Triumph Thrust Washer Story Page 1

During the month of August 1998, after some serious searching, I purchased a car that I had always wanted to own. It was a very well cared for 1976 Triumph TR6, with only around 38,000 accumulated miles. I found this car advertised on The Vintage Triumph Registry web page classified ad section. After several e-mail messages and telephone calls to the owner, I decided to drive the 300+ miles to Kentucky to take a better look at the car.

Upon arrival, I spent my time to thoroughly inspect the car inside and out, and was very happy with everything that was accessable from the outside of the car. The car appeared to be very original, and well cared for. Overall, the car fit the owners description very well, and my trip didn't appear to be a waste of time.

The owner described the car with around 38,000 original miles on it, and I believed him after seeing how well preserved the car was. Of course, there are some drawbacks to buying a twenty-two year old car with low miles, because it had obviously been stored frequently during its life, and some parts age over time, whether the car has been driven or not. These items would be coolant hoses, fan belts, tires, plug wires, and hydraulic seals that have a tendancy to dry out and crack, especially if they haven't been used on a regular basis. But I felt those disadvantages could be easily dealt with.

Once I had visually inspected the car, it was time to take it for a test drive. The owner had told me the starter had been giving him some trouble from time to time, and sure enough when we tried starting the car, it wouldn't respond to the turn of the key. He got out of the car and opened up the trunk to remove a small ballpeen hammer. He then opened the bonnet and told me to tap on the starter with the hammer while he turned the ignition key. Many buyers might walk away at this point, but since I had my share of experience with Lucas electrics, this didn't seem to be at all out of the ordinary to me. Sure enough, the starter responded to my whacking of the hammer, and the engine started right up. I knew the starter was a simple fix, so I proceeded with the test drive.

I glanced at the tail pipe, and didn't notice any blue smoke, and the engine idled smoothly and quietly, emitting the unmistakable engine sound that so many TR6 fans have fallen in love with over the years. I got into the drivers seat, and could tell right away that this car was a good fit for me. Upon take-off the car responded exactly as it should, and after shifting through the gears I could tell that it seemed reasonably tight and had a very nice throttle response. The overdrive operated fine, and the rear end didn't have any clunking that would be the result of worn out u-joints. When coming to a stop the car did not make any ugly sounds, and it came to a straight stop. Other than a few rock chips, older tires, and the need for some minor refurbishing, I knew this car and I could become fast friends. After the usual haggling over the asking price, I paid the bill and loaded my prized possession onto the trailer, and headed for home.

The Story of the Triumph TR6 Solid Alloy Crankshaft Thrust Washer Developement

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The Thrust Washer Blues

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Caution: This is a long story - read at your own risk