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


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I have in front of me a "fag" lighter socket labled Power Outlet 12V 120W. The inline glass fuse is stamped 10A 250V. As a Guide,  If that is any use. Bought to supply a small inverter and a Bluetooth Speaker set.

Pete

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Thanks Pete(H). After the discussion way back on here about the fuses supplied with headlight relay kits where it appears that in the factory they were just fitting whatever fuse was handy, regardless of what they were going to 'protect' I am a little suspicious of the rating of fuses supplied with items. However, I am very grateful for your straightforward reply.

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Went out for a spin this morning. A bit of shopping but really to test my handiwork with the tappets.

Started first turn but still very lumpy on choke. Lack of power, coughs and cuts out. I just don't appear to be able to find the right spot for the knob for nice even running til she warms up (ribald comments start here!!). After a couple of miles everything sounds sweet and runs great. On tick over, not as much 'sewing machiney'. Can this just be my lack of use, or do the choke settings need fidling with (oh...heaven forbid!!!). Twiddle day set-up video needed.

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Certainly with the strombergs on my Vitesse the choke set up has taken some fiddling. As I dont drive it in very  cold conditions I needed to set it at more tickover revs for less choke. However if you go too far with this it does idle nicer on choke but can die when you try to pull away!

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Thanks Johny. I don't remember this problem so much the last time she ran regularly, but it is possible that I have upset something around the carb/throttle linkage. It took me ages to sort out the sticking choke problem which I had had for years. That was a simple bent link piece. I will have a proper look over the weekend, but I am not sure what I am looking for. Might whip out the plugs in case any are too rich/lean and take it from there.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

"Posted 3 hours ago

are you not just a bit retarded( don't take that as a personal reference ) and you old idle setting is just now too slow. i would advance it and set it by ear  turn the dizzy to the get the fastest idle and back it off a small amount ( you dont want it at "best") if this brings the idle up it then your static /bulb setting is either not enough advance or  it was too far advanced before and the idle screws both need a turn to get that right with the correct timing 

Pete"

 

Noticed Pete's reply on Alan's 'Spitfire 1500 will not run without choke :(' thread. Maybe I need to check my timing.  Now I vaguely remember something from the dark ages about how to do that.....???

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Tying in with the comments on age towards the bottom of Mathew's thread here

https://forum.tssc.org.uk/topic/7993-ptfe-or-not/page/2/?tab=comments#comment-112906

Has anyone else noticed that the cockpit of their MkIV Spitfire appears to have shrunk during the lockdown. I appear to have much greater difficulty getting in and out?? Maybe my feet have got bigger due to lack of walking during the covid confinement or is it that the new seat foams take up much more room than expected?

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Serious question for once. I know that it is in short supply at the moment but I want to order some stainless steel clips for 5/16th inch Gates Barricade fuel pipe for when it come back in stock everywhere. I have the chance of a good offer. Can someone let me know what the outside diameter is please. I have some pipe that I got from the local motor factors but, of course, there is no guarantee that the Gates is the same OD. Thanks all

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  • Badwolf changed the title to **GATES BARRICADE OUTSIDE DIAMETER** Nose to Tail - 1972 Spitfire MkIV restoration upgrades!!

Tried to get some Gates fuel line last week but Angie tells me that she has none in stock and none at Moss so I wait. However an offer came up for 10 stainless (none worm style) clips for £4.20 so I thought that it was worth stocking up for when it arrives. Also got one of those chrome glass fuel filter thingies for £3.98.

It's been a cheap Bank Holiday!! Something else to do... one day.  Well it's raining.. hard. I don't want to tidy the garage to work on the hardtop and the bonnet is under a tarpaulin under the pergola as I needed to use the shed for other things.

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My cheap and cheerful fuel filter has just arrived. I ordered the 8mm as that is the same as my copper fuel line and assumed the fuel pump, which I didn't actually measure is also 8mm due to the difficulty of getting the 1/4" fuel pipe which I bought in error, to fit. Now the question is, the fitting as you will be aware has a longer tube bit with wider nodgers/flanges/crimps towards the end.  Should the stated diameter be measured at the tube bit (which is what I expected) or at the nodgers? If it is across the nodgers then the one sent is correct, if across the tube bit then its only 7mm.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Took my problem with the size of the tube up with the seller. He informed me that there 'could' have been a batch of wrong size filters in his stock!! However he did give me a full refund and told me to bin the 7mm unit. I don't mind getting the wrong item and been given a refund but if I had needed it urgently it would have been a different matter. Moral of the story is, only buy off fleabay if you have plenty of time in which to correct the seller's mistakes. Failing that, pay the higher price (plus carriage) from the 'official' suppliers. I do appear to have been s my an aweful lot of faulty, wrong size, not as described items in the past few months though?? Yes, I know, we told you so!!!!!

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On a different point, has anyone used this...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254993582386

or something similar. I am looking for a cold galvanising product to treat a shed roof. What it is, is that my metal galvanised shed roof had as a constant stream of water falling on it from another structure with a plastic roof. The constant flow of water, where it hit the metal, has caused the roof to rust. the constant flow must have worn through the galvanising. So, I need to rub down the rusty strips, treat them with Bilthamber and then treat them. Hence the post. If you have any other product that you have used, can you let me know please.   I want something that matches the existing galvanised finish (to a certain extaent) so don't want paint of POR15 type product. This is yet another diversion away from doing something useful on the car.

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  • Badwolf changed the title to **ANOTHER DIVERSION, NOW SHED ROOF GALVANISING** Nose to Tail - 1972 Spitfire MkIV restoration upgrades!!
43 minutes ago, Badwolf said:

On a different point, has anyone used this...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254993582386

or something similar. I am looking for a cold galvanising product to treat a shed roof. What it is, is that my metal galvanised shed roof had as a constant stream of water falling on it from another structure with a plastic roof. The constant flow of water, where it hit the metal, has caused the roof to rust. the constant flow must have worn through the galvanising. So, I need to rub down the rusty strips, treat them with Bilthamber and then treat them. Hence the post. If you have any other product that you have used, can you let me know please.   I want something that matches the existing galvanised finish (to a certain extaent) so don't want paint of POR15 type product. This is yet another diversion away from doing something useful on the car.

You could try https://www.bilthamber.com/corrosion-protection-and-rust-treatments/electrox

I use it , very pleased and it goes on thick 

Paul

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  • 3 weeks later...

3,000 up

So, after the excitement of Colin's 10,000th post, we come to the somewhat non-event of this being my 3,000th.  To commemorate the event in some way, work recommences on the hardtop after a lay-off of nearly 8 months.  You may recall the dreadful state that it was in, if not, the photos are earlier on in this thread from page 42.

I now had the somewhat unenviable jobs of merrily chopping out the rust and getting the remains ready to prepare the repair panels...

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Front left hand corner

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Front right hand corner and side

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Bottom left hand fin thingie and back rail

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Bottom left fin thingie hand and more back rail

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Bottom right hand fin thingie and back rail

_MG_8363a.thumb.jpg.aa05ce58127a22aa0186326afb50663e.jpg

..some more ..awful isn't it

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Right hand quarter window frame

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Left hand quarter window frame

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Left hand top side.

All chopped out and in the process of making up the panels, you will note the location reference holes.  So, warm weather, no excuse for not getting on with it before the structural adhesive compound goes past its sell by date ..... or maybe just take the bl**dy thing to the tip!!!

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  • Badwolf changed the title to **BACK TO THE PAST** Nose to Tail - 1972 Spitfire MkIV restoration upgrades!!

Pete - Funny that you mention the vinyl roof, the original plan was to simply strip it back and paint it matt black so it looked like a vinyl roof/soft top. If course at the time I had even less idea than I do now. Whatever it was undercoated with reacted with the matt black rattle can and the job got consigned to the shed. 25+ years later, here we are.

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The repair plates are now made up and trial fitted. Purists look away now.

_MG_8354a.thumb.jpg.27cbcaf8336babe2e3dbe3ae8602647f.jpg

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_MG_8345a.thumb.jpg.d082e98c0c299d34b3cad242c43df439.jpg

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Hopefully now ready for final cleaning up, roughing up and fixing with structural panel bond and countersunk rivets. Not a job that I am looking forward to, but I know that some of you may have been waiting for this 'sink or swim' situation for some time. More over the weekend if it goes well. If it goes badly, this may be one of my last project posts!!!

 

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Thanks Mathew. Your thoughts are very much appreciated. The problem is that I have a limited number of mixing nozzles for the Thatcham approved bond so I have to move quickly to keep the bonding going through the nozzle. Each piece needs fitting individually. It needs the adhesive, then putting into place and then riveting it or clamping before going on to the next one. Of course the adhesive not only starts to cure on the repair piece, but in the mixing nozzle so I can't afford to hang about. One of the drawbacks which you don't get with welding. The advantages are that there is a greater area which is actually bonded and no heat distortion of the panels. The rivets are just micro clamps and will act as inferior spot welds. I will grind the countersunk heads smooth where needed and fill with a spot of filler when/if the profiling starts. It will be interesting and I hope instructive in the end

 

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Mathew - Thanks for your thoughts. I do have several mixing tubes and only one cartridge of bond. It is the Kent structural adhesive mentioned earlier in this thread. It is Thatcham approved for motor bodies and was acquired for me by an acquaintance as they are trade only. The mixing tubes, probably like the ones you use, are about six inches long so there is quite a bit of waste when the bond cures in the tube which is then chucked. Being Mr Mean, I don't like wasting either the expensive bond or the somewhat expensive tubes, hence my comments about moving quickly before the stuff goes off in the mixing nozzle.

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