The title of this note should actually be Cheating Fate - and Losing.
Saturday morning I went out to the garage, armed with a pile of advice from
the list (thanks, guys!).
We removed the PCV valve and confirmed that it was installed in the correct
direction. It was also designed for engines of similar build to the inline 6
(we made sure of that when we purchased it). Then, we reinstalled the hoses
back the way they were before we started tinkering with the vacuum. I hosed
down the side of the engine with a can of Brakleen, dried everything off,
started the engine and watched to see if the leak was fixed.
As we sat there, elbows on the fender and chins in hands, we could watch the
stream of oil flow from the head gasket (Payen gasket) under the #3 spark
plug.
The PCV was not the cause of the leak, but it certainly aggravated a
pre-existing problem we've been hoping would not show up until November,
when it is time to pack it in for the winter.
We did not try re-torquing the head on Saturday, but I think this leak is a
little too intense for that to solve the problem. I guess the next step is
to take the head off again and measure to see if the head or block is
warped. My guess is that one or the other is going to have to go the shop
and be trued back up. I'm really disappointed about this; fall is my
favorite time to drive the car!
Obviously, we didn't take the Triumph to the rally. We rode the Jeep and all
I could think of on the beautiful, twisty back roads was, "I wish we had the
Six!!!"
Wendy Hart
1975 TR6 (SCCA FSP)
1976 TR7
1998 Jeep Cherokee Sport (doesn't handle anything like the 6!)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Wendy Hart" <hartw@PLASTEKGROUP.COM>
To: "Paul J. Burr" <tigerpb@ids.net>; "Triumphs (E-mail)"
<triumphs@autox.team.net>
Cc: "Al" <Albert.Hart@Trans.ge.com>
Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2000 2:01 PM
Subject: Re: Weber downdrafts and TR6 PCV system
>
> When we bought our '75 TR6, the only breathing tube left in the car was a
> hose going from the stock valve cover to an old Castrol oil bottle
residing
> where the charcoal canister belonged. Once we got the car running somewhat
> reliably, we found that the head gasket was weeping in a 3" length along
the
> drivers' left side of the motor.
>
> We replaced the head gasket this past spring and also put the ARP head
studs
> in, hoping to eliminate the problem (the car has a 10:1 CR). Nope, didn't
> fix it. The sucker still leaked.
>
> Our next theory was that the engine is designed to run under vacuum
> conditions, something we lacked because of our oil can breather. If we
could
> hook the valve cover to the carbs (dual Weber downies) or the manifold,
that
> would release the pressure forcing the oil out and cure the leak. So, this
> past weekend, Al (my hubby) attached one end of a hose to the valve cover
> and the other to a PCV valve. The PCV valve then went to the manifold's
> banjo connector for the brake servo. What the heck, see what happens,
right?
>
> Sunday was an autocross approx. 45 minutes south of us. We hooked up our
> shiny, new, just-finished-building autocross trailer to the back of the
TR6
> with its shiny, new, just-finished-building hitch and were on our way.
>
> "Honey, do you smell oil burning?"
>
> "Yeah, and look, our oil pressure is going down!"
>
> "Maybe we should pull over..."
>
> We got to the next rest area and sure enough, the engine was covered in
oil.
> So was the entire underside of the car and most of our shiny, new (now
> slick) trailer. Of course, we had a spare quart of oil for such an
> emergency, so we put that in and headed for the next exit to turn around
and
> go home.
>
> We had to buy another quart to put in at that exit. That put us back in
the
> safe zone and we limped back home. When we parked it in the garage, the
poor
> thing had oil dripping off of the entire underside, even the tailpipes.
I'm
> not looking forward to getting all that stuff cleaned off the car!
>
> What caused it? The car has been leaking, but never enough to lose oil
> pressure, even when running hard at autocrosses. We're not sure why. It's
> possible that having the PCV hooked up to the manifold and the car under
> load (pulling the trailer) affected the pressures inside the engine enough
> to really let the oil flow. Maybe the head gasket finally gave in
> completely. This weekend's test is to put the oil bottle system back in
and
> take the car/trailer out onto the highway and see if it happens again.
>
> We'll let you know...
>
> Wendy Hart
> 1975 TR6
> 1976 TR7
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Paul J. Burr" <tigerpb@ids.net>
> To: "Triumphs (E-mail)" <triumphs@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2000 9:50 PM
> Subject: Weber downdrafts and TR6 PCV system
>
>
> >
> > OK Gang, here's the dilemma.
> > My newly acquired '74 TR6 was outfitted by the previous owner with the
> dual
> > Weber down draft carbs and a nice alloy valve cover. So far so good.
But,
> he
> > completely eliminated the PCV system, which makes for to much pressure
> under
> > the valve cover. This in turn makes the oil want to seep out under the
oil
> > filler cap.
> > Any of you folks run into this problem?
> > My first choice would be a vented and filtered oil filler cap. But, the
> > alloy valve cover has as a 2" I.D. hole in the cap. A quick check of the
> > parts catalog shows the biggest cap of this type is @ 1 3/4".
> > Anyone have a source for these oversize filler caps?
> > My next plan of attack would be to cast my vanity aside and remove the
> fancy
> > cast valve cover for the stock one sitting on my work bench. I can then
> fit
> > a vented cap. Next, I could fit a PVC valve to the vent hose on the
valve
> > cover.
> > My next problem is where to plumb the opposite end of the PCV valve.
> > Should I fit it to the it to the manifold? Or, should I use a "T"
fitting
> > and plumb it into the base of each air cleaner?
> > Any suggestions would be welcomed.
> > Paul Burr
> >
>
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