1980 Spitfire revival

[AlanT]

9 minutes ago, Bfg said:

^ judging by your straight edge ..it looks as if the bike's tracking is out 

..but otherwise, good luck with your 100 miles !

Thanks @Bfg 100 miles done at 19.5mph average. A bit tired today! 

[Bfg]

Well done. I cycled as a youth but never did I do such distance in one shot.  That's some achievement.   I know some motorcyclist with impressively powerful machines ..who complain that their wrists and back aches after riding less !

[AlanT]

Officially finished! 

[AlanT]

9 minutes ago, Mathew said:

Well done, its always great to get that little bit of paper. Although not suppose to be needed , it gives that peace of mind that someone else has cast an eye over the car and said its fit.

@Mathew I agree. I’d hate to be in an accident in a car that doesn’t have a MOT. 

[AlanT]

I’ve decided to take the car back to being entirely stock. The slot mags have been replaced by standard wheels. 
Really these mags need (any of) fully rolled front arches (rears are fine)  or 165 tyres or upgraded front springs. I didn’t want to mess around after so much resto work as the original aim was a fault free stock car. So 155s are now on!
If anyone wants an unusually good set of Cobra mags with fresh 275/70 tyres fitted (less than 200 miles, 2021 dated) and new nuts then do PM. Have stuck them on eBay. 

[AlanT]

An update. Been sorting out a few more niggles (another wheel bearing and prop shaft UJ). 
The car now runs beautifully yet, post switch off (when hot) the front carb floods! Dry when engine switched off, then drips out of escape pipe a few mins after stopping! I can’t work it out! 

Any ideas? Thanks

[johny]

Do you have a mechanical fuel pump or electric?

[AlanT]

Mechanical @johny

[johny]

Obviously when you stop the engine there can still be pressure in the line from the pump to the carb. I think a float valve must be leaking a little and it allows this pressure to discharge more fuel in to the chamber which as the engine has stopped running theres no demand so it causes an overflow. The fuel pump non return valves must be very good so you could test the float valve sealing and at the same time check if the float levels correct....

[AlanT]

14 minutes ago, johny said:

Obviously when you stop the engine there can still be pressure in the line from the pump to the carb. I think a float valve must be leaking a little and it allows this pressure to discharge more fuel in to the chamber which as the engine has stopped running theres no demand so it causes an overflow. The fuel pump non return valves must be very good so you could test the float valve sealing and at the same time check if the float levels correct....

Thanks. Will look. Have changed the float valves but could be a too high for  ‘no demand’.

loved driving the car hard today on B roads. First time I’ve been happy that everything is just so. I’m a bit fussy that these things go as they really should! 

[Pete Lewis]

i would also suggest its a float needle problem 

either the setting or might have the dreaded rubber hose sliver jammed in its orrifice 

Pete

[AlanT]

Still tinkering to make the car reliable.
 

What’s become apparent is that bearings that have sat for 20 years quickly fail when returned to service. 
Have had to replace both front wheel bearings, all three UJs; the diff output shaft bearings (thanks to everyone for advice with these particular ones).

All we’re smooth, no movement, when I checked as part of the rebuild but have failed within 300miles. 

Glad I stripped and changed engine bearings as a part of the project! It and the gearbox are running well.

[daverclasper]

1 hour ago, AlanT said:

What’s become apparent is that bearings that have sat for 20 years quickly fail when returned to service. 

Wonder what the reason for that is?. I can't think of anything obvious?

[AlanT]

40 odd years abs 115k I expect! 

[Pete Lewis]

heavy welding on a chassis thats not been grounded  can destroy bearings as the current leaks out to the tyres and the ground

not seen on classics myself but on truck warranty we had a few 8 leggers with failed casette wheel bearings where the arc had tracked the outer races and rollers 

and at £800  a wheel someone was very unhappy with me pressing the reject claim buttons  

body builder had done major welding and not grounded the chassis  etched all the wheels bearings on some 6 trucks   £££££££s   

so i wonder if the bearings have been affected at some time with weld repairs     worth a thought 

Pete

[AlanT]

41 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said:

heavy welding on a chassis thats not been grounded  can destroy bearings as the current leaks out to the tyres and the ground

not seen on classics myself but on truck warranty we had a few 8 leggers with failed casette wheel bearings where the arc had tracked the outer races and rollers 

and at £800  a wheel someone was very unhappy with me pressing the reject claim buttons  

body builder had done major welding and not grounded the chassis  etched all the wheels bearings on some 6 trucks   £££££££s   

so i wonder if the bearings have been affected at some time with weld repairs     worth a thought 

Pete

Not the case on this one as the chassis needed no repairs. Interesting thought though.

[AlanT]

I’ve finally sorted the back end transmission gremlins! Aside from the bolt into bearing that caused diff issues (in relevant topic area) I’ve been through 3 UJs on one side. The cause? A very slightly bent driveshaft yoke. 
Steve from Spitfire spares dropped me off a replacement driveshaft, now fitted, silence!!! The old one may have been clouted at some point. 
Hurrah.

[Jase1969]

Slots look good

[AlanT]

The Spit has a new friend! Another resto job but it’s a runner.

https://board.mmoc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=76961

[Bfg]

Very nice too, Alan.  

I've long been harbouring a fancy to get a Moggy Traveller ..as a second car just for around town, but finally decided against it as I already have three cars and two old motorcycles, and now pay a premium for storage space. Aside from going to a supermarket every other week, I rarely go into town anyway ..other than to pass through to the other side and head off somewhere.  The final decision was made, not to, when I discovered its interior width (48-1/2") was not much more than my Triumph, which is a little too tight for me.  Relative to your Spitfire it does look quite big ..but a whole lot of that is in those gloriously bulbous wings and proud bonnet.  Nevertheless, the Minor is a really wonderful step back in time, to what to me seems a nicer age, and if I had the space I'd have one anyway. 👍  

Pete

[AlanT]

They make great local runabouts @Bfg. Just not so great on a long run. And they do need upgrading in a few areas to be useable…like adding brakes! 

[Pete Lewis]

it will never run right with Austin stuck on its rocker cover  !! 

good luck ....plenty to twiddle over winter  

Pete

[AlanT]

13 hours ago, Pete Lewis said:

it will never run right with Austin stuck on its rocker cover  !! 

good luck ....plenty to twiddle over winter  

Pete

Yes, that worries me as well! @Pete Lewis I guess there was a period when Morris was forced to promote the ex. rivals in return for using their engines...they did love to borrow engines...MG Midget etc. This one has only 3500 miles on it since professional rebuild, duplex chain, electronic ignition & is very quiet. I do like the way a Morris fires the second you turn the key (electric fuel pump) vs. churning the Spit until the floats are filled...very different to drive. The Spit is all 'please throw me about' vs. the Morris is 'ah, and relax'.

[Bfg]

9 hours ago, AlanT said:

The Spit is all 'please throw me about' vs. the Morris is 'ah, and relax'.

I relate to that with my TR4A ..it's a fun car for a countryside blast, but sometimes one simply wants something a bit more relaxing, which is why . . .

^ mine's the one on the right.

The link to Triumph (cars) is a little tenuous though, which is why she's not appeared in these pages before.

Pete