Brad,
You have no idea how pleased I am to hear this (ok, this probably isn't
what you wanted to hear, sorry!) I had a very similar experience with
parts from Rimmer Bros. I do not consider myself to be a mechanic (the
most difficult thing I've ever done before is change brake pads) but
when it came round to having my car converted to unleaded, I decided
that if I didn't do it myself, I'd end up taking the car to the garage
every time something went wrong, and that really wasn't the way to own a
Spit.
So I read a couple of books, found out everything I needed to find out
about changing a cylinder head, bought most of the tools I didn't have
already, borrowed the tools I couldn't afford, and got to work.
Getting the head off was a bit of a problem - you may remember a
question I asked a while ago on the Spitfire list about undoing a nut on
the exhaust downpipe - but once I had the right tools and got the old
head off, I thought it would be easy. I came across the first problem
when I went to tighten the nuts, and found a similar problem to what
you've described. Off came the nuts, and I discovered that the thread
on the studs had been stripped off. Ok - fist lesson, when replacing a
cylinder head, replace the nuts/studs as well. I was expecting this to
be a bit of a learning exercise, so I wasn't too worried - I ordered
some new nuts and studs from Rimmer Bros, along with a new head gasket,
spent almost a week trying to get the old studs out (that was not fun!)
and eventually screwed in the new studs, put the head back on, and
started tightening, confidant that everything would be fine this time.
About 1/2 hour later, I came back into the house swearing rather loudly
- one particular nut did not torque up properly, no matter how much I
turned it. But to make it worse, it also didn't loosen when I turned it
the other way.
A couple of hours later, my flatmate had calmed me down sufficiently to
be able to have something close to a conversation, and convinced me that
I should probably let a local garage finish the job. I was reluctant,
but eventually conceded that this was the best way to go about getting
the car running again, since I wasn't sure how to get the stud out, and
was not really in a mood to do much with the car myself except hammer it
to bits! I felt I had been defeated by the car, and I would probably
not undertake anything except simple repairs again myself.
That was a couple of months ago, and since then I've overcome my 'fear'
of repairs (but luckily, none have needed doing!) But now you have had
exactly the same problem. This doesn't give me a great amount of
confidence in the suppliers we all use, but at least it gives me a bit
more confidence in my own ability!
Anyway, thanks for sharing, and sorry for taking so long.
Dean Dashwood
'77 Spit 1500
-------------------------------------
>----------
>From: Brad Kahler[SMTP:brad.kahler@141.com]
>Sent: 01 May 1999 13:00
>To: triumphs@autox.team.net
>Cc: spitfires@autox.team.net
>Subject: VB quality or LACK there of
>
>
>Listers,
>
>About a week ago I had the cylinder head on my spitfire rebuilt. During the
>time the head was in the shop I ordered head studs, washers and nuts from
>VB because none of the other normal suppliers had them in stock. VB did
>so I ordered them. Well I got the head back on and have put maybe 50
>miles on the car since. Right after assembly and during the first drive I
>noticed some antifreeze seepage on the rear corner of the head gasket. I let
>it go and by the time I got about 50 miles on the car I check again and there
>was now seepage around more than 2/3s of the head gasket.
>
>At the time I thought that since I had one of those "cheap" imported click
>bar torque wrenches that you can buy for about $25 I figured maybe it
>wasn't calibrated right. I decided to buy a nice torque wrench and went and
>bought Sears best 3/8" drive torque wrench. I then did a comparison
>tightening down some bolts on an old engine block. The Sears wrench
>seemed to tighten just a touch more before "clicking". So I figured that the
>head would just need a retorque. Well, after getting the rocker train
>removed and getting all set up to start retorquing them I backed off the
>first
>nut 1/4 turn or so. I then set the Sears torque wrench for 2 pounds (48)
>more torque than I used with the "import" wrench (46). I then started
>tightening the nut back down. But the nut keep tightening and tightening
>and I though at first that maybe the Sears wrench had a problem. Then all
>of a sudden I heard a "snap" and the tightening of the nut got to be real
>easy. I though, oh no, snapped the stud. So I tried to remove the nut and
>the stud and all came out of the head.
>
>What had happened was the threads in the nut had stripped. The stud was
>fine. I check it by running a new nut bought locally up and down the
>threads of the stud.
>
>As near as I can figure out what happened was VB supplied some real
>cheap nuts that are probably not even grade 2. My understanding is head
>studs are grade 8 and head nuts are grade 5.
>
>I went to the local hardware store and bought some grade 5 nuts and am
>now in the process of installing those on the head one at a time as I
>retorque it.
>
>That is the LAST time I'll be critical mechanical components fro VB.
>They've burned me before and I didn't learn so hopefully this time I will.
>
>Just sign me PISSED OFF in Lincoln!
>
>Brad (Lincoln Nebraska 402-464-1502)
>My Triumph Web Site Http://www.141.com/triumphs (updated 4/29/99)
>My Dodge Web Site Http://www.141.com/dodge (updated 4/7/99)
>
>1964 Spitfire4 BFC25720L
>1962 TR4 CT288L -- 1965 TR4 CT38888LO parts car?
>1959 TR3A TS41311L -- 1959 TR3A TS53523L parts car
>1951 1/2 ton Dodge Truck B-3-B-108
>
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