Jesse Mullan wrote:
>
> Well, I guess I'm kind of scamming my way onto this list, since I don't
> even own a Triumph, but at least
> there is one in the family, even if it doesn't run.
>
> So here's the deal: my grandpa's got a 57 TR3 hanging out in his garage.
> It hasn't been run in quite a few years- since he blew out the third gear
> racing and first gear 'cause he was- ahem- not entirely sober. Where do we
> start- assuming I can get him to work on it again. It's very original, but
> many things are going to need replacing, since racing took its toll and and
> my family is somewhat notorious for pushing cars to their limits anyway.
>
> What do I look for, what things are priorities, and what do we need to do
> for the engine that hasn't turned over in ten years (but ran before we
> stored it in the pole barn)?
If you want to see if the engine will turn over and start, you may well
have to go through the following:
Obviously, if it's a lot of years in a pole barn, there will be more
mouse nests than you could imagine... be sure to look for shells, seeds
and nesting material in the intakes, providing there was _any_ way to
get in there. The engine will be rusted internally, but depends on
climate and how humid. That number of years is enough for all the oil
the drain from the cylinders, and rust to set in.
The danger in starting such an engine is that the rings have thoroughly
rusted to the cylinder walls, and if there's enough oomph in the
starting system to turn it over, the rusting can score the cylinder
walls or the rings can stay locked and break as the pistons move. I've
had reasonably good luck with this method of minimizing the
damage--remove the valve cover, get a gallon of Marvel Mystery Oil, fill
up an oil squirt can and then squirt as much oil as possible between the
valve spring coils onto the valve stems. Try to get as much as possible
to run into the valve guides. Then, put the valve cover back on, and
pour about half the gallon into the oil filler. Then remove all the
spark plugs, and with a tube and funnel, or the squirt can, fill each
cylinder with MMO until it pours out of the spark plug boss. Then put
the plugs back in loosely, and just walk away for a couple of weeks and
forget it.
Then come back with a fresh battery, hook it up properly, and with the
spark plugs removed, just see if it turns freely by bumping it over with
the starter solenoid. If it won't turn the first time or two, there's
probably no point in forcing it--that will just overheat the starter,
and there's another part to replace right away. If it won't budge, it
probably means a rebuild. If it turns over reasonably smoothly with the
plugs removed, you can probably get it running.
>From that point, it's a matter of replacing or repairing the items
necessary to get good spark. Fresh plugs, if the plug wires look
terrible, spring for a new set of cheap ones, a look at the points to
see if they're badly pitted, and replace and gap, etc. Take the air
cleaners off and check for previously mentioned debris. If everything
looks okay, try lifting the pistons of the carburetors (that will also
tell you if they're frozen in place or not), spray a little gas into the
intakes, let the pistons down, pull out the choke cable knob (providing
it isn't frozen), then turn it over with the ignition key. If
everything in the ignition is right, and you have spark, you should get
a hiccup or two, at minimum.
If you get a burp or two, run a hose into a good gas can full of
gasoline, attach the hose to the inlet of the fuel pump (folks, should
this have a priming pump handle???), prime the pump to get fuel flowing,
enough to fill the float bowls, and try starting and running. It's
likely that all the seals in the carburetors have dried out or rotted,
so they may leak _everywhere_, but that will tell you what you have to
do next. <g> From that point on, it's replace or repair as required. <g>
With regard to the transmission, you are probably looking at more work,
so you might look around for another one. Others on the list can better
tell you about pricing a used transmission or what's involved in
repairing a non-synchro first TR# trans.
[snip]
> It was like a blind date. I strolled casually over to the car and gave it
> the once over- that look where you say to yourself- "wow, she's cute but
> what about that jack under the engine bay?" and can't stop looking, despite
> your best efforts not to stare. The smooth lines beckoned- they called me,
> but I was more than a little nervous.
>
> I pulled back the
> tarps to reveal the hood, the grin of the grille. I moved a shipping
> blanket and was faced with the shock of a cracked windshield. I moved some
> lawn ornaments off the boot and slid back the third tarp a ways. The
> tonneau was off-white, faded and dirty with age and dust. I unzipped it a
> ways and peeked into the dark interior. The key fob was just visible and
> read "1957 TRIUMPH TR3". I zipped it back up, pulled the tarps back
> over. I had a wedding to get to.
Now, folks, does the above prose suggest that this is a young man who's
probably hooked? <g> I think so. <g>
Cheers, Jesse.
--
My other Triumph doesn't run, either....
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