JohnD

I think Triumph put them there because the wheel wells in the bonnet were seen as providing insufficient protection from road water and dirt. You are correct about the hot air's exit path from the under-bonnet - see any of my posts about heat in the cockpit - but that is a narrow and congested route. JOhn

The worst this very hot day, compared to a freezing one, can do is reduce the temperature gradient between air and engine coolant by 35C. Not a lot, but significant if your radiator isn't working well - did you change that when you did the other work on the engine? Many original radiators are now getting a bit clagged up, and it shows when stressed in this way. Modern repros are not durable - you might think about having a new matrix fitted to yours, if the tanks and hose connectors are in good nick. Increasing under bonnet ventilation is the only way to get air circulating more, and that means more holes in the bonnet, which you may consider unacceptable. Louvres can look good, but are non-functional at speed, esp. if fitted too far back (see GT6!) so that they work in the high pressure bubble in front of the windscreen, but they can let hot air out when stationary. Best would be a extractor duct, not a NACA, in the the top panel, just behind the radiator. or else in the side panels. I fitted these to Old Blue Vitesse, many years ago, see pic. It extends well forward inside the panel, so that the vortex caused by the tripping lip at the front works against the back of the duct to energise the air there and draw it out. It is effective! John

If an exhaust manifold and exhaust pipe were made of something that didn't conduct heat at all, then the heat would disappear down the exhaust pipe. There would be no more strain on the engine cooing. The difference would be that the exhaust gases would be a bit hotter as they leave. I've asked before how a coating less than a millimeter thick can have a significant effect, when to combat a similar temperature difference, the Space Shuttle needed ceramic tiles at least six inches thick. I've not had an answer that I can understand. I can understand that in professional motorsport the small difference can be worthwhile. John

Roger, How to the locals react to your lovely car? I remember driving through small French Villages, or Italian towns and being the "sinecure of every eye". And on the Motorway, being encouraged to "Avanti! Avanti" as we were circled by tiny Fiats or photographed by the drivers of BMWs and Mercs! They loved a classic car. We have far more than they do, so we area a rare and appreciated sight. John

Furore rages elsewhere in the Classic Car world about recent developments in the way that the DVLA will deal with cars that have been rebuilt. But not here, and the Club should be aware, as it could affect Triumphs if it goes much further. It apparently comes from the appearance in Europe of Bugattis, built in Agentina, that have claimed to be original cars on the basis of a few original parts, while the majority of the cars components are are new. There is an long thread on the Austin Seven Friends site , involving several people who know a great deal about classics. See: http://pub25.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.php?usernum=2099944454&frmid=5&msgid=994876&cmd=show. My interpretation of the discussion is that the DVLA will become much more stringent about age-related registrations, and will not award one unless the car is mosty made uop of original, major components. Cars that already have a "Historic" registration will not be re-inspected (although that is rumoured). But it might be problem if anyone comes up with a car like ADU 1B, say, a replica of a well known car, that no longer exists. But this could also be straws in the wind. Will engine transplants, Alfa Twin Cams for instance, with bodies of hand rolled alloy (John Bonnet's) or with the bonnet, roof, doors and bootlid made of GP (Silverback) be excluded in the future? Is the TSCC, as a major Club for Triumphs, discussing this with the FBHVC, that is the official conduit with Government on these matters? JOhn

Sorry, John! Still think a separate fuse for the socket would be good! John

Fuse it! For goodness sake, fuse it! And I'm surprised to read John Bonnet advocating a 'piggy back' by which I assume he means a Scotchlok connector (See pic) These are another Spawne of Ye Deville, and a thorough bodge. I hope he means something different. John

Having ruined an engine block by using a torque wrench that was under-reading by 30%, I believe in two rules: ALWAYS store the wrench unwound, no tension in the spring. CHECK it annually. Number of ways to do this: Professional test house. EG http://www.calibrate.co.uk/torque/ Electronic torque adaptor: EG http://www.alltradetools.com/catalog/torque-wrenches/2086-940759-.html Less costly that a 'proper' electric torque wrench DiY. As Pete says, it's a straightforward process, by hanging a heavy weight from your wrench. See pic. For low torques, consider a "Beam" torque wrench, in which one arm bends to the torque, and a second is unstressed, reading a scale on the first. See the diagram. Much cheaper than a 'click' wrench, and they just don't go out of adjustment! John

Sean, Except possibly in a very hot climate, a road car needs an oil cooler like a fish needs a bicycle. The water radiator does a perfectly good job. Worse, oil 'works' as a lubricant at a little over water boiling point. Without an oil cooler, the increased pressure in the water jacket and an effective water radiator will deliver just that. If you insist on fitting an oil cooler for ordinary driving, then even if the water jacket gets hot enough to open the water thermostat, the oil never will - it will stay at less than the effective temperature. Your engine will wear faster, because it only ever sees cold oil. If you must have an oil cooler on a road car, you must use a thermostat. However, it's quite likely that it will never open and cycle oil through the cooler! How can I be so emphatic about this? I do have an oil cooler on my SofS Vitesse racer. It has no thermostat, but I do have an oil temperature gauge. The oil takes a long time to warm up, and then on the road it stays where it should be, just over water boiling point. If I did a lot of short trips in it, it would be wearing out quicker. John

How sad! The Spitfires are gonners, I fear. The Dolly (?) might be saveable. John

Hope your new flasher dos he job, but suspect that you will have to improve the earthing to the car's lamps. Originally, Triumph earthed the lights to the lamp fitting, and relied on the contact between the fitting and gthe bodywork to complete the circuit. Age and corrosion will have made that pathway more resistant, so a wire from the lamp to a central earth, or just to a convenient spot on the body will help. Also, don't forget that by splicing into the wiring next to the lamps, and running the trailer board from that, you have doubled the current that the original wiring must carry. If that is old and tired (aren't we all?) it may also have increased resistance that will limit the current. Go around with a multimeter, measuring the voltage at the lamps and comparing it with battery volts. There should only be a fraction lost between battery and lamp. If there is more than the wiring may need attention. John

Not unless you really, really fancy making life difficult. All the followers will be at different heights, so you will jam the cam shaft on the next follower or the one after that in trying to pull it out. Worse, they are bound to slip down and then you'll have to poke them back up from below, while pushing the 'shaft back in, so the sump will have to come off anyway. As long as they don't fall right through. Take the head off an do it properly. Anyway, why take the camshaft out? JOhn

Wimps! Stick a finger in and crook it! Like doing a 'finger-jam' while hanging upside down over 3,000 feet of un-roped climb. or something. The ridge isn't wear, it's gungy deposit. John

A picture, please! The usual hardtops for Vitesse/Herald make it very dark inside, with poor rear/side vision, which is one reason I returned SofS back to saloon. Amicale Spitfire has one of the best galleries of hardtops : http://www.amicalespitfire.fr/hardtop1.php but only Spitfire/GT6. Is yours like the Bermuda top, near the bottom of the page? John

Hag, As you can see more easily if you have the head off, this oil gallery is made up of three drillings: Up from the face of the cylinder head. Across from the back left corner. This one is sealed with a short bolt and copper washer. Make sure the bolt isn't too long! Down from the top of the C/H. If you have taken that bolt out and squirted oil into that, and it appears at the rocker shaft, then that part of the gallery is fine. It can get blocked where the foot of the rocker pedastle meets the head, esp. if someone uses gasket sealer. If you aren't getting oil up to the rocker in use, and given that you had an oiling problem before you replaced the shaft, then the blockage must be in the lower drilling. As Pete says, that may be blocked by overuse of gasket sealer. You can't get a wire around the corner from the middle drilling, so I'm afraid it's head-off time. An external oil feed is a bodge that would get around this problem, but again as Pete says you must fit a restrictor. A copper disc, cut from a piece of central heating pipe, with that tiny hole drilled in the middle can be inserted into one of the connectors and will still seal. But that hole must be tiny! A 1mm drill turned by hand, from both sides until you can just see a point of light through it will be right! John

Because it's easy to get a nice smooth, shiny finish on them. That would take many coats, rubbing down in between. Even if the cost of that was acceptable, ever tried to rub down the paint on a spring? But that smooth, shiny coat needs to be thick, to thick to flex and it cracks. Underseal is flexible, but looks terrible. As I said above, a thin coat of paint over a good, thin coat of primer for springs. OR, grease them well. Dirt will build up, but dirt can be washed off. JOhn

Thank you, doug, I hope Brendan enjoys the joke too! But powder coating is still a technology for still things - window frames (in a house), white goods. The thick coating usually applied to auto items is rigid and splits off springs. Or rather, cracks, lets in water and keeps it there, with exactly the opposite effect to the protection it is supposed to provide. And anyway, you are never going to bring joy into the MoT man's life - all miserable buggers, in my experience. JOhn

Ah! TR4/6! You didn't say. Sorry, withdraw my offer. John

Paint on gasket surfaces? You really do have Boatbuilder's Syndrome! No, no, no, no, no. Clean bare metal, every time. Paint the assembled engine. Why make more work? Blast the front/back plates? Why??? Scrape clean, polish with Scotchbrite is you must. DO NOT PAINT! As you say yourself, you don't need VHT paint on the engine itself, it doesn't get that hot. Ordinary paint is fine. Bent front plate? Big no-no. Straighten completely with hammer and a straight edge - THAT is worth obsessing about. JOhn

Painting the rear spring, so that it is a "joy to look at"? You can't see it when it's in the car!!!!!!!!!! Join "Boatbuilder's Syndrome Anonymous" today! "Hello, my name is Brendan, and I want to paint my Spitfire's rear spring" "Hello, Brendan! We feel your pain and are here to help you fight your deamons!" Seriously, powder coating ALWAYS flakes off parts that flex, especially springs. Use good quality matt black spray paint, thin coats over thin primer. After all, the suspension is going to get dirty, isn't it? John

You could operate the system before you install the slave. See the slave working. And with it in place, and in gear but no engine running, try pushing the car with the clutch pedal up and down. If the clutch is released, then it will be a lot easier to push! JOhn

If you ever decide to do it, I'll swap you for an RHD rack. I've been looking for an LHD at reasonable price for a project. John

Come on, Coxy! What ya got?

Try a magnet on it. I think it's very, very, very fine metal wear particles, so fine that they got through the filter. If so, on the magnet it will look like much coarser, spikey slivers, as the metals forms along magnetic lines of forces, but as you say, feels like ointment. John

I'll be travelling between Coventry and Lancaster this weekend, with a small trailer in tow. If anyone wants me to collect and drop off parts for Triumphs, between those two centres, or in between, I'll be glad to consider it. Please PM me. John