John, it sounds as though you may have 1969 or 1970 carbs on your 1971 TR6.
The early carbs had non-adjustable needles, so it would be interesting to
see if yours has that type. Also, the early air cleaner has twin snorkels
on it and a nipple between the carbs for a hose to the big emissions valve
that sits atop the intake manifold. The TRF big blue TR6 book has some
pretty good diagrams of emissions hoses and routing, so you can maybe
identify the correct emissions hose setup from the TRF diagrams. As far as
the engine building up enough crankcase pressure to cause oil leakage at the
head gasket, it doesn't seem likely. There is an oil gallery that
communicates between the block and the head near the left side. My 1969
leaked at that point as well and I had the head resurfaced and fitted a new
head gasket. It's now dry as a bone! If you have to pull it apart again, I
would check the head and the top of the block for flatness in every
direction and also for any deep scratches or anything that would prevent the
gasket from sealing correctly. You may find that the head or block needs to
be resurfaced.
Rex Townsend
Bainbridge Island, WA
P.S. I really enjoy seeing where our fellow TR6 and TR250 enthusiasts are
from, so those of you who feel comfortable listing your home town on your
submissions, please do so!
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