WWWedge Ezine
                          It's here to help you

Current readers: 260                    March 25 1999, Year 2, no. 16
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The purpose of this newsletter is to give (technical) information
about the British classic cars Triumph TR7 and TR8.

To make this newsletter a success, I need your HELP:

o Let me know if this newsletter contains the information you're
  looking for.
o Let me know if you want to write a feature article.
o Let me know if you have suggestions, improvements, etc.
o Let me know if you find this newsletter useful and practical, and
  if there is anything you would like to see covered.

For comments, articles, etc. send an e-mail to

                   workshop@voskotan.demon.nl
                  
        WEBSITE at http://www.team.net/TR8/mp/html/ezine.html
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                   THE WEDGE TEAM
The WWWedge website is entirely maintained by volunteers.
Johan Vorsterman van Oijen is responsible for the design and the
daily updates. Mark Elbers is fully occupied with the Registry pages.
Eric Teunissen is responsible for the TR Scale Models pages.
Russell Silverman is the newcomer! He will co-maintain the WWWedge
Webpages.

The WWWedge Ezine newsletter is moderated by yours truly (Johan
Vorsterman van Oijen) and my native language isn't English.
But I'll do my utmost to create readable articles.

To save me from the biggest spelling mistakes, David Parnham (an
Englishman in Holland) will check the Wedge Ezine. Great huh?

To get started, the WWWedge Ezine newsletter is heavily based on
the Wedge Tips collected by Philip Johnstone from Australia.
Another source is the TR7/8 mailing list. I will extracts threads
from this list and publish them in this newsletter.

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                   INTRODUCTION


Johan Vorsterman van Oijen (NL)

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                   TOPICS
  
            o TR8 cams
            o Mechanic's Tool Guide
o my Wedge- The POD (Prince of Darkness)
            o Chequered flag
o MY TR7 with very nice RIMS
o Not alone

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                   TR8 CAMS

Let us be realistic. No-one talks about TR8 cams on websites, but
in TR8 club discussions, everyone knows that the factory supplied
camshafts were not heat-treated correctly. They normally fail at
about 50,000 to 75,000 miles of use.

When failure occurs, one or more lobes of the camshaft rounds off,
losing it proper shape, and usually destroys the lifter (cam
follower) that it is in contact with. there are some TR8 cams
that have not failed after passing more than 75,000 miles, yet most
fail.

The camshaft can be replaced without removing the motor. I have
replaced cams without removing the motor, but it is so difficult,
that I recommend removing the motor to accomplish this job. That way,
you can also replace old seals, the clutch release bearing, and any
other obvious parts that are worn. All replacement camshafts should
be properly heat-treated and prevent this problem in the future.

Please post this article to inform all persons of the nature of TR8
cams.

Jeff Ware, 80 TR8, ac, 5 speed, convertible, USA.

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                   Mechanic's Tool Guide
                  
Just take it with a smile :-)


HAMMER:
Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is
used as a kind of divining rod to locate expensive parts not far from
the object we are trying to hit.

MECHANIC'S KNIFE:
Used to open and slice though the contents of cardboard cartons
delivered to your front door; works particularly well on boxes
containing seat covers and car club jackets.

ELECTRIC HAND DRILL:
Normally used for spinning steel Pop rivets in their holes until you
die of old age, but it also works great for drilling mounting holes
in fenders just above the brake line that goes to the rear wheel.

PLIERS:
Used to round off bolt heads.

HACKSAW:
One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle.
It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and
the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your
future becomes.

VICE-GRIPS:
Used to round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can
also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your
hand.

OXYACETELENETORCH:
Use almost entirely for setting various flammable objects in your
garage on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside a brake
drum you're trying to get the bearing race out of.

WHITWORTH SOCKETS:
Once used for working on older British cars and motorcycles, they are
now used mainly for impersonating the 9/16 or 1/2 socket you've been
searching for the last 15 minutes.

DRILL PRESS:
A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar
stock out of your hand so that it smacks you in the chest and flings
your beer across the room, splattering it against that freshly
painted part you were drying.

WIRE WHEEL:
Cleans rust off old bolts and then throws them somewhere under the
workbench with the speed of light. Also removes fingerprint whorls
and hard-earned guitar calluses in about the time it takes you
to say, "ouc..."

HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK:
Used for lowering an automobile or motorcycle to the ground after you
have installed your new front disk brake setup, trapping the jack
handle firmly under the front fender.

EIGHT FOOT LONG DOUGLAS FIR 2X4:
Used for levering a motorcycle or automobile upward off a hydraulic
jack.

TWEEZERS:
A tool for removing wood splinter (especially Douglas fir).

PHONE:
Tool for calling your neighbor to see if he has another hydraulic
floor jack.

SNAP-ON GASKET SCRAPER:
Theoretically useful as a sandwich tool for spreading mayonnaise;
used mainly for getting dog-doo off your boot.

E-Z OUT BOLT AND STUD EXTRACTOR:
A tool that snaps off in bolt holes and is ten times harder than any
known drill bit.

TIMING LIGHT:
A stroboscopic instrument for illuminating grease buildup.

TWO-TON HYDRAULIC ENGINE HOIST:
A handy tool for testing the tensile strength of ground straps and
brake lines you may have forgotten to disconnect.

CRAFTSMAN 1/2 X 16 INCH SCREWDRIVER:
A large motor mount prying tool that inexplicably has an accurately
machined screwdriver tip on the end without the handle.

BATTERY ELECTROLYTE TESTER:
A handy tool for transferring sulfuric acid from a car battery to the
inside of your toolbox after determining that your battery is dead as
a doornail, just as you thought.

AVIATION METAL SNIPS:
See hacksaw.

TROUBLE LIGHT:
The mechanic's own tanning booth. Sometimes called a drop light, it
is a good source of vitamin D, "the sunshine vitamin," which is not
otherwise found under motorcycles at night. Health benefits aside,
its main purpose is to consume 40-watt light bulbs at about the same
rate that 105-mm howitzer shells might be used during, say, the first
few hours of the Battle of the Bulge. More often dark than light, its
name is somewhat misleading.

PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER:
Normally used to stab the lids of old-style paper-and-tin oil cans
and splash oil on your shirt; can also be used, as the name implies,
to round off Phillips screw heads.

AIR COMPRESSOR:
A machine that takes energy produced in a coal-burning power plant
200 miles away and transforms it into compressed air that travels by
hose to a Chicago Pneumatic impact wrench that grips rusty bolts last
tightened 60 years ago by someone in Springfield, and rounds them
off.

PRY BAR:
A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you
needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.

HOSE CUTTER:
A tool used to cut hoses 1/2 inch too short.

Jeff

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                   my Wedge- The POD (Prince of Darkness)

Hello Johan,

I have a 1980 DHC TR7; I have had the Car since 1986. In 1990 I had
to let her sit because I could not afford the insurance or the cost
of driving her 300 miles to college.

After I graduated from collage I started giving new life to my first
love. She has new paint [from brown to 98Jag BRG], a rebuilt engine,
twin Weber's and a set of 14/7 ML rims, they where not on the car
when this picture was taken.

Her name has always been the POD, she earned this name because the
headlights would go down when the previous owner was driving her, but
I have fixed that problem.  Now she spends most of her time in the
garage next to her British sister [A Rover SD1]. I do drive her at
least once a week, This summer I may drive her more, but the salt and
sun in Wilmington, North Carolina USA is very hard on paint.

This photo was taken across the Cape Fear River from Downtown
Wilmington last summer,  I do have more photo's if you are
interested, I feel like a Dad talking about his child :)

I think that Covers it.
Marcian (Marc) Bouchard

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                   CHEQUERED FLAG
  
Dear Johan,

I enclosed more photographs of my converted TR8, as I stated
previously I bought the car 12 years ago as a Tahiti blue 4speed
TR7,and after spending several years trying to restore the car on a
limited budget, decided to go the whole way and create a competition
car. This originally took the form of a rally type car, with rally
suspension , headlamp clusters etc.

Meantime I was working still on the bodywork, which is all fibreglass
forward of  the windscreen, with a fibreglass boot lid, and both
bumpers having the inner girder removed (the front one also being
raised and the trim strip removed between bumper and front top
panel). All windows were replaced with plastic, apart from the
windscreen and the spare wheel well removed and paneled over in
aluminium. The interior didn't escape either, and was stripped out, and
a roll cage installed. The seats were replaced with OMP bucket type
seats, and the instrument pod discarded. Instruments come from Dolomite
(speedo) and Stag (rev counter), with additional ones for water temp,
oil pressure, oil temp etc, also by Smiths to keep in period.

Although I wanted a period look, it is not designed to be an exact
Replica, as it was built with competition in mind. Much of the
information I obtained on the works cars from an astounding
book titled "The BMC/BL Competitions Department" by Bill Price,
published by Haynes. This is where I discovered reference to a
"Chequered Flag" car, prepared by Abingdon for the London sports car
dealership for the Galway Rally in February 1979, driven by Derek
Boyd and Fred Gallagher.

I have film of a Chequered Flag Lancia Stratos, but unfortunately none
of this works TR7 V8, which was, incidentally, written off on this first
event, an accident which broke Fred Gallaghers pelvis! This was car
SJW533S which did not reappear until April 1979 in the Circuit of
Ireland. After the 1979 Circuit of Ireland, this car never raced again
for the works team to my knowledge, although there are references to
her sister cars SJW546S, 540S and 548S.

I decided a couple of years ago that a road version was more
practical, and set about changing over suspension, etc, to the works
spec for tarmac events. I fitted Gas Spax adjustable shocks, and
tarmac front springs from Terry at TriumphTune in London. These were
complemented with specially made rear springs from Leda for the rear,
which lower the back end A LOT! This is all set off with 8x13 and
10x13 minilite replica wheels from Compomotive, and Avon cut slicks
(250mm wide at rear) all under tarmac arches from Mike Gibbon at F.G
Rallying. Mike is a great help as he bought all the B.L. stock when
they stopped racing the TR7/8 although most has now gone ( I bought
the last pair ever, of the laurel leaf lamp bags which I treasure).

Over the years the mechanics of the car have also changed
dramatically from the 2litre, 4speed to V8 power and a 5speed box.
I kept the same differential (even though I have the taller one built
into an axle in the garage), because I just love the acceleration
especially as the car is so light. The engine is an old Rover P6, high
compression unit with SD1 heads and exhaust manifolds. This is topped
with a competition Holley carb of 465cfm and mechanical secondaries,
although I have quadruple side draughts waiting to be fitted.
The engine has a remote filter and oil cooler, but is otherwise
standard. Cooling was originally a bit of a problem, but since fitting
the radiator from a LandRover 110 V8 and twin Ford fans, it runs with
the winter thermostat permanently fitted and keeps at a constant 90
degrees.

Brakes were changed quite a lot also, with new copper piping and
stainless steel hoses first, followed by a Rover SD1 servo and
master cylinder, with Princess 4pot calipers and Ford Capri vented
discs on hub adapters from TriumphTune. I know this is a common
conversion on the brakes, but what may be of interest to your readers
are new discs available from West Wales Rally Spares on UK 01559
363731. These are Capri discs, but with a slightly larger diameter,
this overcomes the "overhang" of the pad you get with standard Capri
discs. They will also cross drill or groove them at buyers
request, total price quoted is around £115 per pair for cross
drilled.

Future projects include fitting a different subframe and prop to move
the engine back even further, and uprating the rear bushes for
polyurethane ones which, like the subframe and prop I already
have, fitted to Spair suspension links.

Unfortunately, like most enthusiasts It all takes time! I also have
the "anti dive" spacer kit to fit when the subframe gets changed,
which is supposed to make a lot of difference under hard braking. Most
of these "competition" type parts are available from TriumphTune or
F.G.Rallying, with the standard type replacement items best bought
from Rimmer Bros. This may come as a surprise to your readers but in
my opinion, the most noticeable improvement comes from good
suspension (the lower the better) and wheels and tyres. Yes I know we
all want more power, and a V8 is always nice, but I originally had the
2litre fitted with a head I worked myself, a pair of 2inch S.U.s, a
Piper 285 camshaft and a Janspeed manifold which, when fitted AFTER
uprating and lowering the car and fitting 205/60/13s on 8x13
Alleycats, was a real pleasure to drive. I guess it produced only
about 145bhp but I miss the way the 4pot used to rev, and the bigger
wheels and tyres stopped the nasty habit of the fronts locking in the
wet quite so often.

The suspension modifications, well anyone who has driven an old,
standard TR7 will know all about motion sickness! Anyway, I hope all
the readers enjoy reading about my Triumph and it gives you some
ideas of things to try and "best shopping". I know I like to get as
much info on what others are doing, and it can save a lot of trial and
error. The companies I've mentioned are all very reputable and I have
found their service excellent over the years. I also have addresses
of other companies who sell standard, second hand Triumph parts if
anyone would find them useful. Hope you enjoy the photographs....

STUART

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                   INVITATION
  
The Panhandle British Car Association is located in Northwest Florida
and Southern Alabama. we have about 6 TR8 cars, with 49 members. All
British cars are welcome. our annual British car show is apr 17 at
Pensacola beach.

Our club president is Mike Japp (mpo@bellsouth.net).

We welcome all new members.

Jeff Ware.

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                   MY TR7 with very nice RIMS

My father is a long time British car enthusiast.  He has owned over
30+ TR2s and TR3s. When I was a small boy, I fell in love with the
TR7. So, when I was still big enough to ride in a child's seat in a
car, my father bought an orange 1975 TR7.  He drove it for a while,
and then parked it.

When I turned 16, I began work restoring the orange TR7 which he
would give to me. I have had every possible part off and redone to
this car. My car and I have been broke down on the side of the road
more often than I'd like to remember. My engine blew in November
1997, so I put in an engine from a 1980 convertible parts car  (one of
4 parts cars).  After changing engines, and redetailing the engine
compartment, I started to work out the bugs for inspection, so I
could drive my baby again.

While test driving to find a problem in my steering, I guess the
thermostat didn't open and let water circulate throughout the engine,
and the head overheated and warped. :(  So, now, I have another head
from another parts car, and I am going home from college (Pitt) to
finish bolting up the head. ( I also purchased a new thermostat!)

I think the one thing that sets my TR7 off from the rest is my rims.
I bought them from a scrap dealer for 50 dollars.  They are 5 star
aluminum rims from an Acura. They are often put onto Honda Civics.  I
had adapter plates specially machined to change my bolt pattern to
fit the Honda rims.  It all worked pretty slick, and I think it makes
the car look more modern. (Not that there is anything wrong with the
old look!)

If you have any comments please email me at (rafst28@pitt.edu), and
check out my TR7 webpage at:

http://www.pitt.edu/~rafst28

Or look at the rims at http://www.team.net/TR8/mp/html/ezine.html

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There are more factory TR8s in Europe than many people realise.  On
July 4th at Billing Aquadrome, near Northampton there will be a
gathering of these cars. For more details see my web site.

http://www.ridley-jones.freeserve.co.uk

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                   NOT ALONE
  
Dear Wedge team;

Hello! my name is Kevin Donovan and I am in the process of getting my
1980 TR7 (back) on the road.

I originally bought this car in April of 1997 for $600 as a car
to get from here to there. The first time I drove it I knew it wasn't
going to work out that way. I spent the next 6 months cleaning out
the garage to give my joy a home. about his time I started
experiencing electrical problems (alternator, wiring) and stored it
away for about a year....

Late 1998 I was considering selling the car to someone who
could properly take care of it, as the electrical problem was driving
me nuts! I came very close until I came across the WORLD WIDE WEDGE
homepage and realized I was not the only one afflicted with this
passion!

I was put in contact to another TR7 nut in LI (moderator: Long
Island) who gave me the name of a mechanic who has had experience
with these beasts (thanks Art!) as you can see from the photos, the car
just came out of hibernation and is being nursed back to
health....once the essentials are done its on to restoring this
much neglected car back to beauty!

Thank you all for your help (Art, Frank the mechanic and Johan V. for
helping) and as I go through the process I will keep the page updated!

Kevin J. Donovan

Webpage at http://www.team.net/TR8/mp/html/ezine.html

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Well, I have received so much digital material from Gary Valone (USA).
Luckily I have a cable modem connection to the internet :-)

Well I'm trying to organise everything, and I'm thinking of the best
way to publish them at the WWWedge.

Here's the first series; Brochures of our beloved wedges.

http://www.team.net/TR8/mp/html/ezine.html

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WWWedge Ezine is a free email newsletter for anyone who is interested
in the classic car Triumph TR7 and TR8.

Please note: the list of subscribers will not be shared with anyone.
The information is used to distribute the newsletter. This newsletter
is not SPAM. It's sent to you based on your subscription.

Advice, articles and opinions are offered 'as is'. The publisher
cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions.

The newsletter may be freely copied and/or distributed in its
entirety.

(c) 1998-1999, The World Wide Wedge (http://www.team.net/TR8/)
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