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DippedHeadlights

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Everything posted by DippedHeadlights

  1. I'm fitting a new SU fuel pump to the Herald. One option now is remove the original AC pump and fit a blanking plate but thinking is there any issue with leaving it there? Will be no fuel going through so it'll be pumping "dry" but with it there it would be easy to switch to it as a backup if the electric pump was to fail. Obviously the oil side of it will be fine. Only issue I can think of is the rubber diaphragm could fail if it's not being lubricated/cooled by fuel. Is that a known issue? If it is then I won't bother and will just remove it as having it as an emergency backup then finding when you need it it doesn't work is worse than having it not there at all!
  2. Am I right in remembering someone made an improved version that is less likely to leak? From a different material? Been looking through my notes and I can't find any info.
  3. Yes, I was surprised, here is a pic. Clearly new pistons (all bores the same) and rebored or at least honed. It's a GA 1147 so a bit more space than a 1296. Maybe 70 means something else?
  4. I've got a later 1147 engine (GA210983) in my shed that was previously "fully rebuilt" Head is on so I can't measure bores but looking with an endoscope I see the bores nicely honed and new pistons with no markings on except the number 70. I assume that's 70 thou? Seems quite a lot? I've only seen up to 60 before. Or could they be American as I think 1147cc is 70 cubic inches
  5. Right, I got my anorak on, out to the shed and went through my engines (and dipsticks). I think I've worked this out. All 1147 GA and GD engines have a dipstick 133mm from felt washer to full mark. The same dipstick is used on the early type block that doesn't have the little extension tube. (So casting must be at same height as tube top - not noticed that before). The same dipstick is also used in 1296 GE engines from Herald 13/60. That's the top dipstick in the pic Spitfire engines (FD) have a distance of 122mm so the oil level is 10mm higher as Pete noted above. I'm thinking that is to stop oil starvation when cornering? That's the middle dipstick in the pic. The odd one with a distance of 215mm from felt washer to full line I reckon came from a FWD 1300 Dolomite with a DH block that was here once. That had the diff in the sump so longer stick makes sense. Oil capacities in my books are all over the place. Most quote 8 pints for all but some say 7.5 for the Herald 13/60 and 7 pints for all the 1147 engines. The oil pumps and sumps are the same on all the GA, GD, GE and FD aren't they? So maybe Triumph intended slightly higher levels on the faster cars?
  6. Here is a puzzle. I'm sure I've only ever had small crank 1147 and 1296 engines here, GA, GD, FD and GE. In my mixed up spares box today I find a dipstick, then another, then a third. All Triumph, all different lengths/oil levels. Any ideas? I'm pretty certain the one at the top came from a 1296 GE Herald, what about the others ? Were there block differences ? All the blocks I can easily reach have that 35mm long extension tube for the Dipstick but I think that wasn't on early 1147s? Is there any other way to work out the correct oil level ?!
  7. Yes I might well look at them again in the future but thought I'd just report back my findings to tidy up the thread !
  8. Quick update, gone off the idea and fitted a 70s recon Lucas (the later shorter sort without the access cover for the bushes, M35J) When I measured the current of the Powerlite it wasn't a lot less (about 85amps against 95amps for the Lucas) and when it came to speed it sounded quicker as it's a higher pitch but when you measure the speed it turns the flywheel it's no quicker than a good freshly rebuilt Lucas .
  9. Found out the pic I posted above is a Powerlite unit, RAC801. Fits the Spitfire and it has a built in solenoid. It's lighter, 3kg instead of 4.5kg and there is a little bit more weight saving by not needing the Lucas solenoid. Motor itself is more powerful but less current. It's still inertia but on the other side of the flywheel so effectively starting from new. It's expensive but I'm told they do pop up occasionally on offer nearer £200. https://www.powerlite-units.com/starters/rac801.html Anyone using one? Any thoughts?
  10. Yes, he has a few cars but I'm sure it's on a Spitfire. I will try and get some pics at some point and add them here.
  11. I've got a note it was from Moto-Build racing who are down in Surrey - but don't know if they make them or just resell them.
  12. Yes, thinking again, too difficult to bring from there to here but I wondered if it was UK origin. However I've now been reminded of this one which is a lot neater that a friend has been using so will probably go that route even though I think it's quite expensive.
  13. Anyone recognise this as being available in the UK ? It's not a WOSP or Powerflex. I know a few people over there that are using them and all say good things, £130 is much cheaper than anything I've seen here.
  14. I know, it's really difficult to make out, but actually is clearer in the photo than in real life! Is GKN as manufacturer a clue? The fourth and fifth digits don't look like 3 and 5 but if someone has a 212359 cam maybe they used an unusual font!?.. hang on, doh, I've got one. This is Stanpart not GKN and the number is stamped the other way around, but unlike the way computers do it the 3 is flat topped but still not sure ?
  15. Can anyone identify this camshaft? It's in a 13/60 small crank GE engine and might be original. It's large journal type (no bearings). I expected a 212359 - I don't think that is what is stamped on it but I haven't got another 212359 cam here to compare. Thanks
  16. Minispares do a pack of 10 flanged head nuts for the Cooper which look to be what I need. Total £14.52 delivered. Order looks like this: 1 C-AHT287 HEAD NUT FLANGED TYPE SET (10)CHEAPER THAN SEPARATELY £ 9.40 (Taxable) 10 CAM4545 HEAD NUT FLANGED TYPE FOR CYLINDER HEAD £ 0.00 (Taxable) 1 PO9 POST - SMALL ORDERS (PRICE CHARGED AT DISPATCH) £ 2.70 (Taxable)
  17. Thanks guys. I see those flanged nuts in my future! For ref this is what the gasket looks like. The fail between the pots clearly happened first then I think the other damage to the gasket was caused by the severe pinking. I maybe should have checked the release torque when I undid the head bolts. They felt normal though, none felt loose but certainly not tight either. I did lightly Moly grease the studs when I put it together so a few taps with rubber hammer and head lifted easily. Re driving experience. Very strange, it happened suddenly. Going uphill (normal A road hill that doesn't need 3rd gear), had been driving for over an hour, normal speeds and temps, all very normal, suddenly a really loudbanging like a metal fan hitting a shroud. Take off load and noise stopped. Also couldn't reproduce it revving when stopped. All temp and pressures of oil and water normal. No smells or bubbling. Less than 5 miles from home so carried on. Still drove OK, maybe 20% down on power, just the banging under load which was getting louder. Compression test confirmed. I did wonder if the rings might be damaged by the pinking but no scoring on bores so I think I will maybe set the pistons half way and put some thin oil in there to see if it drains down overnight and if not will leave well alone. Will do something similar to head in case it has burnt the valves but initial look they seem fine as well. D
  18. Interesting about nuts and washers. I reckon that is deffo worth me doing. I see Minispares have: Competition head (spring) washers, set of 10.Original ST spring type washer especially required when using original 6-sided head nut. and also this: EN24 Nickel Chrome moly steel studs, Competition head stud kit (11 studs, nuts & washers.) 4 long and 7 short.This special kit was developed to replace the increasingly inconsistent standard items. The studs are manufactured in selected hi-grade steel and produced to exacting specifications. These studs do not stretch, so they pull the head down, not the thread up, this vastly increases head gasket life, even on high compression engines. Special thick washers, countersunk on one side, help clamping capability and reduce thread bottoming of the nuts. Note that even replacing the head bolt with a stud, only torque that stud to the factory recommended spec (25 ft/lbs), the other studs can be torqued to 65ft/lbs with oil, 55ft/lbs with ARP lube. Studs I guess are different. but what Mini nuts and washers worked on Triumph stuff ? And I have just had a quick lookup of that ARP stuff, seems to makes everything smoother in assembly but doesn't mean you have to reduce torque like with oil. Sounds a good idea ? Thanks D
  19. Thanks guys. The studs are out at the moment so I can block sand the block to a super smooth finish. I saw a tip to slightly countersink the stud holes as they can peen up a bit so will try that. (although the failure was not near a stud). I hope it's not a quality problem with the gasket, my thought was they are different materials to back in the day (clearly not asbestos!) and so I wonder if the torque settings are still relevant with the materials that they use now. Maybe they do need to be tighter. I will give Dave at Canley a call and see what he is using. Anyone else we know who is putting together Spitfire engines for racing who might have a view ? D
  20. 1296cc small crank GE engine bored +40 and with slightly higher than standard compression and larger valves in the Toledo 218141 head. So a bit of a challenge for the head gasket - and at the weekend it failed between 3 and 4. It was one of the new type Payen AK520 black ones and had been in there for 4 years, no warning, just pop (the pop being serious pinking as the gasses jump to the wrong pot and then burn at the wrong time) no oil water mixing luckily. I was only a couple of miles from home and benefit of not being alloy is now it's apart the head and block look perfect, no need for skimming. So planning on cleaning then reassemble. Are these black Payens still the best gaskets? Any other suggestions for reducing risk of it failing again when it's back together? I've been assembling it dry and torquing to spec (45lbft) and retorquing after 100 miles. Maybe a bit tighter ? However I think real challenge is just how close the bores are so most important is going to be the tolerances and the quality of gasket ? Thanks D
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