Trouble with Alice

[davidmiles]

Travelling the short distance from Worthing to Arundel approx. 5 miles today, checked oil and water before leaving, plenty of fuel, on the dual carriageway travelling at 40 MPH a strange rotational sound started, increased with road speed then disappeared at 50, sounded like it was coming from the back but difficult to pin point, then later at the lights the same rotational sound in third gear at low speed disappearing as speed increased before changing into fourth. Bythe time I made the outskirts of Arundel the car started vibrating and the engine was running at odd rpm for the speed I was travelling. There seemed to be no overheating. Upon looking underneath oil was coming from the gearbox. I limped home to vibrations and shimmeys, the car unhappiest at low speeds and managed 30 mph but was juddering. I was relieved to get home. unsure if it's gearbox, Engine or rear diff problem. Anyone help?[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

after two hours she has cooled down, started up and ran ok, I can't say I've seen this amount of moisture emitted from the exhaust.[frame][/frame]

I might just be being paranoid, water with soot, could that mean a new gasket is needed somewhere?[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

gearbox oil drained, it's smooth as silk, no particles. Either in the catch tin or on the plug.[frame][/frame]

not so good here, wiped onto my disposable glove finger the engine dipstick oil has particles in it, I'm worried now.[frame][/frame]

[bmcecosse]

Was the clutch slipping ??? Is there some free play at the pedal ? That 'water' and the oil is pretty normal - nothing too worrying there. Check the valve gaps and then run a compression test on the engine.

[davidmiles]

thanks for getting back to me BMC, there was no clutch slip or free play with the pedal, I've just changed the engine and gearbox oil with 20w50, she turned over but was running rough, strange as yesterday she ran smoothly, I'll do as you suggest and check the gaps and get a compression test done, Many Thanks.

[bmcecosse]

There should be ~ 1" free play at the clutch pedal. Running rough could be burned valve =or blown head gasket. Even a compression test with the starting handle would tell you if there is something obviously wrong.

[davidmiles]

Finally got a free day to get Alice sorted, new one from Bull Motif, arrived 24hrs later, job done running smoothly, thanks BMC for replies. Amazing that she ran me home like this, Modern engine would have cracked right up.[frame][/frame]

[alexmcguffie]

But why did it break? Sticky valve or just fatigue?

I can't think of many modern cars that use push rods and rockers so the problem probably wouldn't happen on a modern car

[martin418]

it looks like metal fatigue starting at the bottom of the circular base and going up then when it cracked through it bent and tore off the other side

[panky]

Unusual fault but glad it was an easy(ish) fix. I had a HB Vive years ago (my first car) and once, on a long trip, the engine got more and more 'tappety'. Now I don't know if you remember the crappy rocker set up on the Viva engine, pressed steel items you adjusted on the run, so I set about gapping them. First couple were no problem then on one of them the feeler gauge got well and truly mangled as I fed it into the gap The valve stem had almost completely worn the rocker through, thankfully it didn't break through on the M6

[dalebrignall]

glad you found it , i once had a tappet adjusting screw fail due to metal fatigue

[bmcecosse]

That's an extremely rare problem...and doesn't look like 'fatigue' to me. The pressed steel rockers are considered to be very reliable - even on modified (perhaps not 'full race') engines. I would suspect the valve has been seized - or has come up against a solid object in the combustion chamber - and I would check the valve and push rod for straightness !

[MajorDisaster]

Interestingly (or not) I had this happen on a 1969 Triumph Spitfire MK 3 many years ago. Cast rocker completely snapped in two. That car had to be towed home but fixed at home. Good that Alice got you home. Peter