The Spanner January 2013 “The All British Club”

“The Fall All British Car Club”

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Meetings

The membership of the Boot ’n Bonnet Car Club spans a large geographic area. Contents Hence, two meetings are held each month for the convenience of members and visitors: one in the Kingston area and one Letters to the Edtor……5 in the Quinte area. New Club Members……5 Kingston meetings are held on the second Members Gallery….…....6 Wednesday of each month at Denny’s on Division St. just south of the 401. Club Events…… …..…6 Articles……………..…8 Quinte meetings are held on the last Articles……………..…8 Wednesday of each month at The Boat Where and When…..…22 Boot’nBonnet Executive House Seafood restaurant, 32 Front St. Classifieds…...….…....23 Belleville. President Jamie Berry 613-968-6990 Guests are always welcome at our [email protected] meetings. We generally gather around Contributors to this issue: 5.30 PM for dinner with the meeting Vice President Ila Lawton starting at 7:00 PM. Please call David Jamie Berry 613-353-6111 Stock at 613-476-9604 for more Ila Lawton [email protected] information. Ken Law

Treasurer Linda Thomas BrianThomas See When and Where and the Red Book 613-385-1947 Robert Lawton [email protected] for specific dates and locations. Gerry Wilkens

Don Kiell Membership Brian and Linda Thomas 92 Wyona Lane, R. R. #1 Membership Norm Mort Wolfe Island, ON, Peter Young K0H 2Y0 Boot’n Bonnet Car Club membership dues Tom Popkes 613-385-1947 are $30.00 per year. A subscription to [email protected] [email protected] The Spanner is included in the annual dues.

Newsletter(NL) Ken Law 613-498-1046 [email protected] The Spanner

NL Proof reader Barbara Law The Spanner, published four times a year, is the official newsletter of the Boot ’n NL Distribution John and Gail Kinnear 613-389-3566 Bonnet Car Club. Members are [email protected] encouraged to contribute material for publication. Submissions may be made to Cover Photo: Website Ron Wanless [email protected] in MSWord XP A photo from the Club’s 613-359-1013 (2002 or earlier) format. Photos should be gathering at the Fox Run [email protected] in JPEG format. Submission deadlines Retirement Centre in July are: 2012. Archives Ila Lawton 613-353-6111 Spring edition 26 March, [email protected] Possible caption, “Is this Summer edition 25June where my owner will go one Autojumble Lois Logan Fall edition 25 September 613-545-1952 Winter edition 26 December day? Sure hope they have in [email protected] door parking for vintage British .” British Car Day Linda Thomas Classifieds Members may place 613-385-1947 “For Sale” or “Wanted” ads in the Classifieds section at no charge (text Regalia Convenor Kenn Feigelmann 613-542- 7531 only). Ads should be e-mailed to [email protected] [email protected]. The Boot ’n Bonnet Car Club has no opinion on Past President David Stock the products or services offered. 613-476-9604 Visit us on the web at: [email protected] www.bootnbonnet.ca

3 President’s Message: The warm weather is gone and what do we do? Our British Cars are, no doubt, snuggled in for a long winter’s nap and the general pace has slowed down. Many of us probably are “snow birds” to a greater or lesser degree. Sheila and I went south to Houston Texas for 10 days and home again. It was a grandparent trip. The southern weather was candy for sure. It is easy to understand the lure the snow birds feel……anyway….

Back here, Ron Hicks kindly filled in for me at the North China Buffet in November, while we were gone. It was reported that the food was great and everybody had a fun time. Thanks Ron. It was decided that we will continue to meet at this new location. Remember, no Quinte meeting in December.

Ila has been looking after the Kingston meetings and is planning the Winter Gathering on February 16th at the Travelodge Kingston. Hopefully, you plan to be there and enjoy a great evening.

Welcome to the new members who have joined our club and we hope that they feel at home and enjoy the social aspect of our meetings, events, and BBQ’s

Our calendar of events for the coming year is slowly evolving but, have to admit I am getting a tad nervous about the BBQ calendar. Again thanks to those who volunteered their places last year and or brought food. For 2013, we have three BBQ’s signed up but are needing three more: Kingston June 12, Kingston Aug 14 and Aug 28 in Quinte. The 2013 spring “Garage Tour” is up for grabs –Thanks to Wes Meyers for last year’s garage caper.

Hopefully, you had a good Christmas! Sheila and I are hoping ya’all have a healthy and fun 2013. Jamie

VP’s Message: Happy New Year! I hope that all of you had a chance to relax and enjoy the company of friends and family over the holidays.

Looking back at the latter part of the year, our last two events, the Rally and the Fall Colour Tour were both a lot of fun, enjoyed by all who attended. Thanks go to Dave Minaker for the relatively stress-free rally and Don & Viv Kiell for the tour.

Coming up in February is the Winter Gathering. This year, we are at the Travelodge Kingston on Saturday, February 16th. Rooms are available at a reduced rate by quoting the group code CGBOOT until January 16th. It should be a fun evening; hope you! can join us

Drive safely and keep smiling. Ila

Editor’s Message: Well the snow is on the ground, the LBC driving season has come to an end for another year and the cars are put away in the back garage except for the MGTD which is in the front garage getting some major mechanical work to be done on it. You will have to read a little further on to find out the extent of the work.

We had another good year enjoying the great activities of the Club and taking the LBC’s out when ever we could, including trips to Hudson, Port Perry, Watkins Glenn and Bronte. Again we managed to put over 5,000 miles on the cars in total this year with the Triumph and the Jaguar getting the most use.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those members that submitted articles and pictures for the Spanner over the year and their assistance in making it a publication that hopefully members look forward to receiving each quarter.

Best wishes of the season and Happy and Healthy New Year to all. Barbara and Ken

4 Letters to the Editor

Remembering Frank Harnden

I first met Frank around the rally scene of Belleville and Kingston in the late 1960’s. He had started doing rallies and slaloms with the Quinte Auto Sport Club of Belleville in about 1965. A highpoint of that era for him was winning the 1967 Waterson 450 rally with his life long buddy and partner in crime, Terry Kemp, driving Terry’s . One of their more exciting moments was narrowly missing a large black bear somewhere in the north Hastings bush in the wee hours of the morning.

The next year he went racing, aided by the able wrenching of Terry, in of course, a Mini. The racing included the Bulov Series with lots of great racing against some of the top shoes that inhabited that great series. 1970 saw the boys take on the Sundown 6 Hours with co-driver Pierre Mandeville, Terry as chief mechanic, Denis Palmer as tire changer, Ron Walsh as timer and yours truly as gas man. The mini ran out of gas out at Turn 8 leaving Frank to coast in and have us push the car down pit lane to our appointed stall. Unfortunately, the driver of a Frank collecting his first place trophy for BMW opened his door just as we were passing and the mini’s front his 1974 MGA at the fender ‘re-adjusted’ the door so it touched the BMW’s front fender. 2010 Odessa Car Show Hopefully, the owner has forgotten.

Frank packed in the racing in 1972 and moved on to many other endeavours. Spare time was spent on off-road motorcycle riding and sailing where he became a well-known figure around the Belleville Yacht Club’s sail racing events. A few years ago, after watching me having such a great time racing with VARAC he went out and bought another Mini, joined our club and raced with good results as time and finances permitted. Unfortunately, this didn’t last long. A pinched nerve in his neck severely limited his mobility and he had to part with the mini. Then came the next blow, a diagnosis of cancer. He dealt with his situation with a humour and dignity that I found inspiring. He passed away on Oct. 28 and as per his instructions, Terry, Denis and I along with three others carried him to his final resting place. He had told us that he would need his pit crew one last time. I felt quite honoured. R.I.P. old friend. John Kinnear.

Welcome New Boot ‘n Bonnet Members

David and Monica Mills Bob Perry & Wendy Edworthy Home (613) 399 -1820 1974 Spitfire MkIV 1971 Jaguar XJ6 Work (613) 391 -5671 1984 Jaguar VDP 1422 Wilson Road 1964 Daimler (basket case) Hillier, Ontario 522 Scuttlehole Road Home (613) 477 -2729 [email protected] R R 1 K0K 2J0 Plainfield, Ontario [email protected] Peter Nosach K0K 2V0 44 MacDonald Court Home (705) 848 -1825 1988 Rolls Royce Silver Spur Elliot Lake, Ontario Graeme Walker P5A 2V2 170 Lorne Avenue Home (905) 898 -0927 1967 Jaguar 420, 4sp/od Newmarket, Ontario [email protected] L3Y 4J9

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Member’s Gallery

Robert Lawton sent us another from his “rogues gallery”. Obviously Robert thinks Fred Pixley needs to get a bigger car.

Club Events

Fun Car Rally By Don Kiell

Sunday September, 30th was an overcast but mild day with the threat of showers as our group of seventeen cars lined up at Joyceville public school to start the B ’n B fun rally.

At about 1 p.m. Dave Minaker got us started, sending each car off one by one with our route instructions and trivia questions sheet.

So off we go, left turn down Joyceville Rd., right turn onto Middle Rd., around where grouse would fly, onto Kingston Mills, and over the bridge which had been closed for repairs all week. We traveled over some lovely country roads, following the directions and trying to answer all the trick questions along the way (Who was that second astronaut to walk on the moon?).

We made our way to Wilton. A quick stop at the cheese factory and off to the other end of the village for a little walk in the cemetery to answer another question; what did Walter Meacham do in life? He was an M.D. “great”, jump back in the car, off we go, and turn to the next page of instructions. Another question, what year was Walter Meacham born? STOP! Turn the car around, back to the cemetery, out I get, Answer: 1841, and off we go again. I shouldn’t have told VIV

6 to stop reading ahead “YOU CONFUSE ME”. OK, right turn onto #38, right turn at bottom of the hill. WHAT! no right turn?. Go back and read that to me again. Oh, there's a left turn onto Orser Rd then a turn at the bottom of the hill “you didn’t tell me about that”. “Yes I did, you didn’t listen”. We got the car turned around and back on the right track. We got a few more questions answered and made our way to the Glen Lawrence golf club off #2.

There we found Len and Jean Beatens eating supper. They said they got lost “or hungry”, so they went straight to the Glen Lawrence. It wasn’t too long before everyone made their way in and sat down to a fine meal for only $10.00 per person, while Dave tallied up the results from the afternoons run; Peter Young and Beate Scheffler took 1st place, Robert and Ila Lawton took 2nd place, and Vivienne and I finished in 3rd place.

Prizes were given out; a bottle of wine to each winning couple. Also the 1st place winners get to host next year's fun rally. The 3rd place winners get to write about this event in the spanner, and the 2nd place gets off scot-free.

A sincere thanks to Dave Minaker for putting together this year’s fun rally. “I’m sure he had some help from Deborah with those trivia questions” an excellent job well done. A fun time was had by all and no divorces were reported.

To anyone who hasn’t come out for a rally or may feel a bit intimidated, don’t be. It’s called a FUN rally, not to be taken too seriously. As someone in the club has said “we are a social club”, so come out and enjoy the day, enjoy driving your British car, and enjoy meeting other British car enthusiasts.

Thanks to Dave and Deborah for organizing an excellent event.

Don and Vivienne Kiell put one a great smile even though placing third meant they got to write this article.

B ‘n B Fall Tour (A Cornucopia of Food and “Stuff”) by Ken Law

Oct 14th some of the faithful club members gathered underneath the portico of the “Flying J” truck stop at Napanne in preparation for the fall colour tour. Unfortunately they were greeted with an overcast sky along with some liquid sunshine and the forecast of a cloudy and drizzly day. About half of the participants brought out their British steeds while the others choose to travel in the comfort of their daily drivers.

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Don Kiell called us all together and outlined our route as well as distributing route instructions before we headed north towards Tweed to the Old Cheese Factory. The Old Cheese Factory offered participants a chance to shop for variety of foods and nick-knacks and for those that needed an extra caffeine fix there was a Tim’s across the road.

After everyone had an opportunity to shop and load up with cheese and all other forms of “stuff” it was back into the cars and off for a drive to the Apple Store near Stirling. As we arrived at the Apple Store we were greeted with a large welcome sign inviting us in to eat and shop. Once in the store we were offered hot apple cider, a variety of apples to sample as well as some samples of salsa, crackers and apple crisp.

The only significant incident of the day occurred here when Gerry Wilkins put his dog Buster into his LBC and Buster got impatient, wrapping his leash around the shift lever and pulling it out of gear. Fortunately Nicole Lessiter saw the car rolling down the hill towards the road and the adjacent farmer’s field. Gerry and Nicole took off catching the car before any damage occurred and all was well, but I am not sure if Buster got a treat that afternoon.

After loading up with more “stuff” we head down to Belleville via some very nice curving roads for our last stop before lunch. This stop was the Donini Chocolate store which Don and Viv had convinced to open up especially for us on Sunday. Here again we were offered samples of a great variety of chocolate products that the store offered for sale and a long line quickly formed at the check out counter.

Once we were loaded up with chocolates we took a very short drive down the road to the North China Buffet Restaurant. Here they set us up in a private room and we had an opportunity to partake of their excellent Chinese buffet. After an excellent meal and great conversation we all headed off home.

Thanks to Don and Viv Kiell for organizing this excellent event.

Articles

Original , Foreign Affairs By Norm Mort

When you speak of Sunbeam Alpines most enthusiasts first recall the 1959 finned version that appeared to compete with the Austin-Healey 100-Six and Bug-eye Sprite, MGA and the Triumph TR3A. Although a true 2-seater in the then new modern vein, it was not the first Rootes product to bear the “Alpine” nomenclature.

8 Following World War II the Rootes brothers decided on an aggressive marketing strategy to produce a full line of Humber, , Sunbeam- and commercial vehicles.

STD Motors (Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq) had been formed in 1920 and met with tremendous success initially in both sales and in racing. Yet, by 1935 the company was failing and in receivership. In stepped the prosperous Rootes brothers who bought what was left of the Sunbeam works and STD. By 1938 the had formed a new division with its company known as Sunbeam-Talbot. Sunbeam-Talbot cars would be upscale sporting vehicles in saloon and drophead versions that sold very well up to the mid-fifties when the Talbot name was dropped in favour of simply Sunbeam. (The Talbot name would again be revived for a short time in the late-1970s.)

Following the war the Sunbeam-Talbot range shrank from four models to two, but it proved to be an astute move. The two post-war models were Hillman-based, but in 1948 a new generation Sunbeam-Talbot 80 and 90 models were unveiled powered by an 1185cc, 4-cylinder engine or 1944cc -later 2267cc, 4-cylinder motor respectively.

From 1948 to 1950 the Sunbeam-Talbot 80 and 90 were identical except for the engine, but for 1951 the 90 model got a new chassis and frame which included a coil spring independent front suspension, a Panhard rod, a hypoid-bevel rear axle, and a 70bhp version of the ohv 2267cc engine. The styling was changed slightly on the now 80mph, Model 90 Mk.II version.

The Sunbeam-Talbot Mk.II proved to be an excellent rally car and in 1952 it came second to the V8-powered Allard P-Type in the Monte Carlo rally. The Sunbeam-Talbot was driven by none other than . By 1952 the Mk. IIA Sunbeam- Talbot 4-cylinder engine was putting out 77bhp and was fitted with larger brakes to help stop the 90mph saloon and open cars.

In 1954 the Sunbeam-Talbot name was changed to simply Sunbeam which had been introduced on the new two-seater Sunbeam Alpine in 1953.

The Alpine had been the original concept of Rootes dealer George Hartwell who would go on to be famous as a tuner and engine builder for high performance Rootes cars.

Hartwell’s one-off, two-seater was based entirely on the Sunbeam-Talbot 90 models. It was immediately accepted by the Rootes brothers who quickly put a factory version into production by March 1953. With its overall stiffer frame and chassis - including a more robust front suspension and more direct steering, the slightly more powerful Alpine was very sporting in nature. It came with a column shift -not unusual for the time as many manufacturers of sporting cars -Allard, Alfa-Romeo, etc., offered column shifts thinking this was a new trend in sporting fashion. By 1954, Sunbeam like all the other manufacturers of sporting models was relocating the shifter back on the floor.

Although not as sporting or maneuverable as the new Healey, Triumph, etc., the Alpine was still a very capable rally car and proved to be fast and competent. Production ceased in 1955 after approximately 2,250 examples -stats range from a low estimated 1,582 built to a high 3,000 -of which approximately 200 survive today . These Sunbeam Alpines are probably best remembered as the sports car that outran the French Citroens through the Alps driven by Grace Kelly -with a very nervous as passenger, in ’s 1955 film “To Catch A Thief.”

Despite the Alpine’s limited production some did arrive in North America and one is owned by British car enthusiasts Len and Jean Beatens. Their stylish Alpine is painted in a stunning original Alpine Mist. Len Beatens purchased his 1953 Sunbeam Alpine in rather rough condition and after years of tough slugging has restored it to like new condition.

When stripped to bare metal, Len discovered he’d have to source two new front fenders and install new floors, sills and doglegs. The original doors, boot lid and rakish louvered hood required little. Inside the trunk a repair was required to a rear wheel well, but the floor was sound. Under the hood was also solid other than around the hood hinge mounts that was a common problem with these cars. The frame was rust-free.

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A new glass windscreen was imported from England and a new dark blue cloth top fitted. The top bows were painted as were the original brass sidescreen frames.

Len decided to paint the front and rear bumpers body colour, whereas the original chrome bumperettes, grille, front and rear light bezels, vents, windscreen frame, script, rear license plate fitting and gas cap were in good condition. The original engine was beyond repair so a replacement of the original 80hp 2,267cc, 4-cylinder engine was found and completely rebuilt as were all the assorted mechanical bits.

The chassis required new brake and fuel lines, wheel cylinders, rubbers and the gas tank was cleaned. The front end was fully checked and serviced and the original springs and rear end proved sound.

The original steel wheels were sandblasted and sprayed matching body colour and sport new chrome hubcaps, Sunbeam crest centres and trim rings. Len secured a set of Dunlop SF “Taxi” 175R16G, 16-inch tires.

Inside the dash was completely rewired and to be on the safe side, Len added a new aftermarket, period-like amp, oil, temp and tachometer.

The original white plastic steering wheel showed some wear and discolouration, but was too good to refinish. The seats were completely rebuilt and recovered in red vinyl with ivory piping as were all the panels. Len and Jean selected a contrasting blue nylon carpet for the floors and trunk.

Former owners, Len and Jean Beatens’ are thoroughly enjoying open air motoring in their 1953 Sunbeam Alpine Roadster -and that’s what it’s all about.

Time to Update the MGTD By Ken Law

I had been thinking of rebuilding the MGTD engine for a number of years as well as doing something with the MG gearbox which did not make driving the car an enjoyable experience because of limited synchro capabilities and difficulty shifting due to what I thought was wear and age.

Well I finally decided to dive in, especially since Moss offered 20% off on engine rebuild parts in October. To remove the engine and gearbox from the TD the radiator, hood, seats and floorboards were removed. The speedo indicated 31,000 miles on the car but after getting into the engine I suspect the car was used very hard in its early life particularly since the car came with its 5.1 rear end ratio, great if you want to pull tree stumps but not suited to North American roads and distances. The crank journals were already 0.030” undersize and the cylinders had been honed over the years such that they were 0.018” oversize and yet standard pistons were still fitted with well worn ring groves that were about 0.010” over spec. Wow no wonder it was low on power and smoked!

10 So engine parts were ordered, the crank and the block were sent out for machining and it was time to determine my approach for the transmission.

The gearbox options were; to rebuild the TD gearbox with the limited and expensive parts that are available, fit a Ford T9, 5 speed using one of the kits available or look for a 4 speed option. Since I had installed a 4.3 crown and pinion in the car a few years back reducing the 60 mph rpm level from 3,800 to 3,200 rpm, the 5 speed gearbox (T9) offered limited benefits and was an expensive option due to the limited availability of the T9s in North America and the need buy a $1,500 kit. The T9 evolved from the Ford Type E transmission that was the 4 speed manual transmission used in Ford Pinto, Fairmont, and 2.3 litre Mustangs etc., so they are readily available in North America. This provided another option but I would need to make an adapter plate between the MG bell housing and the Ford gearbox at well as get a new clutch disk, new drive shaft, transmission mount and speedo cable as well as a new transmission cover.

I decided to open up the original gearbox and see what I could do to bring it back to spec. There was some brazing on the tail piece of the gearbox so it was obvious it had been worked on over the years. The gears looked in good shape and the bearings showed minimal wear other than the thrust washers that control the longitudinal movement of the cluster gear. These trust washers were 0.024” undersize so I fit a shim behind one and brought the end play back into spec. The synchro rings on the TD gearbox are part of the sliding hubs and to replace the sliding hubs was an $800 bill. I got on the internet and found that there was a member of the TD Register in Mississauga (Bob Grunau) that would machine out the old rings and press in new rings for $100 per ring so I decided to replace the 3rd and 4th synchro rings. I measured the second gear ring/cone assembly and determined that there was still 0.050” of wear left before the sliding hub bottomed out on the second gear so there was no need to replace it.

Once all the new and machined parts were received it was time to assemble the engine and gearbox. Assembly of the engine went together quickly however the gearbox was another story.

After assembling the gearbox with the new synchro rings, the 3rd gear ring was too close to the third gear cone and the input and output shafts were binding even thought the synchro ring itself was within normal tolerances. A quick email off to Bob and he indicated that he had once tried to make one good T series gearbox out of two and had quickly learned that parts are not interchangeable.

This indicated to me that I could possibly have a mix of parts in this gearbox particularly since the spring detents on the 3/4th gear sliding hub and the neutral detent on the 3/4th gear selector shaft were not aligned and were fighting each other. This caused the 3/4th gear selector shaft to be out of position when it was supposed to be in the neutral position and made shifting in first, second or reverse very difficult due the “2 ball and pin” interlock system” .

After some measuring and analysis I decided it was time to machine a new 3/4th gear detent dimple in the output shaft and reposition the 3/4th gear selector fork on its selector shaft. Once these relocations were completed the binding of the shafts was eliminated and the shifting was easier. It was then time to remarry the engine and gearbox ready for installation into the car.

Well it is getting close to Christmas and I will also have to get the January Spanner ready for printing so you will have to wait until the April issue to see if all of my work paid off.

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Boot’n Bonnet members ask Errol about the B’nB member discount

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TR4A Alternator Conversion By Gerry Wilkins

I spent several days on the internet learning all I could about making the change from Generator to Alternator for my ground up/body off restoration. By shear accident I found a web site about doing the same thing with an MGA as well. Amazingly, even the wiring diagram for the MGA, which completely does away with the old regulator, had the same wiring color codes and schematic as my TR4A. This bounty of information gave me the confidence to attempt the mechanical and electrical interface on my own.

The local APC store had the (remanufactured) GM style 10Si alternator in stock at $86 but there was a core charge of $40 plus Tax. I debated getting the Lester 7127-3 remanufactured alternator in Watertown NY at $30 plus the $15 core charge plus duty, taxes and the cost to go get it with a round trip of 5 plus hours. If you go that route, enter the required vehicle look up as a 1982 Cherokee with 4.2L engine. Then I figured on using the Kinek shipping warehouse in Fine, NY but the driving still added up to 4 plus hours. The APC store in Belleville, had told me, I could save the $40 core charges by turning in any old alternator working or not! Hmmm, I’ll ask a couple of club members next meeting to scour their garages for any old alternator.

Sure enough, Gerry Henden showed up one day at the front door with a duplicate GM 15Si style which has 78 Amp output vs the 60 Amp 10Si style. The physical dimensions are the same. I checked the bridge rectifier with an ohm meter and it had a good reading on all four diodes. (you can do that without taking it apart) to test it, I used a small electric motor with an old furnace (adjustable v-belt pulley) rigged up on a barn board with a few jumper wires to the proper terminals and found it loaded down nicely while producing regulated voltage on my volt meter. Thanks very much Gerry “H” for the donation!

What better time to do the mechanical fit, than while you have a rolling chassis and no body to interfere with the task. I borrowed the old generator and its engine block mounting from the old donor TR4A car. Just like I had read on the other blogs, the pulley shaft on the old generator set has a half inch bore while the new alternator needs one at 5/8”. A smaller pulley diameter was also recommended to keep the RPM up higher at idle. So, I tripped over to the local Starter and Alternator shop and picked up (the last oversized v-belt pulley he had in stock). You can find it on the internet, including picture by typing in the pulley number 24-7100 and it came with the special nut also required. Total cost $20.

I needed one bolt (or 3/8” threaded rod) between the bottom alternator hinge area, running clear back through the cars original generator mount with a piece of 3/8” metal tubing between the mounts front and rear holes. I also had to enlarge the rear mounting hole from 1/4 “ to 3/8” to accommodate the new 8” long bolt. The forward mounting hole is too large as is the engine’s front mounting plate, which has the engine mounts at its’ lower extremities.

That problem was solved by using a tiny 3/8” bore sleeve where the engine plate (see gap between alternator and front of “U” shaped mounting plate) and front mounting hole adjoins with the new alternator. The last detail was to figure out how much of the alternators lower mounting die cast needed cutting to allow all pulleys to line up for smooth running. I did the educational approach of take a little more than you need and add a washer or two if needed at installation time. My calculations indicated about ½ “of die-cast to remove from the alternator boss.

If needed, the washers are placed in front of the engine plate where it meets the alternator case. Total cost was about $25, but only if you have a donor alternator. Cheers. By the way, no kitchen table place mats were harmed in the making of this conversion!

Another Wilky Triumph!

Parts required: - Alternator 7127-3M or Delco 334-2112A etc (GM 10Si style) 60 A output. - 3/8” threaded rod or 8” long bolt - 5/8” bore X ¾” X 2-1/2” dia. pulley. - 3/8” galvanized water pipe sleeve cut down from a 4” length. -Patience!

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The next objective is to get the proper GM plug for pins 1 & 2 and do the mods to remove the old Lucas Voltage Regulator completely. Since I don’t have any special requirements for drawing more than 22 Amps. I will leave the original wiring harness and add only the Heavy Duty single red wire between the Alternator and Battery. The smaller pins 1 & 2 go to the switched key on and indicator lamp.

The only drawback I found was the main heavy duty wire attaches to that (RED Connector) on the rear of the Alternator and lies under the Exhaust Manifold. If you buy a new or remanufactured Lester or GM Alternator with built-in regulator, you should specify the 3:00 o’clock output for a TR4 by including the part number plus the -3, (7127-3). The basic configurations are for 3:00, 6:00, 9:00 and 12:00 O’clock outputs. I think I might try and rotate the rear housing on this one to get it around to the 3:00 O’clock position if it works.

[email protected] if you have any Questions.

Looking down from right side (Radiator towards top of picture)

Electrical Theory on the Lighter Side: - A Treatise on the Importance of Smoke by Joseph Lucas (Prince of darkness)

All electrical components and wiring harnesses depend on proper circuit functioning, which is the transmission of charged ions by retention of the visible spectral manifestation known as "smoke". Smoke is the thing that makes electrical circuits work. Don't be fooled by scientists and engineers talking about excited electrons and the like. Smoke is the key to all things electrical

We know this to be true because every time one lets the smoke out of an electrical circuit, it stops working. This can be verified repeatedly through empirical testing. For example, if one places a large copper bar across the terminals of a battery, prodigious quantities of smoke are liberated and the battery shortly ceases to function. In addition, if one observes smoke escaping from an electrical component such as a Lucas voltage regulator, it will also be observed that the component no longer functions.

The logic is elementary and inescapable! The function of the wiring harness is to conduct the smoke from one device to another. When the wiring harness springs a leak and lets all the smoke out of the system, nothing works right afterward.

Starter motors were considered unsuitable for British motorcycles for some time largely because they regularly released large quantities of smoke from the electrical system.

It has been reported that Lucas electrical components are possibly more prone to electrical leakage than their Bosch, Japanese or American counterparts. Experts point out that this is because Lucas is British, and all things British leak. British engines leak oil, British shock absorbers, hydraulic forks, and disk brake systems leak fluid, British tires leak air and British Intelligence leaks national defence secrets.

Therefore, it follows that British electrical systems must leak smoke. Once again, the logic is clear and inescapable.

Sometimes you may miss the component releasing the smoke that makes your electrical system function incorrectly, but if you sniff around you can often find the faulty component by the undeniable and telltale smoke smell. Sometimes this is a better indicator than standard electrical tests performed with a volt-ohm meter.

In conclusion, the basic concept of transmission of electrical energy in the form of smoke provides a clear and logical explanation of the mysteries of electrical components and why they fail.

Courtesy of the BC Triumph Club http://www3.telus.net/bc_triumph_registry/smoke.htm

17 Finally a Kit to Repair Electrical Faults due to the Release of Smoke

Finally understanding the theory of electrical circuits in British cars and having experienced a number of issues on my British cars I thought that there must be a tool to help address this issue and came upon an item on ebay offered by Craig Bolton, of Autodynamics in Belington, WV. (Again thanks to the BC Triumph Club for high lighting this new tool.)

Lucas Service Tool for Auction - have you inadvertently let the smoke out of the wires on your classic British car? This, then, is the solution to your problem! Here is presented for your perusal one Lucas Replacement Wiring Harness Smoke kit, P/N 530433, along with the very rare Churchill Tool 18G548BS adapter tube and metering valve. These kits were supplied surreptitiously to Lucas factory technicians as a trouble- shooting and repair aid for the rectification of chronic electrical problems on a plethora of British cars. The smoke is metered, through the fuse box, into the circuit which has released it's original smoke until the leak is located and repaired. The affected circuit is then rectified and the replacement smoke re-introduced. An advantage over the cheap reproduction smoke kits currently available is the exceptionally rare Churchill metering valve and fuse box adapter. It enables the intrepid and highly skilled British Car Technician to meter the precise amount of genuine Lucas smoke required by the circuit.

Unlike the cheap, far-eastern replacement DIY smoke offered by the "usual suppliers", this kit includes a filter to ensure that all the smoke is of consistent size. It has been our experience in our shop that the reproduction Taiwanese smoke is often "lumpy", which will cause excessive resistance in our finely-engineered British harnesses and components. This is often the cause of failure in the repro electrical parts currently available, causing much consternation and misplaced cursing of the big three suppliers.

These kits have long been the secret weapon of the "Ultimate Authorities" in the trade, and this may be the last one available. Be forewarned, though, that it is not applicable to any British vehicle built after the discontinuing of bullet connectors, so you Range types are still on your own...

The mailer to the right high lights inflation regarding car maintenance. It was sighted by Peter Young on his trip out west in his MGB.

18 Have we been using our tools correctly:

Peter Young sent this in to help those of us that enjoy working on our cars better understand an alternate use for some of tools we use to restore and maintain our British cars:

OXYACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable objects in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub you want the bearing race out of.

HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new brake shoes, trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper.

EIGHT-FOOT LONG DOUGLAS FIR 2X4: Used for levering an automobile upward off of a trapped hydraulic jack handle.

TWEEZERS: A tool for removing wood splinters and wire wheel wires.

E-Z OUT BOLT AND STUD EXTRACTOR: A tool ten times harder than any known drill bit that snaps off in bolt holes you couldn't use anyway.

TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST: A tool for testing the tensile strength on everything you forgot to disconnect.

CRAFTSMAN 1/2 x 16-INCH SCREWDRIVER: A large prybar that inexplicably has an accurately machined screwdriver tip on the end opposite the handle.

AVIATION METAL SNIPS: See hacksaw.

HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle. It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.

TROUBLE LIGHT: The home mechanic's own tanning booth. Sometimes called a drop light, it is a good source of vitamin D, 'the sunshine vitamin,' which is not otherwise found under cars at night. Health benefits aside, it's main purpose is to consume 40-watt light bulbs at about the same rate that 105-mm howitzer shells might be used during, say, the first few hours of the Battle of the Bulge. More often dark than light, its name is somewhat misleading. Usually more trouble than it's worth!

PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER: Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids and for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads.

AIR COMPRESSOR: A machine that takes energy produced in a coal- burning power plant 200 miles away and transforms it into compressed air that travels by hose to a Chicago Pneumatic impact wrench that grips rusty bolts which were last over tightened 50 years ago by someone who last serviced the car, and neatly rounds off their heads.

PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.

HOSE CUTTER: A tool used to cut hoses too short.

HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts not far from the object we are trying to hit.

MECHANIC'S KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on contents such as seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts. Especially useful for slicing work clothes, but only while in use.

DAMMIT TOOL: Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling 'DAMMIT' at the top of your lungs. It is also the next tool that you will need.

EXPLETIVE: A balm, also referred to as mechanic's lube, usually applied verbally in hindsight, which somehow eases those pains and indignities following our every deficiency in foresight.

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th 13 Annual

AUTOJUMBLE

th Celebrating the 60 Anniversary of

the Austin Healey

Sunday May 5thth, 2013, 10:00 – 2:00 Portsmouth Olympic Harbour Kingston, Ontario. Info – [email protected] Admission - $3.00 Member Tables $10 / Non Member Tables $25

Don’t forget if you drive your British car you get in free!! There will be a separate parking area for British Cars

The Boot ‘n Bonnet Club presents Winter Gathering 2013 Saturday, February 16, 2013 Travelodge Hotel La Salle Kingston, 2360 St., Kingston $40 per person Cash bar from 6:00 p.m. Buffet supper at 7:30 p.m. Door prizes, raffles, the inevitable quiz, and more!

Guest rooms are available, for those who wish to stay overnight, at $98 + HST. Contact the hotel at 613-546-4233 or 1-800-567-0751 and mention the code CGBOOT

Reserve your place by sending a cheque, payable to the Boot ‘n Bonnet Club, to Linda Thomas, 92 Wyona Lane, RR 1, Wolfe Island, ON K0H 2Y0.

For more information or to help with planning, prizes, etc, please contact Ila Lawton, [email protected] , 613-353-6111

As dates and times are subject to change, a last minute check with the appropriate organization is advisable. If you notice any errors Where and When or omissions, please pass the correct information along to the editor for future editions. Ref to Red Book and Boot ‘n Bonnet web site (events) for more detailed listings and directions as well as other automotive event listings and contact information. January

March Jan 9 – Kingston Meeting at Denny’s restaurant, 401 and Division St. Mar 13 – Kingston Meeting at Denny’s restaurant, 401 Jan 30 – Quinte Monthly Meeting at the North China and Division St. Buffet Mar 27 – Quinte Monthly Meeting at the North China Buffet

Febuary April

Feb 13 – Kingston Meeting at Denny’s restaurant, 401 April 10 – Kingston Meeting at Denny’s restaurant, 401 and Division St. and Division St.

Feb 16 – Winter gathering in Kingston, see ad on page April 21 – Ancaster British Car flea market 21 April 24 – Quinte Monthly Meeting at the North China Feb 27 – Quinte Monthly Meeting at the North China Buffet Buffet

Note: Autojumble is Sunday May 5th plan now to attend

Wow! I sure wish Santa brought me a Dinky Toy like this! I would love to take it to the Boot ‘n Bonnet Autojumble.

22 Classifieds Ads will appear for three consecutive issues Spitfire Mk 3 parts for sale: only and will then be automatically removed by the Editor. If you wish your ads to appear longer, - Overdrive transmission comes complete with transmission, please contact the Editor to advise him of your overdrive unit and steering column (and steering wheel) with wheel wish to keep the ad in The Spanner. Thanks Ed. (banjo spoke-type), correct overdrive actuation switch, rear transmission mounting plate (it’s different than a stock four speed Cars for Sale plate) and correct length prop shaft $700.00 – item sells complete, won’t break for parts; - Late Mk 3 steering wheel and column complete $75.00; 1975 MGB, Rubber Bumper, - Complete four speed transmission $225.00; Newer Top and interior,new tires Twin Carbs, good - Complete engine (turns over freely) comes with carburetors, Engine and oil pressure, nice body, runs really exhaust well...Bonnet has been replaced, little difference in - manifold, water pump, fan and generator $275.00; Colour, comes with some spares. $4,750 - Complete bonnet with headlights and bumper in good condition (needs paint – no dents) $375.00; Contact Len at 1-613-771-9966 (April 2012) - Differential $115.00; - Factory original steel hardtop in good condition (no dents) – needs Parts for Sale paint, rear window, headliner and mounting hardware $175.00; - Windshield glass (only) – no cracks $110.00; - Soft top frame $95.00; 4 - 15" X 5" Mini-Lite Alloy rims. Brand New in 2010 and - Frame (chassis) in solid condition with good “outriggers” $200.00; never been out of the garage - Steering rack $75.00; Rims have a 4 bolt pattern at 4.5" spacing suitable for most -Various rear suspension links and front suspension parts; Triumphs and a few other LBC's. Complete with new valves installed, new 195 X 65 X 15" Nexen Tires installed and Ken Morgan 613-353-7920 or [email protected] (July 2012) balanced and ready to roll, will include the 16 special insert (chrome ) lug nuts. I have $1800 invested, but will sacrifice for $1200 firm. Parts Wanted: [email protected] Tel 613 968 8211 (Oct 2012)

AH Sprite ¼ Elliptic Leaf Springs - looking for a MGB PARTS pair of old factory original (not the current replacements) ¼ - MGB High performance camshaft. Re-ground by elliptic leaf springs for my Austin Healey Sprite (Bugeye). Canada Chrome & Crank to 286 degree and .400”. Anti- Condition not important as long as they can be friction coating then applied. Asking $100.00 reconditioned. -Front and rear bumpers MGB – 1974. $100.00 -Seats, black, 1974 Asking $100.- Contact: Mark 613-547-9423 or [email protected] arts -Rear axel with brake drums – 1974 $200.00- - (Oct 2012) Exhaust manifold with custom collector to 1 ¾” pipe, MGB. Asking $100.00- All of the above in good serviceable condition.

Please call John at 613-389-3566 (Oct 2012)

Three, 15" Micheline Redlines, ,000 miles, good cond., plus one Coker clone, 2 years old, 650 miles, $250 for all 4. -Dual Strombergs, ran perfectly when replaced by Webbers 2 years ago, $250.

Call Eric ,evenings @ 613-756-2763, or email [email protected] (July 2012)

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UK Trained, Canadian Licensed

At Classic Automotive Repair (C.A R.) our top priority is to look after your most prized Classic Cars, we pride ourselves on the fact we treat your pride and joy as if it were our own.

Classic Automotive Repair was established in April 2009 by Steve Hayes who emigrated from the UK in 2008 bringing with him a wealth of knowledge on many makes of cars from Britain and Europe. His experience started in 1989 when he became an apprentice. After working up to the position of Service Manager, Steve decided it was a more hands on role that kept his love of cars engaged.

Some of the services we offer are:

Full and Part Servicing Diagnostics and Fault finding Full to Part Restoration Parts Finder Service Welding and Fabrication Detailing and Clean-up Winterization and Spring Preparation

Steve and one of his pride and joys, a 2001 Discovery

Please feel free to contact Steve if you have a question or need to know more information about the services we offer: [email protected] 613 583 4311 Cell 613 372 5337 Home

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