Section : Scrapyards and Breakers

Quillers in new Retro Mag 

Posted By : Adrian Lee, 13-Oct-2004, 08:59pm

• Quillers in new Retro Mag 

  Posted By : James Carruthers, 13-Oct-2004, 09:41pm

  Supposedly it isnt too bad if you make sure you keep the anti-freeze at the right levels and attend to any cooling problems that arise.
  
  I didnt know before - but the 1850 & Sprint Dolly's have the same water pump as a Stag V8. No wonder it has cooling problems...
  
  
  

• Quillers in new Retro Mag 

  Posted By : Matthew Holland, 13-Oct-2004, 09:42pm

  NOTHING wrong with the stag engine so long as it's kept full of water.
  
  
  : )

• Quillers in new Retro Mag 

  Posted By : William Davies, 13-Oct-2004, 09:53pm

  The Stag engine is basically a nice design, mucked about with late in the development stages which introduced all kinds of problems, most noteably the angled head studs. Add to that the alleged problems with sand remaining in the block from sandcasting, and the usual lack of BL main dealer understanding, then it's small wonder the reputation got so bad.
  No hankering for a Stag myself, but the sound of the Rover engine is no match for the original Triumph unit,
  Cheers,
  Bill.
  

  • Quillers in new Retro Mag 

    Posted By : Adrian Lee, 14-Oct-2004, 03:53am

    But why bother developing an unreliable and poorly made V8 when they had a similar power straight six available? I don't know to what extent the six could be developed,but surely it could produce what the V8 did,maybe not the same torque but certainly power wise(except the exhaust burble)?From my recollections of owning one briefly some years ago,i seem to recall that they had two sets of points and LT circuits,very odd.Bizzarly i have a hankering for another one,but with a straight six in it.
    
    If the Rover V8 had gone in from the outset then,imho,the Stag would certainly have sold better to all markets,there is no taking it away from the Stag ,it is a beautiful looking and very practical ragtop car.Maybe if it sold well enough then Triumph would now be making Euro boxes instead of Rover doing it.........................The MG thingy gets a bit of a slating in aforementioned magazine too.

    • Quillers in new Retro Mag 

      Posted By : William Davies, 14-Oct-2004, 11:52am

      Can I suggest that the "similar power straight six" had a reputation for poor reliability with it's Lucas PI system - with twin Strombergs it was no more pwerful in real terms than the TR's 4 cylinder motor. Compare figures for TR4a, US spec TR250 and home market TR5 to see what I mean. Modifying what's available rather than developing new products has been a major factor in killing off the British motor industry. The Triumph 6 cylinder was developed ultimately into the Rover 2.3 and 2.6 cylinder engines used in the SD1, are you aware of their reputation?
      Twin points are a sensible modification with 8 cylinders and upwards. Bear in mind that at similar engine revolutions, a single set of points will be firing twice as frequently on a V8 compared to a 4 cylinder. Twin points are intended to raise the rev capability by firing alternately.
      At the time of the Stag's development there was still a great deal of "them and us" between Rover and Triumph, in fact the situation seems to have been the same throughout BLMC at the time. Bear in mind that even MG couldn't get hold of the Rover V8 in even small numbers until 1973, what chance did Triumph have of getting the new acquisition in 1968/9?
      Cheers,
      Bill.
      

      • Quillers in new Retro Mag 

        Posted By : Adrian Lee, 14-Oct-2004, 12:24pm

        Fair point Bill,i am unaware of how bad the 2.3/2.6 is ,or was,how bad was it?
        
        With regards to the points,why was electric ignition not fitted as standard,i'm sure it was available at the time?

      • Quillers in new Retro Mag 

        Posted By : Clive Speaks, 14-Oct-2004, 12:45pm

        I know what you mean about reliability. another case of under-developement I'm afraid. A tiny 50p pressure relief valve buried deep in the head that when it failed (and they usually did, my Dad's one certainly did) starved the head of oil, cam ran direct in head so seized, wrecked its journals, valves stayed down, hit valves etc.
        As an aside, I as told by an old Leyland hand that when the original Triumph 2600 straight six was bench tested by Leyland, it developed 150bhp on SUs in production form. It was then de-tuned for production to allow the Rover V8 to make sense for the flagship 3500 SD1.
        
        Still never mind eh?

        • Quillers in new Retro Mag 

          Posted By : Steve Parsons, 14-Oct-2004, 09:47pm

          Wish i had a pound for every stag engine i rebuilt back in the late 70,s, in those days you could not get an engine complete from the factory, it came in bits, i.e. short engine and cylinder heads, but even so, i still had a preference to the Triumph v8.

    • Quillers in new Retro Mag 

      Posted By : Mark Stradling, 14-Nov-2005, 01:36pm

      I've got a hankering for a Triumph 2000 with a Stag V8 in it - wanna swap engines?

  • Quillers in new Retro Mag 

    Posted By : David Pearson, 14-Oct-2004, 07:04am

    I have the benefit of owning and driving Triumphs with both V8's fitted, my first Stag was purchased at the tender age of 18, quite some time ago! My current road car is a 2000 factory prototype fitted with TR8 (Rover V8) running gear. Comparing the two engines is like chalk and cheese, the Rover is like a truck engine in comparison to the more overtly sporty Triumph V8. I forgive any of the Triumph engine's reputation for unreliabilty to hear it singing at 6,500rpm, try that with a Rover and hear it go bang! In standard form and having been built and maintained correctly there just aint no comparison. The only down side is the lack of proper uprating stuff for the Triumph engine, although Tony Hart did race a modsport 250bhp Stag in the 80's, none of this tuning stuff trickled down to the retail market. Of course the tuning potential for the Rover/Buick engine is exponential! Have I spelt that right, is there a spill chucker on here somewhere?
    David

    • Quillers in new Retro Mag 

      Posted By : Chris Wilson, 14-Oct-2004, 07:20am

      There's also a feature in this months (i.e. November) issue of the Classics magazine concerning the Triumph Stag - this one has the straight six in it.
      
      Also in the same issue is a comparison (huh????!!!) between a GT6, Mini Moke and a Jag XJ6. And finally but not least of all there's a couple of pages devoted to "Triumph in Motorsport" showing some triumphs (TR8, TR3, TR4 etc) from days gone by!! There's even a picture of Kas and Lew at Pomona (where the hells that!!??) from a race in 1953!!
      
      Regards

      • Quillers in new Retro Mag 

        Posted By : David Pearson, 14-Oct-2004, 07:33am

        Iv'e also had a few Stags with straight six's in, I even converted one myself in the mid 80's, euk! Don't get me wrong I think the Triumph straight six is God's gift, but not in a Stag, please!
        David

        • Quillers in new Retro Mag 

          Posted By : Adrian Lee, 14-Oct-2004, 07:57am

          Why not Dave,it was good enough for the 6?

          • Quillers in new Retro Mag 

            Posted By : Daniel James, 14-Nov-2005, 12:13pm

            i'd like to add my name to the "we love the original stag engine" movement; possibly I would feel different if i'd gone through the pain of running one when new...but mine is lovely. In fact so was the engine in my spitfire, modern engines just don't feel as smooth and responsive somehow. (I guess because they arn't allowed to run rich while accelerating like old engines do)