Ridgetone Triumph

This is the first time I have had it happen to a big saloon, though only since the new clutch. It just seems to happen to some cars and not others 🤔 Oh well.......I remember buying a 1967 MK1 that sat in the grass for over 2 years in NZ, that clutch was stuck and in the end I had to remove the gearbox and pressure plate so I could use a bolster chisel and hammer to separate the clutch from the flywheel 😀 I now am remembering that the race car once had a stuck clutch after sitting for months, though this unstuck after a few minutes warming up the car. It has to be down to the type of material used in the plate linings?? I did degrease the plate and the flywheel which was a lightened TR6 one, which I de-greased and sanded with emery cloth, now there's a thought if the emery cloth was too course maybe it has left grip groves on the surface of the flywheel, creating the suction effect   (think)

Why do they stick when you don't use the car for more than 3 weeks? Since I fitted a new Clutch and pressure plate the clutch freezes onto the flywheel, any thing over 3 weeks and it is stuck. Over the Christmas period 3 months and it took 2mls of ruthless clutch and crash changes before the clutch let go. It doesn't make any difference whether the car is inside dry or on the drive, after 3 weeks it sticks, though 3 weeks it frees up with a few reverse gear cranks on the key attempts, anything longer and it is a real pain  

I took my toggle switch of the race car and reverted back to the standard switch as at the most inappropriate times when in close proximity with fellow competitors one has been known to knock this darn toggle switch while changing down into second and ended up in overdrive 2nd instead of 2nd or even worse 4th overdrive  >  

Oh forgot to say....Lovely Cherry fragrance wafting around inside 'Poo' driving back to my place 😀

That's a good idea Martin, did that with the race car, totally trouble free 😉 I can pull it apart and inject some fresh, or give it to my Auto Electrician to do, he's a dab hand at old Lucas equipment 😉

I collected 'Poo' and drove him back 🙂 As he has been parked up for a while I haven't done any inhibitor switch adjustments but when I was driving him home I engaged the switch and nothing happened.....There's a surprise  (dizzy) I dropped down to 3rd engaged and still nothing 🤔 Don't know what made me do it but I placed my thumb heavily on the switch and slid it in and out about a hundred times........It engaged at one point (scared) I then experimented with the switch and found it engages and disengages overdrive if you press the switch hard, if I lightly push the switch it doesn't do anything. I am now thinking the switch on top of the gear lever is the problem. After a good few miles of driving and constant heavy pressure use of the switch things have been restored as now lightly engaging the switch works every time 😎 The wiring down the gear stick was replaced a little while ago so I think maybe the actual overdrive switch is wearing out  

Exactly, 2 for the price of 1 😀

Or you can go up market and use a doctors stethoscope 😉

We will use the 2dr 🙂

Martin can you add Janet and myself for the event 🙂

Yes they took a little sorting and have to agree with you about the comfort and sitting in them all night on the HCR 😉

Any year from '97 to 2001, or is that '96 to 2000??? Roughly 😀

It's a pity you didn't needs these a year and a bit ago, I throws these out   Heads up, don't fit E46 seats unless you have huge amount of torque and BHP...............ain't that right Floyd 😉

Thanks Dale,  I  can see some work heading' Poo's' way soon,  he has been neglected of late so is getting its own back 🤔

Cheers Colin,  now I know what those grommets are for 🙂

Thanks for the replies chaps, that is a good start. When I put in another box on the 2.5 estate the overdrive didn't work at all, when we removed the inhibitor switch the small ball end was rusted solid (the swapped box had laid dormant for 20 odd years) So swapper the switch with the old one and all was well. As you say Pete it most likely the switch needs some adjustment.......Hmmm I think we had to drop the rear of the box to gain access too 🤔

While driving through town and in 3rd gear I flicked the switch to select O/D and it went straight in, a few minutes later and at the traffic lights alls well. I get a mile further and finally got into top gear than selected O/D again, nothing happened 🤔 I flicked the switch in and out but still nothing. It last worked in 3rd so I changed down into 3rd and switched into O/D, it went straight in. I changed into 4th and engaged O/D again and nothing happened 🙁 So I changed down again to 3rd and the O/D worked, it wont engage while in 4th gear only 3rd. However if I am in 3rd O/D and change into 4th it stays in 4th O/D.....Confused, I am. Any thoughts????

........And what was wrong with your Co Driver????? I made mine get out and 'push Poo' 😀 Must say I love your nick name for your Co Driver.....Flo!!!! Really fits (whistle)(whistle) (Steve, what's the bet you have virtually not current fed to the pump when you start to crank the starting motor. My race car developed this scenario once and a relay and direct fed was supplied 😉 ) Many thanks Mike for a challenging day, really made Mark think hard and me drive a naughty boy to the end with only 6 or 7 break downs 😀

Hopefully the new fork will cure the problem Bill, I thought the retaining spring on the fork was fooked 😀

Oh thanks Mike, never thought of 'Poo' as pristine 😀

That sounds like a good plan Ted, AFH. Let Andrew drive Woodie, stocked up with spares and he can follow me around 😉

Excellent idea Mike, lets do this stage for the more spirited amongst us. Michael and Pete 😀

Go on Ted you know what car 😉

Take a spare distributor cap  .............Because Andrew and Ted may not be behind us next time.....

Opened points gap front 6thou to 14thou, much better, set carbs, modified steering knuckle, checked front wheel bearing for play after fitting new set, removed wheel trims..............just might get time to polish 'Poo' 😀