Mick Foster

Thanks for the advice. The flange was in excellent condition, no rust or marks at all. It all went back together easily. Only problem was I found a couple of failing exhaust hangers. They arrived today and I hope to have it back on the road tomorrow.

Thanks. It looks like a rubber seal but I will be oiling it up anyway before fitting.

Thanks for the suggestions. IT'S OUT. Brute force, ignorance, big hammers, long screwdrivers and lots of leverage finally did it. I am exhausted so reassembly can wait until tomorrow. I like te way that nice Mr haynes says just prise it out !!!!

I have a leaking oil seal on the diff pinion shaft on my 1500 spitfire so I thought I would change it. It all went well untill I tried to remove the old seal. The new seal seems to be an all rubber item where the old one has a metal casing. I have pretty much destroyed the front face of the old seal and pulled out some of it's rubber inners but the rest of it is stuck fast in the diff casing. I have limited access as I am working on axel stands and I don't want to get too brutal as I don't want to damage the seal mating parts of the casing. I have attached a photo showing the pinion shaft and the half destroyed old seal. How the hell do I get it out??? Any suggestions would be gratefully received (and yes I have tried a bigger hammer).

Thanks guys. The pipe I have came from reputable suppliers. I think some was from the club shop but a while ago and I am not sure if it is ok for E10. I did look at the shop website but could find it, maybe I will give them a ring. I did once buy some cheap Ebay pipe and it didn't last five minutes. Never again!

I have to replace the front diff oil seal on my Spitfire 1500 so I thought while I am underneath getting all grubby I would replace all the flexible fuel pipes at the same time (I have already done the engine compartment). The pipes are the factory originals so I think it's worth replacing them with an E10 resistant type. I have some Agoma SAE J30 R6 and also some unbranded (maybe Barricade) SAE 30R14T1 but not sure if these are OK for E10. Any ideas or do I need to get something else and if so what? Many thanks in anticipation of your collective wisdom.

I think it is the thread but I will have a closer look and see if I can determine which it is. If it is the braze then of course no end of tape is going fix it and I will have to live with an oily patch on the floor.

Thanks Nigel. I agree the thread is probably damaged but this must have happened before I bought the car in 1984. A new sump is probably the answer but it's a bit drastic for a minor niggle.

A very simple question. Can you use plumber's PTFE tape to seal the threads on a leaky engine sump plug? I just cannot seem to stop it dripping. I have tried a hex headed plug from Rimmers but it seems a bit sloppy in the thread and I worry that over tightening it will strip the threads. I have also tried a new square headed plug (traditional tapered thread type) but even with it really tight it still drips. It's not a big drip and is only a problem as it leaves a mess on the garage floor. If PTFE tape works then it will be an easy fix as I will be doing an oil change soon, I am just concerned that the tape is not oil resistant and will deteriorate leading to a bigger problem. BTW it's a Spitfire 1500. Many thanks.

Thanks to all for your help. I think I know what I need to be doing now. Unfortunately it won't be sorted this weekend as the wife has a long list of non-car related tasks ready for me.

Thanks John for your words of wisdom. I think I need to remove the gunk from backs of the pads, bleed the system again and them try your bedding in process.

No they are not the green pads. The pistons do move freely when the pads are removed. I know what you all mean about modern cars. My Merc C Class has great brakes but no feel. I replaced the pads and discs all round recently for its MOT. They were as spongy as hell for a while but still worked.

Thanks. Fitting a servo maybe the way to go in the future, especially to help out the wife.

I do appreciate the difference with modern brakes. We have had the Spitfire for 35 years and always had confidence in the brakes but at the moment that confidence is lacking. Whilst I can cope with it, the poor wife won't eat her shredded wheat and desperately needs to do a few squats first.

Thanks Doug The rear cylinders seem fine. Not sticking on the back plate and no leaks. Another bleed is a good idea. I will certainly consider Mintex pads if things don't improve.