chrishawley
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Posts posted by chrishawley
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Probably new screen, if poss.
Micky mouse products (i.e virtually anything on amanzon/ebay) are pointless. A serious product like 3M glass polish can revive 'tired' glass but at £40 per litre plus more ££s for pads/arbors etc it's not a cheap option. Also slow, tedious and messy work.
I've managed to improve the appearance of some otherwise irrepplaceable glass using 3M. But if scratches are 'finger nail depth' it's a lost cause. It's possible to soften the edges of such scratches but full removal is not to be expected.
I've not had it happen but: the glass gets VERY hot when polishing and fracture is a possibility.
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Just wondering if you've made any progress with your problems? Given you've gone from occassional misfire to (presumably) permanent non-fire on one cylinder an inference would be that one plug was 'on the edge' already and any other minor factor has taken it over (or under?) the edge. Given that #2 already has unsolved issues that does seem a likely candidate.
For myself, as a diagnostic, I'd replace all four plugs with brand new ones before pursuing other matters. Either a favourable or unfavourable result will indicate whether the plugs, per se, are the diagnosis.
If plug #2 is fouling, going one grade hotter on the plugs would be possible, at least temporarily, while sorting things out. That would be Champion N12Y or NGK BP5ES as per Spitfire 1500.
As an aside; worth a check that any replacement HT leads/distributor cap make a firm connection. On mine (repro items) they were loose enough ot jump out of their own accord and needed a fix.
Hope you're making progress.
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Another position to explore for the hazard relay is one the engine bay side of the bulkhead. Just behind where the positive terminal of the battery is, there will be two or three relays mounted on little brackets (flasher relay, horn relay and, if fitted, overdrive relay).
Perhaps the single most common cause of non-hazard flashing is simply detachment of (one or more) of the spade connectors on the back of the hazard switch itself. But if attending to the switch; extract it very carefully and make copius notes of the terminal positions of the wires. It can be very tedious having to them out afresh.
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The chrome always flaked of nuts which is why the later ones had the little 'v's cut into the edges to try and restrain that tendency - didn't work.
Hence stainless.
Rimmers, Canley and Moss all have photos of the nuts which have the right shape. But given the prevalence of hopeless imitations I'd be most particular that what is sold is actually what is pictured.
The nuts are , in essence, just hex bar that's been turned down. Although the dome is polished, the faces never have been, from any supplier. It's down to the owner to polish the faces which is a slow and tedious business. Took me two days to do my set, even once I worked out a good method that didn't take the sharpness of the edges of the hex.
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Might one add valve spring compressor?
Not sure it counts as 'special tool' but possibly weighing scales with a fine resolution (<1g) if you're particular about weighing the pistons and con rods and pairing them up by weight.
Are the valve guides being removed/replaced? If so, worth considering what might be required in that respect (opinions vary, so I'll duck the specifics on that one).
Materials, if not already to hand: Gasket maker (e.g Wynn's, V.Reinz) 200ml should do it: Copperslip for where it is appropriate (and not where it isn't!).
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Very much to your credit to change the tyres on the basis of age. I very nearly came a cropper in that respect ; running around on 2008 tyres which 'looked fine' untill I removed them to paint the wheels. On removal it was evident how frail they were. And deformed as well.
So before getting deeply involved in steering geometry it might be worth just seeing how the vehicle feels when freshly shod.
As for spoilers: I don't know of any firm evidence about these. But when introduced (on mid-run Mk4 Spit) it was the opinion at the time that they were significantly beneficial handling-wise. If yours is a late, non-roto, GT6 then by rights it would have had the spoiler in any case. So liitle to lose by giving a spoiler a go.
I had a hard time sorting out the 'twitchiness' on my GT6 (roto) after rebuild. Long story and more than one factor was involved; incorrect anti-roll bar, worn steering UJ, loose steering column, excessive tyre pressures and severely incorrect (too little) caster on left front suspension. Thus handling issues may not just be about adjusting things but assessing all components of the steering/suspension for wear or deterioration.
If the vehicle doesn't feel right at speed then there is the potential influence of modified spring rate and shock stiffness. And whether stiffer is actually better or not for the particular requirements.
A Hands Off test can be informative. On a straight, even, clear road lift hands (just) off the steering wheel at a modest speed (e.g. 50 mph). Vehicle should 'hold it's own line' without wandering or deviating for a good distance (e.g half a mile). If immediate correction is need then something needs attention.
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Spit 1500, late, with viscous coupling for fan.
Time to replace the VC.
But prices for the orignial UKC3532 unit seem a bit on the high side from 'big' suppliers. Would anyone happen to know whether there are any substitutions from other vehicles which are a direct fit and possibly cheaper?
Possibly not, but worth an ask!
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13 hours ago, BestyA said:
(I assume you have a standard steering wheel?
Yup. The seven inches is with the stangard GT6 steering wheel.
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If your vehicle is pre100k then this wiring diagram might be the most helpful with the key to most of the symbols. This is for Spit 1500 before the 100k change point.
These are from Haynes. Just to complicate matters the Hayne's diagrams don't corresspond in all respects to the diagrams in the Repair Operations Manual. The actual operational differences are few but the presentation (and numbering) is different.
All Spits had three fuses, from Mk1 to Mk5, and they are all on the diagrams, but not grouped together. If PO has replaced the standard fuse box with a bespoke setup I can imagine a bit of detective work might be required to elucidate what has been connected to what.
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Had a measure on y GT6 today. The 'leg space' between the steering wheel and the seat base is a vertical of about 7 inches.
The 'finger gap' as per your photo was about a half inch.
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If you just undo the locked grub screw that fixes the the upper mast to the lower mast and hoik one has to be careful what effect that will have on the column lock, the self cancelling for the indicators and the horn push. To get the movement it might be preferable to move the outer shroud in harmony with the mast although that admittedly involves a little spannering (lower column bracket (setscrews) and upper bracket (allen key).
Where you've got your finger in the photo is generous, but not markedly excessive. There's no potential for vertical adjustment of the column. But it would be worth checking that the torque tubes supporting the upper bracket are assembled in the correct relationahip (i.e two halves of the clamps are above the tubes). Unlikely to be incorrect, though, becuase fitting it wrong is very difficult to achieve.
My legs are hardly elf-like but are a comfortable fit between the steering wheel and seat base so 4 1/2 inches is too little.
Possibly some consideration could be give to the seat base itself. Is the rear of the base positively located into the three jaws on the seat frame at the back? If not, the base tends to slide forward and ride up at the front. Similarly are the two metal tabs on the front of the seat based nicely clicked over the front of the frame? If bent/absent cable ties might be required. The not-a-good-situation-at-all is Fat Foam Syndrome. i.e When it comes to replacement foams they are not all equal or correct - some are just too fat and stiff and give a 'cramped' overall fitting.
If you need measurement or photos I could take them off my GT6 but that would be Tuesday when I'm back at work.
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Just to clarify: That would be a Spitfire 1500? With unmoded HS4s? On conventional points or electronic?
Can the issue be reproduced with the vehicle static, or is it only evident in the driving condition?
Tricky problem so I'll hold back on any opinion until I'm sure which vehicle I'd be opining about. But, only vaugely relevant, I did have a non-Triumph with the 'dying-on-overrun' problem which after much investiigation was tracked down to points scatter. Distributor and distributor drive had advanced wear and on a strobe the timing was dancing around all over the place. The scatter was evident at all rpm but most pronounced on decelaration of the engine.
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My weekly sliced ham from Tescos is also always packed by 'Carol' - can make plug leads AND pack ham. What a girl!
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Things I have had myself leading to roughly those sorts of symptoms are:
• Erroneous gap on one spark plug
• Failing points/condensor
• Splits (often inconspicuous) in breather pipes or not connected
• Incorrect operation of cold start mechanism causing jet not to return to its warm running position (SUs)
• Failing electronic ignition unit.
• Crack in distributor cap
• No oil in dashpots
Hardly a comprehensive list of all possibilities but ones of which I've had the experience.
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There's seized and there's SEIZED ; so a lot depends on particular circumstances. But in general it's the outer quarter of an inch of the piston which is the problem on account of the hard chrome breaking down under corrosion. Once a piston can be persuaded past this corroded rim the rest of the movement is usually relatively free.
Worth immersing calipers in diesel for a few days if poss; improves the chances a bit.
If one or more pistons won't budge with air pressure or hydraulic pressure (as above) then other methods are needed. Options might include:
• On some calipers there's enough space around the body to get mole grips on the piston and rotate the piston in the bore to and fro. Once it's moving, a combination of rotating and prising will release the piston
• Avoid any method which involves hammering anything - a stuck piston gets more so if it's clobbered out of round.
• Since forever it's been standard to say that calipers shouldn't be split into their two halves. But this can be done and will make the piston readily accesible to mole grips/Stilsons etc. But halves musn't be mixed up and it's crucial to replace the o-ring between between them.
• For the most intractable cases (esp where the unit is rare or expensive) my own method is to weld 1/2 mild steel box section across the piston. Through this a long 10mm bar can be inserted providing all options of levering/rotating. Damages the piston, of course, but if it's that stuck it's probably going to have to be replaced anyway. TIG better than MIG for this sort of welding.
Sometimes exchange/recon is the more cost effective way to go if units cheap/readily available.
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14 hours ago, alan.gilbert_6384 said:
Hmmm. Caveat emptor, maybe. Pages and pages of conspicuously fake reviews. Possibly worth considering a branded product with at least some provenance e.g Sealey AK506. which might only be a few bob more.
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A number of thoughts, as briefly as possible.
• Wire wheels: Ok, but with caution. A lot depends of power of the angle grinder and diameter of the disc. Small wheel on a low powered grinder generally does no harm but a large wheel on, say, a 800w tool can score up, or even go through, delicate metal unwittingly. The optimal tool for large, mostly flat, panel areas is the Dual Action (DA) sander with 80 grit discs for paint removal/first prep.
• Paint stripper: Ebay has some Strip Away Pro at £46. This shoudn't really be for sale direct to consumer since it contains dicholromethane which was put under restrictions a few year back. But it works like a 'proper' paint stripper should. Toxic though, and due precautions are required in its use.
• Base coating: 'Red oxide' itself (i.e the lead containing stuff) was banned years ago. So many other options that it's hard to say what's best objectively. But (assuming truly clean metal) etch primer would never be wrong, followed by 2-pack primer filler. For myself I often use Bondaprimer as base if any residual corrosion is suspected. Very good corrosion control but at the expense of slight less good adhesion where 2k primer is concerned.
BUT... paint shops can sometimes be very picky about what they are prepared to spray on to and will insist on using materials from one manufacturers paint system only. I think some paint shops might regard QAD as an 'unknown' an insist on stripping it off. Alternatively a ratlle can etch like ProXL would be regarded as a common standard which would be unlikely to raise any objections.
• A vehicle that's going to be standing for a long while can be a difficult matter due to picking up water and contaminants over time. For myself I'd brush coat (slather) with Bondaprimer (QAD may be equivalent) and then bright strip the panels immediately before refinishing starts in earnest.
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On 23/02/2022 at 10:59, clive said:
manifold to downpipe gaskets blowing
I was bedevilled with exhaust manifold gasket failure on my Spitfire 1500 until I twigged that the missing piece was the bracket that stabilises the exhaust to one of the lower studs on the gearbox. Since I fiited one no further problems. If yours have gone awol then see
for what it should be like.
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Josef, just to pick up on that: I've never been too sure about the authentic method of attaching the lower lip of the inner sill to the floor pan.
Would I be right to surmise from what you say that the order of factory assembly must have been, 1) floor in situ first, 2) then inner sill welded to the floor lip, 3) then stiffener 4) then outer sill.
Can't see what other way one would 'get inside' to join the floor the inner sill and doesn't seem likely that Triumph/BL would have used plug welds from underneath.
Hmmm?
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Just to clarify, which type of finisher is under consideration? The 'red' is GT6 mk3/spit Mk4, the 'white' is GT6Mk2/Spit3. The later 'full width' type was stainless steel up to 1974 then plastichome thereafter.
The 'full width' type was designed by Satan. It can only be fitted with the screen out of the car, particularly because at the corners the shapes of the rubber has to follow the trim rather than the trim following the rubber.
I had three goes at this resulting in 1 x knackered rubber and 1 x cracked screen. Eventually capitulated and got professional help - but even that wasn't good: First company didn't know how to do it, second thought they could do it and couldn't, but third firm has loads of experience with classics and sorted it in half a day. That was Andy at AllClear screens of Biggleswade, but not much help for Scotland.
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Let's just assume for a moment that the £££s recon carbs are 100% tickety boo. Assuming so, then pretty much the only cause of float chamber flooding would be excessive fuel (pressure) deilivery. I've not experienced this myself but I've heard that repro mechanical pumps may deliver excessive pressure above the 1.5 - 2.5 psi required. And that the simple expedient of putting a couple of extra gaskets between the pump and the cylinder block reduces the action of the pump lever and resolves things.
If you want to measure pressure directly then that means using an in-line gauge. Demon Tweeks do a kit of the gauge and connecting pieces. Won't go into detail as it's pretty self explanatory (see website).
But the biggie for float chamber flooding is detritus, not least rubber bits, getting on the back of the needle valve, leaving them always-open. I've been caught out on this with repeated blocking of the valves despite assidusous attention when refitting the rubber interconnections. Ultimatley tracked down to 50 years detritus in the U-shaped pipe between the carbs. Absolutely full of crud; pieces of which were intermittently being washed off and getting on the back of the valves.
Now, even if the carbs have been rebuilt, professionally or otherwise, there's a couple of way the needle valves can leak. Firstly, I've had needle valves fresh out of the packet that didn't close properly. So 'new' is not a 100% guarantee of 'right'. Secondly there's the crucial little alloy washer under the head of the needle valve that makes the seal to the body of the carb. Ideally they should always be new but old ones can be reused subject to flatting with wet'n'dry to remove any burrs and annealing to be soft and comformable again. And tightened up well.
That doesn't cover everything but I hope it gives an idea about some common scenarios. But just to add that I've learnt to use two in line fuel filters (the see through paper type). One right below the fuel tank but also one just before the carbs. When sorting carb problems the latter is very handy as it allows direct inspection of what the fuel flow is (or isn't) doing.
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Might I invite a moment of reassessment?
Can't be 100% sure from the photos but I get an impression that you may have been supplied with a right-side sill end closing panel for the left hand side on which you are currently working. Photo below is of a left one; distinctive in that the lip is forward and the fold is convex to the rear of the vehicle.
Not 100% sure, but definitely check before proceeding. If it's a transposition then joining in the scuttle will be challenging to say the least.
It's really hard to describe in words how the sill end closer joins up - but worth a look at the parts book which indicates how the scuttle panel (809740) has joddled edges to accept the sill closing panel. That joddled, or swaged edge, readily becomes absent due to corrosion.
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I've succesfully done a few of these; but also mullered a couple of units as well in the process.
Suggestions? 1) Check that the material supplied is the best sort for the job. i.e. it should be a highly conformable foam type section not solid. 2) Check reverse of bezel is scrupulously clean and smooth, 3) trim length of cord to be just a tad shorter than the circumference so the cord has space to compress into, 4) Cord can be skinnied by cutting a bit off and then stretching back to length, 5) Trial fit bezel and glass to body without cord and and rotate back and forth to identify any burrs or deformations and lastly 6) lubricate cord and edges (sparingly), red rubber grease ideal if to hand but anything really.
Maybe one of those would help your situation?
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As per photo (ok, that's a spit but same principle)
I'd add a caution: which is to ensure that the nyloc nut is fully removed before jumping the taper out. An annoying situation to be in is to partially undo the nyloc, then jump the taper and then find that the the nyloc is seized on the lower, rusty, portion of the threads. Removal can then become quite destructive.
Wagger beat me to it on the refiiting tip of using a nice clean, loose running, plain nut to draw/lock the taper together. Then nyloc and not forgetting washer.
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New shock absorbers for rear of Vitesse Mk2 2L with chassis mounted extension brackets and rotoflex
in Chassis, Suspension & Steering
Posted
I'm not totally 100% sure of this but: If it's the standard chassis bracket adapters you have then that's a common fitment to the GT6 Mk3 roto. And that in turn has a standard shock that is common fitment to Spitfire. And that is commonly listed as GDA4011; generic versions are available around £40 pair.
A smaller supplier like Quiller Triumph may be more helpful than the big names (Rimmers, Moss) in sorting out what's right. Tel: 01825 873551 Email: quillertriumph@gmail.com
I've got 'generics' on the back of my GT6 and they're fine for day-to-day driving conditions.