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Re: Hiya everybody!!


HWADD

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Hi everybody!! 

I'm Hugh Waddell from Newcastle Upon Tyne and I have recently taken delivery of my beloved tr7 which I have wanted for years after years spent drooling over the photos of them!!!But the head gasket went only couple weeks after I bought it so I sent to a garage in eastern Newcastle but they're really struggling to get the (head)bolts off!!!! I dunno if anybody can offer any suggestions here?!!!

HUGH

 

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Head studs on the TR7 (and Dolomite and Stag) are renowned for being a b&*^& to shift. They may need to be soaked in plusgas (or some other magic gunk) for a week. Then using the right stud extractor helps. But that's about as far as I can help because the one time I needed to remove a head from a Triumph slant engine the studs all came out really easily.

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I couldn't get my GT6 head off to sort the gasket so the studs had to come out. Tried Plusgas, didn't help. Tried double nutting, where you wind two nuts against each other, the more you turn the tighter they get, but they burst! Even Pete Lewis and his "Never been known to fail" impact driver couldn't shift them. In the end with the impact driver bit on a 3 foot breaker bar and the the two of us heaving and puffing on the other end we did it. This of course buggers the stud threads and your garage may not want to risk that, but tell them you want new studs and then knowing they can break the old ones I'm sure they'll get them out. They don't cost much and it's a good idea to change them anyway.

Doug

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The problem with the TR7 is that the head is at an angle, so you can't pull it off with a chain hoist (unless you roll the car sideways) and furthermore they're very susceptible to damage, being alloy, so that anything you use to try to pry the block and head apart will mark the head.

I'm still working on mine; bought last August to replace the GT6 while it was off-road, it's now well off-road itself, the subframe and most of the suspension having turned out to be rotten... but I chickened out of removing the head, and just cleaned the engine up and replaced all the seals I could.

As Dave says, talk to Wayne at Robsport (I have him plagued with e-mails and phone calls, and he's got a great range of parts for the TR7) or Steve at S&S Preparations and they'll give you some good tips on head removal.

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I recently had to do this on my TR7 engined Toledo.

There are a few problems. First is the studs are at an angle, making life hared than it should be. Add to that the alloy head.

There is a row of short bolts on the exhaust side. If they work come out you have serious problems. The other row is studs. The nuts should come off easily, and the studs usefully (not really( have screwdriver slots in them. God luck with that!

I borrowed a head puller. Some specialists have them, and they drag the head up the studs. As I had bothered to go get it, I didn't try the usual things first.

However, the recurring tip was to run the engine until hot, so a long time with the fan cutting in/out. And shut off and immediately head nuts off and a stud extractor will have its best chance at doing its job. Once they start to move worry about draining water and so on, getting them moving is essentially a win. 

Best of luck!

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Hi folks!!

The people at the garage have taken the engine out and sent it up to a machine shop in Blyth Northumberland to try a get the bolts removed!!!I don't know if this is a bit drastic and it'll probably send labour charges through the roof!! But it might get the bolts out. One of my friends said they should try and drill the bolts out?!!!!

HUGH

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28 minutes ago, HWADD said:

Hi folks!!

The people at the garage have taken the engine out and sent it up to a machine shop in Blyth Northumberland to try a get the bolts removed!!!I don't know if this is a bit drastic and it'll probably send labour charges through the roof!! But it might get the bolts out. One of my friends said they should try and drill the bolts out?!!!!

HUGH

If all else fails, no problem. I'm sure they know the procedure so as not to enlarge the stud holes in the alloy. You're now a lucky man in that you've had it done, so you shouldn't have head problems for ages to come. Hopefully!

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
On 11/03/2019 at 11:09, clive said:

They can go at any time. So unlikely ss were trying it on and bodging.

Did you ask them to look at it? Or speak to them? They may have been a better option, and probably have a head puller....

I emailed Steve but he hasn't replied!!

Do you think that was wrong thing to do?!!

HUGH 

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Nope, but a bit late. You should have contacted them first, especially if a recent purchase and covered by warranty. A phone call often seems the best way of contacting a lot of the triumph fraternity.

Of course is they won't be able to help at all. But in the first place they are one of the tr7 specialists, and would be able to get the head off without having to use another company, keeping costs far more reasonable.

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