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Triumph spitfire 1500


Chris Bracey

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Hi. My spitfire 1500 had an oil feed fitted to the cylider head  rockers which i have removed .

Questions.

A/ Could that oiler have damaged the oil pump?

B/ At the moment if i start cold with no priming i get a very brief rattle that sounds like the mains and disappears on leter starts. Should i worry about this ?

C/ What oil pressure should i expect when i connect the mg type dual gauge , my midget 1275  shows about 60 psi cold and 40 psi hot but i have read on the web the spitfire runs at lower psi more like 25?

D/ will worn crankshaft thrust washers be audible or cause the rattle?

 

Thank you 

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Worth checking that the rocker feed wasn't blanked off when the external feed was fitted.

A) Very unlikely

b) probably worth looking at getting an adapter and a filter with an anti-drain valve. (Search Wix adapter and mann W713/9 on here and other forums) Unless it persist not a major issue as long as you don't thrash it straight from start up

C) depends a lot on oil condition etc. 60ish cold, 25 hot doesn't sound terrible, at tick-over (unless it ticks over at 2K!)

D) Not sure, I've never noticed an audible sign of worn thrusts, only found it by checking the float on the crank via the pulley.

 

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6 hours ago, Chris Bracey said:

I already have a spin on filter. Is that the same as a wix adapter/ non  return valve.

No, the std filter is 5/8UNF thread and filters are tricky to find, though some decent ones are available. Plenty of "aftermarket" ones by "borg and beck", "classicgold" etc which are essentially unbranded.

The adapter is to convert to use the common 3/4unf threaded  filters (ford, VW, vauxhall even many Japanese cars) and there are some with 2 anti-drain valves.

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6 hours ago, Chris Bracey said:

Hi again where is the oil feed when looking at the head with the cover missing .

Up into the rearmost rocker pedestal.

It would be unlikely to be blanked off, 99.9% of people who mistakenly think fitting the extra feed is a god idea also do not realise it really needs the standard oilways blanking off, by removing the head and fitting grubscrews into the oilways. And if they also reduced the external oil feed to something like 0.8mm it would actually work OK. Sorry, going into rant mode....

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The Spitfire engine has a spin-on filter from the factory (unlike the six) but it's positioned slightly upwards. If you have a cheap filter (and most of the ones available with the right thread are cheap) it may be missing the non-return flap that the factory expected to be included. The good filters with the non-return are often for a different fitting thread, so a thread adapter is needed. As YS said, search the forum for full discussion.

The external oil feed is a device for putting too much oil up top, where it's not needed, and depriving the bottom where it is. Remove it. While it won't have damaged the pump, it may have starved the main and big end bearings. It may also have led to the official rocker oil feed getting gummed up. That's a small hole in the rear left corner of the head gasket - you can't see it until you've taken the head off.

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Not too big a job to check the oil feed.

  1. Remove the rocker cover.  Place upside down somewhere clean and that you won't kick it.
  2. Remove the rocker shaft assembly, working the nuts off a turn or two at a time, rather than wanging one nut all the way off, then the next, etc.  Put the rocker assembly inside the rocker cover.
  3. Give the top of the head a good wipe down with blue towel to remove the collected oil.
  4. Move cats, children's fingers, etc from the engine bay and then the coil LT lead (so there's no spark).
  5. Spin the engine over on the starter to get the oil pressure up and you SHOULD get oil starting to trickle (NOT gush 3ft in the air, just trickle) out the hole where the rear-most rocker shaft pedistal would sit.

If you have oil:

  1. Refit the rocker shaft.
  2. Regap the rockers.
  3. Refit the rocker cover.

If you DON'T have oil but are lazy:

  1. Refit the rocker shaft.
  2. Regap the rockers.
  3. Refit the rocker cover.
  4. Refit the external oil feed.

If you DON'T have oil and AREN'T lazy:

  1. Drain the cooling system.
  2. Remove the head.
  3. Find/remove the internal oil feed blocker from the top of the block/underside of the head.
  4. Refit, etc.

 

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No,there are literally dozens of 3/4 thread filters of all sorts for heights, from about 2" up to nearly 10"

I forget the part number for the one one with the double valve, but it was from something like a 90's diesel escort.

The adapter replaces the existing adapter, which unscrews from the block.

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3 hours ago, clive said:

No,there are literally dozens of 3/4 thread filters of all sorts for heights, from about 2" up to nearly 10"

I forget the part number for the one one with the double valve, but it was from something like a 90's diesel escort.

The adapter replaces the existing adapter, which unscrews from the block.

This is the Mann filter with anti-drain flap and 3/4" thread:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fiat-Alfa-Romeo-Lancia-Seat-Mann-Oil-Filter-Spin-On-Type-Service-Engine/292799773590?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

I fitted one on my Spit Mk3  (with a Wix adaptor) and it reduces the startup bearing knock dramatically, even after standing for a week or two. I'm sure if you look around you can buy the same filter cheaper.

Nigel

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Hello All

                 I use Mann W 916/1 on all the Triumphs and as Nick says you can get the for a £4 from ECP etc.

Roger

ps I they are good enough for the VW group and most moderns are 20,000 mile service intervals they should ok for Triumphs

But there is this idea that they are better at filtering after several thousand miles and should not be changed so often(Alan AKA Oldtucker was told this by a filter maker) I will try and find the information!

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You need a Wix 24037 adaptor. They are available on eBay, most often from the US with high postage charge. For example:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Engine-Oil-Filter-Wix-24037/193512385969?epid=76028267&hash=item2d0e3cadb1:g:r1UAAOSwUvheTWMs

Occasionally there may be one available from a UK seller, I got one on eBay last year but there aren't any listed in the UK today.

Nigel

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Hello Grahame,

The adaptor is well wort having and maybe justifies the postage from the USA (I got mine from Clive of this Forum but I think he has exhausted his stock?)

When you do get one, remember to screw it into the filter first, not the block, as the two threaded parts are not equal. When I first fitted mine I noticed a slight leak from round the filter so I nipped it up by hand and was shocked when the filter came off in my hand. This seems to be a common problem and there is a thread somewhere on here where someone advises putting a thick washer between the block and the adaptor, but I think that screwing it into the filter first gives the same result; certainly it gives six turns into the filter and six into the block which seems right to me.

Adrian

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https://www.ebay.com/itm/Engine-Oil-Filter-Wix-24037/193512385969?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D225085%26meid%3D428a17c973a14e249e2c06d79f04698d%26pid%3D100903%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D20%26mehot%3Dnone%26sd%3D200929849012%26itm%3D193512385969%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2510209%26brand%3DWix&_trksid=p2510209.c100903.m5276

$3.57 to buy and over $28 to post. Same part is used by the MG Midget but I had no success in finding any in the UK. Still probably cheaper than having one machined up.

Clive - if you have another spare, put my name on it...

 

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33 minutes ago, Colin Lindsay said:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Engine-Oil-Filter-Wix-24037/193512385969?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D225085%26meid%3D428a17c973a14e249e2c06d79f04698d%26pid%3D100903%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D20%26mehot%3Dnone%26sd%3D200929849012%26itm%3D193512385969%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2510209%26brand%3DWix&_trksid=p2510209.c100903.m5276

$3.57 to buy and over $28 to post. Same part is used by the MG Midget but I had no success in finding any in the UK. Still probably cheaper than having one machined up.

Clive - if you have another spare, put my name on it...

 

Need to rummage! I found them, but have since put them in a safe place.

Off for a socially distanced triumph picnic today, looking forward to seeing old friends😎

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On 14/06/2020 at 10:29, Colin Lindsay said:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Engine-Oil-Filter-Wix-24037/193512385969?_

Clive - if you have another spare, put my name on it...

 

Found them. From memory the cost me just shy of £6 each to buy/import. I bought a total of 30, I use one, so 27 others out there.

So Colin, £6 plus whatever it costs to send. They will just make large letter size, weight about 50grams.

15922135136757019013494111535537.jpg

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