Fitting oil cooler

[Anglefire]

Thanks Colin - that looks interesting - my limitation will be the length of the hoses. But there is enough to get the cooler in front of the rad and in a decent position.

 

[Peter Truman]

Colin looks good and what bling, chromed Timing Cover, Alloy front plate, is that an Alloy water pump housing, why not an alloy alternator spacer tube

Is it still like that?

Updating daughters Spit engine to 1500 and here in Aus oil cooler will be necessary, the comments re thermostat noted, hadn't thought about hanging btwn the rails but like what I see. have hit a couple of small roos in the past with Spit (they survived), bonnet needed a little beating, so I think there's enough metal in front, I've always thought of putting a plate under the front chassis rails to reduce turbulence from underneath in front of the radiator.

Peter T

 

[Colin Lindsay]

Hi Peter - what, me, bling???

The Mk1 was like that when purchased, a saloon engine block painted red but with everything chromed - I know the rocker was from new, but the timing cover and even the dipstick were too. I've replaced the engine with a proper GT6 version in black, but with the exception of the rocker and the timing cover most of the other bits are either alloy or stainless - distributor pedestal and water pump housing for example are alloy, alternator adjusting bracket is stainless as are the bonnet catches and the bonnet roller slides on each side. 

It's not bling, just me being lazy and looking for ease of maintenance.

 

[dougbgt6]

Colin! Where are the air intake tubes to your filter box?!! 😡

db

 

[Colin Lindsay]

On 09/12/2019 at 13:10, dougbgt6 said:

Colin! Where are the air intake tubes to your filter box?!! 😡

db

 

MK1 didn't have them, Doug. There's also an additional fusebox on the bulkhead beside the washer bottle that I've now removed for something a little more.... discreet. It was a stopgap after the loom went on fire one day, it took up the gap left by the melted bits... plus I've just noticed the battery clamp missing too. I must have been doing work that day and just replaced the battery for a test run before finishing off.

BTW just found this pic on an old CD burned years ago; it shows where the Spitfire cooler was fitted.

[Anglefire]

Time to resurrect this thread! (Well it is Easter Sunday!)

Sun was out and I decided to see if I could fit the oil cooler.

Tried various locations - both before and after the water rad - hanging down and above the chassis rails.

In the end the pipe length had some bearing on the fitting location as well as where the ends of the hoses ended up - they lend themselves to be connected under the cooler - which will aid draining if/when that gets done. And in front of the rad but level with the chassis rails. I haven't got any pictures of it in place - I will try and get some in a bit. 

I just used rivnuts to fix the brackets that came with the kit and added a rotational bend to bring the cooler a bit more vertical as the brackets are on the rising part of the rail.

Was actually fairly simple in the end - about 4 hours start to finish - even including trying to find the bits (sockets/spanners nuts bolts etc) that I'd either put somewhere safe or and put down about 2 seconds before.

Its not been run yet - the bolt holding the thermostatic housing is very thin and is recessed into the housing with almost no space to get the socket on. Need to find a thin walled socket of the right size 3/4" from memory - and will probably have to grind the face down to make sure the flat faces are right to the end of the tube. I think it's right (3/4 turn from the seal touching the face is the spec) but I just used a 3/4" open spanner and it was just done enough.

I haven't used any PTFE tape on the joints - I don't think its needed on this type of joint, but if anyone thinks differently, let me know!

[Anglefire]

And some pictures. The one hose is very long - compared to the other one - but sweeps around quite nicely.

[cggs]

I am removing the oil cooler assembly from my Spit 1500 for cleaning and general maintenance.  The oil takeoff uses a sandwich plate similar to the BL supplied accessory one.  I am assuming that the adaptor thread in the engine block is a conventional clockwise to tighten thread.  I am having dificulty getting it to move with very considerable torque and have become scared that I may damage a thread in the block.  The wee adaptor thing that you would use normally to install a filter directly to the engine block screws in clockwise does it not?  

[Clive]

Yes, all std threads.

[Anglefire]

Bit of a resurrection but I’ve been busy!

had another go at tightening the sandwich plate bolt this afternoon. Had to get the filter off first that proved to be a challenge and had to use a removal tool in the end that damaged it. Not an issue as I have a spare. 
 

next was finding something to tighten the bolt. There is bugger all room to get a socket onto the head and I couldn’t get enough purchase on with some adjustable spanners I have with one tip that it quiet thin. 
I worked out the size is 1”af but the head is not square but is chamfered - just like both my 1” sockets. 
so I attacked my old one (30+ years) with the angle grinder to trim the top down and to thin the walls out. 
just took enough off to grip the head and did it up a bit more.  
Fitted a new filter topped up the oil and turned over the engine to check for leaks. 
All good so pulled the choke out and it fired up nicely. 
Kept an eye open for leaks and seems ok.  
Let it idle for quite a time so it got nice and hot. 
oil pressure is nice at idle - much higher than it has been for some time - but I’m also aware that it won’t be at Normal running temperature. 
I’m convinced the oil pickup is not right or the level is wrong because I’m used to seeing the pressure go up and then drop before finally climbing again. It didn’t do that today. 
it also didn’t make a sucking noise when I turned it off - either the previous filter anti drain back didn’t work (it was meant to have one) and the new one does (714/2) or something else is going on. 
 

you may ask why I didn’t take it for a drive - well I would except I had a delivery of 6 bulk bags of various building materials on the drive this morning so I can’t get it out! 

[Anglefire]

Another resurrection!

After finally getting the patio finished (well 99%) the drive was clear enough to actually get the car out and take it for a spin.

Didn't go far as I went 70/80's style and left my phone at home! But a decent run including a stop for fuel - which turned out to be the first one in 440days - which is terrible and some pretty hard driving within the available limits. 

All the pipework was dry and the oil pressure significantly improved - idles at about 20-25psi and was 50+ at 2000rpm and was higher as the revs increased.

I've also had a move around in the garage and I can now drive the car into it and get out of the car without causing meself a mischief! 

All I have to do now is drive it about some more!

[Anglefire]

Managed to go for a longer run on Saturday. Went to a mate of mine who has just bought a 31year old Merc 560 SEC - and it needs some work - not too much - most of the issues are minor - bit of welding in the boot - dash has gone a bit milky - which is why I went.

Anyway - went the back way and got into loads of traffic but despite the heat temperature didn't get to the 1/2 way mark once- which is pretty much where it was before I think. 

Got there and had a chat etc before coming back - and like a fool went on auto pilot onto the M42 - and realised why the way I went was busy - the M42 was closed between 7A and 6 - worse still I decided to go the way I normally do and not go onto the M6 north - and ended up in Coventry!

Still - gave it some beans and had it running at 70 on the speedo - 4000rpm on the rev-counter for a good while - up the hill up the bit where the toll joins and the temperature didn't rise at all and the oil pressure remained good.

Did about 60 or 70 miles in the end. Fuel gauge was just off the full (It was full bar 6miles when I started) which is good - might mean I have got the float set right ish now too!

[Colin Lindsay]

1 minute ago, Anglefire said:

Still - gave it some beans and had it running at 70 on the speedo - 4000rpm on the rev-counter for a good while - up the hill up the bit where the toll joins and the temperature didn't rise at all and the oil pressure remained good.

Did about 60 or 70 miles in the end. Fuel gauge was just off the full (It was full bar 6miles when I started) which is good - might mean I have got the float set right ish now too!

That's good mpg; my GT6 did 180 miles on Saturday and used about 3/4 of a tank. I've no overdrive at present so 70 is about 4000 rpm  too. 

[Anglefire]

Thanks Colin - time will tell! Hopefully not in 444days like the time between the last fills! 

Going to try and get out a bit more until the rain (Though its raining now!) properly sets in - then I plan to change the fuse box and put some more circuits in. I've had a new box for about a year now....

Over drive box would be nice to get the revs down a little bit. My daily being a DERV makes 4000rpm feel wrong!

[Colin Lindsay]

19 hours ago, Anglefire said:

Thanks Colin - time will tell! Hopefully not in 444days like the time between the last fills! 

Going to try and get out a bit more until the rain (Though its raining now!) properly sets in - then I plan to change the fuse box and put some more circuits in. I've had a new box for about a year now....

Over drive box would be nice to get the revs down a little bit. My daily being a DERV makes 4000rpm feel wrong!

I rebushed the gear lever a fortnight ago and to be honest almost wore it out last week, looking for another gear... I'm in 4th, looking for 5th, then thinking because it seems to be revving so high maybe I'm really in second so down to 3rd and back to 4th again, just to be sure... my rear carb is running rich, plugs are a bit sooty so that requires adjustment; front is fine. If the new solenoid arrives anyway soon I'll have overdrive again by the weekend. It's just so much more relaxing.

[Anglefire]

Second gear on mine is not well - only in so far as the bulking rings are worn and will grind going in - especially if making a reasonably brisk change. 

One day I'll get the bits together and fit an overdrive box.