Teardown: Worse than We Feared

Update by David S. Wallens to the Triumph Group 44 GT6 project car
Apr 26, 2009

Upon inspecting everything, our suspicions were confirmed: We had spun some rod bearings, in this case numbers 1 and 4.

We got back from our test day around dinner time on Thursday night, and work began the next morning. Thanks to the diligent work of Gary Hunter and Jere Dotten, the engine was out of the car and disassembled by 3 p.m. the next afternoon.

Upon inspecting everything, our suspicions were confirmed: We had spun some rod bearings, in this case numbers 1 and 4. Worse yet, we had damaged the crank as well as the two corresponding rods. That dark sheen told us that something had gotten too hot.

Thankfully Vintage Racing Services had another balanced and blueprinted stock crank in stock. They also had another set of prepped stock rods.

We ordered those parts and sent the block to our local machine shop, Fred’s Fastrac. They hot-tanked the block and inspected the cam bearings. All except one looked good, but since they’re inexpensive we replaced the entire set.

Dave Anton of APT had the required gasket set in stock so we placed our order. Soon we’d be back in business.

One week after disassembly, reassembly began. We’d have all hands on deck for this one. We pulled in another major favor and asked our old buddy J.K. Jackson to come down from Tallahassee and oversee the procedure. He races a TR6, owns a Group 44 car himself, and has assembled hundreds of six-cylinder Triumph engines.

By midnight that evening, we had our engine all back together. By 3 p.m. the next afternoon, the engine was back in the car and ready to fire. 

Had we not wired the Pertronix ignitor backwards, we are certain the engine would have come to life. Unfortunately, we will have to wait until Monday to hear that glorious noise once again.

Obviously an undertaking like this doesn’t happen easily. Thanks to our Tech Editor Per Schroeder for overseeing the hunting and gathering process; Jere and Gary for their diligence; Paul Suddard for his help; and Marjorie Suddard for moral support and patiently putting up with the long hours.

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