November
2001
Hopefully
we should now be back on track with our monthly
newsletter and you should be receiving this just
prior to or at our monthly meeting at “The
Bull”.
First of all I would like to thank those of you who
have sent in their positive feedback on our new
format newsletter and the accompanying website.
Those of you who have visited the site have
found it interesting and some good ideas are
immerging as to its future content. As for the
newsletter, we still really would like more
suggestions from our members as to content that
would be deemed useful, so please, please send
me your thoughts.
Ok
that’s it again from me, for those of you who
haven’t as yet, why not try and get long to
one of our monthly meetings, it’s a really
good night out and honestly, we don’t all just
talk about our cars!
Kieran
Hyde
Group
Leaders Ramblings
At
last we are getting back in to the targeted
timing for our newsletter and I’m sure that
Kieran will have things ready to go so hopefully
everyone will be reading this before December
arrives!
While
not much happens with using our cars at this
time of year there are still events worth
considering not the least of which is the Brunel
Christmas Meal. Numbers have been passed to the
Bull Inn so they can organise the seating and
catering but if there are any latecomers for
this super evening we may be able to squeeze you
in. Please contact me urgently.
On
4th November Carolyn and I attended
the annual AGM of the Register and I must say
that we really enjoyed meeting up with other
members especially from Glavon, Birmingham and
Cotswold Vale. The whole day was full of
interesting discussion a lot of it surrounding
finances - as one might expect.
The
week before we went to the Cotswold Vale evening
Fish & Chip event which was held at Colin
Boothers’ paddock. With excellent company,
really good fish & chips and “bring your
own” wine no one seemed very interested in the
darts competition!!
As
those of you who come to the Christmas Meal know
we hold a fairly extensive raffle and if anyone
would like to donate a prize for this it would
be gratefully received. Please speak to Lesley.
We
must start to think about next season as far as
events and activities are concerned so if anyone
has an idea or has experienced a particular run
or visit, which they have enjoyed, please share
the experience with us so that other members can
try it next year.
Take
care motoring at this time of year
Bruce
Mandell-Lynn
Social
Scene
She’s
back; she looks great, obviously has an edge to
her performance and makes the most extraordinary
noises. No, it’s not my ex-girlfriend; it’s
my 6!
I
am now in the process of putting as many gentle
miles on the car as possible; mostly restricted
to about two-and-a-half-and-bit thousand RPM, on
the run-up to the first service. The horrible
oil filter, (how do people cope with the slow
pressure build up of the old type?), can be
replaced by my spin-on one. The set up can be
normalised up to a point and I can then start on
the build up to the 3000 miles mark where it
will be set up on the rolling road. It will only
be at this stage when the benefit of the new
engine performance will be felt.
Despite
being away a bit recently up in Manchester and
more recently on a Stag weekend in Prague, which
is another story, the weather has been rather
kind recently with some cracking roof down
driving weekends for the time of year. I really
thought I would not be able to get the car out
much at all. It really is relatively warm down
here, speaking to Mum in Newcastle the last time
I was happily driving the 6 around down here, it
was snowing up there! Think of that when you are
scanning through the other group reports.
Work
commitments mean I will miss the November
meeting, but it has been great to see the same
faces at the ones I have attended – we really
do have a well-supported club. I’m looking
forward to seeing everyone at the Christmas
meal. After this the next big thing is the AGM.
Please try to get to this because this is when
the direction of the club for 2002 will be
established and when we can have our say as to
what we want the club to be and then do
something about it!
One
final point I have been following with great
interest the reader’s rebuilds in TR Action, I
would love to know more about the cars in our
group, their history, rebuilding or if they go
anywhere interesting! Please write in to the
newsletter.
Craig
Alderson
The
Infamous TR5
As
a follow-up to the article I wrote last April,
‘The Trials and Tribulations of Renovating a
TR5, I thought Brunel TR members might like to
have an updated progress report on NAF 513F.
Well,
I am pleased to say that after 20 years since
its last MOT and 18 years of hard labour by
yours truly, NAF 513F is back on the road and
for me 01/11/01 is a memorable date!
However,
getting an MOT certificate was not that
straightforward as there were a few hiccups on
the way. Three
visits had to be made to Soundwell Service
Station! On
the pre-test visit the car broke down with a
hydraulic leak; needless to say the braking
system had to be bled yet again when the fault
was repaired.
On the second occasion the recon’
engine, which Kevin Thompson knows has been
giving me a few problems to say the least,
continued to play up and prevented an effective
road test being carried out.
At the time an emission test recorded a
hydrocarbon level of 3319 ppm, which was well
over the top, and the car was obviously drinking
fuel. At
the suggestion of Mike, the MOT manager, I took
the car to The Injection Centre at Longwell
Green, which proved to be a good move, even
though the car was there for 2 weeks and cost £200!
However, all 6 injectors were found to be
faulty, which was unexpected since they had been
renewed at the time of the engine overhaul.
As always, though, Moss didn’t quibble
in exchanging them and even provided a delivery
service. Needless to say the injectors were not the only problem.
Initially it was thought the new Bosch
pump/PRU system I fitted was at fault, as well
as the metering unit.
The continuous high-pitched resonance
associated with the fuel system was also a
problem. Emission tests showed abnormal readings but with the
aid of specialist equipment and some fine-tuning
including, interestingly enough, the fitting of
an air bleed valve between the metering unit and
the manifold, the engine surge and misfire was
eliminated.
The resonance was also overcome by
bending the braided fuel pump delivery pipe and
securing the pipe in this position with nylon
ties (A useful tip perhaps for other members who
may experience this fault). The hydrocarbon
reading was also reduced to 540ppm and at one
stage to 300ppm, equivalent to modern
engine/fuel systems which is encouraging
My
earlier reservations expressed in April about
the overdrive unit was borne out as it didn’t
work on my first day out although the gearbox
itself, which had been overhauled, worked
perfectly.
My immediate thought was our mutual
friend, Eric Mobley, who had given a talk on
overdrives earlier in the year at the Glavon
Club HQ. He
kindly agreed to look at it and I took it over
to Malmesbury that day. As it so happened very little needed to be done to rectify
the fault, except my having to remove the
transmission tunnel etc. and the new carpets
that had been stuck down, which made me realise
I should have tested the overdrive first!
Additionally, when the car was on stands,
we found something amiss on the hub/wheel spline
assemblies and in truth the car should not have
passed the MOT test.
It looks like I will now have to purchase
new hub spline extensions, which will obviously
prove expensive!
Anyway
the overdrive hydraulic pressures were found to
be okay but adjustments were needed which
perhaps only someone with experience would know
about – hence Eric.
The car by the way drove home perfectly.
In
conclusion I would like to take this opportunity
to pay tribute to Moss International and the
guys at the Bristol branch.
I found Andy, Owen, Shaun, Bas & Tom
always very helpful and ready to give advice
during the renovation work, particularly over
the last 2 years.
There was never any quibble or questions
raised about exchanging or returning unwanted
items, which happened on a number of occasions,
and I think they are a credit to the trade.
Mind you, I should add I did spend almost
£6,000 with Moss during the period of
renovation, which is close to a third of the
total renovation cost.
Looking
forward now to joining members in the next
Brunel TR outing (weather permitting!) and
hopefully I will see you all at the forthcoming
Wednesday meeting.
Mike
Chillcott
Fancy
A Middle East Break
If
it is of any interest I am happy to
offer accommodation to anyone in the Brunel
Group who wants a holiday out here. The
cheapest carrier is Qatar Airways whom I use all
the time. Should be about £300 each from
Heathrow, not a lot to do but nice shopping
for the girls and the weather is pretty good
too. Ring Qatar direct in London for the best
deals.
I
live alone at present and my wife;
Lin is in the UK because we were planning
to leave here then I was persuaded to stay so I
travel back and forth quite a
bit. I've got a 4-bed house but
I only use 1 bedroom obviously and we have
a pool and a live-in cleaner (sadly he's a
he but my wife wouldn't budge on this one!)
and, most importantly it is very safe.
If
anyone is genuinely interested I recommend a
couple or 2 couples travel together to
keep each other company so they don't get bored
during their stay. Not that bad really and
the weather is fabulous right now, it was
28C when I drove to work today at 7am, rising to
about 34C this time of the year... perfect BBQ
weather!
On
another tack altogether, I'm looking for a donor
TR250 if anyone hears about a cheap one for
sale. Did I tell you that we have had our
derelict house rebuilt (makes a change from
a car I guess) and the builder threw away and
buried with a JCB the body of my old TR5!
Anger exploded, then tears flowed (well, almost
anyway) and finally I am looking to make
the best of it by getting hold of a replacement
body. Could do with one of those for myself
actually!!
Rob
Lovell ( email: robin@qatar.net.qa
)
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