johny

Even so flattening the battery after 'a day or two'! Me thinks theres something wrong here🤔

Dont know about the 1600 but I drive my 2L Vitesse in 4th most of the time (suits my driving needs and protects my gearbox). It pulls cleanly from 1100 rpm and theres definitely no need to rev it especially if it was in a Spitfire😲

Probably better off with a Triumph 6 and I would fancy a 1600 - cheaper and easier to find? and possibly a better match for existing components than a 2L....

Perhaps you need to get to a meet somewhere and blag a ride in a 1500 to see how it feels?

Think thats items 51 and 52 in the drawing, lever and pivot. Theres some good threads on here about exactly this problem because it appears theres different spacers (47) and idler gears (45) so if these have been changed clearance can be compromised. Also I seem to remember if the 1st/2nd hub (11) is put on the wrong way round it might do the same although I would expect additional problems if that were the case...

yes that should help. Wont remove all spring tension or shouldnt as there could be a risk of separation when driving! Then after resetting the height adjustment the car should sit with the dampers down about 1/3 of their travel👍

That sounds more like a problem between first gear and reverse which are very close together and the same selector hub transmits drive for both. Theres been cases where the reverse idler gear still makes contact when in first gear which generates a grating noise although I thought the damage to the teeth would have been spotted on strip down... I think a noise produced from a loose spigot bush would be more like a whine from gear misalignment and also be heard in second gear🤔

Yes as posted previously serial number is HC 58239HE...

It would need 0.1" off to equal a standard head which is a lot and Ive no idea if it could take it. However can you use your compression tester on another car or get a second opinion on yours?

Yes that certainly doesnt look like a dome top piston like this one. You might see more clearly looking directly in a spark plug hole with piston at TDC...

well to sum up on Puglets head, we have a cast number that the list shows as a TR250 but no readable stamped number. It also indicates this head should be very deep but that isnt the case so it may have been machined or doesnt correspond to the info given. Now we await compression figures and confirmation of it using dome or flat pistons which should give more clues ie. flat pistons + low compression all cylinders = possible wrong head

Good point Colin and heres the manual spec (middle column) for the original leaf spring:

oh and I see it seems even some mk2 GT6 with head number 218225 had the same arrangement although of course with the bigger exhaust valves.

Thanks. I seem to remember that in the end Triumph wanted to use a common head for both 2 and 2.5L engines so the deeper (4.4"?) version became the common one fitted with flat top pistons on the bigger engine and domes the smaller to get the correct compression ratio. The MK3 GT6 with stamped head number 219015 is an example of this so should, according to the list, measure 4.4" and have domed pistons. Obviously if flatties were used with this head in a 2L the ratio would be lowered....

Glad you found the problem which is an unusual and potentially slightly worrying in that it makes you wonder if the tempering of the spring has been done correctly. This process of getting the balance between brittle and soft is quite difficult and Im not sure it even needs to be the same along the entire length of the spring but I dont think parts should start to change shape later under use. Might be worth talking to the supplier...

Out of interest Trigolf does it measure 3.3" deep as indicated in the list?

Are you sure John because looking at Witors list I posted above the stamped numbers dont seem to be unique like engine serial numbers...

You have a choice of trunnion bushes: cheaper original mild steel sleeve, plastic bushes with rubber seals to try to stop water ingress and corrosion or more expensive stainless sleeve with no seals and poly bushes...

Doesnt look bad enough for that, whats the main bearing like?

Yes its only a steady bearing but the shaft is only surfaced hardened so once youve gone through a few thou you could be into softer metal and then wear will proceed more rapidly☹️

I think you will need to undo the other fixing underneath to allow the flange to come away from the manifold studs. I would start spraying penetrating oil on them now to help releasing them later. You definitely dont want any studs snapping off😭 Afterwards make sure you have all the correct supports for the whole exhaust system as one of the reasons for the failure of that gasket is strain when the engine moves around while driving.

Im thinking if a head thats too deep has been used it could have bigger combustion chambers and so reduced the compression ratio, enough to see when testing because although balanced the readings would be lower than normal🤔

Hi Peter, does your head depth also correspond with the Witor list ie 3.3" deep?

Already got a mortgage Im afraid😁

Wait a minute youve got to be a bit careful here as it comes down to the pistons youve got fitted. If flat you want a head 3.3" deep, part number 517610 (why I suspect with your current 3.4" head you'll be down on compression). However if domed the shallower head would give too high a compression and so you already have the right one...