glang

Our clutches being hydraulic are usually pretty good - its one of the better Triumph components! Whats yours like on a hill start? You should be able to control engagement pretty well. If not maintenance of the pedal, linkage and hydraulics would be a good start....

Its a real pity you cant get hold of a set of jump leads as these would help you identify the problem much quicker. Remember the high resistance connection could be anywhere in the whole starter circuit which also includes: battery terminals +ve and -ve, earth cable from battery to body connection, both ends of the chassis to engine earth cable (this is usually at the front of the engine). You may think that all of these are ok because other smaller electrical loads like lights and things are working but thats not the case because of the high current the starter draws...

Something to consider is why you would want to increase the size and whether its necessary? Theres various posts on here to support both cases but I would suggest using the wider unit principally increases cooling while driving and indeed, as has been found, can over cool in winter. On the other hand a wider rad probably wont help much when not moving along as some of the coolant will be able to pass through radiator tubes that no longer have airflow from the standard engine fan. So if, as is often the case, you want more cooling under these conditions you would probably need to go to two electric fans so the entire core receives airflow... Is your existing radiator in good condition?

The starter solenoid can indeed be dismantled but is not intended to be as mine was rivetted together. Most people just replace them as not expensive but I took mine apart and flipped over the copper contact bar inside so that the burnt areas were replaced by virgin material. I then reassembled it using small nuts and bolts and its worked well ever since. However as I said in my previous post anywhere with high resistance will generate heat on trying to start so its worth touching each component and connection to feel for this...

Im afraid its not as simple as checking resistance of this circuit unless you have some pretty specialised gear. As the current is so high, in excess of 300amp for example, a resistance of just 3 milli ohms will give a drop of almost 1v plus generate around 300w of heat so the resistance increases rapidly etc.

Wow yes, still going! They were one of the originals and their products should be good (especially at that price)... If you do go for one let us know how it works out👍

Dont want to know what else is lurking in those garages - a few other cars that might have distracted you from the Triumph perhaps😁

Ah ok yes might depend on the fan as they vary a lot in airflow and pressure produced. The SPAL website is very good with pdfs showing all the dimensions and performance of their products. Also an advantage of mounting in front of the radiator is that the fan motor itself should run cooler as well as operate in air which is slightly denser so increasing efficiency...

Yes they do look good dont they although not so much the ones with a port hole window in the rear pillar. Unfortunately no longer made as there just isnt the money in it for the after market manufacturers like there was back in the day when every second car was a Herald/Vitesse (well almost)... The hardest thing was getting them to fit well enough to seal completely as being fibreglass the quality varied a lot. Nowadays you could only find one secondhand on eBay or possibly from one of the Triumph breakers.

Turbulence is strange as the fan shouldnt be running when your driving along at any kind of speed. If the fan tries to run other than when stationary, in traffic jams or extremely steep (1st gear) hills either its control temperature is set too low or the cooling system/engine has another problem. Also for maximum benefit either in front or behind its important the fan is as tight against the rad core as possible or ideally installed with a shroud...

Think its about 30mm (1 3/16"?) but the hoses, if flexible, will go on 32mm...

Dont think youll see much difference in warm up to be honest as the thermostat being closed is what controls this. Also note that at anymore than walking pace the airflow through the rad is more than any fan, mechanical or electric, is going to give. This means that the energy a mechanical fan is supposed to consume is pretty low once on the move as its not actually pulling the air through anymore. You do get reduced noise when stationary IF the electric fan isnt running...

Yes I think Triumph wanted the 1500 to run hotter for emissions reasons but this means the cooling system is closer to its limit and with age and todays driving conditions runs the risk of overheating. There are also aluminium wide rads available at very reaonable cost if originality isnt important. However if the overheating is in traffic and stationary rather than on the move the problem is more likely to be down to lack of fan airflow (assuming of course the cooling system is clean and in good condition)...

The link you posted indicates the spline sizes and theyre all different!

Im with you on this one Alex as Ive tried various fan control set ups but have ended up with just a manual switch with relay. Its powered from the radio position of the ignition switch so I can run it for 30 secs after stopping and not forget it😯 Works well as she tells me when shes getting hot and I can anticipate being held up in traffic etc plus the wiring is much easier (just one large wire from battery via fuse to relay under dash and out to fan which is earthed locally). The switch has a bright LED on it so I dont leave it running when not needed...

Surely the splined section of studs are different sizes so its essential to get that right when choosing replacements?

Certainly higher compression is likely to need an increase in fuel octane and I also wonder if there can be differences between standard engines of the same type. Some owners report they need one fuel while others are happy with something different so could engine wear or settings or combustion chamber carbon build up be factors?

Sorry Tim cant believe in front or behind makes much difference to air flow - a restriction is a restriction😁 We talking very little restriction as well so in a Spitfire it makes sense to have it in front as theres much more space...

Id suggest the other side (nearside) of the radiator if possible would be better as then the thermostats metal capilliary tube is closer to the top hose (where its usually inserted). Then that doesnt have to cross the engine, as in the photo, plus its also the side nearest to the battery so the electrical circuit will be shorter...

Didnt the US versions have lower compression anyway so dont need higher octane fuels?

So Paul I suppose your 93 equates roughly to our RON 98 and RON 95 to your 91? How does your Spitfire handle the fuel or is it a US spec model designed for it?

Please dont forget theres the same energy available in all of these RON fuels so a higher rating doesnt necessarily mean more power. If your car runs well (pinking as specified) with the correct ignition timing on 95 then theres no benefit going to a higher RON. Some people even consider using a higher RON and increasing advance more than the recommended setting which is even more ridiculous...

If pinking is a problem because you cant get a high enough RON fuel another possibility is to reduce the ignition timing advance progressively until the rattling noise is within the correct limits. This will of course reduce engine power though...

Hi, RON is to do with the resistance the fuel has to ignition under compression not protection of the valve seats which is something lead offered. If the octane (RON number) is too low the fuel will ignite too soon leading to pinking (rattling noise under load) and, if excessive, damage to the engine. As you have access to 98 you shouldnt have this problem and can even try 95 which I find works perfectly in my Vitesse although on long fast runs I do add a combined octane booster/lead substitute (Millers VSPe)...

ah yes that is relevant because your car could have originally come with a coil clutch but now will almost certainly have a diaphragm type. Then depending on which other components were changed at the same time you could have the wrong the clutch slave cylinder or thrust bearing, both of which have the potential to affect clutch operation.... Rimmerbros website says the change in clutch design occurred at 12/50 model number GD76473E so cars after this had the same clutch as a 1300. The type of slave cylinder can be identified externally to the gearbox but the thrust would need gearbox removal☹️