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


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Hi Everyone. After a total lack of enthusiasm and work for the last 6 months, Christmas came early last night when I received a message via fleabay to say that a brand new overdrive gear stick was available after my search of over two years. Well, a few enquiries and a phone call this morning (Tony at Flixitts) and a gear stick is winging it's way to the wolf cave. Hopefully this will rekindle my work in the garage as this means that all the work that I have been putting off due to other commitments and, to be honest, a total loss of enthusiasm, may get kick started. The gear stick means .... yes there is no other way... tunnel cover out, so new insulation, glass fibre treatment and inspection access for the cover, refurb kit for the stick, bleed the clutch slave, along with anything else that you can all think of. I'm sure that there is plenty more, so over to you all for a jobs list!!!

I will take this opportunity to thank you all for your advice, information, guidance, humour and indeed everything over the past 12 months. I wish you all a merry Christmas and a safe, peaceful and prosperous New Year, whatever it brings.

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  • Badwolf changed the title to **CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY** Nose to Tail - 1972 Spitfire MkIV restoration upgrades!!

Colin - Thank you. It is my intention, during the cold weather, to do a piece here on 'what to do when you take your tunnel cover off'...with pictures. Hopefully it will be a list of all those easy to do jobs that we put off as we don't want to take off the tunnel cover. It will be based around your idea of fibreglassing the old cardboard cover, insulating etc along with anything else which is a straightforward, simple but annoying job. So, everything and anything short of gearbox out (!!! not a chance!!!) that you can think of. I will be making a list, checking it twice, you gotta find out......ah, that's 'Santa Claus Is Coming To Town'...sorry.

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Pete - Thanks for that. Al the best to you and your family. 

'Tunnel Out' jobs on the list at the moment:

1. Bleed clutch slave cylinder (works after re-rubbering master cylinder but best to make sure that there is no air in the system)

2. Check gear-box oil, maybe replace even though only one about 700 miles. Also maybe fit a new magnetic drain plug if available

3. Tidy up wiring behind 'H' bracket

4. Fit new gear stick with new washers etc if needed. Refurb kit only 3 years old but probably knackered due to state of the old gear stick

5. Fibreglass old cardboard tunnel (as per Colin's suggestions on another thread), cut inspection holes for gearbox box access and clutch slave bleeding. Add new insulation.

6. Tidy up parcel/dashboard shelves, re-paint, fit Radiomobile pod speakers properly so they don't move around when cornering

7. Anything else that gets suggested in the next few weeks!!!

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So here it is, Merry Christmas...and there is no escape. 26 hours after phoning TD Fixetts there is a resounding thump by the front door. The mini-wolf goes stratospheric and there lies a brand new (I hope) MkIV overdrive gear stick. I say "I hope" as it has been put under the Christmas tree with instructions do to touch til Christmas day. A great service from a club supplier, highly recommended. In anticipation, the garage is ready, tidy, heater installed, tools sorted, no excuses. I have even found the hardtop. 2022, here we come!! Prepare for the next set of disasters...with pictures.

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Well done BW, have you had the tunnel off before? 

I fitted a UPVC one, needed a lot of fettling. Chucked away the disgusting "fibreglass in a plastic bag" sound/heat deadening and fitted SilentCoat* sound/heat deadening. 

I cut a gearbox top up hole, measuring very carefully to get it in the right place and as small (2") as possible. Then some bungs of flea bay to pop neatly in the hole. Then thought "Lets try it out, it must be 10 years since I last did it"

I got about a thimble full in. :angry:  My gearbox doesn't leak! Must be the only one Triumph ever made.

You can bleed the clutch slave without tunnel off, did that on my brother's.  He contemplated putting an extension on it to make it even easier in the future. I advised a flexible pipe that could be attached to the bulkhead, but too expensive, he didn't want to buy, tightwad!

*I initially wrote SilentNight instead of SilentCoat :lol: must be something going on?

Doug

 

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Doug - Thanks for the insight. Yes, I have had the tunnel off several times and know what a pain it is.  I fully intend to dispose of the insulation and use Silentcoat, Dodo or similar. At least I know that the original cardboard cover fits although it is in a poor state of repair. My original plan is to strip out the tunnel cover and muck. Fully wipe it over with panel wipe, gun clean or similar degreaser, rough it up, then paint it with fibreglass resin (as Colin did a while back), repairing the damage done over the years. I intend to set the tunnel on a piece of plywood covered in silicone release paper and screw it down before the fibreglass sets. Then I know that the tunnel base is flat and the silicone paper will stop it sticking to the plywood. That's the outside, then do the inside. once sorted then cut the inspection holes (I have a cunning plan) and re-fit after other work has been done, with new rubber seals.

Question - Is the gearbox oil drain plug the same as the main sump. I want to fit a magnetic version. I have one in stock but I'm not sure if it will fit. I do know that there are several versions around as I always end up with the wrong one. I do have a spare which I believe is now the right one but will have to drop the oil to find out...that can wait as this oil has only done a couple of hundred miles.

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1 hour ago, Badwolf said:

Question - Is the gearbox oil drain plug the same as the main sump. I want to fit a magnetic version. I have one in stock but I'm not sure if it will fit. I do know that there are several versions around as I always end up with the wrong one. I do have a spare which I believe is now the right one but will have to drop the oil to find out...that can wait as this oil has only done a couple of hundred miles.

Ha! Just checked Canley's the magnetic sump bolt is part 155660

Checked Rimmers and the magnetic gearbox drain bolt is 155660, the same!

Doug

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Doug - 7 grandchildren. Maybe you should have bought your kids a telly to give them something else to do!!

As for you and Lewis and Lindsay, I wouldn't want to be without any of you and that goes for everyone else who contributes to make this forum so good. I thank and salute you all.

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2021/21 New Year's Eve (11:20am)

To everyone on the forum, Happy New Year for 2022. I hope that it improves on 2021 for you all. Many thanks for your help, advice and laughs. I appreciate it all, and all of you.

Must get more productive in 2022 and catch up on all the projects started and put on hold for various reasons.

Raise a glass at midnight and smile into 2022 (as best you can).

Regards and Best Wishes BW, Lady BW and the Mini-Wolf.

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  • Badwolf changed the title to **BEST WISHES FOR THE NEW YEAR** Nose to Tail - 1972 Spitfire MkIV restoration upgrades!!

Best wishes to you all, here's to - at least - the same in 2022 if not much better. We've adapted to the lows, the only way is up, so here's to it.

Happy New Year to all the BWs big and small. Midnight? Might see it, might just zzzzz through it same as last year. 2022 will still be here in the morning... :)

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