1960 TR3 With rust in cylinders

[Bill Smith]

I've removed the cylinder head and there is some rust in the two of the cylinder bores. The motor is seized. Will the sleeves and pistons drive out with the con rod caps disconnected? Or, are the sleeves pressed in? Is there a way to replace pistons and sleeves while the engine is in the car?

 

[JPSmit]

Hi Bill and welcome - can't help you except to say you have posted in the wrong place - if you re-post on the Triump forum I am certain someone will know - or perhaps even a moderator can shift you.

good luck though!

 

[charleyf]

Bill,
The sleeves are not pressed in but getting them out you might think they have been. You will NOT get the sleeves out with the stuck Pistons. The best way that I have found to remove the sleeves is by turning the block over and using a piece of about 1/4" thick angle aluminum to drive them out the top. I was also using a big hammer. Not a job that I would try from under the vehicle.
Charley

 

[Geo Hahn]

I hammered out the sleeves on my TR3A with the engine in the car using a tool described by Randall...

That's a length of (¾"?) iron pipe with a brass cap on the business end.

I just pounded on them from under the car - was surprised how easy it was. I had wrapped the bare crank journals with aluminum foil to protect them from dirt and rust falling.

I have never had to pound one out with a piston stuck in it - though off hand I don't see any reason why this couldn't be done.

 

[TR3driver]

I have driven them out with the piston and rod attached, using a "drift" very similar to what Geo showed above (except I think mine was shorter) and a BFH. The main point of the brass cap is to avoid chipping the end of the liner, in case it can be reused. It doesn't work 100% of the time, but almost always.

Doing it with the engine in the car is not especially recommended (nor pleasant), but can be done. I definitely recommend eye protection, because of all the cooling system rust and crud that will come raining down on your face as the liner comes free of it's seat. In fact, I did my first TR3A "rebuild" that way some 40 years ago, and that engine still ran the last time anyone tried it.

However, you might want to first try shooting some PB Blaster or SiliKroil around the top of the piston, and driving the piston down with a block of wood & BFH (after making sure the rod can't ding the crank). Keep soaking and pounding for several days. It's a lot easier to get the piston out with the engine block to hold the liner for you.

If all else fails, use a big cold chisel to break the piston crown and chisel away enough of it to get the rod out. Then use the chisel & BFH to break the liner. It won't matter if you get some nicks and dings in the vertical area where the liner sits in the block, the critical surface is the horizontal part where the "Figure 8" gaskets sit. Just don't crack the block

 

[TomMull]

BFH?


Actually this one came back from the machine shop with a BFP as the hammer failed. I wasn't there when it happened but I told them I was interested in saving the block, not the liners. Block is fine.
Tom

 

[CJD]

Interesting...if you knock from below, it's not obvious how the skirt could fail like that. They must have tried rocking (with a BFH) it from the top!

 

[TomMull]

Interesting...if you knock from below, it's not obvious how the skirt could fail like that. They must have tried rocking (with a BFH) it from the top!

Piston and rod stuck in the stuck cylinder. My guess is that they found a way to press on the rod or put a tool onto the piston. Rod came out straight and true also. Tom