Head gasket replacement

[HQentity]

Hello all! Hope you are keeping well.

My name is Kyle! I bought my first Stag earlier this year - my last car was a Dolomite 1850 which I used as a daily driver for 5 years until the bodywork went. I went for the best body I could afford on the Stag, and will use it as a daily driver too eventually.

When I bought the Stag, it hadn't moved for a few years, and I've since done a good few thousand miles in it and blown a head gasket (among other things!). Today I drained the fluids, removed the ignition electrics, Removed the LH exhaust manifold and removed the carbs.

I have the 2-nut tool for removing the studs from Rimmers that I tried (very ineffectively!!) to remove the studs on the 1850 with. I haven't tried on the Stag yet.

I have a few questions please!

1. Does anyone have a head puller I can borrow in Sussex please? I don't mind paying for it and collecting/returning.

2. What are the thoughts on nickel-plated studs?

3. Where is a good place to get heads/inlet manifold skimmed correctly so the inlet manifold still fits?

4. What are good head gaskets/where can I get them?

5. What work should I get done on the heads?

Thank you so much!

Kyle

[new to this]

Kyle

i have the Dolomite headmaster at the moment going to see if it fits the stag head as i have mine off the car at the moment

im going to use nickel plated studs on mine and use ceramic grease as well
Get the head gaskets think there BGA LD parts or any of the suppliers
When i had my heads done
new valve guides and new valves
valve seats recut
new core plugs fitted
Light skim
use a heli coil fit to repair all the threads 5/16 unc and 3/8 unc

Dave

[HQentity]

Thanks Dave!

Yes Tony did say that you're using the Dolomite head remover, let me know how you get on with it, especially on the RH side. If I snap a few head studs, will that cause an issue for the head puller? Is it a bad idea to try an impact driver?

Thanks!

[new to this]

Kyle

At the moment we have 4 broken studs to get out
On you Stag head try the double nut method with a impact driver first

Dave

[Seaking]

Have a look in my profile look in media / albums under stag you will see a different type of tool to remove studs you will need a compressor .

Cheers Glenn

[dasadrew]

Have a look in my profile look in media / albums under stag you will see a different type of tool to remove studs you will need a compressor .

Cheers Glenn

If you'd like to put a few words to that I can add it to the Head Removal Tips document in the technical section (not that anyone would think of looking there, but it satisfies my altruistic disorder!)

Drew

[HQentity]

I’ve had absolutely terrible time with the stag today. I undid the timing chain sprocket from the camshaft on the right hand head (keeping the sprocket attached to the block), and as I undid the last bolt, the sprocket came away from the camshaft. It will not go back on for love or money (in the Haynes manual, it states to undo the bolts, then rotate the engine to TDC before pulling away?). The chain is taught, and even though I managed to get a bolt back in the sprocket, the sprocket won’t go in the cam & the engine won’t turn.

Thoughts?!

Thanks

Kyle

[JeffW]

Hi Kyle

Did you follow the procedure to rotate the engine TDC prior to removing the bolts? I find this Rimmer video very easy to follow and used it when I was checking my valve clearances:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kgrCMIZVqI

As you see, Hans rotates the engine to TDC, slackens the bolts then attaches the sprocket to the engine bracket before removing the bolts to stop the chain tensioners from taking up the slack. If your tensioners have taken up the slack then you will have to take the chains off from the front of the engine....I believe.

If your tensioners did not take up the slack, then check out Hans when he slightly adjusts the cam at 14.30 and how he leverages the cam sprocket back on at 14.16.

There are some really helpful people on here who can advise further. Be very careful now, though, you don't want to cause any damage to valves and pistons if things have gone a bit pear shaped.

Good luck!

Jeff

[dasadrew]

I'm afraid the Haynes manual says to slacken the upper bolts, then rotate 180°, then remove the lower bolts, then turn back to TDC, secure the sprocket and only then remove the remaining upper bolts.

The tensioners have sensed the slack in the chain and have adjusted to take up that slack; this is what is stopping you getting the sprocket back on to the camshaft. Maybe it is possible to somehow reset the tensioners but I'm afraid I'll have to leave that to another learned member to see if it can be done

[wilf]

Only way to reset the tensioners is to take the timing cover off and remove the relevant tensioner so you can reset the mechanism inside the piston. Sorry.

[HQentity]

Ah hell, thanks very much. I followed the Haynes manual letter for letter so I’m not sure why there has been an issue, there seems to be a slight play in the bracket support for the sprocket. So I guess radiator out, cover off, tensioner off and then sprocket back on?! Thanks.

[Motorsport Micky]

"I followed the Haynes manual letter for letter so I’m not sure why there has been an issue"

That's the reason for the issue, and why following the official workshop manual as JeffW says would not have caused the problem, not your fault, just bad translation by Haynes.

Micky

[dasadrew]

Can't see the difference myself. Both say to attach the sprocket to the bracket before removing the second bolt. I suppose both books could have added "WARNING: Don't remove the second bolt until sprocket is secured". Haynes is even a bit more specific as it states to remove the OTHER bolt as the last step in the procedure.

Haynes Manual says:
22. Turn the engine until the flange is in line with the groove
23. Bend back the lock tabs on the lockplates and slacken the upper bolts, then turn the engine until the lower bolts are accessible and release the tabs of the lockplates and remove the bolts
24. Now turn the engine until the flange is in line with the groove as in para. 22
25. Using a nut from a camshaft bearing cap secure each camshaft sprocket to the support bracket
26. Now remove the other bolt and lockplate from each camshaft so that each sprocet is detached from the camshaft

Triumph ROM:
Camshaft removal.jpg

[DJT]

Can't see the difference myself. Both say to attach the sprocket to the bracket before removing the second bolt. I suppose both books could have added "WARNING: Don't remove the second bolt until sprocket is secured". Haynes is even a bit more specific as it states to remove the OTHER bolt as the last step in the procedure.

Haynes Manual says:
22. Turn the engine until the flange is in line with the groove
23. Bend back the lock tabs on the lockplates and slacken the upper bolts, then turn the engine until the lower bolts are accessible and release the tabs of the lockplates and remove the bolts
24. Now turn the engine until the flange is in line with the groove as in para. 22
25. Using a nut from a camshaft bearing cap secure each camshaft sprocket to the support bracket
26. Now remove the other bolt and lockplate from each camshaft so that each sprocet is detached from the camshaft

Triumph ROM:
Camshaft removal.jpg

And NEITHER of them warn you to stuff a rag down the timing chain covers to catch that wayward bolt/nut/lock tab that WILL fall down into the sump if you don't........

[JeffW]

And NEITHER of them warn you to stuff a rag down the timing chain covers to catch that wayward bolt/nut/lock tab that WILL fall down into the sump if you don't........

Hans does! He says losing the bolt down the sump would be '...annoying'. Lovely understatement by the ever affable Hans!