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TR2/3/3A Mystery object in my cylinder head water jacket ???

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K

karls59tr

Obi Wan
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Cylinder out of the car and on a bench. Looking at the two pie shaped openings for the water jacket on the underside at the back of the block I saw a what looked like a piece of wire maybe less than 1/4" wide and 3" long. I tried to fish it out with the the needle nose pliers and broke a small piece off....see picture. What is is that and what's it doing in there? :smile:
IMG_20240623_173050.jpg
 
bobhustead said:
To be clear, this head will be crack checked by a machine shop?
Bob
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Bob I will get it crack checked when I take it in to get the head skimmed? Could you give me your thoughts on the new thread I started about the valve rocker shaft collars and worn pedestal tops? Thanks Karl
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karls59tr said:
Bob I will get it crack checked when I take it in to get the head skimmed? Could you give me your thoughts on the new thread I started about the valve rocker shaft collars and worn pedestal tops? Thanks Karl
.
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I also found a piece of wire inside the water passage in a TR3A head. My piece was 6-8" long. Not solder and no idea why it was there.
Charley
 
Hamish Racing said:
Be surprised if it’s solder then as that’s very soft and pliable

You just don’t want bits of it getting to the water pump or thermostat

Perhaps a bit of rod that broke off when someone was cleaning the waterways in times past.
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I thin your right about a rod that someone used for cleaning.I tried snapping the long piece with the needle nose pliers but no luck. Not sure if you saw my other two posts. One about 3/8 valves and guides and the other about the valve shaft rocker cap? Your input there would be greatly appreciated. I'm on a budget and would like to just get the car on the road for the rest of the summer by getting a machine shop to skim the head and resolve the head gasket issue then do a full cylinder head rebuild in the winter.
charleyf said:
I also found a piece of wire inside the water passage in a TR3A head. My piece was 6-8" long. Not solder and no idea why it was there.
Charley
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Charley I wonder if back at the factory those many years ago someone was trying to knock out a stuck piece of casting slag with a piece of wire and the whistle blew for tea time and he forgot it there. :smile: Karl
 
karls59tr said:
Charley I wonder if back at the factory those many years ago someone was trying to knock out a stuck piece of casting slag with a piece of wire and the whistle blew for tea time and he forgot it there. :smile: Karl
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That makes about as much sense as anything I could come up with.

Charley
 
You are obviously anxious to drive the car, but I would do a full rebuild of the cylinder head at this stage, so that everything is "right".
Have you done a cylinder compression test yet?...Checked the combustion chamber volume?
 
malbaby said:
You are obviously anxious to drive the car, but I would do a full rebuild of the cylinder head at this stage, so that everything is "right".
Have you done a cylinder compression test yet?...Checked the combustion chamber volume?
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Ah yes to do it right. Unfortunately at 76 years old with limited resources at this point in time I must do it this way. Cylinder compression is good and valves actually look OK.
 
I seem to remember seeing something somewhere about the casting sand having some metal bits placed in it to reinforce the mold during the casting process. I don't think it was Triumph specific. Did a google search and found instances of people finding what looked like welding rod in Chrysler slant 6 engines and then this from an AMC forum: > Welding rod in water jackets <
 
mastaphixa said:
I seem to remember seeing something somewhere about the casting sand having some metal bits placed in it to reinforce the mold during the casting process. I don't think it was Triumph specific. Did a google search and found instances of people finding what looked like welding rod in Chrysler slant 6 engines and then this from an AMC forum: > Welding rod in water jackets <
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Ah ha. Mystery solved. Rod used to support mold in places during casting kind of like rebar used in concrete. :smile:
 
Karl I think in your heart you know what you need to do, want to do and will do.
And that its right for you. I am late to the party on where your car work originated ? Was it running without significant issues before ? If so I think Get it skimmed at a good shop as minimum as you can and put back together rockers, pedestals and all. With a good annealed copper gasket to suit the head thickness.

Just my 2 penny worth.

They are quite robust engines and quite forgiving of tolerances.
 
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