tr7triumph.com

My engine decided to die on the way to Billing today , a loud clattering noise and then it died. I got recovered by the RAC within an hour but to say I am gutted is an understatement, I didn't get there last year because I had a heart attack and now the FHC decides to do the same.
After a couple of hours I decided to assess the damage and the reason for the failure seems to be a newly fitted cam bucket disintegrating and taking out the valve and the camshaft, I will post a picture later but I am now left to ponder the next step as I have spent a lot of time rebuilding this engine and only replaced the cam bucket because the old one was worn and noisy.
I have a nice V8 in my garage which would fit nicely in the space vacated by the blown engine or I could fit the tuned 2L from the Grinall.
What will the piston look like when I take the head off, any bets?

Dave

I've read the tea leaves, consulted the entrails of a chicken, sought advice from the rune stones, made enquiries with the crystal ball and checked with the tarot cards, the results are clear and unanimous...........there is a V8 in your cars future!

Hi Dave,

That looks nasty looks like the housing for the valve collets sitting somewhere it shouldn't be. There was some issues I believe with followers a while back, someone had one go bad on them on the first Bullet Run a year ago now.

Sorry you didn't get there was a good day and sunshine finally came out after being bl88dy freezing all weekend.

Cheers John

I had a similar situation with mine a few years ago. The top of my first cam bucket decided that it no longer wanted to be joined to the rest of the bucket. So the top broke off and took out the head with it. I took of the head and there was no damage as far as I can remember to the pistons or block, which was lucky. However, I had to source a new head and a very kind member here helped me out with that. I got the whole engine rebuilt and sorted and it went back in nice.

If I had the options you have, I would go for the tuned 2L rather than the V8. The power is nice, but the price of petrol is always going to go up. Do you not fancy getting a new head, if the rest is OK?

From the sounds of it, I would not try going to Billing next year. A heart attack the first year, an engine blow up the second year. I dread to think what will happen next year if you try to go

It depends on the driving you do Phil. The best I have ever got from the 7, since it was tuned was 8.2L/100Km. This was on a basically flat with no real corners 300 kilometre run on a good bush highway. It can get up to 14L/100Km on a Triumph club run

I don't have such figures for the 4.6L 8, but the consumption for a 2900 Km trip, including about 20% town & city running, was 10.1L/100Km. This was probably because I don't think I used more than half throttle the whole way, & was using under an inch throttle even for overtaking. It did once get up to 22l/100Km on a club run.

It's got to be worth spending a couple of litres per 100 kilometres to have the ability to blow off almost anyone in almost anything who thinks little old cars must be slow, Oh & that beautiful music it plays.

Hasbeen

Dave, I had the same thing happen on the 40th anniversary run. The new buckets are of poor quality, better to find a good set of originals.