Can do's and No-Can do's

[Laird Scooby]

Hi All,

being new to the forum and not even owning a Wedge yet, i'm thinking of nice little mods to do when i do find one and wondered if any of the following have been tried and with what degree of success? Been going through Rimmers website with a fine-toothed comb to find compatible parts from different models to make life easier if and when i come to do all or even any of the things on the list!! So here it is!

Electric Windows
Power Steering (think it was factory fit on USA cars?)
Overdrive gearbox (instead of the usual 5 speed)

There's a few other mods i have in mind that i know will be relatively straightforward (eg uprated alternator) but these are the mods where i've struggled a bit to find any info so any ideas would be helpful please!!

It looks very like the Stag window regulator/motor assembly will be a straight swap but has anybody tried? Can't find anything else that uses the same rack as the TR7 so finding a PAS upgrade is a bit tricky.
The same clutch assembly is used on the 1850 Dolomite (Rimmers list the complete kits under 2 different part numbers but the individual parts are the same!) and the 4 speed Wedge has the same back axle ratio (same back axle?) as the Dolly so was wondering if the 1850 overdrive box would fit?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Cheers,
Dave

[nervousnewowner]

hi dave, electric windows, you can buy off the shelf universal kits but with the way the tr7s give electrical problems manual may be better but have seen a few with leccy windows so no doubt someone who has done it before will help out, power steering is available in kit form i think but is expensive and i think uses a modified sd1 rack, but a lot of people "modding" cars use set ups from the likes of a corsa c, which is electric and mounts inside the car leaving the original rack, again electrical but easier parking wins here for me and is a mod i am going to look into so will let you know if i manage to get it done, and of the two gearboxes on the trs the later 5 speed box is a lovely unit and i think is the same one fitted to the v8 cars so with one fitted would not look to go the overdrive route, if fitted to earlier 4 speed cars though i think the rear axle needs changing too, again i stand corrected if i am wrong here.
now get a car and start having some fun....[:D]


the project at birth, watch it evolve...I hope...

[DNK]

Overdrive box, like in the 2-6's.
No thanks.
All I need is an addition place for an oil leak

Don
"No More Cars For You"
71 TR6- Perpetual remodel
80 TR7 V8 Kick in the pants

[FI Spyder]

Electric windows on a small car like the TR7 is like having a remote for your computer screen. There are kits available but some people have had difficulty getting them to work.

The TR7 didn't have power steering. The TR8 has a power steering but I don't know if any one has tried it as they are as rare as hen's teeth. There are electric power steering kits available in UK adapted from other cars.

Over drive gearbox? The 5 speed is an overdrive gearbox (Rover LT77). Basically the same one used in TR8. The diff is heavy duty one (Rover) that came in two ratio's (3.99 and the later 3.45 or some such for better fuel mileage). The 4 speed was a triumph box with Triumph rear end (a bit light duty unless you take it easy.)

The Saturn alternator (about 100 amp) is drop in but needing a Ford V pulley (a common upgrade) and a pigtail to match the connector block to TR7's wiring ($14). Not sure of the availability in the UK but stocked at any auto parts store here.

The 5 speed clutch assembly is heavier duty than the 4 speed which was used on early cars.

Many of your questions have been answered in numerous previous posts which you can find using the search function at upper right hand corner. It often times out if you search all sections but hitting the refresh button brings them up.

There is a book out on upgrading the TR7/8 that you can get from Amazon. You will get many ideas from it, like upgrading brakes, engine power etc. Any upgrade you will likely think of will be covered in there.



TR7 Spider - 1978 Spitfire - 1976 Spitfire - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - Yellow TCT

[jclay (RIP 2018)]

Yes, PS has been done by one of our members, Stag76:

Hi Clay,

I built a PAS system for my TR7 using a Subaru "L" Series wagon rack,
Volvo (240 Series I think) Tie-rods and
a Ford Pump.

The Subaru rack has the same length between the inner tie-rod ends as
the TR7, so it's only a matter of mounting it at the same height as
the TR7 rack to retain the same steering geometry. To mount the rack,
I TIG welded 2 X 1" bars with a 1/2" hole bored through them through
the sub-frame on the drivers side, and used a saddle type mounting on
the passengers side. The two drivers' side tubes have to be cut so the
rack is tilted back towards the fire-wall so the steering rod can be
coupled up. I shortened a TR7 steering rod, and machined a spline on
it to fit into the Subaru flexible coupling. I used a Ford pump from a
local Falcon because they are reliable, plentiful, cheap and don't
require a separate reservoir. I built a mounting for the pump that
fits on the existing front cover bolts, and is braced to the threaded
holes (engine mounts?) in the block behind the exhaust system. I had
the Subaru and Ford pipes joined at a Hydraulic shop.

I had to cut a hole in the sub-frame to pass the steel cross-over pipe
through, but I would look for a better method next time. Maybe you
could fit an elbow where the pipe exits the pinion housing, make a
small depression in the sub frame,and make up a new pipe.

I also made new sway bar saddles which increased the camber angle by 1
degree. This made the car track much better on our fairly agricultural
roads, and removed all traces of wheel wobble. The PAS makes the extra
effort required to turn the steering un-noticeable.

It drives well, with plenty of feel, and no bump-steer etc. It has a
similar feel to a Toyota ST162 Celica I had.

Total cost was about $250 (Australian).

PAS and better brakes transformed the car.

There are some pictures (not very good ones) here. http://s991.photobucket.com/home/stag76/index

Regards,
Bruce."

Clay

[url="http://web.me.com/jclaythompson/Site/Welcome.html"]My Triumph Site[/url], [url="http://web.me.com/jclaythompson/Technical"]Technical Stuff[/url], [url="https://docs.google.com/?hl=en&tab=wo&authuser=0&pli=1#all"]Download Page[/url], [url="https://public.me.com/jclaythompson"]My Public Folder[/url], [url="http://web.me.com/jclaythompson/tr8/Welcome.html"]My TR8 Site[/url]

[trv8]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by FI Spyder</i>



There is a book out on upgrading the TR7/8 that you can get from Amazon. You will get many ideas from it, like upgrading brakes, engine power etc. Any upgrade you will likely think of will be covered in there.


TR7 Spider - 1978 Spitfire - 1976 Spitfire - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - Yellow TCT

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

This is the book...

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=tZGP ... &q&f=false

[tencate]

Odd has power windows in his car and they work peachy!

[john 215]

Hi,

As stated you can get universal kits but i think BL had plans of fitting them at the factory one day. If you look behind the centre console you can see the outline for poss switch location -



The 1976 4 cylinder rally cars had overdrive boxes, from the Sprint. Poss to do but would require new prop, mounting and a bit of wiring all poss but why when the 5 speed is easy. I had a Sprint myself and was great having a O/D box , as good as a 6 speed box!!

You can get a hydraulic PAS system, seen this at Stoneliegh a few time,



But roller bearing top mounts make a world of difference.

Cheers John

LIVE LIFE A QUARTER OF A MILE AT A TIME!
1979 3.5 FHC(STATUS PENDING!!)

1982 2.0 DHC NOW A 4.6,ON THE ROAD NOW KICKING AR5E !!!!

[Laird Scooby]

Thanks for the replies, maybe power steering isn't going to be as high on the list of mods as i first thought! Just had a squizz on Rimmers site and they do a conversion kit for the TR8 but it's over a grand and oddly doesn't come with track rod ends - or the modified column shaft which add a tidy little bundle on top! Had been hoping to discover that an SD1 or Princess/Ambassador rack was the same as a TR7 manual rack and then just get a complete set-up from a scrap vehicle! Did similar to a Mk5 Cortina years ago for the princely sum of £25 - i think the fluid to flush and fill the system came to more than that!!

The initial choice of the Dolly 1850 overdrive is largely because the back axle ratio is the same on the early 4 speed TR7s as the Dolly, 3.63:1 so should be ideally matched in terms of ratios and with any luck the speedo won't need recalibrating! As the overdrive unit effectively takes the place of the extension housing, there aren't any more places for oil to leak from than normal either! Admittedly the Dolly is about 10% lighter but with the extra power from the 2.0 in the TR7 that should give a useable set of ratios. The Sprint box and O/D are wider ratios but have a different axle ratio to make it more usable. Also bearing in mind the extra power from the Sprint, this makes sense. Could also be why the 4 speed Rally cars used the Sprint engine and box?
I like the LT77 5 speed box which was fitted to the TR8 (in H/Duty form) and also to the SD1 range. However, the heavy duty clutch is something i don't like and probably won't be able to use these days. That's why i'm looking at an overdrive (1 less gear change and also slight novelty value) as it could use the same clutch. I do have some ideas about possibly using the LT77 box but they are linked to a standard duty clutch on the back of an "O" series with a 16V head aka the M series engine. With multi-point injection this engine kicks out about 140bhp but i suspect the bonnet line may be too low to fit this without some serious mods!

The electric windows - the shot of the back of the console is interesting, very much suggesting that BL thought of fitting them! Knowing what BL were like for parts-bin robbery, it's highly likely that there is an electric regulator in the range somewhere. The idea of fitting them is that it should look as much as possible like a factory fit item, so i'd prefer not to go down the route of using a kit if at all possible.

As for electrical problems, i intend to have a trouble free TR!! One of the first things i have planned is to fit a proper fusebox and not one that contains just half a dozen fuses at the most! This will also give me the flexibility to add things like overdrive, electric windows etc. The uprated alternator will come from something like a Montego, Sierra or similar as there are models in those ranges that have alternators going up to around 90A output, considerably more than the standard 36 or 45A from the Lucas ACR unit!

Any other suggestions/ideas would be very welcome!!

Cheers,
Dave

[FI Spyder]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Laird Scooby</i>


As for electrical problems, i intend to have a trouble free TR!! One of the first things i have planned is to fit a proper fusebox and not one that contains just half a dozen fuses at the most!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

The 1978 and later had a twelve fuse box but some have gone to a modern blade type fuse box for convenience and the cylindrical fuses are more sensitive to oxidation on fuses/holders.

One of the most common upgrades on the TR7 is a brake upgrade, the more power, the more you need it. I don't use brakes much myself with my driving style except for the odd panic stop for Island deer and the odd SUV turning into my lane but can still lock all four up but many like more.

You mentioned 140 hp from the O series engine. The slant 4 with sprint head, headers, K&R air filters and your compression engines can give you 140+ HP they were raced at 220hp here in N/A back in the day. There is a fellow in L.A. (hot stop and go driving) that got 190,000 miles on his slant 4 before he had to replace it which he did with a Buick (Rover) V8 where he put another 50,000 miles on it since his last post (blog).

You mention problems shifting, can I infer that's due to health reasons? Heresy to some, have you considered an auto transmission (they came with two versions of Borg Warner auto's). Always thought they would be a real dog with our low compression engines here (8 to 1) but I followed a friend's auto TR7 though Richmond on a victory lap (we had just won first and second at big British Field Meet) passing two Morgans like they were standing still (OK, they were just doing the speed limit) and it was all I could do to keep up with him. You'd never know it was automatic. Mind you I've never driven one first hand.

TR7 Spider - 1978 Spitfire - 1976 Spitfire - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - Yellow TCT

[Laird Scooby]

You're right about the health problem - i have a shot ankle that is proving elusive for the medical profession to sort! As it's my left ankle it causes problems with a clutch, hence not wanting to go down the route of a heavy clutch and also considering overdrive as it's one less gear change using the clutch.

An automatic would be an option i agree but they are harder to find over here and would still make quite a dent in the available power. As for the "O" series turning out 140bhp, with the 16V head it is more properly known as the M series and later the T series, i'm sure more power could be extracted quite easily. That said, i've discovered a bit of porting, polishing etc on the standard head is apparently good for about 20bhp so nearly up to standard Sprint power for very little outlay and less complication! Skim the head to get the compression ratio up nearer 10:1 and then run high octane (98) unleaded and maybe water injection and i reckon it could easily make about 140bhp on a slant 4 2.0L with K&Ns, different needles/jets and maybe a 4 branch exhaust too.

I use water injection on my 94 Rover Sterling 827 and besides giving me much better economy (nearly 40mpg) gives a lot more power and torque. Coming off a roundabout for example where it would previously have downchanged to 2nd, it only drops to 3rd and still accelerates as quickly. But i digress . . . . . .

I'm hoping for an op on my ankle soon which might help in which case a clutch shouldn't be too much of a problem, though i don't want to overdo it and tempt fate!

Maybe just wait and see what comes along and then decide! The brakes are definitely something i'll be looking at - been cosseted with 262mm ventilated discs up front and solid discs at the rear backed up with ABS for a while now so don't want any "brown trouser" moments!!

Cheers,
Dave

[Odd]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> Odd has power windows in his car and they work peachy! <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Sure does, (probably because it's entirely new mechanisms - not reworked oem's)
as does the key-/barrel-less central locking, remote bootlock, alarm etc
that was all part of a 'specifically designed for TR7/8' package of days long gone...


And something for you island guys to drool over, an oem rhd Wedge power steering rack:


PS
Power steering <u>AND</u> ball bearing K-MAC strut tops is the way to go!
<font color="red"><b>My two 1980 Wedges...</b></font id="red">

[prlee]

Electric windows - I have fitted the current S&S offering, not bad, needs some work because the original mechanism is heavy. I had problems with the NS door because the mechanism interferred with the door impact bar, needed some work to operate correctly.

I fitted them because it is too far to reach if you want both windows up or down during a run.

Power steering, once moving not a problem and you can fit a roller bearing mod to the strut which makes steering lighter, S&S advertise an electrical add on (modern PAS is electrical not hydraulic anyway).

Overdrive - not a great advantage if you want to reduce gearchanges, my Spit has overdrive and its used mainly for cruising speed, although it can be useful on third gear but most useful as a downshift on overtaking. How about auto, a colleague at work converted his TR7 to auto (this car is the TRickett on this website).

Modifications depend on what you want from the car, for me mods to the Spitfire were to get more modern sports car performance from a design that was out of date when it was made. The TR7 was still a modern car when it went out of production, I am looking for reasonable performance, comfort and good handling. A modern car can give all this but less character and too easy.

Pete
81 Red DHC
79 Blue Spitfire

[john 215]

Hi Dave,

S + S Preperation had a M Series powered TR7 and it looked like it belonged there. The last time i swa it they had installed a T.P. Rover in it.









A T series Turbo shoved in there would make a quick car [:D]

Cheers John

LIVE LIFE A QUARTER OF A MILE AT A TIME!
1979 3.5 FHC(STATUS PENDING!!)

1982 2.0 DHC NOW A 4.6,ON THE ROAD NOW KICKING AR5E !!!!

[Laird Scooby]

Like the style Odd of the window switches in your beastie! Gives me food for thought! Having scoured the Rimmers website the Stag window lift looks very similar to the Wedge manual lift but with a motor in place of the handle. Something for me to look at some time in the future.
Also plan to fit remote central locking using a kit like this :

http://www.in-car-stuff.com/shop/univer ... -p-47.html

The plan is to also buy an additional master solenoid so that the central locking can be operated from either front door and use the remaining slave unit to lock/unlock the boot (trunk). The same company also supply an electric window kit that should work in a Wedge and also remote car alarms/immobilisers that link to the central locking. These are all plans that i haven't yet mentioned as they are all fairly straight forward using the available kits.

Pete - i'm looking for a bit more oomph and a few modern creature comforts, what the TR7 might/would be if it had continued in production so like you, i get to have a car with character but something capable of keeping up with modern machinery and still have things like electric windows etc.
As for the overdrive, i agree in some ways about it's use. This is where regional differences come into play - where i live it would be a case of constantly changing between 3rd and 4th due to bends and people who can't drive so the overdrive would be ideal as overdrive 3rd would work out to be a gnats whisker different from 4th so eliminating a lot of gear changing! On the open road it would also be useful for overtaking as most of that would need to happen in 3rd, sometimes 2nd, so again the overdrive would be useful and reduce the gear changing.

John - i'll have a hunt for S+S Preparation, see what ideas i can get from them!! Forgot to say, i once fitted an M-Series 16V into what was originally a 2.0 8V Montego - that flew as well! As for a T-Series turbo in a Wedge, 200bhp should make it fly quite well!! Come to think of it, the guy who put me onto this forum has one of those engines . . . . . . he also has a Wedge . . . . . i know he plans on keeping the engine though for his other 820.

PS found S&S John - it would appear the car they fitted the M Series into now has a fuel injected V8 in it!

Cheers,
Dave