What i've done to my Car this week!

[spitsx]

Had a busy evening yesterday fitting freelander studs to my herald. managed to get 12 out of 16 sorted, so looks like later I'll be finishing that then swapping the herald diff for a spitfire 1500 diff. fun fun fun

[smithy]

Bunged in a load of Castrol Classic and tried to turn mine over last night. No good on the key. Held a file across the starter solenoid, and that gypped her up alright. Now I have to figure out how to get some sparks and some petrol to the right places.  

[Nick B.]

New parts for the GT6s

New brake hoses for the Toyota 4-pot caliper conversion

Oilfeed lines X 2

Poly bush steering rack holders

Polybush rear A-arm rotoflex bushings

Valve springs for the new higher lift cam

 

Hi Tim

 

You should search the forum - there is a lengthy duscussion on oil feed lines. They need to be restricted to work properly

 

Cheers

Nick

 

 

[DaveNotSoSideways]

Restrict to 0.9mm, I only recommend using the feed if you place a grubscrew in the head or block to bung up the original oil riser fromthe rear cam journal...

 

Did a bit more logging on my car...

 

Cheers I got the MAP sensor working with my wideband logging, although I don't think it's reading the same as the MJL one...I need to adjust the voltages/outputs to match.

 

Checked my hunch on the modified emulsion tubes but it wasn't right.

 

I skinned some 5 tubes to 0.274" thick from 0.286"...The 7's I was using were 0.268" thick.

 

I fitted some 145mains to the tubes in place of the 142 I was using  on the 7's but I then had the cruise mix hitting 15.7AFR @ 3000 and a resultant "surge and hunt"...I can't increase the main jet cause the mixture is sound elsewhere, air correctors I think.

 

I need some 150 air correctors to test on these modified tubes.

 

142/mod tube/150

 

I also want to test 138/140/7 tube/150 corrector.

 

I am very close to it being right.

 

My only issue is at wider throttle openings at lower rpm I am hitting high 11's on the AFR during lazy acceleration, but this is not a frequently used throttle position and it's good elsewhere...This was my reason for testing mod'ed tubes...It'll be impossible to get it bang on to the AFR point everywhere so maybe I have found the best, atleast without a pile of tubes and a lathe/drill.

 

I think the 150 air corrector could allow me to squeeze in a smaller main, hold the same high end mix as the corrector is smaller, at the same time the smaller corrector will kick the mains off a shade earlier and fatten up the smaller main earlier to compensate for the smaller main jet...We well see.

 

I cant fit a smaller main atm as the overlap is about perfect at 80% of transitions.

 

I seem to have increased my gas mileage ALOT....

 

I was hoping to go and log a stack of data this evening but the heavens opened and shat on that idea!

[sorbs]

I did check the oil level in the autobox yesterday.  Ordered some polybushes for the trailing arms too.

 

I've got quite a nice bay tree in the back garden and my raspberry bushes are going mental.  The weird hedge thing which I thought I'd killed with excessive pruning has made a remarkable comeback too.   I'll post photos when I get a chance.

[smithy]

Photos Sorbs!

I've soldered up my stolen/recovered ignition barrel contacts and the old git now turns over on the key. I've also stopped that oil filter leaking. (Burke).

The fuel pumps knackered though it seems. A simple AC it is too, who'd have thunk it? I'll be getting another. P'raps with a fuel bowl I can look at.

(I like them and I don't care who knows it).

 

The Wisteria's coming out. Soon be Summer. :-)

 

 

 

[mattius]

i discovered the most annoying job on a spitfire, by far the most shouting and swearing i have done in a long time, fitting the soft-top rubber header seal, sliding that wee bastard in the channels is just impossible

[zetecspit]

Don't think you are supposed to slide it. I have always laid it along the length, and worked along pushing the lip in with a wide bladed sccrewdriver or similar. Takes 10 mins......

[GT6_sleeper]

Don't think you are supposed to slide it. I have always laid it along the length, and worked along pushing the lip in with a wide bladed sccrewdriver or similar. Takes 10 mins......

 

thats what i did to, tried to slide it gave up and pushed it all in, took me a little longer than 10 mins though :B

[Mother Teresa]

Drilled out the manifolds for the heater pipe. was contemplating all sorts of fancy-dan ideas then just used the old 1/2" imperial pipe I have to hand(cheapskate ;D!). Just need to buy a 25mm bit, then I can drill out the balance pipes.

[DaveNotSoSideways]

Discovered it was pointless trying to do camshaft timing comparisions on slightly damp road...

 

Ok, I worked out when it was dry that retarding the exhaust cam (more lift at TDC) 3deg from it's previous location turned the engine into a turd at every point bar right at the low-end seemingly on a light throttle...I found this killed the WOT, mid range and top-end...so clearly in the wrong direction, unless the inlet cam needed adjustment....Don't think so, the VVC just likes a fixed exhaust profile and the inlet swinging.

 

I then found out it was fine if I moved the exhaust back again to original location and then advanced it by 2deg (less lift at TDC)....at the same time I retarded the inlet 3degrees so less lift at TDC, later opening. (duh made two adjustments at once...but I know the exhaust "sweet" spot is near as dammit where I have it)

 

Oddly I had to chop the idle down 150rpm when I got home, was cold when I left so idle was low?! Maybe that is a good sign, anyway I will retest when it's dry...I need to look at the lamdba curves so see if I can see any changes in the fuelling.

 

Car drove well at low speed, but it was damp, I tried a power-run in 2nd...instant and unending wheelspin from 2000rpm....

 

So tried 3rd, it was ok, power biting the tarmac, then it hit 4800rpm and span the wheels, like instantly and there was NOT a chance of any power being put on the road... I tried again at 5500rpm and it just span the wheels again, same thing at 6000...

 

I tried 4th and that was ok, bar it got to 5500rpm and I had some more wheelspin...   :o

[lordleonusa]

Today, I have been mostly setting FIRE to my Vitesse!

 

Actually, I tried to start it for the first time since January, when it was running just fine.

 

I connected up the battery, which was still fully charged.

 

After turning it over a few times to circulate the oil, I attempted to start it.  

 

Would it start? Hell no, it was firing, and wanted to start, but would not keep going.

 

Yes there was gas in it, yes it was pumping all the way up to the carbs, but the plugs were all as dry as well, a very dry thing.

 

Seems that the Webers got blocked up again, since January, despite having been primed with Stabil fuel stabiliser as in previous winters.

 

No fuel was going into the engine, then it happened flames shot up from the engine bay!!!

 

Apparently from some spilled fuel, when I had been messing around trying to located the blockage!!!

 

Curiously most of the flames seemed to be coming from the lower rear left side of the engine, but where from? There was no fuel there?

 

I didn't hang around to find out, I went to get the fire extinguishers, which I should have had right there, but of course did not, although they weren't far away.

 

ABC general use dry powder extinguishers, They did their job, and tomorrow I am going to buy two new ones!

 

It could have been so much worse!

 

Just a little warping on the very corner of my Optima battery and a rather blackened filter-mag which is working fine.

 

A large chunk of the wiring harness is toast and I will be having a deal of fun replacing that, with the correct coloured wires.

 

The aptly named front firewall has blackened and blistered paint, but fortunately the outside of the car looks OK.

 

The black powder coating is peeling off the back of the LH engine valance, but that's OK as I have to alter it at the front when I fit the oil cooler radiator.

 

I removed the compressed cardboard GT6 gearbox cover as it was still smoldering away! (who's tupid idea was it to make that out of a flammable material anyway?

 

Needless to say there is a LOT of white powder all over everything, but I will have a go at cleaning that off tomorrow.

 

Part of the fire was caused when the thin black nylon oil pipe from the tee-piece to the oil pressure gauge melted and sprayed oil over all over the place, which promptly ignited!

 

It's a good thing that I am about to replace that with a SS braided hose!

 

Notably the thermo-tec heat resistant sleeving did a great job of protecting the fuel hoses from the fire.

 

I really like that stuff now and will be using a lot more of it in the future!

 

My Magnecor Spark Plug wires are looking a bit the worse for wear.

 

Ah well, I'm still here, it's still here, and I will fix it.

 

sigh.

 

photos for your edutainment.

 

L

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[lordleonusa]

photo 2 of the Fire

 

L

[lordleonusa]

photo 3

[Nick B.]

Sorry to see this. Good thing you were able to  ut the fire out before it got worse!!

 

Cheers

Nick

[lordleonusa]

Good thing I had TWO extinguishers as I had to use 1½ to put it out!

 

In future I will be carrying one big one in the car with me at all times.

 

It has also served to concentrate my attention on fire-proof/retardant materials under the bonnet.

 

ThermoTec will be getting a lot more of my business in future.

 

L

[lordleonusa]

Final photo of that oil soaked compressed cardboard gearbox cover.

 

or what's left of it.

 

L

[GT6_sleeper]

gutted for you, at least it was not to bad hope you get it back on the road soon

[smithy]

Leon, I was just wondering  how long Dave's diff is going to last when I scrolled up your photos. Bloody hell!

That's an excellent retrieve of a situation that might well have been a complete loss. Knowing you you'll have the car fixed up and looking unmarked again soon; meantime thanks for a salutory lesson about fire risks, which I for one will be paying attention to immediately.

Good save!! That fuel line from the back of the car in photo 2...... *shudder*  ....it could have been much worse!

 

[GHR630]

OMG Leon, what the hell happened? I too had trouble starting mine after the winter lay up, but it never occured to me that this could happen.  I gave up after a couple of attmpts and proving the spark was there etc and drained all the fuel out and stripped the carbs and cleaned them and the filters etc. Put fresh fuel in it and it started fine. It never occurred to me to make sure the big extinguisher was right by my side throughout - it will now!!!!

 

I bought a big extinguisher from Lidls the other week more as an afterthought and that the price was v. good the other extinguishers I have are really old now except the large competition AFFF which is always in the car.  

 

That cardboard gearbox cover is a real joke isn't it? Especially when soaked in oil! mind you I reckon my cheap flimsy GRP item would burn well as well. Wonder what the expensive ABS items are like? For that money they should have fire retardant in them - no chance I 'spose.

 

We know what the carburant was, but what do you think was the source of ignition????

 

Anyway, I really feel for you mate. Especially as I know that times have been tough for you lately. I hope you get it fixed up again soon and keep us informed of progress.  We are all routing for you

 

 

George

 

 

[rlubikey]

Sorry to hear about your car Leon :¬(

Wonder what the expensive ABS items are like?

Are they really ABS? Use up to 60'C (Wikipedia) 80'C (Dynalab Corp) and melting point 105'C (Indian Plastic & Dynalab) or 103 to 128'C (Polymer Tech. & Serv.). Surely it would be a higher temperature plastic like PET?

My OD wiring MELTED where it goes up the gear stick. Admittedly it was the hottest day of 2005 and we were pootling round town, but I suspect household wiring had been used (rated 85'C). (It's now PTFE wire)

Richard

[wfarnworth]

Leon,

 

Sorry to hear about your mishap - glad you're OK though!

 

You seem to be taking it very well?

 

I think I would be reching for the Prozac!!

 

Wayne

[DaveNotSoSideways]

Really nasty!

[Mother Teresa]

Well done Leon in putting it out as quickly as you did . Must have been seconds away from complete burn-out potential? I feel for you- one of lifes challenges I suppose :-/ Fingers crossed your insurance will cover the restorative work.

[mattius]

Those powder extinguishers are a bitch, when i set fire to the spit a year ago i had to use one to put the tunnel fire out, im still a year later finding powder.

 

good luck leon.