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TR4/4A How much oil is normal..

richie

Senior Member
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How much splatter is normal..

My curiosity was spiked after learning that TR's were never outfitted with valve stem seals, starting to realize the possible potential in cleaning the "raw" emissions up a little bit. Then I just realized I had no real baseline.. Compression is pretty solid across the board last time and the engine is overall very healthy - so no red flags really. Carbs were tuned last year (by ear not colourtune) and sync'd as well with a fresh distributor running pertronix.

Just curious per say since I don't have a baseline - is it normal on these engines to have droplets of oil (or more likely unburnt gas) pretty much constantly spew out even at idle? Can most of you stand behind your tailpipes for more than a moment without ruining a pair of pants? Curious if this is normal or if something might be out of whack. I do realize this is a tractor engine !

Thanks
 
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I have mostly seen this happen on motors that are running rich, is this a street car or a race car? just asking because of your pic.
 
I somtimes see splatter when cranking up a cold engine for the first time..Not gas, just water condensation and soot and only for the first few seconds.
If you have raw gas splatter, I'd suspect you need a carb adjustment and/or a hotter spark plug.
 
This is a street car with no heavy mods. Thinking more about it, I'm definitely inclined to say it's raw fuel.

Last time I tuned it I was able to get it right on (lift piston 1/16", RPMs rise briefly then stabilize), but obviously one can't help but to consider it still running rich.

Is there another variable in the mix that might still be causing it to run rich? Interesting thought on the spark plug but would tuning it appropriately for the plug compensate for a colder plug if that were the case?
 
Take a look at your existing plugs..are they dark ? If so try something in the same heat range as Champion RN12YC (404)

Other things might be the "choke" engagement.. Make sure it's off when you push it off. How about a sticking float chamber needle valve ? Or have Grose Jets been used to replace the plunger type original style needle valves ?
You really need to get to the bottom of this, that raw fuel is washing down the combustion chambers pistons and rings.
 
Take a look at your existing plugs..are they dark ? If so try something in the same heat range as Champion RN12YC (404)
Are you sure about that? RN12YC would be a 3/4" reach plug, but the wet-liner engines typically took a 1/2" reach plug, such as Champion L87Y.
 
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