Spit 1500 / FOX

[yorkshire_spam]

Hope you are enjoying the Sprint while you have the chance! 

[WIMPUS]

23 hours ago, yorkshire_spam said:

Hope you are enjoying the Sprint while you have the chance! 

Picking it up tomorrow ! 

Just hope it passes, then we need to first fix the TR5 and then sort out the Dolly's suspension.

Edited May 3 by WIMPUS

[WIMPUS]

Fox parked in the shed and Dolly could come out.🙃

 

Then... took the TR5 diff apart.

The noisemaker found !

[WIMPUS]

Another thing added to my tool kit.

And needed/wanted for a while now.

Fuel pressure / vacuum gauge for carb cars.

Tested it on the Dolly and steady reading of 2,5 psi.

So spot on !

[WIMPUS]

Yesterday put the Dolly on the lift at work.

 

As you can see, never been undersealed in 46 years time.

But owner is panning a resto to save it.

And oh .. windscreen leaks very badly when parked outside when raining 😅😅

[WIMPUS]

Today after work a teacher offered to help out to setup the light and emissions check.

All done snd hopefully will pass the inspection.

 

I do so like to drive this car 😅

If i only had the money... 

[WIMPUS]

This morning D-day.

A few people that where waiting in line to get there car inspected came over to look at the Dolly, even a tester stopped work to come and look 😆

 

Ofcourse she passed !

Then adjusted the carbs again & I drove the Dolly back to its owner.

Then swaped the Dolly for ... Fox !

But as I was there, more work done on the TR5 diff.

I hope to get it sort of ready tomorrow.

[WIMPUS]

Today more TR5 diff stuff.

Endfloat was set up and then it was ready to put back together.

And touch up paint in the sun while we where eating.

Then put it back under the car.

Another Triumph friend popped by and gave me a hand with the exhaust and testdrive time...

 

Eum.. the noise was still there.

As the owner still cant do much due to hernia, I popped by the same friend that popped by earlier (as only 3 streets away).

He jumped in the car and told me it was loud at the left.

I couldnt hear it as the car has a very loud exhaust under it.

 

So we had a look for a recon hub assembly.. no go.

Prices in europe.. wow.. 470 euro for a new one (think it used to be 250 euro)

Found one at Bastuck for 290 euro, for that price I cant take it apart (will try to take the old one apart to have a look and learning).

So i know what i will do next weekend probably..

[WIMPUS]

Yesterday another job..

A guy his spitfire was running crap.

Broke down 7 times (you think they learn to leave it alone by then...)

 

I told him, you take your old exhaust off, otherwise I will go home again.

As he wanted it fully sorted out in 1 day !

So, fitted the exhaust, k&n filters, AAR needles (AAQ where better, but didnt listen to me again).

Re-checked valves, exhaust on cil no 4 to much play.

Then started up, but not running nicely.

Suddenly a backfire and dead.

Tried to restart it .. nothing.

This was the thing he had 7 times before.

 

Ok... i turn the engine.. rotor arm not spinning !!

Checked.. dizzy wasnt pushed it deep enough.

I know he told me he checked the timing of his csi dizzy before.. so i think he never installed it right, or even timed it right !

Installed it good, it would fire up, started to adjust timing, mixture etc etc.

Now runs smoothly, but again he didnt want to do a testdrive as it was going to rain.

Told him it will be his problem is it wasnt running right, as you best drive it and adjust the carbs better then.

Changed the oil as it was mostly fuel and black as hell.

 

Sometimes its no fun with owners like this, they really destroy these cars.

Told him 5 times his new exhaust wasnt standard, so original fittings would not fit..

Ofcourse "that Y piece is hanging loose, there should be a strap to the diff"

Yes, told you need to make something yourself, i guess... i will need to make something.

Cooling system got to hot he said to.

Checked voltage stabilizer.. its all over the place, but not giving 10 volts, but more..

So will rebuild it to solid state.

In july it needs inspection, told him, bring the car to me for a week and i will try to sort out all the little things.

Nope.. 

I was glad I was home...

[WIMPUS]

Also yesterday, local guy called me up.

Broke down, steam from under the bonnet..

Coolant hose between heater valve and heater split open.

Gave him instructions to route the hose to the heater valve from inlet to water return pipe.

So disconect the heater fully so he could drive to home and he made it to home.

So will need to have a look this week.

[WIMPUS]

Parts arrived... so time to sort out the TR5 for once and for all.

 

New hub assembly from Bastuck fitted.

Took both sides out, it was indeed the left wheelbearings that are noisy.

Swapped uj and shaft and fitted all back.

Then the owner took a testdrive and all the noise where gone! 

A Spitfire arrived for a service to.

But one rear brake adjuster was binding very badly.

Took the left rear break apart and sorted it out.

Now just need an alternator bracket, as his was welded and cracking ...

Then time to clean up and.. take the TR5 for a testdrive myself.

Its such a beast of a car !

Edited May 26 by WIMPUS
.

[WIMPUS]

Now late Spitfire alternator brackets.. 

How can they remake them so badly? 🙄

 

Original vs new.

[WIMPUS]

It was a busy weekend.

Saturday been to 3 Triumphs to fix little things.

First new fuel pump etc for the TR250

Then to the red Spit, 2nd hand alternator bracket, as his was cracking and was badly welded.

It fell apart when i got it loose.

Fitted new anti roll bar bushes to.

Then to another red one, temp sender is iffy, need to investigate more.

 

Then yesterday a local came over for a full coolant flush.

An aug 1973 mkIV/1500, originally for the north USA market.

Rear engine cooling drain plug was blocked, heater and valve to.

Got it all clear.

On the testdrive i found the brakes not great, spongy.

But cooling system and temp spot on.

Owner arrived and i took a look under the car.. drip drip..

Rear left brake flexi bad !

No way im letting him drive home!

Lucky i had spares, fitted 2 new rear flexi, bled and all good, stops well now.

Edited June 3 by WIMPUS

[WIMPUS]

Anyone seen this ?

New top rad hose without any webbing inside, just rubber.

It blew up like a balloon!

I didnt thrust it, so out on another hose i had in my stock.

It was only 30mins on the car, aready cracking on the inside 🤔

 

Edited June 3 by WIMPUS

[Dannyb]

3 hours ago, WIMPUS said:

Anyone seen this ?

New top rad hose without any webbing inside, just rubber.

It blew up like a balloon!

I didnt thrust it, so out on another hose i had in my stock.

It was only 30mins on the car, aready cracking on the inside 🤔

 

Yeah had one of them. Lasted longer than your one, about 5 minutes longer. ☹️

Danny 

[WIMPUS]

Another rear bearing fail...

Hub puller did the trick again.

 

Bearing kit was fitted end of sept 2023 (one before that april 2023), so not old again and on the same side..

 

Changed the whole shaft to a spare I had (a good used one).

Suspect the famous needle bearing fail again.

Chineese bearings don't help..time to find better ones, maybe Koyo.

 

Tomorrow will get the housing off the shaft and see.

[WIMPUS]

Been a bit busy with half shafts.

Time to rebuild them with quality parts and even fix lightly damaged ones.

Me and my uncle have a plan, a very cunning one !

Parts are bought, so will see how it goes.

+ I got a very rusty shaft apart, the hub puller i got is very good.

Still had all original bearings.

Sadly, only think i can re-use is the bearing housing and some little stuff.

Hub is bend, brake backing plate bend etc..

Think it still had NOS grease in it 😅

[Rubce]

The design of the driveshafts is shocking. The shaft is scrap by the time you hear the needle roller bearing rumbling and the shafts are becoming expensive! 

[WIMPUS]

10 hours ago, Rubce said:

The design of the driveshafts is shocking. The shaft is scrap by the time you hear the needle roller bearing rumbling and the shafts are becoming expensive! 

In sept 2023 i was lucky, no marking on the shaft.

Now it did, but just one next to the bearing.. 

 

We are now modifying a housing etc.

Will post on it later when we sorted it out 😅

[WIMPUS]

Another thing i'm testing..

Few weeks ago bought a fuel pressure gauge kit to test on a Spitfire.

It was running out of the carbs..

After that tested it on the Dolly Sprint (original pump), had a steady 2,5 psi.

Then tested Fox... 6 to 7 psi just like that one Spit..

I did sometimes got little leak at the float chambers..

So rebuild my Malpassi fuel regulator (had it on Fox in 2018 with electric pump.. that failed).

Installed it this weekend.

Now set at 2,5 / 3 psi.

She seems to be pretty happy now, more smooth etc.

Fuel pump still leaks oil, think its the NOS spacer etc.

 

Will see how it goes now.

[WIMPUS]

Yesterday been to the British Autojumble in the Netherlands.

A lot of cars turned up, needed to wait 30 mins to enter the event.

Fox did it great again, got 46mpg !

 

 

A guy i know from these dutch events arrived in his daily..  Dolomite Sprint !

On the rear screen there was this sticker.

He isnt lying.. as his other car is a Spitfire 1500 😆

He was thinking of coming over with the Spit, but people come over when he's with the Dolly.

 

[WIMPUS]

This morning done a little 100 mile trip with a friend.

It was today exactly 46 years ago that Fox was at 'British Leyland Industries Belgium (Seneffe)'.

 

A view from over the bridge (and big Leyland sign).

Back then:

 

Today:

[WIMPUS]

7Another thing i did.

Well, my uncle helped a lot and another local Spit 6 owner that did this mod.

After my recent rear needle bearing fail.

Ok, probably mostly due to chinees bearings.

But i had a bad shaft and damaged housing anyway.

So.. i fitted a sleeve over the shaft that is the same diameter of the needle bearing, but 26mm wide.

 

Then we machined the housing, so we could fit the bigger and wider bearing.

Outer is original spec.

Inner seal is a modern one.

All bearings are now Koyo.

 

Original vs bigger needle bearing.

[Martins Stag]

looks very good Wimpus keep us up to date with how it goes? 

[WIMPUS]

2 hours ago, Martins Stag said:

looks very good Wimpus keep us up to date with how it goes? 

For now this will be stored a spare.

But im now in search of another bad housing to do one more.

I dont want to use a good re-usable one.

 

Did play with the idea to change bearings to Koyo on the existing shafts.

But again.. i dont want to open up the can of worms right now.

Will see 🫣