micmak

Hi Guys, My car is probably like most Triumphs here, in that it gets rare outings. Today was an exception. It was a sunny Spring-like day and I went for a short drive. My little Vitesse performed perfectly. I opened the bonnet upon my return, just to look at things and to get that glorious smell that modern cars just don’t have. It’s magic!!! As I looked around, I wondered what is the best solution to surface rust on and around the engine and its components. I don’t particularly want to paint it a color. I just want to remove the rust-looking bits in some areas. So, is there some sort of colorless paint or varnish that I could put on the effected areas? Or will a wipe of an oily rag clean these areas up enough? Thanks. .....Mick.....

Holy smokes Guys, My little question about missing inlet hoses/tubes has taken on a whole new life of it’s own! I never expected such technical and detailed reactions. All I wanted to know is if some sort of tubes/hoses were supposed to be there, and if so, would they help to keep fuel cooler in the carbs. But you guys have taken this is a very technical direction, which is waay over my head. I feel positively dumbfounded reading some of these responses! Makes me wish I had taken a more technical route in life. I am sure it would have been more rewarding because even though I don't fully understand some of the responses, I DO appreciate them, and I try to understand them. It is nice to read them and try to make sense of them. Thanks Everyone. …..Mick…..

If I make up something with tubes/hoses/pipes, is there some sort of flange or baffle or plenum or scoop at the end of the tubes? Surely just leaving the tubes sitting there behind the front grille will not allow all that much air in. .....Mick.....

Great!!! Thank you Kevin. I'm glad it was retrievable. Thanks again. .....Mick.....

I started a comment, and I didn’t like the way I phrased it. So I decided to delete it and start over. I clicked Moderation Actions at the bottom RHS, and hit delete thinking that my unfinished comment would delete. But the whole thread disappeared!!!!! …..Mick…..

What an idiot. I accidentally deleted the whole conversation about air intake for a Vitesse! Dammit. Can it be restored? There was some great ideas and conversation in it. .....Mick.....

Well Guys, I have to say I felt a bit dumb this morning asking what I felt was a bit of a stupid question. But once again, I realize that every day is a learning day on TSSC's forum. Now, I am glad I asked and I might put tubes on my filter, or maybe not. I’ll see. I would imagine that if you don’t have them, you might have problems with the carbs overheating? I’d imagine it is better to have them. Surely drawing in cooler air is better. Thanks Everyone for your comments. …..Mick…..

Ha ha. OK, I'll keep the bird poo in mind if I decide to do a "smear"! Thanks. .....Mick.....

I have seen many photos of 1960s Triumph engines. They are all similar, for the most part, but there is one thing that struck me. It concerns the air filter. Some cars have flexible hose-type tubes from the filter box to the front grill area. My car doesn’t have this. Should my car, a 1968 MK1 Vitesse, have such things? Are they missing from my car, or is my car supposed to have nothing attached to the air filter box?

Interesting. I have a tube of heat sink compound around here somewhere. I might take out the module and smear some of the compound under it. Can't hurt. .....Mick.....

Ah it's TV theatrics really. I wondered about trunions too. Most of the car TV shows are annoying. The only one I like is Bangers and Cash, probably because they mostly have old English cars that I remember from my childhood. But there is so little bullshit on it too, unlike pretty much every other car show. It's almost refreshing,..

Thanks Paul. So they are inter-changeable; points or electronic? Is that all there is to electronic ignition? No other components? .....Mick.....

Hi Folks, I was watching Dream Car Fixers last week. They were re-freshening a Herald. They decided to upgrade the ignition to electronic. All they did was replace the points with a module. I wondered if my Vitesse was points or electronic. I had a look today, this is what I found: So, can I assume I have electronic ignition? .....Mick.....

Thanks Colin. I am not sure what I will be doing beyond a few days ahead. I have a lot going on right now, so I will not commit until much closer to the event. It sounds interesting, though. Thanks for the invite/suggestion. .....Mick.....

Thanks Johny. Luckily, I don’t need anything else at this stage. Hopefully it will stay what way!🏎️

Thanks Pete. The guy who will work on the car is a mechanic, and he has a TR6 and a Spitfire for his wife. He is a Triumph guy. He told me that he has the puller needed for removing the bearing. I’m comfortable with him working on the car. The annoying part is he will take a look at the car first. If it is the bearings, I will have to order them online, wait for delivery, and then arrange another night for him to replace them. I don’t want to buy them in advance in case they are not the cause of the noise at all. ……Mick…..

Diagnosing this with certainty, is a little beyond my capabilities. So, a mechanic friend will take a look at it next week. If it is the wheel bearings, where is the best place to buy new ones? .....Mick.....

I read somewhere (maybe on this forum -- not sure) about a guy with a Spitfire or a GT6. His description of the noise was similar to mine. He thought he had a wheel bearing problem. He bought new bearings and went out to replace them. He jacked up the car only to see that the lower control arm was not as tight as it needed to be. So, he tightened it and the noise went away! Might the noise that I described be something similar?

Yes Pete, it is a non-rotoflex Mk 1, 1967. Lightly tapping on the brakes or leaning on them slightly makes no difference to the noise. So I dismissed the brakes as being the cause. The backplate is something that I never considered. Should I notice a wear mark on it or something else?

By the way, the noise happens regardless of whether I am accelerating, coasting in neutral, or braking. I am satisfied that it is not the brakes. Nothing seems to stop the noise.

Jeez Johny, that seems like such a basic, obvious thing to do. Why the hell didn't I think of that myself? If the weather cooperates, I will do that tomorrow. I feel so stupid for not eliminating that simple little test myself!

Ha ha! I think you are right, Pete. The little beggars DO listen, and they try to trick us! Just wait and see, the next time I start the car it will probably run like crap! Nah, I know it will be fairly good. It might need a tiny little adjustment. But after all, it is a 57 year old car. I needed adjustment myself when I reached 57!

Alright Guys, now that my fuel/choke/overflow carb problems SEEM to be resolved, I need to turn my attention to another problem. Since I bought the car last year (only 500 or so miles ago), there has been a noise from the rear. At first, I wondered if it was a wheel bearing. Some friends said that my description of the sound suggested a wheel bearing. But I have my doubts. In the past, on other cars, I had wheel bearings fail. The sound was a constant drone-like, humming noise that got louder as you drove faster. I used to describe it sounding like a plane coming in low over your car! But this noise on my little Vitesse is different. It is not constant. It is a “rubbing” type sound that happens over and over again as the wheel revolves. If I go faster, the sound is more frequent. If I go slower, it is less frequent. It is on the passenger side rear wheel area. If I turn left, shifting the weight of the car off that wheel, it gets louder. If I turn right, putting weight ON that wheel, it goes away completely. If I am going straight, it may be audible depending on whether my last bend on the road was to the left or to right. Does that description suggest a wheel bearing to you Guys? What might it be?

Hi Guys, long time no talk. Today was a really nice day for the first time in weeks. The roads were nice and dry! I started up the Vitesse for the first time since a week or so before Christmas. It started perfectly. I let it sit there on high choke for a while, then gradually pushed the choke in over a 5, 6, or 7-minute period, as you might normally do. When it was warmed up, it idled very nicely. So, I went for a drive. I stopped at the fuel station and again at a local shop. It started perfectly again at both locations. It drove very nicely. And when I got home it still idled nicely, if a little high. It sounds nice and even, and the performance when driving was just perfect. The round trip was only about 20kms, but still, this is the first time I actually drove the car after several adjustments to the carbs. I think, I THINK I might have solved my problems. I am almost afraid to say that out loud, but it really drove and behaved so well. I might play with the slightly high idle. Or I might not. I dunno. I adjusted the cable a little to try to get the idle down a bit. I mentioned before that all the idle screws are not touching the castings, so it would imply that the cable needed adjusting. My adjustment today made little difference. I might disconnect it and try to spray oil into the cable sheath to lubricate it to see if that will bring down the idle a smidge. In the meantime, so what if it idles slightly high? The car runs so well now aside from that very minor annoyance.

Iain, Yes, I mean the throttle stop screws. I did as you described to balance the carbs, and the choke screw is well out of the way when warmed up. The spring on the throttle cable is attached perfectly and it’s strong. But the idle does not want to return to a complete idle when the revs die down. I can press against any of the idle screws with my finger, and the idle will die down. It’s as if it is stuck, somehow. But yet, there is nothing stopping the throttle stop screws from returning to their normal resting place. …..Mick…..