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PostPosted: Mon Jul 03, 2017 4:11 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 06, 2014 4:38 pm
Posts: 535
Location: South Benfleet, Essex
Quote:
The twin 1.5" SUs from the 1500 will indeed bolt to the 1300 head, but it's not that simple, you will also need the 1500's twin downpipe exhaust manifold and therefore the twin downpipe too. Then some careful work on a rolling road to get the jetting correct for the smaller engine (it is do-able, but not cheap) It's probably not worth the bother either, unless you intend to fit a bigger valve head and a better camshaft.
If it had been a matter of simply substituting SU carburettor-jet-needles of already known specification, for an otherwise factory-standard 1300 engine, I might have considered it. I will only go to the time, effort and expense of doing cylinder-head work and/or replacing the existing camshaft & cam followers, if there is a need to overhaul the engine. When I last used it about 18 years ago, it was still running quite nicely after only 101 thousand miles and the crankshaft still turns easily with a plumber’s wrench, so I know it hasn’t seized.
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During the late-1970s, I retro-fitted North American specification rear side-marker lights cum reflectors & front side-marker reflectors to our 1973 VW 1600 Type 2 campervan and will be upgrading it with front side-marker lights cum reflectors before I put it back on the road. I am still contemplating how best to implement this upgrade on the Toledo.
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I'm not sure of the legality of side marker lights in the uk, or at least of the US pattern amber variety! Triumph Stags retain the amber front one from the US spec cars, but without a bulb holder fitted, so it's only a reflector. But if you are set on this course, may I suggest the side marker lights from a US spec Triumph TR6, the TR body being a generally similar overall shape to the Toledo they shouldn't clash too much with the styling. With the number of US spec TRs being repatriated these days, it shouldn't be too hard to find a set either.
Several years ago, I checked the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations, pertaining to pre-1983 vehicles like mine, regarding the permitted colour and position of side-marker lights and concluded there would be no problem with legality.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989 ... tents/made

Regulation 11 - Colour of light shown by lamps and reflectors

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989 ... on/11/made

(1) No vehicle shall be fitted with a lamp which is capable of showing a red light to the front, except–

(b) a side marker lamp or a side retro reflector;

(2) No vehicle shall be fitted with a lamp which is capable of showing any light to the rear, other than a red light, except–

(a) amber light from a direction indicator or side marker lamp;

Regulation 20 - Optional lamps, reflectors, rear markings and devices

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989 ... on/20/made

9 Side marker lamp - Schedule 9, Part II and Parts I of Schedules 2 to 5, 7, 9 to 13 and 17 to 21 to the extent specified in Parts II of those Schedules.

16 Side retro reflector - Schedule 17, Part II and Parts I of Schedules 2 to 5, 7, 9 to 13 and 17 to 21 to the extent specified in Parts II of those Schedules.

Regulation 22 - Additional side marker lamps


http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989 ... on/22/made

1A vehicle or a combination of vehicles the overall length of which (including any load) exceeds 18.3 m.

There shall be fitted–

(a) one lamp no part of the light-emitting surface of which is more than 9.15 m from the foremost part of the vehicle or vehicles (in either case inclusive of any load);

(b) one lamp no part of the light-emitting surface of which is more than 3.05 m from the rearmost part of the vehicle or vehicles (in either case inclusive of any load); and

(c) such other lamps as are required to ensure that not more than 3.05 m separates any part of the light-emitting surface of one lamp and any part of the light-emitting surface of the next lamp.


For the United Kingdom, front and rear, amber side-marker lights cum reflectors, are universally acceptable, provided they are positioned within certain distances from the front and rear extremities. One can also use intermediate amber side-marker lights between the front and the rear, but on most cars this would probably be impractical. There are also provisions for using white side-marker lights at the front and/or red side-marker lights at the rear, but there are restrictions pertaining to rearward and forward zones of visibility respectively.

One of the conflicts with DOT – Department of Transport lighting regulations in the USA, is that their front position lights (i.e. side lights) are amber and typically mounted in the same lamp unit as the direction indicators. On the USA specification, 1973~79 VW Type 2, the front direction indicators, front position lights and front side-marker lights, are all incorporated within a single front-panel mounted lamp unit, using a twin-filament 21/5W bulb and a single-filament 4W or 5 W bulb.

I possess some USA spec, VW Type 2 lamp units of this type, but I shall be converting my cab-door mounted, amber front side-marker reflectors into amber side-marker lights cum reflectors, using bulb-holder back-plates of the same type that were specified for the red rear side-marker lights cum reflectors. I will also substitute amber lens in place of the red lenses for the red rear side-marker lights cum reflectors. This will enable me to use these lamps for the dual purpose of side-marker lights and direction-indicator side-repeaters.
Quote:
Whether one needs long-range driving lamps (aka auxiliary driving lamps) would depend upon how effective the existing or replacement headlamps might be. I have long considered that some driving lamps with a range intermediate between main-beam and dipped beam would also be desirable.

I have wondered about substituting onto my Toledo, a set of four second-generation, Bosch or Hella, 5¾ inch ellipsoidal headlamps (of the type that were factory-fitted to 1980s vintage BMWs), whose mode of operation is said to retain the dipped-beams from the outboard lamps and overlay them with the main-beams from the inboard lamps.

By inter-connecting the Triumph headlamp dip-switch’s output connections (blue/ red and blue/white cables) and incorporating a blocking diode, one could convert the Triumph to this mode of operation. These lamps could also be equipped with modern higher-intensity, enhanced quartz-halogen bulbs, of nominally the same electrical power consumption.
Quote:
I've considered the BMW headlights myself. And the so called "angel eyes" which have a sidelight which illuminates the periphery of the headlamp unit. A lot of other moderns which have 2 lights in 1 housing operate the same way too. Since i shall be using relays to protect the dipswitch, I COULD use the relays as one way switches to create this operating pattern. However, since I already have a set of bulb type headlamps on the standard pattern and a pair of brand new Lucas "Square 8" long range driving lamps, i'll probably go with these, with the Square 8s set to the medium range as you suggested.
The steering-column mounted, headlamp dip-switch seems to be one of the least reliable components of the Triumph Toledos & Dolomites and other cars which are equipped with this design of Lucas component. I have had problems with these in the past and it was owing to an ill-timed failure of this that led to one of the rare MOT failures of my Toledo, which normally sailed through without a hitch. I think these switches now retail new for about £65, but for how much longer they will continue to be available, is anybody’s guess!

I have already incorporated Hella 40A accessory relays (salvaged at the car breakers’ yards, during the 1990s) to protect the VW Type 2’s headlamp dip & flasher relay, from the demands of the 100/80W H4 headlamp bulbs and I shall be similarly upgrading the Toledo’s headlamp circuit with similar accessory relays to protect the Lucas dip-switch, irrespective of whether I retain the existing pair of 7 x 5¼ inch rectangular 60/55W H4 headlamps or substitute a set of four 5¼ inch circular quartz-halogen headlamps (BMW ellipsoidal or otherwise).

Although 7 x 5¼ inch rectangular generic LED headlamps are now available, they are presently much too expensive (about £450 per pair) for me to even consider. It’s questionable whether H4 substitute LED bulbs have the necessary configuration for correct optical focusing by conventional H4 headlamp reflectors.

I have seen BMW “angel-eyes” headlamps, which I think uses some form of fluorescent tube rather than LEDs to create the halo effect. If these produce sufficient light intensity and light-distribution geometry, to comply with the specifications for daytime running lights, this would be a neat and tidy way of retro-fitting daytime running lights. However, I get the impression that these 5¼ inch circular “angel-eyes” headlamps are quite expensive!
Quote:
I have also wondered about the factory-standard, 2-terminal direction-indicator flasher and 2-terminal hazard-warning flasher. If one were to use LED bulbs in the direction-indicator side-repeater lamps, the additional current load would probably be minimal.
Quote:
I'm pretty sure that using LED bulbs, with their much lower current draw, will render the stock flasher units with their bimetal strips, inoperable. At the very least, they will have an illegally high flash rate, even with an extra 5w bulb in the system. To make my life and circuitry easier, I shall just be replacing my 2 stock 2 pin flasher units with a pair of similar 2 pin electronic types. I've used these on the Carledo and they work fine, no matter what the load on the car's system, they always flash at the same rate.
If I recall correctly, the permissible flasher frequency for direction indicators, is 60~120 flashes per minute (i.e. 1~2 Hz).

What I had in mind, was that one would retain conventional 21W incandescent filament bulbs for both the front & rear direction indicators, whilst using LED bulbs solely for the direction-indicator side repeater lamps.

Having a relatively high-resistance, the LED bulbs in parallel with the relatively low-resistance incandescent filament bulbs, should introduce a negligible reduction in the overall circuit resistance presented to the flasher units, so any change in the flash rate might be barely perceptible. You can check this by using the simple formula for calculating the overall total resistance RTOT for N resistances connected in parallel:

1/RTOT = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3 + . . . + 1/RN

The mechanism by which electronic flasher units operate is independent of the load they cyclically switch on and off, so the only concern is that one does not overload the flasher unit.
Quote:
I am considering updating the system with a single 4-terminal flasher, which combines the functions of both the direction-indicator and hazard-warning light relays as well as providing a connection for a warning-light repeater for a trailer’s direction indicator, without the need to retro-fit a “Transflash” unit, which are possibly now unobtainable or expensive.

Flasher relay labelled RFL 3, is a commonly used type. Flasher relay labelled RFL 6, is identical in function to RFL 3, but has the additional facility, for trailer's turn-signal warning light

Image

This six-position, relay mounting cum connector block (dimensions 110 mm x 75 mm x 25 mm), made by Rists (a division of Lucas Industries), is one of several, I salvaged from various Austin Montego & Rover Montego cars. They were also fitted to the earlier Austin Princess.

Image

Image

A similar item, of identical dimensions, was also fitted to late-model Austin Metro cars. I have used two such items, suspended unobtrusively, beneath the steering-column support bracket, of my British specification, 1973 VW Type 2, to make provision for, an additional twelve accessory relays.

Image
I have recently stumbled upon a source (3 Way Components, in Luton, Bedfordshire) of two types of new Lucas-Rists, six-position, relay mounting cum connector blocks (dimensions quoted as 111•20 mm x 74•90 mm x 26•00 mm), which appear similar to those originating from Austin Montegos. One accommodates relays with up to five 6•3 mm spade connectors, whilst the other accommodates relays with up to five 6•3 mm spade connectors and/or up to four 2•8 mm spade connectors. Prices including VAT, are £5•50 and £7•95 respectively

http://3waycomponents.co.uk/Relay-Holde ... s-51158524

http://3waycomponents.co.uk/Relay-Holde ... Holder-Kit
Quote:
I WILL be fitting a towbar to the Dolomega, but I will be using a warning buzzer (I have several) rather than a light for trailer indicator warning to keep it legal. Hopefully, with the buzzer mounted in the well insulated boot, it won't be loud enough to annoy me!

On relay boards, I salvaged an enormous relay box from the donor Omega which also houses the engine ECU and happens to fit neatly into the vacant under-bonnet space forward of the n/s suspension turret. Besides the ECU, there is provision for up to 14 relays in it, which should be adequate for my needs!
Do you think you will be able to hear that trailer’s direction-indicator warning buzzer in the “well-insulated boot”, amidst the cacophony of road, wind and engine noise, when you are actually on the road, towing a trailer, horsebox or caravan!?! Does that buzzer have a sound frequency spectrum which is easily distinguishable from other buzzers used on that car?

Sadly, there now seem to be few if any car breakers’ yards, where one can simply browse and personally salvage items of interest. During the 1980s & 1990s, I spent many happy hours in the local car breakers’ yards, investigating the possible adaptation and re-use of components and systems for my family’s vehicles.

I too would like to find an inexpensive, splash-proof, combined fuse cum relay box which can be easily accommodated in the Toledo, which is also easily accessible to inspect and replace fuses or relays as necessary. Where best to site such an item and how best to route the necessary cables, is still open to question; the areas forward of the suspension turrets being taken up by the battery on the nearside and the cooling-system expansion tank on the offside.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-Way-Automot ... SwwzhZR5f9

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-Road-Automo ... SwHsRYEHHH

In the 1973 VW Type 2, I have used a modified, combined fuse cum relay box, originating from a Vauxhall Cavalier Mk.2; using a modified, supplementary dual-fuse holder underneath, to mount the VW’s headlamp dip & flasher relay, with unique five-terminal configuration. Intriguingly, I discovered that the brass fuse-holder inserts from a Mazda fuse box were compatible, so I was able to substitute some of these having common power supplies for multiple fuses (typically two, three or four, if I recall correctly).

Image

I previously designed and fabricated a custom wiring loom for the 1973 VW “1600” Type 2 (about five or six times more extensive than the original factory-fitted wiring loom), so repeating the process for the Toledo shouldn’t be too daunting.
Quote:
I have not come across “gutter illumination” in the bottoms of doors, which might have its merits in some circumstances, such as avoidance of placing ones feet in puddles or onto squishy mud or other undesirable surfaces, when it’s pitch black.

I am contemplating the retro-fitment of red lights in the interior rear portions of the doors, having salvaged a nice set of four matching lights of this type, from a mid-1980s vintage Honda Accord 1800 Executive saloon, during the early-1990s. This should be relatively simple to implement on the front doors, but whether there would be sufficient clearance between the backs of the lamp units and the wind-down window-glass of the rear doors, I have yet to investigate. One could also affix some red and/or amber reflective tape to the interior trailing edges of the doors.

As with B-pillar mounted direction-indicator side-repeater lamps, there is the question of how readily one could route the necessary wiring into the B-pillars. Provided one created a reasonably long vertical dog-leg between the holes in the A-pillars or B-pillars and the leading edges of the doors, there should be relatively little flexing of the wiring when the doors are opened & closed, and hence little risk of long-term fatigue-failure of the wire filaments.

The challenge might be to source some suitable sleeved, angled cable grommets and compatible cable-sleeve, to incorporate into the installation. One could also use these grommets & sleeve, to route cables for door-mounted audio speakers. An alternative might be to use spring-loaded contacts, similar to those used on the rear hatch of the Vauxhall Astra Mk.1 estate car.

There should be little if any difficulty in principle, in co-ordinating the operation of the red lights and “gutter illumination” with the activation of the doors’ courtesy light pin-switches and the side lights, which could be achieved using a simple electro-mechanical changeover relay or semiconductor logic gates. If one wanted the lights for each of the doors to operate independently, whilst retaining normal interior courtesy-light function, I would need to give this some more thought. The simplest way, would probably be to duplicate the doors’ pin switches.
Quote:
I'm sure a bit of scrapyard searching will provide suitable grommet/sleeve material, the ones used on the rear doors of my MkIII Cavaliers, for example, would probably do the job. More thought on the subject of gutter/red lights has brought me to the conclusion that both are only really needed at night so could both be fed by a single, sidelight live into each door (economy of wiring) By using a courtesy light switch mounted in the front face of the door itself, no earth return would need to traverse the door gap (more economy of wiring). The only imponderable in this theory, is whether the door hinges/checkstrap will provide a reliable enough earth route for the door when it's open!

It occurs to me that my front doors will have (even with all these economies) a minimum of 7 wires each going into them (2x radio speaker, 2x electric window actuation, 2x central locking actuation and 1x sidelight feed) My donor Omega had over 20 wires going into each front door, via large plugs on the A posts, but moderns have MUCH thicker doors and posts than Dolomites! I don't think it would be practical to use the Astra estate contact switches, for one thing, they need a flat surface to fit to, but more importantly, they only power the circuits when the doors are closed, this could be very frustrating!
I had momentarily forgotten about the Vauxhall Astra estate’s spring-loaded contacts (not switches!) only being effective, when the rear hatch was closed. I originally investigated these as a possible way of providing electrical supplies to my 1973 VW Type 2’s retro-fitted heated rear window, rear-window wiper and high-level brake light. As you pointed out, one needs sufficiently flat surfaces with a reasonably large gap-separation to use these!

Provided the internal surfaces of the Dolomite’s door-hinges are not rusty, the hinges and/or associated mounting bolts, will probably provide a more than adequate Earth return, for any door-mounted pin switches. You should be able to test the Earth path using a test-light and or ohm-meter.

_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering, for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=308177758

Upgraded 1974 Triumph Toledo 1300 (Toledo / Dolomite HL / Sprint hybrid)

Onetime member + magazine editor & technical editor of Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club


Last edited by naskeet on Wed Jul 05, 2017 4:32 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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PostPosted: Wed Jul 05, 2017 12:48 pm 
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The thing about fitting twin carbs is that the rest of the engine needs sorting to take advantage of the extra fuelling capability offered. Otherwise you are just putting a lot more fuel in for almost the same power out (in extreme cases it can even be LESS power out!) There is an old saying, "do the job properly or not at all" and that definitely applies to this! When I was a lad, it was fashionable to fit 28/36 DCD Webers or multiple SUs to anything that ran on petrol. As far as I can tell, the only "improvement" gained thereby was in the induction roar! It certainly wasn't economy!

I bow to your superior knowledge on side marker lights! You've clearly done your homework, which I haven't :oops: not being interested in cluttering up the lines of my car for a questionable advantage. I can see the point on an articulated lorry where the front and rear lights are a long way apart, but not on a 12 foot long car!

A few people I know have tried LED headlight bulbs in H4 headlights, with mixed results. It seems to depend largely on the make of LED bulb used. Personally, I can't be bothered with the hassle, since only trying them will prove it one way or the other. I'd rather stick to halogen bulbs which I KNOW will work and are relatively inexpensive.

New "angel eyes" from BMW are stupidly expensive, but you can find aftermarket kits on ebay to upgrade lower spec cars, which are not so hard on the wallet. I am also on good terms with a local dedicated BMW salvage yard, so second hand is an option!

On flasher units, my own personal experience is that the OE fitment is pretty poor, even after much cleaning of terminals and earth points and with brand new OE flasher units, an oversize battery and a 65 amp alternator, MOT time saw the flash rate on the Carledo drop to nearly zero as the tester (as is their wont) switched ALL the lights on at once. This, more than anything, is what drove me to buy the electronic units!

I noticed your reference to 3 Way Components on another thread and looked up their website. Doing a quick price comparison between them, the other 2 suggested sites and Car Builder Solutions (who I have previously used) 3 Way come out on top, at least for the half a dozen items I checked (these being what I am currently looking at buying for my own project) Accordingly, I shall be buying some stuff from them in the near future! I shall report back on service and quality in due course.

Since the only other audible warning I intend to use is one for "lights on, ignition off" I doubt I will get the trailer indicator warning confused! As to audibility, i'll have to test it in service, but I may make the leads to it long enough that I can relocate it to the rear screen post, where the sound waves from it will only have to penetrate a layer of headlining material to be heard in the cabin!

AH, Scrapyards! Nanny state and the HSE have lost us hours of innocent amusement searching for items of interest, or even idle browsing! Fortunately for me, trade status, plus many years of regular use and acquaintance with the proprietors, has granted me priveliges in several local scrapyards that are not available to the general public! I can and do still browse! It's VERY useful!

And finally for today, on the siting of relay/fuse boards, I have to a certain extent, made my own opportunities, mainly by remoting the battery to the boot. This was done for several reasons, the foremost being the ability to fit a considerably larger battery than will fit in limited underbonnet space. This is even more imperative when you have a large modern fuel injected engine to start! Secondly it helps a bit with weight distribution and a distant 3rd is that it liberates a bit of room under the bonnet for "other stuff", in my case the giant relay board I mentioned! There is a case for siting such an item inside the car, it's nearer to the bulk of the original (or augmented) wiring and obviously needs less attention to waterproofing and heat insulation. the downside is that it's difficult to site such a large item unobtrusively and still have easy access to it! In a Dolomite shaped car the only spot I can envisage is on the bulkhead, behind the rear section of millboard at the back of the n/s parcel tray, with a removable cover installed in the millboard. In my car, this space will be occupied by the transmission ECU, the PAS ECU (if I DO fit powers steering) and a couple of other bits and pieces like a battery master switch and an impact switch for fuel shutoff.

Steve

_________________
'73 2 door Toledo with Vauxhall Carlton 2.0 8v engine (The Carledo)
'78 Sprint Auto with Vauxhall Omega 2.2 16v engine (The Dolomega)
'72 Triumph 1500FWD in Slate Grey, Now with RWD and Carledo powertrain!

Maverick Triumph, Servicing, Repairs, Electrical, Recomissioning, MOT prep, Trackerjack brake fitting service.
Apprentice served Triumph Specialist for 50 years. PM for more info or quotes.


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 05, 2017 4:25 pm 
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Future Club member hopefully!

Joined: Tue May 06, 2014 4:38 pm
Posts: 535
Location: South Benfleet, Essex
Quote:
I have wondered about substituting onto my Toledo, a set of four second-generation, Bosch or Hella, 5¾ inch ellipsoidal headlamps (of the type that were factory-fitted to 1980s vintage BMWs), whose mode of operation is said to retain the dipped-beams from the outboard lamps and overlay them with the main-beams from the inboard lamps.

By inter-connecting the Triumph headlamp dip-switch’s output connections (blue/red and blue/white cables) and incorporating a blocking diode, one could convert the Triumph to this mode of operation. These lamps could also be equipped with modern higher-intensity, enhanced quartz-halogen bulbs, of nominally the same electrical power consumption.
Quote:
I've considered the BMW headlights myself. And the so called "angel eyes" which have a sidelight which illuminates the periphery of the headlamp unit. A lot of other moderns which have 2 lights in 1 housing operate the same way too. Since i shall be using relays to protect the dipswitch, I COULD use the relays as one way switches to create this operating pattern.
I have yet to find the old magazine article (dating from the 1980s) about the Bosch & Hella, first and second generation (second generation provides an improved beam pattern and greater intensity), projector headlamps with ellipsoidal reflectors (have two foci, compared with a parabolic reflector, which has only one focus).

At the moment, I cannot quite visualise how you would use just ordinary accessory relays in conjunction with an unmodified Triumph Dolomite headlamp dip switch, to mimic the BMW’s headlamp operation whereby the outboard dipped beams remain in use, when one switches on the inboard main beams, but the following might be what you have in mind.

An alternative to using a blocking diode to bridge the output cables (blue/red & blue/white) from the dipswitch which I previously suggested, would be to connect the dipped-beam relay directly to the rotary main light switch using a supplementary blue cable, rendering the blue/red cable from the headlamp dip switch obsolete. The supply from the headlamp dip switch via the blue/white cable, to the main-beam relay, would be switched on & off as normal by the dip switch.

Quote:
I'm sure a bit of scrapyard searching will provide suitable grommet/sleeve material, the ones used on the rear doors of my MkIII Cavaliers, for example, would probably do the job. More thought on the subject of gutter/red lights has brought me to the conclusion that both are only really needed at night so could both be fed by a single, sidelight live into each door (economy of wiring).
Keep in mind that your car doors are most likely to be opened and closed at night, when the car’s side lights and headlights are switched off, unless you are simply picking up or dropping off a passenger. Hence, you might be better off with a permanent, fused, positive battery supply and some sort of audible warning device that sounds, if one or more of the lights remain on when all of the doors are supposedly closed.

Type A and Type B accessory-relay, blade-terminal configuration

Image

4-terminal and 5-terminal, accessory relays, are available in two blade-terminal configurations, designated A and B, which are physically interchangeable, with regard to plugging them into relay connector blocks.

However, terminals 30 and 86 are transposed, so if one is fitting a new or replacement relay, into a relay-connector block, whose latched, ¼ inch (i.e. 6·3 mm), female blade connectors, are already in place, ensure that your relay is of the correct type, A or B!


http://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/step-courtesy-lights.html

I am acquainted with the RWD Vauxhall Cavalier Mk.1 and the FWD Vauxhall Cavalier Mk.2, but I am not sure whether I would recognise a Vauxhall Cavalier Mk.3?!!

Now that there are relatively few Triumphs left in existence, do you now mostly work on Vauxhall-Opel cars; noting that you mostly seem to be transplanting Vauxhall components and systems into your various Triumphs?

Recalling the variety of useful components that I used to salvage from various car marques & models during the 1990s, it might be useful to compile a database of what directly usable and adaptable components can be salvaged from which cars. When sourcing 4-terminal or 5-terminal relays, one needs to keep in mind whether they are of Type A or Type B, which at first glance appear identical, but two of the designated terminals are in transposed positions.

http://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/relay-guide.html

In the past, I found 1980s vintage Vauxhall Astras & Cavaliers to be a good source of Bosch 30A accessory relays and I think some might have been equipped with a 2-terminal buzzer, although I didn’t recognise their purpose at the time and regrettably failed to salvage any.

I also salvaged a reasonable stock of slightly smaller Hella 40A accessory relays (all of which have been allocated to the 1973 VW Type 2), but I cannot remember whether these also originated from Vauxhalls or some other marque. For some reason, the Austin Montegos were equipped with 5-terminal changeover relays, which were used as simple accessory relays!

As we now seem to be straying off the topic of dashboards and instrumentation, perhaps we ought to start a new topic thread on electrical-system modifications and upgrades, using new and/or second-hand salvaged components; assuming there isn’t one already!?!

_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering, for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=308177758

Upgraded 1974 Triumph Toledo 1300 (Toledo / Dolomite HL / Sprint hybrid)

Onetime member + magazine editor & technical editor of Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 4:26 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 06, 2014 4:38 pm
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Quote:
There is an old saying, "do the job properly or not at all"
This is a philosophy to which I have long subscribed, which is why I spend so much time and effort on research! I much prefer to learn from the traumatic experiences and pain of others, rather than incur them myself.

_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering, for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=308177758

Upgraded 1974 Triumph Toledo 1300 (Toledo / Dolomite HL / Sprint hybrid)

Onetime member + magazine editor & technical editor of Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club


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PostPosted: Mon Jul 10, 2017 6:46 pm 
With all the quoting I feel like I have read this 10 times over.

In terms of gauges and warning lamps, an accurate one is the driver themselves. Things like noises and throttle response, stiffness or excessive play in the controls all give warning of impending failure.
All the bells and whistles are available to replace a drivers intuition and experience but do we really want it? Who is looking forward to a journey in a Google car?


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PostPosted: Mon Jul 10, 2017 10:56 pm 
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TDC Shropshire Area Organiser

Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2011 5:12 pm
Posts: 7013
Location: Highley, Shropshire
Quote:
Quote:
There is an old saying, "do the job properly or not at all"
This is a philosophy to which I have long subscribed, which is why I spend so much time and effort on research! I much prefer to learn from the traumatic experiences and pain of others, rather than incur them myself.
And I'm the idiot who does the experimenting and incurs the pain, trauma and hair loss that gives you results in your research!

Without me (and other idiots like me) you'd be stuffed! And you're welcome! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Steve

_________________
'73 2 door Toledo with Vauxhall Carlton 2.0 8v engine (The Carledo)
'78 Sprint Auto with Vauxhall Omega 2.2 16v engine (The Dolomega)
'72 Triumph 1500FWD in Slate Grey, Now with RWD and Carledo powertrain!

Maverick Triumph, Servicing, Repairs, Electrical, Recomissioning, MOT prep, Trackerjack brake fitting service.
Apprentice served Triumph Specialist for 50 years. PM for more info or quotes.


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 11, 2017 4:36 pm 
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Quote:
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There is an old saying, "do the job properly or not at all"
This is a philosophy to which I have long subscribed, which is why I spend so much time and effort on research! I much prefer to learn from the traumatic experiences and pain of others, rather than incur them myself.
And I'm the idiot who does the experimenting and incurs the pain, trauma and hair loss that gives you results in your research!

Without me (and other idiots like me) you'd be stuffed! And you're welcome! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Steve
It's almost inevitable that anyone who is pioneering something which has never previously been attempted before, is going to incur much pain, frustration and cost, sorting things out by trial and error. But I see no point in repeating the same errors plus possibly some more, to reach the same point in the development process. All pioneers, build on the work and experiences of earlier pioneers; myself included. :wink:

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Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering, for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=308177758

Upgraded 1974 Triumph Toledo 1300 (Toledo / Dolomite HL / Sprint hybrid)

Onetime member + magazine editor & technical editor of Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 11, 2017 4:44 pm 
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Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
There is an old saying, "do the job properly or not at all"
This is a philosophy to which I have long subscribed, which is why I spend so much time and effort on research! I much prefer to learn from the traumatic experiences and pain of others, rather than incur them myself.
And I'm the idiot who does the experimenting and incurs the pain, trauma and hair loss that gives you results in your research!

Without me (and other idiots like me) you'd be stuffed! And you're welcome! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Steve
Quote:
With all the quoting I feel like I have read this 10 times over.

In terms of gauges and warning lamps, an accurate one is the driver themselves. Things like noises and throttle response, stiffness or excessive play in the controls all give warning of impending failure.
All the bells and whistles are available to replace a drivers intuition and experience but do we really want it? Who is looking forward to a journey in a Google car?
I don't seek to "replace a driver's intuition and experience", but merely supplement it to create a more complete picture of what is happening.

In the past, I reckoned I could detect if my Toledo's front tyre pressure differed by 2 psi and if the pressures in all the tyres were 2 psi above or below the recommended setting. However, as a scientist & engineer, I still like to have definitive data.

_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering, for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=308177758

Upgraded 1974 Triumph Toledo 1300 (Toledo / Dolomite HL / Sprint hybrid)

Onetime member + magazine editor & technical editor of Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 8:36 am 
Quote:
I see no point in repeating the same errors plus possibly some more, to reach the same point in the development process.
Well there's the satisfaction of accomplishing a result yourself for a start: "All my own work through thick and thin." etc. Also you can then discuss common issues, share in the failures and success with your counterparts too!
Where's the imagination, design challenge, adaptation skills, and individuality if you just copy everyone else? I find that working stuff out for myself gives a great buzz, even if it later transpires that someone else in the same situation came up with the same answer.

To get back on topic though has anyone thought about automation based on instrumentation and threshold breaches? Way back when, I had a Rover 2600S, there was a 'failsafe' mechanism where low oil pressure would trigger the fuel pump to stop fuel delivery. Unfortunately people got wise to this and instead of replacing the oil pump or fixing whatever the cause of low oil pressure they would bypass the pressure switch and quickly sell the car to an unsuspecting punter.


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 13, 2017 4:18 pm 
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Where's the imagination, design challenge, adaptation skills, and individuality if you just copy everyone else? I find that working stuff out for myself gives a great buzz, even if it later transpires that someone else in the same situation came up with the same answer.
Who said anything about just copying what everyone else has done!?! One of the fundamental parts of any research project (e.g. B.Phil., M.Phil., D.Phil., D.Eng., M.Eng., M.Sc., etc), is to find out first what has previously been done, including the successes, marginal successes and failures, with a view to improving upon what has gone before and in some cases, following a completely different and sometimes radical new path.

When I was trying to find a suitable rear-window wiper for my 1973 VW Type 2 campervan, which has a wide, shallow rear window, I examined over several years, many existing factory-fitted and after-market-accessory rear-window systems, for hatchbacks, estates and vans. It was not until the late-1980s, when I was able to examine at close quarters, the unusual cross-over-arm pantograph rear-window wiper system, of an early-1980s Vauxhall Astra Mk.1 estate and later a late-1970s Vauxhall Chevette estate, that I did find something which could potentially be adapted for my purpose.

Vauxhall Chevette estate's cross-over-arm, pantograph rear-window wiper

Image

I regularly scoured local car breakers' yard for nearly a year, before I found a complete rear-window wiper system from a Vauxhall Astra Mk.1 estate, and experimented with it on my garage bench over the next three weeks, until I found the simplest, neatest and most effective way to adapt it and retro-fit it to my 1973 VW Type 2 campervan in early 1990. In 1996, my two page article about it, was published in the VW Motoring magazine (an Internationally circulated magazine, published by Warners' Group), prompting inquiries from several people.

Image

Image

Image

_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering, for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=308177758

Upgraded 1974 Triumph Toledo 1300 (Toledo / Dolomite HL / Sprint hybrid)

Onetime member + magazine editor & technical editor of Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club


Last edited by naskeet on Wed Jul 19, 2017 4:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 11:36 pm 
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Location: Highley, Shropshire
Further to the brake fluid level sensor question, I have found one that fits the dual circuit master cylinder, courtesy of a 2002 Saab 9-3 ( the model ran unchanged from 97-03) that I am breaking in my yard! So I didn't have to go far to find one!

Image

Image

The master cylinder that it is shown fitted to is a LHD Sprint one, but it does also fit the RHD dual circuit master on the Carledo, it's just harder to photograph!

Steve

_________________
'73 2 door Toledo with Vauxhall Carlton 2.0 8v engine (The Carledo)
'78 Sprint Auto with Vauxhall Omega 2.2 16v engine (The Dolomega)
'72 Triumph 1500FWD in Slate Grey, Now with RWD and Carledo powertrain!

Maverick Triumph, Servicing, Repairs, Electrical, Recomissioning, MOT prep, Trackerjack brake fitting service.
Apprentice served Triumph Specialist for 50 years. PM for more info or quotes.


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 11:57 pm 
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Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2011 5:12 pm
Posts: 7013
Location: Highley, Shropshire
Quote:

To get back on topic though has anyone thought about automation based on instrumentation and threshold breaches? Way back when, I had a Rover 2600S, there was a 'failsafe' mechanism where low oil pressure would trigger the fuel pump to stop fuel delivery. Unfortunately people got wise to this and instead of replacing the oil pump or fixing whatever the cause of low oil pressure they would bypass the pressure switch and quickly sell the car to an unsuspecting punter.
I remember that failsafe well! It was also fitted to MG Metro Turbos of a similar era.

The big problem was, that if the failsafe failed, which the one on the Metro did - a lot - the engine stopped! And since it was not obvious, the failsafe switch looking exactly like a normal one, it was often hard to diagnose and several mechanics I know tried to fit a normal oil pressure switch, whereupon the car, of course, failed to start! In other words it was a PITA and led to many fuel pumps being unnecessarily changed!

A lot of modern cars are adopting this failsafe technology and to be honest, i'm not a fan! 9 times out of 10, the car is fine and gets limped home or recovered because the failsafe sensor has failed.
They are more trouble than they are worth!

I can understand the practical applications of secondary and tertiary backups, multiple redundancy and failsafes in aviation tech, there are no laybys in the sky! But for car use, the tech seems less reliable (read cheaper) and, IME, causes more breakdowns than it saves.

Steve

_________________
'73 2 door Toledo with Vauxhall Carlton 2.0 8v engine (The Carledo)
'78 Sprint Auto with Vauxhall Omega 2.2 16v engine (The Dolomega)
'72 Triumph 1500FWD in Slate Grey, Now with RWD and Carledo powertrain!

Maverick Triumph, Servicing, Repairs, Electrical, Recomissioning, MOT prep, Trackerjack brake fitting service.
Apprentice served Triumph Specialist for 50 years. PM for more info or quotes.


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 19, 2017 4:13 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 06, 2014 4:38 pm
Posts: 535
Location: South Benfleet, Essex
Quote:
Further to the brake fluid level sensor question, I have found one that fits the dual circuit master cylinder, courtesy of a 2002 Saab 9-3 ( the model ran unchanged from 97-03) that I am breaking in my yard! So I didn't have to go far to find one!

Image

Image

The master cylinder that it is shown fitted to is a LHD Sprint one, but it does also fit the RHD dual circuit master on the Carledo, it's just harder to photograph!

Steve
Now there's an interesting piece of information! :D All I have to do now, is find one (or two) of these, for my Toledo "HL"!?!

The next question in this vein, is which donor cars might provide a similar fluid-level warning switch for a 1973 VW Type 2 brake-fluid reservoir!?! :wink:

_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering, for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=308177758

Upgraded 1974 Triumph Toledo 1300 (Toledo / Dolomite HL / Sprint hybrid)

Onetime member + magazine editor & technical editor of Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2017 4:47 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 06, 2014 4:38 pm
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Location: South Benfleet, Essex
Quote:
Quote:
Further to the brake fluid level sensor question, I have found one that fits the dual circuit master cylinder, courtesy of a 2002 Saab 9-3 ( the model ran unchanged from 97-03) that I am breaking in my yard! So I didn't have to go far to find one!

Image

Image

The master cylinder that it is shown fitted to is a LHD Sprint one, but it does also fit the RHD dual circuit master on the Carledo, it's just harder to photograph!

Steve
Now there's an interesting piece of information! :D All I have to do now, is find one (or two) of these, for my Toledo "HL"!?!

The next question in this vein, is which donor cars might provide a similar fluid-level warning switch for a 1973 VW Type 2 brake-fluid reservoir!?! :wink:
I have just bought a 1998~2003 SAAB 9-3 brake-fluid reservoir cap with float-switch via E-bay for £4 + postage, so I eagerly await it's despatch and delivery. :D

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Saab-9-3-93-2 ... SwNuxXaFWP

_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering, for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=308177758

Upgraded 1974 Triumph Toledo 1300 (Toledo / Dolomite HL / Sprint hybrid)

Onetime member + magazine editor & technical editor of Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2017 11:37 pm 
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Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2011 5:12 pm
Posts: 7013
Location: Highley, Shropshire
That's the one! But I have no idea what fits your type 2! I thought they had a built in switch in the cylinder casting for something like that (or possibly a sort of PDWA) But I could be imagining it, it's about 15 years since I got properly acquainted with a type 2 (a bay window 1600 that belongs to a neighbour, it's been in a body shop for at least the last 8 years) Fresh out of my Triumph/Austin apprenticeship, I did 2 years in an independent VW specialist, in those days you couldn't BUY a watercooled VW!

Steve

_________________
'73 2 door Toledo with Vauxhall Carlton 2.0 8v engine (The Carledo)
'78 Sprint Auto with Vauxhall Omega 2.2 16v engine (The Dolomega)
'72 Triumph 1500FWD in Slate Grey, Now with RWD and Carledo powertrain!

Maverick Triumph, Servicing, Repairs, Electrical, Recomissioning, MOT prep, Trackerjack brake fitting service.
Apprentice served Triumph Specialist for 50 years. PM for more info or quotes.


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