it has plenty of sealant on the gasket to try to stop the leaks. Not elegant but feed up with it leaking.....

New set of water hoses as the old ones are very hard, bits of rust need sorting but the extra jobs list is not too long.... yet.

There is some play in the steering rack and am wondering about replacing it or re-shimming it while the engine is out.

we are away for a couple weekends in April and the in May planning a  tour around Wales with a group of Triumph mates from the TSSC and  CT so cant have too many extra jobs to do before it goes back in the car.

mike
 

 

[Nick Jones]

Vitesse engine crank end-float measured 0.2mm recently. It was 0.17mm when built approx 30k miles ago. Hopefully most of the increase occurred early on and it’s stable now. Has PB thrust washers.

The OE steering racks are very rebuildable and straightforward to do. Chris Witor has always kept the parts though I think others do too. Check the left hand, non-drive side for play between rack and tube. There’s a bush in there that wears. It too is replaceable.

[Gt64fun]

48 minutes ago, Nick Jones said:

crank end-float measured 0.2mm recently

That's a tad under 0.008". Mine also has PB thrusts and has also stabilized at that after circa 20k miles.

Ian

[zetecspit]

2 hours ago, Nick Jones said:

The OE steering racks are very rebuildable and straightforward to do. Chris Witor has always kept the parts though I think others do too. Check the left hand, non-drive side for play between rack and tube. There’s a bush in there that wears. It too is replaceable.

I bought a "High quality" recon rack from the dolomite club. The reconditioner (apparently) rejected most of the core stock on the basis the racks themselves were too worn. So I hoped I was buying quality. And indeed, it felp lovely when it arrived.

Sadly that didn't last. Turns out the barstwards had used a bit of nylon? tube to replace the tube bush, which wore and caused slop. But that was 2 years, but only 3k down the line. I pulled it apart, everything else was very good. A £10 bush and sorted, lovely again. 

TDC now use another supplier (apparently) no idea if my chat with the spares chap had any part in that.

[mpbarrett]

Gearbox back on engine, so much easier than trying to do it in the garage rather than inside the car! This GB has a 20 spline clutch but still went in very easily.

Changed rear GB oil seal and checked the speedo drive seals, looks like they have been replaced recently.

The 'new' GB is a standard 3 rail J type OD, apparently it has been rebuilt, it feels tight and feels good but I wont know what it like until I try it in the car....
This is to replace the one built by TLD, again 3 rail J type OD, but with GT6 ratios. This was  fine until I changed the diff to a 3.63 and then first was far to high hence lots of clutch slipping when we did the10CR last year....

What I would like is a 3 rail, J type but with Marina ratio gears but that gear set is very difficult to find, hence going back to the original 3 rail gear set.
No switches on the new GB, just some magnets on a carrier and then some hall effect sensor to detect what gear its in.

the carrier has the sensors in it.

 on a single sided PCB with SM Honeywell hall effect sensors

Cut on a very old PCB miller that I got when I retired, I brought a new one for work and got them to let me have the old one, but is still capable of very fine PCB work. 
Probably over kill but means its easy to decide in software whether to us the OD on 2 and 3,4.....
Only doing it because I like doing electronics as well as playing with cars!

mike

 

Edited April 6 by mpbarrett

[Nick Jones]

That’s very cool 

[Escadrille Ecosse]

22 minutes ago, Nick Jones said:

That’s very cool 

Sure is

[mpbarrett]

Well this hasn't gone smoothly...
In the end I brought a 'new' rack from one of the better suppliers to save time, we have been away twice in the last few weeks, and a new steering UJ. The plan was to then refurb the original rack.
The bolts on the UJ, machined allen head bolts, hit the chassis and stopped the steering from turning. Didn't realise until I had put the new rack in and re fitted the engine. Complete pain to get the UJ out as it was almost impossible to get a key on the allen head.. Finally got it out and cut down the bolt to reduce its length and found I could turn the steering. But it was very heavy, so tight that it would not self centre, drove it about 20 miles with no improvement and phoned the suppliers. Yes the new ones are tight but should loosen off after 200 miles! New rack out old one refitted and new one being sent back for refund...
Gearbox is nice and quiet, good change and good syncro, which is a relieve as I hadn't tried it before and it has an unknown history. But the OD started to play up. After being driven for a few miles the OD would take a long time to drop out after it had been switched off.
Canely's tech page suggested it could be the solenoid so I took the one off my other gearbox and fitted it to the box in the car (after removing, again the GB cover etc...). Had to grind down a spanner to fit and that killed  the bench grinder.  The new GB seems a bit leaky so will have to keep an eye on the oil level.
Changed the solenoid and that seems to have fixed it, the OD dropping out once it is switched off, but will find out over the next few days as I am heading to Wales with some TSSC mates for a long hard driving weekend.
This should test the car out... So if you see a red herald on a RAC truck it might be me!

mike