Final Inspection – Preparing the Triumph TR3A for Birmingham NEC Auction

Our in-house restoration technician John has been hard at work getting the 1958 Triumph TR3A ready for its date across the auction block at this years Birmingham NEC Auction.

Upon inspection, it was found that the front main oil seal, sump gasket and the timing cover gaskets were weeping slightly and would need to be replaced. Methodically, John worked through each component carefully to gain access to the affected parts. The entire front valance and radiator needed to be removed due to their proximity to the crank pulley which needs to be removed.

Along with that, quite a bit of the car’s wiring needed to be disconnected in order to safely remove the front valance to gain access. This was also carefully logged and noted for the reinstallation of the components. John carefully catalogued and stored every fixing and bracket to ensure everything went back as it should.

With the front end of the car and the oil pan removed, John could now begin the task of assessing, cleaning and preparing the surfaces for their new gaskets and seals. A crucial process to ensure the best fit and seal for the new gaskets. With the new set of gaskets and seals in place, John refitted the covers and made sure the main oil seal was seated correctly and tight in the crank seal before beginning the process to get the whole car back together.

During that, John also rerouted some of the necessary cables and wires which had been worked on by a previous garage prior to us working on the car to ensure the safety and ease of maintenance were all correct as they should have been.

Once back together, the car was run up to temperature after refilling all the vital fluids such as coolant and oil to ensure that the engine was happy and the car would be in the best condition for its lucky new owner.