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This article is a mild rewrite of a posting I made to the
Flying Wedges (internet) mailing list. It was a response
to a person who is new to the TR7, and new to working on
cars in general. He expressed an interest in learning how
to work on cars, and liked the design of the TR7. I rewrote
this to make it more appropriate for publishing in a club
newsletter.
This web page is an HTML version of the article with minor edits and formatting. Believe it or not, a Triumph is a great way to start if you want to learn about car repair! No, I'm not being a smart-aleck, I'm quite serious. The ROM (Repair Operations Manual) for the TR7 and TR8 are very nice, and include theory of operation on many of the components, so you really can learn more than "how to fix it", you can actually learn "why it's designed that way" from these books. The design of the car is quite straight-forward and easy to understand, when compared to more modern machines. There are many parts available for these cars, and when parts are no longer available, some of the vendors will fund reproductions of these parts. I showed one muscle-car enthusiast one of my thinner catalogs, and he was amazed at how much was available (and quite jealous, since he couldn't get most of what he needed for his AMX). I didn't have the heart to show him the thicker, better catalogs from the bigger vendors! The only car that was as much of a pleasure to work on as the wedges, would have to be a '60s to mid-'70s MoPar. I learned a lot working on (and hopping up) my first car, a '72 Duster. It was a very easy to work on car, and very cheap to work on too. Unfortunately, they rusted out even worse than your typical Triumph, so it's hard to afford a clean one in recent days. One thing to keep in mind... you should know a little bit about electricity before getting a Triumph, as the Lucas wiring is the butt of the majority of jokes about the cars for a reason. My favorites are: I've had "cheap, boring, reliable cars"... and learned that they are not that much more reliable, but a lot more boring! (YMMV) If you get a decent Triumph, and maintain it well, and it hasn't been too butchered by the DPO (Dreaded Previous Owner), then you will be quite happy with the car. My second TR7 was a convertible that I picked up for $500 many years ago... it didn't run at all (hadn't for years), and the guy I bought it from was not the mechanical type. It was in very rough physical condition too, but I'd always wanted a topless model. I spent 1/2 hour working on the ignition system and drove it home! (you should have seen the seller's face!) After that, I did a little work to the car, such as swapping in a scrapyard TR7 engine... OK, that's some serious work, but changing engines in these cars is easier than most. After that, it was actually moderately reliable for several years. OK, there were a few times where I was late for work because of the wiring, but I eventually got it to a fairly reliable state. OK, OK, it's no Honda... but they're still a ton of fun! The Flying Wedges mailing list is a great resource for people wanting to learn how to maintain their TR7 or TR8. If you are subscribed to an online service and own a wedge, I would strongly recommend you sign up for the mailing list. There are some very friendly and helpful people on the list. I've always loved the look of these cars, since I saw my first one. We've recently discussed how they are starting to become accepted, and look more appropriate and modern now than they did when they were in production. People used to think the long raked windshield (so far away from the driver) looked ridiculous, but compared to recent models, it fits right in! When it comes to buying a wedge, there's one thing you have to keep in mind. It doesn't matter how much you trust the person, or how honest they seem to be (or are), you will always see things differently than the seller. Just as an example, my TR7 was listed as having the original paint. When I drove 4 hours to look at it, it was obvious to me that the entire car has a fairly poor and very obviously recent paint-job, and brand new decals! He also claimed that the car was a friend's daily-driver, but the tires were so dry-rotted it was obvious it had been sitting for years. OK, that's a bad example, as it wasn't really his car, but you get the point. Things to look at before buying a TR7: Getting dirty... Pull it up on ramps or something so you can look underneath. Look for rust around the areas where the lower control arms in the rear attach to the chassis. If you see bad rust here, you can get replacement panels, but the repair would be difficult and should be left to a body & frame shop, and the labor would probably be fairly expensive (though the actual patch-panels are not). This is a structural part of the suspension, so damage here should not be taken lightly. While you're under there, look for rust anywhere. Problem areas (especially in northern areas where they use salt on the roads) will be behind the tires (front and rear), under the sills, under the seat and footwells, and the bottom of the trunk. If you can slide the seat forward and pull up the carpet easily, look for rust inside the frame structure there. It's hard to describe, but should be obvious once you lift the carpeting. This is directly above the point where the lower control arm (mentioned above) mounts. Since you're already on the ground, look at the plates at the ends of the rear axle, and the car-side of the wheels. If they look wet or damp, the rear brake cylinders could be leaking (common if it sat for a long time). If you can get that far under the car, take a rag and carefully clean the boots/seals inside the C/V joints of the driveshaft (it will only have one C/V joint if it's a 4-speed or early automatic car). If either of these boots has the tiniest rip or tear in it, you'll need to replace it. You can get the stock driveshafts for $200-$300, but you'll probably be better off getting a custom U-jointed driveshaft from Ted of TS Imports, as this custom shaft is rebuildable, unlike the stock one. Also look for signs of water in the trunk, or rust where the trunk seal attaches (the latter leads to the former). Look down the sides of the trunk too, into the lower fenderwell. Testing the wiring... Make sure all the electrics function... try every switch in the car. You may feel like a kid hitting every switch and button, but it is necessary. Check that the headlights go up and down. These can be a problem area, and there are several failure modes with various repair prices. Check all the lights, including brake-lights, etc. The turn-signal lever has several other functions. Pushing it straight in sounds the horn. Pushing it forward switches from low to high-beams (if the headlights are on). You can also pull it back (spring-loaded) to turn on the "passing lights", which is nothing more than a momentary high-beam. The problem with this switch is, the high-beam/low-beam detent breaks, making the lever swing forward and backward (you should feel it click into place when switching from low to high beams). Once this happens, it's hard to keep low or high beams selected. It can even kill your battery when your engine is not running because it may float enough to light the "passing lights" (my TR8 has this problem). This switch is $80 in one of my catalogs - and that's only for the newer type... the older type is not available at this time. The way to tell the difference is in the shape... the newer type is smooth with only a slight impression for your fingertip in the end. The older type (my preference) is more angular and cups your fingertip (in a "Y" shape) to make right/left turn indication almost thoughtless. On to the drivetrain... Feel the engine to make sure it's cold... if not, the owner may have warmed it up to "show you how easily it starts". The TR7 is a "cold-blooded" car, they take a long time to warm up (at least all 3 I've had did). If it's cold, pull the cap and look at the level of the coolant and note it's color, it should be bright green, (or neon orange if he uses Havoline). If it looks like rusty-water, be afraid. If you use straight water with no added anti-freeze, the aluminum head and iron block end up making a primitive battery. The aluminum head tends to corrode in the water jackets (especially the jacket right behind the last cylinder), which can cause head-gasket problems. I've seen this on all 4 of the 4 heads I had on my previous 2 TR7s (I have yet to pull the head off my current TR7). Other problems rusty water can cause include a clogged radiator, which can cause cooling problems. Have the owner start the engine, while you stand beside the car. Watch for blue smoke coming out the tailpipe. A little puff at the beginning isn't too much of a problem (that would mean oil leaking down the valve stems/guides), but a continual blue smoke would not be too comforting, and could mean a very worn engine (usually a sign of bad rings). Also notice how easily it starts. If it's an older car ('75-'76), it will probably have a manual choke. The newer ones have an interesting automatic choke that will cause the engine to idle fast for a few minutes, then gradually drop down to a low, smooth idle. My '76 fires up before a complete revolution when it's warm, but when it's cold, it sounds a little lumpy for the first few seconds. (I need to adjust the carbs and choke more) Listen to the engine for a few seconds... they are noisy when compared to modern engines, but that's just because companies go out of there way to quiet down their cars in recent years. If you hear a light (but noticeable), high-pitched clicking coming from the top of the engine, either the valves are mal-adjusted, or (more likely) the cam followers are worn. It's not too bad, if the rest of the car and engine are in good shape, but will make a solid engine sound horrible. Mine sounded so bad that I was actually planning on an engine swap! I replaced the cam followers after some urging from a friend, and the engine sounds SO much better! It turns out my engine is actually quite healthy, and it only cost me $45 (plus shipping) to fix (the parts were on sale). I did have to replace 7 of the 8 shims, but I ended up getting those for $2 each. Close the hood and let the engine warm up idling (it'll take a very long time if the hood is open). Talk to the seller about the car while it's warming up... as it takes a while, and wedge owners are usually very friendly people. After the engine is warmed up, keep an eye on the temp gauge, it should stay closer to the lower line than it is to vertical. After the engine is fully warmed up, take it for a spin. Once you've stopped a few times, and understand that the brakes don't feel like any other car you've ever driven, find a place to open it up a bit. A full throttle run, even if you don't wind it much past 5000RPM, is something that you should do to test the head-gasket. If the head- gasket has a leak, it will leak into the coolant system, and blow the coolant out (do this on the way back to the seller's house). If the head-gasket is OK, the coolant should still be full. If it is leaking, you will have lost a fair amount of coolant, and can tell by looking in the pressure tank. Some models also have a plug that looks like a big bolt at the top of the thermostat housing, just in front of the carbs. It sticks up pretty high, so it is hard to miss. Be sure to let the engine cool down a bit before opening either, or you will get burned by the rush of super hot coolant that comes out! I recommend idling with the hood open for a minute, then leaving the engine off for a while with the hood open. One of the reasons to let the engine cool a bit (other than the pain factor) is to let steam condense back into liquid, so the coolant system retracts and pulls all the water back from the tank, and into the engine. Exhaust won't contract like this, and will form an air gap in the engine. When you pull the pressure cap, notice if the level has dropped significantly, it shouldn't. If the car has the plug at the top of the thermostat housing, pull it. The coolant should already be right at the top. If you see a big air-gap, this may be a bad sign. The reason I recommended you do this when you are fairly close to the seller's house is: if the head-gasket does leak badly and the coolant is emptied quickly, you won't see the engine overheating on the temp. gauge! The sensor must be immersed in the coolant for it to work, if it isn't because the coolant was just blown out, the meter won't climb at all. Yes, the above is from experience. As I mentioned above, I had 4 heads for my first and second TR7... and all 4 had the previously mentioned water-jacket erosion causing this very problem. If the head-gasket leaks, it can be due to a number of factors. The engine may have been overheated, which can cause the head to warp. These heads are made of an aluminum alloy that is more prone to warping than most (at least this is what I've heard, and it makes sense). If the head is warped a little, it can be resurfaced by a machine-shop. If it is warped badly, or has been resurfaced too many times, too much material may have been taken off for the head to be reliable. The TR7 engine has a very strange design in the way the head mounts to the block. The head bolts are parallel with the cylinders, and perpendicular to the surface of the head (as you would expect). The head studs, on the other hand, go in at an angle! Since the upper and lower mounting devices are not parallel with each-other, when you remove material from the mating surface of the head, the geometry of the assembly is adversely effected. This can be compensated for with a thicker than stock head- gasket. These may take a while to locate, but they can be found. If the head-gasket leaks due to the corrosion problem mentioned earlier in this article, it can be fixed by taking the head to an expert aluminum welder, and having the area around the water-jacket fill-welded. I brought mine to a radiator shop... these guys can weld aluminum sheet-metal (very difficult), so this is an easy job for them! After the missing metal is replaced, you'll have to take the head to a machine-shop to have it resurfaced, since the weld will be lumpy, and above the surface of the head. If, when taking off hard, or shifting hard, you hear a nasty crunching noise coming from right below the shifter, or it might sound like it's coming from the rear, you'll probably need a driveshaft - as the C/V joints are almost definitely bad. As stated above, they are not rebuildable. Another thing to note while driving the car, when either shifting hard, or hitting the throttle quickly, you might feel the car kick to one side a bit. This is caused by a worn joint in the rear suspension. This joint is fairly cheap and relatively easy to replace, but may be a good way to haggle the price down a bit. In every wedge I've bought or test-driven, it has always been the right side, forward joint of the rear lower control arm that goes first. If you have a mechanic friend, bring him along to perform a compression test on the engine. This will tell you the health of the engine itself. If the compression is good, the rest of the work will be external (carb tuning, ignition tuning, etc.) Another trick to try, if you are unable to perform a compression test, is to pull the oil-filler cap when the engine is fully warmed up and idling (should be around 800RPM). If the engine dies or the idle drops a very noticeable amount, the rings are good. This is due to the engine being vented by a large hose to the downstream side of the carbs. Normally, the only gasses going through here are blow-by, which should contain very little oxygen, so doesn't lean out the mixture. When you open the cap, clean air is allowed in, and the oxygen gets sucked into the engine through this hose without going through the metering part of the carbs, so extra fuel does not get added to the extra air, and the engine goes lean. Now, if the RPMs don't change, it could mean that the rings are shot, and there is too much blow-by for the carbs to be able to suck air across the valve-cover, OR it could be like mine, which I haven't figured out yet... my current car does not drop in RPMs even if I pull the hose itself, so there's a blockage somewhere. I've used this test on at least 4 TR7s, and is normally a reliable test. I'm not sure where I first heard it, but I'm sure it was on the mailing list. I do not know if this works at all on the rare fuel-injected TR7. A compression test is much more accurate than this trick, but it is a good one to keep in mind if you cannot perform a compression test. If the steering wheel moves in an odd way when you turn corners, and makes a clunk noise, don't be alarmed. It's a small grommet-like bushing in the firewall that the steering column goes through. The problem is, it's missing. They are available, and are a little awkward to put in, but it's a simple (and cheap) job. Making sure it'll stop... The brakes on these cars are known for being barely adequate when they are in good shape. While driving the car, pay attention to how much nose-dive you get when you hit the brakes. If the rear brakes are not working properly, the car will dive a lot. If the rears are in decent shape, the car will still dive, but not a drastic amount. The rear cylinders are not that expensive, and not horrible to replace (though they can be awkward), and the shoes don't cost a lot either... so this is mainly a safety concern for if/when you first get the car. The brakes should be quiet, as in any car - if you hear grinding, you'll need rotors. While this is a little expensive, it's a fraction of the cost of most modern machines. (I just replaced both of mine for $20/each, on sale) If the front-end dive annoys you too much, don't fret, there's an "anti-dive kit" that is basically just a simple pair of spacers to lower the anti-sway bar a bit that solves the problem. The problem is caused by an odd suspension geometry - the anti-sway bar doubles as the strut-rod/brake-strut/trailing-link (depending on where you live). When you are not on the brakes, the link is pointing down slightly from the front. When you hit the brakes, the rearward force on the wheels tries to push the suspension back, which it can do a tiny amount due to this angle... but to do this, it has to raise the tire up into the vehicle, dropping the nose of the car. When you use the spacer, it levels this link into a more horizontal position, eliminating this problem. Speaking of the brakes, check the brake fluid reservoir for cracks. It is inside the engine compartment, above the steering column, and is made of a white translucent nylon. The fact that it is nylon is the source of the problem. Nylon gets brittle when it gets old (and yellow). This part cannot be replaced by itself, it comes with the brake master-cylinder - which is expensive ($200+). On to the interior... Pretty much all of the upholstered interior components can be purchased mail-order, except the sun-visors. So if the interior is rough, that's not too much of a problem, but it will cost money to replace. If you know of a good, inexpensive upholstery shop, you might consider going that route... but if you want to restore the car to original (or convert to leather), you can get a complete interior kit (even carpeting) from Rimmer Brothers in England... current prices are from 495-771 British Pounds. The black or grey (depending on year) plastic panels should be in good shape. I have never seen one damaged by the sun... it's too bad Triumph is the only company that was able to make interior plastic this durable! Look for breaks around the radio from a clumsy installation. This is the only place I've ever seen damage (that wasn't vandalism) on one of these dashes. The stock seats in these cars are wonderful. They are probably the most comfortable sports-car seats I've used, but then I like seats that curve around you - not the ones with panels to hold you in place (my body has no hard angles). My RX-7 seats are much bulkier, and are not really shaped for a human. The problem with the seats in TR7s and TR8s is basically, they're old. The upholstery may be shot, but if the foam is still good you can get a fair idea how the seat should feel. If you can feel a hard brace at the bottom of the seat back (behind your pelvis), or if you sink too far into the seat, you may need a few replacement parts. The part that firms up the back is basically a set of straps. The part that firms up the seat bottom is called the seat diaphragm. If the seat foam is shot, don't worry, it's available too (about $90/seat). The seat-frame is the thing to worry about, but even it is available for about $45 from Rimmer Bros. Make sure it slides forward and back - if not it may be rusted, common with a neglected convertible. Also check that the seat back tilt mechanism works. The lever must be pulled up farther than you'd expect, but the seat back should move easily, though it doesn't move very far forward. The tilt mechanism is not spring loaded like most seats, so it'll seem odd that you have to pull it forward. This is normal. While sitting in the seat, lean back a little without using the lever. There is a place in front of the seat back tilt mechanism that tends to break. If it is broken, you will be able to flex the seat without even trying very hard. This can be welded, but the frame should probably should be replaced. If it is a convertible, the top may be a good haggling point. Many are in rough shape, but they really aren't that expensive when compared to other convertibles. They range from a sale price of $150 for a cheap one (which is probably still pretty nice, I've had 2), to $400 or more, depending on brand and material (you can even get canvas and mohair!). Removable hard-tops are very rare, I've only seen pictures of them. They are also very expensive. You can get new ones, but figure on paying over $1k (I have seen them for about $600, but that was a long time ago). Getting more info... You can find instructions on how to subscribe to the TR7/TR8 enthusiast internet mailing list on the World Wide Wedge page: http://www.team.net/TR8/ (TR8 must be fully capitalized) This web site has a great deal of information on these cars, including names, addresses, and phone numbers of many of the parts vendors for these cars. I plan to keep a version of this on my web page (below). I may add to it as related tips come up. Good luck! Kevin Burtch http://www.geocities.com/efitr8/
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