sparky_spit

Re-reading your post above, I'm not sure this is the right bit anyway, as the lever is not L shaped?

Okay, the depths of the shed have provided these 4 items relating to 1500 Spitfire door handle stuff.  There's also a window winder if you want it.  You can have any or all of this, I can pop it in the post to you if you PM me your address.  However, I don't know if the door handle is driver or passenger side, as I haven't got a car to compare it against; hopefully you can tell by looking at the second picture? If it's the correct side, and you just want the chrome pull handle bit, I can knock the roll pin out and just post the chrome pull handle.

Okay, the depths of the shed have provided these 4 items relating to 1500 Spitfire door handle stuff.  There's also a window winder if you want it.  You can have any or all of this, I can pop it in the post to you if you PM me your address.  However, I don't know if the door handle is driver or passenger side, as I haven't got a car to compare it against; hopefully you can tell by looking at the second picture? If it's the correct side, and you just want the chrome pull handle bit, I can knock the roll pin out and just post the chrome pull handle.

I'm back too late tonight to look, but will do in the morning.

I'm back too late tonight to look, but will do in the morning.

Just seen this.  I might have one or maybe two, left over from a box of bits I had with my old Spit 1500.  I'll have a look in the shed this evening and get back to you. Just to clarify; do you want outside handle with push button or inside handle with L shaped lever?

Just seen this.  I might have one or maybe two, left over from a box of bits I had with my old Spit 1500.  I'll have a look in the shed this evening and get back to you. Just to clarify; do you want outside handle with push button or inside handle with L shaped lever?

Are you talking about the crankshaft thrust washers or the clutch release bearing?

490 wrote: Aha!! This was the problem with the last one I tried, it sat too far out and I assumed I hadn't positioned it correctly. I didn't want to use force but gave up eventually in favour of another spare I had. It's never been used but is lying in the garage awaiting the day when I could work up the patience to try it again... maybe now I know it wasn't just me.... but that's why I asked about refitting. Thanks! Davemate could tell you a story about those stub axles with the hole in the wrong place...

339 wrote: Glad to see you keeping it as original as possible Mike :P :P :P Fair point.... :P

1684 wrote:What ever you paint it. But originally it was black Were early Spitfire engines black too?  And also the heads? I'm interested as I need to paint the block and head on mine before it gets put back together and so I might as well do it properly in the right colour.

Yep, and I've put a bit of fag packet behind number 3 big-end shell so we're good to go.

Hi Stuart - I'd love to do some events such as these up north, but it's so far to travel; I have enough trouble finding the time to do the ones near to home. But one day, maybe when I'm retired, I might get to do some in different parts of the country and in some of the fabulous countryside the UK has to offer. I've noted your comment about the Hexham Classic in Oct/Nov and will bear it in mind if the intended option does not materialise. Thanks.

I take it that none of you guys filled up with E10 by accident?

thescrapman wrote: and the socks are causing the bald patches if I remember my '70's public information films correctly. Cheers Colin I'd love to know what type of films you were watching in the '70s....

1101 wrote:Problem, we have Tom Tom 1 version 3 and it has no Itinary planning facility, does anyone else have this problem? We've looked on Tom Tom forums and this seems to be a common compliant. Any ideas chaps?? Cheers, Nige and Andy in #45 TomTom 1 version 3 does not do Itinery planning. I had this issue 2 years ago and no amount of messing around would allow me to load ITN files. A call to their techincal team (via the helpesk) confirmed it - it just does not support it, full stop.  Only way to do it is to load each location's lat/long as destinations and then use them as waypoints from your "recent destinations" list. The only downside to this is that you have to wait ages as it calculates each single journey from the UK to the destinatation - took about 20 mins for each one if I remember correctly. Not a problem once they are all loaded though, as it will only need calculating from where you are at the time, and this will be be considerably closer than the UK.

MikeyB - I managed to find some NOS Hepolite 1500 ones (in the +40 size that I needed) on eBay. I've also got a new set of standard sized 1300 County pistons that I bought some years back at a bargain price, in case I ever needed them. Although there's nothing wrong with the County pistons I have, handling them alongside the Hepolite ones, the Hepolite ones just feel and look nicer and better finished, with less sharp edges, etc. I know this makes bugger-all difference once they're in there, bedded in and covered in carbon, but I still feel the Hepolites are worth searching out if you are lucky or can wait. Mine came from an eBay seller in Eire.

I dismantled the head earlier so that I could check to see if it is straight and flat, or whether it needs skimming, so that if it does it can go to Towler’s along with the block. It’s fine, but I was shocked to see the state of the backs of the inlet valve heads (see pic below) which shows that as much oil must have been going down the guides as coming up past the rings. The valve guides can’t have helped in this respect; I’ve never seen any like this before – they have a “nibble” out of the top, with a spiral groove going all the way through them, presumably to aid lubrication of the valve stems? (see 2nd pic). Anyone else ever seen any like this? They are fairly worn, so I will replace them with normal cast iron ones and with Pinto seals on the inlets. The valves themselves seem fine after a clean up, but I will mic them to check they are still within tolerance and okay to reuse. When checking the head numbers, I was very surprised with what I found. The PO of the 1500 Spit that this engine came out of had had a well known Triumph specialist supply a new unleaded head with the recon engine 10 years and 33K miles ago. I wonder if he knew that what he got was a 218141 Toledo 1300 head with the big inlet valves (1.438” as opposed to 1.380” on the 1500) and a CR of about 9.6:1? Suits me fine! (it does also explain why it likes V-power and Tesco 99 and pinks on 95RON).  What’s more, the head has had some extra work as well; I already knew that it had been nicely port matched from when I first had the manifold off, but I can now see that it has had the inlet short side radius’s done, and the lump around where the guide protrudes cleaned up as well. It all looks to be very well done too, at least to my amateur eye. But what is surprising is that some monkey has then put the unleaded valve seat inserts in, making a terrible job of it. Some seats are overhanging the port, some have a bloody great step – quite easy for me to fix with a burr, but surprising in that it seems that they went to all the trouble of doing a really nice head job on it; then getting it unleaded, and then whacking it on without a further thought.  Anyway, I’ve ultimately benefitted from it so I can’t complain. The Hepolite pistons turned up from Ireland this week, so the block is off to Towler’s any day now. Today a new Mk3 Spitfire camshaft and followers arrived from Canley’s. This is the one that is ground onto a large journal cam, so I won’t need to put bearings into the block. Very nice it looks too, and the new followers look really well made. I would have had no qualms about using some excellent used OE ones I have (not the 1500 ones!!!) but thought it wise to use new ones from the same supplier. Funny how Dave Pearson wasn’t keen on taking my 1500 cam back in lieu of the exchange surcharge when I told him what it was like… ;D  Luckily I have another large journal cam which will go back to get my £35 refunded. I was very lucky at Stoneleigh and found some NOS Vandervell VP2 main bearing shells in standard size on Doug Foreman’s stall, so that just leaves the big end shells to source.  A proper early Rolon timing chain came from TRGB’s stall.  Other stuff I’ve either got, or I’ll order later. I’ll update again, with pics, once the block is back from Towler’s.

Update...  Slight change of plan. In phoning around for new pistons, it seems clear that you cannot get them supplied with stepped top rings anymore. This means trying to find a separate set of stepped top rings in +20 or finding somewhere to step the new ones that come with the pistons for me. Whilst talking to Towler Engineering in Clacton, he also suggested machining the existing pistons (with the worn top lands) to take new rings with a ring spacer fitted. He could also ridge-ream the slight top ridge on the bores so that I didn't have to have stepped rings. I'd then hone the bores and just fit new rings to the modded pistons I took the block and pistons over to see him and he confirmed what he'd said on the phone. BUT... the cost of doing this was more than him reboring the block and me fitting new pistons anyway, so it was a no-brainer. So we decided I'd source some new pistons and he'd rebore to match them. Although I've heard good things about County pistons and was quite fine using them, he would prefer to use AE as he says they are less likely to have any dimensional differences and therefore less work for him. So; I've now sourced a set of AE Hepolite in the next size up and he'll be doing the rebore sometime over the next few weeks. I've found a source for VP2 mains, and some King tri-metal big-ends (if Stoneleigh does not provide any VP2s - very unlikely I know...) So, just need to decide on a camshaft, buy all the odds and ends, and glue it back together. Probably not now in time for the HCR (the 1300 seems to be going well so far - it'll get a good "testing" on this weekend's jolly to Stoneleigh :)), but definitely in good time for the 10CR.

Spent a bit of time this evening measuring the bores and checking the piston grooves.  The bores are very good, with very little wear, and just a minimal top wear lip on each of less than a thou measurable on the thrust side. All I'll do with these is to hone them to remove the marks and get rid of the glazing. Will probably still need to get stepped top rings though to be on the safe side. The pistons are scrap, unfortunately. Although there is a lot of thinning of the top rings, accounting for most of the slack, the top groove is still 6 thou too wide on the worst piston and 3 thou on the best. Also, they are no longer parallel and taper quite a bit towards the top. The least worn were Nos 1 and 4, and the worst were 3 and then 2. These are AE +020 pistons so I guess I'm looking at some new County ones, unless something else crops up.  Anyone got any good 1500 +020 pistons going spare? So it looks like a new cam/followers/pistons/mains/big-ends/valve guides/timing chain and usual gaskets and core plugs,etc.  Anything else worth doing while it's in bits? I had one hell of a job getting some of the core plugs out, but also some almost just fell out. The water drain plug on the block was completely blocked with hardend crud, and took a lot of poking and scraping until I found the passageway from the jacket down to the drain hole (it's about an inch lower on the 1500 block than the 1300).  Also, the previous builder (well known specialist) used silicone sealant like it was going out of fashion on this engine - it was everywhere. One interesting mod I found was with the oilway between the rear cam bearing and the top of the block, the one that feeds oil up to the rocker shaft. This had been drilled out oversize and then a copper tube inserted into it. The tube sits proud of the block face by about 5mm and fits into a matching oversize countersink in the head. The bottom end has an angled cut end so that it matches the profile of the cam bearing journal. Its purpose is to help stop oil leaks at the HG I guess?  I think it was probably originally loctited in place but this had obviously failed so that it had slipped down and was rubbing on the cam bearing journal. Luckily, being copper, it had not marked the surface greatly (although this cam is now scrap, so it wouldn't have mattered anyway). I'm not sure whether to put this back in or not. If I don't, will the oversized passage reduce oil pressure and hence flow to the rocker shaft?

Well, the pulley nut finally gave up the struggle after some heat, a BFH and some swearing. Timing cover, chain/spockets, and camshaft out. The pic below shows No 2 inlet lobe really munched up, and also No 4 inlet starting to go as well. The only use for this cam now is to use as a drift, if I decide to put cam bearings in the block. Mains and BEs all look very good. These have done about 33,000 miles. Mains are STD and BEs are -10 thou. I'm almost tempted to keep the main shells as they look perfect, but I'll probably renew both mains and BEs with Tri-metals. I'll measure the journals and almost certainly just polish them. Only minor issue was a bad score on No 4 BE shell, in line of where the oil hole runs; the journal itself is fine so I guess there was a piece of grit in there at some time. The pistons are marginal for re-use. No 4 has a stuck 2nd compression ring. All have over-spec ring/groove side clearances on the top rings, which should only be 1.5 to 3.5 thou. Picture shows No 3 piston with a 10 thou feeler gauge in it! All the second rings' groove clearances are okay. I initially thought that the top ring lands had badly worn, but looking closely, I can see that the top rings are all much thinner than the 2nd rings, so maybe the wear is with the rings rather than the grooves, as I'm sure top and middle rings are the same thickness? Anyone confirm? I have some odd few new rings so will measure everything up and see. So, either the pistons are scrap or just need new rings. Next step is to measure the bores and, as above, the piston grooves.

Well, the oil burning 1500 is out on the garage floor and a Mk3 Spit FD engine is back in the car.  The FD was in good nick when I took it out 4 years ago, and apart from me pulling the head, cleaning it up and lapping in the valves, it all went back in just as it came out. A bit of carb cleaner squirted though the carbs, a twiddle on the oil pump drive with an elecric drill through the dizzy hole (yes Nick, you're right... you certainly know when the pump's primed!), points cleaned and adjusted, some oil flooded down the followers and over the rockers, and it started first go and ran beautifully. I'd forgotten how smooth and revvy these small crank 1300 are, and the test drive was fun. But back to the 1500.... Looking at the 1st picture below you can see cylinder no 3 looks very glazed, and no 2 is also like this. Both of them also have these strange ring marks halfway down the bores, plus some marks that look like rust. Whilst you can feel the ring marks with your fingernails very slightly, the "rust" marks seem to be under the glazing. This glazing certainly bears out the lower compression figures I was getting for the middle 2 cylinders.  I reckon the "rust" marks come from a hurried headgasket change just before the last 10CR, when I didn't drain the block fully and water got in the cylinders as I took the head off. Maybe the ring marks are from that too, where the pistons sat with wet rings for 24 hours or so until I started it up again? Who knows..  Anyway, there is only a tiny amount of ridging on the bores, they are already at +20 thou., and I reckon a hone and new rings will suffice. Won't know really until the pistons are out Pictures 2 and 3 explain a lot.  Ever since I've had this engine it has had a "tick" in the valve train. I found that tightening up No. 2's inlet valve clearance a bit cured it for a while, but then it came back. Another couple of thou and it would be okay for a bit, but I reallised this couldn't go on forever. Picture 2 tells it own story.... have you ever seen one that bad? Picture 3 shows the mess made of the cam lobe (right-hand one) - imagine what that did for No 2's inlet valve lift! Not a very good photo as it was taken down the follower hole - so I'll get a better idea once the pulley nut has given up the fight and I can get the timing cover off and the camshaft out. Whatever, it means a new cam and followers. Next after that is Mains and BEs off, pistons out, clean up the bores, measure everything up and decide what needs machining and replacing. At least I now know what was causing the oil usage, and what was causing the valvetrain ticking. The head is okay, and will just get new guides and Jag springs, and a bit of a clean up. It has already been port matched, so I'll leave it at that.

Did some tests today with the engine hot after a 10 mile run, but not "hot" as in just completed 300 miles at 70mph in the middle of summer. Using a Smiths oil pressure gauge instead of the cheap TIM one in the car, I had 40psi at idle, 60psi at 2000 rpm, and 65psi at 3000 rpm, which is not too bad. Compression dry test: cylinder 1 - 180psi, 2 - 150psi, 3 - 145psi, 4 - 160psi A wet test produced -              1 - 210psi, 2 - 170psi, 3 - 170psi, 4 - 200psi ...which was not good, but not quite as bad as I feared. Interestingly, the car runs really well, probably the best it has done on that engine. Maybe a slight concern over the headgasket between 2 and 3, but that may be a red herring? As I said, the engine runs really well. (Incidentally, whilst doing the wet test on cylinder 1 (with 210psi wet) the engine actually "fired" on the mix of the oil that I squirted in the plug hole and the fuel drawn in by me holding the throttle full open, and threw out the starter! Maybe I can run this as a diesel  :) ) So, I'm in 2 minds as to what to do. Burning Millers Classic Sport semi-synth is not cheap at £35 a gallon, but I'm a bit reluctant to rip it all out when it is running so well, and the oil pressure is not that bad after all, so the bottom end is still okay-ish. I quite like Nick's idea of using cheaper oil with added Wynns to keep it going until it gets worse, and then do a rebuild. But will I be damaging the bores by keeping on using it like this, needing a re-bore that I may otherwise get away with? If the rings were stuck, would using Redex be of any use? I think I'll put seals on the inlet stems anyway, as this can be done without any dismantling, but I'd welcome any ideas or advice as to whether to leave the rebuild until it gets worse, or to do it now.

I fear you may be right Nick, but I'm ever the optimist. General use in local 12 car rallies, etc, and it's not too bad, maybe an 1/8" lost on the dipstick after about 150 miles or so of hard-ish driving. On the way to Holland (300 miles at 3000/3500 rpm) it used a bit, about the same on the event itself (180 miles with fairly hard driving), but a whole dipstick's worth on the way back at the same speed as going there. It was getting slowly worse, but not so bad that I couldn't live with it, since the 10CR. Maybe I broke something on the Nachtrit. I'll have a look at the plugs and do a compression test before putting the seals on. Dave and Vi (murphit ritesplif) were ight behind me most of the way back so it would be interesting to see if the front of their car is covered in oil. No external feed fitted... horrible things.

Went out to check the car over after the Nachtrit.  Does anyone know how much oil it takes to top up a 4 pot engine from the low mark to the high mark on the dipstick? Whatever it is, the Spitfire used that much driving the 300 miles back from Holland on Sunday, so I guess it's time to dig out the Ford Pinto valve stem seals that I bought last year and have not yet fitted. It's been getting worse since the 10CR and I'm pretty sure its coming down the inlet valves. I'll fit these, without taking the head off, use some Jaguar XJ single springs (the doubles won't fit with the Pinto seals) and see how it goes. If it's not this, then it's going to need a bit more than just the bottom end refresh I was planning for after Christmas  :(