FWIW I thought I'd share the results of my recently completed TR6 top
end rebuild. Some of you may recall my posts back in March and April as
I shared my pain at the begining of this classic shipwrights project (
started as an engine by overspray job), and I thank the many many of you
kind and patient enough to help me or point me to the right resource. I
finally got it back on the road last week.
Simply put, I replaced my cam with an off-the -shelf Babe Erson "149"
Cam ( .287 lift at the lobe, .430 lift at the valve, 278 duration)
provided by Ken Gillanders at British Frame & Engine ( $140 plus core),
replaced the stock 7.5 compression head with a rebuilt head shaved to
9.3 compression with the usual new parts and uprated springs, provided
off-the-shelf by British Parts Northwest ( $525 plus core). New tappets
and shortened push rods, new timing chain and gears ( total about $125)
also from BPNW. I already was running dual Weber downdrafts and a Monza
exhaust, with stock header which I still have on ( OK with that long
duration I need to get a real header), and all vestiges of smog devices
were long gone by P.O.. Ordinary points and stock distributor.
I can report that the amount of increased power from the comp and cam is
huge, not just noticeable, but truly massive. And it's remarkably strong
at the low end as well as through the RPM range of reasonable street
driving. Others who have driven it say the same thing. The exhaust note,
I can assure you, is saweet ( if loud throaty growling is your idea of
sweet)! This is now a car that, cruising at70MPH, you can hit the gas in
high gear and squat the back as you rapidly accelerate ( rear is newly
rebuilt, it ain't the bushings, shocks and springs folks, its the
torque). It is a car that I have already almost lost on curves from
overaccelerating out of them. Strangely, it's a car my wife finally
likes to drive ( "gee honey, it seems so much safer with all that
power"... huh?)
Anyone interested in more specifics about this "bolt-on" setup, please
feel free to contact me. And once again, thanks to all my list friends
for all the help, without whom I could never have possibly accomplished
this first time rebuild effort.
Keith
74 TR6
|