TR2/3/3A TR3 piston/liner advice

[Bob_D]

My son and I are restoring a '58 TR3a and we just learned from our machine shop that we need new pistons and liners. He then went into a long monologue about how difficult it is to find quality parts these days. Sooo, any advice about which supplier sells quality piston/liner kits?

Thanks

 

[DrEntropy]

One source:

Moss Motors

Item #45, check bore diameter. And AE are as good as you can get.

Those are not the TR3 ones so a call to Moss would be prudent to check if they have specific TR3 sets, too.

Then order thru Tony "The Autoist" here. That'll save a few bucks.

 

[billspit]

BPNW has them and TRF should have them. The good ones cost around $800+.

Is it not possible to get oversize pistons and bore the liners? Or is that not cost effective?

 

[TR3driver]

Is it not possible to get oversize pistons and bore the liners? Or is that not cost effective?

It can be done, sometimes, and some people are doing it to save some $$. But not all liners can be bored to all sizes; and it takes special tooling and knowledge to get it right. Plus it seems to me that you're taking an additional risk, for a relatively modest savings. So I've always opted for new liners.

If you want to pursue boring your old liners, talk to Joe A. at A.R.E. Sorry, I don't have contact info handy (currently in Newcastle, WY, over 1000 miles from all my Triumph info) but I'm sure someone else can supply it.

 

[NickMorgan]

I fitted Mahle liners and pistons to my TR3 when I managed to break a piston. The advantage is that you can choose larger sizes to boost the capacity of the engine. The problem is knowing when to stop! I then had the cylinder head machined, skimmed, gas flowed and had larger valves fitted. I stopped there, but really wish that I had balanced the engine now.

 

[Bob_D]

Thanks for all the great advice.

DrEntropy -- What do you mean by Tony the autoist?

Thanks