Anglefire

Gully, its not just any page I've got it off- its this one http://www.triumphspitfire.com/Torque.html - that and elsewhere they Haynes manual says the same - I'll know for sure when I open my new manual on Monday The above table was just something I found that confirmed the torque wasn't outside of the normal torque range for the bolt.

The very early microwaves didn't have doors - then they found that people's hands were effectively being cooked as they tended to put food in/out with it turned on.

I'm lucky (I think) in that living in Birmingham, we have welsh water that is soft and almost no deposits come out of the water - the kettle for example doesn't have any lime scale nor do any taps.

The Triumph Spitfire torque site says : Rocker pedestal nut to cylinder head 24-26 GT6, 26-34 GT6Mk3, 28-30 Spits (not 1500), 32-34 1500 3/8 UNF x 3.09 stud Tbh - I don't think its that critical - the 3 have gone to 32Ib/ft ok - and when I get the forth (It will probably come off the old engine for now!) then I'll take that to 32 as well just for consistancy - the studs are hardened as far as I can tell - the one that the nut had stripped on once I'd got the bits of nut thread unpeeled from the stud it was good as new! Now, I don't know the grade of the nuts, but found this on T'internet - so it must be true! GRADE 5 GRADE 8 Fine Thread Fine Thread Size Clamp Load Plain (ft. lbs.) Plated Size Clamp Load Plain (ft. lbs.) Plated (ft. lbs.) 1/4-28 (.250) 2325 10 87 in lbs. 1/4-28 (.250) 3263 14 10 5/16-24 (.3125) 3675 19 14 ft lbs. 5/16-24 (.3125) 5113 27 20 3/8-24 (.375) 5588 35 26 ft lbs. 3/8-24 (.375) 7875 49 37 7/16-20 (.4375) 7575 55 41 ft lbs. 7/16-20 (.4375) 10650 78 58 1/2-20 (.500) 10200 85 64 ft lbs. 1/2-20 (.500) 14400 120 90 9/16-18 (.5625) 12975 122 91 ft lbs. 9/16-18 (.5625) 18300 172 129 5/8-18 (.625) 16350 170 128 ft lbs. 5/8-18 (.625) 23025 240 180 3/4-16 (.750) 23775 297 223 ft lbs. 3/4-16 (.750) 33600 420 315 7/8-14 (.875) 32475 474 355 ft lbs. 7/8-9 (.875) 45825 668 501 1-12 (1.000) 42300 705 529 ft lbs. 1-12 (1.000) 59700 995 746 1-14 (1.000) 32275 721 541 ft lbs. 1-14 (1.000) 61125 1019 764 1 1/8-12 (1.125) 47475 890 668 ft lbs. 1 1/8-12 (1.125) 77025 1444 1083 1 1/4-12 (1.250) 59550 1241 930 ft lbs. 1 1/4-12 (1.250) 96600 2012 1509 1 3/8-12 (1.375) 72975 1672 1254 ft lbs. 1 3/8-12 (1.375) 118350 2712 2034 1 1/2-12 (1.500) 87750 2194 1645 ft lbs. 1 1/2-17 (1.500) 142275 3557 2668

Wavelength of the laser and it’s spread over a fairly long line. Had this very discussion with a mate of mine yesterday.

According to one of the websites, the 1500 is 32-34lb/ft - I've not looked in my new Haynes manual as Father Christmas hasn't arrived yet (I have an older one that says it covers the 1500 - but doesn't cover the engine!)

Colin, I don't think it will really matter - simply because you wouldn't change the ring gear if you were just changing to a high torque starter - as they are really a pre-engaged one, its just the solenoid is linked off the main input supply with a small jumper, so it acts like a bentix - but if you want to pre-engage it, you take the link out and wire it for pre-engage instead.

Yes please - but only if I can have the 1000W version! Wonder if I have £1/2M down the back of the sofa!

Well the tap worked - I had 2 - a taper and non taper (Square end?) anyway, the non taper was the wrong thread - it was close and to be fair it wasn't marked UNF but when I compared the two threads it looked the same - but a nut wouldn't run down it, unlike the other one - but anyway, the taper one ran up the threads lovely and the new stud went in a dream Fuel pump all now mounted too

I can't see an insert in the block TBH - and the stud that came out is imperial. My dad has come up trumps (I think!) with a 5/16" unf tap - most of the ones he has from his dad or his old neighbour are nearly all whitworth BSF or KEN (Which I think refers to the model engineering 40tpi rather than the original owner of the taps and dies ) The tappet gap is a bit bigger than standard with the newman cam - though I'm buggered if I can find where it says that now!

That all makes sense Pete - I'll have a little test of my little one later. Well, I've refitted the head, torqued it down and fitted the manifolds and water pump topday. I've removed the mullered fuel pump stud - but the new one won't go in - I'm hoping my dad has a suitable 5/16 UNF tap to clean out the threads - otherwise it's another essential tool to buy! So its pretty much ready to go in - just got to refit the dizzy - though not much point doing that until I've spun up the oil pump. I've also got to get a new nut for one of the rocker pedestals - stripped on refitting and I don't have a spare which is annoying - also got to set the tappets - but until the last bolt is in I won't bother.

That's an epic fail

Lack thereof or too much

I shall get one from Halfords - which are made by Norbar and come with a calibration certificate - I've not had my little one re-calibrated - not sure where I'd go to get it done TBH.

TBH Pete, I need a new one anyway - my small one was bought when I had a beetle - which was when I was 17/18 - so is well over 30 years old and when I used it at a higher torque than i usually use yesterday, it didn't feel right somehow.

I bought new HD head nuts from Moss - They were actually cheaper than the standard bolts and washers (No washers are required as they have a "built" in washer effectively.) And yes they are black and look quenched. Has been interesting reading about the studs - some say to install them finger tight, some finger tight and undo 1/4 turn. The Torque Specs says the studs should be 46Ib/ft and the nuts 45. Whatever, I have to buy a new wrench

Correct head gasket arrived today as well as some new flywheel bolts and head nuts - I've already picked up some new head studs. So tonight, I've timed the cam - used some sticky backed velcro to fixed the timing wheel onto the crank - worked well enough - it was 1degree out from where I thought it was! Camshaft itself was slightly more difficult only because it was only not moving the dial gauge for about 3degrees - if that but 99% sure it was correct. The pulley marking to the cam chain cover was pretty much bang on too - might have been 1/2degree out. Trying to work out how to tighten the studs into the head - the obvious way is to lock two nuts on the end - and avoid undoing the stud when undoing them again! Which comes to my stumbling block My big torque wrench doesn't go low enough and my small one doesn't go high enough. So going to have to buy another one - Halfords Pro range is very good and guaranteed for life!

I’ve a garage full of bits that are in a safe place - one day I’ll find them and build another car out of them probably

Hard to tell from the pictures, but it doesn't seem to be out of kilter by much?

The ones that are fitted do indeed have a slot in the threads - I did wonder why it was there, but assumed it was all correct! But thanks for the clarification - all stuff that will be logged in the memory bank for future reference - assuming I can dig it out again!

Ok, had a bit of time this afternoon to do some more work on the engine. Removed head, timing cover and fuel pump, dizzyy and ultimately the cam. (Not necessarily in that order ) 4 of the head studs came out, rather than the head bolt coming undone. Not really happy with the condition of the ones stud's thread. Doesn't seem as clean as the others, so think I'll get at least one new one. One fuel pump stud is definitely going to need to be replaced, the thread is well and truly mullered - just got to see if I can find the part number before I get it out. Got the new cam in - plenty of cam lube over it before and as it went in. There was a bit of damage on one of the lobes - I'm sure it would have been fine. Possibly. I can work out the correct TDC with my dial gauge, similarly the correct position for the cam before fitting the chain. But I'm trying to now work out how to turn the crank 110' - well I know how to turn the crank, obviously, but I don't know the best method of attaching the timing disk onto the crank - is something like bluetack good enough? Or is something else the best method? Once I've done that, I can put it all together again, once I've got the correct head gasket - the one in the kit (Payen) was a 1300 and not 1500 gasket - but Paddocks are sending the correct one as they packed it incorrectly. Errors happen, but its how its dealt with that matters - and they have been good Head itself looks to be fine as do the valves. It has got double valve springs on - is that normal for a 1500?

Actually I would like to qualify the speed bit - Inappropriate speed kills. 100mph can be as safe as 30 in some circumstances and 30 can be too fast in others. Friday for example, with all the black ice about, 30 was most definitely too fast. So was 20 at times. I've sat at 120+ on the Autobahns in Germany and it was perfectly safe as there was no other bugger on the road at the time. Trouble with the UK is that there are too many arbitrary speed limits that often go up and down many times over a fairly short stretch of road - in most of europe, they have a simple system. Towns 50kph (Schools 30 sometimes), open road 100kph, motorways 110/120/130 depending on country. I was in Germany a few years ago and they have also brought in smart motorways - got into one down south and the limit was reduced to 120!

Actually, the law on insurance changed a few years back and they were no longer able to discriminate between genders. However, I'm sure they will find a way around it!

I've just searched Autotrader and there are C1's around for under a grand. Run it for a year, sell it for £500 say and then get your Herald. You might well save the cost compared to a classic for the first year?

Yeah, but they would only give you relevant information of the current owner - and not the history.