Tech Tips
Technical Tips for Tigers. If you would like to share a tip with the Tiger Community please submit your contribution to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For the adventurous, don't forget the Tiger Tracks archive. There is a wealth of tech tips published there that have not yet been pulled together into a collection, but there in there! Hint: Use the Tiger Tracks Archive Search available in the pull-down menu at the top of the page!
By Hobey Landreth
Last February I boldly announced my intention to build a replacement motor for my (almost) perfectly functioning 260 in my Mark 1. I indicated that I would be using an early 5-bolt bell housing block, but introducing it to roller technology. I asked the “why” question. And when I came up with “why not” as the answer, I questioned my own sanity.
Read more: Building a "Roller" 5-boltBy Hobey Landreth
When we last left our hero, a 302 rotating assembly, Boss 302 Windage Tray, Competition Cam, Rollmaster Timing Chain Set and McCleod aluminum flywheel had been bolted into a 1964 289 block, complete with early five bolt bell housing design. The build had gone fairly well so far, with only setback being the conversion to a one-piece rear main seal.
Read more: Building a "Roller" 5 Bolt Continued - Assembly and Run StandThese instructions will outline the basic steps required to install the completed MTE T5 Transmission into a Sunbeam Tiger. I’m making the assumption that you have done this several times with the OEM Top Loader and only need the guidance to alter your normal procedures as they are affected by the T5. We advocate and use the engine out- and-in the bottom technique, but that is not really a point of discussion in this procedure.
We begin this at the point where the engine is out of the car and ready to accept the special pieces that make up this kit. The first objective is to install the MTE adapter to the bellhousing and make sure that the assembly is within acceptable tolerances. The adapters are either for 5 bolt or 6 bolt configurations. The difference is primarily the diameter of the centering hole for the transmission front bearing retainer. The early 5 bolt bellhousings having the narrow bolt pattern and the later having the wider pattern or possibly both. If your bellhousing has both patterns, it will likely have the larger bore size on the retainer.
The following procedure is a guide the dis-assembly and re-assembly of the MTE T5 tailhousing for the Sunbeam Tiger. The steps begin with the removal of the thin cover plate over the shift box. Use care not to bend this plate as it will be re-used. With the Shift Blocks now exposed, the split pins are driven down into the holes so that they disengage with the shift rod. They do not have to be driven all the way down, only to the point the shift blocks are loose on the shaft.
Before we get into the actual procedures to install the various pieces of this kit, I’m going to show you a few pictures that will help you decide if you need this type of reinforcement now, if you can put it off for a while, or your problem is even more serious. Figure 2, below shows the typical Tiger frame in the area of the rear spring attachment. The area shown has obviously been cleaned up and stripped of undercoating. It is much harder to see this failure when it hasn’t been cleaned. It remains one of the most common fatigue failure points in the
Tiger.
After several years of discussion and development, Theo Smit and I finally think we have an instrument voltage regulator developed that will meet and exceed all your requirements. Shown below, this simple package will end many of the problems associated with the OEM vibratating regulator which leads to many of the incorrect readings on the water temperature and fuel level gages.
Several years ago I was doing research on brake systems with the idea of upgrading the brakes on my white pearl Tiger. This lead to a lot of reading of published information on brake system design and the realization that a pedal mechanical ratio of six to one was essentially an industry standard practice. For reasons that are not clear, the Rootes Group designed the brake system used in Sunbeam Alpines and Tigers with a pedal ratio of approximately four point four to one and added a vacuum/hydraulic booster to obtain acceptable brake pedal pressures.
I have run mechanical brake switches on my Sunbeams for many years. I made this change because of the poor life expectancy of the OEM hydraulic switches. Admittedly, I was running DOT 5 Silicone Brake Fluid in most of my applications, which may or may not be responsible for the repeated failures of this switch.I started out using electronic switches, mainly the Microswitch brand. The Microswitch units made the bracket more complex and expensive, so when I was asked to make this kit available, I chose a switch with automotive applications to make it more cost effective.
Click here to read more...