micmak
-
Posts
184 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Blogs
Gallery
Downloads
Store
Events
Posts posted by micmak
-
-
Hi Folks,
I have original-looking wheels on my Vitesse. I am always on the lookout for alternative, sportier wheels. I found an ad for 14" inch 5.5J JBW minilite wheels. The ad says PCD: 4 x 95.25mm
My question is: Will they fit my Vitesse?
Thanks.
.....Mick.....
-
On 10/10/2023 at 19:37, Iain T said:
You have a '68 Vitesse snap! Good choice. Is it a proper car or a soft top? I can hear the bullets coming!
Iain
On 10/10/2023 at 20:05, 68vitesse said:Also a Mk1 2L Vitesse driver, a convertible so I can enjoy the fresh? air and not be enclosed in a steel and glass cage. 😁😁😁
Regards
Paul
Yes, my 68 is a soft top. Not a “proper” car as you say, Iain!! Actually, I was originally looking for a saloon car, but this convertible came into my sights, so I jumped on it.
And yes Paul, it IS nice to be able to drive topless!!.....Mick.....
-
3 hours ago, dougbgt6 said:
Micmak,
There are 3867 registered users on the forum, but of course we all remember you.
Doug
3867 users?? Wow, that’s a great information pool to be able to draw from!
.....Mick.....
3 hours ago, Pete Lewis said:keep posting help is always not far away ( even if we forget what you drive ha )
Pete
I will keep posting.
I have to say I am on a few forums, one of which is for Corvettes, and another for DeLoreans. The snipping and arguing on both of them is unreal. People don’t seem to be able to voice an opinion without being subjected to abuse. Others ask genuine questions only to be laughed at and ridiculed. But this tssc forum is like a breath of fresh air. I have asked some very basic, almost childlike questions here, and I have always been answered with politeness and civility, and a willingness to help. It actually encourages me to do more to my little car because I feel that I can ask so many experts here for advice, and I will actually GET that advice! What a concept!
Thanks Everyone.
.....Mick.....
-
2
-
1
-
-
1 hour ago, Pete Lewis said:
on any post for those who visit infrequently its always useful to add a model
and not Twiggy
Pete
Hi Pete, you are totally correct. And I apologize. I actually made a silly assumption that my name was recognizable, and anyone who cared would therefore know that I have a 1968 Vitesse. How very demanding and arrogant of me!!! I will identify the car on all future new posts.
Actually I will add more details to my profile too. I should have done that in the first place!.....Mick.....
-
It is a 1968 Vitesse with the dash mounted ignition switch. Sounds easy enough to remove the barrel. While I am there, is it feasible to swop around the positions of the ignition switch and the choke? I ask because my key ring and key-fob dangle down, sort of in the way of the choke knob. I have to kinda push my keys to one side when operating the choke. In my mind it would make more sense to have nothing below the ignition switch so that the keys can’t impede anything. Is it a simple switcheroo when I have the ignition switch already out?
-
How do you get the barrel out? I presume you poke around the keyhole with a pin or something?
-
Hi Folks,
My ignition switch works perfectly. However, I presume it is original (1968) because any key will work in it, and no matter which key I use, they are all inclined to fall out when driving! The car stays running, but the key ends up on the floor. This is not a huge problem by any means, but I wondered if I need to replace the whole switch or just the barrel? I see ANG has a barrel for just a few quid. There are a few options online for £10 – 15. Is that my best option, or is a whole switch best? Or, does anyone have such a thing for sale???Thanks.
.....Mick.....
-
2 hours ago, Pete Lewis said:
under the air piston casting you will find a small pin witha spring this is to do a mixture test by lifting the air piston
the idea does work but its a very touchy feely thing and needs light fingers
the pin will contact the piston inside you lightly raise the pin to just feel it make contact thenraise the pin a couple of mm dont yank it up
there are now3 possibles you are looking for a hint of change not some radical offering
lift the pin 2mm if the idle increases around 50 rpm for a few seconds its set too rich
if nothing happens its about right
if it falters 50rpm its set too lean
so once again its small changes and gentle fingers with hints of change
yank it up and it will just stop , this must have air filters fitted doing without is a total waste of time
so its another get the ears on , this works thats why the pins are there. if they have been left corrooded for years may need
a squirt of lube to free the pin , this applies to Strombergs and SU so go hunt the pin it may be missing on later CDSE when emision rules started to evolve
but on HS1 HS2 HS4 CD CDS CDSE
Pete
2 hours ago, DanMi said:the original way to set the timing, as the front pulley only has a top dead centre mark (assuming it is like an early 4 cyl), was to fully retard the vernier then set the timing static to TDC by turning the distributer and then advance the vernier the required no of clicks, on my mk2 spit 1 click = 1 degree. That gives you a good starting point and by noting the number of clicks you will know what the timing is set to
Thanks Guys. I will try both suggestions tomorrow.
-
Went out for another little drive today. The car started fine. As I drove along, I did my usual little “test” which is to slip into neutral while moving, to see if the car will idle. If it doesn’t, it is easy to go back into gear and force it to start again. I think everyone used to do that years ago when you'd push start a car with a dead battery!!! Anyway, it cut out during my little test. I tried it again, and it cut out again. I stopped in the village, and the car cut out again. I drove home and I adjusted the idle a little to make it stay idling. I was reasonably satisfied with it. I left it running for a few minutes, and I revved it up a few times. Then I noticed that it sometimes idled lower and was approaching the point where it was struggling to keep idling. I revved it up a few times and sometimes it idled better, whereas other times, it idled too low. Is there a trick to finding the sweet spot where it will idle nicely, and not idle too high? Should I tinker with the fuel mix again, or even the timing, or should I leave the idle a little on the high side and learn to live with it?
-
2 hours ago, daverclasper said:
Great your getting there. Was this rotating the dizzy, or using the vernier gauge (if your dizzy has one?)
I was fully prepared to loosen the distributor, and rotate it clockwise or counter clockwise as needed, and tighten it up again. I pulled out my timing light from years ago and I was prepared to use it. But when I went to do it, I saw the little adjustment “knob” with a little R pointing one way, and an A pointing the other way. I turned it a little towards the A, and the vacuum advance assembly moved out slightly from the distributor, and the idle increased. Presumably this is a fine-tuning feature to adjust the timing. I had never seen such a thing before.
-
2 hours ago, Pete Lewis said:
just shows what can be achieved without any special anything but your ears
thats a good learning curve keep at it
the idle may not hold a coin on its edge but with correct timing and mixtures /tappets set should be a nice and steady one
pete
Yeah, I am learning so much. And enjoying it too. It would be nice to get a coin to stand on its edge. It is not likely to happen, but I will keep adjusting and try to improve it a little more.
-
Hi Guys, today was dry, with no rain recently. The roads were dry and it was a nice warmish day. I started the Vitesse. No problem with full choke. I went for a little drive down to the village. I was not happy with the stumbling or hesitancy when accelerating. I pulled out the choke a few times, and it helped a bit, but it didn’t convince me that fuel was the issue. I came home and decided to advance the timing a little. I just turned it until the idle increased a bit, then I slackened off the idle screws on the carbs to bring the idle back down. I went out for a little test drive. HOLY SHIT!!!!! It was like driving a jet-propelled machine. It was SOO responsive. SOO fast. I felt like Max Verstappen! It was like driving a totally different car! I came home and it was still idling a little high and not as evenly as I would like. I know it is not an EFI engine, and it will never idle a smoothly as a modern car, but I still wasn’t satisfied that the idle was as smooth as I might get. I played with the idle screws again, and I had it idling at a comfortable level. I walked away for a while leaving it running. When I returned, it was nearly cutting out. I revved it up a little and it was better, although not as good as a few minutes before. I will continue to play with it until I reach a point where I am satisfied with the idle. But the big surprise today was the difference in the car when I advanced the timing a little. Unbelievable!
-
On 04/10/2023 at 11:03, Peter Truman said:
Don’t forget to make sure the body is central on the chassis or the wheels are the same in each wheel arch
Don’t ask how I know after getting all the gaps right I suddenly noticed?
That sounds like a good tip, actually. Thanks.
-
21 hours ago, Josef said:
Before playing with the mixture again, have a drive and try pulling the choke a little and seeing if the problem improves. This’ll give you an idea if a richer mix does make the issue better (after all, a richer mix is what the choke achieves!) and inform you if it’s worth adjusting the carbs again.
Given you now need full choke to start I would suspect it is a little lean. The Triumphs I have driven have only needed full full choke when it’s really cold out. But as I think I said before, they’re all different after 50+ years alive!Hi Josef, Actually when I drove the car yesterday, I tried pulling out the choke a little and the stumbling DID ease off a little. However, the car was not quite up to normal running temperature, so it wasn't as accurate a test and I would have needed. I had planned to drive the car today, get it nice and warm, and do the choke test, but it has been lashing rain all day! I will not take this little car out in such horrendous rain. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
-
1
-
-
I tried as best I could to remove the oil from the dashpots. The turkey baster was a bit too big. I tried adapting a pen onto it and eventually I used a piece of plastic tubing. There is only a drop of oil in there – I expected much more. The manual says to top up the oil to within ¼ inch of the end of the rod in which the damper operates. I did so, with 20/50. This was probably less than a teaspoonful of oil! Anyway, I took the car for a little drive. The stumbling is still very much apparent. Maybe I leaned it out too much the other day? Maybe I will give it a smidge more fuel in the morning and see if it improves. If not, I'll return the fuel mix to where it is now, and I'll try adjusting the timing.
-
Before I tackle the rear body tub re-positioning, (see Driver’s door thread), I decided to take the car out for a little drive for the first time since making the recent carb adjustments. It drove ok. Only ok. There is a serious hesitation when I accelerate in any gear. I don’t know if I am imagining it, but in 4th, when I was up to 55 or 60 mph, the hesitation seemed less noticeable when I stepped on the throttle. I stopped a couple of times and car idled well, although I had it a bit high, but that is easily corrected. I turned it off, went into a shop, and when I returned it started perfectly. So, the fuel problem is definitely improving. Before any of this, it would run nicely for 10 or 15 minutes, and then run badly before sometimes dying and not re-starting. But the hesitation when I accelerate, is still there. I have not yet removed the oil in the dashpots and replaced it with 20/50. That will be my next little job. Could ignition timing be causing this hesitation too? Or should I not go there yet, and sort out the dashpot oil first?
-
1 hour ago, Pete Lewis said:
you really do not need any special tools hoist cranes just spanners and a bit of elbow grease
once you slacken ALL the rear tub mounts and the joint under the seats the tub will shuffle easy
to get the gap just use some wooden /hardboard as a packer to keep the desired B post gap
the body manual used tapered wedges of wood thats triumph for you
if you cant make an improvement then nip it up and you are back where you started
do this in a garage or outside even down the pub for easy assistance its not something to waste you wallet on
supposed specialists will milk you and wont do any more than you can achieve yourself
go on have a twiddle
if you are unsure where all the mount bolts are ask us here
as you are not raise/loser the rear tub no packings are needed the front to tilt the bulkhead can use a large washer
cut a slot to make it a C and you can slip them in with out removing any bolts
yes some bolts may be old and shear then there are replacement parts kits available from many suppliers
we are waiting to see you succeed ha !
Pete
Ha ha, Well Pete, I am taking serious encouragement from your last comments. If I go for moving the rear end back a smidge, and no shims are needed, then it sounds easier than I was fearing. I am reluctant to try to tilt the bulkhead forward, because the convertible roof is so tight now. I really need to man-handle the catch assemblies to engage them at the top of the windshield. If that was tilted forward even 1 or 2 millimetres, I think it would put unnecessary strain on the vinyl roof. The fact that the car was restored should help regarding the possibility of bolts shearing. I expect all the bolts will loosen easily.
By the way, while examining this whole problem yesterday, I realized that even though the passenger door closes with relative ease, it too hits the B post before the lock mechanism engages. I really think moving the rear end back really is the solution to my problem. I will also adjust the bonnet, but that sounds like a much easier task. I will leave that for the moment, because it is not impeding my use of the car, whereas the door problem is a real ever-present headache.
Are there any YouTube videos on re-aligning Vitesse body panels?
-
11 hours ago, Morgana said:
I'd add that it looks like you have a bubble seal in your initial pictures. Once you've adjusted the frame to avoid the rubbing of the panels, I think you'll still have a big slam. My Herald is the same - the doors need a real yank, sometimes several, and I read on here that the original 'flippper' seal is often replaced with a bubble that's too thick. Guess what, mine's got a bubble on it. A new seal is high on the list, if the windows don't break first with all the slamming...
Morgana, If that becomes an issue later, I will replace it. But for now, the B post is being hit by the door before it gets near the seal, so it is not causing a problem today. As you say, it might when I get the alignment better, but we’ll see.
-
Guys, if I were to try to tackle this, would I need callipers or some precise measuring device? Surely using a regular household measuring tape is not enough. I presume I’d need a pack of different sized shims, would I? I mean, I can’t go jamming in washers here, there, and everywhere and expect a solution.
-
48 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said:
a couple of spanners is all you need you cant wreck anything
the body mounts should sit on a rubber pad this can stick and make simple shifts a bit sticky
to maintain the positions we made a simple bit of timber with a slot each end to jam in the door seal flange
so when tightening down it doesnt shift
the front bulkhead forward mount to the outrigger is supposed to be sized hole and wont move much
so its tiltable with packers but no fwd rearward adjustment the rear tub will move all over the place there is a good
deal of big hole small bolt adjustment
its quite DIY no special tools at all
Pete
Really, Pete? Hmmmmm…. So you can do it in the garage? No need for a hoist or any special equipment? And no need to have previous similar experience or expertize? Now you are tempting me!!!
I’ll think about it some more before I make a decision.
-
1 hour ago, daverclasper said:
Once, I fitted a filter on upside down on one carb. Car would run ok for a few miles, then terrible
Really? Well that was the first sign of trouble for me; the car was ok for a while and then it wouldn't idle, it drove badly, and finally died and wouldn't restart. It was getting way too much fuel and then I noticed almost by accident, that the filters were upside down on both carbs. I have not driven the car more than 3 or 4 miles since leaning out the fuel and correcting the filter assembly. Maybe I'll take it for a drive tomorrow if it's dry.
-
3 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:
Bonnet and door but NOT bonnet and bulkhead. There's quite a gap along the top edge of the bonnet. I'd look at shimming the bulkhead to tilt forward, which will close this top gap but widen the distance between the screen pillars and the quarterlights. The bonnet will require repositioning slightly, but the doors can then be moved forward and cure the b-post problem.
All of which is just beyond my abilities at the moment, Colin. I think the smartest thing I can do is find someone who can do this sort of work for me. If I try to do this on my own now, I fear I might do more harm than good.
-
1 hour ago, Steve P said:
It is a fine art to get the bonnet/tub and doors in the right place, especially after 50 years and god knows how many Po`s messing with it.
There is also body flex and tub spread to take into account, if you watch the A frame as you drive you will see the gap changing slightly, on mine anyway.
My Vitesse A frame has witness marks even after I paid a supposed expert to do a full body alignment. In the end with careful setting up of the catch and anti burst I got it to an acceptable level and without a massive slam to shut it. There are slight adjustments to be had from the hinges etc.
Depends what you want it to be, a concourse with great shut lines or a user. Mine is a user.
Steve
Well yes, who know how many previous owners have been messing around with this car. And how comprehensive was the restoration? He did do a full body-off resto. I have photos that he took at various stages, but it seems quite apparent that he didn’t do a great job at aligning the body panels. And yes, there is a lot of flexing as you drive. The passenger door opened one day while driving along, because of body flexing!!
I don’t particularly want the car to be perfect or concours level. I just want a nice, driveable car.
I have been out at the car looking at the mounting points and re-examining the door gaps. I think I have reached a decision about the gaps. I am not an expert by any means, so I think I need to locate someone who has done adjustments on a Vitesse or Herald. I think I should watch them, and learn from them as they make adjustments for me. I don’t have any jigs or any specialized tools that might be needed. But most of all I have no experience at making adjustments to the car like this. Maybe if I can find someone who can do it while I watch and/or help, then next time I will have more confidence to tackle it myself. But now, I am really a novice and I think it is best if I don’t tackle this alone. I DO have some confidence to try to lower the bonnet a little but to take apart the car’s body to adjust the door gaps, it a little beyond me, at the moment.
On a totally unrelated subject: a good thing that I discovered this morning; the car started first time with a full choke!!!!! 😆
-
Pete, Before I adjust anything or do anything, I need to fully understand what is involved. My own assumption is that I would need to move the rear tub back a little to increase the gap at the B post. Some guys have suggested that correcting the bonnet first and then possibly move the door forward is the correct solution. However, I am not sure if that is the best route to take. I have noticed just now, that the upper part of the door is also hitting the A post! So it can’t be moved forward. Surely if anything, it would need to move to the rear too. See the pics below. Aside from the bonnet being too high, which I think is a separate unrelated issue, surely the door solution is to move the rear tub back a little.
Gary, thanks for that PDF. I think it kinda confirms that I need to move the rear tub back in order to allow the door to function properly. I don’t know if I am brave enough to tackle this task.
Non-original wheels
in Interchangeable Parts
Posted
Hi John, Thank you for responding. I don't know any of the dimensions you talked about. My guess is that the seller wouldn't know either. He DID say however, that these wheels were on his Herald. Is it safe to assume they will fit a Vitesse if they were ok on a Herald?
.....Mick.....