Peter Truman

I recently upgraded to the poly bush's in the std insulated joint can't advise if any better due to Lockdown No.6. PeteH I know the UJ joints are probably all metal thereby hopefully providing some earthing across it, but shouldn''t there be a earth wire across the two bolts to ensure a good earth for the horn, similar to the insulated joint, the rack itself has it's own earth strap/wire to the body even tho' it's of all metal construction, maybe belt and braces.

I did some lateral thinking re what other cars might have used Type 14’s and came up with Marina and Escort/Capri/Cortina so I found a set of Escort calipers in Sydney after checking with the Gumtree seller mounting lugs correct and pistons same dimensions so at the price of $45 the pair they were worth the risk. They arrived yesterday externally quite clean but couldn’t move the pistons even with compressed air so had to revert to the grease gun using a modified bleed nipple internally threaded to take a UNF 1/8in grease nipple ex UJ, process worked well pistons pushed out piston bores OK but some heavy rust on the bottom which has cleaned up. getting the grease out has taken some effort but in practice the pressure the old Wanner develops does the job! might have to space the disc off the hub to get the offset correct 1/16 to 1/8in should work. But I need to check if the later Spit upright with 3 bolts has the same mounting offset as the earlier Type 12 Herald seperate mounting bracket. Now to buy a set of 4 pistons and seals to reco the calipers, I found some for around $100. Well it’s keeping me occupied during our current lock down.

On the Vitesse I just unclip the dizzy cap pull it forwards and use the std 1/2in drive spark plug socket

Here too, the roads were sprayed we always had black feet when down at the beach house in summer, it was done to keep the dust down.

Yep in the mid 60's & early 70's living in the NE of England I kept the oil change oils and once a year plugged the 2 heralds we had & later Vitesse chassis drain holes pumped the old oil into the chassis frame box's then drove up onto the York Moors near Osmotherly pulled the plugs out and let the oil drain out, well there was peat up there on them moors, so it was earth to earth and all that!

I always understood/thought it was the quickest way to a divorce was to get SWMBO to operate the pedal when bleeding the brakes or clutch, very challenging, down, sorry I let it off, BUG88r! Start Again! Eons ago I had trouble starting the lawn mower so I got the wife to hold the plug to earth with a screwdriver whilst I pulled the starter cord, I told her to hold the driver by the handle, but her finger was in contact with the shaft ZAPP! well you'd think I had tried to kill her. My close friend did similar with a car, but thinking the plug lead was insulated got his wife to hold the lead, similar reaction, but she's a lot more vocal than my wife being a British Sgt Major's daughter, she may be small but can she bark!

Wonder what the Triumph car said to the Rover both being born on the same assembly line, seeing they were arch enemies!

In the 60/70's there was an Elect Window kit in the UK that fitted on the outside of the door trim/card obviously a thin disc motor that was obviously ring geared and drove the sq winder shaft I thought it was a nifty design never saw one though.

My 68 Vitesse has a replacement solid Stainless steel insert in two halves clockwise from 12 to 6, and anti clockwise the same I got it out of a scrapped early Herald in a scrapes outside Staithes near Whitby around 1970. It took time and patience to fit and it’s still in place today a lot better looking than that plastic stuff which we fitted to the daughters Mk2 Spit that was a bugger!

When I got my Dolly Sprint around 5 years ago it had rear lights earthing issues, the cars original bulb holders didn't have earth spade connectors, I started soldering on individual earth wires to each bulb holder, it was a PITA, talking to a close friend and fellow club member here he gave me a set of 6 bulb holders single bulb and twin bulbs which had earth spade connectors as original fitment. I made up a separate earth wiring loom for each set of lights earthed to the body and since then there's been no problems. Try and source the big saloon bulb holders (earlier models I think) which had the earth spade connections on the individual bulb holders, it makes life a breeze.

I have a 1st Nov Reg 68 Mk2 Vitesse which I've owned since 70 & it has the pointed/wedgy twin park/turn len's not flat ie it has the same circular prism pattern on both park and turn side of the lens. There original lights. Not flat like Jagnuts, There's always exceptions, Triumph Parts bin again?

To cap it all I've just had a small parcel delivery (local) "a knife sharpener" now I haven't ebay ordered it nor do I have any record of it there's no ebay or PayPal record of it, or payment for it, my wife and daughter reckon I'm loosing it! I told them Why would I purchase a new sharpener when I have a perfectly good one. There's no record of order on the parcel, there's a slip inside with a phone number I rang it the phone numbers chap advised he hasn't worked there for 6 months! I google map the address on the slip, the property is up for let!! Someone's after me!!!or I've got a freebee!

It's been a stupid week, First I brought some S/H type 14 calipers off UK ebay, all was going OK till they got to Global Shipping who deemed them "restrictive" and wouldn't forward them or return to seller ie scrapped! fortunately I was fully refunded and seller kept his money too. Then I presumed the replacement water temp sender thread was 3/8NPT so I cleaned the water pump housing thread with that tap, it was in fact 5/8 UNF so it was too loose and I had to buy an adapter around $15! Now I've just received from a UK supplier a set of Small chassis steering column coupling O ring kit (SPF1179K), they are made by 'Super Pro' made here in Aus, Queensland!! cost wise its cost me around $5 extra from the UK, bugger, so the little buggers have been round the world during Covid! I reckon it's time to go back to bed or stop trying to do all those small jobs during our Lock Down No. 6!

Well I stuffed it, eons ago I replaced the original Smiths temperature sender on the Vitesse as it was steel bodied construction and was looking a little worse for wear, I put in a herald one and the gauge ever since has shown 3/4 range. Anyway on the local Aus ebay there was a Stag one for sale which equates to the GTR108, but I buggered the installation as I thought the tapped thread in the pump body was 3/8in NPT (18TPI), so I ran the NPT tap down the thread to clean it only by hand, relatively easy it was! when I fitted the new sender it was loose but held and appeared OK with ptfe plumbers string (not tape), Na didn't like it so I searched for a 3/8in male NPT to 5/8in UNF adapter (18TPI too), there hard to find, the opposite configeration is easy, finally found one locally at a reasonable cost it was delivered in 2 days even with lock down, the male NPT adapters end locked up easily in the pump body with no tape, and the adapters 5/8in UNF female end with internal tapered seat sealed tight on the senders tapered seat, all fixed Phew!. I should of checked before jumping in!!! The new sender sits half way on the gauge, thank goodness considering the buggering around.

Thanks for the advice have replied direct

safe trip, good luck and enjoy the ride back home, and future use.

We brought a 76 2500TC saloon around 78, and around 80 the wife put the 2yr old daughter in the back passengers kids seat then forgot to shut the door and backed out of the garage, jacking the N/S rear door on the garage brick opening, buckling the hinges and the door, fortunately a local Triumph spares garage had the right coloured door (In Aus Toyota paint) with matching parchment door trim. A little straightening work on the hinges and refitting the complete new door all good, BUT I did hang the buckled offending door on the rear brick wall of the garage directly in front of the drivers line just to remind her, I think it hung there for a couple of years and the daughter just giggled every time she saw it & asked is the door shut mum, Aah she's has her dads wicked humour!

Clive It’s the Spitfire type 14 that I want, currently the type 12 that’s fitted as it isa 1966 Mk2, I did replace them around 20years ago with new type 12 as used on Formula Ford racers. As I can determine type 12 have 38mm dia pistons and type 14, have 48mm dia. Type 16’s easily obtained here in Aus as were fitted to the Holden Kingswood & Ford Falcon or similar. In fact a couple of years ago I was offered NOS units less than$50 ea

interesting mounting screws in the corners, I could be sarky and say its got a lot of holes! Good luck

I recently purchased off ebay a set of Spitfire Type 14 original used calipers in what appeared to be in good condition externally & with new pins and pads. I sought out the old original units intending to rebuild them due to the reports of the new aftermarket units not performing due to different profiles of the seal groove! As I said I got them relatively cheap with new pads for 39quid all up with delivery 75. The items were posted and now the issue, I've just been notified by ebay that Global Shipping have deemed them restrictive and they won't be sent or returned to the seller, I received a full refund even before I was notified of the issue, no mention as to whether the seller retained his money, which I'd like to think he has! eBay didn't advise what was restrictive about the items thinking re Aus import issues asbestos is a no no here, they'll strip a car down here searching for asbestos using specialist contractors leaving the car in bits for you to get rebuilt, all at your cost including the govt costs for inspection and stripping, hen the Govt will charge you GST (VAT) on all costs involved to rub rock salt into the wounds!! There are have been reports of people having incurring up to $750k costs over the purchase and shipping of classics to Aus. A friend imported a 50's classic Moto Guzzi bike from the UK, when he told me what was about to do I advised him to get his brother to remove all brakes etc he left the oil bath clutch he was lucky it got thro, ironically the brakes were shipped separately with no issue, maybe as a gift avoided inspection. There is no way I'll find spit type 14 calipers here in Aus easily, do any of the early Cortina, Marina calipers fit? these maybe easier. I'm annoyed and frustrated, no negiotation right of appeal, can't respond to the emails, just dumped what a waste!

Gave up with the pump in the Vitesse too much effort and pumping needed so removed bellows and fitted a contact only switch in it's place operated by the switch spindle that operated the bellows with an electric pump on the bulkhead

It's those notch's that had to be recut/positioned to fit the cheap Chinese headlights on my friends Stag, ie the glass nodules on the dipping sealed beams were wrong! the headlight bowls were original.

colin the solution when the others have failed, been a while since I had to resort the brute force and ignorance.

Oops not heard of that word before, nowt like ignorance is there!

agree 3/4th plugs out and roll the car, attached is a photo re in the USA a selection of adjustable's WHY would adjustable spabnners go up in 1mm increments??