Well, my brother and I spent an entire three day weekend
working on the TR4A, interrupted only by a jaunt to the dealer to
advise my father in the purchase of a new car to replace the one
recently totaled by Muhamed Ali (a NYC cabdriver with a 6-day-old
license who apparently didn't know the difference between red and
green). By the way, he bought a Volvo 850 Turbo Wagon which is
quite a car for those who are so inclined. The dealer was very
nice to us and ignored our grease streaked, unshaven faces, and
our old ripped up clothing We did change into jeans that were
clean, though torn, for the test drive (didn't want to soil the
new seats).
Anyway, we managed (just) to get the new engine in the car
and properly hooked up, and my brother and I desperately wanted
to take one spin in it before he had to catch the bus back to
school. It was a beautiful day in New York, with the sun out and
the temperature reaching a winter high of 41 degrees. In a last
ditch effort to realize our dream, we decided to forgo all but
the essentials. We left the entire interior out of the car,
including the transmission cover. My brother bolted in only the
seats, seatbelts, and screwed on the shift knob. Meanwhile, I
took care of the engine oil, battery, and coolant. Finally, I
set the timing, while he hooked up the fuel line to the pump. At
long last, it was show time!
I decided to check the electrical's first. The headlights
and taillights appeared to be working (a positive omen), as did
the turn signals (after I remembered that the ignition had to be
on for these). The turn signals did have the curious tendency to
signal left in the rear while signaling right in the front and
vice-versa, but never mind. This would be a short jaunt. The
brake lights were a no-show at first. Then I remembered
something called a brake light switch, which we had omitted in
our haste ("so that's what those wires are for . . .").
Next came time to crank it over. I removed the spark plugs
and cranked the starter over just to get the oil pumping and the
fuel back into the pump and the carbs (an idea which I received
from this list). But the battery was good for only half a crank,
due to months of inactivity, the cold weather, and our using it
for the electro-hydraulic engine hoist. Time to back up the '79
Buick and borrow some juice. The Buick was good to get it
turning over slowly, but once I put the plugs back in, I just
couldn't get enough juice to give it a really good crank. Out
comes my sister's 626. Now we have two cars running, and two
sets of jumpers going to nurse the Triumph. But that still
wasn't enough! Finally I had my mother revving the Buick and my
brother revving the Mazda, while I tried to start the TR. We had
to wait 40-60 seconds between each crank to be able to get a good
one, but now the engine was turning over at a reasonable speed.
Ten minutes later the engine fired for the first time, then two
fires, then it started and died. At long last, it started and
sputtered and I gingerly nudged it up to 1500 till it was running
strong and smooth. We did it!!!
Everything looked good. The oil pressure was up there, the
exhaust was missing the familiar blue-white cloud, the
temperature was climbing smoothly. We saw some smoke rising from
the engine, but this turned out to be the white paint we put on
the exhaust manifold. (any ideas on how long that will last?) We
disconnected the jumpers and backed the Mazda out of the way. My
brother and I climbed in and put on the seatbelts. I put in the
clutch and stepped on the brake. The engine died. Just like
that. Then I noticed through the hole in the floor where the
transmission cover ought to have been a steadily growing pool of
liquid streaming down from somewhere above. "What the #?@%*
happened??!!! Was that hydraulic fluid? transmission oil? engine
oil? and why did the engine die?"
Well I figured out some of it. Naturally, when I hit the
brakes, the brake lights went on. This voltage drop was enough
to kill the spark on such a dead battery. The mystery oil was
engine oil coming down from the rear of the engine. At first I
thought it was a bad seal on the valve cover gasket, but the back
of the head seemed relatively oil free. A blown head gasket
already!!! I took off the valve cover and checked the head nuts.
All tight. So maybe it was the valve cover after all. I noticed
that the engine tilts downward somewhat towards the rear of the
car and that all of the oil on the top of the head was at the
rear where I had poured it in. The front three-quarters of the
head and rocker were completely dry! I put the valve cover back
on and cranked it down good. Then I brought back the Mazda, put
both jumper cables back on, and started the car again, but not
before putting a pan below the oil leak. It started right up.
We watched the head. Then my brother noticed that the oil was
flowing from a hole in the back of the head!!! This hole is
about 3/4 of the way down the head, and on the left side as you
face forwards. It looks like a 3/4'' bolt would fit in it. Does
anyone know what this is? I assume it is some sort of access to
the oil galleys, and should be plugged with a bolt, but I can't
figure it out from my manuals. The engine is a rebuilt one from
TRF, so I am going to call them next. Did they forget to plug
this hole, or am I supposed to have connected something there? I
don't remember there being anything there on the old head. Is
this why the rockers are completely dry? i.e. is the oil flowing
out the oil that should be going up to the rockers?
Needless to say, my brother and I never did take our spin.
He is back at school, and the car was pushed back into the garage
to await another weekend. It will happen someday soon!! Thanks
for any help/suggestions.
Michael Hering
'67 TR4A IRS
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