RobPearce

If the seal is very hard it could well be quite old and past its best. They're not exactly soft when new but there should be some flex.

I never had much luck with the drill-powered ones. I have an air-powered version, which works well but you obviously need a big compressor to run it.

16 minutes ago, Banksy82 said:

What is the best way to assess the bearings?

A visual inspection generally gives a pretty good clue. When new, the bearing surface is smooth, flat, and a dull silver colour. If it still looks like that then it's still good. If there are patches of copper colour then it's a decent bearing but a bit worn through age - reasonable odds that a replacement bearing will be all you need. If there are scratches in the bearing surface, or pitting, then you're probably looking at the crank needing a regrind. If the bearing's no longer a clearly defined shape, then you've got trouble, and the crank may well be scrap.

If it's a 3-rail gearbox (up to MkIV) then don't bother changing the O-rings on the remote shaft where it passes into the gearbox top cover housing part. They very rarely fail and are a nightmare to do.

If you think there's oil getting past the input shaft seal, and if it's a 3-rail, then there is no seal, just a scroll. It's probably not worth even trying to make that one not leak.

The gasket between the gearbox and overdrive or rear extension is a fair bit of effort to change and not likely to be leaking.

Generally, I would clean it up and look for any signs of problems, rather than assuming you'll change everything. They do get filthy because all the minor leaks and spillages your car has had in the past will have been atomised, vapourised and sprayed everywhere. Replacing gaskets and seals will not make a Triumph leak-free so it's not worth trying.

Just for clarity, that's not a Mk2, it's a Mk1

You will be wanting to remove the channel from the glass for welding, so make a note of the alignment on there. When you put it back on, you'll be surprised at how near the front of the glass that channel needs to be, otherwise the lifter mechanism runs out of slot before the glass is fully up.

The rubber bushes in that coupling really are too small to allow significant ("visible") play. The only time I've had bad steering play from one was on my Toledo, when one of the bolts fell out! It's all too easy to blame everything on cost cutting but in this case, the standard coupling provides a robust solution with better NVH characteristics than a cheap UJ. It does need decent rubber or poly bits, though.

1 hour ago, oldbury863 said:

'Proper' UJ's are now sold as an upgrade to the original FAM1718 joint

They're not necessarily an actual upgrade. The original coupling, in good nick, is very good - better than a cheap UJ.

What is the actual problem with yours? Where is the play? They are serviceable (I did the one on my Spitfire, which was quite tired) and the only bit that normally needs replacing are the rubber grommets on the four bolts that attach the two clamps to the disc. I believe poly bush ones are available.

14 hours ago, Nick Jones said:

I think it’s possible to use the same injectors with the PI system.

I'm not sure. I think the injectors are somewhat different because the injection systems are different - K-Jetronic is a "constant dribble" system where PI is sequential pulsed. Sure, it's the metering unit that does that, but the PI injectors are pintle type so they close fully when not squirting, which I don't think the K-jet ones are.

27 minutes ago, Pete Arnold said:

Does any other Herald/Vitesse owner currently have easy access to their window mechanism

I did have yesterday morning but it's all enclosed again now...

That said, I have a spare lying around somewhere, I think, but I see foshi's already measure one.

That could be sticky injectors or a weak pump. My old PI used to be absurdly sensitive to low battery, until I changed the pump. The rapid loss of pressure on key off isn't that surprising, although any stickiness in the pressure regulator will exacerbate it.

7 minutes ago, Wendy Dawes said:

Shedi still limping along with a broken gearbox mount.

My Spitfire's gearbox mount failed on the Cambridge area's Peaks-Lakes-Dales tour last year. Had that been a major event I'd have soldiered on, but it was approaching RBRR time and the Spitfire was entered, so I drove home and used my two days leave to replace it. I wouldn't have wanted to try doing that by the road side, but Shedi's may not be so hard.

Yesterday I removed the drop glass from Tessa's driver's door, re-attached it to the control channel, then reassembled the door. Then I fitted the new trim card. Today I've fitted the new passenger trim (the old ones had both come unstitched along the bottom so the pockets were just sleeves and your maps ended up on the floor when you opened the door).

😢  Sorry to hear that. Best of luck for a speedy and efficient recovery.

I took the radio out of my Vitesse but the plastic housing is still in place. It's supported off the front of the dash (the vinyl below the wood is actually covering a metal frame) and a bracket on the heater, IIRC. I suspect the wooden ones are home made or modified.

There's a fair bit of nonsense talked about coolant. I'll address your points individually:

1 hour ago, keith417 said:

Haynes manual talks about 'leaving a hose running in the radiator cap orifice for ten to fifteen minutes'. Presumably this is using normal tap water, but elsewhere I read tap water should not be used under any circumstances.

Tap water is considered inadvisable as coolant. This is because it's often quite hard and will cause scaling up of the system. However, that only happens when it's left in there and repeatedly heated and cooled - there is no problem at all if you're using it to flush the system and then draining it out.

1 hour ago, keith417 said:

Also some refer to using a Speed Flush or cleanser. What should I use?

That depends how badly clogged it is. If you're just doing regular maintenance, sue plain tap water. If you're tackling an overheating problem that you suspect is due to the system being clogged up, fill it with dilute washing soda for a while, then drain and flush thoroughly.

1 hour ago, keith417 said:

When it comes to refilling the system, what is best to use.

There are opinions on this. Personally, I use tap water but I boil it first. This removes most of the hardness. You could use rain water but if your water butts are as stagnant as ours then I wouldn't let that stuff anywhere near my car. Always use blue (glycol) antifreeze - NEVER use the red OAT stuff.

Old coolant should not be chucked down the drain but rather you need the correct environmentally friendly disposal. Check your local council's web site to see whether they provide such a service.

2 hours ago, RonN said:

Its definitely the middle fuse thats dead, no power no either side.

If there's no power on either side then it's probably not a dead fuse. Dead fuse gives no power out when there is power in. And the fuse with red and red/green wires is for sidelights and panel lights - it has nothing to do with the horn.

2 hours ago, RonN said:

I have no instrument lights

Do you have exterior side lights? If so, it's not the fuse as that would take them all out. It could be a bad contact on one half of the fuse clip (red wire end).

The horn, though, is not fed through that fuse but the one with brown and purple wires.

40 minutes ago, standardthread said:

Before I lift an engine if it needs work I crack off the crank nut with the car in gear, and if needed, the brakes on.

Many years ago I made myself a flywheel lock out of scrap metal. It bolts in where the starter motor would go and engages on the ring gear teeth. It works a lot better than relying on the clutch and brakes.

14 hours ago, Alan Armstrong said:

Can anyone suggest an independent screw/bolt/nut supplier please?

If you know what size/thread bolts/screws/etc. you want then either namrick or Spalding Fasteners are very good by mail order

1 hour ago, Banksy82 said:

The car is outside and on gravel

Fair enough - that does make looking up from below a fair bit more unpleasant. It's all too easy for me to forget that not everyone has a full depth pit in their garage 🤫

Are you sure that's the right fuse? The colours don't make sense for the horn circuit. Also, at least some of the Haynes manuals have errors in the wiring diagram relating to which fuse is which.

Hmm.... 50 thou is probably not terminal yet, and may not even be too high a risk for a while. However, it's probably time to drop the sump. You can then take the rear main bearing cap off and inspect for any signs of scoring on the rear face. No marks means you've got away with it and a pair of oversize thrust washers will keep it going for a good while - which job can be done without any further dismantling. If the cap is scored, though, it means the crank has made contact and you are looking at significant engine work.

For coolant I use boiled water (we live in a hard water area and boiling removes some of that) mixed with blue antifreeze. Don't use the red OAT antifreeze on a Triumph (it's meant for modern cars).

The original battery was a hefty beast but not especially high performance, certainly compared to modern ones. You're not likely to have a problem with insufficient CCA if you look for a battery that physically fits. My three all have 063 types but as I said, I don't have a PI saloon any more.

The cap spec depends on age. Mk1 cars and early Mk2s has the 7PSI (0.5bar) cap but later cars got the 13PSI (0.9bar) one. I don't think there were any changes to the cooling system, other than possibly a higher thermostat temperature, so you can probably get away with either. The 0.5bar puts less strain on old and tired hoses and radiators, though.

1) Tappet clearance should be 0.010" (0.25mm) - the WSM hides it in the text rather than the dimensions and clearance page

2) I think those hoses look right

3) There is one choke cable that connects to the metering unit, to operate the cold enrichment, and the throttle cable to the lever arrangement on the inlet manifold.  It's a while since I had my PI but the WSM seems to hint at a second choke cable to operate a cold idle lever which looks similar to the throttle one.