The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Great news Martin. I am really pleased for you. You certainly did well to sort out so many issues before you started the engine. I think I would have given up once I discovered the pistons seized in the dash pots!

HAE is 'Brooklands Green' the best colour, as I've already said!

John, I'll have a look at my spare steering column to try & explain why?

Nice one...
I too have found that a gold seal replacement 1850 engine was among the smoothest I've had...that engine is now in LCO and is owned by another board member.

You didn't mention an oil change...I'd say that and a new filter should be pretty high priorities. Did you get the fuel coming through from the tank or just a local supply. The tank comes out easilly so a good idea to clean that out and replace the fuel line rubber sections. You can also derust and treat the boot floor while the tank is out.

A great start though and very good news.

Jonners

Mad Mart wrote:HAE is 'Brooklands Green' the best colour, as I've already said!

But not the same as the colour Halfords sell as Brooklands Green!

Hi,

Nick C wrote:But not the same as the colour Halfords sell as Brooklands Green!

Yes, indeed. I found for a really good match from a rattle can there is a site on the net called paints 4 U. Their rattle cans are a good size (plenty of paint) and are a very good match. They also sell normal paint products, are very friendly on the phone, and are quick.

Jon Tilson wrote:You didn't mention an oil change...I'd say that and a new filter should be pretty high priorities. Did you get the fuel coming through from the tank or just a local supply. The tank comes out easilly so a good idea to clean that out and replace the fuel line rubber sections. You can also derust and treat the boot floor while the tank is out.

Yes, Jonners, oil change is next on the cards. I wanted to see if the engine was a runner first, as well as a few other engine related items.
We ran a seperate fuel supply direct to the suction side of the pump, which worked fine. I didn't want to put anything in the fuel tank because I want to take it out and check it fully. These tanks seem to suffer don't they? What should I look for?

Mad Mart wrote:HAE is 'Brooklands Green' the best colour, as I've already said!

Many thanks for that Mart, at least I know what colour to ask for when I buy some paint.
I agree with you, it is a cracking colour, especially when its just been polished.
I'm thinking about a vinyl roof later. Is it possible to put a vinyl on a car with a webasto?
Ordered some parts for it today, full engine hose set, plugs, front and rear brake hoses. I will make my own copper brake lines as I have the flaring tool from when I had an MOT station. If anyone wants a pipe made, let me know and I will gladly knock some up for you. I intend to replace every single rigid brake hose on 'Golly' so I can use the old ones as patterns. If yours are the same as ones fitted to an 1850 Dolomite (1980) then I can copy a set or an individual pipe from my patterns.
Just let me know.
Take care everyone.
Martin.

Excellent progress Martin.



Just curious about......

r1150rt wrote:Ordered some parts for it today, full engine hose set

Where from?
A word of caution........a lot of suppliers seem to be selling kevlar reinforced intead of fabric
reinforced hoses. I am not impressed by kevlar. The short kevlar hose between the inlet manifold and
steel pipe on my 1850 became rather swollen after less than one year.
I am fitting expensive silicone hoses now.

Where's the pictures gone?

you lucky, lucky so and so !

enough of the "oh look, it works brilliantly stuff !"

sickening.



(nah, great work, great result, well done)

stu

sprint95m wrote:Where from?

From here;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TRIUMPH-DOLOMITE- ... 563c3da63b

Hope they are ok. They say they are reinforced, but not what with?? I thought they looked a handy kit, as they include all the hoses you are going to need to replace the full set. Don't know about the price, but where would you go to get them nowadays, there is no main agent, and I suppose pattern part suppliers may no longer list them, or may have to order in specially.

Stan Part wrote:Where's the pictures gone?

Whoops my fault, I moved them to a folder just for the dolly in my photobucket account. Back in line again now though.

straylight wrote:enough of the "oh look, it works brilliantly stuff !"

sickening.



(nah, great work, great result, well done)

stu

Thanks Stu, Don't worry, I'm sure you won't be waiting long before you see
"Sick of this car, going to burn it"
I hope not but, it'll happen as sure as eggs is eggs!
Watch this space.

r1150rt wrote:

Stan Part wrote:Where's the pictures gone?

Whoops my fault, I moved them to a folder just for the dolly in my photobucket account. Back in line again now though.

Thanks mate - I do like looking at pictures of Dolomites!

Stan Part wrote: Thanks mate - I do like looking at pictures of Dolomites!

Yes, so do I. Can't have a 'picture restoration' without pictures eh!

Playing the 'waiting for parts' game now. On holiday next week so will be a little while before I get my hands on the dolly again.

Hi,
Look what arrived today.

Just a few parts to keep me happy
Oil
Plugs,
Rad cap,
Rear brake hose.
Also bought a battery strap

Does anyone have the positive battery lead. This is the red one that goes from the battery to the starter, and has that black plastic 'connector' part about 6" down from the battery terminal. Mine has a weird looking terminal thing which could easily touch the bulkhead and start a fire. I could also do with an earth strap too, as mine has a positive battery terminal at the end. I think someone modded a starter lead to do the job of an earth lead.

Going to be riding my BMW over the Alps next week, so will be away from the computer for a little while, but will be back soon to do some more serious 'dollying'

r1150rt wrote:Going to be riding my BMW over the Alps next week

Lucky you!

Hi All,
Well back from the Austrian Alps. Great roads and superb scenery. Weather was a bit off though, but still a cracking holiday.

Nice to get my hands on the 'Dolly' again.
Todays efforts were to remove the brakes so that the car could be moved around easier, and so that I would know the full extent of any spares needed.
Wheels off

Looked at the drums

Removed to expose the brakes themselves


Stripped every thing out and inspected it all.

Found one of the cylinders had a broken lug.

Front brakes weren't too bad, but one of the calipers had stuck on.

Will have to be overhauled

The brake hoses themselves were not very good

So off with them

Now the car is a doddle to push in and out of the garage, which makes life much easier. I am going to remove all the rigid pipes next, and make a full set up in copper. Overhaul the front calipers and replace the rear cylinders. Rear shoes look ok, but front pads will be renewed as a matter of course. I will need two new hand brake cables too, to finish the brake resto.
Once we have a full braking system, I am one step closer to the road test which will tell me if there are any more mechanical issues to deal with before I start on the body work.

Excellent pictures there, they're proper workshop manual quality.

I realise that you know what you're doing and have no wish to patronise, but just one safety-related advisory about fitting copper pipes to the axle tubes of any car with sliding wheel cylinders:
If you do use copper across the axle tubes, make a couple of coils at either end, between the cylinder union and the pipe where it's clamped to the tube, copper will fracture readily in this situation if it's expected to flex over a relatively short, straight length of a pipe. I've seen quite a few such failures on Scimitars, smaller Reliants (one of which was mine and it was being driven in spirited fashion around a track at the time ) and yes, on a Dolly too..
It really is best to use steel in those locations and, if they rust out again, at least they're easy to get to.