Toledo Man
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Everything posted by Toledo Man
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Using anything other than gearbox oil alone will wreck the overdrive so mixing it with engine oil is a big no-no in my book. I know some gearboxes (the Acclaim is another example) use engine oil but that's what the manufacturers intended.
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Can you do Dolomite panels? I can put you in touch with the guy in the Triumph Dolomite Club (TDC) who does the panels. Simon Goldsworthy is the editor of Triumph World so you should be able to contact him through the mag's publisher. You should also get in touch with Practical Classics. Neil Campbell is the man as he's a Triumph nut (Coventry born like the cars).
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An alternative would be to fit Rover 45/MG ZS seats if you're not bothered about originality...
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The quality of Aceparts LEDs are mixed. The 42mm festoons are rubbish (except for the one in my Dolly) but the smaller festoons are fine. The sidelight bulbs and the dash bulbs that I bought from them for the Astra are fine. Another supplier that I've used is CrazyLEDs but you might be struggling to get LED bulbs from them to fit "our" cars. I'm thinking about replacing all the 42mm festoons in both cars with ones from CrazyLEDs.
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The name came from a previous owner (before Barry) who went by the name of Elaine Margaret (never made a note of her surname) who is no longer with us. To be honest, I called her Maggie as the car was registered about the time of the Falklands War and the Prime Minister at that time was the legendary Maggie Thatcher (now also deceased).
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I've replied to your PM. Barry McGrath had new sills made. I don't know if he's still doing them. It might be worth getting in touch with him.
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My welding on the sills (and elsewhere) wasn't good enough to pass the MoT so I got the garage to redo the job properly. The sill had an invisible repair and I hope it has held up. The main problem with the wipers is the spindles can seize up. The best method of preventing this is to lubricate it regularly. I have a parts catalogue which I can provide you a copy of free of charge. It would be great to catch up with Margaret again. One part which is (surprisingly) available new are the lower front suspension arms which are about £20 each. I needed a pair for Becky II the last time I put her through an MoT. Margaret was at one time thought to be the 4th oldest Acclaim. The other older cars that have popped up have pushed her further down the list. There was a thread on that subject where VIN numbers were compared. I could do with your skills (or hope you can improve mine) to get my Dolomite's bodywork in a fit state for a respray.
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Barry is indeed the man and is known as the "Acclaim Guru". He owned this particular car and was named Margaret. How do I know? Becuase I bought her from Barry in October 2009 and got her MoTd and she was my daily driver. I sorted out the remaining faults before selling her to Barry's mate Dan (logicaluk on here) in February 2010. What I did to Margaret during my ownership is documented in my Blog. She ended up in the hands of another CT member in Lincolshire. Here she is when I bought her.
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What he said. The "retracting" type are inertial reel as opposed to static seat belts. The change from static to inertia reel belts occurred about 1973/1974 and later ones will bolt straight in.
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Jon, you are right in that the 1500 lump doesn't like to rev "out of the box". If the engine is balanced it will run better. There's a guy on the TDC forum (some of you will know who I mean) who can work his magic on these engines. Getting back on topic, I'd definitely second the budget system. I fitted one on a Sprint dizzy on my 1850 and I haven't had to touch it since aside from small adjustments of the timing. Worth every penny.
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Jase, I've just seen your Blog post and I second what Mike has said. Like the TR6, the Sprint has a cross shaft which is also an issue so you should check the cross shaft. Renewing the hydraulics would also be wise considering the history of your car.
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I second what Gaz said about the Britpart kit. I got mine from the same supplier (MM 4x4) which I fitted in a Lucas 44D4 dizzy on my Dolomite 1850 and it has worked since day one. It is a straight swap for the points & condensor. Highly recommended and worth every penny.
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Manual and Triomatic driveshafts are different. The engine and running gear is the same as the Civic so I think the driveshafts should be the same.
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The Guru (Barry) is spot on. Adam is also right should you wish to source a replacement fuel pump. The EN4 engine was lifted straight out of the 2nd generation Civic. Hobby, the Civic 1300S also used the same carbs as the Acclaim.
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The "Italin tune-up" as I know it is where you change up just before the red line. Don't do it until the engine is up to temerature (NEVER thrash a cold engine). It shouldn't be necessary with your car. I remember when I did the head gasket on Blue steam was still coming out of the exhaust when I first started it up but after a while it cleared. You'll still get mayo if the engine doesn't get up to temperature so do a long journey if you can.
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Having manned the Corbridge stop on the 2006 run, I've had an insight into all the hard work that goes into this event.
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Becky II would have problems in very heavy rain or if I drove through a big puddle. New plugs, HT leads, rotor arm and dizzy cap solved it. Be aware that new parts can be duff. I had a brand new rotor arm fail on me and the car had passed the MoT earlier on that day. It does happen.
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Rod, like Yogi I have Sprint alloys inflated to 30psi on my 1850. I reckon Gordon's on the money. It is worth trying what he's suggested and I second what he's said about different brands of tyre.
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When was the last time an Acclaim retired?
Toledo Man replied to Toledo Man's topic in Round Britain Reliability Run (RBRR)
I probably worded my question wrongly so I'll ask it again: "Has an Acclaim ever retired from the RBRR?" I've trawled through my back issues of Club Torque which cover the 2004, 2006 & 2008 runs and there's no mention of any Acclaims retiring from those runs. Can anybody answer the question? -
It should be fine but it can't hurt to check. The manuals even the Haynes aren't difficult to understand. From memory (my manuals are in the garage) you can use either 10/30 or 10/40 engine oil in the gearbox. I must admit that the only time I change the gearbox oil is when I have to remove the gearbox.
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I mentioned this in another thread in the "Acclaim" section so I thought I'd ask the question on here. Can anybody answer this question to save me trawling through my back issues of Club Torque or trawling this forum?
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All this work has transformed the car. It drives much better now and feels much more stable on the motorway.
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I always have them at 30psi all round. Most of my mileage is on motorways/dual carriageways. The nearside front tyre definitely needed replacing and was done. After putting a few miles on I then got the tracking done. Hopefully, this will have improved things at the front. I will find out on my way to work on Monday.
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I checked the tyre pressures earlier on this week. All just under 30psi. The front tyres are Michelins. The problem was excessive play in the nearside track rod end so I've ended up replacing both sides. It has cured the vibrating and hopefully, the knock. This means that the tracking will need doing. Also, the nearside front tyre will need replacing as there's some wear. I'll replace the tyre, put some miles on and get the tracking done. I've only a week left of commuting to York before unemployment looms so Becky II will get some well-earned rest.
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The daily commute to York is taking it's toll on poor Becky II. I reckon I've pinpointed the problem. There's also a knock which I think is related to the vague steering. It is noticable at motorway speeds. The car pulls to the left if I let go of the steering wheel and it feels like the wheels are out of balance which is noticable at about 50mph (I had them balanced when I last had the front tyres replaced). The lower suspension arms were replaced for the MoT back in February (new ones are available). All the front suspension bolts were torqued up properly. I just want to know what you lot think before I reveal what I think is the problem. Thoughts and opinions?
