Subject: Re: [TR] Compression TR3A

From: "Randall" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2015 08:20:00 -0800

> Am I doing any 
> damage to the car if I drive her this way.  I always check 
> the oil and fill it when needed.  Is there a cheaper temporary fix?

Hard to know for sure, without knowing just what is going on inside.  Getting a compression reading of 0 is unusual and suggests a
large failure, like a broken piston or a stuck valve.

But, if it holds adequate oil pressure (at least 10 psi per 1000 rpm) and there are no metal flakes (aka sparklies) in the drained
oil; then I'd say chances are that you aren't hurting it any further by driving it.  The parts that are damaged will likely continue
to deteriorate, but they already have to be replaced anyway.

If it were mine, I would pop the head off and have a look.  There are several partial repairs that can be done on the cheap, when
you don't have to pay for shop time.  But as noted, a professional shop is not likely to want to do those sorts of things, for fear
that you will blame them when they eventually fail.

-- Randall  

** [email-masked] **

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From: Rye Livingston <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2015 16:37:18 +0000 (GMT) MailServer15F138.23967-NewcastleMail15F138-0-975f0b719612

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I agree with others and two earlier=C2=A0comments I'd focus on before you =
even take off the head or anything else.=0A=0A1) You don't want to be far =
from home and have it stop running. Never fun to get stranded and towed.=0A=
2) Additional damaging could be done, that may not be damaged yet, if you =
have a more catostrophic failure while running this engine in=C2=A0this ai=
ling=C2=A0condition.=0A=0AActually a third comment is also right on the ma=
rk. =C2=A0If you belong to a Car Club, you may find someone who'd help you=
 rebuilt, supplying the labor and knowledge.=0A=0AGood luck,=0A=0ARye=0A=0A=
=0A=0AOn Nov 15, 2015, at 03:29 PM, Ann Carletta <[email-masked]> w=
rote:=0A=0AHi and thanks to everyone who gave me comments on the carbureto=
r. So turns out it wasn't a carb problem, but a compression problem #1-75,=
 #2-55, #3-55 and #4-0. Even though he explained it to me, all I heard was=
 the expensive price, which is not in my budget right now. Am I doing any =
damage to the car if I drive her this way. I always check the oil and fill=
 it when needed. Is there a cheaper temporary fix?=0A=0AAnn=0A1960 (or 59?=
) TR3A=0A=0A** [email-masked] **=0A=0ADonate: http://www.team.net=
/donate.html=0AArchive: http://www.team.net/archive=0AForums: http://www.t=
eam.net/forums=0AUnsubscribe/Manage: http://autox.team.net/mailman/options=
/triumphs/[email-masked]=0A=

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<html><body><div>I agree with others and two earlier&nbsp;comments I'd focus on before=
 you even take off the head or anything else.</div><div><br data-mce-bogus=
=3D"1"></div><div>1) You don't want to be far from home and have it stop r=
unning. Never fun to get stranded and towed.</div><div>2) Additional damag=
ing could be done, that may not be damaged yet, if you have a more catostr=
ophic failure while running this engine in&nbsp;this ailing&nbsp;condition=
.</div><div><br data-mce-bogus=3D"1"></div><div>Actually a third comment i=
s also right on the mark. &nbsp;If you belong to a Car Club, you may find =
someone who'd help you rebuilt, supplying the labor and knowledge.</div><d=
iv><br data-mce-bogus=3D"1"></div><div>Good luck,</div><div><br data-mce-b=
ogus=3D"1"></div><div>Rye</div><div><br data-mce-bogus=3D"1"></div><div><b=
r data-mce-bogus=3D"1"></div><div><br>On Nov 15, 2015, at 03:29 PM, Ann Ca=
rletta &lt;[email-masked]&gt; wrote:<br><br></div><div><blockquote =
type=3D"cite"><div class=3D"msg-quote"><div class=3D"_stretch"><span class=
=3D"body-text-content">Hi and thanks to everyone who gave me comments on t=
he carburetor. So turns out it wasn't a carb problem, but a compression pr=
oblem #1-75, #2-55, #3-55 and #4-0. Even though he explained it to me, all=
 I heard was the expensive price, which is not in my budget right now. Am =
I doing any damage to the car if I drive her this way. I always check the =
oil and fill it when needed. Is there a cheaper temporary fix?<br><br>Ann<=
br>1960 (or 59?) TR3A<br><br>** <a href=3D"mailto:[email-masked]"=
 data-mce-href=3D"mailto:[email-masked]">[email-masked]<=
/a> **<br><br>Donate: <a href=3D"http://www.team.net/donate.html" data-mce=
-href=3D"http://www.team.net/donate.html">http://www.team.net/donate.html<=
/a><br>Archive: <a href=3D"http://www.team.net/archive" data-mce-href=3D"h=
ttp://www.team.net/archive">http://www.team.net/archive</a><br>Forums: <a =
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</blockquote></div></body></html>=

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From: "Randall" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2015 08:47:55 -0800

> barely... and starting it must be a challenge too..

Oddly enough, some very old engines actually had compression relief valves, to kill the compression and make them easier to start!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIjNH2ghdTA

I've driven TR3s that didn't blow much better than Ann's numbers (except for the 0), and they actually started easy.  Didn't make
much power, but I drove a whole Indiana winter that way and it started every time (once I added an alternator to keep the battery
charged).

-- Randall

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2015 11:53:03 -0600 (CST)

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<div style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); FONT-SIZE: 12px"><div>=
a few months back I had a buddy ask me about low compression after his visi=
t to a shop..... at the last minute he pulled back on letting the mechanic =
do a head job.<br />We pulled the valve cover and checked the clearances...=
. sure enough valve recession had tightened up the cleanrances with one val=
ve (sounds like your #4) was never completely closing it was so tight (clea=
rance wise) We pulled the head....cleaned the carbon.... lapped the valves =
in place (old fuel hose trick on the valve stem)&nbsp; put it back together=
 and had good (+/-145psi) compression on all four cyls.&nbsp; That was 10k =
miles ago.&nbsp; ymmv<br /></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>&nb=
sp;</div><span>Paul Tegler<br />[email-masked]<br />www.teglerizer.com=
</span><div>&nbsp;</div><div style=3D"border-top:1px solid #bcbcbc;margin:5=
px 0px;"></div><span style=3D"font-size:12;font-family:arial;color:#000000;=
">On 11/16/15, <span>Jeff Scarbrough&lt;[email-masked]&gt;</span> wrot=
e:</span><div>&nbsp;</div><div style=3D"font-size:12;font-family:arial;colo=
r:#000000;">On Sun, Nov 15, 2015 at 6:25 PM, Ann Carletta &lt;<a class=3D"p=
arsedEmail" href=3D"mailto:[email-masked]" target=3D"_blank">anncarl=
[email-masked]</a>&gt; wrote:<br />&gt; Hi and thanks to everyone who gave =
me comments on the carburetor.  So turns out it wasn't a carb problem, but =
a compression problem  #1-75, #2-55, #3-55 and #4-0.  Even though he explai=
ned it to me, all I heard was the expensive price, which is not in my budge=
t right now.  Am I doing any damage to the car if I drive her this way.  I =
always check the oil and fill it when needed.  Is there a cheaper temporary=
 fix?<br /><br /><br /><br />Hard to say how much additional damage you mig=
ht be doing by driving<br />it further, but unless I was being chased by zo=
mbies, I wouldn't.  At<br />best, you'd run the risk of being stranded some=
where when the rest of<br />it quits...at worst, you would destroy whatever=
 is left that's still<br />good right now.<br /><br />Jeff Scarbrough<br />=
Corrosion Acres, Ga.<br /><br />** <a class=3D"parsedEmail" href=3D"mailto:=
[email-masked]" target=3D"_blank">[email-masked]</a> **<b=
r /><br />Donate: <a class=3D"parsedLink" href=3D"http://www.team.net/donat=
e.html" target=3D"_blank">http://www.team.net/donate.html</a><br />Archive:=
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From: EDWARD <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 27 Nov 2015 02:39:15 +0000 (UTC)

I didn't think an engine could even start/run with such compression numbers, let alone move a car. I'd cettainl 
  
Ed Woods 

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