• Hey Guest!
    British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
Tips
Tips

I had to ask what else could go wrong...

Share this page

W

wifegonnakillme

Jedi Hopeful
Offline
So the other night my little 3 was having a hard time starting, it was colder and i new that i had a bit of a weak valve on the number three cylinder...so i took it in to look at having the head done, now i find that not only is the head cracked and in need of replacing, it needs new sleves, rings and crank...$5-6000...bloody heck... now i know why so many of these cars get parked for years...
Kerry /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/canpatriot.GIF
 
Ouch! I hope you're quoting Canadian $s for the work! (However I see TRF wants $4250 plus $450 core plus shipping for a rebuilt motor, in US $s.)

Are you sure the head isn't repairable? Often a crack can be welded up and repaired.

Are you sure all the other rebuild work is needed right now? Maybe you can give the head the attention it needs now, and do the bottom half of the engine over the Winter. I.e., maybe you can break it down into a couple separate and more manageable projects.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
How about just buying a rebuilt head until this winter....

Then buy a good block (<$100) & crank (about $150?) from somewhere and start playing with it.
 
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/iagree.gif

A "spare" engine to play with never goes amiss. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif
 
I agree with Alan, you might give some thought to fixing the head (or even finding a non cracked head locally that can be refurbished) and just doing that for now. Thinking about it, I bet 50% of these cars are driving with worn out bottom ends and maybe 20% are driving with a cracked head (of the three heads I had on my two TRs one was cracked). You might get several more years driving if you just repair the head.

If you want to chat about it give me a call at work today.
 
I agree with the general views above. I had my TR3A engine apart shortly after I got it. Knew then that it really needed new sleeves but couldn't manage the expense so I replaced the rings & bearings and drove on assuming one day I would have to do the full rebuild. That was 1982, still runs fine today (did finally rebuild the head last year).
 
Well, I've found a local guy who said he could "refresh" an engine he has on his lot that is in a '62 that was last registered in 1970... His estimate was roughly $2500 and that would include a replacement head. I have to get more details on what refreshed means, but right now it is sounding like a good option. Apparently, I can't just slap a new head on as the seals around the sleeves are shot and i have coolant in my oil...
Been a frustrating week with all of this, but thanks for the advice folks it is most appreciated,
Kerry
(Adrio, i was off today, but will give you a ring tomorrow)
 
Ouch - even $2500 is still on the high side unless you're shopping all the work out. I pulled the engine & stripped the block down - cost was about $850. No major machining was required. Did the reassembly myself, too. Arr Arr. Regardless, just make sure you get top quality bearings & such - you don't want to go through this again anytime soon!
 
If you have the head off and crank around the engine that could cause the sleeves to 'unseat' from the seals. Whoever is doing it is supposed to hold down the sleeves with a big stack of washers or sockets so they don't break the seal...

I'm just wondering if the 5k quote was to redo everything since you're already in there....

It doesn't sound like you're up for doing it yourself but someone should be able to check the measurements on the sleeves and see if they really need to be replaced. For a budget (and I'm as cheap as they get) I'd measure the sleeves and if they are in spec and don't have any major lips or wear on them then just slap in some new 'figure of eight' gaskets for the sleeves, new rings, and replace the rod/crank bearings. Pick up a good used head and replace the valves, guides, and seats.

Bingo.... you're on the road again for several good years for a lot less than 5K.

of course Your Mileage May Vary....
 
Just by way of an update...got my car back last night (i have to have others do the work right now as i have no space to work on it (also, i've never played with engines)). Anyway, for about $4K i have a new/old block, reused head, new rings, new/old crank, new/old (looks barely used) distributor, repaired vacuum advance, replaced copper fuel line with steel, new/old steering box and column (this part was an extra as the bearings went on mine the day before the engine gave out - and i must say, huge, huge difference)...all in all, i think a good deal, however, was completely unplanned and was hard to shell out the cash. I have the car back now, i still need to replace the temp gauge which makes me more than a little nervous with the new engine and i need to run it for a while to get everything settled - am trying to make it down to stowe with it, but we'll see,
Cheers,
Kerry /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/canpatriot.GIF
 
I would definately get that temp gauge fixed before I drove the car any distance, with all the money you spent you want to be sure you are not heading for any trouble during break in.
 
Kerry, I have an electric temp gauge we could use as a stop gap until you get the real one hooked up. Just let me know. We would have find a sender unit and also rig up a voltage stabelizer as well but that is simple enough.
 
Thanks Adrio, i appreciate that - i am picking up a non-stock capillary this aft (under $30) to cover me - if i can't get a good stock replacement i may try to splice the tube to the stock gauge over the winter...
K
 
Back
Top