Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Having just completed the Liege - Brescia - Liege rally, (just over 2,000 miles of rally plus another 800 miles getting to Liege and back and during which the car performed nigh on faultlessly), I went out the garage this afternoon to start it up to warm it through preparatory to adjusting the tappets etc., only for it to start spitting (no - pouring!) coolant out through the overflow pipe.  Bugger!

Does anyone have any suggestions about what it could be apart from a blown head gasket?

At least it waited until I got home.

Rgds Ian

PS In addition to a couple of track tests on a Kart track - all performed in 2nd gear with the engine revving quite hard the rally included crossing both the Stelvio and Gavio passes both ways and at no time during any of this did the engine even overheat.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Ian

i think the expression is 

oh bu@@er

 

i used this kit on both my sp250 (ok) and TR3 as soon as it was delivered home (not ok)

 BLOCK HEAD GASKET  TESTER KIT COMBUSTION LEAK  PETROL DIESEL  FX53 KIT 100ml 2d https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F273012206758

 

you could have mine but I’m not passing. Happy to post tomorrow if it helps ?

H

Edited by Hamish
Sp
Link to post
Share on other sites

I already have a gas testing kit Hamish thanks, so I have just done a test and the answer was 'Nada'  the liquid stayed resolutely blue.  I will do another test tomorrow to see if I get the same result and if I do carry on as before.

Rgds Ian

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Ian, last week in France with temps up to 32 I noticed after a motorway run that the overflow bottle had filled up and just overflowed. I thought probably because it was already half full which has been fine in UK but not enough space for a greater expansion. Anyway I checked the system out and noticed some bubbles in the pipe from rad to bottle, then looked at rad cap and found a small split in the big rubber washer which is the main cap seal. Rotated seal to a different position and no more overflowing, so check the cap out. 

Chris 

Link to post
Share on other sites

^ +1 Good point from Chris, unexplained overheating always check out the rad cap.

Mick Richards 

Link to post
Share on other sites
17 hours ago, Ian Vincent said:

Having just completed the Liege - Brescia - Liege rally, (just over 2,000 miles of rally plus another 800 miles getting to Liege and back and during which the car performed nigh on faultlessly), I went out the garage this afternoon to start it up to warm it through preparatory to adjusting the tappets etc., only for it to start spitting (no - pouring!) coolant out through the overflow pipe.  Bugger!

Does anyone have any suggestions about what it could be apart from a blown head gasket?

At least it waited until I got home.

Rgds Ian

PS In addition to a couple of track tests on a Kart track - all performed in 2nd gear with the engine revving quite hard the rally included crossing both the Stelvio and Gavio passes both ways and at no time during any of this did the engine even overheat.

Ian,

really hope its the rad cap,  you would take that as a cure, but my question

I've always done my tappets cold on my TR, you do them hot? whats the thinking?

John.

Link to post
Share on other sites
47 minutes ago, John Morrison said:

Ian,

really hope its the rad cap,  you would take that as a cure, but my question

I've always done my tappets cold on my TR, you do them hot? whats the thinking?

John.

Hi John,

I do them hot because the instructions that came with the cam said that’s how they should be done. 14 thou inlet and 16 thou exhaust. 

Rgds Ian

Link to post
Share on other sites
14 minutes ago, John Morrison said:

Ah, understod Ian, you have something hot in there!

or to put it another way - we are both correct!

Thanks,

John.

Not particularly hot John, it's a Newman PH1 cam but it is slightly higher lift than the standard.

Rgds Ian

Link to post
Share on other sites

I wonder if anybody has done some convincing tests on the Hot/Cold tappet adjustment.

Clearly the push rods must expand with the heating - How much !!

As the rod expands the gap reduces and this will advance the valve opening.

The valve timing for the PH1 is set at 108 degrees (I think) and needs to be set with all the slop removed.  

So, what does every thou of rod extension do to the base timing of 108'?.  What happens to the performance?

 

I wish I was clever

 

Roger

Link to post
Share on other sites
1 hour ago, RogerH said:

I wonder if anybody has done some convincing tests on the Hot/Cold tappet adjustment.

Clearly the push rods must expand with the heating - How much !!

As the rod expands the gap reduces and this will advance the valve opening.

The valve timing for the PH1 is set at 108 degrees (I think) and needs to be set with all the slop removed.  

So, what does every thou of rod extension do to the base timing of 108'?.  What happens to the performance?

 

I wish I was clever

 

Roger

And of course the camshaft grows etc, etc that's why the camfollowers should be set hot when everything has grown/taken up clearances, that's what counts when you are running. I think we can take it as read that camshaft grinding  firms have puzzled and worked out the various expansions and contractions of heat caused performance change and grind and give fitting instructions accordingly.

Mick Richards 

Edited by Motorsport Mickey
Link to post
Share on other sites

An update.

I topped the radiator back up until the coolant level was just covering the base of the neck extension and carried out a gas test - the result was negative, the liquid stayed resolutely blue.  So then I did the few odd jobs that I intended to do when I started it yesterday and went for a drive around the block, about 5 miles.

The engine was as smooth as silk and pulled really well until suddenly about a mile from home the temperature started to climb. By the time I got home it had stabilised but it was still up above 185 degrees which is unusual.  When I had the car in the garage, I removed the radiator cap (slowly) and found a lot of foam.  So I suspect that's the head gasket gone

Bugger!

Rgds Ian

Link to post
Share on other sites

You are probably right Ian.

Think positive: this is an excellent opportunity to service items like carburettors and cooling system.

Cheers,

Waldi

Link to post
Share on other sites
10 hours ago, Waldi said:

You are probably right Ian.

Think positive: this is an excellent opportunity to service items like carburettors and cooling system.

Cheers,

Waldi

Thank you for those positive thoughts Waldi. In return can I offer you a positive ‘on the job’ learning experience on replacing a TR3a head gasket? 

Rgds Ian 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Please familiarise yourself with our Terms and Conditions. By using this site, you agree to the following: Terms of Use.