rlubikey

That's the one I was thinking of. Let us know how you get on with them. Cheers, Richard

Yes, the SPL job looked very nice indeed when mine came back. Since then people have expressed reservations about neutralising the acid, though SPL claim there's a stage in the process that does this. If I was doing it again I'd look closely at the other lot who bake the rust off. Forgotten the name but a search engine will soon find them. For me, it was the e-coating inside and out which gives the shell/chassis modern car rust protection (or so they say) that attracted me. Cheers, Richard

I quite agree NonMember - putting current through isn't going to magically "cure" any badly corroded contacts - perhaps I should have stated that. However, contacts will usually be plated with something more stable than the underlying metal in order to give reliable switching or connection characteristics. So steel contacts might be plated with nickel for example. However, unless plated with a noble metal - usually gold - there may be some corrosion in the form of a thin stable layer on the surface. The wetting current helps break through this layer. Many switch and relay manufacturers will specify the minimum current while others just assume that you know this. Connectors have a wiping action which cleans the contact surface but, to get good life, switches and relays may not have this feature as a wiping contact eventually wears away the plating. Even so, after a while, who hasn't had to wiggle cheap nickel plated phono connectors on their HiFi to bring a channel back to life? And have you ever rotated the batteries in, for example, a remote control to eke out the life of those batteries? Nickel suffers surface corrosion, albeit quite slowly. This is where gold comes in - it's noble so doesn't corrode. However, it's expensive and softer so wears away quickly. It's not likely to be used on high-current contacts due to cost and lifetime. Cheaper nickel plated contacts are kept fresh by the current. Even if the contacts show good with a DVM or the light bulb test, that doesn't mean to say they will withstand the current drawn by a starter. Usually, this is just for a few seconds which limits heat build up. I seem to recall measuring the current of a Lucas starter - can't remember if it was a 4- or 6-cylinder engine - as being 180A. This is one heck of a current to go through tiny little contacts in one of Joe Lucas's solenoids - especially as originals are 40-years old or more. The bottom line; try a DVM by all means. If it doesn't work, don't write it off but try for example a light bulb. Even this isn't going to tell you how long it will last on a starter motor! Oh, and one more thing, light bulbs have a very low resistance when cold, so they take a high current for half a second or so when contact is made - perfect for a contact test! Here endeth today's lecture. Is anyone still awake? Cheers, Richard

Use a light bulb. This puts a bit of current through the contacts - called wetting current - which breaks through and surface oxide layer. This is the disadvantage of a DVM as the test current is next to nothing. (The only way to get around wetting current is to plate contacts with gold or silver - like your high quality audio connectors.) Cheers, Richard

Thanks Markus - I hadn't thought of bypassing the Triumph vendors. But Dave's right - the 480lb springs are great on smooth roads. Trouble is, the roads round here are increasingly rubbish since 2008. I'm not too bad at scanning for potholes and steering round, but in many places it's more a case of spotting the odd bit of smooth road in amongst the rubbish surface. I wouldn't mind so much if the Bankers were cycling to work these days. Cheers, Richard

Hi Doug - I'll be there. See you later, Richard

Just a little addendum to this. I'd been playing with the toe-in/out adding and subtracting the shims, all to no avail! Then one day I went to pump up my clever "Max-Air" Monroe ride height adjustable rear shocks but my digital pressure gauge was playing up and I put too much air in. Letting the air out (there's a schrader valve) I got some slippy yellow fluid on my thumb - oil from the damper(s)! One of the Monroes was nadgered. Some new cheapo ones and my rear end is no longer playing hop-scotch along the road. The thing is, it's been like this for years ... but still passing MOTs! I think the 480lb front springs (now removed) and the light Spit rear end must have been hiding the fault. The air-adjustable rear dampers were to avoid that sinking feeling when a bike rack is fitted. This was the situation on my old blue Spit. It's been reported that Monroe quality is down the drain these days, so a bit of research and I've discovered that a USA company called Gabriel do a similar range of dampers called Hijackers - and there's an equivalent one (for a '62-82 Corvette) which should fit the Spit, part number 49304. Cheers, Richard PS: Still loving the 220lb front springs. Just wish I'd found slightly shorter ones so I could fine tune the ride height.

So, just a post script to say I trotted over to Burghfield Starter & Alternator Centre and gave him the offending article. It's a proper Fred+Shed outfit and he certainly gave a damn good impression of knowing his stuff! He was intrigued by Canley's "uprated" 60A alternator - seemingly not an original spec. But he checked it over and it was indeed just the diode pack at fault. The original (I wish I'd kept it) has the diodes just covered in some sort of elastomer with the lead sticking out the top. The replacement has them in ceramic discs, which is how I recall Lucas did them originally. The alternator is good so far, but with winter drawing on I'm not getting the Spit out so much. So, based on this limited time (1 month), I give a thumbs up to Burghfield S&A - we need to use these increasingly rare sort of people more often or we'll loose them altogether! Cheers, Richard

How about, "you bought it for her"? Cheers, Richard

A more efficient fan does less stirring and more pumping of the air. Still only gives a very few hp - 2hp as Nick suggests sounds reasonable. However, pumping more air keeps the under-bonnet cooler, so maybe a few more hp gained there? How was the power tested - this is what we need to know! (Must have missed this article as I read the club comic last night) Cheers, Richard

I've always thought that tyres work, not only by friction (and yes, I was paying attention during my physics lessons!) but also by keying into the road surface, which I think is a different mechanism. This means that, for the same road surface, a softer tyre will have more grip, and a wider tyre (larger footprint) will also have more grip. Presumably there has to be enough weight to force the rubber to squirm into the crevices in the road, so presumably there's a footprint to weight & compound softness limit. If anyone has any insight on this, I'm eager to learn. Cheers, Richard

So, mister dB, you don't think your initials are cool in an electrical engineering company? I knew a draughtsman with the initials "CL" who signed his drawings with the centreline symbol - ℄ I'll get my anorak ... Cheers, Richard

Forgot to say on Tuesday evening Doug, but did you see that Alpine/Tiger in the Shire Horse car park that's had the GTR4 "Dové" treatment? A bit like a Harrington Alpine - perhaps it was a Harrington? I was so miffed about my alternator it completely slipped my mind. Cheers, Richard

The only moulded I know of is Newton Commercial and all the other moulded vendors are just re-selling theirs, is that right? I think the Newton carpet looks a bit like stubble - not the original style loop-pile at all. So, unless Newton have improved, or someone's come into the market with better quality moulded, I'll have to stick with my (slowly deteriorating) original. Cheers, Richard

Hi Guys. Yes, the alternator came out tonight and the diode pack has two visibly faulty rectifiers. I've replaced the diode pack and the regulator on various alternators before. I'm a dab hand with a soldering iron, if I say so myself, so that doesn't put me off. It's the quality of the replacement parts you buy which really does seem like a lottery. My worry is also that it may be (a) faulty winding(s) and that I'm throwing good money after bad. Right, dinner's over, time to get de-soldering that diode pack! Cheers, Richard

So, last night on my way to the Shire Horse I had to turn back when I saw the Spit's ignition light glowing. Checking battery volts at home and it's obvious the alternator isn't charging. This is a new alternator - one of those 60A jobs from that well respected Triumph vendor near Coventry. What is it with me and alternators? It's only 15 months old! I'll yank it out this evening and see if it's an easy fix. If not then various East Berks members have suggested Burghfield Starter & Alternator Centre so I'll give them a go. Cheers, Richard PS: Some people seem to modify the thread title when replying. How do you do that?

Iain, I clearly remember one of those satellite classic car programs (A Car Is Reborn?) where he was rebuilding an E-Type, and when it came to the wire wheels the host wanted stainless spokes but pointed out that they would look odd against the chrome rims. So he found spokes where the stainless had been chromed and waxed about how good they looked. So yes, I think it can be done. Makes you wonder about "improving" the Harrington bumpers. Cheers, Richard

Crikey Gadgetman! That really was very good. I thought I was doing well with £23.01 + £7.95 delivery back in 2013. I've just checked and mine look identical to yours, so type 16 brackets. Just for reference, the type 12/14 ones, do they look more of a square profile? Cheers, Richard

Oh, I didn't know that. I got some adaptors cheap (but more than £2.25 - that really was remarkably good - or a misprint!) to convert the Atlas to disc brakes some time. Now you've got me wondering what I've got! Cheers, Richard

Love your Mk3. A little love and attention will pay dividends. Depending on how the roads are near you, beware of fitting firmer springs. 480lb springs made for a very bumpy, rattly ride on the potholes of Berkshire! I find that standards (well, 220lb from Moss) are pretty good for road use with almost no noticeable loss of that good ole' Spitfire nimbleness! Cheers, Richard

Assuming you've rolled the car forwards to settle the suspension, I think that with a swing spring, uneven stance is usually due to:- 1) The front springs or ARB. Jack centrally at back chassis cross member. Is car still one side down? Easily fixed with adjustable spring seat front dampers. Or 2) A twisted body/chassis. Check front & rear NS & OS bumper heights! Could be as simple as adding/subtracting a few chassis-body rubber washers! Oh, I suppose the tyres are the same on each axle? Cheers, Richard

So, it's entirely possible that your spring is OK, it's just been fitted with too thick a lowering block. Are there any other symptoms? Cheers, Richard

Do'h - you're right Doug, I completely forgot about Bonds. Apologies to Bond owners everywhere! Like you Colin, I remembered the Amphicar section in the Courier when I joined, and my "approximate brain" added one and six and made ... six. I think I remember reading that the founder (John Griffiths?) liked the name for the Vitesse in the USA, the Triumph "Sports Six" and then realised there were six cars based on the small chassis for which the new club would cater. Cheers, Richard

I think the Amphicar was originally one of the "six" in the Triumph Sports Six Club. The others being Herald, Vit, Spit, GT6 and "Specials" (kit cars). For years there was one in a front garden at Ryeish Green near us. I'd cycle by every so often and wonder what the owner was going to do with it. It never moved but wasn't in too bad condition. Then, around 2000 or so it vanished. Cheers, Richard

Ahh! I forgot - and it's important - that I've separately fused the overdrive circuit so it's protected by a much lower current fuse. Even so, I didn't think I'd used particularly low-current cable? It's all several years ago now. As for the tubing, friend bought it but I should think it was from CPC and one of these two:- Silicone Varnished Glass Sleeving 4mm Bore Size Varnished Glass Insulated Sleeve 6mm x 5m If it wasn't one of those, then there's loads of similar sleeving out there from other vendors. Cheers, Richard