Hi,

Can anyone help with this ? I've just bought an old Triumph with a Datsun 1200 sss engine - I think. Or it could be an engine someone has modified. It has the twin Delortos and extractors, but also larger inlet ports. I thought the sss head was the same as a standard one. Plus, it goes like an old donkey. Slow, and sounds like a truck. I've checked the timing, plugs, points, air leaks, but it feels like someone has put in the wrong cam. Is there an easy way to tell? Any help would be useful.

Many thanks,

CM

post a photo someone wil recognise it

Of the cam or the whole engine? The cam's still in the engine, which is still in the car, which is a Triumph Herald.


CM

more pics the better

Well a Triumph Herald is a bit heavier than a 1200, so it's going to be slow. The Datsun 1200SSS was not a fast car.

0-60 time: 12 seconds or more

Details: SSS

Now to get that 12 seconds, you have to rev it up to 5000 rpm, dump the clutch, and rev to 6000 rpm on each gear change.

Try that with the Herald and time it. If you are in the range of 12-16 seconds I'd say it's about right.

At the moment it's more like 12 minutes.

CM

Quote:

The 1200 GX head has larger oval ports, even a stock 1200 motor is pretty peppy so you would imagine with twin Dellortos and ectractors it would have a bit of get up and go.

The SSS motors had the stock round ports. So it's unlikely it's a SSS motor. Headers, cam and twin sidedrafts are a fairly common mod for these engines. As is fitting an oval port head. Where abouts are you?

There are a few things that can make an engine sluggish.

I'm in NZ, where the tripple s was made. Interesting that the GX had bigger inlet ports. These inlet ports are round, not oval, but definitely larger than the standard head. I think I'll have to either take the cam out or put a protractor on it and find the valve opening/closing points. When I accelerate, the engine sounds like it's pinking, no matter how much or little advance is on the distributor. I've double-checked the valve timing. I know there are lots of things that could make it slow, but I've been through the usual tune-up procedures with no change. A mystery!

CM

Go back to basics. Is it fuel or ignition?
Its no running lean? What about compression?