Background: my GT6 has a Toyota gearbox and a conversion kit to attach it to a Triumph engine. I was never happy with the slightly bodgy clutch thrust bearing carrier, so I found a local engineering shop to make a new, better carrier. But that was in late January or early February, and they haven't started. Most engineering shops in this town are geared up to service mining equipment. Finding a small operator who will take on one-off jobs, in a reasonable amount of time? Mmmm, yeah. As time passed I started thinking that if I had a lathe and drill mill, I could make a bearing carrier.  You can see where this was bound to lead? Tool #1 is a drill mill, and Project #1 is milling a better crankshaft position sensor mount. (That mostly consists of turning a chunk of aluminium into lots of chips, which end up everywhere. On my clothes, in my hair, right through the house). It's interesting to figure out how to carry out various operations, mostly via Youtube. A channel called Blondihacks has a lot of tips and tricks. Tool #2 is the lathe, which arrived this week. Like the mill, it came without many accessories and parts a machinist needs to start machining, so I've been playing with the various parts and working out what I'll need to mount up bronze stock, how to turn a thrust bearing carrier, and the order of operations. Despite the faffing around and being away at work every second week, I'm confident that I'll have a carrier made in less than four months.

I will be there tomorrow. Martin

Still only tinkering with this inbetween other more pressing things, but there's been some progress made. First thing is I sorted out the shimming of the R160, but that highlighted a tight spot around the rotation which is unfortunate. I'm hoping I just didn't clean the back of the crownwheel well enough when fitting it, which is a possibility as I had it on and off a few times in quick succession cleaning the threads. The other possibility is that the tiny but of (turns out unnecessary) welding done had warped the flange ever so slightly. Would be no issue if I had the lathe up and running, but I do not have the lathe up and running... In more exciting news I got the handbrake widgets for the 106 calipers back from the zinc platers: Needed to do a bit of clearancing to get them to fit properly across their whole travel: Fiddly old job getting all the various widgets back into place. Special cut up socket, some needle-nose pliers, a small screwdriver and a lot of delicate fernangling got everything in the right place at the right time: Done and looking shiny  Hopefully these should work fine with the stock handbrake cables (maybe with some light modification). The action pulls directly back into the centre of the car: I'm hoping these arms will alleviate some of the issues Markus had with his iteration of these calipers. He said he had to keep the handbrake cables wound so tight they would bind to have any workable handbrake at all. By having quite an oblique angle to the arm, the first few millimetres of travel on the cable will turn the pin a lot of degrees, taking up the slack quite quickly. Then, as it actually starts applying pressure the effective lever arm should get longer, applying more torque for a given cable travel (up to 90 degrees of rotation). Time will tell if it's a bit too aggressive, but the whole thing wasn't too difficult if I need to make them again.

No apologies needed. You've had a bit of work on your hands there.  Somewhat eye watering cost for the choke bits! Hopefully the rest will do the job nicely for a good while

Sorry, I'm not being clear! I've swapped the jet bearings from the older carbs into the newer ones, to give me a decent set of working carbs with the jet bearings flush with the bridges. Getting a better set of choke linkages is on my list of things to do, but will also involve getting a set of the correct red jets, so over £100 to sort something that I believe is working fine for now.  I will keep an eye on it though.

Well done John!  Never done one myself. Always subbed them out. Could do the now I have a lathe - if I get some outside jaws.

Not going to be there I’m afraid. Fathers 85 birthday party on Saturday (actually my birthday) so various family staying at the weekend and going to open air theatre Sunday evening….. I hope it is well attended and a good time I’d had by all. Sorry to miss the opportunity to meet up…. Especially since Martin has made the effort!  Are you bringing a Triumph Martin? And are you staying longer than the weekend?

Anytime, Master! Yes, I am extraordinarily pleased with myself.   Without great reason, I have had excellent teachers, but this is very satisfying work! John

Hope its a good meeting and there are plenty of visitors. If a mix of clubs doesnt attract the visitors then there is no much future hope for big club meetings.... I was planning to go down on the Saturday but the Herald EFI is playing up and we are busy helping my daughter, Libby. Some might know her from previous 10CR's. She has just had a hip replacement at aged 36 . 10 days in and she is still in lots of pain from the bruising all but on the mend and the new hip seems to be working! Have to say she has had excellent treatment thru the NHS and seems to have had a very good surgeon, who replaced a well known Scottish tennis players hips....  mike    

Hello John                    Your lathe going fast to pay for it's self (just another few dozen big bits to make?) I allways say it's not about the money it is when you want it and the satifaction gained(you will finish up making parts you could by cheaper!) but were is the fun in that? You would finish up like all the other people with just a Modern car with no Soul!! Roger ps Glad to be of help pps when do you start your Apprenticeship???