Another quick post

The battery seems to be holding charge but as a precaution I've put it on another overnight charge. I've also bought a Gunsons timing light on eBay.

There is hope

I've finally got round to fitting the battery that I'd charged a few days ago. It was reading 12.8 volts which is a good sign. I cranked it over and the voltage stayed above 10 volts so there is a chance that I've saved the battery. I've put it back on charge and I'll leave it overnight.

Charged up

The battery has had a 36 hour charge on the new charger. I'll give it a bit longer until I take a voltage reading, put it back on the car and do a cranking test to see what the voltage drop is.

What a shock!

I took a voltage reading on the old battery with my multimeter and it was registering 12.43 volts so it isn't totally dead. I bought a smart charger from Lidl and I've got it on charge. After I'd removed the battery, I found out that it is a calcium type so there's a chance that it could be saved. I've also fitted my earth lead so there should be a decent earth once I come to try starting the car again.

What a bummer.

The new battery has gone walkies before I even got a chance to fit it so that's set me back for now. The old battery has some charge left in it so I'll be taking a voltage reading when I get a new one.

Not a happy bunny.

Another even longer overdue update!

It has been nearly 2 years since my last post. Blimey! Where has the time gone? I had the car resprayed in Triumph white which is a period correct colour. In November 2016, I fitted some solid carburettor mounts and this is where things went downhill. The car wouldn't start and hasn't run since so I left it parked up in the carport. Fast forward to 2018 and I've made a decision to get it back on the road and the biggest barrier to that is to get the engine running again. I've established that the battery is toast due to it being stood for months on end. I've ordered a new battery and I shall be monitoring it more closely in the future to avoid neglect. The negative lead has seen better days and the proper part is expensive so I've bought some "off the shelf" parts to make up a new lead costing me just over £14 from Halfords and a local motor factor.

I might just invest in electronic ignition to ensure a healthy spark. I'm also considering fitting my spare set of SU HS4 carburettors. I've got them close to hand so I can lay my hands on them straight away. I've already documented the work I've done this year on YouTube. I have already done a few Dolomite videos in the past so this isn't the first one.

More to follow soon...

A long overdue update.

I've done a lot since my last post.

The car is now all one colour. I ended up having to get more paint from ebay after I'd cleared out all the local motor factors of Russett.

The new brushes didn't solve my alternator problem so I bought a brand new one. I finally swapped the SE wheels for the correct early Dolomite steel wheels along with the stainless hub caps. I replaced the exhaust tailpipe, fixed the loose steering column adjustment clamp, replaced one of the hinges on the driver's door, swapped the door mirror, replaced the radio aerial, revarnished the door cappings, repainted the headlining with vinyl silk emulsion and fitted a pair of shelf speakers. I've also changed to super unleaded and it has made a big difference to how the car runs. It is so much more responsive so it is definitely worth the extra it costs. I might even use it in the Astra as well.

In November, the driveplate broke which necessitated removal of the engine.

Fortunately, I had the use of a garage and an engine crane which enabled me to get a replacement fitted.

The distributor cap broke so that had to be replaced. I bought a Britpart cap from Rimmer Bros and it looks a bit more substantial then the old one.

Another part of the exhaust was blowing so I've bit the bullet and ordered a full stainless steel exhaust from the Triumph Dolomite Club. The £280 it has cost me is a bit hard to swallow but is excellent value and will probably outlast the car. The coolant temperature sender failed and I bought a new one from Robsport via their ebay listing. The fusebox was playing up so I've fitted an MGB one so I now have twice as many fuses. Luxury! To prevent the new fusebox gong the same way I've sprayed the exposed terminals with white grease which should keep the corrosion at bay.

This is what happened to one of my HT leads and with the rest looking similarly ropey I'm going to order the Magnecor 7mm leads. The TDC offer a discount to members and they come with a 10 year guarantee. In the meantime, I've replaced the offending HT lead to keep me going.

I've refurbished my steel wheels. I had use of the garage again and with access to heat they have come out quite well. Here are the before and after photos.

This is how I did it.

I used U-Pol primer and Halfords steel wheel paint. I warmed the paint beforehand and used a heat gun to speed up drying of the paint.

Even more work done.

I've managed to get some more paint on the offside A-post and the nearside D-post.

I can't do any more until I can get some more Russett paint and the local Halfords is out of stock (I must've cleared them out of Russett!). I've managed to get some of the white paint off the nearside rear door.

The car wasn't running quite right so I swapped the carburettors. It was idling better but was still the same. I swapped the carbs twice more. The car was changing up late so checked the fluid level in the autobox and it needed topping up. During the last carb swap I adjusted the kickdown cable and it has improved things. Next, the alternator decided to stop working. New bushes and a clean-up of the connections to the rectifier seems to have fixed it.

I've finally banished the alloy wheels which are forever losing air. Somebody was offering a set of steel wheels for free in the Merseyside area so I snapped them up. They turned out to be SE wheels which wasn't what I was after but they were too good to pass up. I'm that desperate to stop constantly pumping up the tyres every couple of days. Dragging out the compressor is becoming a pain.

Only one of them needed the tyre replacing. I put the best 3 on the car and my spare wheel which is the correct type has gone on the car.

You can see the difference between the normal Dolomite wheel on the front and the SE wheel (similar to the Spitfire & GT6) on the rear. I know somebody who has a set of the correct wheels so I can do a swap because they're on one of his cars and doing the swap keeps his car rolling and I get exactly what I want. I also have a set of Sprint carburettors which I collected for him. He'd bought them on ebay and the seller was local to me so I offered to pick them up. The tyres look like they're holding pressure so I can live with the SE wheels for now.

More work done.

More work done.


I had a plastic tray underneath the battery. When the car went into the garage for the work doing the tray was taken out and not put back when the new battery was fitted. This gave me an opportunity to clean it up before putting it back on. I also painted the battery clamp with a coat of etch primer and a topcoat of gloss black. It has smartened it up.

The next part of the car to get painted was the driver's door and the offside sill.

I also painted the D post in satin black to tidy it up and protect the primer. The vinyl will be glued on at a later stage.

I ended up swapping the carburettors. Once they'd been fitted, adjusted and balanced the engine was idling a lot better than before. I've attached the airbox support bracket and the carbs don't sag any more. I will still be fitting sold carb mounts but I won't need them anytime soon.

More miles clocked up, a carburettor problem and some paint.

I've clocked up some more trouble-free miles. I've done 3 club meetings and a show. The car handles like it should and there's no skittishness at the front which is testament to the garage which did the work (CDK Motors). I'm having a problem with an erratic idle. Part of the problem is due to the cracked carb mounts which I want to replace with solid ones which are available from the Triumph Dolomite Club. I've dug out my spare set of carburettors out of the loft and I'm considering fitting them. I'd like to replace the HT leads as well because I can't remember the last time I did it.


Moving on to the paint, I bought a 300ml aerosol of Russett from my local Halfords and I have now got the offside rear door painted.


Before

After

It is definitely an improvement and it will do until I can get a proper respray. There are a few bodywork issues that need to be dealt with before I can consider a respray.

A decision on the paint.

This is what the Dolomite currently looks like. It really needs a proper respray but there are a few bodywork issues such as the dent in the offside rear wing which needs the filler taking out (a replacement panel is only available secondhand from a scrap car) and the dent pulling out. I don't want to leave it like it is so I'll get a few rattle cans which should tidy it up a bit until I can get it sorted out properly. I went out to Bramley for the local TDC area meeting (I'm the Area Organiser) on Tuesday and the car didn't put a foot wrong. Tomorrow I'll be going a bit further afield to the local Club Triumph meeting. I was absolutely loath to go any great distance the way the car was before I had the subframe mounts repaired and this will be stretching the car a bit more. There's the TDCIR on Sunday so it will be good to get some miles clocked up before then.

Made a start on my new job list.

I can remember many moons ago a pearl of wisdom that was imparted to me by a tyre fitter. Before I get the front wheel alignment done, I should put some miles on the car to settle the steering and suspension. I ended up putting 10 miles on the car and the steering was as bad as before. I needn't have worried because when I went to the local tyre place that I use, they put their equipment on it and it was way out by 25mm. After it had been adjusted, the steering was much better so it was worth every penny of the £15 it cost me.

I've managed to free off the choke cable. I undid the end of the cable and ran some light oil down the inner sheath and it has done the trick. I've also lubricated the choke linkages.

I've made a start on removing the awful primer. This is going to be hard work but it should improve things.

The next thing will be to replace the carb mounts. The rubber ones are past it and I want to fit the solid ones from the TDC.

All fixed now.

I've finally got my car back having just passed the MoT.

It went in the garage to have the subframe mount repaired. The inner wing provided a suitable repair section. The work necessitated removal of the subframe which was done leaving everything else in situ with the engine on a support beam. This saved time and a lot of grief. While the subframe was off, the subframe bushes were replaced with Super Flex items. A new steering rack which I had bought a few years ago was fitted with Super Flex bushes. The upper wishbone bushes on the front suspension were also replaced with Super Flex. The original deadline for Drive It Day in April came and went. The work was completed not long after the MoT ran out in July so it was tested and came back with a long list of failures most of which were caused by corroded electrical connections due to lack of use. The rear brakes needed freeing off an cleaning up and both bottom balljoints needed replacing. The rear section of exhaust was patched up and all this was enough to get through the MoT.

This is only the beginning. There are quite a few jobs that will need to be done.

The front wheel alignment will need to be adjusted because the steering rack has been changed so that will be out of kilter. This is going to be the first thing I do.
I want to replace the carburettor mounts. The TDC do solid ones so that's what I will go for.
The carb linkages need lubricating (through lack of use).
The exhaust will need to be replaced. It has been on the car for about 4 years and it was secondhand mild steel one when I bought it. The temporary repairs will see me through until I can get a replacement. I want to do this once so I'll source a stainless steel exhaust.
The awful paint job has to go. I reckon that some 2000 grit wet & dry should get rid of the pound shop primer I used last year.
I've been considering replacing the Sprint alloys with steel wheels. I've got the stainless steel wheels trims that early 1850s had and I've also got a set of the correct wheel nuts. I might keep the Sprint alloys and get them refurbished.

I've missed a few shows this year because the car wasn't ready in time. I can now commit to future shows.

A couple of worrying problems...

Last Tuesday on the way to the local TDC meeting that I run, I found that the Dolomite refused to change up. I asked on the TDC forum and somebody said that it could be the kickdown cable. When I took a look at it, I found out that it was indeed the cause of my problem but the inner cable had been pulled all the way out and wasn't retracting. I removed the cable at the throttle bracket end and put a bit of Plus Gas between the outer sheath and inner cable to free it off and it has done the trick. I pulled the cable a few times to free it off and I could hear the kickdown mechanism operating so I knew it had done the trick. Somebody had noticed that the servo hose in the photo in my last post (I'd posted in my "resto" thread on the TDC forum) was in fact heater hose and probably not suitable so I ordered a servo hose from Rimmer Bros. When it came in the post this morning, I fitted it.

One thing less to worry about. I've had to replace the front callipers and reseal the brake master cylinder so I don't want any more brake problems. I'll keep the old hose as an emergency spare as it does the job and I can fit it at the roadside if need be. The car was a bit difficult to start but I got it running and on the road test the brakes were fine and the autobox is changing up as it should so I'm much happier now.

I went round to the garage to arrange getting the subframe mount fixed. I've agreed that the only way to do the job properly is to remove the engine/autobox assembly and then the subframe can be removed completely for unrestricted access. This is the inner wing.

I'm sure that this will yield a suitable repair section. I need to take this down to the garage before the car goes in which will be sometime in February. My deadline is Drive It Day which takes place on the 26th of April. The Super Flex subframe bushes will be fitted at the same time. This will solve the steering problem.

Due to the difficulty in getting the car started, I'm convinced that the battery is past it. Another item to add to my growing shopping list. It will have to wait until the subframe mount is sorted.

Carb breather hoses.

The carb breather hoses cam in the post today.

I wasted no time in getting them fitted. The photos are before and after they were fitted.

I also tidied up the hose that goes from the cam cover (not visible in the above photos). One more job ticked off the list.

Some more stuff done.

Today's main job was to tune the carburettors and to this end I put some fresh petrol in. I was pleasantly surprised to see that unleaded has gone down yet again to 110.7p per litre at my local Asda. When I got back the engine had reached working temperature so I was able to start on the tuning. I screwed the jet adjusters all the way to the top and then back down 12 flats. It isn't perfect but it is a good starting point. Next I unscrewed the throttle adjustment screws. The choke linkage was adjusted and the fast idle screws were unscrewed as far as possible (this was the cause of my fast idling). I then started the engine but it wouldn't run so I screwed the idle screws in a bit until the engine would run. Next was to balance the carburettors. I have a balancer for this very job. It is a metal one I bought from my local Moss and has served me well. Once the carbs were balanced, I adjusted the idle, refitted the air cleaner and adjusted the idle again. The car is now running much better. I've just the fast idle to sort out but that can be done another time. The car is still not quite 100%. The breather pipes are perished so I've ordered a pair from Robsport. The carb mounts are past their best so I'll order a pair of the solid carb mounts from the TDC. I've considered fitting Stromberg CD150s as per original spec (I've even got the correct inlet manifold) but if it ain't broke...

Another brake problem has come up. The brake lights have stopped working and despite swapping with some spares that came off the Astra when I upgraded to LEDs, I still had no joy. A trip to the local Halfords saw a brand new pair of bulbs fitted which has fixed the problem. I'll be fitting LED bulbs but this is WAY down on the priorities. I need to fix that subframe mount. The steering doesn't feel right especially on full lock.

Subframe bushes.

The subframe bushes arrived the day after I'd placed the order.

It wasn't cheap at just a shade over £85 but they should outlast the car and won't need changing for a long time. I'm still awaiting the inner wing. Once that arrives, I can get the car in for it to be welded into place.

I've got a few jobs to do once that job is out of the way. In no particular order:

Fit solid carb mounts.
Replace the car breather hoses.
Fit a club stainless exhaust.
Replace the alloys with the correct spec steel wheels.
Get the car resprayed.

That subframe mount...

I've decided to bite the bullet and get this subframe mount sorted out once and for all. This is what it looks like at the moment.

To get proper access to it, the engine will have to come out for the subframe to be unbolted. Because there have been patches around this area previously, they will have to be unpicked and fresh metal welded in. I was offered an inner wing from a scrap Dolomite so I've taken up this offer. I'm assured that it is rot free in this vital area so that has saved me a few quid on the repair kit that the TDC sells. I'm going to renew the subframe bushes as well (makes sense to do it while the subframe is coming off) so I've ordered a full set of Super Flex subframe bushes from Chris Witor taking advantage of the 10% discount he gives to TDC members. I've found a local garage round the corner from where I live who seems to be classic friendly (they had a Stag in recently). I've had a chat with the owner about the subframe mounting and he has convinced me that I should get it done properly the first time round. Another advantage of using this garage is that I can keep a close eye on proceedings. I've also got a steering rack bush to replace (I've already replaced the other one) so that can get done at the same time. There's also the carb mounts to replace but that can wait until this subframe mount is done.

Brakes sorted.

Unfortunately, the TDC didn't have any seal kits in stock so I ended up getting one on ebay. It came in the post yesterday and I fitted it without any problems. Once the brakes were bled they were working once again.

The subframe mount will need to be sorted out. This means that the engine will have to come out. If I had an engine crane this would make it possible to do the job. I'm also considering replacing the subframe bushes at the same time.

Brake problems - Again!

At this month's local TDC area meeting I lost the brakes. Fortunately, I was able to get home without any problems. Air was getting in the system and the fluid looked dark which pointed to the seals in the master cylinder failing (they were last done in March 2012). Tonight, I managed to unbolt the brake master cylinder an my suspicions were confirmed. The last seal kit was bought from Rimmer Bros so I've decided to order a seal kit from the Club this time. I've got the TSSC meeting next Tuesday so I'll most likely be going in the Astra.

I really need to sort out the steering problem. I know the problem is down to the front subframe being out of line because the driver's side has been tightened up too much and the front mount on that side needs some welding doing. The only way to do the job properly is the remove the subframe to get access to it. I was considering getting an engine steady bar to keep the engine in place and drop the subframe from below. That way, I don't have to remove the engine, drain the cooling system.or disturb the brake hydraulics.