Technical Tips

Momo Steering Wheel Hubs

Momo no longer supplies hubs to mount their steering wheels on Tr6 and early Spitfires and therefore hubs are not available for Vixens and Ms.

Greg Dembs reports that "The Grant (www.grantproducts.com) Installation Kit #6564 and Grant Adapter Plate #4009 (made for installing a Momo wheel on a Grant hub) is 2" too tall for a TVR."
"I ended up having the OEM hub machined and drilled in various ways and the Momo wheel is now in the exact position as the original wheel and looks great. I'm having a little problem with the edge of the decal - it doesn't want to conform to the curve of the horn button, but I'll eventually work it out."
21 December 2001

Astrali Steering Wheels

Astrali (who made the wheels in many 70s TVRs) still makes steering wheels and hubs for Tuscan, Vixen and Ms. http://www.astrali.co.uk
April 26 2003

Platinum Plugs

Plantinum spark plugs do seem to go for years without fouling. I've been running a set of them in my 2500M for many years with no problems. There seems to be less running-on with platinum plugs. Victoria British (800) 255-0088 sells Bosch plugs for the Tr6 and a gapping tool. Bosch says these are pre-gapped. Bosch #4218.
Nove 18, 2005

Those Evil Rotten Screws

Anyone who has worked on a British car knows about those rotten Phillips screws the disintegrate when you try to undo them. The Brits must call them "cross-head" because you get really cross when the screwdriver "cams out" tearing up the screw. Don't feel so bad, the screwdriver gets torn up too.

You are using the wrong tool... no, you don't need a light saber, just the correct screwdriver. That's right, they are not Phillips...they are Pozidriv screws. Pozidriv screws were developed in the 60s to solve two problems: "cam out" and the patents on Phillips were running out. Well, the bit about the patent is speculation, but read what the Phillips Screw Company says about this. There are at least three types of "cross head" screws. Amazingly, people thought this out and made all the screws look different, if you know what to look for. This is a picture of the heads of these three screws.

PHILLIPS POZIDRIV REED & PRINCE

POZIDRIV screw drivers are available from VACO, XCELITE and SNAP-ON. I know of four sizes, #1, #2, #3 and #4. Size #1 (very small) is used in the ignition switch, #2 everywhere (including the carbs), #3 on the door latch and I think #4 (very large) is used on the starter motor.

Another thing about these screws - the threads are different. The screws with #2 heads look like 10-32 ANF (American National Fine) but are really 2BA (British Association). For more information on this, see "History of Whitworth" by Charles Falco.
29 July 1999

Notes

Phillips, Pozidriv and Reed & Prince are trademarks of the "Phillips Screw Company".

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Last updated on 20 February 2002.