The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

The Number One Club for owners of Triumph's range of small saloons from the 1960s and 1970s.
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 Post subject: Another member
PostPosted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 10:37 am 
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Location: Gapinge (NL)
Bought a Dolly six weeks ago and just got it through apk (dutch MOT)!
My name is Henk and I'm living in a small village in south-west Netherlands. Started four years ago with a Renault 5 (1992) and still happy with it, but it isn't an exciting car. In those years I learned to do all the maintenance at this car and later on I decided to follow my brother and buy a Dolomite. Have searched for quite a while, because good cars are overpriced here and cheap ones come with a lot of work at the body panels / chassis. Since I have no experience in that kind of maintenance, I looked for a car with a good body! Recently found one, and after a few tweaks it was ready for MOT. Biggest job was to fit new brake pipes at the front.
Now it's parked inside because of the winter situation over here.
For now I want the c-pillar black again, the original vinyl was replaced with a metal sheet, I don't like the rear part of the exhaust and I want the temperature gauge and clock working!
Here are a few pics:
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Together with it's mate:
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 Post subject: Re: Another member
PostPosted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 11:56 am 
En weer één op de weg. :clapping:

Jeroen


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 Post subject: Re: Another member
PostPosted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 12:20 pm 
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Location: Netherlands
Goedemiddag Henk, welkom!

Does south-west Netherlands mean Zeeland? I have my lock-up there and I’m sure that I have a spare clock and water temp gauge there.

The rear pillar vinyl is no longer available, so why not paint it black?


Good luck with your Dolomite :!:

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 Post subject: Re: Another member
PostPosted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 3:38 pm 
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Location: Gapinge (NL)
Yes, south-west means Zeeland, the village is called Gapinge (try google maps to locate).
The plan for the pillar is indeed painting it, now I'm waiting for the weather (I guess drying will be better in warmer circumstances).
I'm certainly interested in the temperature gauge and the clock. Temperature gauge is simply not working, where as the engine is getting warm very quickly (in about two minutes, is this normal or does this mean that cooling is insufficient)? Clock isn't working and is awful to look at, right between the nice chrome gauges a black plastic VDO clock with green indicators...
Thanks for the welcome!


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 Post subject: Re: Another member
PostPosted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 4:10 pm 
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Quote:
Yes, south-west means Zeeland, the village is called Gapinge (try google maps to locate).
The plan for the pillar is indeed painting it, now I'm waiting for the weather (I guess drying will be better in warmer circumstances).
I'm certainly interested in the temperature gauge and the clock. Temperature gauge is simply not working, where as the engine is getting warm very quickly (in about two minutes, is this normal or does this mean that cooling is insufficient)? Clock isn't working and is awful to look at, right between the nice chrome gauges a black plastic VDO clock with green indicators...
Thanks for the welcome!
The temperature gauge could just be the wire to the sender; I knocked it off when I was working under the bonnet.


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 Post subject: Re: Another member
PostPosted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 8:29 pm 
Welcome Henk from a fresh Dolomite owner out of the Dutch midlands.
Nice name for your Dolly according to the RDW site :wink: . Would love to have that name cause I drive an Alfa (dolo)Mito for everyday use.
Maybe we meet each other on occasion.

Drive carefully and enjoy it :bluewave: !

Jan-Willem


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 Post subject: Re: Another member
PostPosted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 11:27 pm 
welcome Henk, nice looking dolly, at least you've polished your rims, they look great.

It might be a good idea to replace the temperature sender. Cheap end easy job. That might also solve the gauge problem. I would always start with a good new sender, the risk to the engine of having one that has been overheated is too great. Getting that gauge working is vital.

The other thing to investigate is the voltage stabiliser. It gives the temperature gauge an accurate 10V. It also feeds the fuel gauge. Is the fuel gauge working okay ?

otherwise, fitting a new temperature gauge is easy.

looks like you are farming in Zeeland ? that is a narrow tractor :)

stu


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 Post subject: Re: Another member
PostPosted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 8:24 am 
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Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 8:17 pm
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Location: Gapinge (NL)
Thanks again for the replies!
Back in 1974 someone made a mistake and typed Dolomito in stead of Dolomite on the vehicle registration. It is nearly impossible to correct this mistake, as I understood the only way is to renew the type registration which is a costly procedure.

Will check the temperature sender. Fuel gauge is working fine by the way. Farm is not mine, but my dad's. I'm working there in my leisure. Tractor is used for spraying, ferting etc so narrow tyres are mounted (11.2") and at our farm (and most other farms around here) the track width is standard at 1,50m.


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 Post subject: Re: Another member
PostPosted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 9:14 am 
Ha Henk.

Ik heb connecties bij de rdw en kan wel een telefoontje plegen als je dat wil?
Ik moet dan wel het chassisnr erbij.

Jeroen


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 Post subject: Re: Another member
PostPosted: Sat Jan 01, 2011 6:00 pm 
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Location: Gapinge (NL)
@all: best wishes + lots of miles behind the wheel of your Dolly!

@jeroensprint: graag, chassisnr: WF30905

---
Since my last reply I swapped the temp sender with the one from my brothers Dolomite and the meter works! Just a new temp sender to order now.
After that I decided to tune the mixture a bit in order to get it running properly, but before that I checked and adjusted the dwell angle. After that the engine doesn't want to come alive... bougies are sparking but weak. This picture below shows the way my ignition coil is wired:
Attachment:
DSCF8341.JPG
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The minus side has two connections, one wired to the distributor and the other one (I guess) to the tachometer. Nothing strange here. But the + side I don't understand:
wire 1: has no resistance (connected to earth) when key isn't turned, has inifinite resistance when key is turned to IGN and gives a 12V
wire 2: has infinite resistance in both cases (unturned and IGN) and doesn't show any voltage

Have tried starting with both wires connected, and with seperate wires connected. When I'm actually starting voltage drops to ~8V.

My brothers coil has only one wire connected to the + side.
Any thoughts?


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 Post subject: Re: Another member
PostPosted: Sat Jan 01, 2011 8:27 pm 
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Try putting the ignition back how you found it. ;)

Seriously though, it's almost certain to be something you've changed if it worked before.


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 Post subject: Re: Another member
PostPosted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 10:46 am 
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I agree, that's why I'm comparing with my brother's car. But I'm pretty sure it was connected this way because of the different contact on my coil it is impossible to connect a - wire to a + pole.
Only other thing that springs to mind: inside the distributor a loose wire was there (seemed to touch the metal, but wasn't fixed), checked my brother's and found out it has to be an earthed wire which should be connected to the condenser mounting clip -> connected it.
Earlier this morning I checked the starting with this wire connected and disconnected -> no difference.


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 Post subject: Re: Another member
PostPosted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 11:17 am 
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The two wires from the -ve side are, as you said, going to the distributor & the rev counter (tacho). The one wire on the +ve side goes to the starter motor & the other is the ballasted feed from the ignition switch. The wire in the distributor should be connected to the baseplate & condenser and the other end to the distributor body.

I would have another look at the points gap (dwell) or replace the condenser.

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 Post subject: Re: Another member
PostPosted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 3:24 pm 
Hallo, did you check the plugs? Maybe it is working now but are they just VET door het herhaaldelijk starten. (hybride language)

jeroen


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 Post subject: Re: Another member
PostPosted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 6:26 pm 
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Location: Gapinge (NL)
Yep, checked them with my neighbour (car mechanic) and they sparked but he reckoned that the spark was very weak. Cleaned plugs and put them back. When we're measuring the spark just before the distributor he said that spark was powerful enough.
Checked working with the rotor arm, dizzy cap and plug cords from my brothers car but that didn't change a thing.
Measured resistance of the coil: seemed ok with 1.5 Ohm.
Now planning to renew condenser, contact breaker points (signs of wearing) and rotor arm (signs of wearing).
Mt neighbour couldn't tell more due to limited time but he offered to check ignition system later.
We'll keep trying! Tomorrow my R5 hopefully passes MOT test so that I can transport myself again!


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