Triumph TR6 Club of America - 6-PACK

By Laws

The link below is to the club bylaws

Tune Up & Basic Engine Theory

This article was published in the Winter 1985 issue of 6-PACK. Len Renkenberger is the author.

Beginning with Vol. 111, No. 3 we started a series of "how to" articles on the necessary frequent maintenance jobs which will be oriented to the novice. mechanic. PLEASE READ THE FIRST TUNE UP ARTICLE BEFORE YOU DIVE INTO THIS WORK.

Speedi-Sleeves - A Better Idea

This article was published in the Winter 1985 issue of 6-PACK. Len enkenberger is the author.

There are a lot of instances; like on axle shafts, front spindles, & engine timing gear covers, where neglect and high mileage have resulted in hardened seals cutting a groove in the shaft.

Engine Front Oil Seal Improvement

This article was published in the Winter 1985 issue of 6-PACK. Len enkenberger is the author.

When rebuilding an engine or even when just replacing the front seal in the timing cover most people just put in a new seal and assume all will be well. Not necessarily so!

Engine Bearing Question

This article was published in the Winter 1985 issue of 6-PACK. Question was submitted by Dean Giles and answered by Len Renkenberger.

QUESTION submitted by Dean Giles of Valinda, CA

I'd like to try the quickie bearing change that you described in 6-PACK last year (Vol. II, No. 2). I re-read the article but I am still a bit apprehensive. First off, how do Idetermine what size bearings I need? You talk about the plastic squeeze strip that comes in the bearing set. But that means that I've got to buy the set first, then return it if I guessed wrong. Then do I measure every journal and average them out? I'd 1ike to attempt it at my next oil change (which is due) and I 'm hearing a metallic "gurgle" when I start out in too high a rear. Please help this old dummy, I don't want to trust the job to some K-MART mechanic.

Diesiling Question

This article was published in the Winter 1985 issue of 6-PACK. Question was submitted by William Brink and answered by Len Renkenberger.

QUESTION submitted by William Brink of Portland, OR

I've got a 71 TR-6 that "runs on" something awful. There's over 95,000 on the car and I've been told that carbon build up on the cylinders could be the cause and pulling the head would alleviate the trouble. But my question is petrol. My owners manual says 100 octane (research method) is required. Is this method the same as over here, because I use Union 76 premium which is just 92 but the highest in town. I don't know when the engine was last rebuilt. I've tried a few octane boosters but to no avail.

A Cheaper, Better Windshield Wiper Blade

This article was published in the Winter 1985 issue of 6-PACK. Len Renkenberger is the author.

Not only does Joseph Lucas the Prince of Darkness make sure you can? see in the dark, he also makes sure your wipers will streak so you can't see in the rain either.

Batteries & Battery Checks

This article was published in the Winter 1985 issue of 6-PACK. Ariel Robinson (Editor - Md/Va/DC area Citroen Newsletter) is the author.

If you have access to a 3 1/2 digit voltmeter you can tell the state of your battery's charge using it to take a reading across the battery terminals with the engine off.

Air Horn Installation

This article was published in the Winter 1985 issue of 6-PACK. Jim Crawl is the author.

Note: This installation involves a 5-Trumpet "musical" air horn in a 73 TR-6.. The horn was made "non-musical" by removing the top of the air compressor assembly, removing the metal air proportioning disc and re-assembling the air compressor. Installation was quite easy. Following are a few of the not so obvious details:

Curing/Preventing Rocker Shaft, Rocker And Cam Failure

This article was published in the Summer 1984 issue of 6-PACK. Len enkenberger is the author.

A while back I received a spurt of phone calls about rocker arm, rocker shaft, cam , lobes and cam follower failure. Most were apparently from dry running or insufficient oil. This struck me as a rather strange thing because I had never encountered it (with the exception that follows) in any of my TR-6 engines - even the one with 275,000 miles on it. The exception is that I have seen engines on which the set screw for the rocker shaft had come loose. This screw is located in the top of the rear rocker pedestal (#34 in illustration) about where the arrow is pointing.
This screw's function is to keep the shaft from rotating or moving fore or aft. It also happens to be in the top of the same hole which carries oil up thru the engine block and cylinder head to the rocker shaft. It is a phillips head screw and they are notorious for being impossible to tighten sufficiently. When it comes out, either the oil shoots straight up or the shaft turns and cuts off the flow of oil. In either case the result is no oil to the rockers and shaft. The cure is a clean screw and Locktite. Of course, I immediately asked the callers abaut this but none had experienced it.

My thoughts then returned to those good old days of my youth when I used to hang around my uncle's machine shop. This was after W.W. II in a town near the Pennsylvania Turnpike and although I was only 10-12 years old I was struck by the fact that two of the "best" cars - Lincoln V-12 & Buick - were burning up engines and valve gear at those "high" turnpike speeds of 60MPH. This cause was plugged up oil passages and the culprit was sludge. Sludge is accumulated dirt and broken down oil which was common in those days before detergent oil. It appears that this same fate befell at least a couple of these TR-6's. The reason I thought back to those old cars (and wasted the paragraph above) was the cure the mechanics used on the Buicks (I don't recall the Lincolns being cured except for another engine). The Buicks had an oil passage that fed the rocker assembly very similar to the TR-6 setup. The cure was to tap the oil supply very close to the oil pump, tap the hole in the cylinder head and then connect the two with a supplemental oil line of 1/8" copper tubing.

One of the members who had this problem and tried my suggested supplemental oil line was Bud Beddiges who sent along the following comnents and photos.
"We put the new shaft in leaving the oiling system as original and after about 100 miles it was almost as badly worn as the original at 80,000 plus miles! So, another shaft: This time with a supplemental oiling line as per your a1ternate suggestion (see enclosed photos). The line is 1/8" tubing with a white Teflon coating to prevent chafing.

Also a lesson learned here is to check reproduction shafts for hardness before installing."
The take-off point is the connection for the oil pressure line just behind the fuel pump tee fitting is used to connect the extra 1ine. See photo #1 following article.

The connection at the cylinder head is the plug at the left rear corner (Photo #2). The easiest type of fittings to use is the compression fitting mentioned in the following article. However, for safety sake (or "insurance") I'd suggest threaded fittings. If in doubt what fittings you will need, just take the plug from the head and the fitting in the block at the oil pressure line to the part store and let them find the fittings you will need.

Oh yes, I forgot the cam lobes and followers. They are lubricated by the oil that has passed thru the rockers and is running down over them on its way back to the sump. The followers can be checked if the rocker system and push rods are removed. This is a B/C level job (call me if you need help. A cam check requires A/B level skills) . ABOVE ALL, USE DETERGENT OIL!

Len Renkenberger