Spitfire - models/years with twin or single line systems

[yorkshire_spam]

Which Spitfires have single line brake systems and which have twin with the evil PDWA?

 

[Colin Lindsay]

According to John Thomason, the dual line was fitted to the Spitfire 1500 from FH130000 onwards.

[yorkshire_spam]

2 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:

According to John Thomason, the dual line was fitted to the Spitfire 1500 from FH130000 onwards.

Great stuff, thanks Colin. It must have been a pretty late introduction then. My Spitfire 1500 is a late 1977 build date, FH11nnnn and has single lines, sound like according to that they were factory standard.

 

[Nick Jones]

I think US and Oz (maybe NZ too) were earlier to comply with local legislation.

Nick

[Peter Truman]

only up to 69 were Spits assembled in Oz (CKD by AMI) ie Mk3, thereafter ie Spit IV and 1500 were personnel imports only, Leyland Aus & the dealers didn't sell the Spitfire as it was considered a  rival for the MG B. So unless the twin brake line was a UK option it wouldn't have been fitted to the personnel imported cars.

Obviously later classic car imports from the US to OZ would have whatever was US compliant at the time of manufacture.

Don't know about NZ.

[ahebron]

Don't recall my 1974 Mk4 having anything fancy in the brakes when I converted it to Vitesse Mk2 spec. We didnt have much legislation here like Australia. And lets not mention asbestos in cars

[Colin Lindsay]

I had a quick Net search when trying to answer YS' original post; they were fitted to quite a number of cars of the period; on Triumphs they were fitted for the USA and export markets much earlier than the UK, as Nick says, and fitted on other models such as the TR range, manufactured slightly earlier than the Spitfire. The poor Spitty was at the end of it's lifespan and competing with more modern setups such as the TR7 and was therefore improved using some of the same components.

[Pete Lewis]

15 hours ago, yorkshire_spam said:

the evil PDWA

on that subject i had a local 1500 with a serious rear cyl leaks with a new MOT !!!  and the PDWA had not sealed off the leak the driver thought a pedal to the floor was normal for an old cyou can re kit one if the sar ..really.

the replacement valves are sill prices so a simple search shows stag has such a same part no valve, and SOC list the simple 0 ring kit for a few ££ , ordered it up and 

theres the snag supposed the same but spool piston is half the size ,  so there are various versions under the same part number

in the end a clean up of the existing proved a sound repair and back on the road with new wheel cyls and shoes  

so you can re kit them ( they are a very simple bit of hyraulic kit)    , just be wary of size matters   ha !  

Pete

[yorkshire_spam]

I know that @wimpus at one time seemed to have almost endless problems with the PDWA on his Euro-spec Spitfire 1500. 

[Pete Lewis]

it is just a metal double ended piston sealed with 0 rings , it needs to be bled front rear all together , any problems are down to any differing pressure and the valve shuttles across to block the flow to the low pressure side .

in normal use the thing never moves , the switch plunger sits in a groove and if the piston is moved trips the switch to give you a warning on the dash , the oil psi switch is used to test the bulb is working when you first switch on.

why is such a poor cheap nasty bit of kit so expensive and why the serious lack of any repair kits unless you employ sherlock holmes

it no different (even less so ) than any other repairable cylinder ...makes no sense 

i wasnt SOC shop  buy hey ho  this is all thats inside C/O J paddock

Pete

[wimpus]

Only Spitfire's with Tandem/dual brake systems have it.

 

That 'evil' valve ! 🤣

 

Indeed I had problems with it.

Every year the o-rings failed and leaked..

Even after buying some at a hydraulic specialist (lasted 1,5 year).

 

Around november 2016 it failed again and removed the valve.

Fitted 2 new brake lines and since then I always had good brakes !

[Nick Jones]

Problem is that the O rings MUST be made from EPDM rubber. DOT 4 kills all other normal rubbers. Even Viton is not great.

Unfortunately even some suppliers who really should know better, do not.

Get them from a specialist O-Ring supplier (I use Polymax, who are excellent). You will need to know the dimensions though.

Nick

 

[rlubikey]

Better still, leave out the PDWA. I can tell you from personal experience that you will definitely know if you have a problem as your foot and the car feel VERY different!

BTW, my old blue Spit was made in August or September '79 and had the dual-circuit brakes. It was a very very late fitment in the life of the (UK) Spitfire.

Cheers, Richard