TR7 - Mild Tuning....

Beans · Postby **Beans** » 18 May 2010 21:18

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Gubi

... I'm pretty confident if you replaced your foam filters with equally sized paper ones with your new intake setup you won't see a difference ... <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
You will if you do it properly [:p]

<center>

1980 TR7 DHC (my first car, currently being restored)
1981 TR7 FHC Sprint (better known as 't Kreng)
[url="http://www.tr7beans.blogspot.com/"]My Weblog[/url]</center>

Workshop Help · Postby **Workshop Help** » 19 May 2010 00:00

As to the stock filter box issue, the advantage of a K&N type filter is it's very extended service life with it's clean-ability and reoiling. Yes, we all acknowledge cold air is good, but so is a warm carburetor body to heat the gas closer to it's vapor point when introduced to the incoming filtered air. This is why the heated air flap door is spring loaded to open when engine vacuum is decreased during acceleration phases and when the sensor in the air box signals the vacuum motor to stop when the designed operating temperature of the carburetor has been reached. Cold air is then allowed in.

These two features for regulating the incoming air temperature can be critical in cold weather or cold morning starts when the ambient air is less than 60 degrees F. Without a source of heated air thru the intake tract, a far too long period of warmup is required for the carburetor bodies. On a TR7 with our carburetors hung out in the cold air far away from the heating effect of the exhaust manifold, it's a long way to Tipperary, as they sang in World War I, for the cold fuel to warm up. This why the Z-S carburetor is at it's top operating efficiency when the body is about 100 degrees F.

Friends, we want a warm carburetor heating up the fuel in the float bowl, mixing with cold air, blending in the long runner tracts of the intake manifold while being drawn into the combustion chamber for ignition. That is how the boys in R&D designed our engines to produce power out of a measley 122 cubic inches of displacement in the late 1960's. At the time, that was pretty good output.

Is the stock air filter box worth keeping and plumbing back to stock? In my machine shed, yes. However, for our friends who live in very hot climates where warmup to operating temperature is very fast, the positive effects of the hot air hose is diminished greatly allowing the vacuum hose to be blocked off by means of a ball bearing being shoved into the hose or a metal dowell inserted to cease the vacuum signal to the sensor in the air box. During late spring around here we block off the vacuum hose as the morning start has warmed up into the 70 degree F. range. But come autumn, the hose is unplugged for standard operations.

Mildred Hargis

Wayne S · Postby **Wayne S** » 19 May 2010 09:47

This might be of interest:

http://www.forum.triumphtr7.com/topic.a ... C_ID=12302

[;)]

Red 4.0 Litre V8 DHC Grinnall (with huuuuuge arches...!)

Hoops · Postby **Hoops** » 19 May 2010 10:47

Oooo tempting, any pics? [:D]

richards · Postby **richards** » 19 May 2010 12:55

This might sound slightly left field but I have seen a HUGE improvement in driveability having fitted and MSD spark unit on my sprint engine. The rest of the ignition system is stock but new and was ok but after the MSD was fitted I was shocked by the improvement. Simple to fit and cheaper than a Megajolt set up, also easy to remove and fit on the next project if you want. It does EXACTLY what it says on the box.

Get a lifestyle
Get a TR7!

www.ttr7.co.uk

Hoops · Postby **Hoops** » 25 May 2010 13:17

With all the money i would be spending tuning the 2L engine (refurb head, port & polish, fast cam etc), would it be beneficial to just get a V8?

I realise that my 'Premium' is a limited edition, but its hardly original at the moment, had a respray (not great) and non-original stripes etc. Would it be bad to change the engine in it? As its relatively easy to change back to a 2L from a V8.....

This is obviously a longer term plan, as i need to get the cooling sorted and suspension first.

mak · Postby **mak** » 25 May 2010 19:33

Have no idea if K&N filters are anygood - have an ITG filter in mine which is foam and in a metal frame (listed as for lotus esprit on website) this might be an option?

Beans · Postby **Beans** » 25 May 2010 21:23

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by mak

Have no idea if K&N filters are anygood ...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
They actually are very good.
Still one of the best flowing air filters around.
But you need to put different needles in the carbs to get the best out of them.

<center>

1980 TR7 DHC (my first car, currently being restored)
1981 TR7 FHC Sprint (better known as 't Kreng)
[url="http://www.tr7beans.blogspot.com/"]My Weblog[/url]</center>

Hoops · Postby **Hoops** » 28 May 2010 08:43

Yeah heard good things about K&N's.

Still un decided for the future regarding the engine. The V8 is mighty tempting for the price i would be spending on tuning up my 2L i could easily get a nice Rover V8. As i do not regard my 7 to be that original anyway, and dont know 100% if it is a genuine 'premium'.

As i am at the point where i am going to start spending money on the engine (it runs fine at the moment, just is not that quick) so i can live with it. But do i invest in this engine (fast road cam, new head etc etc) which could easily get upwards of Â£500-Â£1k or just save it for a nice V8 conversion.......

decisions decisions [:p]

Red · Postby **Red** » 28 May 2010 09:39

The good thing about the V8 conversion is that it's a bolt in job. You don't have to hack any metal out, weld brackets on or anything like that. Just swap the subframe and the engine, plus a few other odds and ends and it's done.
If you keep the old parts somewhere, you can reverse the conversion over a weekend if you decide you want it original again.

Another option to think about is a 16v sprint conversion - that's even easier, it's just the engine and a couple of other bits (manifold is the main one I think) to swap over. That'll get you 130 odd horses.

Of course, there's a lot to be said for the sheer satisfaction of tweaking the existing engine to get it running as good as it can be. The quoted figure for a TR7 is 105BHP - after 30 odd years, how many of those do you think you have left? I think I dyno session might shock you. [;)]

Decisions, decisions indeed... [:)]

Garry

1976 2.0 (soon to be 3.5!)FHC
http://reds-tr7.blogspot.com/

Hoops · Postby **Hoops** » 28 May 2010 10:16

Well i cant imagine i have more than about 80-90Bhp atm, i recon my sprint was only on about 110Bhp at the very most and that was a lot quicker.

Bobbieslandy · Postby **Bobbieslandy** » 28 May 2010 15:11

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">i recon my sprint was only on about 110Bhp at the very most and that was a lot quicker.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I hope mine puts out more than that after all the work i've done! i'd be gutted otherwise[:0]

Hoops · Postby **Hoops** » 28 May 2010 15:35

My sprint was not that quick, sounded great, but never went quite as quick as i thought it would. Was a lot better higher up the revs (to be expected) say going from 65-80mph was very quick.

windy one · Postby **windy one** » 28 May 2010 16:02

I just wanted to add.....I currently just finished putting together a TR7 with the 2.0-L. This is my sixth or seventh TR7 utilizing the four-banger. Each of the preveous 7's were pretty much stock, including all the smog stuff still in place.

This current one is different in that, this is my first TR7 that came stock with no A/C & slight mod's to the powertrain.
Currently Im running a 2.0, but with ALL the pollution crap removed (air pump, cat-converter etc). Im running a pace-setter ceramic coated header, free flowing exaust, modified TR8 radiator & crane fireball ignition. Timing has been perfectly dialed in for performance, and carb's (stock Z.S's) if not rejetted, are at least tuned very well for drivability/performance. Im using the stock air cleaner with stock-type air filter element w/o cold startup hose.

Now while this is no weekend drag racer, I can tell you this from experience.....this car runs wayyy better than any stock 2.0L Ive owned/driven! I deffinetly can feel the difference as far as power and drivability. Still gets great fuel mileage too! It does not feel (re)strained or lacking whether on backroads or the highway. I am very happy with this car, and have plenty of room for improvement in the future (air cleaner mod's, carb rejetting etc).

If you start with the basics, youll find you will gain nice performance from your 4 banger without spending alotta $$.

Johnny

Hoops · Postby **Hoops** » 28 May 2010 18:06

Yes, mine already does not have all the cat stuff, no A/C, but twin SU's. So the only thing before i start touching the inside of the engine is electronic ignition and K&N's

Anonymous

TR7 - Mild Tuning....

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