Richard Lambert Posted August 17, 2018 Report Share Posted August 17, 2018 I am in the process of swapping engines I have one with a recondition bottom and the other has a recon head however I am a little confused with the identification of of one the engine number is FH7048HE now my thoughts were Spitfire MKIV FH = Spitfire MKIV HE= High compression engine But when trying to identify parts the number seem short by 1 digit Any help I need to get head gasket set with or without the tab? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted August 17, 2018 Report Share Posted August 17, 2018 GT6 mk3 numbers start from KE101 and progress to 5 figure numbers. I think it's the similar for Spitfires. On the triumphspitfire.com site under historymk4.com there's an early change/upgrade from FH4169 The tab indicates the gasket is for a recessed bore, you don't want the wrong one! Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Lambert Posted August 17, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2018 That Number makes scene and I think the gasket required will be without the tab ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted August 17, 2018 Report Share Posted August 17, 2018 as its the bock that determines the gasket whats on the engine the tab sticks out the back face of the block/head you need to copy whatever is fitted the head has no gasket changes they all fit after FH25001 they had low lift cam and larger inlet valves to compensate and from most parts sites the tabbed gasket and recessed bore is from FH25001 use AMJ 1209 and non recessed prior FH25000 AMJ 1149 pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Lambert Posted August 17, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2018 Thanks Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulfc Posted August 18, 2018 Report Share Posted August 18, 2018 Hi, Doug says above "GT6 mk3 (engine) numbers start from KE101 and progress...". My engine, which I believe to be original, is stamped KE 83 HE. The Comission no. is 16 and the body shell is 23 - all prefixed KE. It's been suggested previously that my car may have been a promotion vehicle as it was not put into the sales stream until December 71 but was made 27/10/70 and taxed with a 72 plate. I'm trying to trace the car's early history, soI'm really interested in knowing if what Doug says, with all due respect to someone who clearly knows his stuff, about the numbering is correct. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinR Posted August 18, 2018 Report Share Posted August 18, 2018 Engine numbers started at 1 for any series. The very low numbers probably never got delivered as they were probably factory prototypes. I have a MKIV Spitfire engine with the number FH14HE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted August 18, 2018 Report Share Posted August 18, 2018 Paul, Wow! That's interesting! I got this info from the triumphspitfire.com site they have a reference section. It's normally reliable, however doesn't make allowance for "specials" I can't cut and paste on this old laptop else I'd give you the link. You'll have to search, the site is where the coloured wiring diagrams that pop up on here come from. I found on there that GT6s sold in the USA had an option to have air conditioning, I wonder how many they got to the galleon?!! You mistake my constant ramblings as "knowing my stuff" Mr Lewis is your man if you need a guru. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted August 18, 2018 Report Share Posted August 18, 2018 No guru just a mind that sticks to the basics Dougs first on my list when the black cat arrives monday Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted August 18, 2018 Report Share Posted August 18, 2018 2 hours ago, dougbgt6 said: I wonder how many they got to the galleon?!! 200 miles a day on one galleon, Captain! Those Spanish sure knew about fuel economy! And that's WITH air-con! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulfc Posted August 18, 2018 Report Share Posted August 18, 2018 Hi again. Another interesting factor is that when I bought the car in '92 I got quite a lot of history with it. Including details of the engine rebuild. But the factory fitted overdrive had a switch on a stalk on the column as per the mk2. So now wondering if it was a pretty releas/prototype vehicle? Do any details of these vehicles exist anywhere? Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gully Posted August 18, 2018 Report Share Posted August 18, 2018 15 hours ago, Paulfc said: Hi, Doug says above "GT6 mk3 (engine) numbers start from KE101 and progress...". My engine, which I believe to be original, is stamped KE 83 HE. The Comission no. is 16 and the body shell is 23 - all prefixed KE. It's been suggested previously that my car may have been a promotion vehicle as it was not put into the sales stream until December 71 but was made 27/10/70 and taxed with a 72 plate. I'm trying to trace the car's early history, soI'm really interested in knowing if what Doug says, with all due respect to someone who clearly knows his stuff, about the numbering is correct. Paul I wondered if Doug was onto something, as my car is commission number 83 with engine KE184HE - 101 apart! I've just flicked through the Richard Dredge and Graham Robson books on the Spitfire and GT6, along with John Thomason's Guide to Originality and none of them mention the engine numbering - only the prefix KE for the Mk 3. Gully Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulfc Posted August 19, 2018 Report Share Posted August 19, 2018 Hi, The web site Doug alluded to is triumphspitfire.com. According to it the Mk3 to number 4596 did not have the engine number prefixed with a 1. It does look as though all others did. It's never dull with a Triumph! Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gully Posted August 19, 2018 Report Share Posted August 19, 2018 I suspect there's some confusion going on when people are reading the info on triumphspitfire.com. I trawled the site repeatedly trying to find the info on engine numbers indicated above and I can't! What it states in the detail table is that commission KE101 began in 1971 - ergo leaving the October to December 1970 cars with earlier numbers. The site also says on the summary page that commissions KE0001 to KE04596 were issued in 1971. Clearly both can't be right! What it doesn't do (that I can find) is say anything other than the engine references being KE. Gully Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casper Posted August 20, 2018 Report Share Posted August 20, 2018 Quote So now wondering if it was a pretty releas/prototype vehicle? Do any details of these vehicles exist anywhere? Paul Dave Pearson at Canley is the man for prototype vehicles C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted August 20, 2018 Report Share Posted August 20, 2018 Gully, To add further confusion it doesn't say when in 1971 KE101 started. KE20001 for example starts in Feb 1973. So KE101 may not run from Jan 1971? Other engine number prefixes are KF for USA and KG for Sweden (wonder why?) But no number details. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brit car fan Posted August 20, 2018 Report Share Posted August 20, 2018 FM*****HE. The FM denotes Spitfire 1500, the number is just a sequential number and HE denotes high compression (UK market). Later blocks had 28 thou recesses on the bores and this denoted by a flat protrusion at the rear end of the block and a corresponding tab on the gasket. My own 1980 Spitfire has engine number FM118602HE. Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herald948 Posted August 21, 2018 Report Share Posted August 21, 2018 On 8/18/2018 at 5:00 AM, dougbgt6 said: I found on there that GT6s sold in the USA had an option to have air conditioning, I wonder how many they got to the galleon?!! Doug At one point, there was an optional, dealer-installed "Triumph-Aire" air conditioning kit for the Herald 1200 in the US. Supposedly, it only used 1/2 horsepower. Yeah, right; like the typical Herald 1200 had that to spare. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted August 21, 2018 Report Share Posted August 21, 2018 Thanks Andy, I've often wondered about the details. Had a look around, found this, it's for TR6 but there must be others. Very reasonable at $1895.00 https://www.classicautoair.com/shop/1973-triumph-tr6-lhd-air-conditioning-system/ Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrapman Posted August 21, 2018 Report Share Posted August 21, 2018 On 8/18/2018 at 9:57 AM, KevinR said: Engine numbers started at 1 for any series. The very low numbers probably never got delivered as they were probably factory prototypes. I have a MKIV Spitfire engine with the number FH14HE. Spookily I used to have a Spitfire engine number FH14HE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinR Posted August 21, 2018 Report Share Posted August 21, 2018 1 hour ago, thescrapman said: Spookily I used to have a Spitfire engine number FH14HE Might have something to do with you passing it on to me along with an overdrive gear box. Both awaiting a rebuild. i seem to recall that you might have the Spitfire it actually came from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrapman Posted August 21, 2018 Report Share Posted August 21, 2018 Still waiting? Get your finger out!!! I reckon it was a reject and went round for rework as car is chassis FH9xx and registered on day the Mk4 was launched. i would have expected very early cars to have engine and chassisvery close together as they practised building them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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