Engine size

[reywal]

I am curious as to which size engine I have in my 59 Tr3A...2.0 or 2.1 liter. Numbers I have are TS 36547 L and body number is EB 36543. It has the high port intake. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[TR3driver]

Stock would likely have been 2138cc, although 1991cc was available.

But changing the bore is trivial, and for a long time the 87mm liners were actually cheaper than the stock sizes; so there is a good chance it has been changed to 2188cc. Only way to be sure is to measure it somehow.

BTW, TS36547L would have been completed sometime around 3rd quarter 1958; although it was very likely sold as a 1959 model.

 

[Don Elliott]

My 1958 TR3A built in February 1958 (TS 27489 LO) came new when I bought it in May 1958 with a 1991 cc engine which was stock at that time. I thought they were all 1991 cc unless someone paid extra for the 2188 cc option which became the standard engine for the TR3Bs and TR4s.

 

[martx-5]

Stock would likely have been 2138cc, although 1991cc was available.

Are you sure about that Randall?? I thought the 2138cc engine didn't show up until the TR3Bs...the TCFs, along with the first of the TR4s.

It was the TR4s that could be ordered with the 1991cc engine in case you wanted to race in an under two liter class.

 

[Marvin Gruber]

Welcome to the Forum!. If you don't already know, Mickey Richard lives in Clarksville and is Moderator for the Triumph list.

Mickey, looks like you have some more company there.

BTW- you should have a 1991 cc engine from the numbers you posted. Do you know any history on the car?

 

[tdskip]

Welcome! If the engine has been rebuilt, which is fairly likely at this point, there is a very good chance that it has the 87mm liners as Randall points out. Nothing else changes to the best of my knowledge however...

Any pictures to share? Is she up and driving?

 

[Andrew Mace]

Art and Don are both essentially correct. The 2138cc engine became available around 1959, as I recall. Offhand I can't remember if they got unique engine serial numbers. TR3Bs could have TSF engines (still 1991cc) or TCF engines (2138cc), and early TR4s could have CT engines (2138cc) or CTA engines (1991cc), but the latter engines were pretty rare (some cars sold in Japan and some special order cars).

Point is, though, one really can't be sure of the displacement of a wet-liner engine 40-60 years on without measuring the pistons or liners. Aside from the 83mm or 86mm sets originally used in the TR engines, there was the 85mm set (2088cc) used in the Vanguards, and even an 80mm set (1670cc) in the Standard Ensign! And in recent years there have been the 87mm and even 89mm sets for performance upgrades.

 

[TR3driver]

This is from Practical Hints, 6th edition. I'm not positive exactly when this was published (no date given), but it does not show Lucar connectors on the control & fuse boxes, while it does show the split steering column, later carb setup, etc. So I believe it was published around 1959 or 60; long before the TR3B came out.

 

[Andrew Mace]

Interesting! I have to wonder if it was a typo or transposition of data, as that's the only "factory" or other literature I've ever seen indicating that, at any point before the 3B, the 2138cc engine was stock and the 1991cc engine was optional!

 

[Don Elliott]

THe three powder blue TR4s that Kas prepered for the Shell Rally in 1964 had the 1991 cc engines because they wanted them to be in the class under 2 liters. All the Falcons, Dodges and Plymouths were in the nezt class with V-8 engines built for muscle cars.

I did that rally in a Renault R-8

 

[Mickey Richaud]

Welcome to the Forum!. If you don't already know, Mickey Richard lives in Clarksville and is Moderator for the Triumph list.

Mickey, looks like you have some more company there.

Not only that, but I'm pretty sure his office is a block away from the church! And his daughter is a member here!

 

[reywal]

Thanks for all the informative replies! I sincerely look forward to being a part of this forum....Bill (reywal)