Johnc Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 Afternoon people can I have some advice please on my spark plug colour - too rich or too lean? many thanks in advance John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 Do you use any sort of additive in your fuel as this quite heavily discolours my plugs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnc Posted July 20, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 Hi Johny no additives but I always use a premium fuel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 ok definitely not too lean so sould try going a little weaker. I know when Ive gone too far as I can feel my Vitesse bogs down slightly when driving along... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnc Posted July 20, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 Thanks Johny - I had thought that it looked that way - i’ll lean it off a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Clark Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 I use multi electrode plugs with premium E5 petrol and get a similar colour. I would say the mixture is about right in your engine. If it's very slightly rich, don't worry, our classic engines run better that way and don't like to be as lean as a modern. Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sulzerman Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 (edited) A friend of mine who served his apprenticeship at a Rover dealership in the late 1960s say's plugs should be chocolate brown. I would say yours are about right. Edited July 20, 2023 by sulzerman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnc Posted July 23, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2023 oh why did i have to look under the bonnet - after all it was running fine! I took the Herald to Reigate (from Staines) to look at next weeks job , there was a a small possibility of a shower but I thought I’d take the risk. All was well the M25 is either limited to 50 or goes no faster than 50, heading up hill towards Reigate I went to overtake a lorry gave it some beans up to 70 then started loosing power pinking and getting hot. I managed to get home OK and did a compression test this afternoon 160psi on 1+2 but 10pm i on 3+4 , suppose i better order up a head gasket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve P Posted July 24, 2023 Report Share Posted July 24, 2023 Shame definitely sounds like a failure between 3+4, I am only 5 mins from you in Egham if you need a second pair of eyes on it. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted July 24, 2023 Report Share Posted July 24, 2023 17 hours ago, Johnc said: oh why did i have to look under the bonnet - after all it was running fine! I took the Herald to Reigate (from Staines) to look at next weeks job , there was a a small possibility of a shower but I thought I’d take the risk. All was well the M25 is either limited to 50 or goes no faster than 50, heading up hill towards Reigate I went to overtake a lorry gave it some beans up to 70 then started loosing power pinking and getting hot. I managed to get home OK and did a compression test this afternoon 160psi on 1+2 but 10pm i on 3+4 , suppose i better order up a head gasket. oh dear, I hope it wasnt after leaning off the mixture as I advised😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnc Posted July 24, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2023 It wasn’t Johny - I decided to leave be. The engine was rebuilt just before Christmas and I should have re torqued the head nuts - but I didn’t. So I’m hoping that some slightly loose nuts are the culprits. I’m not going to have time to take head off for a while though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnc Posted July 24, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2023 4 hours ago, Steve P said: Shame definitely sounds like a failure between 3+4, I am only 5 mins from you in Egham if you need a second pair of eyes on it. Steve Thanks Steve might take you up on that . But I’m not going to be able to look at it for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnc Posted September 14, 2023 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2023 So my love hate relationship with this car continues. I replaced the head gasket, retorqued after running the car up to temperature and it has been running really well including a faultless 30mile journey in the recent hot weather. Over the last few months I’ve been struggling to get it into reverse without any crunching of the gears, checked fluids - all OK. Bled the clutch and the old fluid was dirty and had a silvery appearance. (Time for a master and salve cylinder replacement I thought) Bleeding the system seemed to cure my gear selection problems. The day after my 30 mile run I went to use it and there was a horrible grinding noise. I thought that maybe there was a problem with the clutch thrust bearing so decided that the gearbox should come out. (Ford type 9 5 speed) With the gearbox out all of the clutch components were fine - my problem lies in the 10mm movement forwards and backwards of the flywheel. My assumption now is that the crank thrust washers have dropped out ( the engine was re-built at the end of last year) rather than worn out. Is it possible for the thrust washers to drop out and if it is what is the cure? Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for any help John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted September 14, 2023 Report Share Posted September 14, 2023 Yes that doesnt sound good and is very typical of a loss of thrust bearings. However how they can fall out of a recently rebuilt engine is a mystery as you would expect the clearance to have been within spec which should prevent them being able to move... The good news is that if the crank hasnt been damaged by contact with the block (rather than against the thrusts) you can install new bearings with the engine in-situ. The sump has to come off and then the rear main bearing cap so that after inspecting the crank running surface new thrusts of the appropriate size can be slotted in👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted September 14, 2023 Report Share Posted September 14, 2023 (edited) John, Do you ever get over to Thames Area meetings at The George in Wraysbury? Plenty of help there and Area Organiser Mickey has loads of tools for hire. Food's good too. Next meeting next Thursday 21st. Doug Edited September 14, 2023 by dougbgt6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnc Posted September 14, 2023 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2023 Thanks Johnny - engines going to come out and go back to the guy that re-built it. Hopefully there will be no damage to the crank. I’m just a bit concerned as you say as to how they have dropped out in the first place. john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted September 14, 2023 Report Share Posted September 14, 2023 (edited) If the crank thrust bearing surface has been reground then obviously thicker thrust washers must be used so if the rebuilder got this wrong the gap could have been big enough to allow the bearings to come out. However testing for correct end float after assembly is something pretty basic.... Edited September 14, 2023 by johny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted September 14, 2023 Report Share Posted September 14, 2023 we had acase with a 1300 fwd when the flywheel made contact with the back plate and stalled the engine yes the thrusts had dropped out , the crank had worn down the main brg. cap lugs? that locate the thrusts from rotating we welded up some diy protrusions and fettled the lumpy work to resemble the original and the motor went on for 130,000 miles before getting scrapped so yes if the cap has some contact destruction its easy to rebuild it wit some care build of weld and not scrap the engine . Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnc Posted October 8, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2023 So I took the engine to the guy that rebuilt it to have a look at. Whilst I was there we drained the oil which had some worrying silver swirls in it! he called yesterday to say that the crank is scrap and it has also damaged the block, bit of a choker when only 10 months ago it was all re ground balanced and the cylinders bored etc. So the question is do I continue down the road of Old triumph engines or swap to a modern probably MX5 engine? I think I've answered my own question in as much as I don't have enough enthusiasm, skills or time for the MX5 swap. So I'm looking at replacement 1300 engines, there are 2 on EBay at the moment a spit 111 (11584581167) which is described as rebuilt and dry stored. It looks clean and has obviously been painted with a grey primer and left to attract some surface rust. Or a 1360 engine (38572400958) This one looks un molested and genuine item. The first might be a genuinely well built engine or be a bodged mess and the latter might be a genuine low miles good engine or a completely knackered pile of scrap. Should I play EBay roulette or is there an alternative. Cheers John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted October 8, 2023 Report Share Posted October 8, 2023 Has the engine rebuilder got any ideas on why it happened? What crank end float did he measure when it was reassembled after regrind and new bearings (what size purchased)? Before buying a secondhand engine I would try to do a compression test, measure crank endfloat, inspect rockers and if possible even boroscope in through the spark plug holes.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josef Posted October 8, 2023 Report Share Posted October 8, 2023 I’ve been watching the 1300 engines going on eBay recently. You should expect to get a runner for approx £200 if you’re careful. That ‘rebuilt and dry stored’ Spit Mk3 engine is imo way over priced, given how rusty it is it has not been dry stored! I’d expect internal rust too given it looks to have been stored open. Unless it’s known to be running, anything you get second hand you should expect to have to rebuild (as you say, you may get lucky, or you may not!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnc Posted October 9, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2023 21 hours ago, johny said: Has the engine rebuilder got any ideas on why it happened? What crank end float did he measure when it was reassembled after regrind and new bearings (what size purchased)? Before buying a secondhand engine I would try to do a compression test, measure crank endfloat, inspect rockers and if possible even boroscope in through the spark plug holes.... Morning Johny he mentioned that there had previously been a repair on the main bearing cap and that it was probably that that had led to the failure. Joef - I agree with your diagnosis of the price and condition of the mk3 engine - it would be my first choice due to location- the block and crank are going to have to be reconditioned regardless so my main concern is that the crank is in good condition. I really need to have a look at it first to make sure that I’m not buying another engine with a ton of trouble built in. cheers john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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