TR2/3/3A TR3 head is off -- awaiting head gasket

[sammyb]

Rope trick, shmrope trick! Nothing like a little head wrastling :wink:. Just had to use a little pry bar under the water outlet area and the part that extends on the back (no I didn't pry in the actual head-to-block area!) It took a good 15 minutes of rocking back and forth, but it's off.

The funny thing was that I was looking at shop manual, and it made no mention of taking off the exhaust manifold. I kept looking at it and saying to myself "THIS HAS TO COME OFF!!!!"

I opened the other shop manual, and the instructions start "assuming the engine is OUT OF THE CAR, To remove head...."

Interestingly, it's pretty easy to remove the carbs and exhaust manifold. Good design. We'll see how hard it is to put back on.

But a few of the head bolts seemed tighter than others. Wonder if I warped the head, or if the bolts were just not retorqued after installation 15 years ago. The head looks quite nice.

 

[TR4]

Congradulations........Any pictures? We all would like a peek inside the cylinders and a look at the valves. Especially those of us who have never taken their head off.

 

[tomshobby]

Might want to check the head with a straight edge to make sure it is flat.

 

[Guest]

Try removing the cylinder head in-chassis on a 4.6 litre late model Ford pick up! Woo! Hoo!

 

[Guest]

Sammy, ya buying new head bolts and such? I would think.

 

[Geo Hahn]

...Interestingly, it's pretty easy to remove the carbs and exhaust manifold. Good design. We'll see how hard it is to put back on...

Too late I guess, but FWIW I do not remove the manifolds, just undo them from their studs and pull them back away from the head. Plenty of flex in the exhaust system to allow this thought you may need to undo the choke linkage from the front jet (I have to) to keep it from hitting the inner wing. Once back a 2x4 jammed between the block and header holds the manifolds out of the way.

 

[sammyb]

Uggh...I just flipped the head over to check for warpage...and while it looks flat, there's a big ole crack in there. It actually looks like it's been there for a while.

I'm taking it to the machine shop tomorrow to get an expert opinion. A little welding here -- a little surfacing there and hopefully I'm back in business. I'd hate to have to get my hands on a new cylinder head!!!

 

[sammyb]

Geo,
I actually did exactly what you said. The manifolds are still in the car.

Bill,
I probably will keep the same bolts and studs, because they aren't that old. They actually look pretty decent.

But since the head is going down to the machine shop, I'll ask their opinion.

Sam

 

[Guest]

If it makes you feel any better, I drove my TR3 for several years with a weld-repaired cracked head. Still ran well after I sold it.

 

[sammyb]

I dropped off the head at the machine shop today. Turns out the owner of the shop used to own a TR3B. (Always nice to find out that the guy who is working on your stuff knows all about it.)

He said the crack was entirely between two water passages, so no worries. I still left it down there to have him give it the once-over, because there was a little light abrasion that he wanted to at least check out, if not polish.

So hopefully I'll have the head back on Monday before I leave to go to Pebble Beach/Monterey.