Resolving leaks in a TR6 OD Transmission.

At the Mitty this year, my transmission had a minor failure (felt major at the time). One of the 'idiot' switches in the top of the transmission finally wore out and jammed the shifter mechanism. While I was able to get my car up and running in a hotel parking lot and enjoy the trip, I decided that I needed to take some time this summer to open the trans back up when I got back home.

I want to address a few things that I figured were causing some leaks, as well as replace all the switches in the top as preventive maintenance (don't want that failure again on another switch!)

The list includes-

-Replace the rear seal on the OD - I did not replace this many years ago when I rebuilt the trans. Should have done it, but did not. It is leaking at least a little and is relatively easy to replace while its out. I made myself a locking bar to allow myself to pop the rear nut and actually broke that one. Will need to make a newer, much more substantial bar!
-Add a vent hole to the top cover - After learning about the vent hole several years ago, I suspected that mine did not have one. Found out for sure in the Atlanta Airport Laquinta Parking lot! This is a quick add.
-Replace the O-rings on the shifter mechanism - A little more to this job, but they appear to be leaking pretty profusely. Time to do it while its out. May also do the 'Brosky mod' if necessary. Have not checked them to see if they have the weep hole in them.
-Re-seal the top cover to the trans - I did the sealing job that it currently has while worn out in a parking lot at 11pm at night. Need to do a better job than that!
-Checked the Pilot bush in the flywheel after I popped the trans out tonite, and it needs to be replaced. I have a new one somewhere....
-I plan to mod my cross shaft and fork for a through-bolt - No reason to tempt fate after putting it back in.

One other interesting note- I actually had oil pushing out of 2 of the 3 switch bodies on the trans. Yuck!

I followed the Buckeye Triumphs tech article on rebuilding the top cover, so you could just as easily follow that and do the job. I did find a couple things that make the job a little easier IMO.

I started off with the trans completely drained, and removed the cover.

Next up, I found a self tapping sheet metal screw that would go in roughly a 1/8" hole and then drilled each of the 3 detent plugs with a drill that matched the screw.

I then screwed in the screw into each plug. Don't use a cheap screw here. I did 6 of these plugs in the last 2 weeks. 5 of them were easy pulls, one broke a screw off it was seated so securely.

Then, I deviated from the Buckeye how-to a bit. I used claw hammer to pull the plugs. They used a screw driver if I remember right. However, I found the claw hammer does not mark the casting and gives a lot better leverage for pulling the plug. A rag over the top of the plug prevents the spring and ball from ricocheting around the shop when removed.

Next up, it was time to pull the shifter rods.

I used a 5/16" 8 point socket on my 1/4" drive socket wrench to pull the locks from each of the 3 shift linkages

You then must remove the shifter rods in order - Reverse, 1/2, then 3/4. To do this, you have to have them all in the correct position to get around the detent balls in the housing which prevent more than one linkage from moving at a time. Takes just a little jiggling of the linkages fore/aft, but it works.

I then pulled all of the spacers and shift forks out. As I did, I degreased them and wrote their position in the gearbox so I would know exactly where they would go back.

I've also replaced both the front and rear main seals on the trans in the meantime. While I had the rear flange off, I found that the seal had worn a slight groove on the flange. Just enough to catch a fingernail on it. I elected to chuck it up on my lathe and turn it with some fine emery paper to remove the groove. I only took 2 thou off of it, but the groove is gone. When I re-mounted the seal and flange everything went together very nicely/smoothly. I think this will be a nice seal!

My friend Ken mentioned above that this will likely be a While You're In There kind of job, and no doubt it is. While pulling the clutch rod to get at the front main seal, I found that the dreaded pin was broken. I also found that my clutch is worn enough to warrant a replacement.

With everything disassembled, it was time to tap the three detent holes for thread in plugs. - Note, These plugs are not available anymore, so you'll basically have to make them from a 7/16"-20 threaded bolt. Cut it off and then cut a notch in the top for a flat head screwdriver.

When I threaded these holes, I was pretty careful about where the chips went, so I tilted the casing with its front nose down and protected the inside end with a towel. Lotsa cutting oil and taking time resulted in perfect threads in each of the three holes when done with the 7/16"-20 tap.

 

After completing the tapping, I brushed out the holes very carefully to get rid of any swarf from the tapping and got ready to reassemble.

I pressed the seals lightly into place and then put the plate in place over them. On the advice of Phil J, I added a light layer of sealant over the plate before I screwed it in place. You should also note that the plate is not flat - it is bent to provide a little pressure when installed to hold the seals in place.

 

Reassembly, as they say in the terrible manuals is basically the reverse of disassembly. My use of a sharpie marker to note each of the fork and spacers positions made quick work of getting them back in their homes. A little light oil on the shift rods helped them slide into place quickly as well.

I installed the rods in the order of 3/4, 1/2, Rev. and secured it to its shifter fork with the lock screw using the 5/16" 8 point socket.

You may also be able to make out in one of the above pictures the dreaded weep hole in the center shift rod. My Friend Phil J suggested pounding a lead fishing weight into it however, I did not have any around. What I did have handy was some brass rod that fit the hole in a very tight fit. I had degreased the rods earlier, so they were clean. I added a drop of Loctite to the hole and then hammered the brass rod (1/16" dia) into the hole. After cutting off the ends close to the rod and filing them closer, I held one end to my anvil and peened the other end. I finished by filing it all smooth with the rod. With the Loctite used and the force needed to get the brass in the hole, I don't believe it will come back out.

After installing each of the rods, I followed this with the installation of the detent ball or plug, spring and retainer plug(screw-in). I put each plug in to a flush position with the surface, then turned it one turn in further. This resulted in a really good shift tension and holds the car in gear well. This is definitely an improvement over the previous tension in my car. (This is the part I missed getting pictures of!)

Finally, I was able to reinstall the top cover back on the transmission and get it ready for installation in the car.

 Before installation, I did modify my clutch fork for a through bolt. I left the pin, so now I have a 'belt and suspenders' arrangement there.

Final thing worth noting on this job is that I replaced a very old (but still with some life in it) Borg and Beck clutch in the car. I replaced it with the 'Magic Clutch Kit' from TRF. This includes the Sachs pressure plate, Powertune Disc and a Koyo T/O bearing (I used my existing steel sleeve that I had modified many years ago).

The Magic Clutch Kit takes much less leg pressure than the B&B clutch. I'm a cyclist and have the legs that go with that hobby, so the old clutch did not bother me a bit, but I was aware of the pressure it took compared to other TR6's I had driven. This new clutch however feels like a Miata or something. Comparatively very little pressure needed. Its a nice setup and works well.

So the job is done -

All new seals in the transmission all the way around
All new switches (OD and Reverse light)
All new detents in the shifter mechanism (click, click, click)
New clutch and T/O bearing along with modified clutch fork.
Rebuilt clutch slave cylinder
New trans mounts.

 

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.

 

My 2017 Mitty adventure!

I'm finally home!!! After the Mitty, I was home for all of about 12 hours before I had to hop on a plane to head out on a business trip to North Carolina. If I'd had more room in the TR, I would have probably just taken my work suitcase with me to the Mitty and driven straight up to the plant that I had to work at.

This years' Mitty was simply awesome. Different than others, but awesome just the same.

We planned this year to go to the Porsche Experience Tour this year with the Huntsville team and then on to Braselton. We made our plans, Dad showed up in good spirits and repair and on Thursday morning we headed out. By mid-day, we met up with Dave and Ron. Lou showed up to see us off from Huntsville as well (Wish you could have made it Lou!!!).

Somewhere in Ft Payne, we had a long gas stop and as we pulled out of the station, my car jammed between 1st and 2nd gear. It would go into 3rd and 4th. Reverse too, but it would not even hint at going into 1st and second.... Panic ensued in my mind....

I backed the car into the station lot, everyone gathered around and we started going through what might be wrong. I started to tear the center console area out, as I had made up my mind that the problem was in the shifter area. A call to my friend Keith yielded a potential shift lever delivery as I had most definitely sheared the rubber insulation out in my lever when it jammed, and my lever was now turned 90 degrees from stock.

Eventually I got it turned back to stock position and settled on the fact that I'd have to drive the car on to Atlanta with just 3rd and 4th. Along the way, I walked through in my mind the process I'd have to go through to get the transmission shifter top out of the car so I could fix it. I was also getting some very helpful texts from Keith saying that a bunch of different 6Pack members were offering to bring things to help the following day.

When we got to the hotel in Atlanta, I decided that I was going to have to fix it right there. There was no way I'd make it through the Porsche tour and on to Braselton with just 3rd and 4th gear (how right I was!!!!!).

In the next 3 1/2 hours I pulled the console, front interior, trans tunnel and shifter top. I then repaired it and reinstalled everything. It turned out that the switch on the shifter top that rides on the 1/2 rail was so worn out that instead of depressing in/out, it would rock forward/backward and jam in the hole. When it did this, it would lock up the shifter rod, keeping it from allowing the car into 1st or 2nd. I 'fixed' this by pulling that switch out and replacing it with the reverse light switch. I then took the damaged switch and put it in the reverse light hole. Before doing so however, I made 4 more gaskets out of the Permatex box to space it further off of the trans and keep the button from jamming the car in or out of reverse.

My fix worked well and we were able to drive the Porsche tour and all the way to Braselton with no problems (we kept up with a gaggle of 911's!!!!!)

It was great to see old friends again and to meet a bunch in person for the first time! Cannot emphasize that enough!

I took tons of pics, so I hope you enjoy some of these!!!