Peter Truman

The screw had come out on it’s own and I could see the oil pumping out the rocker shaft was buggered! I’d travelled quite a distance with the screw out. you should be ok to run it a minute or soo but remember to screw the screw back in tight

It’s like the rose nuts holding the switch’s to the dash threads appear to of different fathers and mothers all over the place!

Temporally remove the countersunk screw from the rear of the shaft oil comes out quite quickly, How do Iknow it came out on my 2500TC around 78 didn’t fall down the pushrod holes but bugge**d the shaft! Remember to replace the screw

Smooth of course!

Wouldn’t want to cross the young lady middle centre definitely has a determined look on her face and raised stick!

My elder cousin fell for that one putting a new seal on top of the old one on his near new Mini Cooper didn’t get around the block before it had pumped all the oil out if I remember he sold the car shortly after and brought a Midget

Early 60’s Dad had a Merc 300SE with mech fuel injection the elect fan cut in switch failed and the engine overheated the next day we did a run to my uncles at Stratford the car only ran well at a certain rev range not too slow nor fast when we got to Stratford my uncle knew the local Merc agent who immediately diagnosed a blocked fuel filter changed it and the car immediately ran well. The agent said the. Lead had boiled out of the fuel blocking the filter which was the size of an oil filter.

Thanks for that it was a freebie but it does look like it has potential

Eons ago I was given a new Quinten Hazel Clutch Kit QTF229AF which has a 8.5in driven plate with 10 splines, I understood it fitted the Vitesse & GT6, 2 litre engines, but Googling the web there's references to the QTF151AF kit for these models. Can anyone advise does the 229 kit fit &/or what differences there are between the kits?

I had a club contact who went back to England and was living on a barge his comment was damned cold in winter

I thought NI was part of UK, cheeky bug**r won’t buy from him!

Colin I'm sure I've seen them available on eBay in the not too distant past, in fact I think there are a couple of versions the one's I have being one part on the B post and the long side strip, another version I've seen has the B post cover in two separate parts. Colin just checked eBay look up https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175618208320 Set not cheap at 60 quid Spitfire Graveyard, hope it helps

Been strengthened had it!

In Montreal in 67 building an oil refinery for BP I had a Renault R8 Gordini which developed conditions of power loss and backfiring it was the distributor drive cog that had somehow lost a few teeth, the Renault Agent Tricolour Garages pulled it out replaced it and the car ran great. I regretted having to give the car back to them at the end of the 8 month contract, went like stink.

Re Provenance our cars could be over 60 years old and even the youngest Mk3 over 50 so a lot of running changes could have been made, how many cars of that age have true recorded provenance. The seller provided the best info available re the bastardization of the car re Mk1, 2, & 3, yes it may have a 1500 engine, but is it a 1300 with 1.5in carbs? The log book may provide more info if relevant to the owner! The engine is easily checked from it's stamped number It is what it is and the owner brought it knowing the inconsistencies and will enjoy it as a Triumph Spitfire! The price not bad for a car in that condition but there again I'm looking from far away David 23 does it really matter if its a revamped stolen car or someone's bitsa project provided its registered and road legal just ENJOY IT! My daughters 66 Mk2 Spitfire was first registered here in Aus in 1966, when brought by my daughter in 2001 it had just been rebuilt with a bare metal respray some of the photos clearly show Aussie AMI CKD assembly differences ie brazing vs welding yet the comm plate doesn't have a 2 prefix? AMI records weren't the best, local expert advice strongly believe its a CKD car, also the internal body panels showing full rust prevention from the AMI body dipping process. A check with the UK Heritage people advise the Comm No. was a LHD Export? but there is no evidence of a LHD to RHD conversion ie pedal and steering swap with bulkhead welding, as verified by the bare metal photo's & inspection, so much for UK records! Re chassis we know it had a replacement chassis pre the 2001 rebuild (damaged front RH) the replacement chassis is within 100 of the damaged unit which I have the tag from, the wrong RH front suspension turrant was fitted, ie Herald, Vitesse, now changed to a Spitfire unit to get the engine lower. Yes were aware it's probably a BASTARD but that doesn't distract from our enjoyment of owning, driving and maintaining it, I rebuilt a 1500 engine to fit into it but can't bring myself to fit it, as the Mk2 1147 engine is just so enjoyable! For years we've wanted to fit a 1300 unit for the improved power but retaining the sweetness and balance, but I think were over that now, OH we did fit a J type overdrive with it's single rail gearbox internals into a 3 rail case (all ex 1500 MG Midget), and I do have a pair of rebuilt type 14 calipers too replace the original type 12's, they appear not to be a really a big improvement, but I had them & Triumph fitted them from the Mk3 on for a reason so can't be bad. David23 check the brake calipers if Mk2 ie type 12 there are only 2 bolts holding the two halves of the calipers together if Mk3 Type 14 there's 4 bolts joining the two halves.

Pete the reason I carry spare Accuspark's is simply convenience & cost because when I brought them 20 years ago they were around 25 quid ea and shipping of 4 units was only marginally dearer than 1 & was a major part of the overall cost. I also reasoned if I had to replace the unit on the run I wouldn't have to retime the ignition just change the module over, if I switched back to points I'd have to retime. I still have the unused spare units one each for the Vitesse Lucas, & Delco for the Spitfire as the mounting plates are different! The Vitesse Accuspark replaced a Luminition Optic unit that failed, it's replacement cost would have been many times more expensive than the Accuspark which doesn't require a separate control box, and the small module neatly fits under the distributor cap. I have a Luminition Magnetronic in the Sprint as it fits under the std dist cap and the Accuspark won't, it requires a different dist cap which due to it's height got very close to a cylinder head stud/bolt.

Same as me I carry spare Accuspark modules in both the Vitesse and Spit just in case!!

I brought locally here some Hel SS Braided hoses plastic covered for my daughters Mk2 Spit the front hoses are 540mm long, ample length, there to be fitted when I upgrade to the later Mk3 onwards Type14 Caliper. 20 years ago during the cars rebuild I brought SS Braided ex UK Gooodridge, they had no plastic sleeve between the SS and swaged end fitting, afterwards I found out these are illegal here not ADR (Aus Design Rule) compliant, appears they're worried that the SS braiding may work harden and fracture therefore possibly damaging the inner poly hose or reducing the clamping/swaging effect!! hence the plastic sleeve on the examples shown which are ADR compliant. I'm sure the cracking/tearing of your hose's plastic sleeve would be considered a failure? I assume the cracking of the swaged sleeve is due to the hose being too short. Now for the interesting or funny thing re the Hel hose kit (TRI-3-004) for a Mk2 Spit, I brought it assuming 4 hoses 2 each front and rear, NOO it came with 3 hoses only one for the rear? I contacted Hel Ausi and explained the car has an independent rear suspension so 2 hoses are reqd, their response was they usually only get asked for 3 hoses for the Spitfire, but they do a 4 hose kit TRI-4-004. Obviously I stuck to my guns and got the 4th hose at cost, around 1/3 RRP, plus free postage, still a lot cheaper than paying ex UK or getting individual hoses made locally, the 4 hoses cost me less than $145, they don't have a short swaged plastic sleeve but a full plastic covering over the full length of the SS braiding and which is fitted under the swaged end fitting, the plastic covering as a bonus has immitation carbon fibre effect!, & their ADR compliant.

Understandable considering what’s happened recently stay safe. NZ in our area of the world drew the short straws regards volcanoes and earthquakes & gets the carry over of our weather.

Do you use a smear of copper grease to stop the bullets from locking in? I think I've replaced all the Vitesse Bullets in the last 10 years, currently going thro the Spits. I usually locate the male end in the sleeve with nose pliers then a flat end screwdriver to push home. With the replacement female bullet sleeves they seem a little looser/larger & need closing up a little to get a grip on the male insert, or there smaller!! I also have to centralize the outer insulation sleeve after pushing the Bullets home. Hopefully there good for another 40 to 50 years? Like you to get a Raul?? from the UK is prohibitive & your DIY is a solution Hope ALL is OK over there with the recent floods and Earthquakes! you appear to be relatively close to Wellington.

Iain the JB Weld I use and is on the current tubes I have is called JB Kwick it’s an epoxy and has Steel on the bottom of one tube and Hardener on the other.

Mikalor clamps for me too. Re the item the hose fits onto like thermostat housings I've emery paper'd the surface then using a Dremel with a small grinder tool cleaned out any corroded pits in the surface the smeared JB weld over the surface let it dry/cure well then emery paper the surface smooth, worked well on the Spit & Vitesse, it's lasted without any break out of the corrosion over 20 years. The JB Weld when sanded smooths stays off grey and it's hard to differentiate from the parent metal. we have also done a mates E Type water pump housing the same and its still OK.

I think the head of the screws Colin has shown in his photo’s on his tread plates are Pozidrive they have those little line marking between the star drive. There is another star drive besides the Phillips and Pozidrive, the JIS think it stands for Japanese Industrial Standard as used on Japanese cars.

Don’t forget if adding accessories or altering wiring to make a circuit diagram of the changes for future reference.

Nice touch "Lucas Lane", what a photo Op' we honored Sir John & Drive it Day too down here too, but we beat you by 11hrs!! mind you NZ usurped us!