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SixasStandard

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Everything posted by SixasStandard

  1. Thanks Paul. Before I do anything further I've zipped off an e-mail to the US company that I bought my high torque starter for the Alpine from ( I was living in Canada at the time). The Alpine is sufficiently far off from seeing the road for me to justify using that HT starter for the Vitesse. It looks very similar to the Powerlite, has the same 9 tooth pinion gear, and the same mounting dimensions. It could be the quickest and most convenient solution. Regards, Ian
  2. Hello Richard, Sorry it took some time to reply........I've been in the shed stripping down the Vitesse starter motor (it's not pretty!!). To be honest I'm never sure whether to say too much about the Alpine........I don't want the local TSSC chapter leaving any burning crosses on my lawn!! BUT.......seeing as you brought the subject up.........feast your eyes on these beauties!! All the best, Ian 'Dorian Gray' Marchant
  3. Thanks Paul, Do you happen to know what Powerlite model number it was? Ian
  4. Hello All, Yes that's right.......I am still alive!! I've not posted for a while, mainly due to being stuck in the attic for weeks installing flooring and creating a storage area for my various classic car parts. I finally got so fed up with the continual lack of storage at my gaff, that I went 'nuclear' in the loft. I now have so much storage that I could probably manage another classic, although that would probably prompt my permanent relocation up there if you get my drift. Anyway........flushed with the adrenaline rush of a decluttered garage I decided to move the Alpine in there in preparation for the inevitable 'weldathon' over the Winter, which meant temporarily moving the Vitesse. My plans came to a pretty abrupt end when I turned the key in the old girl only to be serenaded by a high pitched 'whirring' noise from the starter motor. After trying the 'Boys Own Book of Car Repair' option of tapping it with a hammer to free up the Bendix drive I got a similar result. Time to get the spanners and a fresh box of plasters out of the cupboard. What an absolute joy it is to spend an hour doing a job that should take ten minutes (tops) on most classics. Those nuts are a complete bugger to get to at the back. Long story short I now have the original starter off, but rather than stripping it down I'm thinking of just replacing it with either a remanufactured unit or a high torque jobby. I can pick up a remanufactured one for about 80 quid, whilst a high torque 'Wasp' unit from TRGB is 215 quid. Any thoughts on the best option? Regards, Ian
  5. Whether it's 'wick' or 'wade' one things for sure.......Capt. W.E. Johns would be spinning in his grave at the thought of such skulduggery..........poor show indeed old man. Ian (aka Ginger)
  6. Don't forget about air flow through the structure as well. So many people spend all their time focused on preventing water getting in without considering the need to promote the movement of air inside. If you're putting a pitched roof on it then consider vented soffits and a couple of roof vents, otherwise you'll end up with mold and subsequently rot. As far as the brick courses are concerned, if you use standard porous brick then at least lay some sill gasket membrane between them and the framing. Blue bricks would be the best option. Ian
  7. According to the advert 'why buy inferia models?'........I've personally never herd of the 'inferia' model.........sounds Italian!!
  8. Interestingly Colin, someone said to me at the start of the oil pressure gauge project that 'once that thing's fitted you'll be spending all of your time watching it'..........wise words so it appears!! Ian
  9. Hello Peter, The varying lengths of these PRV springs suggests to me that their free length reduces over time with the effects of heat degradation, effectively reducing the piston pressure from the original spec of 14.5lbs. I just can't imagine, even given the vagaries of BL quality control in period, that these springs would have varied that much in free length as a matter of course when new. Whatever the truth of it, and factoring in the unknown quantity of my oil gauge's accuracy........my engine's working oil pressure when hot has increased in the range of 5 to 10lbs over the previous readings, so I'm happy with that, and as previously mentioned seems to indicate that the PRV was operating a bit too early. I've fitted a Smiths oil pressure gauge that I had laying around the shed, so I suppose I shouldn't expect too much from it as far as accuracy is concerned........but the relative before and after readings do tell a credible story!! Ian
  10. Hello Clive, Remarkably I have a MASSIVE history file with my car, including all of the MOTs back to 1978, the original service book with all of the work undertaken up to 60k, and then all of the garage bills, receipts, etc. for any work since that time. One of the first things I did was to go through every piece of paper and file it by decade in two file folders. The first owner was Sir Kelvin Spencer, and as an engineer himself he had the car diligently maintained and was meticulous with his record keeping. The second owner had the car for 37 years, and like his predecessor kept all of the paperwork for any work conducted. The third owner only had the car for three years, wasn't mechanically inclined and used the car very sparingly. So as you can see there can't be many cars out there with such a complete history, and I now intend to carry on with this fastidious care and record keeping. The only time the engine has been apart according to the records was for a de-coke back in the 1970s. Having contacted the second owner he confirms that the engine was never apart in his ownership. Ian
  11. I share your reservations about the quality of many new parts Clive, it really is a lottery.........so in this case I'll be sticking with the current solution of the OE spring with the washer. I take your point regarding quality of the oil, and at the next oil change will be using Classic Oils - Heritage 20W50. I have to assume that my engine, with its high mileage, is in the 'well worn' category.......although saying that it isn't particularly noisy and doesn't burn oil. Bearing this in mind I think that the modest increase in oil pressure that I'm seeing at higher revs will be beneficial for my engine, and has made the exercise worthwhile. Ian
  12. I intend to appeal the decision.......I'm holding out for 'Plonker**' (at least I won't have to pay the 100 quid now). Ian
  13. Sorry Johny I didn't pick up your reply until after getting back from the garage (I've never had the bonnet up and down so many times in a single day!!). Anyway........interesting findings!! The spring definitely looks OE, but when measured with a vernier turned out to have a free length of 1.504" (38.2mm) rather than the OE spec 1.55" (39.37mm), so not sure whether that's due to an incorrect part.......or the aforementioned heat degradation. Anyway, whatever the truth of it the fact remains that the spring is too short. Interestingly the washer I've added is 1.6mm thick, so now theoretically giving me 39.8mm spring length, so only 0.43mm over spec!! Just goes to prove that it's worth the 5 minutes it takes to pop this litter sucker out and have a quick measure up if your engines running a bit low on pressure at higher revs. Anyway, all's well that ends well, and as I'm now happy with the hot oil pressure at 2000rpm I'll leave the washer in............sorry if that makes me a 'plonker' Pete!! Ian
  14. I'll take the spring out and measure it, which will indicate whether it's the right Triumph part, or else some random spring that has been fitted by a PO. Assuming that it is the correct part, then my previous comments still apply........i.e. that the spring can degrade over time, and that lower oil pressure at higher revs can be the result of a faulty PRV spring, not simply wear to the main moving components or cheap oil. As Pete has pointed out there is also the possibility of debris in the oil fouling the PRV piston, by which I'm assuming that he means metal fragments from the big end shells, so perhaps I'll fit a magnet to the oil sump plug next time I do an oil change, just to be on the safe side! Ian
  15. I can't help but wonder though if there's a case to be made that the PRV spring might degrade over time due to the temperatures that it is continually exposed to. Let's face it, with an engine like mine that has 114k miles on it (and never been apart) that spring has seen quite a bit of service, and might not be operating to OE spec. The most obvious diagnosis for low oil pressure is certainly going to be the 'usual suspects' already highlighted, but doesn't that relate more to the pressure at hot tick over rather than the pressure at the upper end of the rev range? At tick over the pressure should be about 25lbs to 30lbs shouldn't it? anything lower than 20lbs should be an indicator of something untoward, and the PRV spring won't be an issue at those pressures whatever its condition. But if the PRV spring isn't working to spec then that could result in a lower pressure than necessary at higher revs if the PRV is operating earlier than it should due to a weak spring. I've just nipped out to the garage and performed this mod as an experiment to see what would happen. It takes minutes to do, so why not?? Now, referring back to my thread earlier this week regarding oil filters and positioning of the spin off filter adaptor, that has provided me with some baseline figures to act as a comparison. With the previous (standard) set up I was getting 25lbs at hot tick over, and 50lbs at 2000rpm............after adding a single washer to the PRV I'm now still getting 25lbs at hot tick over, but the 2000rpm reading has increased to 60lbs. That says to me that the PRV spring isn't working to original spec, as Triumph's own figures specified up to 60lbs at 2000rpm hot, so if my engine's achieving that now when it wasn't before then it can only be the washer compensating for the reduction in spring rate. Let's also remember that the Triumph figures are based on a new engine, so surely with older engines like mine isn't a boost to the oil pressure at higher revs beneficial? as long as it doesn't take the level outside OE specs? Ian
  16. Hello all, Whilst doing my usual trawl of the internet for all things Triumph (and yes......before anyone says it..... I know I should get a life) I stumbled upon a page documenting a quick fix for low oil pressure on Triumph six cylinder engines, and just wanted to get the opinions of other Forum members. It is a very simple mod, and just involves unscrewing the 7/8" hex housing of the oil pressure relief valve, popping the unit out and adding a flat washer between the spring and the plunger on the centre spindle. This effectively increases the spring pressure on the plunger, and raises the oil pressure before the pressure relief valve kicks in. Any thoughts? Ian
  17. Thanks to Gary, Pete, Nigel and Richard for your responses. I've now adjusted my engine's tickover down to 750rpm (was 1K), and after running up to temperature the oil pressure was showing an indicated 25lbs at tickover, and 50lbs at 2000 rpm. Based on my car's current mileage of 114k I think the oil pressure shows that there's life in the old girl yet!! Ian
  18. Hello All, I've just fitted an oil pressure gauge (mechanical type) to my '68 Vitesse Mk1 2 litre, and during the process discovered a few issues with the spin off filter conversion that had been added by a previous owner. They had fitted the unit such that the oil filter pointed upwards at about 45 degrees, presumably to facilitate easier filter changes. Anyway, that was soon sorted.......with the unit now oriented downwards towards the chassis rail, giving the sort of horrendously difficult access that is more fitting for a British cars of this period. With that job accomplished I took a little more notice of the oil filter that had been fitted (of which I have another couple of spares that came with the car), and just wanted to check with other Triumph owners to see if they are familiar with the brand and have any feedback on their suitability. The filter is made by TJ, model# QFL0099............and is usefully short in length at only 75mm. I've looked on the interwebby, and these filters are listed as suitable for a pretty wide range of vehicles, including Ford, Jeep, Volvo, Alfa Romeo etc etc........with engine sizes ranging from 1 litre to over 3 litre V6 24V units. The filter is listed as having both a pressure limiter and a non-return valve. So my questions are.........does anyone else out there have a similar filter fitted to their car? is the concensus that this filter is suitable for a Vitesse 2 litre engine? and what oil pressures should I be seeing on my car at tick over and 3000rpm hot and cold? Thanks for any help/advice. Ian
  19. Colin, my gearbox cover may look flimsy in the photograph, but take my word for it........it really isn't!! As a plastic product it is also more flexible than fibreglass, making it easier to get a good fit when screwed down. I lined mine with Dodo Dead Mat, and would recommend using this or a comparable product like Silent Coat. Ian
  20. The Lincolnshire Group spent a very enjoyable day last Saturday with a group drive to the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby organized by the Lincs AO Dave Samways. We met up at the Winthorpe Shell Service Station at 9am and departed on the pre-planned route at 09:30, after 7 cars had assembled. At this point a creditable mention should be made regarding 'Dave' (sorry, didn't get his last name) who had driven all the way down from Leeds to take part in the event in his Herald 13/60 convertible. All the cars at this stage were either Vitesses or Heralds of various decriptions, including Dave's very nicely turned out and rare Vitesse Estate. The route took us on a mixture of fast 'A' roads and quiet country 'B' roads, including one rather isolated stretch that would stuggle to qualify for any classification at all if truth be told!! Fortunately my lowered suspension and twin sports exhaust didn't conspire to leave any Triumph components on this stretch of rural Lincolnshire!! The route took us past some very historic parts of Lincolnshire's aviation heritage, including RAF College Cranwell, RAF Digby, RAF Conningsby and the BBMF, before ending at the former RAF East Kirkby, now home to the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre, and their Avro Lancaster NX611 'Just Jane' and De Havilland Mosquito HJ711. AO Dave had pre-arranged with the Museum for our cars to be parked on the hard standing in front of the main hanger within the Museum grounds, so an ideal location for those visiting the museum to also view our cars. The cars generated a lot of interest, and several owners took the time to discuss their cars and answer questions from the public. After lunch a further two Triumphs joined the group, a Spitfire and a TR6, both of which were immaculately turned out, bringing the final tally of vehicles to 9 for the day. The weather was hot and sunny throughout, so everything combined very nicely to make the trip a memorable and enjoyable one. For those who have yet to visit the museum, it is definitely worth the effort, with various displays housed in the wartime buildings still on the site, including recreations of a typical WW2 Briefing Room, Nissen Hut Billet, WW2 POW escape displays and more, not forgetting the Station's former Control Tower. https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwj-k9G8r5DrAhVBtO0KHR6dCBoYABAAGgJkZw&ae=2&ohost=www.google.co.uk&cid=CAASEuRom50mZ3f6VuZEXZty_7v3BA&sig=AOD64_2zolDApMD2QCk-XtUiBoHdYgL1Ig&q&adurl&ved=2ahUKEwihjsu8r5DrAhVlqHEKHbgdBXUQ0Qx6BAgbEAE In the main hanger housing both the Lancaster and Mosquito there are numerous side displays of the excavated remains of WW2 crashes from the area, as well as examples of some of the large ordnance bombs carried by Lancasters during WW2, and video film shows from the period. The Lancaster has already been restored to Taxiing condition as part of a longer term effort to return her to flying condition. Taxi runs are held on a regular basis, so to view these you need to refer to the museum's website to check dates. It is possible to book places in the Lancaster during these taxi runs, but would have to be booked direct with the Museum and well in advance, as they are very popular. The Mosquito has also been returned to taxiing condition, and various packages are available for those interested to get closer access and even to take part in a taxi run. All in all it was a great day out for all concerned, so many thanks to organizer Dave Samways for putting it together. Ian
  21. SixasStandard

    Mot

    My car passed its first MOT in my ownership on Monday of this week, with no advisories, and plenty of praise regarding the car's condition from the examiner. The Vitesse saloon is such a handsome car, and I'm very happy to own one. Ian
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