Kevin R

As an aside but related problem, I replaced the four high wattage halogen bulbs in our cooker hood with the lumen output equivalent LEDs and they did not work. By chance I put one of the halogens back in and the remaining three LEDs worked fine so presume it is fulfilling the ballast resistor role. Some sort of improvement (75% ish) but not a total success. ☹️

Assuming you got your hood direct from the Trimmers you could ring them and ask for advice but they tend to be very helpful regardless. Most of them offer a fitting service so will have experience of this problem. When I got my Spitfire hood the instructions were very brief and it takes a leap of faith to tackle the job but take your time and the current heatwave will make fitting much easier.

Perhaps, but when do you get the chance to pick and choose the best of say half a dozen when it would seem that all of the used originals end up warped. I wanted to use an original part and the 'well engineered bodge' has resulted in a few thou skim of very durable metal putty over 2-3 inches at one end and now the whole timing cover is perfectly flat.

After all your previous advice and having confirmed that my donor timing cover was indeed warped, my engineer nephew managed to fettle most of it successfully apart from the critical lower few inches around the crank pulley seal which risked leaving the metal too thin or perforated. To be on the safe side aiming for a perfectly flat surface and a perfect seal, I applied a thin layer of metal putty then applied pressure until it set. I then stuck 2 large sheets of emery paper to a sheet of glass with double-sided sticky tape rubbing the timing cover over this until perfectly flat - see photo. I laid the cover face down on the glass and checked around the circumference with a strip of A4 paper and it grips evenly so hopefully should get a good seal. Tomorrow I will remove the crank pulley 🤞and the old timing cover and what lies in store.

Remove the pipe outlet from the the pump and activate it. If it squirts water AND the the washer outlets are definitely not blocked then it is most likely to be a defective ( or missing ) non return valve that should be fitted at the the inlet end of the washer pipe sitting at the bottom of the washer bottle. You can test it by removing it and trying to suck air into it and if it is working you should be unable to blow air back out through it - this is what keeps the system primed and stops the water draining back out of the pipes between washes. If your washer outlets are blocked they can be easily unblocked with a pin. However, if your washer pump has any oomph it would probably still operate without the non return valve but would just take longer for the fluid to reach the jets. Halfords sell non return valves as well as the usual classic car suppliers.

Wow - where was that shot down ?

Blockley make very good tyres to suit classic cars and their rims. I have had fitted some to my Morris Minor because there are very few size correct tyres available to fit it's original steel wheels correctly but they are expensive. I asked the very same question as you on this forum for my Spitfire 1500 regarding period Michelin tyres from Longstone. The majority vote was for the Falkens mentioned by Sam in the previous post which I duly fitted and made a massive improvement to the handling and very good value. My Spitfire had 20y old Pirellis which although in perfect condition made the car understeer very easily on tight bends - not usually a common problem in a Spitfire. This is no longer a problem with the Falkens although I suspect my previous tyres may have hardened with age - there has been talk of putting a 10y age limit on tyres for the MoT which in general may not be a bad idea.

Thanks for all of your advice so far - very helpful. I have checked my donor timing cover and it has 'warped' slightly and would be difficult to achieve a decent seal so I am looking to have it re-machined in the hope that it will improve the fit. The tensioner is only scuffed so I will reuse it and I will get a new set of fasteners as recommended. 👍

I want to replace the timing cover and carry out some maintenance/refurb at the same time and would be very grateful for any advice on the following: 1. What size is the crank pulley nut and the best way to remove it ? 2. I have a replacement original timing cover - any suggestions for the best material to replace the anti rattle/vibration pad stuck to the outside. 3. Any other advice ? Thank you in advance

I have fitted a Motalita Wood /Aluminium wheel in my Spitfire which looks and feels fantastic although in a crash I'd much rather be using Tim's wheel. The one I have is very slightly larger than the original and is easier to use when parking and has a nice balance at speed - so worth considering what you want out of the new wheel in terms of feel compared with your current setup when you choose what size. Depending on how good the adapter boss is you may also have issues with the distance to the stalks on your steering column.

Drive it Day meet 2 mins from my home in North Shields !! 7 Stags, Triumph Acclaim plus a couple of TRs. Sadly no Spitfires (mine missing due to carb refurb) so my Morris Minor was on duty instead. Organised jointly between NE Prewar Austins and Classics, Stags Owners and MG Northumbria Clubs.

Thanks - I will definitely give them a try. Wouldn't want to run into the back of you on the Border Raiders 😬🫣😂

I am currently using Greenstuff pads with new standard discs fitted 2-3K miles ago and steel braided hoses all round but not really impressed with them. I have been considering trying the Mintex 1144 pads hoping to see an improvement.

Which pads did you use previously ?

Successful mornings spannering with removal of the carbs for refurbishment and also the manifold with evidence that the metal piping was failing. At least my metal putty repair held up for a few years.

👍 😂😂😂

Is that Red Kev in his Spitfire ?

Supplied with skis on holiday from our usual hire shop and was given these - the same model as my own car 😀😀😀

Thanks Sam 😀

👍 Did you use any particular rebuild kit? I'm looking to replace my original Waxstat fittings on my late Spitfire 1500

Had you done any work on your carburettors Sam ?

Often had this problem with the (overloaded) filing cabinets at work. The mechanism is a system of levers running from the lock on the upper draw and tend to jam. Sometimes the levers run inside the pillars on the front of the cabinet to engage the lower draws. Removing the lock may not free the lower draws. If you can get a look at an open cabinet to see what the mech looks like Try to infuse some WD40 onto the levers - drilling some small holes may help and try to dislodge them with a rubber mallet. If the levers are damaged they are hard to fix as the cabinet is assembled around them but you may be lucky.

Mike Papworth is a Triumph specialist for this sort of work and reconditioned my 1980 Spitfire 1500 box in 2019. If you contact him with your requirements he will give you a quote. Whilst my gearbox was out he also fitted overdrive and supplied the cabling, switch etc plus a new clutch and driveshaft ( the latter 2 items needed replacing anyway and for overdrive the driveshaft is shorter). Mike also has years of experience in sourcing the best suppliers for components. Total cost for the above was around £2000 - if your budget will stretch it is worth taking the opportunity to fit overdrive for a number of reasons. To this you would to factor in removal/refitting costs + transport/courier to and from Coventry.

Space Craft

I wonder if it was used by Yorkshire TV to haul their equipment around ?. If so it may be featured on some old TV footage.