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VB quality or LACK there of

To: triumphs@autox.team.net
Subject: VB quality or LACK there of
From: "Brad Kahler" <brad.kahler@141.com>
Date: Sat, 1 May 1999 13:00:30 +0100
Cc: spitfires@autox.team.net
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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