Aaah Fred, your mechanic may be in for a raise if he uses a new trick. My
preferred method of adjusting my TR6 valves is to have a 1/2" wrench in one
hand, and a flat screwdriver and the barrel of a mechanical stethoscope in
the other and the car warmed up and running. I grip the stethoscope probe
betwixt base of thumb and forefinger, and the screwdriver with the rest of
the fingers of my left hand. With these instruments parallel and facing
opposite direction to my thumb, I can turn the screw of the tappet adjuster
and press the probe of the scope against the centre rocker at the same time.
I hold the wrench in my right hand and loosen just enough to let the
screwdriver turn the adjuster without losing any tension on it. A second
person holding the scope probe against the centre of the rockers makes this
job a cinch.
The above setup allows me to listen very closely to the clicking of the
tappets as I tighten the adjusters. I tighten just to the point where the
clicking starts to disappear and then back off a fraction. This ensures that
the cam lobes actually have some free space and are not holding the valve
open during the compression and power stroke.
It takes a little practice to keep the wrench and screwdriver on the
adjuster with them hopping up and down, but you would be surprised what you
can do with a little patience. You have to have your idle below 900-1000 rpm
or you won't manage it, but below that it's not really too difficult.
This is the only method I have ever found that got the minimum of valve
clatter without finding you had partially uncompressed cylinders at hot
engine conditions.
BTW don't forget to block off the pipe leading from your valve cover to the
carbs or the idle will be too erratic to adjust.
Mark Hooper
72 TR6
-----Original Message-----
From: Fred Thomas
To: spitfires
Cc: Triumphs
Sent: 22/08/02 3:04 PM
Subject: tappets humour NO LOBC
Guido the local loud know it all mechanic was adjusting valves on a nice
T/R
when he noticed heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey standing in the
waiting
area, Guido the mouth, yells across the the shop "Hey Doctor how come
you get
$150,000 for doing this and I only get $15.00, to which the kind Doctor
answers "Guido" try it with the motor running. Sorry this just came to
mind
"FT"
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