Roger

Thanks for all your help! There is indeed a tremendous amount of information about this on the internet, but also a tremendous amount of wiring solutions depending on the type of alternator connection (2,3 or 4 connections) car model etc. The post on Sideways does not seem to be 100% correct. Still confused, but now on a higher level!

Thanks Pete, no LED in there.

Thanks Clive and Colin, then I will try using the original warning light!

Hi All, I have some problems fitting an alternator on my Vitesse. I know there is a lot of information (too much!) about alternator conversions on this and other forums (and Youtube) but I just don’t get it… John added a link to a (MG) document about this subject here on this forum, but that document is 149 pages!! And that document focus mainly on replacing a Lucas Dynamo with a Lucas Alternator. I have sourced a cheapo 60A alternator which seems to be a copy of a Toyota or Nippon alternator. Then I found another very useful instruction on sideways here In that thread Dave the author writes: “Gain access to the back of the speedo, find the ignition warning light unit/holder which push fits into the speedo. You will need to discard this as the modern alternator system doesn't work in the same way. Buy one these lamp units CWL12 (link does not work anymore)” My question is: Do I really have to buy a new warning light to make this alternator conversion work? If so why? (“doesn’t work in the same way….?”) I guess we all like to do things we are good at, and I loath everything related to electricity. Consequently I’m daft regarding all things that has wires. I would be happy to spend some time drilling out a rusty snapped bolt instead. But I will not hear that sweet sound of a six cylinder Triumph unless it gets electricity, so I just try to keep calm and carry on connecting wires (randomly…). Pictures of the alternator I got plus the wiring chart that came with it Nice colours on the cables by the way, same as the Aaland Island flag 🙂

According to Triumph 2000 / 2500 / 2,5 Register, dry engine weight is 183 kg (2000) which I think is correct. You have to scroll down a bit to find the weight. The flywheel on a GT6 might have less weight than a 2000 (?) so I would guess approximately 180 kg for a GT6 / Vitesse 2-Litre engine. /Roger

Just a mock-up, need to tighten the screews and make final adjustments to the angle of the pipe. Getting there. Great improvement, and zero £ spent 👍

Thanks Paul, that's very kind of you. Bury St Edmunds is a long way from The Aaland Island and I have to fight a bureaucratic battle with our custom for each parcel arriving. A brake hose is probably one of the few things I can source locally, but many thanks anyway!

Thanks, then I know which part will be missing when I put my Herald together again :-)

Thanks All, lots of useful tips there. I have been procastinating proper clutch bleeding a long time after my hands started to bleed when I (without success) tried to reach that %&#&& bleeding screw. I should have asked you guys a long time ago!

Thanks Pete, I will try this first and then upgrade to a Mk II version with a flexible hose when I find one. Sounds like the best solution.

I made an inventory of the brake and clutch stuff I have in my garage to see if I had anything useful. I found a small brake (or clutch?) pipe from my 13/60 that seems to have potential. I have no idea where it comes from! Only that it came of my 13/60. Anyone on here know what it is? My Herald is also LHD from factory, and I guess the plumbing work is different from a RHD. I'm tempted to do some minor adjustments on this pipe and use it as an extension for the clutch bleeding screw on my Vitesse.

I have been Googling to find what components I need to buy. Stupid question: How do you attach the bleed nipple to the break hose? Can't find anything at the usual suspects that would fit. Thanks in advance.

Thats what I need! Thanks for the picture Paul, it helps a lot. I guess I have to buy a brake pipe flaring kit (don't have one). What other components did you use?

Brilliant, never thought about that. Thanks Pete

Hi All, I have some problems with the clutch in my Vitesse. The biting point is really low, about an inch from the floor. It was not like that before I replaced my original very early HC engine (small crank) to an MB engine from a 2000 Saloon. It was a struggle to match the MB engine with the original 1966 Vitesse HC gearbox. I tried so many combinations of clutches and flywheels that I have now forgotten what’s in there! I think I have a flywheel from a MK II Vitesse + clutch cover from the HC engine. My question is: can the “low clutch” be a result of not bleeding the system properly (because it is such a pain to reach the bleed screw!!!) or have I changed the geometry for clutch plate / cover / flywheel when I had to mix parts from three different cars to mate my engine with my gerabox? Any suggestions how to reach that bleed screw without starting to bleed myself? Do you use any special tools? To add complexity, my Vitesse is LHD from factory so master cylinder on the left. Also found this on youtube: bleeding clutch tips Any thoughts? /Roger.

It would be interesting to know how ice blasting would work in a case like this. I think it might work but very expensive equipment. Any professionals offereing this service in the area? Has anyone here tried it? https://www.kaercher.com/int/professional/dry-ice-cleaning/dry-ice-cleaner-ib-10-8-l2p.html

I have been really nice and kind to everyone this year so I will ask Santa Claus if I can have one for Christmas 😇

Interesting that several of you have lifted the car by pulling the cylinder head upwards without removing it. Then I know for sure that the weight of the engine will certainly not separate the head from the block even if these engines are indeed heavy! Thanks everyone for sharing your knowledge. /Roger.

This is the broken extractor. Kamasa is another brand that I have been satisfied with in the past. But the rollers where way too soft on this one and the diameter on the rollers was quickly reduced a lot and they fell out. The cost of broken tools in this "project" is frustrating.

Thanks John, I made an inventory of my chemicals and I found I two that contains mostly citric acid. I will try them and let them work for a couple of days. The CRC stuff is a concentrate with 40% phosphoric acid and it did seem to have some kind of effect on two of the studs. They had a small "cavity" or cracks between the head and the stud so I could clearly see how the acid poured down and dissapeared. The problem with the remaining studs is that what ever chemicals I try to use it stays on top of the cylinder head. But I have plenty of bottles left to experiment with, citrus acid next! 🙂

Thanks for your suggestions Mathew, yes I will definitely try heat also when I can do some work outdoors again

Yes, I could try to shield the welding area, but the problem is that my welding skills are “limited” (understatement) so I have to practice on other things first in order to find the proper settings and improve my skills a bit before I can weld good enough on a nut/stud. I did not mention the most embarrassing failure: I did drag out the engine in the snow (only minus 12 Celsius / 10 F then…) and I was hoping that by a miracle I would successfully weld on a nut on my very first attempt in a minute or two before freezing to death. At that temperature I did not spend a lot of time practicing welding outdoors, and the result was so ugly and weak that the nut fell of the stud almost just by poking at it. No, I will not upload a picure of that weld… I have seen two buildings burn down to the ground here in my town after welding on cars. I would have to sleep in the garage after welding or be worried sick that one small pice of red hot metal escaped my shield. I prefer to wait for better weather, better safe than sorry.

I have a six pot ME-engine from a MK II saloon that has been outdoors for many years, and I started to do an autopsy so that I can see what parts I might be able to use. It is seized and I did not expect that the cylinder head would come of easy. But this one has really tested my patience so maybe someone on the forum doing the same job might find some useful tips here. There are at least plenty of embarrassing failures in this thread that you might find entertaining… I started with adding a few drops of phosforic acid around the studs and let the chemicals do some work for a couple of days, adding a few drops every day. My first option regarding tools is usually the “double nut” technique and a few studs actually came out that way (thanks to the acid actually penetrating all the way down to the block). Next plan was the “roller stud extractor” with ratchet (+extension) which successfully removed a few studs more. Then I tried to use an impact wrench on the “roller extractor” on the ones I could not remove with a ratchet. Bad idea. It broke and the stud was also severly damaged. The extractor recommended by uncle Pete is unforthunately not available in stores here and ordering online is a beauracratic battle with customs that can go on for weeks, so I bought a Bacho stud extractor instead. It cost an arm and a leg but it cracked and into pieces on my first attempt. Fortunately the store gave me a full refund. Very disappointing. Things made in Sweden or by a Swedish company usually have good quality. But this “Swedish” tool was clearly made of chinesium. Welding is not an option in my garage since it is way to crowded and filled with flammable stuff, and it was minus 15 degrees Celsius here (5 F) about a week ago which is a bit chilly even for me so no welding outdoor either. Now its raining, but welding a nut on the stud is probably my next move, weather permitting. Running out of options I tried to lift the cylinder head using a bar to spread the force. Someone said that a six cylinder Triumph engine has the same weight as a small planet so the thought was to leave it hanging one centimeter above the floor and hoping that gravity, fatigue and phosporic acid would do the work over time. Still waiting for the engine block to fall… Current status: 9 of 12 studs removed 3 now badly damaged studs remain. Waiting for spring and / or good weather so that I can try to weld nuts on the remaining studs or earth gravity to do the work for me. I Will make an attempt to order the praised extractor, it would be a great christmas present to myself, But I’m afraid it will not arrive to this remote island during this year. Suggestions, comments and moral support in general will be appreciated… Br Roger

Since I live on a small island it is quite common that people have boats, many of them are made of aluminuim. There is plenty of chemicals available for cleaning them. The sea shells can be a pain to remove so they might have potential. At least they have plenty of colorful warning pictograms on the bottles which looks promising! The one I bought contains a lot of hydrochloric acid. I bought a bottle but I have not tested it yet, so I don't know if/how they work!! Just a thought...