Nigel Clark

Thanks Andy, very useful. My TR6 great lever has always rattled in the indirect gears. Will try this idea next time I need to get the gearbox cover off. Nigel

Modern rubber components often leave much to be desired, not all but many. I would fit poly bushes from a reputable supplier (not cheapies found online). Superflex are good and they are black, so look similar to original. Nigel

Cold air only from all four eyeball vents in my Mk3. Hot air from screen vents and heater box above the gearbox. Nigel

I use Gaz on my GT6 and reckon they are as good as any, having tried others. The harder settings for Gaz are probably suitable for track use but certainly not comfortable on the road. I can't offer any advice on the broken adjusters. But if you replace with new adjustables, spraying motorcycle chain grease aerosol on the adjusters every time you service the car will keep them free. Nigel

In your position, I would choose the big saloon or estate, 2.5 litre for preference but condition is most important, and if a cracking 2000 turned up for sale, it would be well worth considering. These cars are smooth comfortable and fairly spacious, much better than a Vitesse for back seat passengers. Nigel

I thought there should be a thick cardboard tongue-shape in the bottom of the basket to prevent the foam from bulging down through the wires of the basket. I've recently got a full kit of covers and foam from Newton Commercial. This kit includes the cardboard tongues. Like you, I'm plucking up the courage to get started. Should be a good job to pass the time in lockdown! Nigel

That's the correct formula for phosphoric acid... The main constituent of Jenolite. It is very effective in dissolving rust, and passivating iron and steel surfaces. Nigel

The 6 pot motors build up an awful amount of sediment/scale/cr@p around cylinders 5 and 6, due to poor coolant flow at the back of the engine, when the pump is at the front. In my experience, the only way to clear it properly is to poke out the crud with a sharp implement once the head removed, down through the coolant passages and through the drain plug at the back of the block. Small screwdrivers and coat hanger wire will get the job done. Needs a lot of flushing too but chemical flushes won't touch this stuff, it has to be poked out. Nigel

That's what I meant, it's the correct way to set up the rear brakes, though how many of us actually disconnect the handbrake to adjust the shoes... The other point I was trying to make is that swing axle Triumphs, suspension movement does affect the handbrake cable, so the cable must be adjusted with the rear suspension loaded. And the only reason I was adjusting the handbrake cable was that some PO had got it wrong, then it seized, so I had to replace the cable and start again from scratch. Nigel

Thank you Marcus. I'm going to try EP85W140 in the Salisbury axle of my Scimitar first. That rattles a bit when hot - planet gear end float perhaps. If that's good, I will put it in the Triumphs. Nigel

I'm reviving this week-old thread as I've just finished a rear brake overhaul on my Spitfire Mk3, with new wheel cylinders, new shoes, new rear handbrake cable and return springs. This morning I've just had a legitimate opportunity to go for a test drive, shopping for essentials. After reassembling the rear brakes, based on what's been said here, I used the following procedure: 1. Tighten brake adjusters fully. 2. Bleed brakes. 3. Adjust brakes so the drums turn without binding. 4. Lower the back of the car onto axle stands placed under the vertical links, to load the rear suspension. 5. Fit and adjust handbrake cable. It's all worked a treat. There's no trace of binding from the rear brakes, the brake pedal is firm and stops the car as well as it should, while the handbrake lever comes up 4-5 clicks, easily holding the car on a hill. I did notice after finishing the assembly and adjustment, with the suspension at full droop, the handbrake cable is starting to tighten slightly and there's a trace of binding when turning the drums by hand. I would definitely recommend adjusting the rear brake shoes first, then connect and adjust the handbrake with the suspension under load. Nigel

And does the knocking disappear if you run the engine briefly with the rocker cover removed? Nigel

Ha! Steve just beat me, I was about to ask what rocker cover you have. Nigel

Yep, we could be over-thinking this! Nigel

I would expect mono-grade oil to work fine in dashpots. It won't get as got in the carbs as the engine oil does, so won't thin very much. You could argue that mono-grade will work better. When cold and thick it will damp the piston more effectively, giving extra acceleration enrichment. As the engine and carbs warm up, thinner dashpot oil will give less enrichment. So kind of self compensating. 20W50 is too thick for dashpots at any temperature. Nigel

Mazda MX-5 seats are a popular conversion for Spitfires and TRs, and they are easy enough to fit. Not hard to find them second hand either. However, they do raise the seating position, so not suitable if you're tall. Alternatively, there are always plenty of classic style bucket seats on eBay, like these: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Corbeau-Classic-Fixed-Bucket-Seat-Historic-Period-Racing-Standard-Size/113525506072?hash=item1a6ea5c018:g:eJgAAOSwKSlcMNSm Nigel

That looks like a top job, well done! Covering in leather or soft vinyl is a very satisfying job, when you see before and after. Nigel

I change the gearbox and diff oil every couple of years, using Millers EP80W90 GL4. Using EP140 in the diff sounds interesting. But I would expect the higher viscosity would be a problem in overdrive gearboxes and could make the overdrive slower/reluctant to engage. Nigel

Yeah, that's another high blood pressure moment! Nigel

Same here, but the anxiety peaks for me when first turning the key on a new engine. We only do it for the adrenaline rush! Nigel

It lives! Well done. Nigel

Good advice, as soon as we're able to start meeting again. There are quite a few 2.5 litre Vitesses in the club. Before committing to a V8 conversion, I would recommend you find a friendly owner who will give you a ride in one, or better still let you drive. The straight six is smooth, has a great sound - though certainly not quite the full-fat V8 soundtrack - and the 2.5 litre has a lot of torque. Nigel

Iain, I would be really interested to see what has been done on the carb side. Cylinders 2 and 5 don't get fed as well as the others. I've been working at the manifold on my 2.5 litre GT6 to reduce this problem but think I may need to go further to reduce the 'gates' that mask 2 and 5. Nigel

Aaah.. it's now obvious from the picture that we're talking about a late Spitfire, I thought from the title it was probably an earlier car. Nick's advice above applies for your later car. Nigel

Welcome Louis! No problem from me if you want to modify the car but as Pete points out, you will need to spend a lot of money uprating brakes, suspension and transmission to handle the extra power you're considering. And that cost is unlikely to be reflected in the final market value, should you wish to sell the Vitesse later. Personally, if I wanted to get more out of the Vitesse 6, I would either stick with the original format and tune it slightly, though of course the performance wouldn't be anywhere near a big V8 conversion. Or for a bit more go, consider a Triumph 2.5 litre saloon engine, easily tuned to give a torquey 130 bhp and easy to fit, or a bit more power with TR6 spec and Lucas PI. Brakes would need improving but the parts from a 2 litre Vitesse or GT6 can cope. You would also need a better gearbox, diff and driveshafts, all available from various Triumphs and therefore relatively simple to fit. Naturally I'm biased, having put a 2.5 litre engine in my GT6 last year! You may have seen it in Practical Classics. By all means go for whatever floats your boat, you will be able to ask questions and get friendly advice here. Nigel