The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Hi Everyone.

I am wondering whether anyone knows which gears had synchromesh on the old Triumph 1500TC?

Recently on TV, I saw a program where an old Ford model A was being driven and the driver was explaining double de-clutching. It reminded me of my old Triumph, since if I didn't want strip teeth from gears meant double de-clutching, particularly to change from 3rd to 2nd (although to be honest, I didn't use the clutch that often anyway, other than setting off from stand still.)

It was one of the most fun cars I have ever driven, although I could have done without older mechanics feeling the need to play with the carbs every time it had an MOT, just to see if they still could tune them; they couldn't - every year it came back running poorly and the carbs needed setting up properly again. But when the carbs were set correctly, it was pretty quick up to about 50mph when it ran out of gears. It would have been about 1990 when on one occassion I nipped past a Sierra Cosworth - I wish I had had a passenger able to take a photo of the Cosworth drivers face - he didn't look to impressed!

The 1500TC had synchromesh on all 4 forward gears. What you describe is a worn synchromesh on 2nd gear (noticeable when changing down from 3rd gear to 2nd). My Toledo was the same and it was of similar vintage to your 1500TC so it most likely had the 3 rail gearbox.

Thanks ToledoMan

I had wondered whether it might just not have had synchromesh on all gears. The problem suited me though as it meant nobody else liked to drive it, and it never gave me much of a problem - I tended to use the handbrake only when parking, and the clutch only to set off! (Not sure I would want to try driving more modern cars without using the clutch though!)