Neil Clark

Try the TSSC direct, the Vintage Triumph Register (yes they do Heralds), Triumph Herald facebook group and other clubs.

Stephen I'm much the same. In order of preference for help, this forum, sitting alongside the Moss catalogue for exploded drawings, the workshop manual, Haynes and finally and way way out last the Spitfire restoration manual! Best of luck and photos as you go - please.

Looks brilliant Josef

Plus I got to watch the whole process, start to finish and a decent cup of tea. I've a thing about tidy workshops like this where it's calm, tools are put back in their place and parts are racked carefully. A pleasurable visit and I learned a lot.

Took the propshaft to Propshaft Services in Feltham. On their balancer, one end was so far out it would have needed big truck weights to correct. The UJ's were OK but by no means new. They offered to make a new one for £140.00 plus VAT, on the spot. Knowing that they make a lot for serious stuff like big Thames Water pumps and for racing and drift cars I asked how long it would take. "2 hours". It was 2 hours 10 minutes including painting!

I met the K&N people at a trade show and their logic of air flow improvement is good but they themselves said that the real benefit only comes if all else is adjusted to suit, perhaps needles etc etc. On the MG forum the consensus seems to be that unless outright performance is needed, the cost isn't really worth it and a rolling road session with someone who knows what they are doing is apparently a better use of funds initially. On my MGB I've stuck with the original air filters since the car runs fine.

Living in Manchester 50 years ago on the Mini's it used to be full choke to get started then in a bit as soon as the engine would run on a little throttle and gradually push it in until it didn't stall. Growing up in Glasgow in the 50's my Dad would wait until the temp gauge on his A70 moved a touch to be sure the oil etc was warmed up before driving off, he said it was to reduce wear but I've no idea if that is an old wives tale or not.

The pin had been working it's way out and being squeezed back in with finger pressure by me ever since I got the car three years ago, then the metal attaching to the boot lid portion just sheared one morning. When I lifted the lid to get at the bolts I didn't realise that the boot deck nut, which is hard to see, is 1/2" while the others to the lid are 7/16". As I struggled to hold it open and get a 7/16 socket on it I twisted the lid slightly and the other one went, in the same place. Perhaps that's why they sell them in pairs!

Thanks Pete. I'll change them tomorrow. Spent this afternoon replacing a boot hinge that had sheared. And the other one promptly sheared too.

When I got the car which was a non-runner the plates (133875) were set on top of the chassis, with the angled parts facing inwards and downwards and pushed out to butt up to the chassis. So I re-assembled them like that. I then spent ages trying to get the steering right (and ££££) and it's better but the U clamps themselves are not close enough to the edge and the rack can still move too much left and right when the wheel is turned. I was at Moss the other day and when they came out for a look at the car I mentioned this problem and think I gathered that these plates should be sitting underneath the chassis, not lying on the chassis. Neither Moss (133875 Plate Reinforcing) nor Canley (133875 Steering Rack Clamp Plate) show them actually fitted to the chassis. The anomaly is that looking at the Moss catalogue the plates face inwards and downwards, (as I have mine) yet looking at the Canley website Parts diagram they are in exactly opposite orientation, with the angled part on the outer side and pointing upwards. Which orientation and placement is right?

Thank you all - very logical.

Canley tell me that all the later factory Spits used splined prop shafts and that's the only one they offer now. But other suppliers offer ones that look solid on their drawings. I understand about the UJ quality variation between cheap and GKN etc. But what technical reason is / was there for splined versus solid (if any)?

Will do Colin

Yes, I'm in touch with them, they're the nearest to me and can balance and repair. £66 to balance plus VAT plus any repairs if needed. I remember now that they made the one-off prop for my kit car years ago, great service. I'll have the prop out next week and take it from there. Had a reply from Canley:- From the factory the slider was towards the diff end. It's usually a worn slider, and or worn U/J's that give vibration. New props come with a slider. New props are complete with flanges,and ne U/J's new prop; https://www.canleyclassics.com/?canvas=home&ptno=210508 If you have a round flange on the diff pinion, and 3/8" bolts on the flange that end then mention that when ordering as that's none standard.

Canley has this section on propshafts in their technical archive "I've got this sort of vibration that comes in at 55mph..." I've sent them the photo and asked advice.

I'll need to get it up in the air to look at that.

Love it! My diff is the later swing axle type and the prop splined end fits as shown. Any observations on balancing or a replacement etc please?

Knowing my cack handedness mine would leak Pete! Prop shaft I would be happy to change myself, far less keen to strip the front of the engine myself.

Plus two for Canley and also a plus for this video which made it a breeze How to Rebuild Triumph Spitfire & GT6 Shift Linkage - YouTube

Yes, done that. Thought it was correct when i did it because it just slotted in! The engine doesn't vibrate when I look at it stationary and rev it. But I'm getting a vibration setting in above 40-45mph and wonder if the plate bend is contributing to a strain through the drive train? The immediate wear on brand new engine mounts makes me suspicious. The gearbox mounts are new but I remember when fitting them in the new chassis that they didn't just slot in quite as easily. Perhaps the front plate bend has made the gearbox tail be offset a tiny amount?

At some point in its history the right side "wing" of the engine front plate has been bent rearwards. Perhaps during the crash. I did not realise that it was wrong but the new right side engine mount is already showing signs of strain. No leaks anywhere. Can it be straightened in place, perhaps with some heat and a thump? Or must the engine come out? Thanks

M'excuse, mais mon Francais est affreux. (J'ai habite la Belge mais il y a 50 ans). Si vous avez accès au Google Translate et pouvez insérer les traductions automatisee Francais / Anglais de vos questions et vos messages en copie, le support technique ici est incroyable.

The hood I inherited with the car was scrunched up in the boot on arrival. The fit didn't matter until now as it was parked up or always below 30 in town but yesterday on the A3 it started to escape at the windscreen rail. I found that the metal strip inside the leading edge is buckled and twisted in the plastic covering so it was not engaging properly. With a lot of bending and twisting I got the leading edge to engage last night and the bar at the back engaged correctly in the boot deck slots etc. But it's not neat at the front, very taut overall and pushing the spring loaded hood frame down as far as the locking tabs, so I've lost a couple of inches of headroom. Do I just leave it to gradually stretch itself?

Turned out that the guy who made the assertion about the Vitesse gearbox and said that the prop shaft was the wrong way was a day hire at the garage to help their workload, said he was a retired employee of one of the long established restorers. I won't let him near the car again! The full time people at the garage have tuned it and it drives well so far. I'm just going to enjoy it for a while but thank you all for taking the time to talk me through it.

Pete, there are no numbers on my casing in the area indicated on the top face, either side, such as arrowed in Rob's photo from last Wednesday.