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TR2/3/3A Valve cover question

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mastaphixa

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First post. I am new to the TR3 world and thank you in advance for your help. I am working on what appears to be a 60 TR3 with a body commission number of TS65587L. The engine number is TS17890E. From looking at the Production Data in the MOSS catalog it would look like the engine is older than the car by a few years? What puzzles me is the valve cover. It has the breather in the back, and the narrower part of the wedge toward the right hand side of the car. It has two acorn nuts fore and aft with a brass looking plug in the center. Can valve covers from the later (larger) engines be swapped on to the 2.0L engines?

The reason I ask this silly question is, if I do a google image search on TR3 engine bay I get loads of pictures of engines with the breather in the front. When I do the same search for TR4 engine bays, I see the identical valve cover this engine has. From the engine number I am looking at I assume someone has put a later model valve cover on this engine.

Does this make sense?
 

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Yup, lots of sense. The later TR3A and TR4 engines are nearly identical, a great many of the parts interchange, including rocker covers. That even may be a TR4 head on there (or not, same cover fits both). (The 2.2 liter displacement was even available as an option for the TR3A, but only the pistons & liners changed to increase the displacement. Aftermarket parts can increase it even more.)

That's also a later TR4 (or 4A) intake manifold.

Just out of curiosity, is there a Ford/Motorcraft alternator on it? That box on the firewall looks familiar ...

PS, Yes, that engine block would have been produced in 1957, probably around April.

PPS, Welcome to the asylum!
 
The brass plug in the center of the valve cover came on the TCF TR3 B's as well as the early TR4's. Both of those had the 86mm pistons TR4 engine. Later TR4's did not have the brass plug and then some very late TR4's and the TR4A had a breather tube sticking out the side of the cover. So the really big difference between the various covers is the breather through the side pipe or a slip on breather cap as found on the early TR's.
Charley
 
You also have the electronic temp sender which was for later cars.

mastaphixa said:
...I am working on what appears to be a 60 TR3 with a body commission number of TS65587L. The engine number is TS17890E...
Click to expand...

Did you get a good look at the whole number? I ask because if the engine was CT17890E that might explain a lot.
 
Yes to answer your question, it makes sense. Because TR3 hoods hinge at the windshield and TR4s hinge at the front so access for oil is more easily done with the filler hole at opposite ends as well.
 
PeterK said:
Yes to answer your question, it makes sense. Because TR3 hoods hinge at the windshield and TR4s hinge at the front so access for oil is more easily done with the filler hole at opposite ends as well.
Click to expand...
I am thinking that the reason for the breather cap change on the engine was the lower hood on the TR4. Putting it at the back end kept it lower and away from touching the hood. They put the hump in the hood to make sure the carbs cleared the hood.
Charley
 
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