What is normal idle RPM?

[Sean Roth]

I just bought a 1980 TR7 Convertible. What is the normal idle speed?

Thanks,

Sean


SF Roth

[nick]

<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 Sean Roth</i>

I just bought a 1980 TR7 Convertible. What is the normal idle speed?

Thanks,

Sean


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

Welcome to the Forum Sean.

850 to 900 is pretty standard for most of the North American models.

Please post some pictures of your car.

[img][IMG]http://i615.photobucket.com/albums/tt234/nickmi/TR7%201975/Yellow.jpg[/img]
nick
'79 TR7 DHC
'76 TR7 FHC

[trekcarbonboy]

Yep. 900 for me too.
Welcome to the forum.

Craig '75 2.0 FHC

[Workshop Help]

The factory sticker on the bottom side of the hood,(bonnet), says about 750 - 800 RPM. However, given the wear on the jet and needle in the carburetors after three plus decades, it is reasonable to expect a hot idle of around 850 to 900 RPM.

To obtain a 'normal' idle speed of less than 850 RPM, confirm and lubricate the advance unit inside the distributor, confirm there are no leaking vacuum lines, the ignition cables have the correct ohm readings, the carburetor float is at the specified level, the inlet needle valve(s) is/are not leaking and giving a rich reading on the spark plug(s), and the carburetors are correctly balanced and synchronized.

There are other things to check which we will be glad to advise on once you get all the above little chores done.

Mildred Hargis

[Sean Roth]

Thanks for the info. I will check those items and get back with you all.

My car currently idles at about 1500 RPM when cold and settles around 1200 RPM after a few minutes.



SF Roth

[Workshop Help]

With a 1500 RPM idle on a US model TR7, perhaps you should first clean the FASD. Around here someplace is an excellent article by our friend Steve of Wichita Falls, Texas on the FASD. Your FASD, provided you still have one, is more than likely stuck and not releasing.

It is important to realize that your carburetors have been maladjusted over the years by incompetents. We can help. There are numerous articles on this topic and we cordially invite you to use the SEARCH function at the top right of your screen to partake the Wisdom of the Ancients.

But first, confirm the condition of the spark plugs and ignition cables. You have much to do and we are at your fingertips for help.

Mildred Hargis

[Sean Roth]

Excellent, thanks for the help!

What is FASD?

SF Roth

[Workshop Help]

The FASD is the device between your carburetors, provided it hasn't been removed. It is there to help start a cold engine. It is more than a simple choke and more like a small third over rich carburetor. The FASD stands for Fully Automatic Starting Device. However, when it malfunctions, the owners usually refer to with a variety of profane technical terms that propriety forbids my repeating at this time.

As noted above, the FASD is sometimes removed to be replaced with an aftermarket manual choke. Most folks report the choke as bought from our prairie pals at V-B in Lenexa, Kansas, right there next to IH-35, is of poor quality requiring additional engineering to make it sort of work correctly.

Could you favor us with perhaps a photo of your engine or a description of what you have under the hood? This will help us to provide more accurate information.

Mildred Hargis

[Sean Roth]

How do I attach photos on here? I am using an iPad.


Also, I would like to know the operational positions of the 3 switches on the dash center top. Lights, fog and hazard....I think..

Thanks,

Sean

SF Roth

[Workshop Help]

Our good friend Jclay has provided an instructional link on the front page of the forums. Try going to photobucket.com, set up a free account, follow their instructions. Once you have uploaded to photobucket, copy the photo and paste it to your entry here. Click on the square icon, fourth one from the right that looks like picture with the arrow at the top left. With that icon clicked, paste the photo next to it.

You will have to experiment several times to get it right. You will also have to delete most of the verbage from the pasted photo. Trust me, it's harder to explain than for you to get your hands dirty doing the first few times.

Oh, as for the switches, they can vary from year to year. On my late 1976 model, from the left is; headlights, rear window defogger, blank space, blank space, hazard lights. Over the two blank spaces is a stick-on digital clock from Walmart because the original clock space in the instrument cluster has had a vacuum gauge for the past 10+ years.

Mildred Hargis

[FI Spyder]

I think by operational position he means: When they are all up they are off. In other words when the light switch is up the lights are down, when the switch is down the lights are up. I know it seems backwards, Orange Rag has it installed up side down so it makes more sense but I say "the car is English, if you wanted it to make sense you'd buy a German/Japanese car".

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

[Sean Roth]

Lets see if this link works for my photos. Check them out and let me know if anything looks missing or is not stock.

http://s1349.photobucket.com/user/roths ... R7%20Forum



SF Roth

[Sean Roth]

Also, any suggestions as to where I should order a new top? Which color to keep it stock?

SF Roth

[saabfast]

They are in the reverse order to mine, which is to be expected for a car with the steering wheel on the wrong side.

Looks as if your FOG does not have a warning light and only one on position, presumably for front foglights only in the US. My '81 UK car has the warning light for the rear fog, also two positions, first for front lights (not fitted) and second for rear light.

Alan
Saab 9000 Stg 1 (now passed to son for his family car)
Saab 9000 2.3 FPT Auto (now gone that others might live)
Saab 9000 2.3 LPT Auto
'81 TR7 DHC

[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 Sean Roth</i>

Also, any suggestions as to where I should order a new top? Which color to keep it stock?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Not sure about best place to get top but original colour might well be black although it's not unusual to see tan. It look like your is a 30th anniversary edition by the TR8 steering wheel and the plaque on the glove compartment. In that case the alloys aren't original as the 30th came with steel wheels and beauty rings. doesn't mean alloys weren't substituted at the dealer though as stranger things have happened. Depends on how original you want to be. There are three groups of owners. Those who want their cars stock to reflect the original driving experience, those who want their cars to look original but will upgrade the non visible areas like engine internals better brakes etc. and those who will modify them to what they want to make how they want/what it might have become.

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