Drivetrain
The primary objective of the restoration was
to improve the TR6 with modern components. The primer was
to have a TR6 that would be dependable enough to go anywhere
at the drop of a hat. "Can't be done", you say. Read
on...
The original engine was in decent shape,
having undergone a some sort of rebuild at one time.
However, there was no way of knowing what was really overhauled.
I was particularly concerned with the head. In order to
run unleaded fuel, hardened valve seats are a must.
Skipping this step will eventually lead to valve recession and
this is something I'd rather not have to deal with.
Another point of concern were the carbs.
Two Zenith's came with the car, however they would more than
likely require a costly overhaul. I have messed with
Zenith's before and quite frankly they did not impress me.
In my experience getting them dialed in was not worth the
hassle.
To put the icing on the cake, the TR6 came
with the plain 4 speed gearbox. Not having overdrive in
this day and age is not acceptable. Running the TR6 at
speed in 4th makes the engine run at high RPM's. Maybe
this was something cool 30 years ago, but today this just won't
fly.
A Solution is Found
As others have done, a possible alternative
would be
V8 power. For me that was not an option due to the extra
weight. The mass of a V8 would upset the handling and balance
of the TR6 and this was not something I was willing to give up.
After some careful consideration a decision was made to use
the Chevrolet 60 degree V6 (RPO L32) as fitted to the Fourth Generation Camaro.
Better yet the engine comes with a Borg-Warner/Tremec T5 5-speed gearbox
(RPO MM5).
After a little searching, the donor engine was
found. It came from a 1995 Camaro that had been hit in the
back. The engine, gearbox, wiring harness and Powertrain
Control Module (PCM) were purchased for a little under $1000.
For this price, it is hard to consider anything else. The
donor car had a little over 57,000 miles on the clock and after
some Gunk and fresh paint the engine and transmission looked as
good as new.
Please click on the links at the right for
more specific info on each component...
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