1969 Triumph 2000 MK1

"Girl fiend" i got to get me one of those

Started trying to resolve the 3 main faults mentioned above.

The petrol fumes leaking into the cabin was fairly easy, just fit a tank breather pipe. I probably forgot to re-fit the original breather when I fitted the PI tank for the Megasquirt conversion about 3 years ago!

No wonder the girlfiend used to complain of petrol fumes, however it's got worse with this conversion. I haven't used a surge tank with the BMW fuel system, so all the excess fuel from the fuel rail splashes into the tank, creating more fumes then with the Megasquirt system.

The MS did have a surge tank, which was filled by a mechanical pump and also the excess from the fuel rail, so perhaps less fuel was returned to the tank?

Had a play with the steering, reducing the tyre pressures by 4 psi has reduced both the “squirmy” feel to the steering and also the bump steer.

But although much improved, the car still has a squirmy and unstable feel to it in a straight line, so I'll be trying to reduce the steering arm angle by converting to Rose joints.

This is what it looks like at the moment.



The rose joint will enable the rack to attach to the bottom of the steering arm rather then sit on top of the arm, as it does now with the track rod end. Hopefully, bringing the rack end parallel (ish) with the bottom arm will reduce the bump steer even more and help the car feel more “planted” in a straight line.
I'm also unhappy with the way the track rod end looks, can't be anything wrong with the way the boot doesn't sit on top of the arm, because the car wouldn't have passed the MOT if there was a problem.

But I don't like it and the rose joint will remove this source of irritation!

I also feel that the car could do with a degree or two of negative camber, it's much lighter in weight at the front now and 1 or 2 degrees won't make the steering overly heavy.

But adding Neg Camber is an involved and/or expensive job and one till that won't be really considered till I see how the reduction in steering rack angle affects the car.

I've decided to insert a flexible link between the main section of the exhaust pipe and the part that runs through the rear cross member, I'll use one of those flexible braided pipes that are used by manufacturers to isolate catalytic converters.

This will allow the engine to move without affecting the rear section, which I'll lock in place in the crossmember, which is where it's rattling.

The flexible used on the old Honda I owned lasted some 15 years, so it seems like they can be quite durable.

Pleased that there's been almost as much driving as spannering over the last few days, but the new (to me!) starter motor is still playing up though.

In about 20 starts, it's jammed twice, the first time I cleared the jam using the traditional method, 4th gear and rock the car, which took me back to my youth and a Ford Classic 315 saloon I owned!

The second, it cleared itself on the next flick of the key......so, who knows!

Bookmarked. Just read this from the first page. A great write up and build. Having a BMW fetish as I do, I always think what would be nice with BMW bits in it, This is really nice. Keep the updates coming.

Understand about the shims now and I've checked the camber, 4 degrees negative on both sides without shims.

So just about right.

Nice to know I can up the camber if I feel the need. And I guess the person who fitted the MK2 running gear and the lowered springs, knew what they were doing!

Still watching with keen interest. Will be good to see how the steering issue pans out.

No, you're not talking out of your a*se, on some cars this is possible, as I found when I re-built the Sprites front suspension!

Interesting handling to say the least for a moment on the Sprite.

But not on the Triumph, the arms sit at a different angle, but the bolt hole is still in the same plane, relative to the steering rack.

I did try!

Spider

Hope to be at Stoneleigh (March 3rd) and the 2000/2500 Register Nationals, plus the RR Gathering. Maybe Star 90 and a few local shows, if you're in Kent, one I can recommend is Canterbury Cathedral, it's organized via Canterbury Triumphs and happens in the cathedral gardens, a stunning venue. The other highly recommended show is the end of summer show at Duxford.

I hope to be at both of these.

I have experience of MS, though nowhere as much as Nick and others, but feel free to ask. If I don't know (and I probably won't!), I'm sure Nick will know.

Not thread bumping, but bump-steering.

Sorry, best pun I could come up with, so have a picture of modified (one in it's boot, one without) steering joints to make up for it.





That's better, the rack arms are almost parallel with the bottom suspension arms and the steering is now as it should be. Compare these pictures with the one above.

No more feeling like the car might dart off into the countryside at any moment and it runs straight without a hand on the wheel. Which will give a much more relaxed driver (me)!

A 6mm spacer was added to the hub to make sure the rim isn't rubbing on the rose joint.

But as ever, a minor problem.

The rack has revealed some play in the straight ahead position, not a lot, or the MOT man would've mentioned it. But enough to make the car feel slightly “lazy” as it turns in to a corner.

Fit another rack is what you're thinking now, isn't it? The same thought occurred to me and I acquired a NOS Triumph Spitfire rack, this is the same as a 2000 rack, but with higher gearing and less turns lock to lock.



But, when I went to fit it, it appears that the rack the mounts are built around is a different shape and the NOS Spitfire rack won't fit!





Not sure what I'll be doing with this one, changing the rack mounts or having the cars rack rebuilt. Either way, it won't be till after the Stoneleigh show.

Not sure if you've noticed, but I'm slowly running out of things to talk about! And when I had a day off with nothing to do on the car I was very bored!

Hi, my names Andy and I'm an addict.........

Superb project this.
Just a thought, but if the two racks are the same bar the mounting points, could you not strip the new Spitfire rack down and utilise its high ratio rack and pinion components and rebuild them into the 2000 casing?