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Triumph TR6 - Valve guide seals?

Do TR 6's really have no valve seals. Found none and no references in manual or catalogs ? What to do ? TIA
Peter Gooch

Some experts who have driven and raced TR's for over 30 years say "don't use them - they will prevent oil getting into the valve guides and you will burn them all up".

On the other hans, the owner of a very fast red TR3A with white racing stripes in Calgary has put them in and never burns oil, his valves or his engine.

We drove to Portland Oregon across the country together and every 600 miles, I had to add a quart of oil. In 4000 miles, he didn't add a drop.

Go figure.

I still run my TR3A with no seals and still get 600 miles to a quart. In 1955, Triumph stated in the owners manual that 1000 miles to a quart is to be expected.

Wait for more replies. Remember there are always two sides to every story.

Don Elliott, Original Owner, 1958 TR3A
Don Elliott

I bought my rebuild parts from Revington in the UK and they recommended seals. I think they were for MGBs. Car used to smoke but none so far after rebuild.








































richard porter

The moss part number is AEK 113, pages 10/11 of the tr6 parts book.

Simon
Simon

I would probably not run seals on the original guides, but will be running them on the head I am working over. The early ones did rely on oil down the guides for lubrication (to prevent galling between the similar hardness guide and valve stem), but a modern rebuild into a no-lead head with bronze guides can be run with seals. For my street car head we are fly cutting the bronze guides and fitting teflon seals.

The MGB valve stem seal is a square cross section O-ring if memory serves me correctly. It moves with the valve and dams the gravity oil drain to minimize the amount that goes down the guide, any oil below the "seal" can enter the guide. On a hat section seal, it remains fixed on the guide with a spring loaded lip to seal against the moving valve stem. It provides a better seal, but I have not been able to find one that fits a dual valve spring TR6 without having to machine away some of the outer diameter of the valve guide. I have found a rubber hat/teflon ring insert seal from Perfect Circle that will fit on the single valve spring TR6/TR250/GT6 engines without having to machine the guides.
SteveP

Thankyou for input, I see there is a fine balance here. Have a low-ish mileage (102.000) head w/ all original guides, valves and seats and all are within specs, and in excellent shape. Maybe I should change nothing or add just a splash seal. Goes against the grain after seeing seals on hundreds of other engines from all over.
Peter G

This thread was discussed between 29/05/2002 and 30/05/2002

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