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


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Ok, on your heads be it!! The only reason that I mentioned alignment is that in the video link posted earlier the central section is removed by releasing what looks like a locking stud allowing a part to rotate or slide up and down (gear selector??). I suppose marking everything and taking photos should enable me to put everything back in place. I will need the refurb kit first as the top hat washers are mangled. I will take off the whole remote unit tomorrow and have a proper look at the forked end of the rail to check for damage where the stick will have rubbed as Josef has mentioned. Pro-mechanics, I have been plagued with them (remembers leaf spring saga a couple of years ago!!!).

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the wards and forks are not generally worn   

the centre bush should have a 1/4 bolt /nut which does need to rotate one way to access the nut 

dont get involved with trying to remove the roll pin etc  just with the gear lever out the rod will rotate just enough to undo the middle bush bolt 

and the bolt in the bottom of the gear stickfits both ways round   Nah has to be bolt head to the casting  nut to the reverse plate side or 

the tail of the bolt fouls the casting and makes a |-) H selection not |-|

Pete

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Well I believe (but am not 100% sure) you can buy anything Fitchetts sell via the club shop, with member discount. Not everything is listed on the TSSC site though so it might be worth finding what you want on the TD Fitchett site and shooting an email to the club shop?

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Got my gear stick from Tony F. Mentioned the TSSC but still got charged the normal rate. Nothing about going through the club shop for extra discount and I haven't found anything on the club shop web pages to confirm any discount, but that doesn't surprise me. Club shop just be losing a fortune. Sorry PeteL and TomH as I know that you are doing your best to sort out the mess.

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Oh right, all my recent Herald panels I bought through the club shop but they were shipped straight from Fitchetts. There was a mix up with one of the part numbers so Angie phoned me, and as part of that conversation I’m sure she said we should be able to order anything Fitchetts stock in the same way (as in ask the club shop to buy it for us). Could be misremembering though.

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club dont sell a remote kit  so its canley  paddocks rimmers etc or flebay

there is TDF website its run for them by tssc thats where there is a link between the two sites  

TDF are quite selective about what is put on the site way back i was involved with updating some parts 

the tssc web shop is being revised its slow progress and it does include whats listed on TDF

finding if its on or not is another headache 

whats on TDF is here as the standalone  site  http://www.tdfitchett.co.uk/  you can see its limited 

Pete

 

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Thanks Pete. That confirms my own research. Jobs for today are remote unit off and check over. Check back of gearbox or is it the back of the overdrive unit for leaks and then order parts.

As an aside and going back to last March (2021 - page 45 on this thread), while I was taking out the tunnel cover I noticed some more traces of fluid from the clutch master cylinder on the rubber mat under the pedal, also on the pedal as well. Took off the lid and the level had dropped about 4mm since it was re-rubbered etc last year. Is this going to be an on-going problem due to rubbish seals or should I get a new master cylinder and risk it being the usual poor quality import from a respected supplier. The brake cylinder does not, at the moment appear to be weeping. I need to investigate this further later today.

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Jeff - Thanks for your encouragement. I did do the base of the gear stick a couple of years ago. That's when I discovered how badly damaged the base of the stick was but I have been waiting to get hold off a replacement...then three come up at once!!!  I had even considered (as I have mentioned) having the base rebuilt by a welder but now, looking at the state of it, I think that it's beyond redemption. The nylon bushes that I put in have already been mangled but they served for a few years and hopefully kept the on-going damage down. I just have to check the forked rod end that attaches to the gear stick for any damage and off we go...I hope.

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With my fingers crossed I attacked the remote linkage (a good trick if you can do it??). First thing .. the first bolt is not even finger tight, a great start.  The other three were done up properly and came off without a problem and the whole unit lifted straight off. Amazing!!  Not in bad condition and amazingly clean. a couple of spots of nice clean gear oil in places, things are looking up. The forked end of the connecting rod has taken a bit of damage but it should be repairable with a fine file, photos to come. The rear of the overdrive unit is dry with no trace of oil leakage, again, amazing. I have not intention of investigating anything else as a small leak from elsewhere is preferable to taking it apart...forever!!! So, it's a case of the refurb kit for the stick and linkage and away we go.

Still not sure what to do about the clutch master cylinder though.

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Good news on the connecting rod! And the rest sounds good too.

I've had one of the County branded master cylinders (from Canley's) on my Herald's clutch for, maybe 8ish years now. Seems happy enough. I went through a load of crappy eBay ones on the brake cylinder in the same period...

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So, the pictures.

The remote linkage unit is not in bad condition. This was after a quick wipe over with some paper towel. Why is it called a three rail, when there are only two?

Gear-Stick-04.thumb.jpg.41e7880154a95225f7d9630fbeb33758.jpg

There is no play is the centre hinged joint but I will replace the washers just in case. As far as I know they are original to the car.

The forked ends of the linkage have suffered a little from the lack of washers and other bits and pieces over the years

Gear-Stick-05.thumb.jpg.196ffb751b1b56e65fb3a4b429ae229d.jpg

Gear-Stick-06.thumb.jpg.70a34bcc2232b717e1cc50b656ccf4ba.jpg

..but hopefully a bit of gentle filing might just pull back the damage so that I will get a few more miles out of the linkage.  I'm not sure if the rod is available as a spare part but will have a look. 

Service pack ordered so on with the other bits while I wait.

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16 minutes ago, Badwolf said:

Why is it called a three rail, when there are only two?

That's only the remote lever that moves the three rails! The pic I posted with the new gaskets, if you look at the left-side of the assembly you'll see the three rails down inside the top cover. The 'hook' on the end of that remote lever fits into the long slot that runs across all three and can move each rail individually as the lever goes right or left across it.

DSCF4837.jpg.0143cb128c837c17f31e90f494663130.jpg.d0484a8f3594bb00e64dceeebbfe2088.jpg

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2 hours ago, Badwolf said:

Thanks Josef, I'm on to it but things have been held up by having to move all the parts out of the kitchen and find a suitable flat working space in the garage!!!

No worries. I’m currently on a gearbox parts hunt myself for 4 synchro 3 rail boxes such as yours is (I think?) so will also give you a shout if I end up with a spare shaft.

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31 minutes ago, Josef said:

No worries. I’m currently on a gearbox parts hunt myself for 4 synchro 3 rail boxes such as yours is (I think?) so will also give you a shout if I end up with a spare shaft.

I am hoing that I have sourced a shaft at a bargain price. More info when I'm sure it's on it's way.

 

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The postman has just been. The usual thump as the package drops to the floor.  R. Bros have done their stuff and I now have yet another set of master cylinder seals in the hope of stopping the on-going weep from the clutch, a gear stick washer refurb kit and this.......

Operating Shaft - Rear/Long - 129120 | Rimmer Bros

..the replacement shaft for my remote unit.  Amazingly for the princely some of £2.52 including VAT but plus carriage.  Bargain of the week for me.

It was only when I put the new one next to the old one, that I realised just how much damage there was to the old one

Gear-Stick-08.thumb.jpg.c827a66001dcea143b71cd98b009b3c3.jpg

So no excuse not to get on with refitting.  My only worry is returning it to the top of the gearbox. How do I make sure that the bit that goes inside actually engages with the rail thingies?  Any advice will be appreciated...back to the yoo-toob vid I think.

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Should just be a case of having the gearstick in a neutral position and lowering the part down. Give the gearstick a wiggle and it should feel right for neutral. I’m also pretty sure you’d have trouble getting the extension all the way on to the top cover with the selector ball arm thing in the wrong place! 

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yes just a little look see and a waggle and it all drops in place 

just to enlighten those thingy things are called Wards , have no idea why 

i machined thousands as apprentice and even proved the jig would take them upside down  

we were on peice work in those days and the foreman wasnt happy but blamed the jig not me    Phew 

2nd year apprentice got £4.9s a week  plus any bonus ...none that week

Pete

 

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