My Spitfire 1500.

[Richeee]

Not a restoration so could not go in that secction , but wanted to just update and keep a record as I become the next custodian of my Pageant blue spitfire 1500.

Arrived Sat but due to myself mucking upthe insurance could not drive to Sunday.   Like a little boy waiting for Christmas. Now insured via Peter James.   Not got agreed valuation but must get it sorted.

Knew from test drive the brake pedal was soft.  So bled the brakes first thing Sunday.   Could not use my normal two 'little bleeders' who have left home.    All the effort i spent on down, hold it, release, check fluid level wasted on them.  Actually the daughters back Friday and sure she will enjoy a bit of bonding time with Dad sat in the Spit.   

Anyway still soft.   Even though i have expensive receipts from the previous owner for numerous brake parts, have ordered new hoses.    Will replace these and then replace all fluid.    Tbh think its been sat too long. Only done 270 miles in 4 years.

Set off anywaY for a 82 mile drive  yesterday across the New Forest , Cranborne Chase, Six penny Handley, zig zag hill to Shaftesbury and back.  Superb. Love it.

Few things to do.   

A. Hazard lights not working.   Will have to dose the switch in contact cleaner as a first thing.   Wanted to take for Mot tomorrow but will have to wait till i sort a few things out.

B. Steering wheel upside down...  Obstructing my view of dash.

C. Exhaust blowing.   Noticed soot around rear joint when bleeding brakes. The previous owner gave me a stainless back box that he did not like the sound of.  Liqui moly ordered and will fit new back box.

D.   Missfire under spirited driving up hill.  Going to start with coil , iridium plugs, leads, acu spark distributor, timing and then move on to carbs which are giving me that lovely twin su petrol smell.    One of the overflow pipes was a bit damp.   So will give the floats and pipes a bit of a blow out.  Then a little balance.

Got to admit though most of time it pulled lovely.

E.  None of the dials are straight.  Grrr. 

F. Previous owner fitted a lovely Blue tooth radio.  Perfect.   But behind the seats has fitted a carpetted box to put two speakers. Looks fine.  But being 6ft 3 and 19st could do with the seat back a tad but restricted by the box. To be altered.

G.  Shes running on 175 tyres.   Dont thimk thats original and the speedo reads slow.   2 or 3 mph indicators yesterday informed myself of that. Reading about 5 slow at indicated 40.   Just have to drive slower.

H.  Passenger side cardboard fell out of dash.   

I. Brimmed it but tank only read 3/4.   Will short sender and see if guage or sender.

J. Engine and radiator valences to fit. Just in boot.

Other things to do but not urgent.

Replace no. Plates for black and silver. Lowering the front one away from grill, and insert a couple of relays so that the lights and 12 volt socket are ignition controlled.  I have flattened my polo twice by not disconnecting the accessories.   In fact i now carry a battery and jump leads in boot for when i next.leave the sat nav on. Takes about 3 days.

Just a few minor jobs mot and then my efforts can go back to my 13/60 resto .   The Spitfire then being my fun drive.

 

To be continued.

Edited March 12 by Richeee

[johny]

Perfect, just sort of job list you want! Nothing too urgent or horrible but satisfying when you get the car just how you want it😁

[Richeee]

Started on my mot bits today, first off the hazard switch.    My first thoughts were to pull the switch out to the on position ans squirt loads of contact cleaner in.  Not successful. 

So had to remove it.    Out came the centre panel but my size 10 hands were not going in.   So out came the taco by reaching under and up to reased the knurled screws

A pair of pointed circlip pliers and out came the switch through the taco hole.

Took the steering wheel off because it was upside down and in the way.

Lots of contact cleaner on hazard switch.   Love these mechanical switches that today would be soul less electronics.    A good Man switch with proper contacts and mechanical connectors.  Got it working but then failed.   Blew fuse. 

After half an hour of searching worked out what the problem was. 

 

But then the indicators packed up. Tried to remove speed to find the flasher unit and broke the catch off the speedo cable. Grrrr.  At the end it was pushed back on. Hope it holds or buy a new one.

Using a series landbrover flasher unit seemed to have all things working.  The hazard umit still flashes eractically but new one ordered.

Alligned the guages so now vertical.

Next on the list was the blowing joint on the rear exhaust. Most of the system was stainless steel but the previous owner had swapped out the rear box for a mild one as he did not like the sound.  

I put the stainless one back on with moli slip.   At the front, connecting to the downpipe is one of those flexible woven exhaust connector.   Might be a bit suspect but will wait for mot man to decide.

Last on the mot list was spongy brakes. 4 new hoses were delivered today. But to be honest not sure if the original had any real age.  

After this tried to bleed and failed miserably.   Tried a vacuum pistol type machine but spent ages creating a vacuum and just pulling out endless bubbles. Wether the hose was leaking on the caliper or what i domt know. Tried all 4 and then tested pedal. Its as if i might not have bothered. Tried for a second time no luck.  

Tomorrow i will just use the old fashioned way but single handed. Pumping into a jam jar 4 corners at a time.   With loads of fluid to keep topping up.    If i keep replacing fluid iust get there. Surely.

To be Continued.

 

[Spitjames]

Great to hear someone on the same journey as me. Good luck with the bleeding bleeding tomorrow

[Unkel Kunkel]

Never had any success with vacuum bleeding.There is a fundamental weakness-  the loosened bleed screw threads can allow air to be “sucked -in”.Some  suggest greasing the threads to overcome this.

If working single- handed, I found careful use of pressure bleeding, like Eezibleed or variations  work best.

Suggest  don’t  try and bleed brakes until the rear brakes are properly adjusted  - and this might entail freeing off stiff  adjusters and ensuring the slave cylinder is free to move in the back, otherwise excessive excessive pedal travel and a poor handbrake will frustrate.

[Mjit]

Think I've got one of every "solo brake bleeder" ever made on a shelf in my garage...and it's the <£5 Visibleed that I always end up going back to/having the most success with!

[Peter Truman]

Remember to put the bleed jar higher than the bleed nipple so the air bubbles travel uphill!

[Pete Lewis]

as a 1500 does it have the split line and PDWA valve to complicate the bleeding ????

Pete

[Richeee]

Right. Think i might have it.

First thing purchased 5 litres of brake fluid.  No messing.

1 litre plastic milk bottle with hole for tube. Cable tie on tube to stop it pulling out of cap. Small air hole

Rear wheels off car so loads of access.

Rear adjusters adjusted. Little bit but not too bad.  Cylinders slid ok.

Milk bottle proped higher than the nipple and off I went.   

No valve or tandem circuits on mine.  I thought it might but no.

Using a walking stick to get to brake pedal, just kept pumping.    Nigh on 2 litres of fluid used.    Found minor weep where had changed the hoses in a couple of places. Retightened.

Tbh lot better as it was evactuating proper liquid not the emulsified mesh of bubbles that the vacuum machine was producing.  Pretty certain its there.   Rear Wheels still off as had to go visit the 'outlaws' and i ran out of time. So ultimate test tomorrow morning.   

Mot booked for 4.

Thanks all.

 

[Richeee]

New Mot this afternoon and no advisories.   Well chuffed.    It in theory did not need one but with non working hazard lights, exhaust blowing and spongy brakes it was non road worthy. 

But saw it today on the brake tester both indicators consistent and coincided.  Exhaust not blowing now just a bit tinny as its all stainless and hazards ok.   

And as the mot man said no advisories because nothing to advise on.  In theory looking at the condition of the car would not expect much but as the last test was 4 years ago needed doing. 

In my opinion all should be tested every year. But thats my opinion.

Next on the list is to sort out ignition and slight no 2 carb overflow now ignition bits and su bowl gasket has arrived.    Not out of jobs.

Really want to get back to the restoration in the garage.  Feeling inspired again.   Especially now that i have a triumph to drive again.

To Be Continued.

[Pete Lewis]

agree its wise to have an MOT how else can you prove the brakes are in balance 

good move

Pete

[andybeau]

Yes MOT needed, madness the exempt rule

[dougbgt6]

On 07/06/2023 at 17:22, Peter Truman said:

Remember to put the bleed jar higher than the bleed nipple so the air bubbles travel uphill!

I've always put the jam jar on the floor and elevated the plastic pipe so the fluid has to go up, to get down. This ensures the bubbles are going up and you don't have to balance the jam jar on, something, where it might fall and cause catastrophe.  No need for a one way valve, just a pipe and a jam jar. 

Doug

[Josef]

175/70/13 should be the right (close enough) rolling radius. See courier 456, June 2018, p 16 for good coverage of all useful tyre sizes by Phil Wilson.

[Peter Truman]

10 hours ago, dougbgt6 said:

I've always put the jam jar on the floor and elevated the plastic pipe so the fluid has to go up, to get down. This ensures the bubbles are going up and you don't have to balance the jam jar on, something, where it might fall and cause catastrophe.  No need for a one way valve, just a pipe and a jam jar. 

Doug

I found an cheapie easie bleed several years ago it has a plastic bottle with a magnet attached which I attach to  the wheel arch ie higher than the bleed nipple works a treat not a 1 man job but tidy and I don’t knock the jar over but the plastic bottle could be larger

[Richeee]

First car show with my Spit yesterday at the Cuckoo pub in Hamptworth , Wiltshire.   Nearly had time to put the choke in from leaving home to getting there. 

3 other triumphs there and a very varied mix of vehicles at this Pride and Joy meeting.

 

[Richeee]

Supposed to be fitting a towbar to my polo this afternoon but could not resist looking in the engine bay of the spit.   Thought i would check.the water as knew it was a bit mucky.  

Worse than i thought. A brown slime.

Nothing for it but to disconnect all hoses turn the heater on and flush out.     Full of brown horrible muck.   Only done 250 miles in last 4 years.    Topped up and got up to heat.   Only thing is pretty sure the bottom of the block did not get flushed out properly.   Trying to work out where the drain was.   Was expecting a proper old fashioned drain cock but it might only be a plug.   Think its on the exhaust side , between the exhaust and the back of the engine. But did not have time to investigate further and needed to research before i unscrewed any old plug.

[dougbgt6]

Oh dear!  What's the oil look like?! 

Doug

[Chris A]

22 minutes ago, dougbgt6 said:

Oh dear!  What's the oil look like?! 

Doug

Are you suggesting a PO put oil in the cooling system and collant in the engine 😨

Hope the flush through clears everything out

[Pete Lewis]

add two mugs of simple washing soda and run it for a few days then flush out 

Pete

[Richeee]

Will give it a try.    Have heard this mentioned befor but never tried. 

 

[dougbgt6]

4 hours ago, Chris A said:

re you suggesting a PO put oil in the cooling system and collant in the engine 😨

No, just some sort of lax in between systems illicit interaction, very French.

Doug

[Mjit]

18 hours ago, Richeee said:

Only thing is pretty sure the bottom of the block did not get flushed out properly.   Trying to work out where the drain was.   Was expecting a proper old fashioned drain cock but it might only be a plug.   Think its on the exhaust side , between the exhaust and the back of the engine. But did not have time to investigate further and needed to research before i unscrewed any old plug.

 

Yep, that's where it is.  Early cars had a tap but some time before we got to the 1500 it had become just a big (something like 11/16 sized) plug.

Drain the rest of the system and stand well to the side before removing it (especially if you don't have the side screens fitted)!

[Peter Truman]

If you remove the engine drain plug and nothing comes out give it a shove with a screw driver but stand to the side and wear old cloth’s rust doesn’t come out 40 years in the water industry taught me that!

[Colin Lindsay]

3 hours ago, Peter Truman said:

If you remove the engine drain plug and nothing comes out give it a shove with a screw driver but stand to the side and wear old cloth’s rust doesn’t come out 40 years in the water industry taught me that!

Poke about with a wire coathanger too, it'll bend easily and so get more into the cooling jacket round the block. That amount of crud will only shift using chemicals, use Pete's idea of washing soda, drain, flush in all directions, refill, run for a bit then repeat. The Spitty will thank you for it in this current weather!