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TR2/3/3A What are the running symptoms........

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Turn the distributor, if it runs better check chain if move is large.
 
Long before the old girl skips a tooth, you will hear the tinkle of the broken tensioner as the
chain pitches it all about inside the cover. Do not ignore this symptom !! Fixing this promptly
will stop a break down and save a good motor.
Mad dog
 
Well I did hear a lot of rattling at warm up but it seemed to go away when driving. What's the worst case scenario when that happens? Odd thing is it may have happened at the same time I either blew a head gasket or F08 gasket? Could the two problems be related????? Karl
 
if you remove the rocker box, get a socket on the crank pully and rockit back and forth, if the valve dont move the moment you move the crank
the chian and or tensioner is toast,
dont drive it or start it again until you remove the timing cover to see what is going on in there.
 
Another possible "test" - gearbox in 3rd. Have someone slowly push the car forward or backward. While the car is moving, you watch to see if valves move immediately (it's ok) or there's a delay (not good).
 
Karl, what you describe is piston slap . It shows excessive wear on the pistons and liners.
It is not a happy noise and can mask the timing "tinkle".
Mad dog
 
And the timing chain rattle won't go away as the engine warms up. It will go away when the chain finally wears a hole through the timing chain cover. (That's the noise, the loose timing chain hitting the cover.)

A broken or very worn timing chain tensioner will cause timing problems, both in valve timing and in distributor timing. The timing can actually go from advanced to retarded and back again as RPMs rise and fall.

On Formula Ford racing engines we retard the cam timing by just a few degrees to move the powerband up in the RPM range (sacrificing some low-end torque for a little top-end power). The amount we aim for is WAAY less than a full tooth.
 
All great answers above, but what makes you think the chain jumped a tooth?
That seems to me to be a big leap.
Dunno.........
 
Brings back a time in 69 where my buddy's tr3 had stalled dead, but after a few cranks
and curses it would fire off and promptly die again. Timing chain was jumping and like a broken
watch , would be right for a few seconds every 12 hours. Or twelve cranks.....
We fixed the timing chain in time for the POS to wrap its self around an Elm tree a few weeks
after new years...(all too True)
Mad dog
 
mctriumph said:
Brings back a time in 69 where my buddy's tr3 had stalled dead, but after a few cranks
and curses it would fire off and promptly die again. Timing chain was jumping and like a broken
watch , would be right for a few seconds every 12 hours. Or twelve cranks.....
We fixed the timing chain in time for the POS to wrap its self around an Elm tree a few weeks
after new years...(all too True)
Mad dog
Click to expand...

mctriumph said:
Brings back a time in 69 where my buddy's tr3 had stalled dead, but after a few cranks
and curses it would fire off and promptly die again. Timing chain was jumping and like a broken
watch , would be right for a few seconds every 12 hours. Or twelve cranks.....
We fixed the timing chain in time for the POS to wrap its self around an Elm tree a few weeks
after new years...(all too True)
Mad dog
Click to expand...
Ya gotta watch out for those Elm trees they'll leap right in front of you.:D
 
Karl, I cannot believe you would continue to run a car with a bad tensioner...the racket is unbearable. Then, it will not skip a tooth with a good tensioner.
 
CJD said:
Karl, I cannot believe you would continue to run a car with a bad tensioner...the racket is unbearable. Then, it will not skip a tooth with a good tensioner.
Click to expand...
It's all speculation at this point. I think what I was hearing on start up was piston slap. I'm still baffled by the heavy black carbon build up on the inside of the intake manifold and spark plugs. I know it's not from over rich carbs because prior to the blown gasket incident the plugs were a nice tan color! I thought maybe a jumped timing chain would account for the carbon buildup but now I think that is not the issue. How could a blown head or F08 gasket or coolant in the oil cause a carbon build up???
 
Stay simple. Use long screwdiver or stethescope, listen to timing chain cover, block etc., find source. Could be bearings in alternstor, water pump. Move distributor, after marking, to see if it improves. Don' t panic or give up because it might be major until you pinpoint the source.
 
When you start getting coolant in your rings, valve guides, and cylinder walls...there is a good likelihood it will affect your spark plug color and amount of carbon build up.
 
Glad to hear you got the car running again. Did you remove the dizzy? Incorrect timing and point dwell can lead to cold spark and carbon. The points need to be set first because their setting will effect timing. I would check the points for wear. Points should be clean no gray color then move to timing with a timing light. My experience is the window to see a timing marks with timing light is difficult. Aim the timing light on the passenger side and aim the light just past the generator pulley and shine the light on the crank pulley, there is a small spot there were you can see both timing marks. First find the little hole on the crank pulley and mark it with some chalk or soap stone. You can probably see the pointer on the timing cover. Set the timing with a low idle about a quarter inch past the pointer on the timing cover. That means the correct timing is when pulley mark is a quarter inch past the pointer on the cover looking towards the passenger side.

Steve
 
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