WHAT A (place to hide a) DIPSTICK

[watsona6]

Evening. I’m enjoying my spit. Took her to work today, top down through the country roads. Great fun! Anyway...... I thought I better check the water and the oil. 

1. Couldn’t find any kind of water tank to check levels?? Took cap of radiator and water came out of what looks like an over flow pipe. Is that right?

2. Went in search of my dipstick. Right at the bottom of the engine underneath some really sharp metal plate that cut my finger. Absolute PitA to get out and even harder to get back in. Is that how they are on all Spits or maybe just this converted one? Haynes manual is on order.   

[johny]

Yes car designed has improved a bit in 50 odd years! Your Spit unlike modern cars hasnt got a closed radiator system so as the engine warms up water is pushed out of that overflow pipe into a reservoir bottle. This bottle should be kept about 50% full when cold and the overflow pipe must must always be well submerged in the coolant so that when the engine cools liquid can be drawn back into the radiator.

Dont know about the dipstick but it surprises me that its that difficult to access!

[watsona6]

Cheers. I’ll have a closer look for the reservoir bottle tomorrow. All the water came shooting out of a pipe all over the drive. 

[johny]

Ah thats definitely not right. It should have a good fitting rigid plastic pipe leading to the bottle on one side of the rad.

[watsona6]

Think it’s supposedly an uprated (bigger) radiator rather than the standard one if that makes any odds?

[johny]

yes thats a common mod but it still needs the pipe and bottle to work properly

[Clive]

But importantly the radiator cap should only be removed when the engine is cold. Otherwise the water is hot and the system under pressure and will spill out at best, create a geyser of 100+ degree  water at worst causing nasty injuries. (if you need to remove the cap when hot usual trick is to put a large cloth over the cap and draping around it but a fair bit, and SLOWLY turn the cap so the pressure releases slowly. Water will still come out)

[Sparky_Spit]

The sharp-edged piece of metal you are referring to is almost certainly an aftermarket heat shield that someone has fitted.  These are designed to cut your fingers and wrists until you get the hang of checking the dipstick without injury.

Having said that, they are worthwhile and do deflect a degree of excess heat from the exhaust and its manifold from reaching the carburettors, which you want as cool as possible, so do persevere with it.  

[Pete Lewis]

Of the  overflow let go on the  drive then it sounds like you  dont have the bottle.

The bottle system  also needs a cap that has a second  simple seal to seal the cap top to the filler neck  so on coolimg it sucks coolant back into the  rad.,  

Dont think  you have any of that   possibly removed for some obscure reason

Paint the dipstick   head  a nice bright colour so you can spot it easy

Pete

[dougbgt6]

Watson,

Part number 137632

once again a Canley Classics diagram

Doug

[JohnD]

Watson,

Sell your Spitfire, get a GT6/Vitesse.      In the six-cylinder the dip stick is on the opposite side of the engine, away from all the nasty sharp and hot bits!

J.

 

[watsona6]

He he. Thanks guys. Appreciated. I’ll get the parts for the cooler bottle. Pics attached to show how it is now. I seem to have some pipes terminating no where on the back too - any ideas? Probably another half hatched job! I’ve been trying to fix the passenger door today - no luck. The latch is gone (can just push it open when closed). New one ordered. 

[Pete Lewis]

The green are float chamber  vent tubes 

Pete

[johny]

so that set up is probably correct isnt it pete?

[Pete Lewis]

reckon so. . they are just a simple tube just vent  fumes and leaks and allow atmospheric in  ..........to outside the engine bay 

so when it floods you wont see it  ...whata good idea ???   

theres a tube from each carb float top cover 

Pete

[daverclasper]

9 hours ago, Pete Lewis said:

The bottle system  also needs a cap that has a second  simple seal to seal the cap top to the filler neck  so on coolimg it sucks coolant back into the  rad.,  

Hi. Is that the same system as on Vitesse, as my bottle is not sealed at all, and the level doesn't seem to change, whether hot or cold, though doesn't overheat, so never bothered doing anything about it.

Cheers, Dave

[Colin Lindsay]

Same as bleeding brakes;  as long as the pipe end is under liquid it's fine.

[daverclasper]

 

Thanks Colin, that's what I assumed.