An MOT for ‘t Kreng and appraisel

It’s been a fairly busy week from my car’s point of view. Of course there were the extensively covered issues with the leaking water pump and the parts suppliers. But it seems that since yesterday evening I have again a functional TR7. First there was another check of the coolant system for leaks. Again there were none, though the coolant level needed topping up a little. Probably caused by some air in the system that escaped over the past 24 hours. And after a quick check of the other fluid levels (oil, brakes and clutch) it was time for a short test drive. The car behaved quite good, though by the time the thermostat opened the temperature rose slightly and started wavering a little! But it never got over the ½ mark. It actually looked like a small pressure loss and as the coolant level light stayed off, I decided to enjoy the drive a little longer.

And when I got back home after an hour or so it was time to investigate the engine bay. And sure enough there were two small leaks. Both around the thermostat cover. First one being the thermostat cover gasket. This didn’t come as a surprise as it is a cardboard gasket. With the coolant system fully topped up and the engine getting on temperature the gasket gets soaked and gets soft. As a result the two mounting bolts came lose a little. Easy to rectify with a ½ AF ring spanner. And while I was at it I also checked and tightened all inlet manifold bolts. They all could be tightened a little. The second leak also came from the thermostat cover. From the hose between thermostat cover and the radiator. Turned out the jubilee clip also had come slightly lose after everything had warmed up. Again an easy one to rectify.

Next call was for the car’s biennial APK (or MOT for those in the UK) early this morning. I usually stay with the car, but this time I dropped of the car at a friend’s workshop and APK station. After which I immediately headed home with one of his cars to pick up the next car in line for its APK and a full annual service, my little Landy. And when I returned at his workshop I found ‘t Kreng waiting outside in the shade. Another clean pass with no necessary repairs or advisories.

Time to head to the office through dense commuter and holiday traffic caused by major road works on and closure of the main motorway running through the area. And here ‘t Kreng managed to live up to her name. With the temperature gauge in its normal position, the coolant level warning light decided to brighten everything up a bit by switching on and of several times. Not good for my stress levels. Luckily the temperature gauge stayed were it should, so I decided to give my trust to the gauge instead of the light. About half an hour later I reached the office where the car could grace the parking area. The temperature gauge still showed just shy of the ½ mark.

I made a mental note to check everything before I would leave for an appointment outside the office. But the various schedules ran into each other. So I got into the car and drove off. And sure enough the coolant level light came on a few times. But again the temperature gauge remained rock steady, just shy of the ½ mark. Upon returning home I decided to let everything cool down a little before inspecting the engine bay ones again. And again no visible leaks though the coolant level in the header tank was on the low side, though not worryingly low. That combined with some possible light corrosion on the coolant level sender might explain the random behaviour of the coolant level warning light. But that should be fairly easy to rectify. Time will tell!

And over the past week both my road going cars were also subjected to their triennial appraisal for the insurance. ‘t Kreng was still immobile when the appraiser came. Luckily he knows the car so the value remained the same. But the appraisal gave me a good reason to spend some more time on my cars. And it was a nice opportunity for a little photoshoot of my Defender.

35 Years of driving TR7’s

In the past week (on the 22nd of August to be precise) it was exactly 35 years ago that I started a rather long term relationship with the Triumph TR7. I bought myself a TR7 DHC for my 25^th birthday. Looking back over these years I can say I learned quite a lot about these lovely cars over that period. But I also enjoyed them on many long distance tours. So 35 years of touring captured in 35 pictures taken during various events and tours!

October 1990:

A lovely sunny autumn afternoon somewhere in Lincolnshire.

During my first ever trip with a TR7 to the UK.

September 1997:

Photoshoot on Wrynose Pass while visiting the Lake District.

September 1998:

‘t Kreng being loaded onto a car ambulance,

after a fuel pump failure (Milton Keynes UK).

July 2002:

‘t Kreng almost disappearing from view in the fog on top of the Jaufenpas (I),

during the car’s first Alpine tour.

September 2005:

‘t Kreng on top of the Col de L'Iseran (F),

during Club Triumph’s 2005 edition of the 10 Countries Run.

March 2006:

Enjoying the fine weather near Vijlen (NL),

the day after a local navigational rally.

April 2007:

During the second trip with my newly acquired TR7 DHC.

June 2007:

Enjoying some fabulous roads in the Yorkshire Dales,

on the way to the start of the 2007 edition of Le Carrera Caledonia (Gunnerside UK).

September 2007:

Enjoying the Sun rise over the Col de la Colombière (F),

during the first day of Club Triumph’s 2007 edition of the 10 Countries Run.

June 2008:

Again enjoying some fabulous roads in the Yorkshire Dales,

this time while on the way to the start of the 2008 edition of Le Carrera Caledonia

(Sowry Head UK).

June 2009:

We took part in Le Carrera Caledonia, and afterwards we spent some days walking and touring the Isle of Skye.

Here 't Kreng is seen waiting patiently in a deserted parking lot near Duntulm.

August 2010:

The DHC on top of the Timmelsjoch during her | maiden | trip after her restauration was completed a month before.

June 2011:

A short rest in the Yorkshire Dales again, this time while on our way to Hawes.

There we would spent a few days walking in preparation for the 2011 edition of the International AutoEcosse

(Buttertubs Pass UK).

July 2011:

The DHC on top of the Stilfserjoch (aka Stelvio), during her 2nd Alpine Tour after her restauration was completed a year before.

The front wheels clearly showing signs of heavy brake use!

September 2011:

Sun rise on top of the Sankt Gotthard Pass, during the first day of Club Triumph’s 5th edition of the 10 Countries Run.

June 2012:

‘t Kreng lurking in front of The Black Cock Inn, our accommodation in Broughton-in -Furness,

after we finished the International Auto Ecosse.

May 2013:

A short pause at the side of the B4520 near Pwllgloyw,

during Club Triumph's first edition of the"Taith o Amgylch Cymru" (or a Tour of Wales).

June 2013:

‘t Kreng patiently waiting for us to return from a lovely walk along Lake Buttermere.

September 2013:

Fine views from the top of the Col de la Bonette (F),

during the 2013 edition of Club Triumph’s 10 Countries Run.

May 2014:

The DHC in front of the Nant-Y-Moch reservoir,

during the second edition of Club Triumph's “Taith o Amgylch Cymru” (or A Tour of Wales in proper English).

August 2014:

‘t Kreng in front of the famous Ribblehead railway viaduct,

during Club Triumph’s first edition of the “Border Raiders” tour.

September 2015:

Towards the top of the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse (A),

during Club Triumph's 2015 edition of the 10 Countries Run.

October 2016:

‘t Kreng in the grounds of the Rolduc abbey before the start

of the 28th LTV Nachtrit (Kerkrade NL).

September 2017:

A short rest for man and machine on top of the Sankt Bernhardin pass,

during Club Triumph's 2017 edition of the 10 Countries Run.

November 2017:

Enjoying the autumn colours during one of the last tours of the year (Belfeld NL).

May 2018:

Due to various problems with my Defender ‘t Kreng had to be put

into daily use for a month or so (Klein Hanssum Neer NL).

May 2019:

‘t Kreng in the early evening sun at the side of the  L228 near Bocket (D),

during a local tour with some friends.

September 2019:

A very nice back drop for the car. On the Passo Pordoi (I),

during Club Triumph’s 10 Countries Run.

October 2019:

The DHC in front of one the spare lock gates (Baarlo NL)

after some post 10CR work had been carried out.

June 2020:

The DHC after another successful biennial safety and

environmental inspection (or APK as it is called here).

February 2021:

Enjoying the light and sight in the shed, while working on one of the many jobs

the restoration of my ’76 car has put forward so far!

September 2021:

While I was away on a lovely walking holiday in Süd Tirol,

my TR7’s were together in the shed for the first time!

Oktober 2021:

‘t Kreng during the final reconnaissance for the 32nd edition

of our annual “Nachtrit” (Vijlen (NL).

April 2022:

Enjoying a fine spring morning. Near “De Lanck” in Swalmen (NL).

September 2022:

Is it the end? After a head on collision, caused by an oil or diesel slick on the road.

During Club Triumph’s 2022 edition 10 Countries Run. Passo di Valparola (I).

The risk of using your cars!

MOT Time

Some of my rather scarce spare time over the past month or so was spent preparing the cars for their biennial General Periodic Inspection (or MOT for the UK residents). First in line was ‘t Kreng. During her final check-up I couldn’t find much wrong. So I wasn’t surprised that she passed without any advisories. As always it was good to see that all the vital points were still spot on.

With a fresh MOT for ‘t Kreng she was put back in the shed. And the DHC was woken after a 9 months long hibernation, to be brought home. The engine did need some persuasion with a liberal dose of quick start in both carburettors. But after a few minutes on the road the cobwebs were already blown away. But the handling was a bit vague during the short drive. Hardly surprising as the tyre pressures had dropped a bit. From the usual 2,0 Bar all round to a random 1,7 to 1,8 Bar.

Another problem I found was a slight knocking noise while checking the LH front bearing for play, with the wheel of the ground. But I wasn't convinced it was coming from the bearing, as there seemed to be no play. There was also no noise coming from the bearing. First impression was that the captive nut for the shock absorber might be loose. Because I thought it was too hot for any physical work, I decided to try my luck and have the car MOT’ed.

But while turning of the motorway a few minutes away from the work shop I did smell fuel. And on arrival we soon found the culprit, another split fuel hose. For those who regularly follow these ramblings might have a Déja Vu! And another job for the up coming service.

Luckily the hose (supplying the rear carburettor) could be replaced within minutes. And the inspection could begin, starting with the emissions. And it immediately became clear that the engine was running a little better, compared to when the car was driven into the workshop. And the emissions were nicely within the prescribed limits too (CO ±3,5%; CO2 ±10,0% and λ ±1,0) They were actually more or less the same as ‘t Kreng’s.

All other inspection points were also passes without any advisories or worse! And the noise in the LH front suspension? That turned out to be a little play in the top cone caused by the fact the suspension wasn’t loaded, and as such not an inspection criteria. So another two year certificate of good health for both cars.

MOT: next in line

Last week the DHC got a certificate of good health during her biennial MOT. And this week it was ‘t Kreng’s turn. But not before I checked a few items that might cause trouble during the inspection last weekend. I started under the bonnet. First in line for a closer look were the carburettors:

Everything fine there. The linkage was still smooth and the inside of the throats also looked nice and clean, with no visible signs of back firing. Also the K&N air filters, the fuel hoses and all fuel connections were in good condition.

A further inspection of the engine bay showed nothing obviously wrong. No leaks and all levels on the mark.

The spark plugs and the brakes were not touched as the car behaved rather well during her first, and so far only, outing this year! And the rest of the engine bay also looked quite all right. Actually for a car that has been in more or less constant use since 1997, it doesn’t look too shabby!

Last in line were the front wheel bearings. Here I found the biggest problem, a slightly loose left hand front wheel bearing. But that was quite easy to rectify (or should be), using my tried and tested technique:

1. Remove the wheel to access and remove the bearing dust cap;

2. Refit the wheel, making sure it is firmly clamped down to the hub.

This way it is easier to detect any play in the bearing and to turn the wheel,

to listen for rumbling noises;

3. Make the necessary adjustments, until the wheel turns freely, and without any noticeable play. After which the nut retainer (21H5129) and split pin were refitted.

4. And finally the dust cap was refitted to the hub (sorry! I forgot the picture).

But I have to admit that one way or another I wasn’t quite happy with how the bearing felt. But maybe I am just overly worried, hearing rumbling bearings everywhere 😜. Luckily I had no time to inquire any further. So I decided to leave it for the professionals to judge during the biennial inspection!

And today was judgement day, so I again visited a friend’s workshop to present a car for her biennial test (or APK as it is called here). As usual the test started on the brake test platform. Sadly due to an injury (and partly old age J) the tester couldn’t get in the car. So I had to perform that part of the test for him. So no pictures of the three readings. But the car passed with flying colour with the following average readings; front ±4750N, rear ±1700N and handbrake ±1600N. The emissions test was next, and as expected this was also spot on, with a reading of just above 3,0 % vol. CO. (yes I was a bit too quick to take the picture, so I missed the point where the meter levelled out!).

The last part of the test was the visual inspection of the engine bay and suspension. And despite my slight worries all turned out to be fine. Another clean health declaration for the next 2 years!

And last but not least, at the end of this month my daily LaRo Defender will be the last in line! In that case it will be a full service and its annual inspection.