Bike Rack for Triumph TR6

Like many people, I'm a guy with too many hobbies. In addition to my LBC hobby, I'm also an avid bicycle racer. Matter of fact, when I first built my '73, I was getting heavy into MTB and Road racing, soon thereafter on the collegiate level. My Six was my daily driver, so I needed a way to get my bikes to training rides and races.

The rack below evolved over a period of a couple years and has stood the test of thousands of miles with the bike up there. Most recently, I added the wheel rack so I no longer have to drive with a muddy wheel sitting next to me in the passenger seat or on parcel shelf. The rack also evolved to provide proper balancing of the bike on the rack, allow access to the gas filler cap, and allow the trunk to be raised without hitting the convertible top.

My bike rack design works with the welded/brazed tubular style rack, but I'm sure it can be adapted for the square tube modular TR6 luggage rage.

Most of the materials needed can be bought at your local hardware supplier and local bike shop.

Use this design at your own risk. I know it has worked for me, your mileage may vary.

Oh yeah... the bike on the rack in this pic is a classic as well - A 1985 Colnago Super Saronni WC Special with full Campag Super Record. Gotta have a classic on a classic!

 

So what do you need to build this thing?

From the Hardware Store:

QTY3 - 1"sqx 48" Aluminum tubing
QTY1 - Sheet aluminum (minimum 12" x 6")
QTY2 - 1/4-20 x 4.5" Stainless Bolts
QTY4 - 1/4-20 x 1.5" Stainless Bolts
QTY6 - 1/4-20 Stainless Locknuts
QTY10 - 1/4" Stainless washers.
QTY2 - 1/4 Large Brass Washers
QTY10 - Stainless Self Tapping Screws
QTY1 - Large Velcro Strap
QTY1 - U-bolt (big enough to go around the rear most tube, long enough to go through the 1" tube.

From your Local Bicycle Shop:

QTY1 - Traps Brand (also known as Saris) Fork Mount Bike Rack (about $15)
QTY1 - Traps Brand Wheel Mount (about $20)
QTY1 - Old innertube.

Tools:
DrillPress
Hacksaw
Metalshears
Wrenches, etc

 

I'd suggest building the rack in two sections, the rack/tray (lengthwise piece) and the base (crosspiece). Dimensions are in general based on your car. I've filled in the blanks where I've found a specific measure works better....

Rack/Tray:
Cut two of the 48" tubes to 43" in length. I've found this length to be the best for anything from a MTB to a touring bike.

Set the two tubes down on the ground parallel to each other and set the traps fork mount on the end. The outsides of the tubes should be the width of the base of the Traps casting. My tubes and casting formed a 43"x 4.5" rectangle.

Drill the end of the rack for the two 1.5" bolts that secure the Traps casting to the tubes. Bolt the casting to the tubes.

For the other end of the rack/tray, cut a 12"x5.5" rectangle of aluminum sheet. Bend up a .5" edge on the two long edges. This part should be bent so the edges wrap up and around the edge of the tubes.

Secure the sheetmetal to the tubes with sheetmetal screws.

You can test fit a bike on the rack/tray you've just built to ensure what you have will mount there.

Use a wide velcro strap for use in holding the rear wheel to the tray.

To finish the base/tray, drill a hole in each tube 7" back from the leading edge of the rack/tray. (in this pic, you can see the first holes I drilled at about 5.5" back, but they did not get the CG of the bike right on the rack, so I moved it back to 7")

Next, its time to make the base.

Start by cutting a 24" piece of the 1" aluminum tube. This is the part that bolts to the AMCO rack.

Set it up on the AMCO rack and mark the locations for drilling the fixing bolts. You'll want the bolt hole on the left end to be approx 1" from the end. The hole needs to be offset to the rear of the tube as well. (pics show this better than I can describe)

This base piece will be offset to the passenger side of the car to allow for mounting the wheel rack.

Drill the remaining mounting hole in line with the luggage strap loop on the AMCO rack.

You'll fix this tube to the rack with a 1.5" stainless bolt. Use washers under the bolt head, and use a brass washer under the nut.

You'll insulate the aluminum tube from the rack with a 2" long piece cut from the old innertube you grabbed.
Time to finish the base.

I found that a stack of 2" worth of alu tube raises the fork end of the rack high enough above the car to prevent fouling the gas filler cap, and also pulls it away from the convertible top when raising the boot.

Mark the center of the base piece. The center is the the center between the two holes you drilled to mount the base tube to the AMCO rack.

With the tray stacked on top of the base tube, drill through the holes in the tray through to the base tube.

Finally stack two scraps of alu tube on top of the base tube and drill the holes all the way through.

As you drill these holes, You'll get much better results using a drill press than using a hand drill. The work will also look much more completed if you chamfer the holes.

The final base assembly looks like this.

Bolt up the base to the rack/tray with the 4.5" stainless bolts, washers and nylock nuts.

also took the time to use a longer scrap piece on the bottom and a shorter on the top and then cut them on an angle with my hacksaw.

For the rear hold down, I used a U-bolt at the rearmost AMCO rack crosspiece. I slid some plastic tubing over the rack bolt to protect the AMCO chrome.

Mount the Wheel Rack on the passenger side of the base tube. I mounted it outside the AMCO bolt point, this allowed the wheel to sit outside even the widest handlebars. I used the wheel rack as a drill template and used the stainless hardware that came with the wheel rack.

 

 

To protect the AMCO rack, I made sure to put a piece of innertube in between the AMCO rack and the aluminum of the bike rack. Its cheap, quickly replaceable and easy to do.

Where the bike rack bolts to the leading edge of the AMCO rack, I used brass washers to keep from damaging the chrome at the strap loops. A slight bend in the washers allows the racks to come together more easily.

A word on AMCO rack mounting. No Sheet Metal screws to mount the rack. Use strong quality hardware and something that bolts all the way through the trunk and uses fasteners on the back. You don't want poor quality hardware risking your paint, sheetmetal or your bike!

I hope this thread allows someone to benefit from my experiments and helps someone build a good rack.

 

Triumph TR6 Sill Plates

I saw these on sale at TRF a number of months ago. Apparently everyone else did too as they went on backorder. Well, they finally came in and I was able to install them pretty quickly.

Some 3M body molding tape and #6 stainless screws did the job.

They cover nicely the scratched up sills that had survived years of abuse from passengers that hopped out without thinking about their safety belts.

6-Pack Calendar Shots

The 6-Pack Triumph club produces a calendar annually which few can compare with. This year, I was determined to get my car in the calendar. My trip to my father's local car show gave me a great opportunity to shoot my car and his in some great environments to get great photos.

The end result was that I shot photos which made up 2 of the 12 months worth of the calendar. Both my father's car and my own made it into the calendar- Miss April (Dad) and Miss October (my car).

Here are the results. These shots were taken over Eden Bluff on Beaver Lake in Northwest Arkansas.

2014 Northwest Arkansas British Iron Car Show

I had the opportunity to attend the 2014 Northwest Arkansas British Iron Car Show. To say it was an awesome show is a gross understatement. The event is well run, well attended and the fact that it is down the street from my parents' home makes it even better for me.

This year the guest of honor was Kas Kastner. I built my car per his performance manual, so meeting him was a treat. At one point, he spent nearly half an hour with me at my car asking questions about what things I had done to it to make it go fast. He would then go through how he came up with the idea for that modification and then developed it! Definitely a discussion I'll never forget!

 

Attending the show with my mother and father was a pretty big highlight too! In the end, I took 2nd in early TR6, and Dad took 2nd in unrestored with his '74 TR6.

 

 

There were definitely some pretty awesome cars there, here are a few of the sights!



Useful Triumph Information Links On The Web

My father just purchased a 1975 TR6. His first TR in 30 years!

I compiled these links for him, but thought people who read my blog might appreciate them.

Useful links

6-Pack Forum - http://www.6-pack.org/j15/index.php/forum

Best Tech articles on the web - http://www.buckeyetriumphs.org/technical/technical.htm

Wiring diagrams - http://www.advanceautowire.com/tr2506.pdf

Dashboard wiring connections - http://www.6-pack.org/j15/media/kunena/attachments/6613/74-75FaciaR1_2014-03-30.pdf

www.mossmotors.com

www.the-roadster-factory.com

My Blog- http://www.coventrysfinest.blogspot.com/

Websites from two of my friends -
http://tr6.danielsonfamily.org/
http://www.74tr6.com/

The Bentley manual online version http://www.bmcno.org/manuals/TR6%20Repair%20Operation%20Manual.pdf (Download and save)

Finished Hard Top!

Back during Fall, I finally moved my family to a new home. The process was definitely a lengthy and tough process. Not for the faint of heart. The good news however is that the new home is great and has a very nice garage.

On to the Hardtop - Its been installed since October or so. I'm really enjoying driving the car with it installed. Tightens the car up from a noise perspective, from a handling perspective and from a temperature prospective. All great things.

I refinished the 'vents' in before installing them, and they turned out nicely.

 

The headliner was not an easy thing to install, but the result looks good and finished the top beautifully. 

I installed some sound and temperature insulation inside the hardtop shell before installing the headliner. That has made the car much more quiet inside with the hardtop on, and nice and toasty when the heat is on.

 

The finished hardtop is great!

 

 

GoPro in a Triumph!

Super cool birthday present from my family this year - a GoPro Hero3 camera. I shot this video with the camera mounted to the roll bar. Nice twisty road on a sunny day!

 

Back On The Road!

Well, Coventry's Finest is back on the road!

That last run of work was not a small one, but the car is in significantly better shape than when it entered that phase. I finally resolved the brake issue when I found that the new caliper pistons I installed were actually slightly out of round and were locking up in the calipers. Before getting all that right however, I had also rebuilt the master cylinder.

In the process of rebuilding the brake master cylinder, I found that the clutch master cylinder was completely blown. It still operated, but it was leaking heavily. The rebuild on it was quick, but I found that the cylinder casting was completely shot. I ended up using an old Girling casting which was in perfect shape. I used several other parts from the old cylinder, including the piston.

So, here is the latest list:

Rebuilt Rear Hubs - rebuilt by Phil (all other items rebuilt by myself)
New Outer Universal Joints
Rebuilt Front Hubs
Rebuilt Front Brake calipers (new seals, new stainless pistons)
Rebuilt Brake Master Cylinder
Rebuilt Clutch Master Cylinder
Refinished Tail Light Assemblies
Repainted Kamm Tail
Rear Bumper rustproofed inside and painted inside
New Interior Visors
New Bullet Door Mirror
Seats Reupholstered
Differential Oil Topped Up
All Rock Pecks Touched Up

It feels great to have it back on the road again!

Cooling System Refurb Continued

So where I left off with the Cooling System, my radiator was at the radiator shop being boiled out and soldered up where it had a leak.

Unfortunately, I got a call from the shop and they asked me to come in. When I got there, they had the radiator off to the side. Boiled out, but obviously not soldered up. They basically told me that it had a header leak, and because it was a 40 year old radiator, they would not solder it up. They offered to re-core it for $400, but a new rad is only $260, so I said no thanks and went on my way.

When I got home, I had to figure out how to seal the radiator. I had read that using a vacuum to pull the epoxy into the joint would make the repair much stronger. Talking with a buddy who works on vintage Volvos confirmed that this repair could work.

With all that in my mind, I pulled out the automated vacuum pump I built a few years ago for building composite airplane parts. I sealed up the radiator and then hooked up the pump system and pulled a vacuum. I could hear the leak 'sucking'.

I worked up a batch of JBWeld and spread it around the leaking area. I could actually hear the epoxy being pulled into the leak and then there was silence! After letting the epoxy cure overnight, I pulled a vacuum against the radiator and it held for several minutes. Definitely a successful repair.

Next up, I needed to install the fan on the radiator. I used some self tapping screws to mount the fan to the outer edges of the radiator shroud. This is a definite measure twice, drill once type of job....

With the fan mounted to the radiator, it was time to install the whole assembly back in the car. The fan motor did not clear the frame crossmember. I elongated the holes in the radiator braces to get the fan motor off the crossmember, but will eventually make new longer braces to pull it completely off the crossmember.

To be continued......

No News Is Good News - Right?

So, its been over a month since my last post. Since that time, I've been enjoying the TR a good bit. Lots of driving to work and to the pizza place, and generally anywhere my little girl wants to go. Its a lot of fun having someone else as excited about riding in the TR as I am!

However, things have not been perfect in gearbox and overdrive land. about 3 weeks after my last post, the overdrive began jumping in and out of gear again. However this time, it was not when hitting a bump, and tapping on the switch lever had no effect on the problem.

That leads me to believe the problem is elsewhere. Once again, I checked all the leads, and the lead to the solenoid connection was somewhat loose. To remedy that, I tightened the connector with a pair of pliers and reconnected it. After that, I checked the gearbox oil level.

My theory on the oil is this - the Laycock J overdrive is hydraulically actuated via a pump which picks up gearbox oil from the bottom bottom of the gearbox. It then pumps that oil at around 4-500 lbs/in pressure to drive a mating pressure plate which causes the overdrive sun gear and planetary gears to spin.

Back to the theory- If the oil pressure is low, then the pump will cavitate and pump a small bit of air into the piston system and the pressure plate will jump out of the locked position. Needless to say this 'in-out-in' cycle is hard on the overdrive to say the least and not something I want to continue.

So, while I was tightening the connections on the overdrive solenoid, I checked the transmission fluid oil level, and sure enough, it was low. It took approximately 1/3 quart to top it up and I think it overdid it just a little bit. While I mention this, I should say something about oil plugs.

#1 Don't overtighten them. They have a tapered fit, and overtightening them widens the hole just a fraction each time.
#2 The best wrench to put on one is a square socket on a ratchet wrench.
#3 Failing that you have the right square socket, a 7/16" box end wrench.
#4 See #1

I have the car in the air on stands for another couple days, so it will be a couple days to say if this works.....

Intermittent Connections

So, I've been driving the TR6 every few days to work. This is a 13 mile drive over some billiard smooth roads and some trashed, worn out potholed roads.

The drive has gone well most of the time. However, those potholed roads are a bit of a mess. When I'm riding down those roads, I've found that the car regularly jumps out of overdrive when going over bumps. Pretty annoying, but more than that, it possibly is tearing up the driveline of the car. Definitely a problem I want to get fixed quickly.

To that end, I checked out the 6-Pack forum and only found one picture of the switch disassembled.

I figured it was a connection somewhere between the switch and the solenoid. The quickest thing I was able to check out was the column mounted switch. I checked it and quickly found that one of the two wires was loose. It was riveted to the switch, and the rivet was loose.

I pulled out my pistol grip Weller and some solder and soldered the connection up. Interestingly enough, I found that I had done the other connection years ago. I guess I should have done the second one when I did the first.

Buttoned everything back up and it works perfectly again.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Again!

I've been thinking for some time now that the rear hubs in my car were coming apart or at least seriously worn out. This is something that happens with TR6's and definitely with 40year old TR6's, of which they all are... The car had been wobbling in the back end when I'd go over any crown in the road. As I mentioned, the back end was wobbling.

The bad news is that I replaced the hubs approximately ten thousand miles ago. They should not be bad by now.

So, the other day, the car began to clunk when going over bumps. I knew the sound was the sound of loose mounting bolts holding the lever shock in place on the right trailing arm.

I pulled the wheel off to tighten up the mounting bolt, but found that the wheel was wobbling terribly. A very serious flopping...

So after tightening up the lever shock, I grabbed the drum and wiggled it. However when I did, the backplate wiggled with it..... Yikes. I decided to pop the drum off and put a wrench on the nuts/studs that hold the hub in the trailing arm - and as the drum came off, something fell out of it. Definitely an ugly sign.

I checked and quickly found the hole the stud came out of. I tried to insert the stud, and there was nothing to bite on - Uglier yet.

The good however was/is that the rest were just loose. I tightened up each of the remaining studs and the hub was then completely tightened up. Not perfect, but still significantly tighter than before and perfectly usable.

So now, its time to get my hands on some helicoils and fix the trailing arm. I thought I had done them all years ago, but apparently not all of them.

A Can Of Worms

When you're working on a car your own age every job you take on seems to lead to another. I think thats due in part to the age of the car, the miles it has traveled, and also because of the way it was designed. Lets face it, they did design fine cars back then, but we do know a little more 40 years later on how to design a proper widget.

My own current can of worms started with a stink. After bringing my '73 back to life, the garage quickly filled with a strong odor of gasoline. Not a faint whiff like you left the cap loose on the lawnmower, but a strong odor, enough to fill the garage and make me scared to flip the light switch for fear of igniting an inferno!

First, I went after the usual subjects. I tightened the screws on the fuel pump, replaced all the fuel lines in the engine bays and did a full rebuild on the old Zenith Strombergs. All that effort actually did help, and some of the odor began to go away.

It was not all gone however..... and my wife was quick to let me know about it.

I then remembered that I had disconnected the carbon cannister and removed it from the car years ago. All the vent lines were venting to the atmosphere. A call to my father had him looking through the stash of old parts I had stashed in my parent's garage over in Arkansas. Those boxes had not been touched in about 15 yrs, but Dad found the canister anyway.

US Postal delivered the box a few days later and it took me no time to hook it back up in the car. Problem Solved!

Wrong.....

The only thing left that I could replace was the main line from the tank to the pump. So, up on the stands the car went and out came the line. Not before giving me a nice gasoline shower however. Gave what little hair I have left on my head a nice sheen.

While I was under there, I noticed a drip from the spare tire well. Not an active drip, but the evidence of one that had gone on too long. I touched my finger too it and instantly I knew I had bigger problems than I expected...

Removing the tank only took the removal of a couple more bolts, so out she came. I scrutinized the tank and quickly found the culprit.... I think the photo says it all.

Ferrous cancer had finally eaten away at the tank and put a good size hole in the bottom. The only thing holding back a deluge of motion lotion was the tank sealant we had put in that tank 21 years ago.

So, now I'm about to install a spanking new fuel tank in the car. Hopefully this one will last as long as the original did!

Get A Bigger Hammer!

I started making money as a mechanic when I was 12. That first job was on a lawnmower. I gained a lot of skills working in different shops around town. However, the most important lesson, I learned from my uncle and father.

Most of the lessons I learned in the shops were how not to get a job done right. Most of the wrench slingers I worked with were fast and generally effective, but they were not terribly accurate and exacting.

A carb would need rebuilding and they'd get it done. But the screws would all have rounded off edges from the wrong screwdriver being used. Have a job that needs a little force, hit it. Didn't budge? Use a bigger hammer! Bolt heads would have plier marks because they were too --insert adjective here (lazy, ignorant, hung-over, etc). They made the same money as me, but I think I felt better when I got home. Pride in a job done right is worth it.

My dad was different. He was never a paid mechanic, but he liked to do the job right. He took an almost strange pleasure from having the right tool for the job. I did not matter what the job was, he could find just the right wrench for getting the job done. Got a small phillips head screw, he'd find the right size screwdriver for that screw.

His modus operendi was perfect for little British cars!

There is an old saying 'Give an Englishman a piece of metal and he'll do something foolish with it'. Triumphs are true to this saying, and while they ooze character and charm, they also typically ooze plenty of other automotive products as well, with oil being the most common. Accessing many of the parts that would leak often took a contortionists physique and a cartoonist's imagination to figure out what kind of tool you needed to get the job done!

The Triumph TR6, being a blend of old and new had some odd, old features such as a paper element in bucket for a filter. It was bolted into place on the side of the block, with a substantial chunk of frame right in front of it. A snake's den of curling fuel, vacuum and hydraulic lines obstruct any attempts to get at the canister with a socket wrench. Box end wrench? Fuggeddaboudit!

Enter the flat, reversible ratchet wrench! Back when Dad found this one, these were not something you found at every big box home improvement store- those stores did not exist... Mom and Pop store? Nope. I really don't know how he found it, however he did, and now it remains part of the tools I maintain my '73 roadster with.

If you have a Triumph, make sure to get one of these. Nothing reaches the oil filter canister faster and easier. They are easier to get these days, so you have no excuse. Regardless of job, get the right tool for the job. The job will be done quicker, better, and you might even sleep better at night!

Where It All Began

My love of Triumphs goes back a long way. Farther back than myself as well.

My grandfather worked in the auto biz most of his life. Willys, Packard and a bunch of other long since dead American auto marques were his bread and butter. Unfortunately, after the GI's got home and bought their first cars, the market began to taper off and business went south for all those brands. My grandfather's business went south with it.

He stayed at it though, and eventually became connected with an import car dealership that sold Triumph among other brands.

My father grew up driving early Spitfires and TR4's. He would even ride on the parcel shelf of race prepared TR4's as a race driver employed by my grandfather drove them to and from the racetrack. That planted the seed of a very strong Triumph tree in my Dad.

Years later, Dad had his chance to get hold of a TR6. The size and character of a TR4, with slightly more rakish styling and gobs more power than a standard TR4. It did not hurt that it was more modern too! He restored the 74 1/2 he found and built a beautiful car. Hardtop, Overdrive and a Nardi steering wheel made the car even more special.

I was about 5 or 6 when he bought that car, and I grew up riding to car shows in the St. Louis area on the parcel shelf. We even road tripped around the Mid-west in that thing. They say that the acorn does not fall far from the tree, and yet another Triumph tree was planted- in me.

Dad promised his Six to me when I was old enough to drive. He sold it when I was about 8 or so and bought a bass boat. The bass boat was cool, but not nearly as cool as the Six!!!!

Time passed, but not mine and my father's love of Triumphs. So by the age of 12 I was looking in Hemmings Motor News and the classifieds in the local paper. I saved every buck I could earn mowing lawns and began to build a pretty good sum up. Dad made a deal with me that he would match every dollar I earned with one of his own and we searched for the right car together.

Then on summer vacation before my 15th birthday, we found it. Under a car cover, and with a goat standing on the bonnet, we saw the unmistakable silouette of a Triumph TR6. The cover was ragged and the car was worse. Motor did not turn over, brakes and tires were flat, and the interior was long since rotten. I think we found enough mouse homes to run a research center for years.

We started the restoration by rebuilding the brakes and clutch hydraulics. Rolling the car down the driveway and popping the clutch freed the locked motor. I don't remember how we got it back to the garage.

My uncle is a body man and knows how to straighten panels and lay some paint with the best of them. We took the car to his shop in Arkansas and the three of us worked our (his) magic over the period of a few weeks.

We continued that process for several weeks and after installing a new interior, we had a running car!!!!!!