Crank Shaft HELP

[Gym1500TC]

Hello,

I have a 1500TC (picture attached). It's been off the road for 10 years and has been with a local mechanic who remembers working on the cars back in the day but needs the advice of a Triumph expert for the best path to follow. I'm not mechanically minded so apologies if my description doesn't sound entirely fluent.

He's done a lot of work to the car but has now found that the:

- Crank Thrust washers are worn
- Block and rear main bearing cap is badly worn and needs machining
- Deep scoring on crank shaft (wonders if there is enough metal to regrind)
- Needs re-bore (No. 4 scored).

If anyone has any experience of the above and knows of the best solution, please let me know. I'd be very grateful.

Thanks

Dean

TriumphGreen1.jpg (112.45 KiB) Viewed 1148 times

[SprintMWU773V]

Most of those problems seem pretty par for the course on a 1500 engine. Sounds like a rebuild is on the cards probably with a new crank if the old one is badly scored. All the parts are readily available for this engine and any decent engine shop will be able to carry out the machining. Be careful though as you really do need to make sure that the thrust washers aren't so worn that the crank has gnawed its way into the block thus rendering it scrap.

You really need to take proper measurements to determine what parts are reusable. I dare say you could pick up another engine for rebuild quite cheaply if you need to.

[Magenta Auto Sprint]

If the block is badly scored and requires a re-bore, I have a 1300 Spitfire block, the bore size is 69.7 as opposed to the 1500 73.7 but this would allow you to bore out to original size and use your existing pistons,

The crankshaft may not be of any use as stroke is 76.0 for the 1300 and 87.5 for the 1500.

Malcolm

[Jon Tilson]

Nice colour....

Good candidate for a major upgrade to TR7 or Sprint power.

You can have various bits of work done to get your engine sorted but quite honestly the cost is not worth the effort on a a 1500.
Its all common to stuff that gets done on TR6's which suffer very similar problems.

Get another engine from a Spit 1500 or Midget 1500 or Dolly 1500...

Quickest and cheapest way.

Jonners

[xvivalve]

I hesitated to suggest the cheapest solution would be a replacement engine Jon, given the costs of machining these days, but he could easily be buying himself the same problems all over again.

It would be good to keep it 1500TC, they seem to be few and far between...

[Gym1500TC]

Many thanks for the replies chaps. It really is much appreciated and will certainly put to the mechanic.

The bodywork is in really excellent original condition having been garaged all it's life and was a one family owner car. I love the Emerald green colour and have every receipt and service record since new. I will be keeping it totally original in terms of bodywork/trim and interior.

The black carpet needs replacing at the back and I've had the samples from Coverdale but as they aren't moulded (they told me also that they don't have the tooling) I worry it won't look great. I guess at least I don't have to worry about the colour match.

Dean

[xvivalve]

Where are you? I may have a piece of moulded black carpet that goes under the front seats and rear footwells if that is the bit you need?

[Gym1500TC]

I'm in Devon but more than happy to travel to buy it off you.

Thanks

Dean

[Jon Tilson]

If you could find an engine from an auto example you would not have any thrust issues.

Jonners

[Gym1500TC]

I now have an engine and gearbox (plus all the mechanical remnants) from an automatic 1500TC. Can anyone tell me what's involved in using this engine and gearbox (i.e. making the car an auto) in the manual as I would prefer an auto anyway. I've spoke to the mechanic and any hits/tips/advice that I can put his way would be most appreciated.

Dean

[geeksteve]

Off the top of my head:

Throttle linkage different (kickdown)
Throttle cable
Gearbox tunnel
Pedals
Loom (reverse switch is part of inhibit)
Prop shaft (I think..)
Gearbox cross-member (I have a spare cross-member but no mount for it)
Subframe maybe? Can't remember

[Carledo]

Off the top of my head:

Throttle linkage different (kickdown)
Throttle cable
Gearbox tunnel
Pedals
Loom (reverse switch is part of inhibit)
Prop shaft (I think..)
Gearbox cross-member (I have a spare cross-member but no mount for it)
Subframe maybe? Can't remember

Subframe is the same and I THINK the throttle linkage has an unused provision for kickdown present add in tunnel carpet, blank plate for clutch slave hole, speedo cable and the reinforcing plate for the throttle pedal mounting. And of course, the shift lever and rod!
With the loom, if you have the bit from the inhibitor switch, that should plug into your existing loom by taking out the bypass plug.

I also have a spare crossmember for auto, complete with a good used mounting, if you need one. And a 1500 auto flexplate if you want a spare.

One further word of advice, keep the kickdown cable safely attached to the gearbox as it's a pain to replace if cut or disconnected. Of course if your engine/box unit came complete with carbs etc, there is no need to disconnect the kickdown at all.

Steve

[Gym1500TC]

Very many thanks for the info, really appreciated.

I have pretty much everything from the Automatic. The bodywork was beyond salvage on the auto and the interior very tatty where it was in existence.

Dean

[Jon Tilson]

If you have the whole car it won't be so bad but sourcing the little odd bits could be a real pain.
I would personally keep the car as a manual...

You can swap all the bits over from your engine to do this and be on the road again far more quickly.
Fiddling about with tunnels and cross members and pedal boxes etc is not for the faint hearted.

Jon