DerekS

Thankyou for all your ongoing work on the site Kevin, it is appreciated!

Well done both! Thankyou, that's brilliant, any avenue that openly shares experience and knowledge has got to be good! It will be interesting to see the different approaches to a common interest (obsession?) too.

This is fascinating, thankyou! I've only just filled the tank, otherwise I'd out in the garage having a look...

A daft suggestion here, don't even know if it's viable, remove all the outlet ducts and tape them up, except for one and put a vacuum cleaner hose onto to it... this is just off the top of my head so apologies if it isn't workable!

John, you helped me out with that 5 years ago, thankyou again! The one in the magazine is NND 790 W and the gov website says it hasn't had it's first MOT! "It also had a St. Christopher medallion hidden inside the fuel tank"... what?

The latest Practical Classics magazine has landed this morning, there's an interesting article regarding a Pageant Blue Spitfire for sale at Mathewsons. They believe it to be the last Spitfire built. I've always been interested in this, having one built on the 1st of August and it has been fairly clear for some time that the one at Gaydon certainly is not the final one.

Colin, I'm pleased you're getting sorted, the offer is still open, you wouldn't be using my stock up! Derek.

Colin, if you're having problems getting hold of fuses, I can easily send you a few in the post, not a problem. Derek.

I had a problem with new calipers and was convinced I hadn't bled them properly. What was happening, when I took my foot off the brake pedal the pistons were going back into the calipers, "seal rollback" I think it's called, due to the seals and pistons being dry. I took the pads out one at a time and carefully pushed on the brake pedal to ease them out a smidgen, then pushed them back in. I did this 2 or 3 times on each piston and that cured the problem. Something to consider? Derek.

I use the same, Sam, very effective but as you say they dont last. I tried using one of the vacuum kits off ebay and found it a complete waste of time and money, pulling air in round the bleed nipple threads. Yet another good tip about the jar, Pete, when are you going to write your book with all these in?

That's brilliant Wimpus, your story would make a good article for the club magazine!

After reading the comments here, I've changed oil in my Spitfire's diff from EP90 to EP140, an easy job with the drain plug now in. There's mention earlier of using 140 in the overdrive gearbox and you know how it goes, have started thinking. There's always been a slight gear whine on mine at bang on 60mph -never got any better, never got any worse and am now wondering if that help quieten it. Your thoughts would be appreciated!

Which factory Neil?

Cheaper than Halfords, too. I was in today for a bottle of touch-in paint, mixed as you wait and a perfect match. I don't know what it's like in the rest of the club areas but it'll certainly make minor jobs more of a parp, getting materials sorted here.

Hello, I realise this is of no use to the majority of our members, but may be of interest to anyone within driving distance of West Cumbria. It's sad news unfortunately, Walkingshaws Car World at Lillyhall has only just reopened and is now facing closure within the next few weeks. It's a real shame, they keep a brilliant range of spares -everything from antifreeze to zip ties- and the guy who works there, Jim, is an absolute diamond, he couldn't be more helpful. It really is a crying shame. Everything is 25% off at present. ( I have no connection with the business other than being a customer of them for 49 years... )

It is a very strange setup, in full working order the oil light isn't bright at all. One of the first jobs I did years ago was to split the system, fitting a switch on the handbrake lever at the same time. The oil light is now full brightness and a handbrake warning light as well as the original brake warning light. (The handbrake switch is an easy fit, the switch is available as a Triumph part number.)

Gav, it's cast iron, you wont need a lot of pressure on the drill, take it nice and easy and it will go nicely. Mine had a dimple in the correct spot in the casting. Never been a problem, well worth doing!

I'll second that, M, I've used a 5/16" UNF set screw with a thick washer, sealed with ptfe tape. Easy to do, cast iron is easy to drill and tap, just take it easy. You're right about the oil flow, I imagined it running out but it was controllable. I used the small plastic top off an aerosol round the drill bit.You're right about the crud 'nall, there was also a small amount of water in mine. Well worth doing.

Back in the early 70's in West Cumbria I met a guy who was a mechanical engineer, he had a Vauxhall Velox or Cresta fitted with a home-made set-up. I can't remember any details other than a copper heat exchanger on the exhaust manifold. Presumably it had some valve or whatever to regulate it. He swore it made a noticeable difference...

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Interesting crack here... so... how much do we think this rebuild cost? Two things that struck me, the drive shafts were quickly replaced with the CV type and there was a comment about the diff... easy solution, get a new'un! We would all like to do that I'm sure. It is meant to entertain after all though. Maybe I'm jealous...

Channel 125 sorry...

Hello, for those with Freesat, More4 on channel 124 tonight at 5 to 6, Tim and Fuzz are working on a 1971 GT6. Apologies if anyone has posted this or if youve already seen it!

I'm sorry for coming with half a crack Alan, I've had a look through the Spitfire-related magazines I've kept but can't find anything. Definitely remember seeing your car though! Can anyone else help? The exhaust is a standard pattern stain steel. The car had an expensive twin "wheelbarrow" set up on it when I bought it... by the time I'd driven the 300+ miles home after picking it up I'd had enough, not for me. That's a brilliant photo of yours!!!

Alan, being a "local" car here, I'm sure that yours has featured in a number of magazines over the years, Classic Car Weekly and/or Practical Classics. Perhaps the Courier?