Hi! It has been many years since I used to drive a TC. I was under the
impression that my TC had 13:1 compression. Am I dreaming, has senility set in?
The car was modified for racing, used a Laystall Aluminum Head, and when racing
ran on "fuel". I was also told the car crossed the finish line doing 105 mph.
Should I research my story better, or is all this possible. I never raced it but
it sure was fast! Too fast, while going through a tight S bend on the way home,
I gather the oil sloshed the wrong way, the pump starved, and the rod knocked. A
divorce forced the sale and I never got to see it repaired. Ric.
Lawrie Alexander wrote:
> Dick,
>
> Thicker-than-stock gaskets for XPAG/XPEG engines are not readily available,
> unfortunately.
>
> Even using Premium gas, it's not wise to go over 9 to 1 compression (about
> 160 lbs. cranking pressure, typically) with a cast-iron head and the
> relatively primitive combustion chamber shapes found in Ts, As, Bs and
> Midgets. The almost inevitable pinging will eventually destroy the rod
> bearings or even crack a piston.
>
> I've used two head gaskets in many engines, without problems. Of course,
> it's sensible to use new head studs as well, to coat both gaskets with
> Copper-Kote and to be very sure to re-torque as soon as the engine reaches
> operating temperature, then again after about a dozen starts and stops of
> the engine.
>
> I also make it a habit to torque any head down when I first install it, then
> re-torque it just before I start the engine. It's surprising how much even a
> single head gasket will compress under initial torque and the second
> go-round always gets some additional movement on the head nuts. Better to
> spend a few moments re-torquing than to blow the gasket on start-up!
>
> Lawrie
> British Sportscar Center
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dick Dell <rddell@mindspring.com>
> To: Bob Peck <bobpeck@mother.com>; mg-t@autox.team.net <mg-t@autox.team.net>
> Date: Sunday, June 27, 1999 6:53 AM
> Subject: Re: overheating TF
>
> >At 04:47 PM 6/26/99 -0700, you wrote:
> >
> >> I am using two <gaskets> as previous owner apparrently milled the head to
> >>increase compression to about 9.6 to 1.
> >>
> >
> >Bob,
> >
> >Just a quick note. While I have never used two gaskets myself I have heard
> >that it is a practice to be avoided. Back in my hotrod days when we used to
> >fool around with engines quite a bit I was tempted to use two gaskets to
> >bring down the compression on an engine I'd bought. The engine rebuilder
> >told me that was a sure way to blow head gaskets. Could this have been
> >your problem from the beginning?
> >
> >My solution at the time was to use a single, extra thick gasket that was
> >available from the speed shop. Not sure if such a thing is available for a
> >T-series.
> >
> >Could you live with the 9.6 : 1 ? You're going to run premium gas anyway,
> >I'm sure.
> >
> >Dick Dell
> >
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