Having spent an entire year blowing head gaskets on the TR3A, I am now
seeking to rebuild the engine into a more bullet proof version. I had
a TR3 block with non-chamfered stud holes, and by the end of the year I
had added 4 more cracks to the stud holes to the one I started with. I
am switching to a TR4 block, which has chamfered holes. It has one
crack in the drivers side front hole (nearest the water pump). My
machine shop guy says that based on my (bad) experiences, he'd like to
drill it out and put an insert in it. Is this a good idea?
I bought some new racing liners from BFE, and they protruded .0075" (or
so, more than .006" but not .008".) Looking for a solution other than
taking .004" off the top of the liners led me to measure the thickness
of the figure 8 gaskets at his shop. The "stock" copper version (if
they are indeed copper) measured out at .017" thick and some new shiny,
silver ones apparently from Moss Motors measured out at .014". I
didn't have any of the non-shiny ones from BFE with me but they are
about the same as the stock copper ones. Does anybody have some
specific information on this and possibly other "undersized" figure 8
gaskets? Couldn't we make some "custom" thickness gaskets rather than
machine liners, especially in light of the recent discussion on a zero
tolerance engine. I imagine, that in a $$ no object situation, with
Carillo Rods and custom pistons, we could machine the block true
removing .004" or .005" and take the same off the pistons, then use
thinner figure 8's to make it work. Then again, I don't have the $$. I
spent it all on head gaskets!
Bob Kramer, Austin TX
Hill Country Triumph Club
TR6x3, TR250 x3, TR3A vintage race
rgk@flash.net
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