Colin Lindsay

There I was thinking: don't tell me he ran for the bore measuring tool....

That comes back to the original question - WHY does it say that on that particular box when everywhere else says they're for fast road or trackday use? What's the difference that makes those the exception? I've just searched for that phrase and found an almost identical debate going on in a Mini forum: https://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/topic/207094-m1144s-not-for-use-on-public-highways/page-3 According to those guys, these pads are either very old, pre-1999, or imports that don't carry the E number for the EU / UK market which should be on the back. It's an interesting topic... more detective work needed.

If only four holes are being used as per the swing-spring setup, you can blank off the additional holes on the diff casing with cut-off bolts of a suitable thread; I was always wary of them dropping in so used rubber top-hat grommets instead. It's entirely possible that the diff has been replaced and has the different casing. Six should be used with fixed-spring; four with swing to enable it to move about as intended. If you look along the length of the rear spring, and can see a little pagoda-like box over the diff (see photo), it's swing spring with one stud per corner. A flat plate on top with six exposed studs, and there should be three per side, indicates fixed spring.

Okay - worst case scenario - there's a serious accident using those pads. Every part of the vehicle is checked for wear and suitability of fitted parts. The pad company - Mintex - is absolved as they say they're not for road use, so you can't sue them for damages. Damages then come back to the Insurance company of the guilty party. Are they going to pay put? No, because the vehicle had been fitted with incorrect brake pads which are clearly marked: 'not for road use'. As with all things, everybody does it, who's going to know... it's fine until something goes wrong. You can argue in courts or with Insurance Legal Teams until you're blue in the face, but if that's what it says, that's what the legal powers-that-be hold as gospel until you can prove otherwise.

Depends on what that warning actually means and why it's necessary, but if it comes down to the wire and you have an accident on the road, Insurance may refuse to pay out.

Small amounts only! In 2000 or so I was involved in the investigation of a large number of Insurance warranty claims due to the frequency of engines blowing up which had connections to a local dealership; they were cheaply buying in 4x4s that had head gasket or other simple engine problems, and replacing the gaskets before selling them on - the engines were lasting months at most and were being claimed through the sale warranty. The mechanics were sealing with bathroom sealer - seriously! - and in such quantities that it was oozing out and blocking the oilways leading to failures. So: a very small amount of sealer and really only where it's needed.

Might be best to buy one and have it rechromed?

You cannot argue with the myth of public safety. I'm involved with a multi-million pound road upgrade which will take years and involves replacing every single crossing on a dual carriageway with a flyover. Why? Because someone was killed in 2015. No-one will stand up and say: but had he stopped at the white line, and waited before driving out, he would be alive. The road is 'dangerous', it's an 'accident waiting to happen' and as a result we're all scrambling for road upgrades in the name of safety. Someone was on the radio recently demanding that car radios be treated the same as phones - you cannot drive safely with your mind on a radio programme. How do you argue against that, as everytime someone is distracted and an accident occurs, it fuels the argument? Once a device is claimed to 'save lives' anyone opposing it is on the losing side.

Float chamber ball valves; the equivalent of toilet plumbing on your Triumph. I thought they were too early for Spitfires; I wonder if those have been used to replace the original valves? If you reckon they're the cause of the over-fuelling then at least one may need replaced. To quote Burlen: "needle valves are far superior to ball valves which are cheap and make lots of money for suppliers..."

Rob's right - if you've got the long bolts removed there's nothing holding the pump in place other than love for the block... just pull, tap gently with soft wood or the like, don't blatter the bejeezus out of it with a metal hammer. It'll drop off easily enough.

So you're actually an LED?

Well, you can't, as it was never rubberised originally....! There are carpet or trim companies who will make you a shaped overmat to fill the outlines of the boot area, plus they could probably embroider a GT6 logo too, but you won't find anything original from Triumph.

Nothing a good Urologist can't treat. Did you get the valve from valve.express in Chesterfield?

TD5 Discovery.... I got fed up with replacing air bags, then it burned out two compressors with no warnings... so converted to coil springs. Which my Insurance Company claimed were a modification and upped my premium.

The recess is a ring cut around the top of the piston bore to enable a thicker gasket (with a deeper metal ring) to create a better seal around the cylinder. It's only about 0.030 deep. There's no way to tell from the outside if it's recessed or not, so you need to go by the engine number, or the head gasket may stick out at the end with a visible 'tab'. Left photo is a non-recessed Herald 1200, right is a recessed Spitfire engine. See the broader ring round each piston?

Found these online: https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/202724542000?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-153316-527457-8&mkcid=2&itemid=202724542000&targetid=4584826053363458&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=&poi=&campaignid=398226951&mkgroupid=1299622978767076&rlsatarget=pla-4584826053363458&abcId=2145997&merchantid=87779&msclkid=56a75d4f5f9c13d1caaa02803d445932 These are quite nice too: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/triumph-Spitfire-scuff-plates-door-sills-tread-plate-stainless-etched-inc-fixing-/114550136495

Simplest option then is to buy a second load area carpet, and place that over the top of the existing when necessary; you can waterproof or rubberise the underside to prevent any moisture soaking through. As Doug says the original boards are very flimsy, I replaced mine with heavier ply and still had to add metal bracing strips over the spare-wheel side to prevent it sagging under any kind of load.

I'm trying to work out the lower part of the post; is TLD saying that these 'Ajusa' gaskets have insufficient drillings for GT6 waterways? Whilst it's possible to drill them we need fuller details ie do they work on later models and are just incorrect for early GT6, or does this drilling have to be done on all, for all 6 cylinder models? Can anyone who uses FB confirm, maybe by posting the question?

The threaded section was well away from the alloy, however from looking at it I reckon it has just rusted away through being exposed on the outside of the gearbox as even when a cable was fitted this section was left exposed. Furthermore I reckon it's just a threaded section set into the outer body and could be unscrewed again. If that's the case I forsee a visit to the in-laws in the next few days, it's long overdue and they just might, with enough choccy biscuits, machine me a replacement section - in fact they could probably remake the entire thing from one piece of metal. I have a complete version they can scan and replicate, if they ever get the free time. The rubber seal inside is still available, as it's probably common to the plastic versions as well. (Replacement plastic housings are only £6.40 second hand and the seal is £4.85)

I mean one of THESE: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Spark-Plug-Cleaner-12v-original-box-instructions-etc-classic-vintage/114551891092?hash=item1aabd32494:g:mP0AAOSwLTZfxlUZ Not one of THESE: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1930-s-champion-spark-plug-cleaner-Vintage-Restored/402529083839?hash=item5db89a61bf:g:vuUAAOSwoShfoHu1

The BMIHT Certificate will give the build date; my Estate was built on 30th June and despatched to the dealership on 5th July, and then registered a month or two after that. It's a bit like birthday, coming home from the hospital, and christening....

Are you definitely sure about the part number? My post above (which confused Doug) says that I've read listings for this part number which states that it fits ALL Heralds, Vitesse, Spitfire and GT6 (on the two year dates given) - which are all NON-rotoflex. As I said, it can't fit both - not non-roto and roto cars, and be suitable for both, unless possibly it's the rotoflex bracket conversion, but they won't be suitable for an unconverted rotoflex GT6 as a straight fit.

I've got one of the 12v versions from years ago, seems to clean them but what damage it does to the electrodes remains to be determined.

Well, I got the extension off... plenty of heat to get it moving then once I had a gap between the extension and the body it was all systems go. With the extension off I decided to have a go with the speedo drive which was really really stuck. I mean, really stuck. I put the end of an old cable onto it to protect the threads but nothing would move it; in the end I put a spanner around the base of the cap and whacked that gently with a hammer whereupon it flew off and was only located about two hours later. Sadly it looked a bit strange, and it was soon confirmed that the threaded part of the speedo drive had succumbed to years of corrosion and broken off. Pity, as it's one of the original early metal versions. I'll have to look into how it was constructed, and by whom, in case something can be salvaged, otherwise I'll just fall back on one of the more modern plastic versions. Who's going to see, anyway?

Panhead screws for the alloy sealing block into the engine block, but bolts from sump to sealing block. Is it the engine block to sealing block that's leaking, or the sump / alloy sealing block seal?