The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

from what i can see wont a new cam shaft fix it or am i missing somthing??


Nathan

No idea whatsoever mate. I am a little puzzled as to how that would happen in the first instance, never mind how to sort it.

Well I'm sure a new cam shaft will sort it, either way looks like you have found your problem!!

Fix it first before buying a new head for it!!

Once the cam is replaced you may find the engine is fine!!

Nathan

This does seem a little baffling Ken! the only theory I have is that the engine was left idle for a long time and then got turned over without any sort of prelube. this could have allowed a couple of valves to stick open which would let the pushrods fall out then if one jammed under the rocker the next lift could have shoved the rocker into a place it wasn't supposed to be and snapped it.
I'm a little concerned at what you can see (or think you can see) down the pushrod tubes. IIRC two pushrods share a roughcast tube right through to the block where they enter individual holes before landing in the cam followers. This is quite a long way down, only a couple of inches less than the length of the rod, and therefore difficult to see with the head on.
My personal recommendation would be to fit another rocker shaft assembly and (after removing the plugs) turn the engine over by hand checking that each valve opens and closes as it should. If so then I would go for a startup and if not you've wasted very little time AND learned something and can proceed to head/cam/engine replacement as appropriate.
I've actually seen several of these engines that run perfectly with bits of the top of the pushrod tubes apparently chewed out or missing, some of its poor casting cos only the actual tubes for the camfollowers in the block are machined. if in doubt have a good stir around with a magnet on a stick and see if you pick up any debris!

Steve

Cheers Guys. Steve, what you say makes sense and is worthwhile attempting. I stuck a 'magnet on a flexy stick' thing down there and a small amount of slightly gritty stuff came up, after a few goes nothing else came to light. Guess I shall have to place a wanted post now then. I guess an oil and filter change wouldn't go amiss either, just in case.

Purplebargeken wrote:Cheers Guys. Steve, what you say makes sense and is worthwhile attempting. I stuck a 'magnet on a flexy stick' thing down there and a small amount of slightly gritty stuff came up, after a few goes nothing else came to light. Guess I shall have to place a wanted post now then. I guess an oil and filter change wouldn't go amiss either, just in case.

I wouldn't bother changing the oil till you know the engine is a keeper!
I'm sure somone on here will have a rocker shaft for not a lot of dosh, Jod perhaps?

Steve

Ken

I have a some rods from my old rocker shaft if there the same, I could also send you the rocker shaft too if you want it, let me know there free too


Darren

Ken my old 1300fwd used to have oil feed problems to the rocker shaft and would seize the rockers in place bending the push rods and resulting in a miss fire. Is this doing a similar thing but snapped a rocker instead of bending the push rod? ie seized in the valve fully open position, pistons pushed the valve back up (its vertical in the head so possible to move without bending it), rockers been seized and snapped. With mine you could see the rocker shaft was purple when you moved the springs on the shaft to the side. Also once it had cooled down the offending rockers were free to move again and you could simply chuck in another push rod and drive it for another few days!

Cheers guys. It would appear that this car was a 'barn find' or similar. I think that as Steve mentioned, the starting up of the car might have been a little ill-prepared. Adam, the pushrods are all fine thankfully and I can't see any discolouration to anything. It's a weird one but I think Steve wins the possibility prize.

Darren, can I avail you of that very kind offer re: the entire rocker assembly please!!!!

Cheers everyone.

Its yours ken, I will send a couple of rush rods just in case too. It will be posted on Tuesday morning for you bit late to go out to the garage now all the creepy thingies will be out .

I think I still have your address from when I came down last.

All the best

Darren

Yes Ken I have repiled but having seen this it doesnt look like I'll be much help.

Try it with new rockers....etc. I do have a head if you need one and the full dolly 1300 engine will be up for grabs but I cant see that being available til next year at curremt progress rates.

Jonners

No problem Jon, I will certainly get in touch if this doesn't sort the problem out. Timescale isn't too much of an issue tbh.

Cheers

Ken

Thought I'd make a bit of a start this afternoon seeing as I had a day off.

Am just taking my time with this so first things first. Off with some hoses.



then off with the thermostat housing:



Bit of a grotty looking thermostat which will be replaced, seems rude not to:



Not much in the way of anti-freeze by the look of the coolant.

Then some undoing of nuts and so on.



Sadly, lack of light brought play to a close. The fan belt is cream crackered with tons of cracks evident over every single bit of the inner surface. It looks ancient. Time for a new one of those as well.

Progress is progress. More on Sunday hopefully.

Cheers

Ken

Spent a couple of hours at the garage this morning. I have removed the radiator, the water pump housing and the carb in order to make access as easy as possible. Everything undid without too much hassle thanks to some releasing agent and a small blow torch.

All that is left to do now is remove the heater hoses, and a couple of smaller one's nearby as they look perished and the fasteners are goosed as well and then try and part the manifold and downpipe. Oh and remove the newly fitted rocker assembly. Then on to the main event. I won't be around next weekend, so the weekend after will see the remaining things dealt with.

Here's how things look at present:



Cheers

Ken

Forgot to add that I will make my own thermostat housing and water pump gaskets and do some general tidying up in the engine bay here and there. I'd like to try and get the headlining sorted out soon'ish as it is pretty stained.