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TR2/3/3A Pushrods

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JFS

JFS

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I have a modified engine with milled head and shortened chrome moly pushrods purchased some 20 years ago from British Frame & Engine. A clicking tappet-like sound began a number of years ago. Repeated valve lash checking and minor adjustments made no difference. A stethoscope seems to indicate cylinder #4. I pulled the rocker assembly last year and found a pushrod from that cylinder to have a slightly loose top end. It would click when I hit it with a finger. The other seven rods were firmly attached. Everything else seems okay. I put it back together so I could drive it, but am a bit concerned about the loose end. I don't know how that end is secured on the rod. I'm also not sure that is the source of the clicking sound which is in synch with the normal valve train sounds. I have noticed no decline in performance. Any thoughts?
 
The pushrods end slips inside the steel tube and is crimped. Unless the tube splits, the end cannot come out unless you get into some pretty severe valve float. I can't say if it's the source of you ticking. You could try moving that pushrods to another cylinder and see if the ticking moves with it...
 
JFS said:
Thanks, John. Can the crimp be tightened?
Click to expand...

That's a good question. As you can see when you study it, it is roll crimped evenly around the tube in production. I'm not sure if staking would work or not. To be honest, I have so many on my engine that were loose that I figured that was normal. Maybe you notice yours because you only have one!?! I never noticed much noise from mine, but my hearing isn't what it was in the high range.

Anyway, hopefully someone has an idea how to tighten your end.
 
The loose end shouldn't bother ( MG TCs have loose ends) You could take the pushrod out and put a small tack weld at the connection.
 
If it was mine, I'd pull it out and take down to the machine shop and ask. Something like that they'd just fix it while I waited.

edit: and also move it after it's fixed to see if the tick moves as suggested above
.
 
You can use stock pushrods. They are welded and very light.
I only use stock pushrods in my 4.
 
Chris, I'm sure your 4's head is milled more than my street car. Have you no geometry problem with stock rods or have you shortened them? No advantage to running the chromemolys? Might be simpler to replace the one chromemoly if it can't be tightened.
 
I shaved 4mm off the head and had fit a 2mm shim under the pedestal to compensate.
I found NO wear on the valve guids BUT I run cast iron guids. Maybe they last longer than these bronze stuff which is sold for racing.
Never would use this bronze stuff.

Cheers
Chris
 
Thanks, Chris. I think I'll take PeterK's suggestion and take the pushrod to a machine shop sometime this winter.
PS: Chris, loved watching you drive that TR8 at RA! A rare treat.
 
I pulled all the TR2's pushrods today. Those were all tight. One interesting thing I noted while cleaning them was that these pushrods have check valves...I never knew that. Cleaning fluid flows upward, but not downward through the tubes. They're more complicated than I thought they were...
 
John, the check valve discovery is interesting; I hadn't heard of that before. I'll make a note to check mine when I pull them. Thanks.
 
DOh! I got around to inspecting the pushrods...and I was WAY wrong! They do not have any oil flow at all through the pushrod. The ends are solid, but had little dots that looked like oil holes when they were caked in black oil. Once cleaned, the dots are just spots that do not make contact with the lifter/rocker arm. What had me convinced there was a check valve was the way the solvent flowed around the rounded end, down the rod and made a perfect stream coming off the cupped end. Turned the other way, the cup, of course, defelected the solvent with no "fake stream".

Anyway, sorry for my confusion! There is no oil flow through the TR2/3 pushrods...
 
There was a mix up in an order I made this last spring, I have a complete set (8) of 5/32 radius push rods for a TR3 or 4A length is 10 080. They are sealed and ready for delivery. They are not cast iron.... I got them from British Frame and Engine who ordered them from a well known company in Oregon, name escapes me at the moment. Please PM if you are interested.
 
Thanks for the offer, Dorn, but my plan is to see if the loose rod can be fixed or replaced with another chromemoly -- if either is necessary. Did you ask British Frame & Engine if you could return them? They're good people.
 
I sent an email to British Frame and Engine and Ken Gillanders replied with an offer to replace the pushrod. The air temp outside is presently -25F and my garage is not insulated so I'll wait for a bit of a warm-up before I pull it to measure it. Above zero would be nice. Stay warm out there in cyber land.
 
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