water in bores

[hot-growler]

Hello Gentleman (and ladies)

I have a problem, well a good friend has, and it is a mk4 spitfire. I don't have any access to spitfire sites, and as it is just a baby tr6 in disguise, I thought I'd post here.

He is struggling with masses of water in oil. Moved car yesterday around garage. Looses water into the engine as quick as he can fill the cooling system. Lifted head today and all 4 bores were pretty full.

He and I have no idea what is going on.

Any ideas?

Thanks as always.

[peejay4A]

Head gasket kaput.

[Waldi]

Most likely a head gasket.

But since all four had water, which is a bit unusual: was cooling system drained before loosening the head bolts?

Any signs on the gasket that water was passing to the oil channels?

[hot-growler]

was a new gasket, so no suggestions of any long term leaks.

[Motorsport Mickey]

If it's a new gasket and the head was torqued down correctly then the head is warped. Check it roughly with a steel rule and see if you can get more than a 2 thou feeler at most under it anywhere.

 

Mick Richards

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

There are two design types of head gasket like a TR6 has, which are not interchangeable.

You need to quote the engine number to get the correct type.

If you have a smooth top to the block, use the gasket without the tag, if you have a groove around each bore on the top of the block use the gasket with a 'TAG' at the rear.

 

Item 29 on this page of the catalogue wot i rote.

http://www.moss-europe.co.uk/shop-by-model/triumph/spitfire/engine/cylinder-head-fittings/cylinder-head-4e3d03.html

 

Peter W

[RogerH]

If it is a 'new' head gasket was the head re-torqued sown some time after fitting.?

 

Roger

[hot-growler]

roger, yes, the head was torqued and re torqued. think he got his values wrong, ft/lb for Nm or something like that.

Think the 4 bores full of water is a red herring. Suspect residual water in head ended up in the block when seal is broken.

there is a problem, but not a catastrophic one as compressions were all up.

Conclusion is there is a leak (probably head gasket) draining water into sump.

Great advice.

never thought of residual water in head.

[Nick Jones]

If it's a new head gasket then it's probably the wrong one.

 

Some 1300s and all (I think) 1500s had block faces with recesses around the bores and the gaskets had thicker fire rings to fill this. Earlier 1300s had flat blocks and gaskets to suit. Exactly the same situation exists for the 6 cylinder cars.

 

The gaskets look very similar and do physically fit. If the gasket for a flat block is fitted to a recessed block then what you describe is one of the likely effects.

 

Gaskets for recessed blocks have a tag which is supposed to stick out of the back of the head/block joint, though it is also possible, but incorrect to fit it the other way round to the tag stick out at the front where it is not easily seen. If you have a recessed block and a gasket with no tab, your problem is found and should be easily solved with the right gasket.

 

Nick

[Andy Moltu]

Spits are like 6s some have grooves (recesses) on the block to accommodate a thicker ring around the cylinder bore that is built into the head gasket.

Fit one of those gaskets to a block that doesn't have the grooves and the head won't pull down far enough to seal around the waterways. Usuallpiddles out when you refill it with water.

 

Fit a flat gasket to a recessed block and the gasket will blow pretty quickly.