TR4/4A Intake Manifold Question

[ghawk16]

So it seems my dad or grandpa like to have a lot of spare parts. Be it generators, starters, exhaust manifolds, SU carbs, intake manifolds, etc. Well...going thru all this stuff it seems there is a reason why, something is off with them. Well, digging thru the parts I noticed I have two different intake manifolds. One has a plug (this one came off the car when tearing it down) and the other does not. I've seen pictures in books where some long line goes from the inlet manifold to another part near the passenger fender. I'm assuming that's for some type of emissions? I guess my question is...with my commission number of 16836-L and engine number 17068-E I wouldn't have that line coming off it as those were for earlier TR4's. Reading Bill Piggott's book it says it was on cars up to Mid-63. Well mine was a November 62 build so I'm a bit confused. Can anyone chime in on this? Thanks!

 

[TR3driver]

The cast bosses were added to the intake manifold very early on (IIRC even some late TR3A/B had them), but not used until TR4A. Later TR4 had a very simple control for crankcase fumes, just a pipe from the rocker cover out to the air filters; with no connection to the intake manifold.

Looking at the SPC, it appears the plug was fitted from CT14234E onwards. So I think that means your car should have the plug; and the other manifold is from an earlier engine. But either would work fine.

 

[ghawk16]

OK. I'll plan to use the one with the plug. I know I have the breather oil cap and on the opposite side of the engine the pipe that comes out of the block and points towards the ground. I really need to get pics on here of work I've done on the car. Need to make some cool before and after pictures.

 

[Vila]

ghawk16.

First, I agree with TR3Drivers comments.

When you mention the part on the passenger side of the engine compartment that has the long hose going to it, you may also be talking about a "Power Stop" Vacuum Serv, which is a Triumph accessory listed in the Triumph 20 TR4 Spare Parts Catalogue. Moss still lists them in there catalogue and calls them a Moto-Vac. They are supposed to add power brakes to a TR4.

The large indent on the back side of the right inner fender is there to accommodate this unit if installed, but very few cars had Power Stop units.

This thing is a remotely mounted brake vacuum assist unit that was mounted on the front side of the right side footwell in the engine compartment. A shorter brake line was used that when from the master cylinder to the front side of the vacuum unit and then another line goes from the unit to the five way brake hydraulic connector mounted on the frame to the right of the engine. The large vacuum hose runs from the vacuum unit to the intake manifold. The only photo I have ever seen of one mounted on a car had the vacuum hose connected to the intake on the back slanted side of that center piece of your intake manifold. It looked like they drilled and tapped the manifold and added a brass nipple to connect the hose.

 

[ghawk16]

Thanks Vila. I'm positive mine didn't come with that. Just trying to use the right part that came with the car. Problem is...I just don't know as my grandpa had a spare set of intake/exhaust manifolds and SU's. Did he take them off? Did he buy them just in case? I just don't know. But I do know the exhaust manifold that was on the car had one broken stud. And the one off the car the studs are all completely rusted. Ahhhh...the fun of a resto. I don't know how you guys do it all including the body work.

 

[TR3driver]

Back before the Internet, used TR parts (and new for that matter) were surprisingly hard to come by. And if you did find used parts, usually they were pretty cheap because no one else wanted them. So it made a lot of sense to stash away what you could find, if there was any chance you would need it. Even if you didn't need it, someone else might and maybe you could trade them for what you needed. Besides, it was a shame (still is) to let good parts go to the scrap yard.

I'll admit, I've taken this principle to extremes over the past 40+ years; I've got enough parts stashed away to build at least two more cars (except for the bodies). Of course the parts don't necessarily match, but if I needed a "wrong" part to keep my current car on the road, I wouldn't hesitate to use it. I'm no purist anyway, it's got TR6 wheels and a gearbox built from parts of at least 3 different cars (TR4 OD & gearset, TR6 housing, TR3 top cover).

 

[ghawk16]

HAHA...that's funny. I was having this conversation with my dad and he was like "ohhhh, i bet finding parts for this car is tough." I told him it was tough to find original parts, but there are PLENTY of places on the internet to find parts now but some parts are just impossible to source. Kind of like early TR4 visor brackets. Ooooh, those were costly!