RobPearce
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Everything posted by RobPearce
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7017 wrote:I would also try rotating the prop 180 degrees at the gearbox flange, then if no better at the diff flange, then again at the Gearbox flange so you have tried all 4 combinations. No idea why this can make a difference, but it can. It can make a difference for the same reason that balancing on the car works better - namely that a small imbalance in the prop, if correctly aligned, can compensate for a small imbalance in the shaft it attaches to. And, for the purposes of this point, slight off-centre of the flanges can be treated as an imbalance.
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setting elecrtonic ignition without timing light
RobPearce replied to daver clasper's topic in Electrical
Indeed. It's not at all uncommon for the correct idle setting to be well retarded from optimal. It gives a more robust idle because there's more air flow needed. Indeed some of the US versions of our cars had a second vacuum capsule to intentionally retard the idle ignition even further, so that there was enough idle air flow to maintain emissions control. -
setting elecrtonic ignition without timing light
RobPearce replied to daver clasper's topic in Electrical
Indeed. It's not at all uncommon for the correct idle setting to be well retarded from optimal. It gives a more robust idle because there's more air flow needed. Indeed some of the US versions of our cars had a second vacuum capsule to intentionally retard the idle ignition even further, so that there was enough idle air flow to maintain emissions control. -
How full are you filling the header? I assume that pipe into it comes out near the bottom inside, not near the top, so you'll only be putting in enough to just cover it when cold?
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At a branch of a well-known major tyre/exhaust/MOT chain... MOT tester : This handbrake doesn't work. Us : It's a fly-off type. Press the button. MOT tester : You're not allowed them on road cars. Us : Yes, you are, and this one left the factory like that. MOT tester : No, you're not. Us : Why don't you check the tester's manual. It should say. MOT tester (after flipping through some paperwork) : I need to ring the DVLA, but they don't work weekends Us : OK, we'll take it elsewhere. Later, at a small garage... Other MOT tester : He said what? What an idiot! Has he never been trained? Of course you're allowed original equipment!
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Also make sure there's no grit or muck in there that could be jamming them. That said... My brother had a Mk2 Spit with sticky jets, probably worse than yours. In normal use he hardly noticed, because pulling the choke out worked, then once started the engine vibration was enough to persuade the jets back up when he pushed it in. The only problem was if you got in when it was already hot, pulled the choke out of sheer habit, then realised you shouldn't have.
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I've just recently had to have the driver's side one done on mine. For the shims, buy a selection and send the unused ones back (which reminds me...) for a refund. The hub that some cretin has attacked with a grinder is almost certainly scrap. Even if the inner bearing fits snugly, it won't be properly supported and will wear away quickly. If it's not snug it just won't work. Buy a new hub.
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If all it needs is tightening, you can leave the caliper in place. Just prise off the cap, pull the split pin, tweak the nut a bit and reassemble. If you need to replace the bearings, then yes, as VR says, you need to drift out the races. I dug out an old one the other day and cleaned it up (for a Freecycler - complicated reasons but he wanted scrap bits of cars) and the only bit that's not serviceable is that outer race.
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It does sound like somebody's put the coil in backwards, and you should probably fix that. I have no idea what that relay is. My best guess would be a rev limiter? Or a not-very-good immobiliser? Either way, it sounds like a bad idea so I'd suggest removing it.
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What do you consider "a huge amount"? Are you using enough choke? OK, that was a bit cheeky, but they can be funny when properly cold, which is what 12 hours assures you. It is also possible that you're losing fuel from the float chambers. This can be caused by evaporation, or leaks, particularly from the flexible hose to the jet. The way to check is to whip the top off (3 screws) and look at the level. Compare how it is after 12 hours to how it looks shortly after stopping. If you are losing fuel overnight, and it's not down to a fixable leak, it may be the easiest option is an electric fuel pump. This will fill the carbs before you start cranking, unlike the original mechanical one.
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JohnD wrote:Do you mean between the 'fly and the engine, or the fly and air filter? It should be the first case, s that it 'sees' a vacuum when the 'fly is closed. Not necessarily! On modern cars (where this type of setup is the norm) there are nearly always two breather tappings. The big one (like the 1/2 bore hose on the standard setup) feeds to the air filter side of the throttle, because it's a bulk breather. There is a tiny bit of vacuum there due to the air filter. The secondary breather, which goes downstream of the throttle, needs to be restricted, i.e. only a small hole, to prevent excessive crankcase vacuum. This is similar to what the factory did, in fact. Early cars (certainly Mk1 Vitesses, anyway) had a manifold tapping for the breather, but needed a restrictor valve device to keep the flow down. Later cars did away with that by moving the breather to the carbs, where it feeds the "constant vacuum" section, which is before the throttle butterfly.
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Most of the ones from the usual suspects are good. I've used the Canley's ones on Spitfires and Vitesses and been happy with them. The one on Toby (Mk3 Spit) needed a slight hoik with a bender to get the alignment perfect, but it's an oddball - Mk1 GT6 centre and rear on a 4-2-1 tubular manifold. Normally the downpipe attachment gives a bit of adjustment for the aligment.
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Who's got what to do for 2016?
RobPearce replied to GreenV8Machine's topic in Round Britain Reliability Run (RBRR)
Yep, that's pretty much my plan Toby has been hoping to get a chance at RBR every run since 2002 (the GT6's second). Last year was the first time it looked like there was any hope (but turned out to be the GT6's third). Next year it's got to be Toby's turn. -
Richard_B wrote:Nothing more disconcerting than hacking around a country lane at 60mph (legally) in the dark and going from full beam to dip, missing the position and ending up with just sidelights Aghhhh! No? What about hacking down a windy country A-road (A361 near Chipping Norton, for those who know it) in the dark in an 1850 Dolomite when suddenly all the electrics cut out - no lights, no engine, back out of overdrive? It all returned after a second or two, but I'd say it was pretty disconcerting :)
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Not quite. The lighting stalk on GT6s (and Heralds, Vitesses and Spitfires up to early 1500?) is on the left and has down for dip, up for main. Well, actually, - early cars (Mk1/2 GT6, Mk1-3 Spitfire, Heralds, Vitesses) have a three position stalk top = sidelights only middle = main beam bottom = dip beam - Mk4 Spitfire and Mk3 GT6 had only two positions up = main beam down = dip beam In both cases, pull to flash (although some early Heralds may not have had that)
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How do you know it only leaks if left? I've had a Spitfire that used to leak from the rear seal, and only left a puddle if unused because when being driven the oil dropped on the exhaust and burnt off.
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I can't see how removing a non-original part can be an MOT failure - it would require the tester to KNOW the history! My GT6 does not have a servo. It passes the MOT.
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I believe all 1147 blocks are small-journal and all 1300 are large. The odd-ball is the Mk3 Spitfire, where the camshaft itself is a carry-over Mk2 (small journal) part fitted to the large journal block with sleeve bearings (which are not easy to obtain).
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I believe all 1147 blocks are small-journal and all 1300 are large. The odd-ball is the Mk3 Spitfire, where the camshaft itself is a carry-over Mk2 (small journal) part fitted to the large journal block with sleeve bearings (which are not easy to obtain).
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Only 500 miles? Wow! That makes my Vitesse look decidedly good. The failure mode you suffered is the same one Tessa does. Likely contributory factors are: - extreme overheating (Tessa showed signs of this just before blowing the gasket on most occasions) - bad pinking (knock), possibly related to above - defective or worn-out head studs or nuts - damage to block or head face (though your photos don't look bad on that front) - defective or damaged gasket used
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It depends on the gauge. The one on my Vitesse is a pure-capilliary one - has a pipe to the oil sender T-piece and a second pipe to a replacement temperature sensor capsule. I've actually disconnected that because it's rusted up and can't easily be fitted in the replacement water pump housing that I needed because a previous owner had tightened it so hard (to stop it leaking) that they cracked the housing. I'm going to revert to the original temperature gauge.
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2250 wrote: The head gasket you show looks like one for recessed bore. I disagree - to me it looks like the non-recessed Mk4 type (which is a definite improvement on the copper/asbestos thing on Mk1 Vitesses!)
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Yes, all the complex works are assembled in the front part, the rear casing then fits over and holds the output shafts. The nose piece and 'works' are common with the small Dolomites, where they fit a live axle.
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royboy66 wrote:I'm running a switch in bottom of Golf rad, 95-90 Roy That sounds high. Modern engines often switch the fan at 100 (or even 105) but that's based on engine coolant temperature (i.e. in the thermostat housing) which will be a lot hotter than the bottom of the rad. That said, as long as the bottom hose is colder than your target engine temperature it will still cool it, so it's not at all unreasonable to have the fan switched at a higher temperature than the thermostat, which is 82 or 88 IIRC.
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peterhlewis wrote:That hose from the tank is often a culprit, and out of sight out of mind so it gets missed Particularly once the local mice have eaten through it... >:(
