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Head Ache

To: Triumphs@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: Head Ache
From: Dean Paige <ecopaige@metro.net>
Date: Fri, 05 Sep 1997 09:16:39 -0700
Organization: City of Santa Rosa
I relly knew it was comming before I left for Tahoe. Bit of a head on 
the coolant. An annoying but fleeting misfire on cold start and a 
sligthtly rough idle, no sign of coolant in oil, all timing, balance and 
and mixture adjustments right on. Tahoe trip went very well apart from a 
real scare climbing up Hwy 80 at about 5000 feet and 70 mph BLAT BLAT 
BLAT BLAT BLAT. Thought head gasket for sure (here comes the tow truck) 
or a hole in exhaust. Nope! Have a late TR-6 head with port for an EGR on 
the 73.  Had plugged port with a large bolt with the same standard fine 
SAE thread pattern. It had worked its way out with engine vibration and 
was lying conveniently on the intake manifold. Bolt back in, tightened 
down and back on the road. Maybe I was just imagining a bigger problem. 
Rest of the 850 mile vacation uneventful. Still missing on start up 
though and idling rougher. Can't be accounted for by altitude changes. 
I'm checking timing and mixture every day. 

Couple of weeks later now been driving it to work every day as usual. But 
the head is frothier and the coolant taking on a brownish tinge. Serious 
miss on start up now. 2 and 3 plugs clean as a whistle, still no sign of 
coolant in oil. Can you say head gasket?  Suuure you can! 

Bloody hell! I know better, absolutely,  but no doubt I was in too big a 
hurry to retorque the head when I replaced it (valve job swap) 6000 miles 
ago. Didn't really drive it more than 20 miles before I retorqued and it 
wasn't really dead cold when I did it. So we all know what I'll be doing 
this weekend. Local supplier has the head set minus valve cover gasket so 
I got it cheap. Will pick it up this afternoon. Head out tommorow 
morning. Barbeque at my flight school for lunch and head back on tommorow 
afternoon. I really am quite fast at these head projects. Some would say 
too fast. As many times as I done this I'm still not certain of the 
recommendations for retorqueing. Just how long should I wait. While I am 
fast and efficient in this job it kills me that I have to do it again 
this soon. I had other things planned for what may be one of the last 
truly magnificent weather weekends in Nor Cal before the El Nino drowns 
us all this year. A nice ride on Sunday with a new head gasket followed 
by a half pint of rum in a nice planters punch will do much to soothe my 
bruised mechanics ego. 

Deano, retorqueing is my middle name, Paige

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