RogerH Posted December 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2017 Hi Barry, thanks for that. That gives me an idea. I'll be back Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John L Posted December 4, 2017 Report Share Posted December 4, 2017 What about a simple slide hammer like, https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5pc-DENT-PULLER-KIT-SLIDE-HAMMER-bearing-hub-gear/401363650381?epid=2255315433&hash=item5d7323474d:m:msejqcxV1caNGTiESWx1HpQ Or make your own with a lump of steel with a rod with a nut on the end? John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
peejay4A Posted December 4, 2017 Report Share Posted December 4, 2017 Space is very tight with the engine in situ. The solution will need to be an elegant one, not least making the first puncture in the blanking plug. If anyone can solve it, it’s Roger. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BarryG Posted December 4, 2017 Report Share Posted December 4, 2017 John Not sure if you would be able to get a slide hammer in with the engine still in the car. Barry Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted December 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2017 (edited) Hi Pete, for every good idea there are dozens of dis-functional prototypes - you should see in the corner of my garage. Easy enough to drill a hole (right angle drill) but could be fun with the swarf. Magnetise the drill bit wil catch most particles. Adjacent vacuum cleaner nozzle for some swarf. I am sure that some swarf will escape. How good is the pump gauze !!! The filter should stop anything harmful. Weld a stud onto the plug, but not a lot of room. 1" diameter 'easy- out' And it is only Monday Roger Edited December 4, 2017 by RogerH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paul J Posted December 4, 2017 Report Share Posted December 4, 2017 I chose punching a hole for that reason Roger the thought of swarf getting in the sump, I ended up dropping the sump anyway. Hot work is restricted with access and also the fuel piping to consider. Something along the lines of those plaster board fixings may work, the sort that spread their wings after penetration. Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted December 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2017 Hi Paul, I had considered something like a Rawl bolt for holding machinery down in concrete - expanding with gripping edges. I need to get psych'd up before destroying the engine. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lebro Posted December 4, 2017 Report Share Posted December 4, 2017 Just wait until the next time you pull the engine out. Probably won't be long Bob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted December 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2017 Hi Bob, I had planned to do it this winter but too many tings to do have stopped me. One of the things is now not happening so there would have been time but I'm not in the right frame of mind now. If I can do it insitu then I will attempt it, but it needs to be a fairly rigorous plan. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lebro Posted December 4, 2017 Report Share Posted December 4, 2017 (edited) I was with you with the rawlbolt idea, had thought of that, but they don't expand very much, & might just pull through the hole. To make the hole you would need a sharp point, followed by a tapering rod - bit like a centre punch but more tapered. You can get metal sprung plaster board fixings which would open up behind the plug, but are they man enough ? I have a slide hammer which comes with various end fixings, including a large self tap type screw - maybe that could be fixed to something else - a crowbar maybe to pull the plug out. Bob. P.S. how about a coach screw - tapered coarse self tap type tread, with a hexagon head you could pull out with a crowbar. Edited December 4, 2017 by Lebro Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted December 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2017 Hi Bob, indeed the Rawl bolt would need modifying. Lots to think about. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob Salisbury Posted December 4, 2017 Report Share Posted December 4, 2017 Hi Roger, I gave up the in situ removal of this plug for all the reasons above, ... there just isn't enough room, and a partial fail could go seriously wrong, ... I did have one idea involving the removal of both engine mounts and (hanging from a hoist/beam whatever), canting the engine over towards the off-side, but never followed this through, instead, initially as a temporary measure, I threw away the PCV and fed a catch tank from the rocker cover spigot, been working like that for a couple of years and catches a watery/oily acidic gunge that I'm really glad is not being fed back through the engine!! Cheers Rob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted December 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2017 Hi Rob, my investigations may well end up the same way. And as you say getting it half way out and then failing is not a good position to be in. I also have the catch tank feeding from the rocker cover. It does the job very well but is not ideal. I have a plan forming that involves an angle drill, scissor jack, a sharp spikey thing with four raised flutes, a rawl bolt, ouija board and a dowsing twig. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paul J Posted December 4, 2017 Report Share Posted December 4, 2017 Hi Rob, my investigations may well end up the same way. And as you say getting it half way out and then failing is not a good position to be in. I also have the catch tank feeding from the rocker cover. It does the job very well but is not ideal. I have a plan forming that involves an angle drill, scissor jack, a sharp spikey thing with four raised flutes, a rawl bolt, ouija board and a dowsing twig. Roger Roger behind the core plug is a right angled return port to the sump, this is enclosed so you could use the rear of the port for jacking against, I would think a 60mm long coach bolt through the core plug would bottom out and Jack the plug out. Easy in theory. One of those square headed wood coach bolts which are self tapping. Just another thought. Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted December 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2017 (edited) Hi Paul, that is useful info. I didn't know the hole was sort of blind. I had a couple of spare engines that would have been useful to study but I gave them away a couple of years back. Roger Edited December 4, 2017 by RogerH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paul J Posted December 4, 2017 Report Share Posted December 4, 2017 Hi Paul, that is useful info. I didn't know the hole was sort of blind. I had a couple of spare engines that would have been useful to study but I gave them away a couple of years back. Roger Yes Roger the tube return to the sump is smaller than the core plug diameter so removal of the plug from inside is a no no, i removed my sump thinking it would be easy to remove from within. Another reason why I'm not too concerned about leaving the old plug in for awhile, it can't obstruct anything and the sump is breathing naturally, it may also act as an oil mist baffle collecting any oil before getting to the hose. Im convinced. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted December 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2017 Hi Paul, it would be good practice to remove the plug but as long as you have a decent hole to breath through then it is functional. Lots to think about. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
graeme Posted December 5, 2017 Report Share Posted December 5, 2017 (edited) Roger, When I was considering doing this, I thought an internal pipe wrench might work. The plug has an internal dia. which I can't remember now, which should accept the wrench. Before I could find the correct size wrench, I had to take the engine out due to to cam failure, so I removed the plug then. https://www.zoro.com/general-internal-pipe-wrench-set-38-to-1-cap-1394/i/G1325983/ Good luck Graeme Edited December 5, 2017 by graeme Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted December 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2017 (edited) Hi Graeme, they look tasty. I'll have look to see if they in the UK Roger PS - a quick look on ebay shows they are all int he USA - I do more searching. Edited December 5, 2017 by RogerH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Z320 Posted December 5, 2017 Report Share Posted December 5, 2017 (edited) Sorry me to be honest, I guess this tool does not work on a core plug. It is not to a tool to pull and if it would be, a core plug is not deep enought to stick the tool in. Ciao Marco Edited December 5, 2017 by Z320 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted December 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2017 Hi Marco, thanks for that. So that is part of the investigations done. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Motorsport Mickey Posted December 5, 2017 Report Share Posted December 5, 2017 Roger, That tool works by expanding the inner wall outwards, on the block core plug the lip of the plug also points outwards and so if used when you tightened the tool up it would compress the lip on the core plug against the block and make it tighter. I carried out a search using the usefully supplied search box above ? are any of the 72 posts going back to 2005 any help to you ? especially Stuarts post about how to remove them ?.... Gold for the price of Silver. http://www.tr-register.co.uk/forums/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=search&andor_type=&sid=186bc97f907a90b40d6ab41e354170b0&search_app_filters[forums][sortKey]=date&search_app_filters[forums][sortKey]=date&search_term=Engine+core+plug&search_app=forums&st=50 Mick Richards Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted December 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2017 Hi Mick, thanks for that. The post from TR4Tony regarding using the fuel pump location rather than remove the core plug is a thought. Lots to consider. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted December 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2017 Hi Folks, had a nice Friday Night NLG Christmas party and ended up chatting about the oil consumption. I'm amazed that so many people are having trouble with oil consumption on one way or another. The idea of using the mechanical fuel pump orifice is a no no. Probably suck the engine dry !!!! High street garages can remove the breather core plug in a few minutes - this may be useful. Since removing the PCV oil usage has reduced significantly (it may actually be filling up now ) On another side I have noted #3 sparky is quite sooty compared to the others. So I have decided to attack it sideways on - replace the coil I've fitted an oil filled 'flame Thrower' purchased from the dizzy Doc. The idea being that the higher spark volts may help to keep the plug clean. I could have fitted a different grade of [plug but that is not half as interesting. If the plug keeps getting sooty then I may go to the next millstone and consider valve stem seals on the inlets. Did about 250 miles yesterday up to Merves funeral and back and the engine went very well. During the summer the engine was pinking a fair bit so I back off the static timing on the dizzy. Don;t know what to but stopped when the pinking disappeared. The pinking may well have been caused by the oil consumption issue. So yesterday at some time I gave the sparks a bit of advance. Re-checked it this morning with my Gunson ray gun cum timing light and it was spot on 10' BDTC. So the pinking is sorted, the oil is beginning to look good and I now have sparks that you could read a book by - 2018 is looking good. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BarryG Posted December 9, 2017 Report Share Posted December 9, 2017 Hi Roger As you know I ditched the PCV valve a few weeks ago and ran a hose to a plastic milk bottle alongside the radiator. I experienced an immediate improvement in tickover (more consistant) comfortably ticks over between 600 - 700. This week I have ditched the milk bottle in favour of drilling the airfilter tops and inserting 2 x 90 degree plastic elbows, these are connected to the rocker box take off via a 'Y' splitter. This I think is copying the TR4 venting method, in fact your photo you posted previously of your TR4 gave me the idea. All I ever got in the redundant milk bottle was water, I have been wondering if this has basically been condensation maybe mixed in with a bit of oil fumes. I strongly think this is probably down to the engine getting hot and then cold, as did the old fashioned single glazed windows. Whilst I havent done the mileage you have I think I may be on target in halving my oil consumption which I am pleased about. I have ordered the core plug remover I mentioned previously from the US which is still in transit, if when I receive it, this may become my Christmas break job, in between the turkey and mince pies ;-) As regards the colour of my plugs, I have been running a Petronix system with a Flame Thrower coil. I set my plugs to a wider gap as somebody on this forum has mentioned you get a fatter spark. It certainly helped my plug colour. As this oil consumption issue seems to have affected so many members, I have been wondering if it would be worth conducting some sort of survey. Maybe if all the right questions were asked the answers would help others. eg. What is your oil consumption over 1000 miles? Do you have a PCV valve? If not how is the rocker box vented? Do you have a crankcase breather? Has there been any modifications to the engine etc skimmed head, fast cam etc etc I appreciate that the TR4 and TR4A left the factory with certain configurations, however over the years many users have made numerous changes. I believe with Google you can set up a questionnaire and just publish a link to it. The replies may then give us a definative solution. Sorry to waffle on. Barry Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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