Steering column and handbrake grommets?

I’ve noticed that my car has two large holes in the drivers footwell where the steering column and the hand brake cable pass into the engine bay. Neither has a grommet or any form of blanking plate. What’s the preferred solution for blocking them up to prevent fumes etc?

Also when replacing the Thackeray washers and o-rings I noticed there wasn’t any form of gasket between the air box and the carbs (Webbers) … is this normal?

Thanks,

James

The steering column hole should have a plate on the engine side that holds a piece of rubber to the body. I think this has been discussed before and it is a standard Triumph (Herald?) part. The rubber forms a seal around the column.
My handbrake is a ‘close fit’ through the hole in the bulkhead as it is a DIY conversion to RHD but I imagine it should have a grommet :question:
The air box back plate to carb joint has no seals, but you could use a petrol-proof sealant if necessary. The air box itself should have a sealing strip to make an air- (and fuel-) tight joint to the back plate - see section EJ of the Parts List. If it doesn’t then there’s probably little gain in sealing the back plate to the carbs… :wink:

:arrow_right: Matthew

The plate and seal are standard Herald/Spitfire items. I bought mine from Rimmer Bros, but will not fit it until the engine comes out. The lower steering shaft will need to be disconnected in order to fit the parts ? a real PITA. rimmerbros.co.uk/rimmer/triu … e/steering

As a temporary (or maybe permanent) measure I have wrapped a piece of felt around the shaft from the inside and glued it to the bulkhead. This stops any ingress of fumes.

Regarding the hand brake cable ? my car has a nice grommet, but other cables don?t ? speedo cable, for instance. My solution for all other possible passages of fumes from the engine bay is to use DumDum and spray it with a light coating of satin black paint.

Brian Clarke
(1972 Sprint)

Thanks chaps! :smiley: