Nick Jones

Watching with interest. The one on my car does the job but it’s a bit rough and the number plate lenses are long gone. I’ve been toying with idea of LED converting so that the reverse light also serves as an additional brake light. Got as far as sourcing a spare light unit (equally rough) but no further…. What material did you use for the replacement lens?

No, afraid not. I think I could cobble something together to measure an existing pinion height (I have a fair amount of metrology equipment and machine tools) but the usefulness of the number obtained would rely on the measured diff being right to begin with. I’m no expert on this and should probably confess that neither of the two diffs I’ve built was particularly quiet!

There seems to be a fair bit of backlash from below the advance mech. But first, of the two springs, the lighter one, not really visible in the video, should be tight on its posts and providing tension to return the mech to zero. The larger one is supposed to be loose on its posts because it comes into play later in the process. Backlash from below can come from the drive dog being loose on the shaft or not a snug fit in the gear below

If you are reusing the same pinion in the same casing then there should be no need to change the shimming as bearings of the same number (and preferably make) should be within a thou or so.

It’s “small crank” I think. 1147 & early 1296 (FD & GE) have the same small-journal cranks. These engines, especially the 1296 are noted for their ability to rev. Later 1296, late Herald GK, MkIV Spit, Toledo & Dolly had larger journal cranks with the same bearing sizes as the 1500 and the sixes. These are more reluctant to rev. Long and short back cranks is a 2.5 six cylinder thing….

Oh… so much misery concentrated in one garage….😛 One small point that might be useful is that although the 1147 block and head are different, the crankshaft is interchangeable with 1296. I’d be inclined to start again with a fresh block and crank, though it might well be possible to re-use the pistons and rods from the original engine.

I’ve got a GE block and crank sat here doing nothing. Will need boring/grinding, but on standard sizes at present. Located in Somerset. Will be reasonably priced! Looks like there may have been a previous repair there, which didn’t hold, but you should also check that the input shaft of the T9 gearbox is not too long and putting constant load on the thrust bearing. I’m surprised to see a full circle one fail. Edit. After looking at your pics again, is it simply that the screws on the upper (non-factory)?section have loosened and come out? Or are the screws snapped off?

Do you mean from the overflow drain on the top of the float chamber, just under where the hose(s) attach? One carb or both? Have you checked whether the float has anything in it? Occasionally they spring a leak and don’t float properly….

Top one is actually from a 1500 I think. Though either manifold will physically fit 1300 or 1500. Location and cost might be helpful 🙂

Sure is 🙂 My Vitesse has parts from Toyota Supra (gearbox), Volvo (CV joints), Rover 100 (driveshafts and more CV joints), MGF (seats), BMW K1100 motor bike (throttle bodies), Vauxhall Omega (injectors), Escort mk6 (alternator) and plenty of of other smaller parts besides. The scrapyard is just a great big supermarket of opportunity 😛

Too be late maybe but good secondhand are best. The “race quality” new ones are pretty good too (the ones I’ve had anyway) but the cheap ones belong in Christmas crackers not gearboxes….

Um….. it’s an 1147 with a 6 port head. Swapping the exhaust manifolds between 6 port and 8 port is by possible in at least one direction with a little thought (ran an 8 port 4-2-1 on my 1147 for a while with twin carbs), but the inlet…. Definitely not. Same comments re. the injection. It’s possible for sure but some care is needed selecting the system due to the Siamese’d inlet ports and consequent “charge robbing” issues. Same deal as the A-series. I hear you on the difficulty of finding small jobbing workshops/fabricators. Mostly retired and/or died! Whereabouts in the country are you?

I have previously cut up the combined 1147 manifold though my goal was the opposite of yours - I was fitting twin carbs and had no alternative exhaust manifold. It was a mission and used a lot of hacksaw blades. As regards inlet manifold, it would not be very difficult to fabricate a simple U shaped tube linking the two ports in the horizontal plane. You could then either weld a plate on the top for a downdraught carb, on the side for SU or at an angle for an SU in semi-downdraught mode as used on some A-series. Worth a look at what’s out there for the A-series though cut’n shut would be needed as IIRC the port centres are just different enough to be awkward.

Hi Lucas, That is a great idea and the Spitfire is good choice being still relatively plentiful, not too expensive (though the days of people giving them away are mostly gone now) and pretty easy to work on. Spares availability is good. My son had the same ambition. Here’s the thread of his restoration (on the Sideways Technologies forum) https://sideways-technologies.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/7107-chriss-mkiv-basket-case-restored-to-glory/ He was a bit older than you when he started. His was a serious project starting with a very rough, dismantled and incomplete car. I would recommend against this. A complete, perhaps even running car needing work will cost more than a random pile of bits will cost more - but worth the extra in my view. How much of a project do you want? How experienced and skilled are you and your grandfather? What tools do you have access to? This determines what level of project you are looking for. Most project cars are going to need a lot of welding. Does your grandfather know Triumphs /Spitfires? Asking on the Triumph Club forums is a good starting point. Club Triumph (this one) and TSSC are the main ones for the “small chassis” cars. I believe also some Facebook groups. Also many cars on eBay to keep an eye on and get a feel for conditions and values. Do you have a particular Spitfire version in mind? MkIV / 1500 are the most plentiful, typically cheaper and arguably the most usable when finished. Whereabouts in the country are you? Too many questions…. Pics of my sons car

I reckon your man is holding out for a less knowledgeable punter who won’t realise the engine is done for until it’s too late…..😕 May be worth keeping an eye on.