Postby Workshop Help » 05 Dec 2013 18:15
There is an easier alternative, and for your comfort & convenience it is hereby reposted. However, it has not been sanitized for your protection.
And, just so you know as of this date this El Cheapo and quicky fix is still hanging in there.
Posted - 24 Dec 2011 : 15:08:45
Here we have yet another, 'And there I was story'.
For we brave souls equipped with the superior Zenith-Stromberg carburetors, we are now blessed to have a source of the O-rings that seal(?) the plug on the bottom of the float bowl. After all these millennia the original O-rings have hardened allowing fuel seepage. The fact our modern U.S. fuel is such a toxic swill is no help either. So, there I was, pulling the front float bowl with the carburetor remaining in place, as I have been doing for the past 35 years and, lo & behold, one of the long screws had vibrated out somewhere along the yellow brick road. Also, the bottom of the float bowl plug was kind of gasey/slimy. That accounts for the recent heavier odor of gasoline emanating from the right side hood louvers.
Here it is 2:30 in the afternoon and I need an O-ring and another float bowl screw. So, like a shot, off to Lowes Building Materials I go with the old O-ring and the other float bowl screw in hand.
The first aisle to visit is the nut/bolt/& screw section. Yes, there it is, a small bag of 1 1/2" by 8-32 machine screws with matching nuts for $0.96US. That was easy enough, now about that O-ring. Where do you suppose O-rings can be found? How about the Plumbing aisle?
Sure enough, right between the faucet and drain parts was the O-ring section. In fact, a wide variety of various sizes. So, for $2.97US, the size 12 package of O-rings matched up perfectly. I'm feeling lucky by now. What else can I find? I know, how about a grommet to provide a quick fix for the steering column/firewall bushing?
Back to the Hardware aisles. Seeing how the diameter of our steering column as it passes thru the firewall, or bulkhead for those who speak a different form of the English language, is a little less than 3/4", I spy a package containing a 1 1/8"OD by 23/32"ID rubber grommet for the princely sum of $1.97US. Next item needed to complete the repair for the steering column bush is a 3/4"ID flat rubber washer. So, back to Plumbing we go and, yes, there it is hanging from the peg next to the drain parts for the price of $0.99US for two.
As you may be aware, the parts that actually wear out on our mighty steeds are typically the soft bits and pieces. We should be eternally thankful the design engineers at Standard-Triumph had the foresight to use commonly available sized components and NOT try to reinvent the wheel as the Oriental engineers do on all their products. To wander into a hardware store and find Triumph parts at prices so low it makes my pretty little head spin can rightly be considered a Festivus miracle!
Mildred Hargis
P.S.
The trick to installing the grommet and flat washer in the hole in the firewall is to;
1. Remove the remainder of the old bushing.
2. Cut the washer and grommet on one side.
3. Slide the grommet around the steering column from the inside and fit, using a small screwdriver, into place in the firewall hole.
4. Fit the flat washer on the steering column on the outside of the firewall. This washer is needed to keep the steering column from moving in and out, thus serving as a sort of thrust washer.
5. With your trusty tube of Super Glue, glue together the cut ends of the washer and the grommet. Try NOT to glue your fingers together yet again!
FAQ's:
A. Yes, this quick fix is not considered a permanent repair.
B. Yes, I did do this on July 20, 2011 in the motel parking lot with the temperature hovering at 104 degrees Fahrenheit in about 15 minutes at 6:30PM after work.
C. Yes, the fix is still holding in there and I do have a spare grommet in the parts bag in the trunk.
D. No, my wild days of social dating are long in the past, but I do appreciate your kind thoughts.
Mildred Hargis
