Stratton Jimmer

If you mean a coil spring compressor, I have one here in Swindon which effectively belongs to the North Wilts branch of TSSC. It was donated and I am its current custodian.

I have posted on this subject before: Mk3 GT6 bonnet damaged by and the damage to the rocker box cover. Middle photo= the solution.

All done now. The pipe from Canley arrived quite quickly. I then discovered that my smallest bender was for 1/4 inch pipe. AB tools got a 3/16 die to me in a day and a half. Pipe duly bent, fitted and system bled. I used the cling film method and only needed to bleed the offside front. I did check the other three but all were clear. The old pipe had two unnecessary bends in it. Thanks for the advice chaps.

A few of us from the North Wiltshire group will be exhibiting our cars over this weekend at the Railway's "Families Weekend". The event takes place at Blunsdon station and details can be found by googling the railway. I should have both the Sixfire and the GT6 there.

Welcome to this place Dom. I have a mk3 GT6 and a Sixfire - Spit 1500 with a GT6 engine. Hybrids like this offer a whole new range of problems for their owners particularly when the conversion was done by a PO. Best of luck with your restoration.

The single strut has been working really well so I have decided to stick with it. The struts as fitted were Metrol Springs NS-FF-8-300 rated at 360 Newtons. I looked on their web site and they don't actually list a 360N one but do list a 350N. The part number indicates that it is an 8mm rod with 30cm travel. https://motioncontrol.metrol.com/fixed-force-gas-strut-ns-ff-8-300-s.html These are clearly too strong for the fibreglass bonnet and as one does a good job (albeit asymmetrically as per the original bonnet support) I will suggest that a force rating of 150N should be perfectly adequate if using a pair.

Bad luck with the fuse but I have to say what a beautiful motor you have and those black and silver plates set it off nicely. I checked my fuses and they are simple 35 amp ones with no continuous rating given.

This might be useful to you Royston W:

Not that one, but the one from the three way to the flexible that runs from the nearside underneath the engine to the bracket above the trunnion.

It's the rigid copper pipe Johny. Part number 309700.

Thanks for the offer Pete but as you say, Luton is rather afar. Colin from the local group has replied to my Whatsapp message to say he has the makings too. He's a bit nearer - only 30 miles distant so hopefully he and I can work something out.

Good thinking. I will send a Whatsapp to them as I suspect that Colin and Ben might have such a thing.

You are right Colin, although my requirements are so infrequent that it may be a false economy to invest in the pipes, fittings and tools required.

Yes, causing a vacuum in the master cylinder should prevent too much leakage. What is so annoying these days is the lack of local brake pipe makers. Back around 1987 I was rebuilding my Series 2a Landy and a local spares shop made every brake pipe for me as and when I wanted them. Unfortunately, that shop closed when the proprietor retired and there's nowhere in this area that I can find who will make pipes anymore. I have ordered one from Canley.

I fear that it was abrasion. I have examined the other pipes and they are looking good. This pipe had been bent into shape - badly by the look of it.

I had noticed a slight seepage of brake fluid from the union where the rigid pipe joins the flexible pipe to the offside disc on the Sixfire. Yesterday I separated the joint, cleaned it up and refitted the whole thing. Came to bleed the brake and as my lovely assistant pressed down on the pedal, I spotted a very fine jet of brake fluid emerge from what must be a pin prick hole in the rigid pipe. Oh bother! Two tasks now, 1. Get a new pipe and 2. fit new pipe. So here is the question: Is there any easy way of changing this pipe without pouring loads of Dot5 all over the driveway? Any advice would be most welcome.

I only ever did this once on RPK67F (Mk1 GT6) - about 43 years ago - and I used a large syringe which came from the vet's where my sister worked and a length of thin windscreen washer tube. It took a good few pulls on the syringe followed by emptying it before I reckoned I had got most of the old oil out. I didn't measure it but reckon there was more than half a pint. The same syringe was then used to refill the diff. I did have the advantage of having the drive shafts disconnected at the time as I was replacing the UJs.

For example, the Ariel Arrow - twin cylinder 5.4 x 5.4cm gives a combined capacity of 247cc approx.

Torque is directly related to stroke while horsepower is directly related to bore. Hence for an engine of a given capacity, long stroke = high torque while short stroke = low torque but higher horsepower.

I can now confirm that the engine number is PBD001 - i.e Pete Buckles Developments engine number 1. I believe that Pete Buckles is still about, but now works for Moss Europe.

Hi Rich-Tea-Biscuit, that's a sweet looking little motor. Welcome to the forum (also known as "the madhouse"). I am a relative newcomer and have to say that the level of knowledge and the sound advice that is available here far outweighs any Haynes manual (file them under F for Fiction). Look forward to seeing more posts from yourself as time progresses.

Lovely looking car. I will add my vote to the electronic ignition being the problem. I have two sixes and both rev freely to 6000. On the number plate side, my 77 Sxfire has modern plates while my 1973 Mk3 GT6 has black on silver.

Both my GT6 which has HS4 SUs and the Sixfire which now has CD150 CDSE Strombergs are reluctant starters after being out of use for several days. Once going though, they both restart easily. Both have Hi Torque starter motors. The simplest solution I have found is to put a two second blast of Bradex into the air filters. This results in instant starting as the Bradex keeps the engine running until the fuel gets through to the carbs. It's a compromise but...!

My original thread about this issue was dated May 8th this year. It is titled Spitfire Six Bonnet Fit. I still haven't found out the spec for the gas struts as fitted. Will look into that when I get back from my sojourn on the Isle of Man. I'm here until next Friday.

I had exactly the same problem with my sixfire. The gas struts are just too powerful and they force the bonnet back to touch the scuttle regardless of how tight the adjusters are. I ended up taking one off leaving only the one on the side where the original bonnet support was. It solved the problem instantly.