triumph spitfire

[YellaBelly]

Nice project Rob, but how the heck are you going to fit in there, you're about the same height as me??

[fullpint]

Nice project Rob, but how the heck are you going to fit in there, you're about the same height as me??

I guess thats why its a rag top, roof off job..
It does look tidy in the pic..

[Lucky Ed]

Nice project Rob, but how the heck are you going to fit in there, you're about the same height as me??

Reminds me of Ed China on Wheeler Dealers, with his head stuck out above the screen of a Spit with goggles on - funny as .... 

[YellaBelly]

You read my mind Ed!

[robp]

Nice project Rob, but how the heck are you going to fit in there, you're about the same height as me??

Reminds me of Ed China on Wheeler Dealers, with his head stuck out above the screen of a Spit with goggles on - funny as .... 

Funnily enough I was watching that episode on YouTube last night.  I do fit, just, although its fair to say I'm looking through the upper part of the windscreen!  Perhaps the floor is rotten through and sagging!

It does look tidy in the pic..

Its all to do with the light.   It is a little tatty but with some grafting should hopefully be looking respectable for the Spring.  Itching to get started.  Its still sitting outside on the trailer.  My garage is on a narrow lane behind the houses so will be a little 'challenging' getting it around there and the neighbours have all done a Lord Lucan on me.

['The Gaffer']

Nice project Rob

[bluehornetrider]

 :PTried out Por15 rust proof undercoat and it comes out nice and smooth, managed to get the rear brake drum on at last, fitted the front right brake line bracket and ran the copper lines around the front end up to the master cylinder.  Painted the master cylinder bracket with Por15 after stripping down the thick rust.
Picked up a few more tools at Exeter kit show.  The west field drift demo was good and there was some really nice cars there including cobras, gt40 and Porsche speedsters.

[Krazyken]

POR15 is great stuff, on my Marlin it has stood up better to stone chips than 2 layers of powder coating

[bluehornetrider]

My pictures from Exeter kit car show, Saturday 27th Oct '12.  Finished painting the brake master cylinder bracket with POR15 cleaned up the clutch master cylinder bracket and ordered the engine gaskets and copper rear brake lines.  Any idea how the flixible lines are supposed to reach the bracket without stretching the rubber pipe?  I know it's at it's full extension being in the air but it seems to be about half inch too short.   once the copper line is attached I can spin the car around and start on the other side.  I tried the sront steering to check the brake lone clearance and was amazed at the nearly 90 degree angle the front wheels get to. Krazyken Did you leave the POR15 as it is or over paint it?

[fullpint]

Looks like its coming along nicely mate. Should ready for a run on Boxing Day???

[bluehornetrider]

cleaned up the clutch master cylinder bracket and have POR15 primed it, I have now realised that the to brackets I have for the master cylinder brackets are slighlty different from each other, the brake bracket has a small fillet across the top covering the top retaining nut.
Have recieved the decocking engine gasket set (don't ask me what the differnce is to a normal set).  Rear copper brake lines to cylinder pipes, just need to fit them now all from Canleys classics.  I dug out the old brake master cylinder and rods and cleaned them up, quite rusty around the lid and under the lid rubber seal.  Seals are still pretty good apart from the rod rubber seal which has split, a service set is only £3.75 and comes with the lid seal as well, so that's something else to add to the shopping list.  I need to find the right bolts that clamp the bracket down to the bulkhead but I can't find any parts diagram that shows them, the joys of trying to put together somthing that someone else has stripped and not labeled.  In the plastic bag of bits I four a rod with a spring but my diagram didn't show what it was, I tested it in the master cylinder and it all looked right, it is a very snug fit, so god only knows how the previous owner got it apart
I'll take the wifes steam cleaner up to the garage tomorrow and give the engine a good clean before stripping it.

[bluehornetrider]

Took off the head and cleaned up and painted bright red along with the oil cap and top of the water pump.  Took off the rocker cover, exhaust bolts, inlet bolts and distributor.  are released all but on head retaining bolts as I couldn't get a good purchase on one of the centre bolts as the rocker cover bolt is in the way, there is a small nut at the bottom of the bolt that is slightly narrowing the point where my socket need to be.

After fitting the rear brake pipes between the drum and the flexible hose I noticed that the flexible hose is stretched to it's limit and is trying to bend 90degrees, I'll look for a 90 bend adaptor now.

Painted the front anti roll bar, front uprights, front springs and battery tray with the remains of my little tin of POR15. 

[bluehornetrider]

Can anyone help, I require a new brake master cylinder aluminum cap as the previous owner has damaged the one I have.  I have looked at all the usual places and they no longer supply them only the full cylinder at £60.  I have a single system.
I'm also having trouble finding the brake pipe fitting I require.  I'm looking for a male to female 3/8 screw fitting with at least 45 degree bend for the rear brake hose.

[bluehornetrider]

Managed to order a master cylinder brake fluid aluminum cap from the spitfire graveyard, very helpful and ordered a master cylinder repair kit from canleys classics.  I still can't find the brake line bend I'm looking for though.

[bluehornetrider]

Had a good few hours on the car today, managed to get the head, distributor, water pump, oil filter and fuel pump off the block, gave the rocker cover and water pump cover another coat of paint, not very happy with the colour though it's a bit too orangey red, I might get them powder coated along with the wheels.


Parts came from canleys today so now I can rebuild the brake and clutch master cylinders and put a return spring on the brake bedal.

[fullpint]

Looks like you have a few jobs on the go there mate... Best part is putting all those clean parts back together.. Should look good once its done..

[bluehornetrider]

I found some cutting paste and a drip tray from my local motor factors on Bumpers Farm in Chippenham. 

Hope to take up hairy santas offer of help with my valve strip as the valve removal tool costs around £50 quid and I hope to only need it once.

[robp]

I know you've been using POR15 on some components but what paint are you using for the engine block?  What is the paint in the photos above?

[bluehornetrider]

The spray paint is a mixture of high temp paint and ceramic engine paint, I got one from halfords and the other from my local motor supplier.

My thanks to Hairysanta for helping me out with my valve springs and the loan if some tools so that I can put it all back together again.  You own tha garage of my dreams including the car  

Got my replacement alloy brake master cylinder cap from spitfire graveyard, (0114 3272521) bit grubby but it was only a fiver.   

[Krazyken]

Sorry for the late reply.  I applied 2 coats of POR15 and was happy with the finish so left it as it was.  I found that you can just brush it on, it finds its own smooth level and acts like a plastic costing resistant to further stone chips.

Good Stuff!  

[bluehornetrider]

Started to clean the gaskets off the head, and block using an old chisel and brass brush in my drill.  coming up alright but I get some black brush on paint for the block just to brighten things up a bit.

[fullpint]

Black bush on paint will be fine for the block.. Look forward to seeing those valves and head all polished up 

[bluehornetrider]

As the weather was so crap today I spent most of the morning lapping the valves and changing the seals on the brake and clutch master cylinders.  When I tried to take the brake master cylinder apart the spring and rod piston was stuck in the cylinder housing so I put the air line on the brake line point and the screw on lid fired off with huge force straight into my guts.  I did manage to get the piston out eventually and replace the seals. it's all back together now and just awaiting the screws to fix the brackets down to the bulkhead.

I lapped the valves with the lapping tool, but wasn't sure how far to take them, so have been watching utube for pointers, I will go back and look them over tomorrow.

I sprayed the head with heat resistant paint and cleaned up and painted one of the horns.  More to keep the rust off it than anything else as I'm not sure I'll fit it at the moment.

With the bad weather today I have noticed the garage has a few leaks and I found a small puddle in the middle of the car so will have to keep an eye on that.

The master cylinder cap that I ordered from the spitfire graveyard proved to be no better than the one I had and athough it has a hole on the outside it doesn't penetrate all the way through.
I am awaiting an order from Canleys with braided stainless brake lines for the rear to fix my short hose length and a few gaskets.

I found the pistons and the valves are badly coked up and are hard to clean up.     

[Hairy Santa]

Hi Paul

looks like your up to your elbows in it, make sure you have a complete circle when you lap the valves and get rid of all traces of grinding paste (important)

If you want to test the valves for seating/sealing once you put it back together put very thin oil in the chambers and leave over night

[bluehornetrider]

I have resolved my rear brake line problem by buying stainless steel braided lines which are about 2" longer than the rubber lines I had, I think they must be for the older narrower track spitfire.
I now have the right hand side brakes all sorted ready to spin the car around and start on the left side.
I have lapped the valves in till they have a nice bright line all the way around, I cleaned the block with carb cleaned and left a little in the cylinder pot to see how long it would stay, (not as long as I would have liked, the seem to be leaking through the inlet valves)







Just weighing up the best bit of bling for the wife to buy me for christmas, rocker cover it might be.  The old one looks alright now that it's painted up though.  Or maybe an electronic ignition.

[YellaBelly]

As Pete says, get a good even circle of grey on the valve seats when lapping them. A better way to check for a real good seal is to put a few teaspoons of fuel in there. That will show up any leaks, if it doesn't drain away then you have the best seal you can get

[bluehornetrider]

Had a busy few hours today, polished up the cylinder head and the valve tops, hammerited the water pump housing, fan pulley and engine block, finished off the right hand side brakes fixed down the master cylinder brackets to the firewall and turned the car around ready to start on the passenger side brakes.

[Hairy Santa]

your gonna need sunglasses for when you look in your engine bay

your def getting there

[robp]

Coming on well.  You're miles ahead of me!

[bluehornetrider]

spent this afternoon putting the valve springs back in, managed to put the springs back on valve stems and only trapped my thumb once in the clamp   Fitted the water pump with new gaskets and managed to shear one of the bolts so have ordered a replacement along with a carb heat shield stainless water return pipe and a regular 82c thermostat as mine was absent from canleys classics.  I then fitted the themostat housing to the top of the water pump and the pulley wheel to the pump and by the time all that was done it was dark and time for tea.

[fullpint]

Rather you than me mate. Working in a garage in sub-zero temp can't be much fun...
Coming along good tho..

[bluehornetrider]

I work outside all day everyday, I'm used to it and do have a space heater running, just to take the edge off.   

I'm waiting for a few bits from canleys so that I can put the rest of the cylinder head back together, I sheared a pump housing bolt putting it back together and also needed a thermostat, I ordered a standard 82c but after looking on forums the higher temp 88c is the better one to go for as it keeps the engine a little warmer.  Just so long as it all works I'll be happy.  Getting a replacement water return pipe in stainless as the old one was rustier than it looked and ate itself during removal.

[robp]

Getting a replacement water return pipe in stainless as the old one was rustier than it looked and ate itself during removal.

Yep, same here. Original fell apart. Stainless replacement on order.

[bluehornetrider]

When I first saw the water return pipe it looked good and I wasn't going to bother replacing it until I removed it and found the layers of paint were keeping the rust together. 
I have taken the carbs apart now and am polishing the ports andcleaning up the rusty bits, just hope I can put it all back together again, also fitted the inlets and manifold but am missing a retaining bolt, hope to find it on my next trip to the garage.  I've ordered a heat shield so will have to wait and see how it goes on.

[bluehornetrider]

Got my shiny new heat shield and thermostat today, for £10 the heat shield looks great, the water return pipe is on back order so who knows when that'll turn up.  Really glad I didn't go for the stainless steel heat shield lots of reviews of them retaining heat instead of dispersing it and they were more expensive.

[fullpint]

Don't like it when a supplier tells you 'It's on back-order sir'... Lets hope you get it before the X-Mas shut-down mate..

[bluehornetrider]

As long as I get it I'm in no rush for it and it was only £15 delivered.



workedon a TVR Chimera this week as he had chipped the paintwork, I was really happy with the repair, I was a bit worried working on fibreglass but my usual technique of rubbing the area smooth and priming and painting worked great.  As usual I took pictures of before but always seem to forget the after pictures, when the customer started the old V8 up it sounded superb.  One day I'll get around to owning and V8 monster.

Saw a really nice body kit for the Spitfire chassis if the bodywork doesn't come up to standard it's a definite alternative.
Wish I'd taken a closer look at it when I was down at Exeter, it was on the Tribute stand and I thought they used MX5 chassis.

['The Gaffer']

In all honesty, I think the Spitfire body shape wins hands down.

[bluehornetrider]

Just an option if the body on mine doesn't work out.

I'm getting a mechanic friend to remove the water pump retaining bolt from the head as although I could get mole grip on it, it was just chewing the bolt up.
I started dtripping one of the carbs and found I need all the seals and a few little bits and bobs as there are bits missing. 
I recieved the water return pipe today and it looks great until uder a bright light I happened to notice a small fracture along the top of the bend
I have sent an email to canleys and will probably have to wait till after christmas for a reply.

[bluehornetrider]

I got a replacement water return pipe from canleys and sent the other one back, unfortunatly this pipe has the same fault and after contacting Canleys the rest of the stock is the same.  So the said that they would test one of theirs and if it's okay I 'll keep the one I have and send it back if it's not.