Rocker shaft Let the engine run 20 minutes at 2,000 rpm to break in your cam and lifters. The weber downdraft is basically the same carburetor that was used on early German Capris and Ford Pintos (1970s). I'm also probably going to get another engine and after a bit of general inspection (The one I'm going to look at has already been largely rebuilt) and replacing the oil and water pumps - which haven't been done and then swap engines over - it also has a twin exhaust and a 4-2-1 header which is almost new. The Triumph SC (small car) engines were never derived fromtractors. TRIUMPH SPITFIRE 1500 16958 N/A RHD Refcode: 333759 Complete strip down, body spray with new parts and components and rebuilt 12 years ago, engine re. Rpm 5000 12.67 14.58 Took the car out for a ride and have a small backfire after shifting. Move to zero and then around and stop at .005 past zero. Hap, Great article but I must disagree with method for finding TDC. TR3B-TR6 four speed gearbox with A-type OD base rebuild pricing $3250. Launched in October 1962, the Spitfire featured sleek styling by famed Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti. Intake valves Consider oversize for better flow This is due to the manifolds available for that adaptation. | Posted in Anyone know anything about the downdraft Weber carb and aluminum intake kit being offered by englishparts.com? Move the crankshaft the normal operating rotation (clockwise when facing the front of the engine) until you see the needle reach maximum camshaft lift. Your manual will tell you the clearance specs, and you need to use an assembly lube on all moving parts inside the oil pump. Thrust bearing in the proper size. I was not aware of the header from the UK. Shop Work There is nothing inherently wrong with a properly designed 3 main bearing engine. Crank bearings are supplied standard size and pistons are supplied +0.020" oversize. 4.20 postage . Cylinder Head sorry real name is Mark - Ill update my signature when I get 5 ! Nov 14, 2022 quantumechanics.com, Swain Tech Coatings Inc. You dont want anything to be bent or stuck, as this will affect your cars operation. This measured sprint took us an alarming 14.7 seconds to completenot very sporting for a sports car. Thanks Pete - as it happens I picked up a "new" engine today - has been largely rebuilt - needs a new oil pump as it wasn't changed, but does seem to be well done overall. Never assume a new oil pump should not be taken apart and checked. We carry a wide-ranging catalog of used Triumph engines for all applications including gas and diesel engines. Hadone on the street will all the competition Cooper S parts. Budget a day to do the work, plus the cost of modifying your exhaust system, the carb-freshening kits and the paint and cleaning supplies. Theyve even won countlessSCCAchampionships. Follow the advice of the head gasket manufacturer in regards to coating. WHAT YOU CAN CLEAN YOURSELF It's the 1500cc variant, however, its had some cylinder head work and a fast road camshaft. If you find excessive wear your machine shop can reface them. It will smooth out an engine and pull locked up hp to the fore. If you are using a performance camshaft you may have to advance the cam timing per the cam manufacturers instructions. Cutting the valve seats: The most common is a three angle seat for better performance and sealing. If building a performance engine, ARP bolts may be ofbenefit, but they use their own special lube with a lower than factory torque!! By Thank you! Most cylinder head parts are inexpensive. A fair amount of work, but nothing too technical, and it saves the engine. Our carbs did need to be freshened, though, and we did that ourselves. In recent years we have become especially well known for ourperformance Triumph TR6 engines, which put out incredible power while improving durability and eliminating faults with the original design. Remove no more than .010 so that the head gasket will seal properly. Is there a howitzer story there? 5.00 postage. The solution is an electric fuel pump in the trunk, and bypass the mechanical pump. Finally the machinist will use a special tool to chamfer (angle) the tops of the bores. My spit was a 79, and when I compare it to the other tech available at the time it just looks sad. I use .003 clearance on my manganese bronze guides. Hap owns and operates Acme Speed Shop out of Greenville, SC, where his specialty is rebuilding MG engines ranging from stock to full out race prepared. 21.49. At some point in the nearish future, I will be stripping and rebuilding my Spitfire's engine. Includes engine/driveline, suspension, brakes, Otherwise, enjoy the car, collect the stuff you need and don't put yourself under pressure! Our initial zero-to-60 testing was just as depressing. This engine is almost a direct bolt-in. Im only really in the planning stages as when I do pull the engine, Id like to do things like make sure the head is lead free - Im told it was done by the guy who rebuilt it before the last guy who I bought it from. Sort By Price Pointer this can be as simple as a piece of wire bolted to the front side of the block. FM Spitfire 1500. WHAT A MACHINE SHOP SHOULD DO Most cam lifters can be installed after the cam, but on the MG and Austin Healey A-Series engine, the lifters have to be installed before the cam is installed. Crankshaft wear: the 1493cc engine fitted to the Spitfire 1500 has problems of its own, as the crankshaft can wear badly, along with the pistons and rings. It is a completely different car than it was when I bought it. How do we feel about con rod lock tabs? After this simple swap, our Spitfire was transformed. I wont cover every little detail that a manual will tell you about engine assembly. TheseSUcarburetors may be older technology, but they have served many owners very well through the decades. and he didn't use eBay parts, just Canley Classics, Rimmers or Moss. Thrust washers needed to be maintained, or crank walk would destroy themaswell. On the bench, apiston and gudgeon pin weighs 346gms, but this is under 1g, the acceleration due to Earth's gravity, In the 2.5L, at 6000rpm the piston reaches more than 2000g, andweighs nearly a tonne! This is a six-cylinder engine, displacing 2 liters. Degreeing a camshaft Harlow Private 4,500 TRIUMPH Spitfire Spitfire As always, once we test fitted the manifold, we sent it to Swain Tech Coatings to be coated. Our zero-to-60 times dropped by more than 2 seconds. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Contact Us, Rare American Sports Car: The Fiberfab Jamaican II V8, Full Documentary: The History Of Land Rover, For Sale: The Triumph Scrambler Stunt Motorcycle From James Bonds No Time To Die, Street-Legal Historic Race Car: A 1962 Semi-Lightweight E-Type, Unusual Project Car: A Brazilian Volkswagen SP2, For Sale: Ferrari F40 Wire Frame Sculpture. Once all of the pistons are in you can rotate the engine to the access the bottom side. Mount the rear engine plate, flywheel and clutch. Very nice condition 50 year old car. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. MATCHING RED FACTORY HARDTOP. In this way, conrods can be made 15% lighter and stronger than the OE ones. Listen out for rattling and blue. These engines were known to be delicate, especially if over-revved. The MG Midget and Austin Healey Sprite High Performance Manual - Daniel Stapleton 2008 Covers all aspects of modifying the MG Midget and Austin Healey Sprite for high performance. I tried the Weber DGV for a while but the SU's are more responsive plus I get better gas mileage ( the 5 speed helps). Triumph produced the fun and affordable Spitfire for 18 years, during which time over 314,000 were built. Spitfire Performance Upgrade Parts Fast delivery worldwide Payment options including PayPal British car experts 01522 568000 1-855-746-2767 Triumph Spitfire - Engine rebuild - YouTube Restoration of my Triumph Spitfire showing the newly rebuilt engine by Prather Racing - Kent Prather and myself. Some information and prices may be differenttoday. You can get a reaction between different paints causing wrinkling. 6000 15.20 17.50 Keep advancing the timing until you do, then retard just enough so you don't get any pinking. This reduces flow to the mains. I can then, at my leisure,rebuild the one in my car now and either sell it on or do another swap. This pristine car is fa. 10 watching. anglefire is my forum name across all forums I use. Purchase a good quality assembly lube. , Also worth making sure the crank end float is correct (oversize thrust washers usually required, get them the right way round too). 3 times until he put the Vandervells in and were find after 6 events. , The magnaflux chemicals help the machinist detect cracks. I am looking for some specific engine modifications, specific cam recommendations, specific machining insight from the Spit crowd who have been tuning these engines longer and harder than we MG owners. And here's the reason why. Install all bolts on the exterior of the block, for example, threaded plugs, oil pressure regulator, distributor drive and base, water pump, timing cover, crank pulley, motor mount brackets and seals (always put grease on seal lips to avoid damage during installation). Carefully remove the main cap and use the graph on the paper slip the plastigauge comes with to determine the clearance. The Triumph SC (small car) engines were never derived fromtractors. No problem. | Check for oil pressure before cranking. 13 33,950 TRIUMPH SPITFIRE 6383 MANUAL RHD Refcode: 07AD6F7A-7C71-6CF9-9CAF-66E10EE97FDA Pristine Triumph Spitfire 1500 with just 3,999 miles on the clock! Lifters (tappets) are always replaced with a new camshaft. Is your favorite classic car properly insured? It is extremely important that the filet radius (the edges of the journal where it joins back into the crankshaft body) is restored when the crank is reground. Cut a small piece of plastigauge and place on the #1 journal. You will do this similarly to your crankshaft end float. This item: Triumph Spitfire 1500: Repair Operation Manual. It's a surrogate for the actual stress calculation that works out the acceleration of the piston, whichis a LOT more difficult! Other Areas of your Engine Always seemed like a sacrilege putting a Spitfire engine into a Midget. Feb 2016: We are currently only rebuilding Triumph TR3B (four synchro) through TR6 transmissions and A and J type . Then I realised itd be quite cool to make it an animation. The goal is to spin the engine in the normal rotation to maximum cam lift (now zero on the dial indicator) and stop at same given point before and after max lift has been achieved. Keep your manual close at hand for the assembly stage. August 25, 2016 @ 9:30 am Pat Garity. The factory paired these preferred carburetors with a free-flowing, cast-iron exhaust manifold that emptied into twin pipes. The snaps were so that I remembered how everything went, so I could put it back together again. 1980 1500 Spitfire, I just added new cap, rotor, wires, pertronix ignition and flamethrower coil. 1979 TRIUMPH SPITFIRE 1500 MK IV. | Alfa Spider vs. MGB vs. TR6 vs. Miata. The shop will most likely resurface the cylinder head to insure flatness, and provide for a good sealing surface for the head gasket. It is a normal practice to oil the threads on all engine high torque bolts to help reach true torque. Crankshaft replace your pilot bushing. I have rebuilt a dozen or so engines (probably double!) This is very important, because if you are not on TDC, all your readings will be wrong. Get your hands on the complete Triumph factory workshop software. The carb is a two stage design, so it's essentially a one barrel with a secondary that comes on at full throttle. The CNCblock machining center is a major contributor to the high level of quality and performance on our engines. The Triumph Sports Six Club Manganese bronze guides are also available and I almost always use them because they are very long wearing. Mean piston speed (MPS) is a simple calculation using the revs and thestroke. Differential Mount Set Poly Front Spitfire GT6 . Chances are your cam timing is probably not where it needs to be. But the US emissions regs sucked away both torque and power. Connecting Rod Bolt Set HD Triumph Spitfire, Midget 1500 . Deck H $3,341.18 New ---- Used Dart SBF SHP Iron Block 4.125 Bore 9.500 DH - 31375235 $2,999.00 New ---- Used Do both methods and you will see the dial indicator method can lead you astray by a couple degrees. The exhaust manifold goes on first, underneath the intake manifold. Cam bearings I prefer the full circle type The downdraft sends the mixture down to a flat surface in the intake manifold where it splatters and pools rather than smoothly reaching the head. Performance & security by Cloudflare. I've seen talk of 100HP from some out there, but I have to admit that the 3 main bearing crank arrangement scares me pretty badly. The rule with engine building is clean, clean, and then clean some more. More torque, as we know, helps produce betteraccelerationnumbers. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Like so many other emissions-era carburetors, ours caused the car to surge and run leanespecially at highway speeds. For most of our engines .0015-.002 is ideal for rod and main bearing clearances. The cars are to enjoy, not be a burden. Bottom end I might just get it balanced and reground if needed and look at different pistons and rods but also look at budgets. Rebuilding A Triumph Spitfire Engine Reading time: about 1 minute | Written by Ben Branch | August 25th 2013 11 Months, 3000 pictures and a lot of coffee. All spark advance is handled electronically. Check the wiper section of the rocker arm where it makes contact with the valve stem. Read More 1978 Triumph Spitfire with a Mid-Engine Turbo 1.8 L Inline-Four. Install the oil pump, remember it is important to disassemble the oil pump, clean the inside whether new or used, lube them, and check the clearances on them per the manual specs. Apply 30W motor oil to the cylinder walls and the piston skirts. The three-main-bearing design did not lend itself well to hard use. Theory is great, but how much does this swap really help performance? I'm more than happy with 5000rpm - my currently daily is diesel so tends to live at less than 3000 - actually a lot less unless booting it (its a 3tr BMW so has lots of power and torque!). Austin Healey, MG or Triumph we can build it better than original and to any performance level. At this point the machine shop is ready to assemble the cylinder head. ft/9.5 kgm) at 2500 rpm respectively. Once MPS goes up to 20 metres/second, you can expect reduced reliability and early failure, unless the engine has been speciallydesigned and built and/or made from exotic materials. My GT has them and Rimmers show them on TR2 -4a, but not GTs or Spitfires. After boring, your block will be honed to get the proper finish on the cylinder wall. Good information. Make sure you use assembly lube on every main cap and your thrust washers as well. Engine Block 100bhp should be achievable fairly easily. A window into racing in the 1960s | Sebring Special MGBs: How an MG TC gave way to a worldwide British car enterprise. $20.74. If the margin (the vertical part of the valve just below the seat sealing area) is ground away during refacing it could leave a sharp edge that can lead to a burnt exhaust valve later on. Ray, July 19, 2015 @ 6:14 am TRIUMPH SPITFIRE MkI,II,III,IV & 1500 (1959-80) FUEL PUMP REPAIR KIT. Yeah, except for Mazda, Ford, GM, Toyota, Mercedes, Nissan, Honda, etc. Discuss with the machine shop the piston size. As much as I would like to say you can leave it all in their hands, you cant. I'll look for the head stamp and see what it says. AnglefireSeptember 30, 2017 in Engine. To save money and meet the ever-stricterU.S.emissions standards, American-market versions of this 1500 were fed by just one carb, not the dualSUsetup found onearlierSpitfires. Restoration of my Triumph. I have 3 1500 Triumph engines in RB Midgets I'd like to rebuild and upgrade for greater performance and reliability, to take advantage of modern engine components, the years of tuning and development on this engine since the 70's, and the wealth of engine building experience that has amassed since the engines were introduced. Seals should come in your gasket set but double check. Trending price is based on prices over last 90 days. Sometimes old paint will strip off if soaked long enough. The Kent fast road grind has a lot of lift but not a lot of duration which keeps the power band from being pushed too high. ], Story by Tim SuddardPhotography asCredited. Its a good idea to replace the rocker shaft. theres no dirt inclusions ,or scuffing , look very good to me Line up the dots on the two timing gears when installing the chain. Cover the camshaft journals, lobes and gears liberally with assembly lube. The Birth of the Modern Sports Car: Datsun 240Z, Porsche 924, Triumph TR7 and Mazda RX-7. They can handle the disassembly, cleaning, checking for cracks, machining and assembly for you. Apologies, confusion re std. Ray Ciccarelli, Hello I have 185/60 13 tires which are a little lower so I put TR7 gears in the diff. If using a performance aftermarket cam, it may be different than what is listed in the manual. swaintech.com, Driving the short-lived MGA Twin Cam is magical, Classic Roadster Showdown: Alfa Romeo Spider vs. the Triumph TR6, An MGC Coupe that recalls the glory days of motorsport. If you have just set it to the "book" spec there is every chance it will not be ideal. I would like to fit a sports exhaust at the same time too. It is now running with high compression pistons, UK-spec cam, UK-spec 4-2-1 exhaust manifold, and HS4 carbs. The intake will have receded. Its important that this be accounted for because too much clearance would cause a loss of oil pressure and too little clearance could cause damage to the bearings and crankshaft. To truly rebuild SU carbs, you must send them to an expert; replacing those throttle shaft bushings requires specialized equipment. Please contact us for further details concerning . Some connecting rods will be a press fit type, and not need servicing other than pressing the old piston off and the new pistons on. The bolts holding the adjustment on the cam gear are small (-28), and if you torqued your cam retaining nut later, which has a much higher torque spec, you could overpower the smaller bolts and change your cam timing. I suggest you guys go read the same thread over on the MGExperience board. I hope this far into the game you already have a good manual. June 30, 2021 June 30, 2021; GT6; Fanatik Builds started their 1971 Triumph GT6 project as a simple restoration. Follow the same process with the rod bearings as we did with the crankshaft and plastigauge each journal one at a time. That is not true but often repeated. REBUILT ENGINE UNITS The Roadster Factory offers its own factory rebuilt engines and cylinder heads (see p. 6), and we believe that these units are the best solution available to most enthusiasts who need an engine overhaul. No problem. And the engine was a huge part of that. My best friend has a Fiat with a DCV on it that responded VERY well to it. Rocker Assembly Pete, The 1500 long stroke is not the best for reliability and can suffer serious big end and con rod failuresifnused in ahurried life, It does age quite quickly, upping the power wont help much in reliability. Spitfire/GT6 site suggests E for engine, to avoid confusion with commission number. Vandervell do come up on eBay from time to time, but most are showing their age from long term storage. Rotate the engine by hand at the front crank bolt and adjust all your valves to the recommended lash for the camshaft you are using. In some states, this kind of modification is a no-no. item 4 New Valve Cover Gasket for Triumph Spitfire and MG Midget 1500 Cork, item 5 New Cylinder Head Gasket for Triumph Spitfire 1500 and MG Midget 1500 w/ Tab, item 6 NEW TRIUMPH SPITFIRE 1500 MG MIDGET 1500 WATER PUMP, item 7 Triumph TR6, GT6, Spitfire, MG Midget 1500 fuel pump to engine gasket 138791, item 8 Triumph Spitfire - TR250 - TR6 & GT6 & MG Midget 1500 - Rear Main Crank Seal, 5.0 out of 5 stars based on 9 product ratings, 5.0 out of 5 stars based on 5 product ratings, 5.0 out of 5 stars based on 4 product ratings, 5.0 out of 5 stars based on 2 product ratings. Started out as just a collection of snaps as I stripped down an engine bought off ebay. Once the piston gets to the point where the ring compressor is resting on the deck of the block use a dead blow hammer to tamp the top edges of the ring compressor to square it against the bore. From the the tight budget, to the all-out approach, I've done it all, and can help you with your project The engine rebuild kits can be anything from stock, to mild, to wild street performance, to a even a full out race engine. Magnafluxing typically involves applying a fluid, or powder to the crankshaft, then viewing it under a black light. The Triumph Spitfire is a small British two-seat sports car, introduced at the London Motor Show in 1962. But improper clearance can result in a seized exhaust valve. Maybe Moss Motoring can find a engine builder that specializes in these engines to do article on them, I know I would read it with great interest. Powered by Gasoline and Caffeine. Triumph Spitfire 1969-1980 Owners Workshop Manual: Glovebox Edition (Practical Classics & Car Restorer) $2000. The 3 main floppy 1500 crank can live well at higher RPMS than a stock 1500, if rotating and recipricating assemblies are well ballanced and good ARP main studs are used. 7000 17.73 20.42 Line boring is not needed in most street engine rebuilds. Quantum Mechanics, Ltd. | Never miss an article, [Editor's Note: This article originally ran in the March 2013 issue of Classic Motorsports. Position it toward #1 piston and then bring the piston toward the top of the block. And I'll be looking at the shells as I said and thrust washers - though it does look from the outside to have been done well (I don't want to knock the chap who did it!) Make sure to lube all points of contact. Install the piston and connecting rods I tell my customers to go where the racers go. They look 10X better in the engine bay on a 1300 or a 1500 than a ZS or Weber and have been around forever. Add those two numbers together and divide by twothat is your cam timing. Adjustable cam gears will have about 20 degrees of variable adjustment to work with assuring you can get the cam timing exactly where you need. Once you torque it to spec turn the crankshaft by hand, you should feel a nice fluid motion without any binding. We know as the piston idles around TDC the cranks motion doesnt produce much stroke so the positive stop method is more accurate and easy too. Did mean I had to buy an engine hoist, load leveller and engine stand this week too. Zero out the indicator and double check to make sure you are correct. Engine gasket sets I prefer Payen brand gasket sets when I can get them. Bare J-type OD base rebuild pricing is $1399. I own a suitable license for this piece of music, supplied by Chris Worth Productions. The key here is getting the entire setup, including the linkages. Your IP: The strut towers have also been chrome plated and fitted. If theres any drawback, its the legal ramifications. Fuel pump work good (tested). At the end of the day if it needs a rebuild every 40/50k its notthe end of the world as that is plenty of years use! catertrax login admin, can i take tylenol 8 hours after excedrin migraine, my three sons house floor plan,
triumph spitfire 1500 engine rebuild