standardthread

The mainshaft in the three rail box is in two parts, O/D and non O/D

Caged tip bearing, three rail 'D' type O/D, I have one, will check if my other shaft will fit the input shaft tomorrow.

Which part of the shaft, input that mates with the engine, or rear that mates with the O/D? I have a spare of the later! Correct, 1500's are single rail and have 20 spline shafts, 3 rails are 10 spline.

Karl, Got it slightly wrong, I think. The difference between the 1500 and MkIV clutch is the gearbox fitted to it, the 1500's have single rail 20 spline boxes, as do all Dolomites apart from the early versions, they had 10 spline three rail boxes. The Mk!V (and all Herald and Standards) have 10 spline 6 1/4" driven plates and 3 rail boxes. The Dolomite Club site has much debate on the subject. So if you got a 1500 Spitfire engine, unless it has been stripped, would have carbs and clutch, with just driven plate to switch over? (I stand to be corrected), but if not, a change of flywheel with correct driven plate. I prefer 3 rail boxes, and if the box in my Dolomite went I may be tempted to switch back to a 3 rail Herald box. HS4's and manifolds are available, I have a refurbished pair that I posted on here a few months ago, no I'm not trying to sell you them. Steve

Unless I'm totally wrong the MkIII is identical to the Herald 13/60? The clutch could be overcome by changing over the flywheel, unless your present clutch is near scrap point? As for the dizzy, I fitted an identical tacho dizzy to my 13/60 saloon and drove it for thousands of miles before I dismantled it without issue. Carbs and manifold are again a straight swop, just a new manifold/head gasket. My last 1300 Dolomite basically a MkIV Spitfire engine but different numbering sequence, had a 1500 manifold and twin HS4's fitted, (previous owner), car now replaced by another 1300 Dolomite but before doing so changed the box to a 1500 Spitfire (identical to nearly all Dolomites). Just to rub salt in to the wound, when we re-built our Herald 13/60 estate I fitted it with twin 1 1/4" Strombergs, Mk!V O/D box and a brand new Mk!V short block with 13/60 head, the block cost me £40 from a Triumph dealer! And the car did 40+k without any issue before I took it off the road. Triumphs were built to last, and, from my nearly 50 years of playing with them, built to play about with.

I'm with Pete, turn the engine over without plugs to get oil in the bearings before it's fired up. As for 'running in' no labouring in low gear, quickly through the gears and low maximum speed. I ran in the only brand new modern car I've owned despite manufacturers saying it wasn't necessary. I was going to suggest picking a second engine up to give you options. They are about, I have two Herald blocks that no one wants. A month or so ago someone on the forum had bought a 1500 Spitfire for the O/D and a few bits, if you want to go for a 1500 the block and all fittings on it are identical to yours, including exhaust if you change manifolds, so you could message them? It shouldn't affect tax status etc. Doing that would give you the chance to sort this engine out at your leisure.

I've got two, one with and one without a factory cut hole for a webasto. Take your pick, gratis. And a fair few rear and side screens.

I would be tempted to go with Rob, but I would use the back edge of the blade to do the scraping. The lip is probably caused by the gasket (if it had the correct one on?) because it's a MkIV Spitfire. When you get to put everything together, as an afterthought about removing the S,H,1,T from your cooling system, I have our central heating to flush out, for that I'm using Fernox F3, one bottle cleans 100 litres. It's for use in ferrous and non ferrous systems. Try a drop of that, it's a heck of a lot cheaper than stuff sold to clean car radiators. I've haven't gone down the route of treating the system afterwards but I'm going to contact Fernox to see if their F1 treatment can be used with antifreeze (my car needs doing too). Then 'run the engine in' using quality oil, it looks like the cowboy you got the car from did a few bodge jobs. I would think the actual mileage is 175k, or even replace the one with a two?

You could try a warm solution of washing soda (not caustic), blocking outlets where possible

The TSSC started selling hub pullers years ago, I have one, they are very good, and still available.

Before you take the head off you can try to shape a cone onto a piece of dowel and push that down in to the tappet to grab it and lift it out. About 1/2" diameter. How many miles are on the clock?

I've checked two official Triumph workshop manuals, one for the Standard 10 and the other for the Triumph Herald (same basic blocks as the Spitfire), both quote the crank end float at 4 to 6 thou. It could be that the release bearing carrier and release arm having been flapping in the wind. They do make a racket, I had the nose on the bell housing fracture so think that would make a similar noise, basically a tin box of spanners.

I would be tempted to go finer if the marks are just surface 'stains' by using paint polishing compound. If you've had the camshaft out make sure you get the off-set on the distributor drive dog in the correct position.

To give you an idea of tooth profile attached is a photo of a new set of gears.

I've had two very similar looking tools, both made in the country that gave us the plague and not branded Sealey. The first was OK for a while then the blue 'hardened'(?) tip snapped cutting flat steel (car bodywork). I got a second to have as an if needed tool, that seized the first time I used it, it probably needs internal adjustment. I resorted to an angle grinder. So, to answer your question, I doubt one of these would cut your corrugated sheeting.

Just checked a spare seal I have in my spares box, the lip is fairly hard. I also checked a seal in an old chain cover, that is very slightly softer.

Looks like the tensioner, and possibly seal, are nearly new. Has someone beaten you to it and just replace the tensioner to try and quieten things down? Possibly indicating that the real issue is the worn gears? In the process of all that, not getting a good seal on the cover gasket leading to loads of oil around your sump and the excess sealer you mentioned earlier? An offset for the cost of a complete new set of gears now is the time it would take you to do the job again plus a new seal, gasket etc. and possibly reduced efficiency of the engine (fuel costs).

A reputable supplier should (?) be able to supply a good tensioner. The last one I replaced (noisy tapping etc. as you experienced) didn't need replacing because the witness marks showed that someone had replaced it off centre on the pin that retains it by placing the tensioner at the wrong side of a packing washer on the pin that retains it. So effectively the tensioner was only bearing on one side of the chain so one side of the chain was flapping against the tensioner. I replaced it anyway because it was scored. I had an original boxed BL version. Check the profiles of the teeth on the gears, the chain may be in tolerance but the profiles of the gears could be worn. As above, I would mic the crank and if the shells show signs of wear I would like to know and find the cause of any scratching. When you put the timming cover back on oil the new seal and rotate the crank before you bolt up the cover to centralise the cover/seal/crank. An 'L' shaped piece of welding rod is good for pulling the tensioner back against the case while you get the cover over the gears etc. some say an allan key but I find them too big.

My screw pitch gauge shows the thread to be UNF, 28 TPI. From the screw dimensions my 'Zeus' shows the screw to be 1/4" x 28 UNF. My screws are 3/4" long on the thread. Spalding fasteners are good, if you get stuck let me know, I have a spare set you can have for the price of a large letter stamp.

Leave the alternator bolted in position or you will bend the mounting bracket/lifting eye. Nuts and bolts that have been in situ for a long time can be a pig to crack off and slacken. Before I lift an engine if it needs work I crack off the crank nut with the car in gear, and if needed, the brakes on. If I'm working on the clutch, or in your case crank shaft, I get someone to firmly grip the fan belt (or stiltsons around the crank pulley) whilst I remove the bolts on the clutch cover, clearance between cover and bolt can be tight here so make sure your socket fits or you could round the bolt heads (I've done it).

How many out there have their exhaust to manifold continually blowing? Not long ago I found out the reason after blaming myself for misalignment, inadequately tightened nuts, etc., etc. The reason is, every aftermarket exhaust I have purchased for a number of years has a part missing, despite them all being OEM! The part that is missing is that the inner tube of the exhaust SHOULD extend above the exhaust flange so that this tube extension sits in the recess within the exhaust manifold and protects the gasket. I found this omission when I took the exhaust downpipe off my latest Triumph, it had never been off from the day the car was built and the pipe extension was there. It doesn't matter where the exhaust comes from, I got a replacement downpipe from Rimmers, the extension was missing (I told them about it). I got an exhaust for our Standard from the Standard Club, again the extension tube was missing. My solution now is to cut a small section of tube and make a slight cone that I push down in the exhaust pipe. So, beware.

The biggest difficulty you may face in getting the engine and box out is to get the slings on the engine to come out and the box to clear the bulk-head, so the solution is a longer sling on the alternator pulley compared to that at the back of the block. To give a bit more clearance the gearchange extension with gearlever should be taken off, a plastic bag with an elastic band around it should 'seal' the gearbox. For my first engine out (previous post) was using an overhead hoist in my uncle's garage, after that I got hold of an overhead 'gantry' that can be driven through and to hang a hoist from. Mine consists of eight tubes that go together to form four splayed legs with a cross-member that bolts across the top. The hoist proper is from memory about 1 ton so your 2 ton version is more than adequate (the whole car weighs less than 1 ton). My gantry and hoist allow me to lift the engine clear of the car (just), then put the bonnet down and roll the car back. Best done with assistance (my wife). I also have a trolley type hoist, and a pit (!) but given the option, I lift engines out, it's cleaner. I don't have an engine stand, it's blocks of wood on the garage floor (as above) and hardboard to stand the engine on to keep it 'clean'.

If you have had to change the rocker shaft, now you have found excessive end float, it depends how much time you can spare to potentially have to do the job twice, i.e. drop the sump, change the thrust washers etc., then find you haven't cured it and you still have to do, for example, timing chain and gears, and your clutch work. At least with the engine out jobs are more straight forward. Sorry for appearing to teach you to suck eggs over measuring the end float in situ in my previous post. I should have just said DTI, you obviously have all the kit and knowledge.

An alternative to graphite is PTFE spray, Screwfix used to sell it for lubricating circular saw blades and other woodworking cutters.

Sold.