The Triumph 2000/2500/2.5 Register Forum

I have been asking individual questions and queries about the car and engine, to build up my knowledge on the 2000, so thank you to everyone who has helped with advice and parts etc.. Well now we know what we have, we can start the project.

My friends Martin, Lee and myself ran my Stag in the 2018 Club Triumph RBRR, unfortunately entirely due to my own error we were DNF when I put 1/2 tank of diesel in at Glendrid services (1,223 miles in), with no time to pump it out and get to the next control, we made the call and retired. Which was a great shame as the Stag was running like a dream. After a few days of self a**e-kicking, we chatted about what we had learnt and we decided a) we had unfinished business, b) for three-up a Stag isn’t the best car to have.

We were impressed by the abilities shown by the various big Triumph saloons on the RBRR and agreed that that’s what we would need for the next RBRR in 2020. The search started for a car, the initial budget wasn’t vast, but we can put money into the car as we go along. We went to look at various cars, some truly appalling and way over-priced. I saw our car on a Facebook Cars for Sale page, posted by Dave Marshall. As it happened I was at the NEC the following weekend at the November Classic Car Show on a non-Triumph club stand and Dave very kindly brought the car along on the Saturday lunchtime for a short test drive.

The car has some faults, but was honestly described by Dave and it felt like it was something that we could work with. The deal was done and Martin and I drove up to Redditch to pick the car up. Martin drove it home with me in the chase car, we got home in one piece and met the following weekend to assess in detail what we had bought. It’s a 1971 2000 in Saffron.

You may have noticed on some of the other topics that I have been querying engine identification. The engine has no number, just a part number where you would expect the engine number to be. Dave said that he had bought the engine as a used recon 2.0 litre unit from a car being broken, after checking today, with a boroscope, what we actually have is a late 2500 unit, the part number referring to a factory reconditioned unit.

A compression test shows reasonable compression for a used engine, except no. 5 cylinder which only shows 110 psi. A little oil down the bore and then a retest didn’t improve the reading, so the diagnosis is one or other of the number 5 valves not seating properly, so the next stage is a head off and a decoke.

I’ll keep posting the news here.

Nice looking car.

Thanks Charles, it does need some work on the body and we need to build reliability into the mechanical bits.

Right now the head is fighting us, it’s loose but stuck on some of the studs, including one that sheared off.

The carbs are off for a rebuild.

We need to investigate a clunk which I think is a driveshaft UJ, I have a spare good unit to fit.

Bought a load of service parts using the recent Rimmers discount and picking up from Stoneleigh this weekend to save on the postage.

All the wood cappings are shot but they can wait.

Before starting to remove the head we did a compression test. Firstly dry and then with oil in the bores to help seal the piston rings. The figures below are in psi.

1 = 132 - 150
2 = 133 - 160
3 = 157 - 172
4 = 143
5 = 111 - 111
6 = 152

Clearly there is something wrong with cylinder number 5 and as we have eliminated the piston rings, it points toward the valves and valve seats.



The heads is off now for investigation, had to weld nuts to the last three bolts, before winding them out. One is stuck in the head and we sheered off one of the water pump to head bolts in the head.

Next step is to get the valve springs off and check the seats and valves for cracks, particularly on no. 5 cylinder. Also need to check the valve guides.

I’m thinking of a head skim, some bulleted valve guides, hardened exhaust valve seats, three angle cut of all the valves and seats. Lap the valves in and check the spring rates (may have gone a bit soft), before replacing any softees andthen reassembling.

Well the head is back on after full rebuild, head skim, valve stem guides, 3 angle cut valves and seats.

Screen out to fit new rubber and good secondhand SS trim.

Front seats out to be replaced with MG ZT (Rover 75) sports seats. Found that the rear of the original drivers seat mounts were cracked and the floor pan where the seat runners had also cracked.

Need to fix the floor pan before mounting the new seats.

Fitting the new seats on Tuesday, I’ll post some pics once the new pics are in.

Neat looking welding Chris!

I wish it were mine! Mine has yet to progress beyond advanced pigeon s**t.

Seats in now, really comfortable, with lots of side support.

Original windscreen, new rubber, now with shiny windscreen surround.