Trimph Spitfire first car!
Discussion
Agrispeed said:
and a picture of sexy sexy camshaft 
oddly a couple of the rockers were not properly aligned on the conrods, which was worrying...
No it's not - that's the rocker shaft, and it's supposed to look like that oddly a couple of the rockers were not properly aligned on the conrods, which was worrying...
The camshaft sits about halfway down inside the engine on the opposite side - you can't see it.
I can't really tell from the pic, but you'll want to look for evidence of leakage and blowing around the head gasket and mating faces on the head and the block. If there aren't any then it's happy days - you probably don't have a problem.
N Dentressangle said:
Agrispeed said:
and a picture of sexy sexy camshaft
oddly a couple of the rockers were not properly aligned on the conrods, which was worrying...
No it's not - that's the rocker shaft, and it's supposed to look like that oddly a couple of the rockers were not properly aligned on the conrods, which was worrying...
The camshaft sits about halfway down inside the engine on the opposite side - you can't see it.
I can't really tell from the pic, but you'll want to look for evidence of leakage and blowing around the head gasket and mating faces on the head and the block. If there aren't any then it's happy days - you probably don't have a problem.
head gasket looks actually not too bad, and i cant find any obvious area where its borked. I'm going to ring various engineering people on monday and see if they can have a proper look at the valves and skim the head if needed
I rebuilt the water pump and gaskets there today, and also put the new ignition relay, rear bulb holders, and rebuilt the rocker breather pipe. happy days!
yorkebar said:
wow, just stumbled across this thread, very good read 
abot 7 weeks ago i got my first car, a red 1977 1500. learning in this car is, well, interesting. nice to see another person in the same situation
Sorry Just read this! abot 7 weeks ago i got my first car, a red 1977 1500. learning in this car is, well, interesting. nice to see another person in the same situation 
certainly is interesting, I learnt to drive at 14 so its not so tricky for me, but it does take a while to get used to looking UP at other cars wing mirrors, especially as I work driving tractors, which the front wheels are higher than the spit'
bloody good fun though!have you got L plates on yours? post a pic
Good news everyone!
today, I took the head to the local machining shop, as recommended in N Dentressangle's advice (which was all very helpful, and I am very grateful for-
I owe you one)
well, the bloke was really helpful and even let me into the back of the shop to show me how they test the pressure, and check the flatness (?) of the head, which was interesting. on finding no real compression loss, only a slightly low reading on 2 exhaust valves, and a lovely flat head, he sent me on my way, refusing any sort of payment. really great service and i will definitely use them in future (when My engine properly breaks) so, on the way home I picked up a valve bedding kit, and some 20W50, so we can do a change, as there was quite a lot of water in the oil from (Hopefully) when i took the head off.
so, onto grinding valves;
somewhat running out of space, I created this, which was surprisingly comfortable
creating a finish like this:
taking the valves out without a valve tool was actually quite easy, using the ring from a spanner, a vice to hold the other end of the spanner and a G clamp, it is easy to push the retaining collar down, and then remove with some needle nosed pliers. to replace valves, all i did was compress the springs, place the collars and g clamp them to the valves while slowly loosening the G-clamp, so that they stayed in position.
sadly the workshop manual showing the torque settings and order has not arrived so I only got as far as rebuilding the head, checking clearance to the shiny new rocker cover and replacing studs, and the water pump.
today, I took the head to the local machining shop, as recommended in N Dentressangle's advice (which was all very helpful, and I am very grateful for-
I owe you one)well, the bloke was really helpful and even let me into the back of the shop to show me how they test the pressure, and check the flatness (?) of the head, which was interesting. on finding no real compression loss, only a slightly low reading on 2 exhaust valves, and a lovely flat head, he sent me on my way, refusing any sort of payment. really great service and i will definitely use them in future (when My engine properly breaks
) so, on the way home I picked up a valve bedding kit, and some 20W50, so we can do a change, as there was quite a lot of water in the oil from (Hopefully) when i took the head off.so, onto grinding valves;
somewhat running out of space, I created this, which was surprisingly comfortable
creating a finish like this:
taking the valves out without a valve tool was actually quite easy, using the ring from a spanner, a vice to hold the other end of the spanner and a G clamp, it is easy to push the retaining collar down, and then remove with some needle nosed pliers. to replace valves, all i did was compress the springs, place the collars and g clamp them to the valves while slowly loosening the G-clamp, so that they stayed in position.
sadly the workshop manual showing the torque settings and order has not arrived so I only got as far as rebuilding the head, checking clearance to the shiny new rocker cover and replacing studs, and the water pump.
Nice work! 
http://www.triumphexperience.com/phorum/read.php?8...
looks as though it might have the info you need if your manual doesn't turn up.
http://www.triumphexperience.com/phorum/read.php?8...
looks as though it might have the info you need if your manual doesn't turn up.
Many thanks gentlemen, the head is done...
However
it wont start, and when it does, you need to have your foot to the floor, where it starts and revs, however as soon as you back off, or lift off, it dies
checked all the electrics, and cant find a problem there, the carb dashpots are now filled.
I also have a nice petrol leak from below the float pot to the carb body underneath. great... the pipe, on RimmerBros? £20 - twenty f
king quid!
bks.
so can anyone tell me what the potential problem might be?
oh, also, the fecking book hasn't arrived yet, and was suppost to come on last Wednesday :/
Oh, and another annoyance, the baler broke today, and we can't finish until tomorrow. Just one of those days
However
it wont start, and when it does, you need to have your foot to the floor, where it starts and revs, however as soon as you back off, or lift off, it dies
checked all the electrics, and cant find a problem there, the carb dashpots are now filled.
I also have a nice petrol leak from below the float pot to the carb body underneath. great... the pipe, on RimmerBros? £20 - twenty f
king quid!b
ks.so can anyone tell me what the potential problem might be?
oh, also, the fecking book hasn't arrived yet, and was suppost to come on last Wednesday :/
Oh, and another annoyance, the baler broke today, and we can't finish until tomorrow. Just one of those days
hoppo4.2 said:
Agrispeed said:
Valve clearences done, dizzy was off, but replaced, firing order is OK, leads correct, however it will rev when started, but die as soon as the throttle is not full on.
did you check the timing? after replacing the dizzy? I aligned the 1st cylinder, to its high point and aligned the dizzy, but cant do proper feckin' timing until i can run the car
the timing should first be set static. your book if you have it yet will tell you how to do this.
as a guess i would say aprox 8-10 degrees before TDC then once running you can make adjustments using a timimg light. most of the time in the past i have marked the position of the dizzy before removal so that i no it will run when put back.
when you say you aligned the dizzy what to?
are you sure that you have set the valve clearances correctly. you can set them tight so that it holds the valves open slightly causing low compression meaning it will be very hard to start and only run on full throtle.
you could also have an air leak. ie air getting into the engine after the carbs. this is norm caused by things like not connecting a servo pipe if you have one or split gaskets from the manifold to the carbs.
as a guess i would say aprox 8-10 degrees before TDC then once running you can make adjustments using a timimg light. most of the time in the past i have marked the position of the dizzy before removal so that i no it will run when put back.
when you say you aligned the dizzy what to?
are you sure that you have set the valve clearances correctly. you can set them tight so that it holds the valves open slightly causing low compression meaning it will be very hard to start and only run on full throtle.
you could also have an air leak. ie air getting into the engine after the carbs. this is norm caused by things like not connecting a servo pipe if you have one or split gaskets from the manifold to the carbs.
hoppo4.2 said:
the timing should first be set static. your book if you have it yet will tell you how to do this.
as a guess i would say aprox 8-10 degrees before TDC then once running you can make adjustments using a timimg light. most of the time in the past i have marked the position of the dizzy before removal so that i no it will run when put back.
when you say you aligned the dizzy what to?
are you sure that you have set the valve clearances correctly. you can set them tight so that it holds the valves open slightly causing low compression meaning it will be very hard to start and only run on full throtle.
you could also have an air leak. ie air getting into the engine after the carbs. this is norm caused by things like not connecting a servo pipe if you have one or split gaskets from the manifold to the carbs.
I aligned the Dizzy to the top of the piston 1, and left the rest alone, so didn't adjust the timing etc... however it starts, but wont run, so i think it may be carbs...as a guess i would say aprox 8-10 degrees before TDC then once running you can make adjustments using a timimg light. most of the time in the past i have marked the position of the dizzy before removal so that i no it will run when put back.
when you say you aligned the dizzy what to?
are you sure that you have set the valve clearances correctly. you can set them tight so that it holds the valves open slightly causing low compression meaning it will be very hard to start and only run on full throtle.
you could also have an air leak. ie air getting into the engine after the carbs. this is norm caused by things like not connecting a servo pipe if you have one or split gaskets from the manifold to the carbs.
anyway, they are currently in pieces, and ive cleaned and put them back together, just looking for where to put one spring that was loose on them both before i dismantled...
Servo pipe, as in?
cheers everyone (and i will get this ferkin' thing running soon)
the static timing on your car is 10 degrees before TDC. if you look at the crankshaft pully there is a scale with 0 or TDC in the centre and numbers either side for before and after, there is also a notch in the pully.
take off the dizzy cap and watch the points as you rotate the engine the points should just open as the notch in the pully aligns with the 10 degrees before tdc mark.
the proper procedure for doing this involves running a testt light through the points so that you can see the exact point that they open.
however if you check it visualy and its along way off adjusting it by eye should get it running well enoiugh to set it properly with a timing light.
with these old cars a small movement in the dizzy with make a big diffrenct to the way it runs.
as for the servo pipe it is a vacuum hose that will run from the inlet to the servo however the spitfire was not fitted with one as standard but alot have been retro fitted.
take off the dizzy cap and watch the points as you rotate the engine the points should just open as the notch in the pully aligns with the 10 degrees before tdc mark.
the proper procedure for doing this involves running a testt light through the points so that you can see the exact point that they open.
however if you check it visualy and its along way off adjusting it by eye should get it running well enoiugh to set it properly with a timing light.
with these old cars a small movement in the dizzy with make a big diffrenct to the way it runs.
as for the servo pipe it is a vacuum hose that will run from the inlet to the servo however the spitfire was not fitted with one as standard but alot have been retro fitted.
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