Well slowly but surely my TR-6 has been improving over the summer,
and now that the car as a whole is feeling good, it is nearly
winter. I feel semi-confident in the car, so it's time for one
last long trip. Triumphest or BUST! I'm leaving on the 6th from
Portland, meeting friends from Idaho in Weed that night, then
caravaning down to Buellton during the next 1-2 days. Any one
else going to Triumphest? I'll try to remember to bring along my
SOL flag for the windscreen.
Those of short attention spans can quit here, if you'd like to
peruse the swork I've done this summer read on.
I started the spring driving the car after a year and a half of
down time (previous post) with a freshly tuned new engine and
striped interior. I drove it for 3 or 4 weeks with only one seat
and no rear view mirror. Well I got the interior sort of put in,
and enjoyed the car just around town for the next couple of
months. Even with the creeking suspension and chirping throw-out
bearing. Well just before the Portland All British Field Meet I
got ambitious again, and rebuilt the front suspension with new
bushings, new trunions, new tie rod ends, new brake pads, and
installed new rotors that I've had on the shelf for a couple of
years. I repacked the wheel bearings, and added grease zerks to
the lower A arm ends so I can get new grease into the trunion
bushings in the future. I also re-bushed the steering rack, and
put on new steering rack boots (retaining the old clamps and put
the tie-wraps in the tool box, I'm with Roland on this one). After
a trip to the alignment shop I had the creeking suspension fixed.
I enjoyed the ABFM and drove it for a few more weeks, and at the
field meet decided to go to Triumphest. So last weekend I changed
the oil and pulled the tranmission out to replace the chirping
throw-out bearing. Got that about half done finished on Saturday.
I also pulled all the wheels off to the check brakes. Rears were gone,
and the wheel cylinders were leaking slightly. Monday night I
worked at the Race car shop and then slipped over and bought tires
at Costco, so it was Tuesday night before I got back to working on
the car. We had a get together to meet Miq Millman that night so
I threw on an old set of shoes on the one side that had gone down
to the backing, and finished bolting up the transmission. Met Miq
and put some faces with some other area Portland SOLers that I hadn't
met before.
So Wednesday I spent my $20 for wheel cylinder kits and shoes and put
them on Wed night. Bolted on my new tires and went for a spin.
It's like a new car!!
Triumphest here I come, wonder if I'll have time to get shocks on
and install a new convertible top before I leave?
greg_meythaler@ccm.hf.intel.com
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