NevSpit

Thanks all appreciated. In that case I reckon I’ve got a lifetime supply for my trunnions 😁

Hello all. A friend is clearing out his garage and given me this can of oil. Two questions please: It looks pretty old, is it safe to use or would it have gone ‘off’ by now? Can I presume it is GL4 as there are no other markings on it. Thanks!

Evening all. Just by way of update now that I have driven the car a few times and hopefully not tempting fate… All seems to be well, I have had no recurrence so far! So, in the end the only things that changed were freeing up the bendix and filing down the burrs on it. Plus of course the positive cable on it had been undone and then reattached afterwards - which may have been a contributing factor maybe…

So… I have given it a good clean, admittedly with some lubricant but after reading Pete’s post I cleaned that off with brake cleaner as that was to hand. Seems dry and clean and still goes up and down better than it was. I did feel the fly wheel and it seemed ok although it was too hot for me to feel all the way round, at least it is on a different section for now. I also smoothed off some of the ‘burrs’ of the gear and it is all back in and working. Will just have to wait and see if that improves matters or not. As always thanks for all your advice and guidance on the forum.

Update… Taken the starter motor out and it is an inertia type. I get the impression that this particular car was right on the cusp of changeover… The gear is not smooth as you can see from the photo where it will hold position by itself. Will try and free that up now… The edge of the gear looks like it has seen better days as well!

Thanks all that has given me food for thought. Whenever I have had starter motor issues before there has always been a noise of some discription accompanying it whereas this does not so was baffled. A quick Google does indeed suggest a pre- engaged starter (not something I was familiar with) so I will attempt to remove it at the weekend and inspect the gears and free movement. Thanks again.

Good evening all. So first off all, for once, this does not involve my Triumph but my ‘85 Mini. I hope you forgive me for asking on the forum given the non Triumph nature but I know you are all knowledgable people and I am presuming it is I generic issue… Every so often I go to start the car and nothing happens i.e the engine does not even turn over. The starter motor is trying to work as I noticed on one occasion the lights dimmed so it must be drawing some current. My initial thought was the earth lead and that has been cleaned up and then subsequently replaced. However, if I put the car in gear and rock it slightly then try again it fires up beautifully. I have done this every time I have the problem recently and it keeps working. But why? If I know that then hopefully I can fix it. Many thanks for any ideas, Paul

Hello Johnny, yes certain of the open circuit as I was running the same test on another alternator so I could compare. I also then noticed that the slip ring was a little loose too. I shall return it as was bought as used but working. Looks like it has sat in a shed for a while.

Thanks both, I have put the alternator on the bench this afternoon and took the brush box off, the brushes seem ok. However, putting a meter across the two contacts of the slip ring it would appear I do not have continuity across them. Unless that is another problem I am presuming there is a break in the windings and that is the issue - does that make sense?

Hello everyone, looking for some sanity please… The TR seems to have gotten through 3 alternators now rather too quickly for my liking (fails to charge) - not all failing immediately although the last one after only 3 months. I need to investigate whether the output wires are rubbing anywhere and shorting but that is not the subject of my question today.. I have obtained another (used) alternator and fitted it to the car to test but the ignition light does not come on. Now my brain is telling me the ignition light feed is positive and earths out the through the alternator to light the bulb and once running the alternator pushes 12v back to the bulb and so having positive on each side it goes out. Checked the bulb circuit and the bulb lights if I ground the alternator plug end to the engine. So that is good. The alternator is earthing too as if I touch said wire on the alternator body it lights too. So, I used a continuity tester on the ignition spade connector and the body of the alternator and that works BUT only with the current running one way, the wrong way. Am I just misunderstanding how these work, is it possible to have a ‘positive’ earth alternator or has the previous owner tried to fix it and put a diode the wrong way round? Any suggestions most welcome! Thanks, Paul

Thanks Doug. I was thinking that the curve would move the headrest further away from your head when it was up so your head had further to travel before it was eventually stopped by the rest. If it was the other way round it would move it closer. Academic really as my head is well above it anyway!

Good evening all. I have been working through a list of car jobs and whilst doing so noticed something that doesn’t seem quite right to me. Maybe my logic is wrong but is this headrest the right way round with regard to the bend in the stem? Many thanks, Paul.

Finally found the time to take another look. Driver side sits about 17mm lower than the n/s going from the top of the tyre to the wheel arch. I straightened the metal in the arch (to where it normally is) and the same thing happened again. Nothing else has changed so I am going to order a couple of springs and shocks and replace them (near side looks a bit bowed anyway). Trouble is, whilst the springs are off how much of a refurb do I give it and where do I stop! Will report back in due course. Thanks all.

Thanks for all the comments, much appreciated. I will hopefully have some time to take a closer look tomorrow and will start with springs and anti roll bar. It has done less that a 100 miles since the MOT so would have thought any play would have been picked up then. I recall having a quick gauge of gaps at the time and I could get two fingers cleanly under the ns but not under the os. I have never replaced them in 10 years of ownership - could be time to!

Spitfire MKIV Hello all, After a rare trip to Sainsburys at the weekend I drove the car back to the garage, the entrance to which is a sharp left hand turn. Upon driving in there was a grinding noise which appears to be the o/s front wheel coming into contact with the lip of the inner wheel arch and bending it back. I had a quick look under the bonnet and nothing was obviously amiss and the springs looked normal. What I did notice on closing the bonnet was that there was less of a gap between the top of the tyre and bottom of the wheel arch on the o/s compared to the n/s - not sure if that is a new feature or has always been there. Any thoughts and clues where I should be looking would, as always, be gratefully received. Standard wheels and tyres are fitted.

Opened up the filter tonight and they do indeed appear to be slivers of softish green plastic. The green petrol can suggestion appears to be the most logical although I can’t remember using a ‘new’ one in the past that hadn’t had a good slosh of fuel in it before. I haven’t used one of the green additive ‘shots’. There is a new filter in it now so will see if any more comes through. As always thanks everyone. Paul.

Good evening all. Working my way round a few jobs on the Spitfire (MKIV) and changed the fuel filter as it was past its best. Once it was off I noticed these green particles in it. Anyone know what it is? Thanks Paul

Replaced with the spare and all working well. Will see if I can dissect the old one at some point Cheers.

Thanks all for your thoughts. Phil - the first one (on the car) is solid with no leather cover at all and is indeed rather thin. I note your TR6 wheel also looks thicker than both of mine. Neither came with the Spit, that had an aftermarket wheel which I don’t think even had the right splines on the boss as the only way I removed it was to take the column out and hit it with a very big hammer. The column was scrap afterwards.

Hello all. Having a sort out and have two steering wheels but not sure what they actually come off, they are Triumph. They are both 15” in diameter. The silver one has a hard rim approx 19.5mm in thickness whilst the black slightly padded one (with what looks like faux stitching) is slightly thicker at 21.5mm. Any thoughts? Best wishes and thanks, Paul

1971 Spitfire MKIV Hello all, On the last couple of occasions it has been a little difficult to get the key into the ignition but today it refused point blank. Whilst fortunately I do have a spare (untested so hope it works) does anyone know what would stop the key going in, how to fix it or if you can actually swap the barrels? On initial inspection of my spare there doesn’t appear a simple way to remove the barrel, which would make sense as if you could easily remove it whats the point of having it! Thanks all. Paul

Following forum guidance I took the alternator off and plugged it into the Spit - same result. So, new alternator on the TR6 and all looking good😃 Thanks guys. Paul.

Spitfire OD seems to be sorted, although had a distinct lack of power this morning which seems to have cured itself - fingers crossed. So just to keep me busy the TR6 has thrown a wobbly after the wife drove it to a show today. I put it in the garage and with the key out the ignition light was on. Turn the ignition on and the light goes off (oil light came on as expected). Any ideas o great forum people? Thanks as always. PS finally persuaded the gearbox filler plug to come out yesterday in the TR. Access is limited to get any tools on the plug once it is rounded so I used one of the Erbauer rounded nut socket sets from Screwfix and the 12mm one worked a treat, still needed an extension bar to remove it though).

Update... I drained off the old gearbox oil this morning, there was a good amount in there and it looked in good condition. I replaced it and took it around the estate in third dropping it in and out of OD regularly. I then took it out onto the main road and repeated the exercise in 4th before leaving it in 4th OD for a little while. No issues were seen so hopefully this will continue tomorrow when i take it out to a show. Thanks all. Paul.

Pete, my mates obese parrot recently died after a long illness. He's obviously upset but admits it's a weight off his shoulder... Anyway, back to the thread... we made it to and back from Laon in the back up car, fantastic weekend. If you have never been do go (big thanks to Bern and Angie for keeping us all fed and watered) If it stops raining i'll drain the oil and test drive on Saturday. Then attack the gearbox filler plug on the other car which seems to have been done up by the proverbial gorilla.