Piston and liner kits with steel FO8 gaskets

[TomMull]

I recently received set of pistons and liners for my TR3, part 814-305 from LBC. Included were the FO8 liner gaskets. However, these were steel. I was under the impression that Standard Triumph discontinued using the steel gaskets more than 50 years ago because of corrosion issues. (I know these have been available aftermarket.) I had also assumed that the liner kits came with copper gaskets (the last one I bought did but that was some time ago).
Is anyone aware of this? Is there any reason for using steel? Can I safely and simply substitute the copper gaskets? I mic’d the gaskets at .014, which is a thousandth over standard, I think, and being almost totally resistant to crush, the steel would seem to be a good solution to low liner height, a condition I don’t have. I am most concerned about corrosion. I’ve sent a similar inquiry off to LBC.
Tom

 

[TR3driver]

I've neve heard of corrosion issues with the steel (ISTR the factory added a thin coating of plastic to them), but if the steel bugs you, just put in copper. There should be some copper ones in the "conversion" gasket set.

 

[TomMull]

Hmm, Roger Williams states, <span style="text-decoration: underline">How to Restore Triumph TR2, TR3 and TR3A</span>, p.90., "Steel ones (FO8s) were used originally, but tend to rust".
I guess the question is whether or not there is a reason to use the steel ones. I have several sets of leftover copper gaskets.
Tom

 

[TR3driver]

I've always used copper, and never had an issue in 35 years of TR ownership. Put new ones in Dad's TR3A back around 1974, and they still don't leak today. So I don't think there is any reason to use steel, other than perhaps that is what you have.

Since I much prefer driving to restoring, I haven't read the Williams book. But the 56 TR3 I rescued from a Texas cornfield in 1982 or so still had what appeared to be the factory steel gaskets, and no signs of problems with them. Just my experience, though, perhaps I was lucky.

Come to think of it, I did have problems on that block (which wound up in my 59 TR3A) with low liner height after installing copper gaskets, so maybe there is a reason to stick with steel. But they were low on one side even freshly installed on a new gasket, so I don't think it's a question of the gasket crushing.

 

[TomMull]

Thanks Randall. You input is always appreciated. I still have an engine in my shed that hasn't been touched so I'll have a look as I'm quite curious about this. I did several of these engines back in the sixties and seventies and have never seen replacement steel gaskets- all copper.
Got the Williams book a couple of years ago at Lime Rock Vintage Festival and have read it several times. Don't know if it's helped. Williams does mention that there are (were?) .005 oversize gaskets available, which would seem useful, but I've never seen them. Also saw a post somewhere that gave a link to directions for making them from sheet copper.
For now, pending a contrary reply from LBC, I'll slip them in with standard copper gaskets.
Tom

 

[TR3driver]

The oversize gaskets (not just .005") are available from Mordy:
https://www.headgasket.com/
but aren't particularly cheap. ISTR he quoted me $60 for a pair, and that was some years ago.

 

[TomMull]

Thanks, Randall. The $60 (or whatever it is today) might be cheap if it saves someone a future tear down.
Here's the other option I mentioned earlier, just in case you haven't seen it. Engine Tips
Quite a good page, it seems to me.
Tom

 

[TR3driver]

Thanks, Randall. The $60 (or whatever it is today) might be cheap if it saves someone a future tear down.

Yes, of course. But FWIW I've been having good luck with an alternate method, basically just adding a taller fire ring to the head gasket. Here's a shot of the one I installed on my current project after discovering that the liners were low on one side

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Quite a good page, it seems to me. [/QUOTE]
Yup, Tony & Larry definitely know their stuff.

 

[TomMull]

Yes, I never thought about fixing it at the top end (until I saw you post previously). Is the wire under the existing fire ring? Are there several turns of the wire? Tom

 

[TR3driver]

It's just a single turn of 26 AWG bare copper wire, located just outside the existing fire ring. Here's a closer shot