Nick Jones

Just broken in......

Object seems to be directly over the oil passage feed to the oil filter, so it would be a fairly logical place for an oil temperature sensor - but a strange way to do it. There's a perfectly good threaded plug a little upstream that works fine and needs no drilling. Looks like it's been there a while and will hopefully stay put.  Probably a scab that is best left unpicked......   Nick

It's not that big a job to lift the body, provided all the bolts will undo.  The bigger risk is that the closer look that that involves will result in seeing the need for more welding.....  Even a basically very sound and  long-owned car can throw up surprises........ Nick

25 thou is too much IMO. You need to allow for some thermal expansion and some rod stretch.  I went with 5 on my 2L.  This was after skimming the block to remove the recesses and then skimming the pistons back..  I don't remember what pop-up I had initially, before skimming the pistons, but I don't think it was as much as 25.  I do remember that it varied somewhat between cylinders and I spent some swapping pistons and rods around to get the most even results and each piston was marked accordingly and machined to give the 5 thou on the nose. I'm surprised you have as much as 25 as the 2.5 pistons are usually around 20 thou down from deck to begin with and the recesses around 40 thou at most.  Are you measuring in line with the gudgeon pins ?  This pistons don't sit quite flat in the bores when fitted without rings so you can get some odd measurements if measuring away from the pin line. So I wouldn't argue with your 5 thou.  It's working just fine for me.   Nick  

Rotor arm (especially if new).  Carry a spare for an instant roadside swap to prove.  Longer term buy a decent (red) one from the Distributor Doctor. Nick

If you want a small-crank 1300 as a start point I have a Herald 13/60 "GE" lump here getting in the way.  It's dismantled and incomplete but includes the block, crank and rods.  Currently all at standard size, but it will require boring/grinding.  Located in South Somerset..... As an aside, while a 1500 does have it's plus points and makes a good road engine, it really needs taller gearing than the Mk3 has to make the most of it's virtues.  IMO you need the 3.63:1 diff from a 1500 Spit as a minimum and ideally overdrive as well. Nick

I think it's pity that John's comments, clearly (to me at least) intended as constructive, have not been properly read and considered by some. In today's world there are far too many to take offence and find fault and that includes many who would consider the RBRR highly irresponsible on a number of grounds, with driving while tired, potentially very tired, being one. John's point - don't give them any ammo!  What's to get offended about?  Yes, it is highlighted in the reg, the briefings, the drivers meetings.  Yes, many of the entrants have done it before, some many times.  But not all.  It bears repeating.  Also worth remembering that John has spent a fair chunk of his working life in operating theatres helping repair RTA victims..... From my own perspective, I've done The RBRR once, in 2008 as a two man crew in a car with seats that don't recline, in fairly inclement weather and I won't be doing it again.  I treasure the memory of doing it though.  Mostly.  And I've marshalled on on every one since. I, someone who has never learned to nap, and finds it hard enough to sleep in a bed, recognise that I'm not suited to the event.  I can do one night (and have on many CT events now) but I can't do two.  The RBRR 2008 ranks in the top 3 of the most knackered out of my head I've ever been.  The other times were returning from Sydney via Johannesburg on two consecutive night flights (31 hours total) with a day out in South Africa in the middle and in hospital after surgery and complications left me unable to sleep for 3 days and nights even when in bed and drugged.  Doesn't help that they "wake" you every hour to make sure you're not dead! Incidentally, as regards driving home after the event, somebody, bless 'em, told me that booking a hotel as close as humanly possible to the finish would be money very well spent.  And they were so right.  No way could we have made the three hour drive home on top. Nick

I'd take ii). The staked ones are not for DIY use as they are fitted without circlips using a hydraulic staking machine.  There are various bush methods of dealing with them, which mostly involve getting them out without killing the housings so new ones can be installed with circlips. Nick

A little while back Chris Witor told me there are problems with the 6 cylinder variant of the Payen gasket for recessed blocks (AK280 IIRC).  He reckons they changed the tooling or are trying to use the tooling for the flat block gaskets.  Flat block gaskets not affected. Don't know whether the same problem applies to the 4 pot versions.   Nick

  Yes, exactly this I'm afraid - as above Nick

Regret that you have used the wrong gasket. There are two basic styles.  The earlier flat gaskets for the flat top blocks and the later "fire-ring gaskets" for blocks with a groove machined around the edge of the bores.  The latter have a tab that sticks out of the back of the block marked "top" which is not present on the flat gaskets. I can see from your pictures that you have a flat-top block (normal for Herald and earlier Spitfire) but the gasket shows a tab on it. The reason it won't work is that the fire-rings around the bores are thicker and don't compress down enough to allow the rest of the gasket to make proper contact and seal.  Sometimes they do compress just enough to give the illusion of sealing but fail very quickly once the car is driven.  This makes a worse mess....... You'll need to repeat the job with the right gasket.  Unwelcome PITA but the clean-up should be much quicker this time around! Slim comfort for sure, but you are not the first (by a looong way) and won't be the last either! Nick

The Burlen website is a very useful resource http://sucarb.co.uk/cf/vehicle/list/?manufacturer=Triumph&vehicle=Spitfire But note that their kits are sometimes cheaper from places like James Paddocks and even Rimmer Bro's Nick

The "sugary" stuff sounds like aluminium corrosion from the float bowl itself, most likely due to water in fuel.  E5 and E10 are more prone to water absorption as the ethanol provides a linking effect between the water and hydrocarbons so the water doesn't just settle in the tanks. Didn't suffer it on the last trip but have had problems before, usually after buying petrol at small rural French fillings stations that mainly sell diesel.  One just before our ascent of the Col du Bonett particularly sticks in mind as it made the engine knock as though we'd killed a couple of big ends whilst climbing the pass, which was quite alarming.  A dose of the good stuff (Optimax) cured it. Nick

Tend to agree.  While I've not had much dealings with the website, it does seem to do what is asked of it.

Good luck with getting insurance.  I managed, after a bit of a battle, to persuade RH Specialist to insure my elder son to co-drive with me on the 2017 10CR. He was 21 at the time with 3 years NCB...... They allowed it partly because I had been insuring the car with them for > 15 years and set the condition that he was only allowed to drive with me (only me, no one else would do) in the car with him.  1 weeks cover cost 50% of the whole years premium for me.  Not a very large sum to be fair, but even so.......  I didn't think they needed to know that the only time he'd driven the car before was on race tracks! So in one day, three firsts for him:  First time driving on a motorway (yes really, not many motorways round here), first time driving the Vitesse on the public highway, then after the crossing, first time driving on the "wrong" side (and on a motorway on the wrong side).  Also first time staying in a Formula 1 "hostile" as well but that's another story. Colin may well have a point that it could be easier and cheaper to get him insured on a provisional licence - the world of insurance is very strange at times, and he will be accompanied anyway! Nick

Are the cam followers that are not wrecked flat or slightly crowned?  They should be flat but some suppliers (including some who really should know better!) have been sending out crowned ones.  They don't last very long..... Also, some followers are just too soft to live.  Pistons look like there has been overheating at some point and also some detonation (that burning around the top ring). Not geographically convenient, but I have a Herald 13/60 block, crank and rods here, free to a worthy cause.  This is a small crank engine, so different to what you have (head will fit though).  IIRC the bores and crank are standard size but well worn.  I don't have the end plates, chain case or flywheel. Cheers Nick

I hope this is going further and faster than the last initiative........ [Sorry, link no longer available] May 2018.  And that was after several months confusion.  The stable door has been banging in the wind for two years.  Worth reading again. There are comments in there that are relevant and made by people who have long ago given up and gone away, so won't contribute this time around.  Also, email comments were invited.  I invested time in this, as did others,  I and than others I've spoken to about it didn't even get acknowledgement.  What happened to that information?  Or did the email address lead nowhere..... Anyway: Technically: Speed. response times <3s are acceptable.  8 - 15s + (as now) is not.   Platform.  As already mentioned by several, Invision forum software is already in effective use by TRR, TSSC and Sideways.  It works well and has lots of nice features.  People already know how it works.  The wheel does not need to be re-invented.  It does search and mobile access very well and has some really nice picture-handling features (though those may not all be in the basic package).  I can probably get more technical information from the Sideways webmaster if wanted. Layout.  Full width and fewer (far fewer!) divisions and subdivisions.  This part is something that can be tweaked and tuned after the main event as decent forum software is very flexible, though clearly it pays to get it as close as possible at the outset.   Politically: The forum should be accessible to non-members, both to read and post.  In my view it should be possible for anyone to browse without registering, though registering must be required to post.  This is vital to draw people in.  Personally, if a forum requires me to register to even read it, I'll skip it unless I have a really compelling reason to go further. Don't be mean with "rights" for non-members. On the old forum, non-members were able to post pictures.  When the new forum came in, that ability was arbitrarily removed.  I think that there were a few other more minor restrictions too (editing?), but memory fades.  My view is that non-members should be able to post pictures and the picture allowance should not be derisory (as it is on the TRR).  Data is pretty cheap these days.  I'm not saying you should allow people (members or not) to post 5GB pictures, 480 x 640 is plenty, but don't be mean with the number of pictures per post or impose a (low) personal limit (as the TRR does).  The ability to post pictures allows people to both explain their questions better, but also contribute to answering others questions better.  Much friendlier, more inclusive, and more likely to result in a new member.  Worked for me.   Nick  

Don't think it's the VLs Tim.  I have spaced 16Ps on my Vitesse with Capri discs that were fitted at the same time as the trunnionless VLs. Can't comment on the big stub axles and alloy hubs as I've not played with them Nick

Mrs Jones was mildly alarmed at one point..... I can't imagine why - I was much better behaved than some...... 

Oh.... gosh.... how irritating..... edit a post and the pic goes missing and can't be put back 

Nick J does have them on his Vitesse -and on his GT6 now as well, though less thoroughly tested on that. They are quite superb in the wet.  We've done two soaking wet track days with them and were able to stay with stuff that should have left us for dead. As proven when we finally got a dry track day and did get left for dead...... In the dry, they are less impressive, though improving as they wear down.  Quite squirmy (soft trad and sidewalls) and seem to hop a little rather than sliding cleanly.  You wouldn't notice on the road unless you were being very silly..... This is what happens on dry track days - just to prove we were trying!  Oil temperature @ 134ºC after 15 mins too Nick

Tim, I noted your comment elsewhere about handling and possible caster issue with your GT6.  Did this appear at the same time you converted to trunnion-less? I say this as although I've never seen comment elsewhere, when I converted the Vitesse a couple of years ago, the suspension geometry settings, toe, camber and caster were all messed up and not by a small amount either.  Toe I was expecting, the others not so much. I've got it most of the way back to where it was now though the previously excellent turn-in is still not as good as it was.  Bit upsetting as it had taken much tweaking to get it as good as it was. Also seemed to change the damper setting - can only imagine this is because the trunnion-less set-up has lower friction than the previous nylon bushes. Not intended as a negative on the trunnion-less route, just a heads-up to make sure that the geometry is fully checked afterwards and adjusted as necessary.   Nick

Does look like there could be a problem with the fork dowel...... One further possibility (like you need any more!) is that it has the wrong release bearing carrier fitted (there are a few possibilities IIRC) and the one that is in there is too short.  This also gives an unfavourable angle to the drop arm. That's a very bodgy bodge you've got there.  Ugly.  The packing washers are also unpromising...... Nick