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Wedge What could I have done wrong on my TR7?

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Hegg

Hegg

Jedi Hopeful
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Well, finally got my TR7 off the blocks and back on the ground this week. Everything hooked up and ready for fluids. So I start pouring in coolant and after awhile I hear the dreaded dripping sound. Sure enough it's leaking.

I get looking, and it's leaking all around the head! Both sides of the head it's raining coolant down my fresh engine.

What in the world could I have done wrong? I build the engine up from scratch, by the book, had it professionally machined, and double-checked all my torque settings. How could it be leaking past the head gasket when it's torqued down so tight?

I'm baffled. And frustrated. I really don't want to take the head back off the engine, especially now that it's all in the car and hooked up.

I'm pouting now.
 
Dear Hegg.....
Don't blame you for pouting, I know I would!
I assume you've checked for compression to be sure that the head is pulled down properly?
Is it possible that the head gasket is in the wrong way around or upside down leaving a water passage ungasketed.
I'm not sure on a TR7 whether that is possible but I know some cars can have the gasket mounted the wrong way. FWIW.
 
I haven't cranked the engine or anything (battery isn't hooked up yet). The head gasket has a section for the timing chain to go to the overhead cam which is offset, so there's not really any way to get it on "backwards".

Even if I didn't get the head torqued down ALL the way, there should be at least enough pressure to hold enough coolant in to be a SMALL leak. It's just pouring out like there's no head on at all!

Thanks for the post... I'll let y'all know what it was when I get the heart to go tear it all apart again.
 
Well, I was chattin' with ObiRichKanobi and I think we figured it out. This is a carb'd car and he wondered if there was a difference (since his TR7 is FI). I checked WedgeParts and sure enough there's s different head gasket for carb and FI.

So I got out my receipt from 14 months ago (Victoria British) and I was shipped a Fuel Injected head gasket set instead of a carburetor set!

Anyway, that's my theory for now. Thanks for the help Rich!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Anyway, that's my theory for now. Thanks for the help Rich!

[/ QUOTE ]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif Ah heck...just hope we were right.
 
Is it possible that you dont have the intake manifold o-ring seated properly and the coolant is coming from the intake?
 
Just talked to Brad at Wedge Parts -- the two head gaskets are identical, so that's not it.

And to make it worse, my Elan busted this morning -- sounded like the timing chain broke and bent all my valves. But not confirmed yet...

This is just one sucky week.
 
You noticed what today is ? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif
 
Ya, sounds like an O ring to me too. I had to "Glue" mine down with "Form a Gasket" to keep mine from moving. It sucks having to take everything back off if you don't do that.

Paul
 
Even if neither is working properly, just having an Elan AND at TR-7 is so fortunate.

I know the feeling. At the same time my TR-7 Spider is spraying oil from a mysterious spot at the bottom of the engine, my '66 Land Rover decided to lunch it slave cylinder.

Great cars don't always mean good luck.

Jeff
 
i was going to drive my '76 fhc to oklahoma city this weekend, i got the bright idea to change the spark plugs (hadn't done it yet with all else i had to do). previous owner cross threaded in #1. tried a heli coil, no good, won't hold the sparkie in. am waiting for a king sert kit. meanwhile drove my gm product to oklahoma city. btw, am converting my fi engine from my '81 dhc to a carb set up. intake manifolds are different, but manifold gasket looks to be the same.
 
Just out of curiosity, why are you converting from FI to carbs?
The FI engines run so much better it is amazing it is even the same engine...
 
i had the engine left over from my v8 conversion project (in case of confusion, the engine is destined for my '76)and i don't really trust the previous owners work on the current engine (he is very good on old muscle cars though). mostly it's something to do with spare parts and have fun.
 
Well... What was the problem, Hegg? O ring?

Just following up on some interesting threads while at work. What did you find with this problem you were having?

Paul
 
Re: Well... What was the problem, Hegg? O ring?

After I got the head off, I noticed a few "burrs" on the edge of the flat head surface that must have occurred during shipping. My dad's a machinist and had some tools to smooth the head out flat and it seemed to solve the problem.

I have had to retorque my head 3 times since putting it on (because other leaks started), but it seems to be fine now.

Thanks for reminding me to follow-up, I completely forgot!
 
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