DanMi

how about a full 13/60 system including manifold.

the cheap ones are mainly Lucas 1500 distributers without the tachometer drive. I have no experience of new ones, I had mine rebuilt by the club shop. SimonBBC seems to have a good reputation. But most of the new ones don't have the vernier on the vacuum unit if that worries you

As you have replaced everything with new the likelihood is a bad new component. If it was running before try the old condenser, rotor arm cap etc one by one. There is a lot of rubbish new parts about You say timing is correct as it ran before but you also said that the distributer is new so the timing will need setting, no need for a timing light just a test light is sufficient to time it statically

The club shop can get the original reconditioned by H&H ignition but cheaper than direct (or it was a few years back) either with points or electronic

check the timing, particularly set the engine at TDC with both rockers on no1 cylinder on the rock ie valves closed. Is the rotor arm pointing to no1 lead. Not difficult to get the timing 180 out Take a plug out after trying to start, is it wet if yes then you have fuel so it is a sparking issue, do you get a good spark? Do you have a good earth strap from the bellhousing to the battery -ve cable attachment bolt

The MK1-3 use a Delco Remy distributer. Attached is a photo of the page from the MK2 owners handbook MK3 is the same

The way to set the MK3 timing is to fully retard the vernier on the vacuum unit, then set the timing at TDC then advance the vernier the require number of degrees 1 click = 1 degree.

Oddly FD is mk3 spit for engine and gearbox but diff remained FC and all spitfire chassis are FC as well

No just did a quick ebay search

but never fitted to MK3 spits they used narrow slot versions, but they will work perfectly just a slightly wider slot set of 4 on ebay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/354769963790?hash=item5299f00b0e:g:FNAAAOSwgQNi-rTv&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA0G9k4n6qQpaIt3kxd890N4%2BeAVhr5sN%2FQ%2F%2FHDWW6RLIGc5gBvcfcuWchW7NN26CSlb8Ka%2B2yDjM6LE%2FOYEB8cEq5L2St1T394MR4iEMz549VEDsumLaiKlGZ3rRcc0mDGM9YISstetjDUtLz0KLJwbWqxrdo%2FgBeehdxHE8n5iKvP674unRuhbLcLv8jIL%2FhcTXjw7sJJOUBA44v1226NyPoL03bxuHN%2FaL7LmcKvuuybCRWtx0lRIBXc4kxz0NMWzGRVZd11DYH%2F9WD20hoC%2B4%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR67tlZGJYg

so not unlikely that the short shafts came from the Vitesse as well. The long shaft cars have different radius arms and body brackets as well as a different brake hose arrangement. I would guess also a different rear handbrake cable

FD is Vitesse 2 litre MK1 which makes sense with the 6 holes 3.89 ratio http://www.wolfitt.com/numbers_and_ratios.htm

With the wheel straight ahead the protrusion should be between the 2 lugs on the stalk ie at 9 o'clock if indicators on the left. I count the steering turns lock to lock then divide by 2 and turn the wheel to half way, then set the column in the correct place and then adjust the tracking to straight ahead. I adjust the tracking with 2 lengths of string on stands either side of the car which gets it very close

I found that when I did my cam, there is a good few degrees of movement just on the bolt holes so I check using 2 dial gauges such that with no1 at TDC both number 4 valves(4 cyl) have identical lift

I would try carefully getting a small screwdriver under the side of that bit until it is bent enough to grab with long nose pliers

yes it should be a smooth hole that is why it is fitting perfectly for the first mill or 2 then getting stuck

the first pic looks like there is still part of the old one left behind

first thing to do is give the system a good flush through with a garden hose and then maybe some cleaner. The system as fitted is fine if working correctly. I also found that when I fitted a new temp sender the gauge fluctuated a lot, replaced it with an old stock one and now stays still. The coolant should be replaced every 2 years if it hasn't ben the system corrodes and gets blocked. Basically get the system working properly and then you shouldn't need any upgrades

I would put 155*13 on a mk4 the very early ones were fitted with 145 * 13 but post 72 was 155. They all have 4.5j so 155 is OK https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/classic-car-tyres/triumph/spitfire.html

I have never noticed any coding on them but then I have never really looked

They are handed so it becomes pretty obvious when you go to fit them the pipe bends to the drivers side when entering the jet and the attachment hole in the jet goes toward the middle of the 2 carbs, they will only fit 1 way.

Australian? https://web.archive.org/web/20130726114450/http://www.vtr.org/Herald/Herald-hickman.shtml so a 1959 948cc just noticed your location so that makes sense.

The club shop have an inlet manifold reconditioning service with stainless pipe for the spits 3-1500 so could probably get yours done.

with that bleed pipe one end is attached to the slave and the other to a bell housing to engine bolt, so unlike the main clutch it will not have any bending when the engine moves, so fine as a metal pipe.

an alternative could be 409001 used on the TR4, originally had a detachable knob, but looks basically identical and some tr4s used 401458 https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-GRID200270