2.5Pi Mk1 Restoration

[2SwissTriumphs]

Ok, next update. I´ve removed the master cylinders, servo and the clutch slave cylinder too. Unsurprisingly their condition is not good after a 29-year slumber and the master cylinders will need to be replaced or sleeved. The servo is full of fluid but could be rebuilt if I can find a kit to do so.

I´ve also started to remove body trim and both the windscreens, taking great care not to bend any of the stainless parts !

Slowly making my way towards a bare shell. Could be a while yet though.

Regards,
Martin.

[2SwissTriumphs]

A pleasant few evenings have been spent this week removing the remaining stainless trim sections from the exterior and starting to strip out the interior, in preparation for body repairs.

I´ve also been busy hunting for hydraulic repair kits. So far i´ve managed to source a replacement clutch slave cylinder and a repair kit for the brake master cylinder, which after much honing, looks to have survived !
The clutch master cylinder is also serviceable after a good hone but so far, no luck in finding a repair kit. I did think it might be the same as Stag but I now suspect this might not be true. Hopefully a contact I made this week will be able to supply such a repair kit as well as a diaphragm and a repair kit for the servo cylinder.

Regards,
Martin.

[TRPi]

Also, i´ve repaired the Pi steering wheel I have (which will replace the 2000 item currently fitted) by hand-forming some brass rivets to hold the centre and rim together. Then the rim has a hard rubber profile bonded onto it which will be sanded into a circular form. Once this has been over-layered with dense foam and trimmed in leather, the wheel should appear standard but will have a slightly thicker rim.

Martin, you have a PM.

Cheers,
JS

[englishbull]

Hi Martin

just a quick question..................what rev counter is fitted in your PI?..................am thinking of fitting one into the PI when I convert to MOD.........

Very forward thinking of Triumph to add this feature on the dash..........

[TRPi]

Hello.

In my LHD Mk1 Pi, there is no rev counter. (Original factory specification included a special speed limiting rotor arm in the ignition distributor. I found one NOS item in Ebay/USA!).

Anyway, in my old and sold Triumph 2000 Mk2 saloon I had same aftermarket VDO rev counter model that Martin has on top of the facia in one of his photos (, I guess):

DSCF3158.JPG (21.96 KiB) Viewed 10993 times

I would like to get a 52mm/2 inch contemporary rev counter, but I haven't found any VDO, Smiths or Jaeger that would fit and look good in a 1968-69 Triumph Mk1 Pi. (There are quite many available in size 80mm.)

I guess this doesn't help much. However, let me know if you find some solution.

JS

[englishbull]

Hello.

In my LHD Mk1 Pi, there is no rev counter. (Original factory specification included a special speed limiting rotor arm in the ignition distributor. I found one NOS item in Ebay/USA!).

Anyway, in my old and sold Triumph 2000 Mk2 saloon I had same aftermarket VDO rev counter model that Martin has on top of the facia in one of his photos (, I guess):

DSCF3158.JPG

I would like to get a 52mm/2 inch contemporary rev counter, but I haven't found any VDO, Smiths or Jaeger that would fit and look good in a 1968-69 Triumph Mk1 Pi. (There are quite many available in size 80mm.)

I guess this doesn't help much. However, let me know if you find some solution.

JS

Hi if you look at Martins picture...........

the rev counter is mounted on the dash and ALL MK1's have this blanked off. This is where the works cars fitted them and that is what I was referring to.

As you rightly say NO MK1 PI's had a factory fitted rev counter.

And do not want to sound off putting but the limiting rotor arms that were fitted where often removed due to arcing problems.

Lee

[TRPi]

Ok, Lee. I have never been in the backside of facia. Thus, I have no idea what blanked area we are talking of. My idea of rev counter is to have it always visible for the driver. The VDO item (my guess) is quite well positioned on top of the facia. (In the photo, the central lockup or radio equipment has been removed with the gear lever surroundings.)

Yes, speed limiting rotor arms gave problems. That's why I will put it in place and show it to purists only on special occasions.

Let's hear Martin's comments.

JS

[2SwissTriumphs]

Hi chaps - thanks for the comments.

I still have the limiting rotor arm in my distributor. I overhauled the unit at the start of the restoration with the idea of getting the car running briefly to check engine condition. This idea was later abandoned due to the poor condition of the fuel system.

As for the rev counter, I will take some closer pictures and measurements for you fellas. My Boss´ Mk1 Pi also has a rev counter fitted in a pod in the same position but I think it is a different model. I wonder if they might have been fitted by the Swiss importer when the cars were new ?

More information coming soon.

Regards,
Martin.

[TedTaylor]

On my early Mk1 saloon I have made up a cowl similar in style from the front to the 'works' things but in aluminium sheet covered in leathercloth and flat at the back. Have then an option for a good oil pressure gauge as well as the 4" rev counter.

In the Mk1 PI estate Henry Bevan in the mid '90s changed the multi gauge for a later style rev counter that matches the speedo and put 2" instruments in a row on the centre console.

This I did not want because it was not a period (1960s or even 1970s) mod and as I am trying to get the car back to its 1969 spec I acquired a multi gauge from Colin Radford and changed it back, sorting out some lethal wiring in the process that was done to make the conversion.

Into a period two instrument mounting plate I have fitted:
1. A period (1968) Yazaki 2" rev counter. Many do not realise this is absolutely correct for 1968 because a 4" one was fitted by either BMC Special Tuning at Longbridge or Janspeed into by Landcrab NAM (see my signature for details) for the 1968 London to Sydney.
2. A 2" full scale oil pressure gauge

The plate is mounted out of the way on the parcel shelf below and just to the left of the steering column. Not in a direct line of sight, and I found the Yazaki difficult to read. I therefore have a acquired a 2" Lucas rev counter which is much better in this location, and am swapping it with the Yazaki which is now surplus to requirements and which would be fine if mounted in a more obvious place. These rev counters took me a long time to find and were not cheap

If could find one I would like to convert the dizzy back to the rev limiter type for originality but still retain the tucked away rev counter (and oil pressure gauge) as an engine preserving measure!

I'll post some photos tomorrow to show the two set ups.

MUT

[TRPi]

Some photographic memories

Old VDO rev counter on top of facia

1967 RAC Pi rally car dashboard. Bad scan from a faximile copy!