shenderson

My mate spotted it outside Southern Axle Services in Watford, June last year.

From the Workshop manual.  

The workshop manuals don't show the orientation and all I've found on the net is a hazy "sketch" that shows the adjuster as a dotted line behind the shoe. This might be waht you found on the net.  It's taken from the 2000/2.5 manual.  apart from narrower linings, it's the same set-up.

I checked this in the Triumph workshop manual.  The lower section of the adjuster in the photo is the wrong way round.  You can see how, if it was turned round and fitted correctly, it wouldn't mask the hole in the shoe where the pull-off spring would attach.

Years ago I had an overcooling problem on a 2.5 PI.  It turned out that the thermostat housing was corroded, allowing coolant to bypass the thermostat.  Might be worth checking.

Adjustment is only delaying the inevitable.  Once there is play it is best to replace the bearings. Steve

Hi One of my rear wheel bearing housings is seized into the semi-trailing arm.  The only way I can think of to get it out is to remove the  semi-trailing arm and get into into a press.  That's a lot of hassle I can do without. Anyone got any other ideas/experience on how to remove it? Thanks Steve

My day job is advising on seat belt use and effectiveness so hopefully the following will assist people to weigh up the risks. It is understandable that people wish their cars to be as safe as possible, and three point seat belts are undoubtedly safer than lap belts - but only if they are installed correctly. There is no shoulder belt upper mounting in the layout shown above.  In a severe frontal impact it is likely to compress the spine.  In an angled impact, the shoulder might slip out and render the seat belt almost useless. If used correctly, a good lap belt is better than a poor lap/shoulder belt.  Lap belts should be adjusted to fit snugly across the pelvis, beneath any thick coats etc.  They should not be loose and/or lie across the soft abdominal area.  If there is space, it's better to use a retractor seat belt, as it does not have to be manually adjusted. If three point seat belts are installed in a vehicle designed and tested only for lap belts in the rear then, apart from the risk of causing unnecessary injury, if anything did happen the seat belt installer would be at risk of civil liability proceedings.  The motor insurers might also take a dim view of the modifications and refuse to underwrite any claim. The legal issues can be avoided by using it as designed i.e. with a lap belt fixed to the anchorages provided.   To be fair, serious problems are only likely to occur in a severe collision.  But it is not a risk I would take. Regards Steve H

There are other threads on this forum too, which hopefully will assist. Steve H

Mountings are provided for lap-only belts, and it might be possible to include a retractor. I wouldn't recommend attempting to fit lap/diagonal belts as there is no proper support for the shoulder section. Regards Steve H

The earth terminal for each rear bulb holder is held in (occasional) contact with the metal bulb holder.  If you can, it's worth soldering the terminal to the bulb holder.  A bit fiddly, but well worth the effort. Steve H

The earth terminal for each rear bulb holder is held in (occasional) contact with the metal bulb holder.  If you can, it's worth soldering the terminal to the bulb holder.  A bit fiddly, but well worth the effort. Steve H

If you already planned to rebuild the original engine, then I think rebuilding another S/H Triumph engine is the way to go (especially if you've already obtained some parts for it).  That way you won't have to do all the other mods as described above, plus change the front  suspension to suit the lighter engine.  And the Stag maintains its value better with a Triumph V8 engine... Unless you can find a verified good alternative engine, you would probably want to rebuild it anyway for peace of mind.  All the other mods to the car would probably more than offset the reduced expense of rebuilding a Rover V8 or Triumph 6. Regards Steve H

As I understand it, the torsion bar allows a slight misalignment between the input shaft (steering column) and the pinion to develop when steering is applied.  This allows pressurised fluid to flow through the valve and enter one or other side of the rack to assist steering effort.  Reducing the diameter of the torsion bar will reduce its 'springiness', which will allow fluid pressure into the rack earlier when steering is applied.  This in turn will make the steering feel lighter, opposite to the desired effect. Hope this helps. Steve H

At Land Rover, bottom hose thermostats were first used on Range Rover 38A (second generation).  I remember seeing some test bed graphs by the engineer who patented the system, showing much better temperature control than top hose thermostats.  So much so that I was tempted to adapt my Triumphs, but never got round to it. Cheers Steve

According to Rimmers' website, only the earliest Rover V8s have the engine number where yours is (I read this somewhere else too), so it could be from a P5B (the first production model with this engine). My engine has the number in the same place, and it also does not appear on normal listings.  However it was originally provided as a service or warranty replacement. Most of the earlier engines (including the P6B) had a CR of 10.5:1 to run on 5 star fuel, no longer available.  Unless the CR has been reduced it might pink a bit on modern fuel.  Mine has 9.35:1 pistons and runs fine on regular unleaded. These engines also have smaller valves than later ones, and suffer oil leaks from where a bit of rope was used instead of a proper rear crankshaft seal.  This was rectified, and bigger valves used after the introduction of the SD1. There are plenty of specialists, with websites, plus info on the SD1 and Land Rover websites/forums. Steve H

Never heard of Accuspark or Hotspark, so cannot say whether or not they are any good.  However the prices look suspiciously cheap! The Aldon ignitor, by Pertronix, is currently popular.  I've heard no bad reports and good service too.  Cost upwards of £100 in the UK. www.aldonauto.co.uk Whatever you go for though, carry a spare set of new points and a condensor etc wherever you go, plus the tools to fit them.  They might be crap, but they will get you home if the electonic ignition packs up. Steve H