Sparky_Spit

I'm speechless..... Why would someone do that? If the person doing that is keeping and using the car then fair enough; they get what they deserve if it fails; but doing that and then selling the car on?....

It was from a Smart FourTwo - the original CT Forum post is here:https://club.triumph.org.uk/menu/1/item/613113/view?search=smart+car&messagepage=1#num1

That's okay then... I live nowhere near the A41....😉 Yes, I can see how that happens. After trial fitting a pump to an FM block this morning, with the sump off and a camshaft fitted, the difference in lever action and the amount of throw is significant. Thanks for all the replies everyone

What is the purpose of the 1/4" thick fibre fuel pump spacer used on later FM 1500 engines? Is it for preventing heat transfer from the block to the pump body, or to space out the later type pump as the lever would have too great a stroke and be at risk of diaphragm damage? I ask as I have 2 pumps (an original AC type which I've re-furbed and a good quality generic replacement one) and 2 engines (a 1296 FD and a 1500 FM) which have been swapped around a couple of times over a period of a year or so, and I want to make sure I'm not doing any damage to either pump or cam lobe by not using the spacer. Both engine's cam lobes look okay, but I just want to check what is correct and why. Thanks in advance. Actually, thinking about it, is there any difference in the distance from the camshaft's centre axis and the outer face of the fuel pump mounting flange on the outside of the block with respect to FD and FM engines?

I've also noticed on ebay, that if you want to blow the expense and really push the boat out, you can spend £4.90 instead of £2.90 you can get one rated at 10A.

I can't find the actual purchase on eBay, as it was over 3 years ago now, but it was one of these, but not from this actual seller : https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-DC-Motor-Speed-Control-Driver-Board-3V-35V-5A-PWM-Controller-LED-dimmer/163091515028?_trkparms=aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D225113%26meid%3D08c27f809276414abc2294bcac6fc1db%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dpf%26sd%3D193312727515%26itm%3D163091515028%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DDefaultOrganic%26brand%3DUnbranded&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851 Mike

Hi - I'm the Mike that Colin Scrapman was referring to above, who fitted the SmartCar heater blower motor to a MK3 Spitfire. I used a PWM from China (very cheap) and used a potentiometer that also had an on/off switch incorporated into it, 1960's transistor radio style. This meant that I only needed one hole in the dashboard to switch the blower on and adjust its speed and air output. I can't remember now how much current the motor actually drew at full chat, but it would have been about 4 or 5amps or so. The PWM I used, with its heatsink and its switch is easily up to the job and does not overheat. The output of the blower at full blast is too much to bear in a Spitfire cabin, so its useful having an infinitely adjustable speed control. I'll try and trawl though my eBay purchases and post up the actual unit I used.

That looks very well engineered - just the job. I'll try similar; thanks.

If you do use a stainless steel replacement pipe, make sure it comes with the appropriate connectors, as it is very difficult to make rubber heater hose stay put on the shiny smooth surface of the pipe. I found that the pressure in the system was enough to slowly push the hose off the stainless pipe regardless of how tight the hose clips were done up. Ideally, the ends need to be knurled to provide enough grip, but this is not easy (or even possible?)with stainless steel.

Sorry to hear that Nick, but glad it got home under its own steam... possibly quite literally? I've got a bit of a hang-up about head gaskets, I've had 3 go in the last 5 years or so (one on the FD and two on the FM, including the one which ate into the jigging void close to the fire ring and which I subsequently plugged) and I've even changed torque wrenches as a result in case it is out of calibration. So I'm being ultra careful with this rebuild. Checking today, using your info Danny, the +40 Hepolite pistons are nicely made and fit perfectly up into the gasket's fire rings with the chamfer being just the right size to miss them with about 10thou to spare. Feeler gauges, straight-edge, digital vernier and tiny slivers of Blu-tack worked well. When the crank goes in for regrind I'll get the machine shop to also check the head and block faces properly with a professional straight-edge and consider the smallest of skims if needed.

That's interesting Danny; something I'd never considered before. This engine now has +40 Hepolites and they protrude 10 thou up into the fire rings, but without any obvious contact. There is a very slight 45deg chamfer on the piston tops and no witness marks on the pistons nor gasket, but I will check properly with it all dry assembled. If I've any doubt I'll pop them in the lathe and increase the chamfer a bit and re-check. Thanks for the info.

Hi Nick - yes, I've run out of excuses. The original FD engine that I quickly put in prior to the 10CR is still doing fine, but I really want to get the 1500 sorted and back in the car. Hopefully the crank will be reground in a couple of weeks, assuming no local lockdown restrictions are imposed, and I'm starting to clean up the rest of the engine and it's components. Fingers crossed...

I normally write down things like this. Then lose it or forget where I wrote it....

Nigel - thanks for that, it confirms that my memory is not correct and it must be 30thou, and I'm happy now. Pete - I'm pretty sure the block has not been decked and I only wanted to check the depth as I wrongly thought it should be 40thou. The gasket that came off (Payen) was fine and, out of interest only, its fire rings measured 66thou.

I can't find a figure for the depth of the fire ring recesses in the bore tops on a 1500 FM engine. I seem to remember it being 40 thou, but mine measure between 28 and 31 thou so I doubt that is correct. Anybody know for certain what it should be please?

I have found out what is causing the issue for me above; it seems to be the use of MS Edge browser. Using Chrome it works fine. Lesson learnt.

Well done Wim... The Fox is looking as good as ever!

Yes you are right... I didn't think of clicking inside the photo. Sorted now thanks, evidenced (hopefully) by this post having no enormous picture at the bottom. Thanks!

Sorry yes, Signature. I've tried that Colin and it does not work for me. The picture is deleted when you do what you say above but re-appears once you look at the forum again. If I look again at the Signature settings the delete option is not there. It re-appears if you leave the site and then come back again, but it still goes through the same process again. And again and again. Pete - I can delete each post okay, but any new post still has the large signature picture, even though I chose a small version.

Can someone please remove my very large profile picture, which I seem to have added and cannot remove despite trying several times. Thanks in anticipation....

If you are looking at getting a small Denso one as pictured a few posts above, then try agricultural dealers/suppliers when they have a sale on. Mine is a 60A unit for a Kubota mini-digger and cost me about £20 in a local tractor dealer's spring sale. It was a few years ago now but would still be considerably cheaper than the usual sources.

Falken Sincera SN832 in 165/80/13 are available (Halfords fitting centres for example) and are very good tyres in both wet and dry. Probably the best all round tyres I've had on my Spitfire. https://www.halfords.com/tyres/falken/sincera-sn832-ecorun-sincerasn832ecorun.html

Yes, into the tail pipe of a Phoenix single pipe box. I held it in place by drilling a 5mm hole in the underside of the tail pipe and the insert and used a stainless socket headed bolt/nut with a shakeproof washer. I've also got a similar one in the exhaust of an Enfield Bullet 500 which has a straight-through Gold Star "silencer". I needed to do something after nearly causing a horse rider to be dismounted, even though I was about 100yds away and crawling along. The insert came from Hitchcocks Motorcycles and takes the harshness and volume off the bark of a big single without losing performance.

My Spitfire used to nudge the upper noise limit on scrutineering for night-time rallies at 96db. I fitted one of these https://furoreproducts.co.uk/exhaust-db-killer and it reduced to about 92db, which does not seem to be much, but is quite significant in terms of actual noise level. I didn't notice any tangible drop in performance.

165/80s on 5.5" Minilite-alikes do rub slightly on my Mk3 Spitfire front bulkhead on quick tight turns, but only just. Careful dressing with a padded mallet solves the problem but might not be your choice if you want a perfect looking car.