So with the engine now up and off the chassis and the gearbox on a temporary separation, it was time time to start the strip down and investigate what we have to play with. I have purchased an engine stand to help with all this and I’m glad I did as this has helped no end with the awkward access to all areas allowing me to rotate the block if needed. So first thing was the engine oil drain out and sump removal. The oil was black as black and had never been changes for some time, but it was smooth with no sludge or grit and no signs of water or moisture in it so that was a good sign for the likes of piston ring issues or bearings grinding out… so far so good.
Next was the head removal to get a real good look at the valves and piston (especially pot 2 that was low on compression) the head removal should have been a straightforward procedure however one stud had expanded with moisture and was a real twat to remove basically, but some lumps of wood and persuasion with a big mallet saw it out without any damage. The head gasket was in good condition also with no signs of any issues, but these engines have never been notorious for head gasket failure so this was all as expected really.
First look at the engine internals and apart from a shed load of carbon build up, everything looks really good. No lips or scoring to the cylinder liners, cam shaft lobes look good and the crankshaft looks all nice with no signs of any serious wear or damage. The pistons are all standard size and have the original markings from manufacture so all this is insinuating that this will be its first rebuild in 40 years from new back in 1981 which is good news really as I’m now not chasing any problems from previous poor quality rebuilds.
My intention now is to get the block fully stripped to component form then get everything chemically cleaned and sparkling. Then get the head fully pressure tested and skimmed if needed along with new valves and valve seats. This is what I think was causing the low compression figure I got during testing, a sticky valve with sooted up seat. I’m unsure if an unleaded conversion has been done to the head throughout its life so far, so a full head rebuild will cover all this with just new bearings, thrust washers and cylinder honing for the bottom end. I’m not going to start messing on with increasing the bores and capacity for increased power etc… simply because I don’t see the point in reinventing the wheel. If I had wanted phenomenal power for this project then I wouldn’t be using a 1500 Triumph block as a starting point really, so standard rebuild it will be, maybe (budget allowing) a cheeky pair of twin Weber carbs to bolt on the side for a little “grunt” shall we say.
