Posidriv screws
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I did send a message here about posidriv screws, but I don't remember seeing
it, so I'm not quite sure where I sent it, and here's the info again. The
cross-head screws may all look the same, and are all equally useless to
everyone but the manufacturer's screw-driving machines, but you can't use
just any screwdriver. Phillips are commonly used in construction in North
America (I avoid them like the plague and use Robertsons instead; being
Canadian has some advantages), and thus, Philips drivers are available
everywhere. My first encounter with Posidriv was a cuss-and-swear event
with my Japanese motorcycle. We have a decent enough Craftsman screwdriver
set, and I couldn't figure out why they were slipping and mangling the screw
heads much more than usual. Phillips screws have a steeper angle, that is,
are pointier. You can turn a good Phillips driver into a serviceable Posidriv
by filing down the end. You may have better luck with a cheap Phillips driver
which is usually pretty blunt to begin with. The only real Posidriv driver
I have came with my motorcycle's took kit, and as you can imagine, is a
piece of junk. The only realy solution I've found with cross head screws in
general is to replace them at the first hint of trouble with Robertson
(square), hex, Torx or even slot, depending on the application and what's
available. (Hey, get me a hammer and the impact driver....)
Buying a TR6
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We were only vaguely looking at sixes a couple of years ago, and finally
bought a TR7, but I heard enough stories to have this stick in my mind -
check the condition of the frame near the differential. Every once in a while
I hear a tale of somebody's TR6 that dropped its differential on the garage
floor, necessitating some nasty frame work, so beware. A $6000 TR6 is likely
OK. A $2000 TR6 is probably holding onto its differential with bits of rust
and blind luck. Beware of the $4000 TR6. I hope that your friend knows what
he's getting into with the cheap one.
LBC Sounds
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Aside from the obligatory burbling exhaust....
Squealing brakes, cranking starter, clicking starter, engine that misses
once in a while, cursing owner, and my personal favourite, the whizzing motor
sound of the TR7's peek-a-boo headlamp operation.
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ObMyLBC. At departure for our company softball game yesterday, we hopped in
the car, I pushed the clutch, turned the key, pushed the brake pedal to the
floor then release the parking brake......push the brake pedal to the floor?
Oh, sh*t. As the last remaining paint on the right rear alloy wheel has now
been kindly removed by a stream of brake fluid, I'm looking for a wheel
cylinder rebuild kit. Any bets on when the left one will go?
Jody
jplevine@rd.hydro.on.ca - Toronto, Canada - '79 Drophead TR7
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