Hi Listers!
After years of ownership of LBCs (Primarily MGs) I have finally, out of
necessity, found the courage (stupidity?) to "pull an engine." I would
never back away from changing a fuel pump, starter, water pump, radiator,
exhaust, u-joints, etc. ...... but to pull an engine?? Only those skilled
and knowlegable folks had any business doing that and I had better leave it
alone!
Well, now I have done it. Engine # TS15848E and transmission # TS7946 are
removed from TR2 # TS7690. I know that one is supposed to feel a sense of
accomplishment when things have all been put back together and they work
properly, but I am a little pleased with myself to have gotten this far. I
still suspect that I may eventually be one of those guys who posts and ad
for a car for sale that is in bits and pieces in various boxes, buckets and
baskets, but I may yet surprise myself.
Having received a Heritage Certificate for my car before Christmas and with
my kids getting the Bill Piggot book for me for Christmas, I think my
transmission is probably the original one for the car. But I have an option
the Heritage Certificate did not list for the car. I have the telescope
steering wheel. I also have a "split" steering column, which obviously
isn't "right" for a '55 TR2 as this production related change came along
much later. ... I'm learning more about my car and about TRs in general
from this list than I thought possible. Thanks to all who made comments and
recommendations on the Heritage Certificate and on the Bill Piggot books.
(The book I have is excellent. How do those guys get those cars to look
that way in those pictures?!? I would cry at the thought of driving one
restored to such perfection as some of those pictured in the book.)
Most luck I have is bad luck, but I think I got a break with my TR2 engine.
I wanted to take my car to Richmond last summer to the Mid-Atlantic
Convention, but an old timer mechanic with TR2/3 experience listented to my
engine and said I should not attempt to drive across the State to Richmond,
Indiana, let alone Virginia. He suggested I offer the car to anyone who
would buy it and that I should offer it at a "fire sale" price. He thought
my other option was to drive home slowly (staying well below 3000 rpm) and
park it until I did some serious engine work. Well, I drove it for the rest
of the summer, but I did stay close to home just in case he knew what he was
saying. ..... It seems as though he knew what he was talking about. When
I pulled the sump pan from the engine I found several pieces of light metal
(bad luck). They look like pieces that make up the little tabs that bend up
on the head of a rod cap bolt. On inspection of the rod end caps, I noticed
that those "tabs" were missing on one of the bolts from rod #2. I put my
thumb and finger on the bolt head. (I use lots of "touch" as I try to "size"
things as in socket selection. My vision is very poor.) THE BOLD WAS
LOOSE! I was able to remove it with thumb and finger turning and it came
all the way out with light finger pressure. Later that night I went out and
bought a lottery ticket thinking I might be on a roll. No numbers matched
on the lottery ticket. I suppose I had used up the bit of good luck that I
was entitled to.
I have also discovered what I had expected in my #3 cylinder ... a bad
exhaust valve. It is not broken but it appears to have slight straight edge
to it where it should be round. There is no more "edge" missing than the
thickness of a small screwdriver for about 45 degrees of the full circle of
the valve edge. The valve does seem to be searting deeper than the others.
Probably the seat is gone. Could this slight bit of visual damage account
for a cylinder compression drop from 180 psi to about 70 psi??
Does anyone have advice or recommendations of the best source for liners,
pistons, rings, crankshaft bearings, etc.?? (TRF, Vicky Britt, Moss?) A
local machinst that everyone trusts and respects has told me that he has no
experience with wet sleeve engines. Should I shop around and find someone
who has this kind of experience? (Do such people exist?)
I am not going to attempt to do my own gearbox work. I made an inquiry of
an ad I saw in Hemmings and when I received a very thorough and complete
reply I realized it was from a man who had often been mentioned on this list
as an "expert" concerning TR transmissions. It was Mr. Esposito of the
Quantum Mechanics firm. I will be building a wood box / crate this weekend
to ship one of my TR2 gearboxes to his shop out east.
Here is another curiosity question, one that none of my books seem to
address. What does BILCHROME mean? These letters appear in raised caps on
the lower right side of my engine block. Was there a foundry by the name of
BILCHROME that Triumph Standard used as a source for engine blocks? I
recall seeing in London the White Chapel Bell Foundry where our Liberty Bell
and where Big Ben were cast (both are broken, BTW). With the remarkable
durability of the Triumph engines, BILCHROME must have done a better job
than the White Chapel foundry did.<g>
Again, thanks to all who have offered support, encouragement, advice and
recommendations. (Look what a mess you have caused in my garage .... just
kidding!)
Respectfully yours,
Rob Blubaugh
Rensselaer, IN
(With hopes and dreams that it might run again someday.)
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