Subject: [TR] Rebuilding TR3A engine

From: David Ljung Madison <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2012 05:26:32 -0700

It looks like I need to rebuild my TR3A engine (rod knocking).

It'd be nice to rebuild it right and get rid of at least the majority 
of oil leaking.  Perhaps that's a pipe dream.  Regardless, rebuilding
the engine is a bit beyond my time/abilities, so time to dump some more
money into the Triumph.

Suggestions of shops/places to either get or rebuild a TR3/TR3A engine?

Anyone have any experience with Performance Research Industries?  Looks
like they're on the expensive side, but they make a powerful engine.

Dave

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Dave Ljung Madison          http://GetDave.com/                415.341.5555
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From: "Alex & Janet Thomson" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2012 09:05:19 -0400

Dave - Where are you located?
Alex Thomson

-----Original Message-----
From: [email-masked]
[mailto:[email-masked]] On Behalf Of David Ljung Madison
Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2012 8:27 AM
To: [email-masked]
Subject: [TR] Rebuilding TR3A engine

It'd be nice to rebuild it right and get rid of at least the majority of oil
leaking.  Perhaps that's a pipe dream.  Regardless, rebuilding the engine is
a bit beyond my time/abilities, so time to dump some more money into the
Triumph.

Anyone have any experience with Performance Research Industries?  Looks like
they're on the expensive side, but they make a powerful engine.

Dave

Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
Archive: http://www.team.net/archive
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http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/triumphs/[email-masked]

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From: David Ljung Madison <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2012 06:11:47 -0700

> Dave - Where are you located?

Good point: San Francisco

Dave

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From: "TeriAnn J. Wakeman" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2012 06:37:35 -0700

Area code 415. My guess is that you are in driving distance of Santa 
Cruz, CA.  I highly recommend Greg Solow's Engine Room in Santa Cruz.  
They have a LOT of experience with the TR four cylinder engine from pure 
stock to full race builds in TRs & Morgans.

They rebuilt my TR3's engine for me years ago, summer before last did a 
rack and pinion conversion for me and just last summer put in a new 
limited slip diff for me.  They know what they are doing.

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From: David Ljung Madison <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2012 16:13:40 -0700

TeriAnn writes:
> I highly recommend Greg Solow's Engine Room in Santa Cruz.
> 
> They rebuilt my TR3's engine for me years ago,..

I read about that on your "restoration horror story" :)
I'll have to give them a call, didn't realize that all happened
near the Bay Area.

> ..did a rack and pinion conversion for me

Interesting - that's high on my list as well, I was thinking about doing 
it myself, but time is in limited supply right now.  How long did the
rebuild take and how long did the R&P take?

Dave

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From: "TeriAnn J. Wakeman" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:39:50 -0700

> I'll have to give them a call, didn't realize that all happened
I was living in Aptos on the Monterey bay area.  The body shop that did 
such a lousy job is in Santa Clara near the airport. The drive train 
work was farmed out to The Engine Room in Santa Cruz.  I was not about 
to rebuild an engine outside in the dirt.

I have since moved to Flagstaff, home of the 2012 Triumphest next 
September.  I have no excuse to miss this one.
> rebuild take and how long did the R&P take?

Check with the Engine Room to get an idea of how long the engine rebuild 
will take.  A lot depends upon what you have done. For instance it took 
a while to have my crank nitrided and the engine has a lot of 
interesting things in it and done to it.  I'm sure a straight stock 
rebuild would go a lot quicker.

Also the R&P was their first conversion.  If you use the Moss conversion 
like I did it would likely go quicker the second time around.  But I had 
other work done at the same time so it took longer.  new valves, new cam 
& lifters because the new oil formulation didn't protect it (I now focus 
on high ZDDP oils), new timing chain, gears and front housing as well.

If you leave the car with them they could do the rack & pinion 
conversion the same time they do the engine & not take any extra time.

Take care,

TeriAnn

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From: "Kinderlehrer" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 29 Apr 2012 10:22:10 -0700

You can also try Dave at British Motorsports in Campbell
http://www.britishmotorsportsinc.com/ or Vern at Vern's Autoclinic in
Fremont 
http://www.vernsautoclinic.com/ Vern doesn't specialize in British cars, but
has a lot of experience.
Bob

-----Original Message-----
From: [email-masked]
[mailto:[email-masked]] On Behalf Of TeriAnn J. Wakeman
Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2012 6:38 AM
To: [email-masked]
Subject: Re: [TR] Rebuilding TR3A engine

Area code 415. My guess is that you are in driving distance of Santa Cruz,
CA.  I highly recommend Greg Solow's Engine Room in Santa Cruz.  
They have a LOT of experience with the TR four cylinder engine from pure
stock to full race builds in TRs & Morgans.

They rebuilt my TR3's engine for me years ago, summer before last did a rack
and pinion conversion for me and just last summer put in a new limited slip
diff for me.  They know what they are doing.

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