Help!! 2000 Mk2 Newbie

[Simon2000]

Hi All,


I have acquired a Triumph 2000 Mk2 Saloon built Dec 1972.


I've been working through checking everything out as it's been sitting for 14 years in a garage!


Fitted a new battery and new fuel hoses as they were gone.

Cranks over nicely but no spark.


The coil has power and attaching a HT lead straight to it, give no spark.

I attached the + and - straight to the battery and tapped the - to simulate points and it gives out a VERY small spark.

I tried an old MG coil with the same test and it did the same, I believed this coil was OK (maybe not)


Am I testing it wrong?

I have also measured with an OHM meter and get the below:


+ to - = 1.6 OHM

- to HT = 5.02K OHM

+ to HT = 5.02K OHM


The ballast resister measures about 60 OHM but seems a bit erratic and initially started at 207 OHMS and slowly dropped., may just be poor connections? Is this correct?


All tests done without anything connected.


So is the coil dead? If so advise on the correct one?

Is the ballast OK? What spec is the replacement


Other issues

1) The fuel tank is half full, 14 years old petrol, is it dead? Where can I get rid of it?

2) One of the carbs is overflowing, have removed it and the piston was stuck, seems to have no oil, is it just a simple strip down? Are there rebuild kits?

3) The Rad fins in the brittle are just falling off, where can I get another, is this used on other cars? Is it worth just a re-core?

4) I notice in the fuse box area there is a white and green cable not connected. I can't see this in the electrical diagram, any idea what it is and where it goes to (if at all)


Also where is the best place for parts?


I'm hoping to get it running at little cost, but I suspect that won't be the case.

I also have acquired from him a Renown, its in a real state, so I thought I'd get this one running first.

Any owners in the Cambridge area, would be good to compare notes!

Many thanks for any help you can give!

[Alec]

Hello Simon,

your coil is a ballast resistor system coil so the correct one (your MG one won't be)

As you have a reading between the l.t. winding and the H.T. winding it's probably OK (I don't know off hand what sort of impedance the H.T. winding has but it will be high compared to the L.T..

The ballast seems suspect (the impedance should be close to the coil L.T. impedance, just a shade higher, 60 ohms is far too high) as a test simply short it out and try for a spark, but don't leave it on too long as it will overheat the coil. You should be able to buy a replacement ballast from a Triumph (or Reliant) supplier, there is no spec given as far as I know?

The carburettors are a simple strip down and clean job and service kits are available for a reasonable cost (Burlen Fuel Services or a Triumph supplier), use carburettor cleaner or thinners to clean the piston and dashpot, don't use anything abrasive even Brasso. If you can, drain the fuel tank and refill with fresh petrol, you can re use the old fuel in smallish batches with new.

If you have a local radiator repairer use them or again a Triumph supplier.

The white green cable connects to the input side of the ignition fed fuse (connect to the same terminal as the white wire connects to, this is direct from the ignition switch) The white green goes to the inertia switch and then on to the P.I. fuel pump. It sounds as though you have a P.I. converted to carburettors?

Quite a few Triumph suppliers, where about are you?

Alec

[TedTaylor]

Ballast resistors have a very low resistance - either about 3 ohms or 5 ohms depending upon the type of coil used, 9v or 6v. On a Triumph it should be the higher resistance for a 6 volt coil

I had a PI once with a coil problem - kept overheating and failing until it cooled down when it would work again ............ for a few more miles. Found the resistance of the new ballast resistor that had been fitted was about 3 ohms, checked a spare one that I had and it was about 5 ohms.

This meant the current to the coil rather than being cut down from the 12v supply to 6v (its operating voltage), was only being cut down to 9v so was overloaded. Changed coil (which was by now US) and ballast for spares from another PI and all was fine.

The ballast resistor often has a screw and nut holding the male Lucar (spade) connector to the resistor windings and this can come loose and/or corrode which significantly increases its resistance, very likely to the figure you are getting of 60 ohms and explains its ererratic reading. Try changing the resistor, or as a VERY temporary check link the two male Lucar connectors together to bypass the resistor and it should now run. If it does you know you have a duff resistor so change it - do not leave it in this situation.

This is also a useful 'get you home' trick for a short period - 30 mins at the very most but if longer than 15 minutes your coil is likely to be 'cooked'.

MUT

[Simon2000]

Thanks all for the replies, I'm sure its the condenser but in the end went and ordered new bits: 12v coil, points with condenser, cap and rotor and new HT leads. I will bypass the ballast resistor as its terminals have had it anyway and I think your right about the resistance issues.

Took the leaky carb apart, all gummed up inside, the float valve is stuck open hence the overflowing and the needle also gummed up and old a little pitted at the very end so will make do just to get running, spoke with CW and has stopped selling them due to issues so he advised that Burlen Fuel systems have them, ordered them and the gasket set, held back on the rebuild kit as getting expensive and I don't know what other horrors I have to face yet!

Took the old fuel up the tip, they just poured it in the oil container! Brought back some old containers for the rest.

So these will keep me busy for a bit, I'll be back with more questions then!

[Dave B]

Took the old fuel up the tip, they just poured it in the oil container!

What was the saying......."Light blue touch paper & retire"
Can't believe that someone in charge of a local authority facility would do that

[Alec]

Hello Simon,

overhaul kits are rarely needed, a good clean and freeing up of the moving components should get you going; a manual is useful to set the carburettors to their basic settings, they shouldn't require much more?

Too late but the old fuel would have been fine added to new gallon by gallon.

If you replace all the ignition components in one go you won't know which one was defective
?

Alec

[Simon2000]

its got loads of crud in it and smells really bad, probably water in it.

Good point, I will fit one at at time starting with the condenser points.

[Simon2000]

OK, so started to drain the rest of the tank, gauge was reading around 1/3-1/2. So was expecting a lot to drain, 10 litres later it stopped, I blew through the pipe to check it wasn't blocked and added some back to t he tank and it flowed out OK, so it would appear either the float has jammed up, sender is faulty, possibly shorting out on the tracks or the gauge is misreading, or maybe someone has fitted incorrect parts as some point!

Is this a common failure?

Its a 2000 MK2 saloon, can I take the sender out without the tank? Can't get in as its full of parts but is it accessed from the boot or back seat?

Is there a list of volt measurements any where I can check against based on position.

I put 5 litres of fresh in and pumped it through to the carb pipes, forgot the lead additive but looking at the measurements its a tiny amount, how important is it really?

Just waiting on the other new parts top come before I can try and start it again....

[Dave B]

Its a 2000 MK2 saloon, can I take the sender out without the tank? Can't get in as its full of parts but is it accessed from the boot or back seat?

The sender unit can be removed from the boot area after removing the trim panel. Just disconnect the wiring (Don't forget to isolate the battery first, sparks are not good in this area ), then tap the locking ring round to release the sender unit.

I put 5 litres of fresh in and pumped it through to the carb pipes, forgot the lead additive but looking at the measurements its a tiny amount, how important is it really

Don't worry about any additive at the moment, if ever, it will happily start & run on ordinary u/l petrol!

[Mike Stevens]

In my PI and the Stag (and the 2000 before I sold it) I just used normal unleaded without any additive. Been OK so far!

Don't take the sender out of you have more than 1/3 tank of fuel, or you'll end up with a boot full!

Once you've got the sender out, it's worth checking the gauge reading over its range. You need to connect the sender between the gauge 'negative' terminal and ground, preferably away from the boot (with the now open tank!). Then move the arm to the 2 extents, empty and full, watching the gauge. Remember that it is a thermal, bi-metalic strip type so is very slow to react!

Another thing to check is the 10V voltage stabiliser. It's mounted on the back of the speedo and suppies 10V (roughly!) to the fuel and temperature gauges. These are known to fail, often giving 12V out which makes the fuel amd temperature gauges read high. They are not easy to test as they work by switching the 12V on and off, to give an average of 10V, but you can get an idea by measuring the voltage output, preferably with an analogue meter. Or just replace it with a modern electronic type!

Cheers,
Mike.