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Triumph T6 Spitfire Gt Build Chris Sherrington.


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Done a wee bit to the car tonight. I fitted the reshimmed diff, new prop and exhaust. Unfortunately I can now see play in the Uj's on the drive shafts so they will need to come out again.little bit closer to starting the new motor up but pleanty to do and no rush to do it.

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New length prop fits perfectly.

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More when it happens.

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OK I'm contemplating putting a GT6 rear hatch into the Spitfire. The plan is to buy a cheap Gt6 rear hatch. Take a mold from it and remake it in two halfs which will be bonded back together to make the new rear hatch. I will then "Cut" a hole around the current rear window and make a gutter and re-enforce the new opening, probably adding some metal tubes for strength bonded into the fibre glass or just Fibreglassed in. Whats the thoughts??? Does anyone have a Gt6 rear hatch hinge with a broken spring???? 

Ideas and thoughts please???

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If I may, Chris, no need for steel tubes bonded into the GRP.  They WILL rust!   Just add cardboard tubes and mould the GRP around them; the cardboard adds no strength, but the shape of the them in GRP does.  If you see what I mean.

A sheet of paper will not span two books on end, but if folded into pleats it will hold up itself and a reasonable weight.

 

When I made the hatchback for Silverback, I chickened out of making an inner skin as the shape of the original was full of holes and reverse folds.  I covered it with polyurethane foam sheet (NOT polythene!) carved that to shape and skinned it with GRP.  Which worked, but made it very heavy, as the foam absorbs resin.   Another time, I'd find some way of sealing the surface before laying a GRP on it.

 

You should be able to make a mould from an original that includes the flanges that takes the rubber seal for the glass.      Use this to bolt a polycarbonate window in place, with some domestic, self adhesive closed-cell foam window seal between 'glass' and flange. See pic.

 

post-690-0-94061400-1454574583_thumb.jpg

 

Your original need not be perfect.     Brown parcel tape is naturally non-adhesive to GRP resin (it needs a little wax) ad can cover imperfections, as well as usefully extending edges or adding 'fences' when making multipart moulds.  Her's a pic of my original roof, that I prepared with fences of alloy strip an sealed with brown tape.   The first part, of the inner aspec of the rear hatch opeing, has alreday been made, hence 'stage 2'.

 

post-690-0-96423300-1454574912_thumb.jpg

 

Good luck!

John

Edited by JohnD
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If I may be so bold....

The idea of a GT6 hatch seems OK, but not one I would bother with. A lot of grief for not-a-lot of gain, unless you really need a hatch for some purpose.

 

However, I would be trying to get the car back on the road first. It is soooo easy to get distracted with good ideas and ignore what needs doing now. I am terrible for it. Ask my wife!

 

Though as a side project, I guess making the hatch could be done in between other stuff. But don't get too single minded on it. 

 

Just my 2p.

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The car could be back on the road within a couple of hours. However Im away fom camp for a few months so this is just prep and ideas. Im also  researching a toe bar for the car that doesnt bolt through the fibreglass tub. This way I could sell the modern and start using the spitfire as my daily. all just ideas at the mo.

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Most towbars seem to use the bumper fixing points and as you say a fixing through the floor. I bought a used one for my spit, and the slightly-arched angle iron section was bolted behind the bumper for the up-down fixing, and a bit of flat bar was attached and went right forward to the chassis where it attached  via 2 holes that are already there below the diff. Had to weld tabs on some nuts as no space for a spanner.

 

However, not sure what you can attach a bar to at the very back of the car?

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OK I'm contemplating putting a GT6 rear hatch into the Spitfire. The plan is to buy a cheap Gt6 rear hatch. Take a mold from it and remake it in two halfs which will be bonded back together to make the new rear hatch. I will then "Cut" a hole around the current rear window and make a gutter and re-enforce the new opening, probably adding some metal tubes for strength bonded into the fibre glass or just Fibreglassed in. Whats the thoughts??? Does anyone have a Gt6 rear hatch hinge with a broken spring????

 

Ideas and thoughts please???

Why not just make a glass hatch without the need for a surround?

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I wouldn't even know how to go about making glass. I also already have glass and a seal. I want a larger opening to use to load luggage etc. So if I was to make a glass opener then I would need different hinges etc. If I copy a gt6 hatch, I can copy the hatch opening too and still use the glass/hinges and seals from a GT6. I could just get some perspex and the usual TR chrome outer hinges and make it cheap but it will look cheap and I want it to look nice. Car is for the road mainly and needs to be water tight. I'm trying to make it better for touring and rallies. If I can make it have the ability to toe a trailer too then it will be more useful over the Honda Hybrid and will get pushed back into service.

 

Does anyone have a GT6 tail gate I can borrow???

 

Chris.

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Gt6 tail gate is really useful, practical and convenient for every day use. I use my car to do the shopping, throwing the gym kit in etc. without one it would be a pain and I would take another car. I think the effort of making a rear hatch would be well worth it.

Cheers

Mark

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Chris,

Just another idea!    Making a hinged hatch might be quite demanding -the angle of the hinge brackets would have to be spot on.

An alternative is bonnet pins, which can accurately locate the hatch and draw it onto rubber seals to make it waterproof, but from your points about looking good you might not want.

What about  the "Aerocatch"?   Does the same job, and looks very like a flush doorhandle, van be installed on the panel of completely flush from below.

 

See: http://www.aerocatch.com/technical-information/instructions

 

JOhn

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Ian, when I first came across "Sideways" it was Chris' and Craig's build threads (amongst others) that convinced me to embark upon my own adventure, damn them both to hell! Well worth the read and, dare I say it, Wmpus' build on the the CT site. I've been sidetracked somewhat lately but the three accounts of their experiences are well worth a read if you're just starting out on a Triumph Spitfire/GT6 restoration/renovation. Don't be like me, learn from them and listen to their advice, and the advice others have to give, it's all well meant and, generally, very useful.

 

Cheers

James

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Ho dear, my Canleys alloy hub races are both rotating in the hub.

 

Time to call Canleys again.

 

On a better note, I stripped and repacked the left side hub. I also replaced the top wish bone rubber boots as they had cracked and changed the front left caliper pads to the Ferodo 2500 compound pads as the mintex 1144's after 27,000miles are just on the wear indicator. For the price of the pads I go alot of wear out of them. Gonna need some more brake pins and clips for the other side though as you can see from the photo the corrosion from the winter before has taken its toll.

 

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New boot fitted.

 

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Its a generic £3 replacement boot in the large size but it has done the job. Wonder if Canleys will supply another hub??? If not I'll need to re-install the stock spitfire ones but they are back home some 500miles away. Still to do for the MOT is rear Uj's, front right caliper pads, rear left drum springs replace, refit exhaust correctly this time. Load new EFI map and put the cab back together. I might also replace the type 9 gearbox oil seal too with a better one if one exists and also reconnect the clutch and bleed it up. Should get most of that done next weekend. 
 

Chris.

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Ian, when I first came across "Sideways" it was Chris' and Craig's build threads (amongst others) that convinced me to embark upon my own adventure, damn them both to hell! Well worth the read and, dare I say it, Wmpus' build on the the CT site. I've been sidetracked somewhat lately but the three accounts of their experiences are well worth a read if you're just starting out on a Triumph Spitfire/GT6 restoration/renovation. Don't be like me, learn from them and listen to their advice, and the advice others have to give, it's all well meant and, generally, very useful.

 

Cheers

James

 

 

Thanks James for the recommendation. 

I will read through this thread in due course.

 

On a more general point,  I would say these type of build threads are of immense value not only to those restoring this specific model, but are of value to restorers or repairers everywhere

because my experience makes me think there are a lot of pitfalls common to all and, more positively, a lot of the tricks can be applied widely.

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Hi Nick, they are Canley's uprated units. I've spoken with Dave he says 900 units sold and no issues like I have have been reported. However they are not bad at all, so my plan is to seep some loctite 603 down the race edge after a good clean and that should lock them in place fine.

 

Chris. 

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Chris, maybe pop the bearings out and "punch" the housing? A small centre punch tap every 90 degrees is what we sometimes do onboard with bearings that are spinning, along with some loctite (603 as well!!).

Nominally we use this as a short term fix to enable equipment to keep running until we can get spares, however it can be quite stunning in how much equipment we can open up that for some reason never got the spares fitted ;) ;) If it still works, let it be...............

 

Cheers,

 

Phil

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Well got a wee bit done yesterday, I Loctited the bearing into the left side hub and once they set I'm sure it will be fine. I also changed the remaining pads in the front left caliper. I then changed the rear left UJ but unfortunately it didn't go to plan. The bleed nipple decided to break off. Its a but corroded in side but is shouldn't have broken. So I now have no brakes. I think I'm just going to order a new unit as I can't be wasting my time on something which can't be fixed without more parts anyway. The car has been sat for a while so maybe I'll just replace both while I'm at it. Next on today is the rear right UJ followed by bleeding the clutch, making a little more wheel arch clearance and then finally putting the interior back in the car. Not fogetting to make a quick gearbox filler hole which will be filled every 500 miles or so just like the diff and every other oil holding item. I shall not be falling foul of oil seal failure again. Fingers crossed.

 

Here are some photo's.

 

I actually removed the bearing races to clean behind them, then added the 603 and refitted the race.

 

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and the rear brake cylinder.

 

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Its annoying when these little things go wrong but I think I just expect something to go wrong now. Its always something that shouldn't go wrong too but that doesn't stop it.

 

20160213_160143_resized_zps8tfyrnkx.jpg

 

I also replaced the brake drum springs as they were corroded as well as the retainers. Just because I want it all to function its best. It also might not be opened again for another 27,000 miles either so best prepair for the long haul.

 

More when it happens.

 

Chris.

 

Phil, didn't want to mark the housing as it's not got loads of clearance. Fingers crossed the 603 strong strength should do the job.
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Aluminium hubs are ok if the right material grade is used and a sufficiently large interference fit is used for the bearing races to allow for the relaxation as the hub warms and expands in use.  As it's bolted hard up to the brake disc it can be expected to get really quite hot.  Should generally be expected that the hubs have to be heated to about 100ºC to fit the races and still need a fair amount of force to get them in.

 

My concern with Loctite is that it has to survive increasing clearances as the hub expands and also potentially survive quite high temperatures. 603 is rated 150ºC, which is higher than most, but even so......

 

I suspect that the races moving in the hub on these particular items is actually reasonably common, but most haven't noticed.  Luckily it's not a very threatening failure mode.  Probably MoT failure eventually when it's impossible to adjust the play out any more.

 

Nick

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Well, today started crap but ended on a slightly exhausted but positive note. First up today I went to bleed the clutch. It worked for the first three pumps and then nothing. I looked into the master cylinder as I was pumping and I could see air coming in. Master cylinder Buggered. So I then changed the Rear right UJ which went fine until I tried to fit the bleed nipple. No chance wrong thread and this is the one that came with the UJ in a sealed pack. I had one short one which I put into the first one yesterday so I pulled the long one supplied with the first one and that too was the wrong thread!!! Blood typical. I then stripped and cleaned the right drum brake and replaced the springs and retainers. However there was quite a bit of corrosion on the cylinder and the bleed nipple was very stiff so will replace both when I'm next free. I then continued to refit the axle and the exhaust. Then the Camber compensator and then started to reasemble the tunnel cover, carpets. Finally finishing with the passenger seat and reconnecting the radio.  Its a strange finish here today as I'm happy there isn't too much to do but sad that after all this graft I can't drive it a little. Had a sit in it to finish off. Seats and interior really need a clean now. Started Spiddy up and sat there with my tunes playing. Looking forward to driving it. Jobs still to do..... New clutch master cylinder, near rear brake cylinders, mod front wheel arches, upload new ignition advance map and Mot. Then Dyno.

 

More when it happens.

 

Chris.
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