TR7 V8 Motor Build

[terrydale]

So, my plan is to put this out into the public domain making it even harder for me to find an excuse - again this year - as to why the motor hasn't been built and installed in the TR7 V8.

I bought the car as a TR7 parts car in 1990 when I had my shop. It had a Capri 2.8 liter V6 in it and the rear trailing arm had been ripped out by some ahem aggressive driving. Bought a complete 81 TR8 that had been whacked in the left front corner and stripped it with the intention of selling it for parts. In the meantime, I had Stu Trudel box in both rear trailing arms of the TR7 and the car was put into use with my Dealer Plate on it by my parts manager (son Rob). Over the next while, parts seemed to be migrating from my parts department onto the TR7 with the reason given that 'space was needed for a reorg of the parts warehouse'. Ultimately, we transferred everything TR8 related - power steering, rad, brakes, engine, trans, diff, yada yada - over to the TR7 Coupe. Removed and sold the Lucas fuel injection and installed an Edelbrock manifold with a Holley 4bbl carb and it was then used on the street and for two race schools and a few lapping days by the boys.

Rattled the motor 3 years ago. Bought lots of really neat stuff from Woody, the TR8 King in New England, and this is finally the year it gets built and put back on the road.

Tim loaned me his pristine California Black Plate TR8 Roadster to take to ICAR a couple of weeks ago and that was enough to re-inspire me! Hopefully mine will be operational by the end of this month - stay tuned!!!

[jkcashin]

If you need further inspiration, there's a Triumph club in town.. and a friend has a red TR8 that he brings to their outings. If you want more details, let me know.

Jamie

[DEye]

So you've had two days, done Yet ?
Do you have a plan ?

[PMcD]

Ted Rance and I had a great discussion at the race track about these wonderful...ahem....Buick....aluminum motors and how one day I wanted to put one in a 240Z. Ted knows a lot about them and how they make horsepower for racing. Pretty cool stuff. The one thats running GT1 with us in CASC is an absolute monster.

[terrydale]

So you've had two days, done Yet ?
Do you have a plan ?

Well, I have an excuse!! I am at Tremblant for a race this weekend - which isn`t a bad reason, I guess!! Its on my calendar for starting next Tuesday and non-stop for the rest of that week. Skip the next week (at CTMP for the ALMS weekend) and then the following week starting Tuesday the 24th. Should be in and running byJuly 27th.

[terrydale]

If you need further inspiration, there's a Triumph club in town.. and a friend has a red TR8 that he brings to their outings. If you want more details, let me know. Jamie

Thanx Jamie. When I had my shop here in town (The Old Car Factory), I was a member of the Ottawa Valley Triumph Owner`s Club along with all of the others (Jag, MG, Lotus) as that was what I specialized in working on. I spent many years at Manotick and Long Island Motors - the primary BLM Dealer here in town at the time - including doing my apprenticeship there. As has been previously mentioned, that included working on the TR7 cars which were absolute piles of crap (apologies to the many TR7 owners out there, but they were!). I was sent on factory training including on the 5 speed gearboxes as well as TR7 and TR8 engines. My area of specialty has been engines from the very beginning so I am certainly up for the challenge of building this one.

Interestingly, of the 2600 or so TR8`s built in the world, the highest concentration of them is right here in the Ottawa area according to the TR8 Owner`s Club.

Another trivia note is that when I was at Long Island Motors way back when, the District Service Manager was given a TR8 to drive which was one of the very first units in North America. Local TR8 enthusiast Dave Huddleson now owns that very car (along with a few other TR8`s!).

[terrydale]

Ted Rance and I had a great discussion at the race track about these wonderful...ahem....Buick....aluminum motors and how one day I wanted to put one in a 240Z. Ted knows a lot about them and how they make horsepower for racing. Pretty cool stuff. The one thats running GT1 with us in CASC is an absolute monster.

These ex-GM engines - which were the basis for the Range and Land Rover series of cars and a few others (Morgan, MGB GT, and more) were and are a really cool engine. All aluminum and very strong. In fact, they were used in Formula 1 cars back in the day.

You can buy drop-in crate ones from Rimmer Brothers in the UK that have 525hp!! That would be positively scary in a TR8 - assuming that the car didn`t rip in half the first time the clutch was dropped!!!

[DEye]

Excellent - A plan is always good to have.
I am guessing you have an adequately equipped shop where this work will be taking place ?

So you've had two days, done Yet ?
Do you have a plan ?

Well, I have an excuse!! I am at Tremblant for a race this weekend - which isn`t a bad reason, I guess!! Its on my calendar for starting next Tuesday and non-stop for the rest of that week. Skip the next week (at CTMP for the ALMS weekend) and then the following week starting Tuesday the 24th. Should be in and running byJuly 27th.

[terrydale]

I have a clean room in my back shed, my tool box is standing ready for use (have to scrape some of the rust off first!!) and I am ready to go!!

I have already had all of the machine work done on the block (line bore, overbore cylinders, new cam bearings, decked, yada yada) and pickled it right after. Trick heads were already done and in use on the previous engine - checked and good to go. New pistons sitting on the rods. All balanced. Trick cam sitting in the box. Double roller timing gears. New,high volume oil pump. And much, much more!!!

Tim's TR8 is getting lots of attention here at Tremblant. It is a very pretty car. Dark blue original colour. Original tan coloured seats but redone in leather, new tan soft top. 15 inch Panasport wheels replacing the original 13's. Custom dual exhaust from the manifolds back. All good and a very nice ride!! Mine won't be as pretty - but it will be faster!!

[jkcashin]

You need to get JP to tell you the story of when he went to the states to get a rebuilt V8 Rover engine with and for a friend of ours. He managed to stuff the whole thing into the back of the VW.. and close the package shelf. I will see if I can find the pics!

Jamie

[jkcashin]

And here it is...

A full Rover (GM) V8 stuffed into the boot of a VW Golf, complete with a carb and all the goodies to drop the engine into the TR8. And there's a full VW suspension in there too!

Jamie

Edit: Looks like the link may not be embeddable.. click here to see the image: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... e272ff5e05

[DEye]

I have already had all of the machine work done on the block (line bore, overbore cylinders, new cam bearings, decked, yada yada) and pickled it right after. Trick heads were already done and in use on the previous engine - checked and good to go. New pistons sitting on the rods. All balanced. Trick cam sitting in the box. Double roller timing gears. New,high volume oil pump. And much, much more!!!

Geezz sounds like all you have to do it put it together !
A weekend job Speaking from NO experience - well other than a assisting my brothers in repairing a VW with a Valve sticking out of one Pistion

[manotickmike]

Interestingly, of the 2600 or so TR8`s built in the world, the highest concentration of them is right here in the Ottawa area according to the TR8 Owner`s Club.

I highly suspect that this is in no small part due to the fact that certain mechanics (and apprentice types...) who ALSO worked on Richmond Road (names omitted to protect the guilty... ) had above average driving skills, and were provided with both motive and opportunity to "test" these cars in their heyday.
I'm not going to say that we invented "hooning", but we did our very best to perfect it. We received NO commission, but I'm sure we had something to do with the large sales.
The numbers back this up.

[terrydale]

You need to get JP to tell you the story of when he went to the states to get a rebuilt V8 Rover engine with and for a friend of ours. He managed to stuff the whole thing into the back of the VW.. and close the package shelf. Jamie

Jamie, the motor I am putting together is the one removed in order to install that motor you are referring to!!!

[PaulMacDonald]

You know you want to hear that car running with the V8 so get going.

[terrydale]

Just got back from Tremblant in Tim's TR8 with the top down the whole way - suhweet!!!

The same guy who built his custom exhaust did mine as well so the sound is going to be very nice! Mine will have higher compression and a lumpier cam so, yes, I can't wait to hear it!

Getting started tomorrow afternoon!!!

[terrydale]

Well, interesting first step. Removed the oil pan from the old motor today and found something I have never seen before - two main bearing caps with the bolts undone about two turns on all four bolts. There is surprisingly little damage on either the bearings or crank journals. There is no oil pressure gauge on the car but the light never came on as one would certainly have expected.

Thinking this through, here is what I believe has happened. Way back many years ago, Rob's then girlfirend now wife was driving the car and reported that it 'caught fire' and stopped. It was running rough and I parked it for a few years without even looking at it. Finally, I needed something to drive so I pulled it back out and found that valve seats had dropped in three cylinders jamming under valves causing huge rough running. I also found a rad hose that had let go and that was the cause of the 'fire' which was in fact steam that in turn lead to serious overheating - hence the dropped valve seats. I had the heads redone with some added magic upgrades and refitted them, started the motor and it ran fine for a couple of years.

Finally, it started to develop a pronounced death rattle so I parked it again and bought another motor to rebuild. That motor has had a bunch of trick stuff done to it and the plan was to build it up and have it all set to drop in and replace the rattled motor.

So now, with the backed off main bearing caps, obviously that explains the bearing ' death rattle' that I heard. But the reason for them backing off in the first place is almost certainly due to the original overheating years ago that stretched the bolts, losing their tension or 'torque' and from there it was just a matter of time. Note to self - if the motor is ever seriously overheated, pull it and strip it down - or sell it right away!!

Anyway, all good, making good progrees. Spent the morning finding all sorts of previously 'lost stuff' in my clean room and then disassembled the old motor. Have to clean things like water pumps, brackets, yada yada. Also have acryilic sub-frame mounts to be installed as well.

On track so far!!

[terrydale]

Four hours this morning. Installed crank, rings on pistons, cleaned parts and organised for the next steps.

Motor is 20 thou over with 10.5:1 pistons. Cam is a special grind custom done for 'The Wedge Shop' in New England. Specs look awesome! Heads were flowed with 10 thou off the surface, 3 angle grind.

The 'Clean Room' has windows facing west and the sun in the afternoon is a killer. This is a morning project - also allows for a nap........I mean intro- and retro-spection in the afternoon!

[DEye]

Cool !
Glad to hear its progressing well.

You never know what you'll find once you start taking things apart !

Don

[terrydale]

I remember doing a 1000 mile service on an almost new MGB. Customer complained of a rattling noise - especially at idle in neutral with the clutch out.

Spent some time trying to narrow it down and determined that it was something either transmission input shaft related or similar but definitely in that area. Pulled the motor and found that the flywheel bolts were backing out - untightened on the assembly line. Easy fix but certainly a head scratcher and something not typically seen.

[terrydale]

Got side-tracked today - zero progress. Headed to the cottage first thing tomorrow to soak in the lake for the next few days before I head off to CTMP on Wednesday.

The week after is blocked off so the saga continues when I get back!

[PaulMacDonald]

So, where is the youtube sound clip?

[terrydale]

Well, here's the deal!!

I did get the short block assembled this week but I am now trying to locate what I bought 3 years ago to do all of this. Also I have hard subframe mounts, braided steel brake lines and a whole lot more 'stuff' to install before dropping the motor in. The next three weeks will be a challenge to move forward too much as I'll be at a race track for two more weekends after this one at Mid Ohio but I am committed to getting it in and running by this Fall.

Thanx for the 'nudge'!!!

[terrydale]

I have found the parts that were MIA and am ready to get back at it next week. Hopefully, it will be assembled and ready to install by the weekend or early the following week. I'll be commuting down and back from the cottage to work on it so a really nice day up there might mean a missed day on the engine build calendar.

I have to say that by putting this up here it has created the incentive to get 'r done that I needed! All good and the You Tube clip will be amazing!

[Chris_A]

Do you have any plans to dyno the engine?