A TR7 16V

I wasn't aware they were standard fitment. But the wife thinks wires will look good and I try not to argue - I might win, and then where would I be? Graham

Yes, the sprigit hubs have longer splines, but my understanding (yet to be checked) is that you need shorter wheel studs and (possibly) new nuts with the sprigit wires and hub adaptors, and can't then go back to steel wheels without some issues. But the Spitfire ones go on the existing studs with herald nuts. I may hang on to the sprigit wheels and see if hubs turn up sometime. Hopefully I'll know in a couple of days when the wheels arrive and I can offer them up. Graham

Well I can't see how any tyre that meets standards (presuposing these do) could increase risks as much as oversized tires on the rims. I would certainly baulk at putting 6.1 inch wide tyres on a 3.5 inch rim: even at an 85 percent profile.  Also, knowing how insurance companies will use any excuse to weasle out of paying up. I heard of one case where the assesor measured the tyre tread depths for a claim on a break-in and stolen radio. So I shall, and am in the process of doing, fit 4J5 Spitfire wheels first (and shall notify the insurers). One wonders how many of those who've fitted 155 have seen the same issues and gone the same route. I do accept that cheap tyres, wherever they are made, are liable to wear quickly or have a poor grip rating. But if you don't much use the car, wear rates are nearly irrelevant. And the tyres I mentioned have a better wet grip rating than the Firestones I have on at the moment. The problem with those is that they just don't grip well enough setting off on a wet road, and that loses me confidence in their ability to stop on one. Wider tyres should (despite Amonton's second law) solve both problems.  Graham

I doubt the Herald got 155s, they're too wide for the 3J5 rims - listed for 4.0 to 5.0 inch width rims only. They were, I believe fitted to the Spitfire on 4J5 rims. 145 80s vs 145 85s should give a 0.77 mph difference at 30. I can't imagine how an analogue speedo could be that accurate, even for 1.5 mph error at 60. The 3 mph error at 120 might show, but I doubt I'd dare to look at that speed in a Herald. I've got 145 70s on my 3j5s. They over read a little, but there's a fixed speedo error of about 3 mph (probably due to the age of the speedo head) that's bigger than any proportional error at 30, probably as big as the proportional error at 60 - measured against a HUD GPS speedo. The 155 70s would have a smaller proportional error referenced to 145 80 13s than the 145 70s, less than 1 mph at 30. And the 2.7 percent difference in size is nearly the same as the difference between new and legal limit tyres. Graham

Not sure what the relevance to 155 80 13s is. The herald speedo would once have been calibrated to 145 13.  All foreign stuff is muck to someone. But £86 for 4! So what if they wear out soon, as long as the gip figure is to E standards. I don't have contacts in BSI anymore (was ACE/6/-/9 committee chair for 20 years), but I can see if I can find anything out. Graham  

No, it's the wheels. The hubs fit and it's Spitfire wheels that are odd, i.e. not type 42s. Anybody want 4 Sprigit wheels? Graham

If you've still got original 3J5 rims, I don't think you can safely go any wider than the standard 145s. If you've got 4J5 Spitfire wheels or similar, what about these: BOTO 155 70 R13 T rated £85.99 for 4 delivered. They are wet grip C and economy E btw. Not the other way round like it says in the text.  They are a couple of percent smaller than the 145 13s originally fitted, but bigger than the 145 70 13 Firestones I've go on my herald, and better wet grip and economy too - mine are E and G. There's an Aussie forum claims the BOTO factory makes Firestones in China. But I think the claim that "they're basically rebranded Firestones" is a bit strong. So, if you're aging out not wearing out tyres, how can you loose. I'm thinking about these because I'm in the process of getting some 4J5 wires: I had no idea Spitfire wires were so unique and so hard to find. I've a set of 4 Sprigit/TR type 42 hub, 13" wires going spare if anyone's interested. Graham

It seems it's the hubs. According to MWS, the Spitfire/Herald takes a Rudge-Whitworth type 42 hub, the splines for which are 37mm long. These are 18mm. Graham

I got, separately, a set of 13" wire wheels, reasonably cheap, and a set of hub adaptors. The hub adaptors, at least, are meant to be for a Spitfire/Herald, but either they are too short for the wheel hubs, or the wheel hubs are too wide/deep for the adaptors.  Can anybody suggest what I should measure, and what that measurement should be? Graham

Thanks, I know what to look for now. Graham

What problem's it cause? Graham

Looks like I take a wheel off and offer up the hub and wheel. No tyres on the wires, so it should be easy enough to try. Just the usual problem of finding a dry period in a county with too many rainy seasons (all cold). Graham

Will I be able to use the wheel nuts holding the steel wheels on the Herald to hold the wire wheel hubs, which are countersunk? Graham

As I understand it the twin carb, bigger valve (higher compression?) arrangement on the late IV engine will want less mechanical advance than the 14 degrees (crank) of the 13/60. Though that already seems small in comparison to the 20 degrees on the 12/50. I put a distributor from a spare 13/60 engine on the car and had some problems with pinking, but one of the springs seemed to have been stretched - the other 41127 25D I have had both springs tight at 0 rpm. I've now fixed that other distributor: a prev. owner had put a rubber O ring under the screw that holds the cam down and locked the mechanical advance, which then seized; I assume the O ring was to get rid of the end float in that mounting (must have been trying to build the mythical rattle free Triumph, LOL). With that distributor in, I've no problem with pinking, but I don't know how close it is if the springs in that stretch. They are also thinner wire in comparison to the ones in the 12/50 distributor, which, I guess, means the 13/60's advance comes on sooner (and has no bend in the curve, as the springs are the same length). Graham Don't   Graham

You're right, it's the additional advance as the centrifugal weights throw out at higher rpm I'm looking for. On a Lucas 25D4 distributor there's a number stamped on the limit arm under the plate that carries the points that gives the value at the distributor. But I have no idea about Delco ones. I'm asking because I have what seems to be a late Spitfire MkIV engine, with twin HS2s, in a Herald (though I'm not sure of the cam), and want to fit a Lucas distributor with the right advance for the engine. And have more time than money, and a growing collection of Herald spares, including advance springs. The 13/60 Lucas 25D4 distributor (41127) has 7 degrees of advance at the distributor, or 14 at the crank. I have a 12/50 one that gives 20 degrees at the crank, but want to avoid pinking. And I think that may be a bit much considering the MkIV engine has better breathing than the 13/60, which is reckoned to want less advance, not more.  Graham

Does anybody know how many degrees of mechanical advance there is in the distributor on a late MkIV Spitfire? Graham

Thermal processes are just horrible. Just the way the output of a simple pipe goes up and down, allowing for how the walls absorb and return heat, is given by a second order differential equation. I played with it in control theory at Uni once. Graham

And, presumably, the more, colder air (for a given radiator size), the more cycles before the cabin heater stops blowing hot and cold. Graham

It will change how quickly the radiator gets hot once the thermostat opens and thus the overall time that takes. And, while it may not affect how long before the cabin heater core heats up, it will affect how hot it gets. And sometimes (like nearly always) it's not about what a thing will do, but what the people doing it believe it will do. Graham

I always thought closing off the airflow with systems with mechanical fans was to get the thermostat to open up quicker and wider in very cold weather, so the infernal heater would work sooner and better. I know some systems bypass the thermostat to feed the heater core, but didn't think the herald did. Visually, the 22 inch one from the 12/50 looks good with little damage to the fins, etc. Internally, there's a fair bit of soft salt - looks like there might be some copper salts in there from the blue tinge. I plan on laying down flat, sticking some dishwasher tabs in it, and filling it up with hot water. It can stay like that for a while - I wouldn't do that if I thought there was any aluminium in there. It will always keep till the one that's in needs a re-core and do that one instead. Graham

Fuse holder arrived from China and has been modified to fit on the aluminium bracket in the gutted reg box. Not sure what to do with 4 fuses though - it was hard enough to find uses for 2 in the box I've got in at the moment. Spose they can act as spare fuse holders. Just thought I might possibly get one of those plastic fuse extractors to live in this box - I put one in the Sprint glove box. But it disappeared through the wormhole at the back, and I never saw it again. It'll be with all them ballpoint pens that went in there. Graham  

I'm parting up a 12/50 I bought for the bonnet and doors, and when I got to the radiator it's much wider than the one on my 13/60 - goes right across the front of the engine. Is this going to need to be used with the 12/50 bonnet or will that fit over the 13/60 (can't see why it wouldn't, but haven't got at it with a tape measure yet)? Even if there is no problem, is the wider radiator any advantage? Currently the gauge reads a little bit over 1/2, but it's reasonably steady and does not go up when running into slow traffic after a run at speed. So I reckon that's more likely an issue with the voltage stabilizer than the cooling system.  But I am thinking of running more mechanical advance and switching to super unleaded fuel - just to see - and that's probably going to make more heat. Initially, this is just going to be an experiment. And I have a spare re-conned engine if it all goes horribly wrong. Graham

The problem with those would be proving they aren't copyrighted. I think there are some rules about some time after publication. But I don't think I understand them or how to get Wikimedia to accept.  Best solution is pictures we've taken, e.g. of concourse winners. The clubs might have some that they'ed allow for this purpose. Graham

That's fine. Your cars to do with as you want. I wasn't implying any issue with that. Just that the initial generic pictures of the car in its encyclopedia entry should show it as it was produced. If you think I'm wrong, don't hesitate to say so. Graham

The generic pictures of a TR7 on the Wikipedia page are of a none standard car, certainly not in original paint - body colour sills and back panel, US bumper covers on a supposed 1975 UK car, etc.  While it's clearly a nice car, and I'm sure it's owner loves it very much, I think an encyclopedia entry on the TR7 should show what Triumph intended, not someone's later take on the model. Hence, has anyone got a set of pictures - front 3/4, side, rear 3/4, etc. - of a good condition car in standard trim and one of the supplied colours? I think the car should preferably be an early one with the very big filler cap. I don't think it's important which market it is, but I can see an argument it should be US spec, as that was where the model was primarily aimed. If there's both, then I'm sure there's room. These pictures will need to be uploaded onto Wikimedia, and the copyright issues dealt with. And that's easiest if whoever took the photo uploads it. But given written leave, I can do that if necessary. Graham