Long time owner new member.

[Alan Brown]

First of all Hi.I've had a Stag( 13 years;rotten) a TR7 COUPE (4 years;rotten )a TR7 DHC (4years; rotten) and currently a TR7 V8 (8 years; pretty sound)
Due to less well paid jobs since I bought the car it spends an awful lot of time in the garage doing nothing.This gives rise, I'm sure, to the front brakes binding when I do play out in it.I've just come across this forum so I decided to ask one or two questions.
The car's got 4 piston calipers and solid discs.Will these be Princess items?Is it worth trying to recon the calipers or should I get hold of some new ones?
Also, the seats have seen better days and I wouldn't be averse to fitting non-standard, more modern sports seats.The thing is I'm 6' 2" so I need the finished seat conversion to be at least as low as the original.Has anyone had success at doing this?
I quite like the idea of an MX5;good looking,hardy,bulletproof motor,excellent handling but I just don't fit in without peering over the screen!!

Thanks in advance Alan.

[Hasbeen]

Hi Alan, & welcome.

It all depends what you mean by binding. Do you mean they stay
partly on draging, or that they lock the wheels, preventing any
movement.

3 things to look for,

1/ How old are the rubber hoses. Many 7s have very old hoses. These
deteriorate on the inside. They will let the fluid under high
prerssure through to the brakes, when they are applied. When the
brake is released, they hold some pressure in the caliper, or wheel
cylinder, causing the brakes to remain partially on, draging, &
getting hot.

2/ The wheel cylinders in the rear drums often rust up solid, or
almost so. This can mean they don't work at all, or the don't come
off fully, with the same result as the fronts above.

3/ The rubbers in the callipers dry out, [no brake fluid on them], &
stick to the pistons, causing a long peddle, or draging.

We always repair brake components in Oz, but we do have less rust
problems than you. I would plan to repair, & only change that if I
found excessive corrosion when I stripped the things.

Hasbeen

[jclay (RIP 2018)]

Actually, the seats in the TR7 are very good. Why not just rebuild them and recover. All the materials are available.

jclay

[url="http://web.mac.com/jclaythompson/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html"]My Triumph Site[/url], [url="http://web.mac.com/jclaythompson/iWeb/Technical/Intro.html"]Technical Stuff[/url], [url="http://homepage.mac.com/WebObjects/FileSharing.woa/53/wo/HJMTK8gsojtwKleP.1/0.2.1.2.26.31.97.0.35.0.1.1.1?user=jclaythompson&fpath=Triumph_Articles&templatefn=FileSharing4.html"]Download Page[/url]

[Alan Brown]

Yes I suppose I would describe the brakes as dragging, so I'll look into that.Braided hoses anyone?
I saw a photo on the front of S&S PREPARATIONS book years ago of aTR7 with what looked like the seats from possibly a Rover Coupe and always fancied the idea.The car doesn't look standard anyway; bodykit,two big stainless exhausts and 15" wheels so non-standard seats wouldn't upset me too much so long as they were about the same colour.....blue.
I didn't fit the bodykit or exhaust but I did fit the wheels as the kit dwarfed the 13" wheels.

Alan.

[nervousnewowner]

alan welcome to the forum.... i think someone has said on a thread here that the mx5 seats do fit but are a bit of a problem, as for your size.... my son has an mx5 and his brother is about 6'3" and he just about fits in the 5, and one nice feature of them is that the speakers are built into the headrests on them, i used to own a ford probe and am going to borrow a seat from one of them off a probe club member i know, and see how they fit, as they were some of the most comfortable seats i've sat in, my dhc seats are well overdue for a rebuild..... keep us posted how you get along..... look forward to your future posts...


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

[Beans]

<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 Alan Brown</i>

...Braided hoses anyone?...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Yes, strongly recommended [;)]

As for the seats, indeed why not re-cover them.
Just find a good upholsterer in your neighbourhood ...



... and you might end with something like this [8D]

B.t.w. Welcome to the forum ...


<center>
<font color="blue"><i>1981 TR7 FHC Sprint (better known as 't Kreng)
1981 TR7 DHC (now completely dismantled)
Also a 1980 TR7 DHC, 1980 TR7 DHC FI, 1981 TR7 FHC</font id="blue">
<font color="red">http://tr7beans.blogspot.com/</i></font id="red"></center>

[Hasbeen]

This beat up old body can give a few problems, after some hours in
one position.

I recently did 1150Km, in 11.5 hours in my 7, with 4 fuel, stops
including one coffee, & one lunch stop. My 7 has mint, stock seats,
& when I got out of that car, I could not only walk, I had no pain
the next day. They are the best I know of.

The best I've managed in any other car, recently, is 5 hours, & I
did feel a bit stiff next day. The last time I spent 4 hours on a
horse, I was a foot shorter, for a few hours, when I got off, as I
could not straighten my knees. I finally had to admit that horse
power is better than horse, except when you want to jump a ditch, or
a log.

As Beans says, rebuild the old ones, you won't find better.

Hasbeen

[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 Hasbeen</i>

I recently did 1150Km, in 11.5 hours in my 7, with 4 fuel, stops
including one coffee, & one lunch stop. My 7 has mint, stock seats,
& when I got out of that car, I could not only walk, I had no pain
the next day. They are the best I know of.

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

And that was just to go to the next town over....[:)]

I was comfy when I drove my TR7 back from Sacramento, over 1,000 km. I did sit in Miata seats in a TR7. I didn't find them comfortable after two minutes. Don't know how they'd fare during lonf run.


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

[Alan Brown]

I agree that the standard seats are fine its just that bloke thing of seeing something different and having to have it!I've read revues of the car that praised the seats but with 16 stone sitting on them for 7 years they could do with a little help.
I recovered the drivers seat on my Stag many years ago and its not a job I'm anxious to repeat!
Anyway I've got bigger issues to deal with;namely the fuel consumption.The gauge hasn't worked for some tome now.When I got the car it was fitted with a Holley, which, I was told was the "wrong" size.I used to roughly guess the appropriate time to put petrol in and over a period of weeks I eventually filled the tank.Overestimatoion obviously.Since then I've had the correct Holley fitted( as new, second hand) and yet have ran out of fuel 3 or 4 times.I suppose I'd better get the gauge looked at eh?
The guy who fitted a new tank for me a while back said it was possibly the worse job he'd ever done.Sadly he's emigrated( coincidence?)so I'll have to find some other mug to do the sender unit.I know I'm not doing it!!The memory of fitting an MGB one lives on.And that was a lot more accessable.

Alan

[Hasbeen]

Good news Alan. Your Guy who fitted the tank was not too far wrong,
particularly if he did it single handed. However, the sender is a
different matter.

Provided you run the fuel down to a third or less first, changing
the sender is quick, easy, & clean.

Just jack the back up a good bit, slide under there from the back,
with a tin of contact cleaner, a hammer, a drift, & a new sender.
You'll have it done, & be out of there, before you even feel the
need for a beer comming on. With a nice new clean tank, an hour
should do it, easy.

Hasbeen

[Alan Brown]

Hasbeen, I'm still not convinced.I tell you someone else is going under!At first I thought it was the gauge, but I phoned S&S and they assured me it would be the sender.On second thoughts I think I'll take a look at their site regarding the price.

Alan.

[Hasbeen]

Alan, I have recently spent some time reading "Grumpy Old Sod.com, &
from what I read on there, one of the few advantages of living in
the UK today, is the cost of TR7 parts.

I fitted a new sender in my 7, about 5 or 6 years ago. Here in Oz,
way back then, it cost me A$147.00. You should be able to get yours
supplied, & fitted for that. So when you get that quote, you should
be able to smile, thinking of us colonials.

Hasbeen

[TR Tony]

99 times out of 100 it will be the sender unit, Alan. They are notorious for sticking. You should be able to get a new one for under £30 inc P&P from one of the specialists. Get a new sealing ring (gasket) as well.

It really is a simple job to change, like Hasbeen says, as long as you have minimal fuel left in the tank! Pull off the connectors & the rubber fuel pipe (care here in case of fuel spillage - have a container handy), use your hammer & drift to knock the locking ring anti-clockwise to release it, then remove the ring & draw out the sender. Insert new sender & sealing ring, refit locking ring & knock clockwise to tighten, then reconnect the pipe & electric connectors - while you are down there check the rubber pipe for perishing, good opportunity to replace if required.

Might be worth a quick check & clean of the electrical connections at the sender end just before you spend your money, or maybe you have already done that.

Tony

<font size="1">1981 2L FHC Cavalry Blue
1980 3.5L V8 DHC Jaguar Regency Red - sadly sold!</font id="size1">

[busheytrader]

Hi,

I'm 6'2" and I've found the seats in a 7 to be the most comfortable of any car for a prolonged journey.

We had a MK 2.5 Mazda MX5 until recently. A cracking car but not enough leg room for comfort or the ability to heel and toe.

Replacing the sender unit in a 7 tank is pretty easy as previously described.

Regards,


Adam

TR7 V8 DHC Jaguar Solent Blue. 9.35cr Range Rover V8, Holley 390cfm, JWR Dual Port, 214 Cam, Lumention, Tubular Manifolds, Single Pipe Exh, 3.08 Rear, 200lb Spax & Solid Bushes, Anti- Dive, Granada Vented Discs & Calipers, Braided Hoses, Green Stuff, 4 Speed Rear Cylinders, Uprated Master Cylinder & Servo, AT 5 Spokes and Cruise Lights. No Door Stickers. Mine since July 1986, V8 from 1991

[Beans]

<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 Hasbeen</i>

... 3 things to look for <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Back to the start of this thread, a 4th thing to look at;
The Princess calipers aren't famous for their quality. So also check the pistons. The standard pistons were chrome plated. The quality of the plating wasn't great [B)]

As stated already replacing the fuel sender i' pretty easy. Don't forget a new seal ring.

<center>
<font color="blue"><i>1981 TR7 FHC Sprint (better known as 't Kreng)
1981 TR7 DHC (now completely dismantled)
Also a 1980 TR7 DHC, 1980 TR7 DHC FI, 1981 TR7 FHC</font id="blue">
<font color="red">http://tr7beans.blogspot.com/</i></font id="red"></center>