Nick Jones

https://www.minispares.com/product/Classic/Engine/Cylinder_heads/Studs_bolts_nuts/C-AHT287.aspx?100409&ReturnUrl=/product/Classic/CAM4545.aspx|Back to there you go

Yes, good quality nuts and hardened washers are essential as the torque settings are on the limit for 3/8” UNF. Or use the flanged nuts (no washers needed) from Minispares. Superior to anything I’ve found from Triumph suppliers. Nick

My previous post on the subject

Some Diesel engines have compressed-air start. Including those intended for use in hazardous areas ironically. Compressed nitrogen may also be used and it’s easy to see how someone faced with the practical problem of getting his engine going and a row of quite similar looking bottles of compressed gas might do something daft (even though the threads on oxygen bottles are intentionally different). Especially if he had no idea that it may be a bad idea. I imagine the results are fairly spectacular and possibly involve a Darwin Award. Nick

You’re right to swap them all. Clearly defective. I recall commenting on the strange crystalline fracture surface before. Studs need to go back to the supplier with a strongly worded note. This is dangerous! Nick

Yeah, the heating oil is offset by my not having bought any road fuel yet this year (really!), but I dare not look at the state of my electric bill. Solar panels haven’t been doing at all well either as the sun has mostly been hiding.....

The Harry’s Garage piece is very interesting and resonates with me. I have run the same Audi TDi as a daily driver for the last 18 years. Now 24 years old, it comes from that sweet spot in German car production before they forgot how to build engines that don’t self destruct just after the warranty expires and before they got too complex to keep working indefinitely and be worth repairing if any part did stop working. Dunno what “euro” class it is but it’s being banned from an increasing number of cities. The irony is that in planetary climate terms, it’s at least as good as many contemporary vehicles as it regularly manages 50+ mpg (low CO2 emissions) and has only needed building once in 24 years and many, many miles so represents excellent value in embedded carbon terms. I’ll admit that things are less rosy in the particulates department (it’s not called the Soot Monster for nothing), though since certain emissions control devices have failed and been bypassed, it’s better by a couple of orders of magnitude and picked up a few mpg as well. EGR is evil in diesels. No doubt this means the NOx is even worse, but as nobody tests that and I never drive in cities if I can possibly avoid it, I don’t worry. The other irony is my slightly younger petrol powered “winter banger” A8 is still allowed in cities even though it’s fairly catastrophic in planetary climate terms. As a family, we could make decent use use of one EV, but would need at least one “real car” too. I have looked at the possibility of buying an EV, or even building one, but so far the economics just don’t work. Doesn’t help that I’m used having a range of almost 900 miles and a 5 minute “recharge” with the TDI. On that note, a friend has just returned a Tesla model S with some relief at the end of a 4 year lease. Apart from fairly significant reliability issues and dire service from the dealer network, he also notes a “serious decline in exclusivity”, the practical upshot of which is that when he first got the car, he could always be assured of a full-rate charge at any Tesla station he rocked up to. In more recent times, increasing numbers has meant queues and reduced charge rates and that plays Merry hell with journey times. Harry raises a great point comparing home heating and transport. The recent cold snap and people (me included) working from home has resulted in the use of more than 500L of kerosene since the end of November. Forget EVs, I should be buying a heat pump for the house! Nick

Point about the Vitesse (and GT6) is that the extra length of the engine makes things a bit tight up front making radiator height and volume a bit marginal. Hence the use of the “header tank extension”. Herald and Spitfire have more room meaning the rad can have a decent sized header tank to begin with, so don’t need the extension. Nick

I’d be extremely reluctant to remove any metal from the block, especially that close to the edge of the bore. The engine had managed 50 years or so as it is. Certainly would be looking at how the same gasket hole relates to the matching hole in the head - if there even is a matching hole in the head? Nick

Oh dear. Very common GT6 problem - because of that wretched felt as you say. We had the same issue with two tanks. I was unable to find any replacement apart the the fabricated aluminium one you mention and I couldn’t find anyone locally to repair it. In the end we repaired it ourselves. Something I was prepared to consider as the better one had been empty for decades. Even so, it had several hot caustic washes before we went near it with anything sparky! Was a bit of a mission as we cut out two fairly big sections, made repair patches and TIG welded them in. Had extreme difficulty getting that leak tight so ended up lead soldering the joint then slosh sealing it. It’s been ok so far..... May be worth trying to find an old school radiator specialist who will tackle it? Nick

It will if the head stud holes in the block (3/8” UNF) are drilled out and re-tapped 7/16” UNF. Not a bad mod for a mk 1 head either. However, unless you are wanting big gains there are few benefits to converting and you’d need the manifolds as well. Perfectly possible to get 115 -120 bhp from the Mk1 while remaining completely tractable Nick

Bastuck in Germany used to be the place to buy the Konis. Good £30 a side cheaper than that......... .........brexit may well have screwed it though.

Try Westfield Fasteners https://www.westfieldfasteners.co.uk/UNF.html Nick

Absolutely. Won’t work on a Triumph with steel wheels (or some alloys) and won’t even work on Freelanders with steels wheels. Dont know how the waters hot muddied but it’s been happening for a while. I used to buy a fair number of these studs when I was doing the CV conversions. Initially from my local LR dealer who were unexpectedly good value, but then LR made them NLA so I had to go online. Soon learned to look at the pictures very carefully! Certainly didn’t need any more long shanked studs as that is exactly what the hubs I was using came with.... so I have a big bucket of those to this day. Nick

The one on the right is a proper OEM Landrover one complete with locking adhesive. No idea why they call the long shank ones by the same number. Should be FAM4819. Nick

Then they are not the proper Freelander CLP9037L studs, which are threaded all the way down. Instead they are the somewhat similar ones used on Rover 100 & MGF. Unfortunately many suppliers seem to consider them all the same and I’ve even received batches with some of each. They do work with some alloy wheels but not, as you have discovered, with steels. Apparently the same applies on Freelanders.

Believe big saloon ones work, can be fitted without any dismantling and work with the TR6 nuts Nick BTW, odd fracture surface on that stud. More crystalline/granular than usual for a broken bolt I think?

That’s got to help. I have no idea what Triumph were thinking putting those holes there. Looks designed to fail! Good that she’s running again 🙂 Nick

Nothing wrong with being lucky.......🤪

As Pete says, plenty of the right kind of lube on the cam and followers is important. But before that, you should check, if it is not too late, that the followers have flat faces. To do this you can put two together, face to face and make sure they do not rock. In fact with a layer of engine oil they should almost stick together. I say this because there are also followers available (not Triumph) that are crowned. These have a very slightly convex face which is not obvious without the above check and do sometimes get supplied in error, even by companies who really should know better. Going back to the lube, there are various special products available, but Newman’s have previously told me to use EP90 provided the engine will be run within a day or two of assembly. Also important that the engine oil has decent levels of ZDDP (1,100 ppm or more). This is important for all fills on flat tappet engines but especially the first start. It is also usually recommended that the engine must be run at 1500 - 2000 rpm for the first 20 minutes to ensure good lubrication during break-in. Good luck! Nick

I see. And what benefits do you see brexit bringing us in exchange for the massive losses then? “Sovereignty” and “trade deals” bullshit NOT acceptable as answers......

Easier with a lifter even on swing axle cars. Shouldn’t be essential though unless your new spring is a real monster.... Nick

Yep. Temperature. Oil temperature gauge is a relatively recent addition and gives something extra to worry about. To be fair, 135 C has only been seen on the track with sustained full throttle and 4500 - 6500 rpm (rises from 60C to 135ish in 15 minute session and still climbing!). I’ve not seen it above 120C on the road and that wasn’t in the UK. UK use max seems to be about 110C, which is why I’m resisting an oil cooler. Not much room for one on a Vitesse anyway - considering ducting some airflow to blow over the sump as it’s tucked behind the x-member. The exhaust collector being almost in contact probably doesn’t help either!

My oil doesn’t come out clean..... reckon it’s the 135C that does it.....🤔 Nick

I usually buy them from ECP when they have one of their bigger discounts on. Listed for various Alfas and Fiats. Don't go through them all that often as I change the filter every other oil change. 714/3 seems to be the same except having a single flap. Nick