neil spencer

The car in the picture is the car that this engine came out of before it was scrapped. Shame really.

Hi again, managed to get the engine on an engine stand today and remove sump. I can't see anything different about the con-rods but the condition of everything down there was near perfect. No wear on crank or shells at all. I can see cam lobes and they are perfect too. End float is 8 thou. It's not even worth replacing shells for standard ones, but I do have a new set of standard big end shells somewhere in the garage that I will fit if I can find them. The exhaust ports feel very smooth so maybe an SAH head? The gearbox checks out as a low mileage box too. Roger sent a link to a Tripper that someone was making in to a monocoque and this shell has now appeared on ebay. If it wasn't seriously chopped about I would have gone for it and tried to find a GT6 chassis, but then I am a total prat.

As far as I am aware the prefix CP was only ever used on the 150bhp engine of the TR5 and early TR6. There are plenty of references to what numbers were used in relation to the actual car eg what numbers were used in any particular year, first and last number etc but not to the exact number of the engines used. Usually the engine number was fairly similar to the car number (I am referring to TR6 in particular here). The engine number of this engine is CP75488HE. The first car made in 1972 was CP75455 so if it came from a TR6 it didn't last long as the TX Tripper that this car came out of was first registered in 1972/73 as it was an L reg. I wonder if the engine was bought in new from Triumph? If anyone knows how and where to check engine numbers exactly let me know.

Thanks for that Roger. If an engineless Tripper came up for grabs I would be very tempted to have a go and use this engine. I will be able to get at the engine properly on Tuesday to read the engine number properly and see what it came from originally eg TR5 or TR6. Neil.

Yes of course it was Fairthorpe not Rochdale, duh, my mistake. Too old to learn new stuff now!

I can't imagine that any have survived. They would have been worth more for parts. Neil.

Well that would be something wouldn't it! No I didn't get the car, just the engine/box complete. I also have a steel (not stainless) manifold and downpipes that are very unusual. Cylinders 1-3 down and in to 1, same for the back 3 then 2 in to 1.  If anyone is interested in seeing this contraption I could try to put a picture on here. I am trying to imagine a GT6 rotoflex chassis with a plastic body that can do 0-60 in 5.8 seconds with no modern assistance like traction control or ALB etc? Either a lot of fun or a heart attack.

Yes, I know someone who has one. I have rebuilt my own Pi engine from my 1972 Mk2 with a stage 2 head, Chris Wittor/Piper cam etc. but the car is still awaiting a second dip and paint etc. so engine is not yet fitted. I have chosen to use a standard steel rocker cover on this as I don't want to change the under bonnet appearance too much from original. I will sell the CP engine on once I have checked it out. It's still as it came out of the car complete with it's non overdrive gearbox and lucas injection system. If it does turn out to be an SAH built engine and it's all ok I may be tempted to use it though. Neil.

Firstly I would like to apologise for not continuing with my thread about a rough running 2000 Mk2 that I last updated in April. For reasons that would bore everyone I could not get on to a computer until recently. Here is a question that needs a bit of explaining first. Does anyone remember a car called a TX Tripper? It was made by Torrix Bennett in the very early 1970's and was like a stretched Beach Bug built on a GT6 Mk2 chassis with, initially, a Spitfire 1300 engine or a Ford 1600 engine. Torrix Bennett was the son (or son-in-law) of the founder of Rochdale cars who are a little better known. After a while he offered the car with a Pi engine at 125 bhp, them eventually with the CP 150 bhp engine. It was reported to do 0-60 in 5.8 seconds and on to 125+mph. Plenty of information on the car on Google. The main problem with the car was it was an ugly duckling. I have now acquired a CP Pi engine from one of these cars. It has supposedly done 18000 miles in the car from new. The rocker cover is an SAH alloy cover so my question is can anyone throw any light on to this engine. Is it really an SAH built engine, or just a cover? Were the engines for this car sourced new, or second hand and rebuilt, possibly by SAH. I cannot for the near future get around to doing any further investigation on the engine itself as I have too many things on the go that need sorting first but in a month or so I should be able to get this engine on a stand and start by removing the sump and checking the bottom end. I have a feeling SAH used different con-rods on their engines but I may be wrong. Any information would be gratefully received as I am sure someone out there knows all about these cars. Until last week I had never heard of them.

I am sorry about the lack of posts lately but I had to work away for 10 days at short notice. Thank you to all who made suggestions but it was all to no avail. I am now in the process of removing the head as I am convinced there is a valve problem. I have been a bit short of time since I came home but last week I took a spare head to Welhams in Leicester to be reconditioned and converted to unleaded. This should be back in the next couple of days so by the end of the weekend I should be up and running again. I will post an update as soon as the car is done. Incidentally I am in the process of renovating a 1972 Pi that I stripped and had dipped. It is being welded by E.J.Wards in Leicestershire and the end is in sight. It will then have another dip and be "E" coated by SPL in Dudley. Most of the bits to go back in eg engine, box, diff, suspension, interior etc have all been rebuilt and are sitting waiting for a car to go back in to. Then I can start my next project, 2 Heinkel Trojan bubble cars! Don't ask. Neil.

Leads are new. The petrol feed pipe is a metal T piece, with metal continuing under the carbs and 2 short rubber connecting pieces. I will remove this and check it out but when the new carbs were fitted the rear float valve was stuck and flooded the carb which shows fuel delivery seems ok. Float valve was replaced with another new one. I haven't checked the new coil yet, a Lucas sport type as I have just got up after night shift. I will start it in the dark garage for a quick look to see if anything is sparking. Neil

I tried timing again today and it is at around 9 degrees. Took battery off to change coil and fit new battery mat and of course that has turned in to a rust removal and paint exercise for the battery tray so won't be testing until tomorrow when paint is dry and I have roused from slumber after my night shift. Neil.

I will try that after I have changed the coil again a bit later on today. Thanks. Neil.

I haven't actually checked the pressure but I don't think this is the problem to be honest. It's not a fuel starvation type of symptoms really. On the original carbs we couldn't get the Co up over 3% so I was convinced the carbs were leaking air. A new reconditioned set were easy to set at 4% and I thought we had cracked it, but on the test drive it was no different! I am fairly sure ( though not completely) that I have eliminated the carbs and ignition, and the valve timing so I think the heads going to have to come off unless someone can point me to something else. I am very grateful for all these replies from you guys and I still suspect I am going to be a bit red faced when the eureka moment happens.

I changed the rotor arm along with the electronic ignition very early on in this saga. It is a red one that came with the powerspark electronic ignition kit. Needless to say it made no difference. Neil.