Following on from the recent thread concerning oil feed hoses...
> > I had an oil line fitted to a Vitesse when I
> purchased
> it. Every time I started the car the engine let out a
> cloud of smoke. During each gear change, same thing.
> Thinking the problem was with the valve guides and
> wear in the engine I rebuilt the whole thing. Now, I'm
> convinced the problem was with the external oil feed.
> I removed it. A machine shop owner told me that the
> amount of oil flowing to the head was too much.
> Again, one man's opinion.
> Jim Williams
> 13/60 Estate
> Sport6 1963
Jon,
You may want to look at how deep the recess is in the head where the upper
fitting
bolts in. Triumph wasn't very careful with how deep the counterbore was and
it's
possible your washer isn't thick enough and the banjo fitting is getting
cocked on the
casting rather than seating flat in the counterbore.
I've replaced far too many worn rocker shafts to say I'd run one of my
engines without
some supplimental lubrication to the top end, usually by grooving a supply
gallery
behind the rear cam bearing (note: you must fit cam bearings for that trick
to work
properly) but you will get smoking unless the head has good guides with
positive valve
stem seals. My recomendation on older engines is to observe the valvetrain
without
the rocker feed and see if everything stays nice and oily all the time. If it
does,
then don't bother with the external feed. If the top end looks dry,
especially at the
front, then fit the feed pipe or be prepared to replace rockers and shafts at
frequent
intervals.
Good luck!
Brian Schlorff '61 TR-4 '64 TR-4 '72 TR-6 '79 Spit
That's pretty sound advice from Brian there.
I would point out though that my valve guides were most certainly not worn.
My engine had just been rebuilt to a very high standard by a very experienced
rebuilder of Triumph engines, and apart from the oil smoke problem, there
were no other problems or wear of any kind on the engine.
The valves were brand new and gas-flowed, and the valve guides were brand new
phosphor-bronze items, however the only error I made was to be unaware of the
availablility of inlet valve-stem oil seals...they are made of teflon by
Payen/AE Auto Parts, and the part # is HR631 & 769 on the packet. I purchased
them from John Kipping.
I am not too worried about my rocker-shaft, as it was the straightest
tuftrided item available and the still original type rocker-arms have
oilite-phosphor-bronze bushes in them.
The oil supply to the shaft seems to be very good, even without the extra
hose.
Probably due to having had the block acid-dipped and all the oil ways
thoroughly cleaned through, as well as having a new blue-printed oil pump
fitted.
As soon as I remove the head for hardened (unleaded) valve seats to be fitted
to the exhaust valves, I will fit the inlet valve stem oil seals and we will
see if my car finally stops smoking. (removal of the oil feed hose reduced
smoke by about 2/3rds, but not completely).
It has only done some 5500 miles since new, and is running sweetly, so I am
not really too pleased about removing the head at this point!
We shall see.
All I am trying to say, is that supplying extra oil to the rocker arms is not
the only answer!
Léon
Triumph Sports Six Club
International Liaison Secretary
1963 Triumph Vitesse 2-Litre Convertible
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