Bob, try .020" copper wire in the second groove. (Solid speaker wire from
Radio Shack). I've had success securing the wire in place with super glue.
Remove (wire brush) the plastic coating from the gasket first. Install with
2 or 3 coats of "CopperCoat" gasket sealant with the wire side up. Torque
the head, fire it up, let it cool and retorque. I've been running with a
liner protrusion arount .004-.006".
A tear down really shouldn't be necessary. Just change the oil.
Chip Bond
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From: Bob Kramer[SMTP:rgk@flash.net]
Sent: Saturday, March 22, 1997 5:38 PM
To: triumphs@autox.team.net
Cc: fot@autox.team.net
Subject: TR3 Shim Steel Head Gasket Problems
I finally got around to put the finishing touches on my rebuilt TR3 motor
and started it last weekend. Ran it up to temp even though I noticed oil
leaking from the oil feed tube to the cylinder head and at the fitting for
the oil pressure gauge. Runs great. That was the good news. I shut it down
when I noticed the oil on the dipstick getting tell tale signs of
water....turning whitish.
I let it cool for a hour and drained the radiator and oil, and refilled it
with fresh oil and restarted long enough to move the fresh oil around the
important places.
Today I pulled the head. I used the shim steel gasket from BFE,
appropriately opened up for milled head, with thin wire circled around the
combustion chamber. I'm wondering what went wrong. I've never used one of
these gaskets before, and I'm wondering if I faced it the wrong way. The
wire I used was not near as compressed as I expected based on my
hammer/arbor test. Then again, the stamped ridges in the gasket weren't
either. I'm sure I got the torque setting right, but I found the head nut
too easy too remove. I didn't run it very long.
QUESTIONS:
Can I reuse this gasket, uncompressed as it is?
Should I use smaller wire, say from stranded copper electrical wiring?
Should I spray the gasket with some sealant before using?
Which way is up?
How much compression do I loss using a copper gasket?
Is that easier-less risky?
And the big one, should I pull it and tear it down, or replace and run?
Thanks in advance!
Bob Kramer, Austin TX
Hill Country Triumph Club
TR6x3, TR250 x3, TR3A vintage race
rgk@flash.net
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