Peter Truman

The 3/8 in NPT tap I have Is a taper as are the original Triumph plugs that I have, as per Nicks advice The original Triumph sump plug when locked has around 2 To 3 full threads left protruding on the outside, but I suppose that depends how far the taper tap is run in.

If there is any doubt I can confirm that the Triumph GT6, Vitesse and Herald, Spitfire uses a 3/8in 18tpi NPT thread, I've just run a 3/8in NPT tap into a spare GT6 sump & Spit 1500 and it fits like a glove, I also used an imperial thread gauge and the plug (tapered) is 18tpi. Why do I have a 3/8in NPT tap you ask, because the thermo switch I brought to control the elect rad fan on the daughters Spit Mk2 was 3/8in NPT, but it came with a 1/2in BSP brass adapter boss as well, which was to big to fit in the 134681 thermostat cover I fitted the thermo switch into. The 3/8 inch NPT tap & drill was less than $15 delivered ex China vs >$100 tap only local supply, Now seeing this discussion (thread, Oh!) and the confirmation that Triumphs used 3/8in NPT sump plugs on the engine, gearbox and diff, its time for me to upgrade the diff drain plugs on the Spit and Vitesse from the 7/16 UNF largest tap I had at the time to the Triumph standard 3/8in NPT so I can use the std sump plug. who would have thought Triumph used a NPT thread?

Note what Pete said keep bottle high difficult if using a jam jar, I brought a bleed kit which has a small plastic bottle with magnet attached so it just clips onto the wheel arch in height above the bleed nipple. Attached is a photo of a semi soft plastic bleed nipple attachment that really grips on the bleed nipple, that I recently brought on ebay ex China 4 for GBP5 with free postage unfortunately they took 4 months to arrive but all Covid bugs dead by then, and I sprayed with Glen 20 disinfectant & left them outside for 3 days! Why did I buy 4 cheap and gave 2 to friends! Re Chinese made goods retailers here indicate they are getting questioned where is it made and if China there is some indicated reticence to buy! Must admit this was the last product I purchased from there in Feb, and will preferably buy Aussie, Taiwan, Japan, or UK/Europe! Why Taiwan definitely not Chinese and I have a Taiwanese DILaw.

It may be irrelevant but I had to belt the hell out of our spit reverse lever(Spit single rail internals into 3 rail box) to get the selectors to align, in retrospect the issue was I used the single rail longer reverse spacer, but another requirement of the 4 syncro Mk4 3 rail box was a washer on the reverse selector rod to stop the selector going too far forward. not having needed to strip my Vitesse box I'm not sure if the Vitesse 4 syncro box has the washer.

fill it with spray can degreaser a great gudge/oil remover

I found these GT6 splash Guards plans in my records don't know where they came & unfortunately there dimensionless, & I don't know what the source code refers to, but someone may find them useful. I do have a dimensioned up Spitfire one which maybe of use for the Turret cut out and length to bulkhead.

How adaptable are the Vitesse (Mk2) valences to a GT6 I assume there basically the same except for the front connection to the radiator ie in front of the return bend and the chassis mounting arm/bracket. even the GT6 rad looks similar to a Vitesse in width and height. The Vitesse ones are all steel complete with the louvres whether effective or not they look good!

I brought one to do my daughters Commodore (aus) oil change as its a pain removing the sump plastic guard too big and too many bolts and requires too much clearance! unfortunately the hose was too big to fit down the dip stick tube, its sprung wire about 1/8in dia Bu***R! The pump wasn't dear $20 and I'll use it somewhere. Could have used it when I broke a swimming pool 2in filter ABS return line, there were 8No. 2in pipes bound together (clever plumber) the one I broke was in the middle, I had to drain the pool down 12in below all the outlet and inlet filter & solar pipes! Try replacing a length of pipe in a fixed straight pipe it needs two right angle bends at each end and enough removed pipe to be able to spring the new dog legged pipe in before the solvent glue sets! Why did the pipe break a blonde moment I drove a steel spike accidently thro it, now I know where the pipes are now!!!

Colin right or wrong I used a strip of vinyl (with ridges on the bottom so it can dry out) on top of the centre outrigger to get height with a doubled up folded strip of Denso tape on the underside of the floorpan, then a similar doubled up length of Denso tape between the two body tubs. OK the Denso doesn't set which is good on the underside but there is a edge of the soft Denso on the inside pushed out from the two body panel/tub overlap and even in the high Aus temps this hasn't got sticky enough to be a problem if it did I'd seal over it with a strip of sticky fabric. It's easy to push the ajax self tap screws thro the Denso tape. Why Denso its great in these situation and I have rolls of it from my old work! Peter T

My 68 Vitesse Mk2 had a leather seal and the metal construction was substantial ie it took some getting out

They are fitted to my dolly sprint had one missing so had to make one subsequently I’ve seen them on ebay Neither my Mk2 Spit or Mk2 Vitesse have them never thought of them as a retro fit

Ref the blue crimp on lug, I've always soldered, but Pete L has taken me to task stating crimps are better so I've invested in a decent crimper which crimps like the originals if you use the brass spades ie it folds the sides in and crimps them down locking the wire then you do the same onto the insulation. Hey the finished product looks very professional & neat the crimper also makes it easier than trying to solder on a short wire upside down under the dash, Pete your right again, I'm converted after 60 years of inhaling the solder fumes. Having said that I think I've only had a couple of solder joints fail & there've been in the engine bay ie oil pressure switch spade where the wires flex a lot with engine movement & human interference! Peter T

I understand the second & larger alt to battery cable with a Lucas A127 Alt as its 75 amps output I believe but what size cable would the std Lucas 15ACR require as its only around 32 or 34 amp from memory, what size cable did the GT6 Mk3 use. When converting the Vit early 70's I also retained the baseplate of the regulator and bridged the internal connections where reqd I didn't refit the regulator cover but just a plat plastic cover kept all the wires original nd neat. whereas the Spit I totally removed the regulator and joined the wires

I had an alternative stalling problem, I know this refers to a Dolomite Sprint but I had issues after fitting new HT leads which I later realized were of the graphite type supplied by a UK electronic Ignition source, with their electronic ignition kit. The proper Sprint distributor cap has side entry rather than push in top entry, the mode of making the connection is the cable (7mm) pushes in and is then held by old style screw in penetrating pins/needles thro the cable, all would be OK for a few runs then the car would start to miss and stall when stopping, it was a right bugger esp when on a club run of up to a couple of hundred klm. I trimmed and reaffixed the HT leads a couple of times with subsequent delayed failure before I realized there appeared to be burning around the needle pin penetrating hole, the HT cable end looked OK. when I cut thro the cable at the pin hole it was apparent the graphite was burnt and the HT connection was failing on most leads. Solution I changed the dist cap to an alternative push in taller top type using the brass clip over and crimp ends also supplied by the same UK ignition supplier for their higher elect ignition module. I don't like this cap as its not the best fit being sloppy and being taller the cap is only 1/8in away from one of the manifold mounting studs!! BUT hey it works no issues re stalling for a few months, When we get back to normal I'll take the old leads, short side entry distb cap, & Sprint special very long plug boots to a local ignition specialist and get a new set of appropriate leads made up, Oh I changed to a Luminition Magnetronic elect ign module so I can use the shorter side entry distb cap, rather than the cheaper higher one which I must admit works well on the Spitfire (Delco) & Vitesse (Lucas). Hey the upside I have a spare higher type electronic ignition module! I only offer this example as a think outside the square possibility.

Here it is in all its Triumphant glory! that's a 150mm steel rule for size comparison. The eyelet is obviously the spring end & the hook goes over the lip on the steel sump. I think the two bends are basically to be able to adjust the length as reqd to get the spring tension you want!. The straight bit at the bottom (hook end) is to be able to pass between the starter and block thickness wise 1/10in or 2.56mm. Hope this helps Peter T .

My Mk2 is a 1st Nov 68 UK reg, & I've owned it since Sept 70. shipping it back to Aus in Dec73, so basically original except my subsequent mods which I have documented on file, anti run on solenoid, servo to brakes, electric fuel pump in boot, battery in boot, S/S braided brake hoses, air horns, oil pressure gauge, Lucas alternator with S/S turnbuckle adjuster & alloy pulley, electronic ignition, S/S exhaust pipe and silencer, some poly bush's, Spitfire 1500 5J wheel, Oh I forgot the main one a saloon to proper conv conversion using a 62 Herald CKD rear tub. The heads been off around 40years ago but the engines never been removed. I think that's it! Will post a photo of the throttle return spring extender today. To do a J type overdrive ex Dolly 1850 to be converted into a 3 rail box, have all the bits even a Rimmer's special new prop shaft. What else am I dreaming of, Alloy water pump body the existing CI dead weight annoys my engineering principals, with an Aussie electric water pump/controller this then makes room for an electric rad fan. By then it should be ready to pass onto my daughter!

My Mk2 has what is like a coat hanger wire that hooks onto that spring then goes between the starter and sump with a bend in it to get round the starter it's around 150mmm long, it then hooks over the lip of the sump. Its always been like that for the 50 years I've had the car, crude but it works and relatively simple to hook and unhook can provide a photo tomorrow if needed too cold (3C) and late tonight. Peter T

That’s what I used. S/S turnbuckle I shortened a little by cutting a short length off each end whilst keeping enough thread I also cut one of the U wings at each end so the bolt at each end only had to go thro one leaf of the bracket will provide a photo tomorrow Peter T

Yep if I was going to replace the Mk2’s I’d agree but I think the Mk2 is good and original my centre bar had been damaged bUt I was able to source a good replacement from UK brought the full grill but seller split it to save cartage. like you I had to replace the bottom Thin channel section as Mine had rusted The only part on whole bonnet off an Aussie CKD12/50 but fortunately I found a near fit light weight channel section which I riveted in Peter T

alternative o the center welded nut two holes drilled right thro at right angles that a small length of bar could be temp pushed in to turn to adjust the length, similar to that provided on some fence tensioners..say 1/2in apart to each other

any feedback on the selector fork thickness, interested from a future reference standpoint some 25years ago I brought my son an Alfa 33 when I had the engine rebuilt by an Alfa mechanic on checking the gearbox he advised the gear selector forks were badly worn and replaced them, he indicated the wear was a known Alfa driver issue ie young hot heads holding the gear knob whilst driving kept the forks in contact,

Colin do those crimps replicate the original wiring loom crimps ie fold the two top lugs in and then individually fold them down locking the cable, same with the sheath anchor. I brought a pair of crimp pliers no connectors around $35 here but they still just collapse the top in flattening it, not impressed there going back to Jaycar. What are the original wiring loom type called do those above do bullets Peter T

I can find the cosmetically restored gauges with white/magnolia faces ex Denmark at around 230 GBP, these aren't mech overhauled which I don't need anyway but it seems a waste replacing the whole of the gauges, as here in Aus the gauge bodies don't suffer the inevitable surface rust I see on UK used stock. Some time ago I saw a reference to or site where only the gauge faces were offered for sale in Magnolia can anyone point me in the right direction, I think all Spit models individual faces were available. Reason the daughter thinks the Magnolia faced gauges will look good with her actual black carbon fiber finished dash . Peter T

To stop the taper joint rotating whilst doing the lock nut up I first fit it with a std nut tighten it up So the taper bites and locks, then undo and remove the plain std nut and replace with the locknut, never had a problem with the assembly rotating doing it this way! Peter T

Ian like yours my Mk2 is cut in half BUT I did it for access access to oil filter and starter motor I did it when rebuilding the car so as not to damage the new paint on the bulkhead. i have a small approx 2 inch splice plate with rivnuts to join the 2 halves. My side plates also have significant rippling from new as I have owned the car since 1970 and they are original. Peter T