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Should I attempt lower end rebuild myself?

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TR2-4 engines are sleeved. The cylinders on the 6 are cast in the block, hence if excessively worn, or you are going for higher performance or longevity you need to bore.

OK Tom was faster on the keyboard, so redundancy here.
 
True, but I have put engines back together with the cylinders pretty badly worn, and they still run fine. They might use more oil, and will need attention again somewhat sooner than if you bore the cylinders, but we're talking like 50,000 miles instead of 100,000 miles.

Mike, there is a growing movement to rebore old liners rather than just replacing them. It does take some special equipment to do it right, and most machine shops won't have the equipment, hence it's usually simpler to replace the liners (on the wet-liner TRactor motor used on TR2-4A). But you can save a few $$ by finding someone with the right equipment (not to mention knowing that the metal in the liners isn't old beer cans). Try Joe Alexander or Ted Schumacher. If they don't have it, they'll know who does.
 
Yankee TR,

Concern I have with an in frame is the rear main seal.Tr6 rear mains do get old, hard and leak. And when he gets the flywheel off, it is very simple matter to have a machine shop lighten it for relatively little money.

I am answering his question on the premise that he wants to overhaul(i.e., rebuild) the engine. Not just patch it.

So, I still recommend pull it, tear it down to the best of his comfortableness, take the block and pieces to a machine shop for measuring and work. Have the machine shop reinstall any parts he is uncomfortable doing and he should be able to reassemble the rest.
 
Mike, this is what your engine block would look like without the liners.
block.jpg

(This is what one would call "toe in")
 
TR3driver said:
True, but I have put engines back together with the cylinders pretty badly worn, and they still run fine. They might use more oil, and will need attention again somewhat sooner than if you bore the cylinders, but we're talking like 50,000 miles instead of 100,000 miles.

Mike, there is a growing movement to rebore old liners rather than just replacing them. It does take some special equipment to do it right, and most machine shops won't have the equipment, hence it's usually simpler to replace the liners (on the wet-liner TRactor motor used on TR2-4A). But you can save a few $$ by finding someone with the right equipment (not to mention knowing that the metal in the liners isn't old beer cans). Try Joe Alexander or Ted Schumacher. If they don't have it, they'll know who does.
Click to expand...
Motorcycle shops can often bore TR liners...
 
RonMacPherson said:
Yankee TR,

Concern I have with an in frame is the rear main seal.Tr6 rear mains do get old, hard and leak. And when he gets the flywheel off, it is very simple matter to have a machine shop lighten it for relatively little money.

I am answering his question on the premise that he wants to overhaul(i.e., rebuild) the engine. Not just patch it.

So, I still recommend pull it, tear it down to the best of his comfortableness, take the block and pieces to a machine shop for measuring and work. Have the machine shop reinstall any parts he is uncomfortable doing and he should be able to reassemble the rest.
Click to expand...
If the engine is is rough shape it would be advisable to pull it. Back in the day we seldom, if ever, pulled an engine and did a full bore remanufacturng on 'em. Always done in-frame unless the block was damaged...we even had a local machine shop bore the cylinders and grind the cranks in-chassis (if possible)!

I'm not disputing the benefits of a complete engine re-do but so many guys can't afford the $$$ it takes and get disheartened with the car (or the hobby) and get out because of the expense of repairs. These cars can be inexpensive to own and repair...I was just offering an alternative.

And, if the "6" has a rope seal those, too, can be change in situ as they say.
 
The above pictured TR3 (58) engine block was a unit that I tore down in my driveway. The crank was not frozen (and now hums nicely in the TR3 that Capt Roy just sold) and the pistons came out without much ado. The liners, however, were a bear to remove. I ended up using a maul and large drift to coax them out, cracked two of them. Perhaps I could have used a different technique. Had to get to the seals. I purchased and subsequently returned 87mm Mahle liners as they were close to a grand, just the liners. The block as seen was boiled by a local shop and now is in someone's car, not sure where. The point is, don't see how one could remove liners with the engine in the car. Must be doable, you guys seem to have done it. Wow. Anyway, the Vicky Brit page listed above shows "Liners" for the TR6 engine. Most guys that have the bore increased on their TR6 engines (the four-banger can have the bore increased by buying larger liners, like the 87mm Mahles) simply have them bored. I had so much slap that the machine shop bored and used liners or sleeves. Usually, most guys don't go with sleeves on these engines when boring. Someone told me once that some of the 6 cylinder blocks were sleeved from the factory. We used AE pistons, 20 over.
 
TR6BILL said:
I ended up using a maul and large drift to coax them out, cracked two of them. Perhaps I could have used a different technique.
<snip>
The point is, don't see how one could remove liners with the engine in the car.
Click to expand...
That's exactly the way ... but I made a brass-faced drift to avoid cracking the liners. Didn't matter as I was going to 87mm anyway (bought a used set of 87s from a racer that went even larger), but saved the originals JIC.
 
TR6BILL said:
Anyway, the Vicky Brit page listed above shows "Liners" for the TR6 engine. Most guys that have the bore increased on their TR6 engines simply have them bored. I had so much slap that the machine shop bored and used liners or sleeves. Usually, most guys don't go with sleeves on these engines when boring. Someone told me once that some of the 6 cylinder blocks were sleeved from the factory. We used AE pistons, 20 over.
Click to expand...

On cast iron engine blocks, liners are normally only used if the bore needed to repair the block is larger than what the block can handle or if only one piston needs work (out of several) and the others will be left as is. that way it can be returned to the same diameter as the other cylinders in the engine.
 
I had too much wear in the cylinder wall or "slap" where the cylinders were no longer perfectly round. Did not want to bore to 40 or 60 over so we bored enough to perfectly accept sleeves and allow for slightly larger (20 over) pistons. Have had no problems.
 
Here is a picture of a TR3 (4 cylinder) block with the "real" wet liners still in place -but not cleaned-up yet. This engine was under 20' of salt water and then sat a year before I took it apart. The liners needed persuading before they came out -but they did. The previous owner filled the crank case with diesel fuel, which saved the crank (though several pistons are froze to it's liner). I have no doubt it will run again.
 
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