thescrapman

I can't beleive you have broken it already! They shouldn't have been playing with the cam at all, though I will ask if they had all the timing cover etc off just in case thay have been. Chances they have just set the distributor up wrong. Set it to TDC on the firing stroke (pop the rocker cover off and make sure front 2 rockers are loose) and then make sure the rotor arm is pointing straight at no.1 plug lead. TDC maker is a little hole on the back of the pulley, or maybe a notch if you are lucky. Report back. Cheers Colin

Brian A friend has bought a couple answering that description and he paid about £1k each for them. It is worth more in parts I have no doubt, but that isn't the point. Cheers Colin

TSSC block is £30 plus couple quid P&P for members (it weighs 150g). Cheaper than the other ones available I am sure, as I think they were overseas, but much more expensive than a helicoil. Fit and forget? undoubtably. I am lucky enough to have a few spare alloy ones in the cupboard so will stick with them for a while. I am also lucky enough to know that I am the only one to have taken the engines in all but one of my cars apart, so I know no-one has butchered the block. Cheers Colin

Frederico Any change from standard will require a change of needles, or disappointment may result from the change, maybe loss of power, much greater fuel consumption, harder starting etc. If you are in need of a new set due to wear, I can recommend the services of Andrew Turner, who reconditions sets for all Triumphs. If you do some tuning on the engine, then HS4's become an easy upgrade, followed by a trip to a rolling road to get it setup properly. Cheers Colin

Dave Mike beat me to the recommendation, I put the Millers in my Spitfire, went to the south of France in 40 degree heat and did not loose oil pressure after 10 hours of driving. Have also done 2 10CR's on the stuff, thrashing up the passes, no issues. Cheers Colin

Fit the relay, but make up a dummy earth cable just for visual effect, that way it will never do the dimming. Perfect for concours competitions, no wiring loom bodgery or anything liek that. Cheers Colin

4576 wrote: how long have I got??? About a week less that you need.... :-)

yes to lower compression I am sure. There are alos some heads that are US only having different port spacings Cheers Colin

Yes is the simple answer, you will get many years service just running on unleaded. The heads have excellent "lead memory". The first casualities seem to have been Mk1 2000 engines, and a few very hard driven Mk2's. They much prefer 98 (or 99) to 95 though. Only thing to remember is that any work on teh head will then require harder seats as you will loose that memory. A US car on carbs has 100-odd bhp, a UK car on PI has 150 (CP aand measure in old type hp) or 125 (CR and new type HP) Have a good search through the archives on here, and ask lots of questions. Cheers Colin

I usually seem to have someone's engine crane in my garage, so never found a need to buy one myself.... :-) I suspect the cricket bat is for hitting the owner when he says something inappropriate... :-) Cheers Colin

Jimmmy0_0 wrote:I have to get the MPG up on my Pi as 11 MPG might cost is bit in fuel James Ah, we have an extrant for the "Tom Key Economy Award" :-) I got about 32mpg in mine and that was only driven gently when I was in the drivers seat! Time to splash some cash I suspect, costs easily covered by fuel savngs. Cheers Colin

mikew wrote:You don't really want my to do list do you? mike It's Ok for you to wait a couple of months before starting your list, it will depress all of us when we realise how much you get done before the event. As for me, I have booked in the Mk1, so I need to cure the mis-fire. If I take the Mk2, well suffice to say Mike Weaver has a head start on me... :-)

So has a dip in the Med. Martin is polishing his Speedos in readiness.

It's at Mike Helms house! I'll pm you the address. Cheers Colin

michael_charlton wrote: The only thing with that is, that tyre fitters are not allowed to fit unroadworthy tyres.....if theres still 3mm on and not defective then it would work. However a slight nick here and there would stop them fitting.....sou you have to hang a round quite a while till you find a good set Who says they have to fit them? Buy a tyre fitter (good for the excercise regime) and do it yourself. I take mine to Mr Bishop and sweat a few pounds off in his garage. Did 20 the last time......  ??)

timbancroft61 wrote:Not sure about the shagged out tyre idea, grip is needed and old tyres or cheap tyres do not offer much in the way of stickey contact! Must admit it was fun driving the saloon and was amazed to have got 10th overall. However I have done alot of these events so I should finish well. Cars of the day: James C's mega wotsits 2000 (sounds so different these days), Matt's Spittie and of course all the cars that took part in the 10CR-multi-versed or what! As I was only setting out to beat myself, the tyres and therefore grip don't really matter. No way am I good enough to compete with the best of you... yet. :-) Once I get a bit better, then a set of consumable better tyres will be in order. Then when I am as good as Matt Helm (Yeah, I wish) then I will be using up a set of Yoko's at £240 an event. Cheers Colin

jcarruthers wrote: As for tyres, I don't mind using good tyres as using old ones just makes you go sideways everywhere = slow. Ah, but sideways is big fun! Do need to get the rear tuck-under under control though. The previous ones just slid out, these ones made the back end jack up. Pick yourself up a set of TR6 rims, £100 a set is about right, and if you pick the right size tyre, you can get some reasonable ones for not a lot. 195/65-15 springs to mind as the size to go for. £25-£30 a corner max, and they don't need balancing so just find someone to fit them for you. I'm just a tight-arse and having a set of new but 25-year old Pirelli P6's to hand I wasn't going to trash my nice new Yokos. I would have used the old Firestones, but I donated them to Mr Bishop to not use on his Sprint... :-) Cheers Colin

jcarruthers wrote:Richard — it was easy once the front tyres were pumped up — the bad thing being that those decent tyres are now destroyed :( I would thoroughly recommend use of a set of the oldest and absolutely rock hard barely legal tyres you can lay your hands on.  Induces much tail-end happiness and shouts from the gallery when the mahoosive tank slapper you find yourself in sends you backwards round the round-a-bout, only for you to get a repreive because Vinnie has mullered another cone further up the course... :-). I took those shouts of "cheat" personally. They were utterly trashed by the time Russell and I finished with them. And they weren't that good for a competative time either... :-) jcarruthers wrote: My comments on the courses— they were too repetitive and lacked imagination — how many slaloms do you want to do? Lots, they are good fun in a Spitfire.. :-) But in a big saloon without PAS they suck I suspect. jcarruthers wrote: They comprised of; non-stop slaloms, annoying 90 degree gates with not enough room to enter them and those annoying dizzying roundabout things at the bottom of the runway. Should be renamed the CT Autoslalom :) Ah, you're thinking of big open events like the "pushing the rules to the limits" ones at North Weald. That is almost Sprinting, but is called an Autotest as the permit is cheaper! Going over the finish line at 70+ mph was not part of the design brief given to Nigel I suspect... :-) There should be a way of producing 2 totally different layouts that suit the big and small cars, so there is variety, from the same cone layout. I personally had no problems what-so-ever with following the course, for the first time ever I did not WT once. The final gates with the 180 degree reverse turns were tricky I have to admit, and I probably lost a second or so getting them right. Cheers Colin

I good shot that summed up Darren Sharps day in Jonathons Spitfire....

michael_charlton wrote: ..it must be that hornet stuck in your silencer box ;D It was maore like a hornet farting in a baked bean can..... :-) Shame there was no award for "Most Ridiculous sounding Triumph" Annoying thing is you weren't hanging about....

I was always told to do master and slave simultanoeusly as one will always fail just after you fix the other. I think you have a deterirated seal on the end of the spring in the master. Or the pivot pin has dropped out. Cheers Colin

I noticed we have acquired a Clan Crusader on the list today, anyone know the driver?? I suspect it could be very fast. There is a lot of car sharing going on as well, I think we have all added to Tim's logistical headache! Cheers Colin

MikeyB wrote:Mike's field is pretty smooth with nice short grass I think I must have been driving round a different field to you... :-)

michael_charlton wrote: Polished my two new tyres ............obtained in Kerkrade, Holland, after leaving a trail of rubber across the continent ! I think you need to revert your rear suspension to standard and work out what is causing the odd tyre wear!!! I suspect iffy rear alignment and dodgy shocks. The alignment has ripped the inner edges off and the socks are causing the bald patches if I remember my '70's public information films correctly. Cheers Colin

Spotted "le Bucket" in one photo, checkered roof gave it away!