GIPSY MAJOR INFO

[camlobe]

Hi folks.
Hope you can help. Trying to fix a visiting Chippy (nothing fishy about this). Been ten years since I had the pleasure of Gipsy's. You know the kind of thing. Oil in hair/eyes etc. Nil access to anything. Great engines.
Anyway, can't find my Maintenance Manual, can't remember (age, you know, comes to us all).

Good news: I have my Roebuck torque wrench and my Gipsy straight edge (use to align the cylinder heads, prevents cracking of the inlet manifold).

Bad news: I need the figures for tappet gaps and cylinder head nut torque.

Can you folks help please.

Thanks in advance.

camlobe

[jabberwok]

I only have the manual for the Gipsy Major Series II but here are the book figures.

Inlet Valve Tappet Clearance - 0.005in (cold)
Exhaust Valve Tappet Clearance - 0.005 (cold)

The manual doesn't seem to give a CH torque value. The reassembly paragraph reads:

"The heads should be lined up with a straight edge against the facing provided for this purpose directly below the port facings. The cylinder heads should then be tightened up at opposite corners, alternatively. Finally the nuts should be screwed up firmly and evenly all round. It is important that the spanner (Part No. T.800-80) only be used for this operation, as using spanners of too great a leverage will result in a distorted cylinder head after warming up and running the engine. The hinge pieces to take the airscoop should then be bolted on to the cylinder head and underside of crankcase, and the small oil filter and its housing bolted to the front right-hand side of the crankcase."

[camlobe]

Hi jabberwok.

Thanks for that. Much appreciated. Got the straight edge etc. Just missing the info and the brain memory cell has let me down.

[AuralFlightRules]

350-400 lb-in according to a scan of a Mk 7 Torque Loading Table I have.

FWIW,

AFR

[camlobe]

AFR
Thanks for that. The figures sound familiar as do jabberwok's figures for tappet clearance. Don't remember what differences there are between Mk VII and Mk 8. IIRC the Mk II had bronze inserts for the spark plugs. But it has been a while, so I'm probably wrong with this.

Anybody else able to add input? It will be graciously received.

camlobe

[camlobe]

Hi folks.

Managed to get a hold of a very nice and knowledgeable gentleman at Fenland.

Not only did he have the information I needed, but he also had some words of wisdom that affects all Gipsy operators.

After five hours, re-torque the cylinder head(s). OK, we all knew that, didn't we?

However, to prevent the copper crush ring from blowing, continue to re-torque every five hours until there is no change, indicating that the copper crush ring has hardened. Failure to do this will lead to regular blowing through of the crush ring, leading to loss of compression i.e. power, and potentially torching the cylinder head. Very expensive.

Many thanks to RF for the information, and to those of you who have helped above. Much appreciated.

camlobe