The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Am I too old to emigrate?

Jonners

Sad to see this resto topic closing but what a topic it's been eh?

However, I do love a story with a happy ending.... *sniff*.

Excellent photos, the car is looking fantastic! Makes all that hard work worthwhile

Very pleased that you have got it done, Stu.
This has been the most interesting and enjoyable restoration thread I have followed.
(The way Martin and Derek knock out restored Sprints is just boring .)

Not so much boring as jealousy inducing...

Most of us don't have their combination of willing partners, time and skills. This was a job for the "common man"... and a great read.

All sprints are a work in progress...I'm sure the updates will continue from time to time...I hope so anyway.

Jonners

It's been an epic, but surely the thread doesn't have to end even if its topic deviates slightly? Please, keep us up to date with the car's adventures and progress.

Wonderful to see the final result Stu, and a testimony to the many hours of hard graft that have gone into the car.

Now all you have to do is drive and enjoy!

thanks again for the kind words.

I'd like to have good news at this point, but pooh has decided to visit and we were at home to greet him.

the rattle from the tail end has got progressively worse. I thought I was tracking it down to the top shock mounts. When I bounced the car there was a clear knocking sound and after tightening the two nuts and squashing up the donuts a bit more, it seemed to go away. this afternoon I decided to remove the shocks and springs and have a good look. Nothing untoward, but I tightened up the top mount again just to be sure but this hasn't fixed it. I've been bouncing the car trying to find out what is going on, it sounds like the whole fuel tank is moving up and down half an inch whenever we go over a bump, but very hard to reproduce when stationary.

More concerning is the oil consumption. After an oil refill, we did a 175km jaunt today, steady revs, not a huge amount of white smoke, but checking it at home tonight and the oil level is below registering on the dipstick. Holding my hand over the end of the exhaust it gets speckled with carbon/oil drops. The spark plugs are biscuit brown, the engine is revving cleanly, I might have a slightly rich idle, but oil coming out of the exhaust and 2 litres consumption every 200km or so isn't desirable. The other tell tale is she is running on, stuttering away for a good 5-10 seconds after ignition has been switched off. This I've been told, is a sign of dirty plugs or red hot contaminant (oil) left in the cylinders which continues to ignite the fuel mixture in place of a spark. The head has been retorqued twice now (using the centre out, studs then bolts method to 55lb/ft) and each time the studs have required tightening back down to 55 by about 3lb/ft. I'm thinking this is normal.

I've yet to do a compression test (that would rule out rings), but what else would cause oil ingress to the engine ? Valve guides leaking ? I don't have any sign of an oil leak under the engine. No oil in water, no water in the oil, no oil egress from the engine block slot, engine is still running 3mm below half way, no water loss.

I did get the door restraining links fitted today after the failed suspension investigation. So now I don't have to warn the kids everytime they get in and out to hold onto the doors ! I ditched the roll head rivet things and made up some bolts with rounded heads and split pins through holes underneath. The whole lot painted mimosa yellow from the can I had made up. At least something went right

stu

What oil are you using Stu?

initially I put in some monograde 30W, on the advice of the mechanic who suggested that the engine would benefit from running in using it. I've since topped up with 20W50. She's done approx 600km now and due for a filter change soon.

stu

Could it be that the ring gaps on the compression and scraper rings are aligned instead of being at opposite points on their respective grooves? I'd try a compression test, wet and dry, but those wouldn't necessarily tell you what the problem is if the problem's something with the oil control rings or the expanders.
Cylinder leakage test is more useful, that would be my next move.

Oil grade won't affect oil usage on a fresh engine, might only save a pint between changes on a very worn one, and 20w50 is pretty much ideal in any case.
For the engine to consume that amount of oil, it has to be coming up past those rings.

One final thought though; how long do you leave the car to stand before checking the oil level, after switching off? It takes a long while for the oil in a slant four to return to the sump, checking within ten minutes or more of switch-off would quite possibly result in overfilling which would cause the excess to be burned.
Forgive me if you already thought of that, but many folk don't, and they tend to be the ones who think that they have engines that consume oil.

thanks JPB, yeah, I gave it a while for the oil to drain back down, no offence taken, thanks for the pointers

I reassembled the pistons into the block, so might have made some fundamental error with the rings. I followed the instructions that came with the the pistons. The head was done professionally by a mechanic who would know what he was doing.

on the up side, oil is cheap and there will be plenty of lubrication down in those bores

Glad to see it finished Stu.

It's very satisfying when you reach the end of a resto. I, like many others, have been following this thread from day one. Roll on the next one.

c'mon Mart, speculate about the oil problem ! I need your expertise. What would you do ?

thanks for the kind words. Your resto threads (and many others) have been a massive source of inspiration.

stu

OK Stu, it could be the head gasket. But first, torque the head to 58lb ft, not 55. Then do a compression test.