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** ON TO THE NEXT BIT ** Nose to Tail - 1972 Spitfire MkIV restoration upgrades!!


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30 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said:

es done it from under a spitfire once with a  socket and extn and knuckle on the bleeder , quirt it  on the floor wash off with water 

still needs a muppet on the pedal  &  nip before each back stroke 

so you need rent a crowd and a jack and stand under the side youre working unless youre skinny 

one down under 

one watchng the reservoir 

one pumping 

 

simpulze   !!!

Pete

Tried that, lot easier in the car.

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Mathew - Planning to do that the next time the tunnel is off (see previous post)

Pete - Will give it a go. May set up in the garage with a layer is newspaper on the floor. I REALLY don't want to strip out the interior at this point, as per previous post which should also include have gear stick hole welded and redrilled

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46 minutes ago, Badwolf said:

Mathew - Planning to do that the next time the tunnel is off (see previous post)

Pete - Will give it a go. May set up in the garage with a layer is newspaper on the floor. I REALLY don't want to strip out the interior at this point, as per previous post which should also include have gear stick hole welded and redrilled

You can lift up the carpit up at the side , cut the hole and plate after.

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A ex-friend has a Spit 1500 who had the interior retrimmed locally several years ago it looked good, but the trimmer cut roll carpet and glued it down/in so there's little triangulated fillets everywhere and trying to get the tunnel out was a PITA having to remove small make up pieces of glued carpet! Glued fitted carpet ain't a good idea in a convertible!

I did advise him before he had it done to get a molded set from Newton, but he's a tight A**E and wouldn't pay the shipping, well the interior ain't as good as it was, as the glued bits didn't go back as easy!

Pete the adjustable push rod and threaded yoke I have one somewhere is a good idea I picked mine up in a job lot of spares, but the quick release yoke option as shown in your "Merlin Motorsports" website intrigues me do you know how it connect/lock and what mod has to be made to the push rod?

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After I had replaced the clutch slave cylinder on my Spitfire, I opened the bleed screw (must be at the top of the cylinder) and the fluid just flowed out as the reservoir is the highest point on a straight through  hydraulic circuit.  Closed the screw after a few seconds and the clutch pedal worked perfectly.  No need for a second person to pump the pedal.  Or was I just lucky?

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Graham - Thanks but it still involves either grubbing around underneath or stripping out the interior stuff as I'm not happy about hacking into the tunnel cover to make an access panel while it's still in place. I have always planned to try to refill by filling the cylinder until the fluid comes out of the connection hole and then reconnect the pipe which was plugged with a grease nipple cover when it was removed. Worth a shot as it's the clutch but wouldn't try it with the brakes. I have little doubt that it won't work but I have rent a crowd on standby.

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2 hours ago, GrahamB said:

After I had replaced the clutch slave cylinder on my Spitfire, I opened the bleed screw (must be at the top of the cylinder) and the fluid just flowed out as the reservoir is the highest point on a straight through  hydraulic circuit.  Closed the screw after a few seconds and the clutch pedal worked perfectly.  No need for a second person to pump the pedal.  Or was I just lucky?

That's how the pressurised brake bleeders work; they just assist gravity a bit with no need for pumping.

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Everything is now back together but waiting for a test to see if a bleed is needed.  It has taken me 3 days to do a half hour job. Distractions. I need to get the car outside to clean up the brake fluid off the clutch pedal and footwell paint. I don't think that using panel wipe in the footwell in an enclosed garage would be too good for the health. So with good weather forecast it can wait. At least if I do have to go underneath I will have more wriggle room. Of course if the clutch won't engage it will be a push job and if it does.. job done. I intend to panel wipe over the paintwork in the footwell and then washed over with soapy water and dry. The carpet will get wiped over with detergent then power-washed. If anyone has any other good alternatives to neutralising DOT5 please let me know.

I know it's not the 'purist' thing to do but I slit the rubber boot to fit it. I was amazed how easily it went on and located around the hole. Why have I struggled so much when a sharp knife and a tie wrap was all that I needed.  Has anyone else done it this way... go on own up......

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Been playing with mine (Clutch Master cyl) for the last 2 days, It was full of dried C88p. In the end I moved it with boiling water and Dishwasher tablets. Re asembled and tested overnight in a vice.👍

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The next move was the weld up the "oval" hole in the brake pedal and ream it to 8.5mm. Nearly finished Turning a "bespoke" clevis pin!. The Pivot pin was seized solid in the Pedal, succumed to Plus Gas overnight and a drive via the vice and 2 sockets, a quick polish in the lathe👍, restored propper motion.

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Got to tackle the Brake Pedal/Master-cyl Next.

Pete

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stiff pedal bushes will play havoc with the ability to recuperate the cylinder 

they are often  the root cause of a low pedal 

wont be the first time they are so seized the D shaped location hole in the pedal bracket gets rounded off 

I have a feeling we added a greaser but sold her so it never got used 

Pete

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8 hours ago, Badwolf said:

PeteH. I envy your skill and facilities. I have a garage full of stuff, no space, to much to do and no enthusiasm to do it with!!

Thank`s. The lathe, Is a 1944 Drumond, which was consigned to the skip at a Dairy in Somerset 30 years ago before I rescued it. It really needs a thorough overhaul itself, but for the "little" jobs it works. One day I may just refurbish it properly. Got to tackle the Brake set-up next!. The skill set. Is the result of a 5 Year aprenticeship as a Millwright. We got to work with just about everything. Good grounding for a career at a Marine engineer.

But more pressing, is the issue of the cill alignment. The cause of much head scratching at the moment. And I am currently "employed" as SWMBO`s "head gardener".

Pete

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Got to spend the afternoon in the garage this afternoon but instead of doing anything constructive I ended up mopping up the brake fluid in the drivers footwell. While I had the chance I had a look over the engine to check fluid levels and stuff. Pete, you should be proud of me on the one hand...topped up the dash pots with best new, clean engine oil. The bad news are the next two questions:

1. Where is the best place to get HS2 carb float chamber gaskets or is fleabay as good as anywhere for price and speed?

2. There was no petrol in the float chambers (that's how I found that the gaskets were duff) or the 'see through' petrol filter. How many pumps on the petrol pump lever should it need before petrol shows in the filter? I must have pumped about 20 times but nothing has come through yet, and yes, there is fuel in the tank according to the gauge.

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  • Badwolf changed the title to **CARB/FUEL PROBLEMS NEXT** Nose to Tail - 1972 Spitfire MkIV restoration upgrades!!
29 minutes ago, Badwolf said:

I must have pumped about 20 times but nothing has come through yet, and yes, there is fuel in the tank according to the gauge.

Are you pumping, or just moving the lever? The lever will move, you think it's pumping, but it's only taking up the slack on the spring. If you give it a good pump towards the end of the travel you can actually feel the extra little movement that tells you it's now working the diaphragm.

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we're all proud of you  ha !!

20 pumps  well thats too many but if the pump is on the peak of the cam the prime lever wont do very much 

might pay to turn the engine to get a useable stroke

gaskets really you can get from anywhere burlen are main suppliers but they are listed by just about everyone

while the tops off do have a look for rubber slivers sitting in the back of the needle valve .

 

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First the good news, I have found a pair of carb gaskets and fitted them after checking the float chambers for slivers and topping up with fuel.

Now the bad. Still no joy with the pump even after turning over the engine quickly. Must stress that I haven't tried since fitting the new gaskets, but no fuel. Eventually took off the old fuel filter and blew through it. No problem but it was dry and grubby looking so just to be on the safe side, fitted a new one. That's how I found the gaskets. Still no joy with the pump but will try again now the carbs are primed. I will, without doubt now have slivers in the system. If anyone has any other ideas please let me know. By the way, there is fuel coming through the main pipe from the tank, but not as much as I expected, just a dribble when I took off the old filter and lowered the pipe. Before you ask, the pipe was so called injection fuel pipe that I got from my local accessory shop (not H/fords).

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I gave up with the engine mech pump for the same reason and fitted an electricFacet Cube pump in the boot with a drowned suction from the bottom of the Vitesse tank pumps ain’t good suckers.

Facet say no more than 13 in of suction head and there dead on!

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