triumph spitfire 1500 engine rebuild triumph spitfire 1500 engine rebuild

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). Some connecting rods have floating piston pins, the bushings will need to be checked for play and wear as well. 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. I can then, at my leisure,rebuild the one in my car now and either sell it on or do another swap. Double and triple check this to make sure you are at TDC. Copyright 2018 Wishbone Classics. Install the cylinder head and rocker arm assembly. Manganese bronze guides expand with heat at a different rate than your cylinder head and require more clearance than cast iron guides. This should make for a more spritely drive. Still slower than my prius, these are tractor engines from the 50s. Very nice condition 50 year old car. You need to plastigauge the bearing clearances. It will be your main point of reference. Hap, Great article but I must disagree with method for finding TDC. For engines with a lifter cover or external lifter access, install the liftersif not already pre-assembled. I remember reading a brief article in Road & Track back in the 70s that with the two SU setup, there's a problem that at higher RPM the mechanical fuel pump doesn't deliver enough gas, causing fuel starvation. This is very important, because if you are not on TDC, all your readings will be wrong. Use the ring compressor around the piston at the point where the rings are located on the piston to compress the ring as it would be when in the cylinder. 5000 rpm may be a conservative limit even for a 1500, but it's easy to see that thelonger stroke engine approaches the 20mps limit far sooner than the earlier engines. Manganese bronze guides are also available and I almost always use them because they are very long wearing. The Spitfire has headed over to the garage where the brakes and suspension components have been stripped, sandblasted and painted and have started to be fitted. So I always set timing by ear, drive the car and try to get it to pink. I've googled and it seems to be questionable! They will weigh the valve springs and use shims as needed to insure the correct valve spring height and seated pressure of the valves and springs. Is your favorite classic car properly insured? I prefer the fullcircle cam bearings and not the split type, and the machine shop has the special tools and knowledge to do it right. Cam bearings I prefer the full circle type | Never miss an article, [Editor's Note: This article originally ran in the March 2013 issue of Classic Motorsports. Frequently bought together. Hardened exhaust seat inserts are a must for the hotter burning unleaded fuels used today. Spitfire/GT6 TS Imported Automotive, 108 South Jefferson St., Pandora, Ohio, 45877, USA Tel 800.543.6648 (USA & Canada only) 419.384.3022 (Tech / General Information) Connecting Rods (Not for racing, just to bring them into the 21st Century and to get my little Midget screaming down the road). Triumph Spitfire - Engine rebuild - YouTube Restoration of my Triumph Spitfire showing the newly rebuilt engine by Prather Racing - Kent Prather and myself. Thanks for the information - especially the bearing supplier. I used new bolts and tabs, but this was 1980s so bolts would be from the good bucket. The cost for this setup is only about $400 to $500, depending on the source and condition of the parts. For about $200, we had a local muffler shop fabricate a new system. Apply 30W motor oil to the cylinder walls and the piston skirts. In some states, this kind of modification is a no-no. 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! The carb is a two stage design, so it's essentially a one barrel with a secondary that comes on at full throttle. I like to get parts down to bare metal, because painting over old paint is a mixed bag of nuts. Trending price is based on prices over last 90 days. 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. AnglefireSeptember 30, 2017 in Engine. , Get the distributor modified to match the cam (the Distributor Doctor) and find somebody to set the carbs up on a rolling road. 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. Remember, these parts may be nearing their 40th birthday, so go with a reputable dealer. Articles that Ben has written have been covered onCNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine,Road & Track Magazine,the official Pinterest blog, theofficialeBay Motorsblog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more. Dont let any steps get overlooked. I started a similar thread on the MGE and got quite a bit of good feedback, so I thought I'd see what you guys have to say. The CNCblock machining center is a major contributor to the high level of quality and performance on our engines. Apologies, confusion re std. Be sure to use engine oil with 1200 ppm of ZDDP to insure long engine life. Test fitting the crankshaft and bearings I discussed addinglock tabs with the engineer when I did my Herald engine, but he warned against it. It went like stink. Maybe because its the one I raced back in the day, but it always just seemed better balanced than the 1500 for some reason. The big issue with Spit motors was not wear onTW, it was preventing them from dropping. Hadone on the street will all the competition Cooper S parts. There is nothing inherently wrong with a properly designed 3 main bearing engine. 5.00 postage. Sold my spit last year and it was one ofthe few cars I never regretted selling. 3 times until he put the Vandervells in and were find after 6 events. When you check the shells, if it hasbeen built with cheap bi-metalones (you can tell by colour and the markings on the rear) then replace them with lead/copper. Dont let this step scare you. Vandervell were the bearing of choice when a friend of mine built a 2ltr pinto for rallying as alternative bearings failed after about 3 events (Spectacularly the first time!) After refreshing the carburetors, the next step is simply to replace the intake and exhaust manifolds with the European-spec pieces. The '78 spit I just bought has this and a 4 tube header on it. But now you will know what degree of offset key to order. Ray Ciccarelli, Hello I have a lot of experience in building engines, I even put together a current class record holding engine at Bonneville. Chances are your cam timing is probably not where it needs to be. I'm guessing not particularly. An adjustable cam gear is really worth it if your budget allows. Quantum Mechanics, Ltd. Custom options available from electronic fuel injection. You can get a reaction between different paints causing wrinkling. Mean piston speed (MPS) is a simple calculation using the revs and thestroke. A shop manual is a good idea, but we have a little cheat: Just disassemble one unit at a time, and use the other as a 3-D shop manual of sorts. And as my current engine seems to be doing about 28mpg, I'd hate to think what a low efficiency engine is like, i cant find any data readily availablethat explains the last suffix 'E'. This full engine rebuild kit includes the minimum of parts required when rebuilding an engine (less crank & cam); and assumes that your cylinder block, head, crankshaft & camshaft are all serviceable. My spit was a 79, and when I compare it to the other tech available at the time it just looks sad. Make sure all stud and bolt threads are oiled. All pricing, component availability, and terms of business are subject to change without notice. Started out as just a collection of snaps as I stripped down an engine bought off ebay. I would like to fit a sports exhaust at the same time too. A nifty-looking, dual-inlet air cleaner wrapped in a black crackle finish was part of the package. Quantum Mechanics offers these as used sets with manifold pulled from old Spits in England. 6500 16.47 18.96 A larger motor was needed. Rod bolts I recommend replacement. Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in Engine Blocks. Come on fellas, Mike can't be the only one to reply??? Anyway even with the taller gears the engine isn't so high strung that it lugs at all. They don't appear on any of the Canley GT6 diagrams, but they were certainly there the first time I took the sump off in 1979, or there abouts. Bolting Dual DCOEs on a stock engine would would hurt driveability. Follow the same process with the rod bearings as we did with the crankshaft and plastigauge each journal one at a time. The biggest problem with these engines, however, had to be the single, emissions-era Zenith StrombergCVcarburetor. The Triumph Spitfire is a small British two-seat sports car, introduced at the London Motor Show in 1962. Install the oil pan and gasket. Purpose manufactured components designed to replace faulty original designs - for increased reliability and durability. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. But not just any pump--SU carb float valves will allow gas by if it's under too much pressure, so you need a low-pressure pump or pressure restrictor in the system. For a reliable road-going engine, careful building, in clean conditions will get you one tha is long-lasting! If you want to uprate the big end bolts but don't feel like splashing out on ARP, you can also use Cosworth (YB?) I spoke to the distributor doctor today - after looking at the website - and have ordered a standard replacement dizzy for mine as a starting point because I replaced mine with one from ebay after getting issues (Which I suspect were really down to the carbs) and I am getting some issues with pinking and the like, that could be caused by a cheap chinese one - of course it could be something else, but I decided to start from a good place! Always seemed like a sacrilege putting a Spitfire engine into a Midget. Bolting on the new carburetors is easy, and since this is a factory setup, the throttle cable will perfectly join the existing system. Items that dont move, like valve covers, front and rear engine plates, lifter covers, timing covers, distributor bases, etc., you can clean yourself. Engine was previously rebuild by Ivor Searle, looks brand new under the rocker cover.. Ps, fuel tank is disconnected, now pumping fuel out of a fresh can. Connecting Rod Bolt Set HD Triumph Spitfire, Midget 1500 . ALL THE PARTS YOU NEED FOR DIY BOTTOM END ENGINE REBUILD INCLUDING PISTON AND RING SET ,BEARINGS, OIL SEALS,OIL PUMP,CAM FOLLOWERS ,TIMIMG CHAIN AND TENSIONER, HEAD AND SUMP GASKET SET. Handy Tip: If using an adjustable cam gear, torque the cam retaining nut to manual specs before making your adjustments. Triumph removed the lock tabs quite early on in production and never reinstated them despite loads increasing considerably (e.g. Piston set these will come with rings and pins supplied. 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. They can handle the disassembly, cleaning, checking for cracks, machining and assembly for you. Thank you very much! Your IP: To avoid offsetting the soon-to-be-realized power gains, make sure the new system is not too restrictive. Remember, these cars were optimistically rated at about 70 horsepower at the crank. AVAILABLE IN STANDARD OR ALL REGULAR OVERSIZES [ E-MAIL OR TEL. I had a re-used bolt shear, causing catastrophic damage, my first rebuild. A better solution is to use this as an excuse to use larger intake valves and enjoy improved performance. This firm finds these parts overseas and imports them for American enthusiasts. WishboneClassics is able to perform certain machining operations on your engine that you cannot have done elsewhere. Protecting it by reducing the stress. Rpm 5000 12.67 14.58 Perhaps our biggest issue was simply the original setups drivability. I have only ever torqued up to the factory spec, and never had any issues. Install the cam thrust plate, timing gears, chain and tensioner (if applicable) following the workshop manual guidelines. Quickview. Have your timing light ready to set the timing. This is a good time to consider a performance cam. It is a completely different car than it was when I bought it. 2L & Spits Mk1-4 1500 Search (123\Tune+) For perfect timing. The Triumph Sports Six Club Measured engine output had improved nicely: We posted 65 horsepower and 78 lb.-ft. of torque during our next visit to the dyno. 7000 17.73 20.42 I know I was able to replace the thrust bearing in my TR-6 by dropping the pan and removing the rear main bearing cap, but can't remember if it the same on the Spitfire. Planning for Rebuilding the Engine on the Spitfire | Triumph Spitfire Mk3 Restoration Project: Bruce's Triumph Therapy, [] http://mossmotorsltd.wpengine.com/restoring-british-engine/ [], January 13, 2018 @ 5:01 pm Harlow Private 4,500 TRIUMPH Spitfire Spitfire 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. A word of caution about decking the block too much: Some engines, such as the Spitfire and Midget 1500 and the later TR6, have necessary recesses around the cylinder bores. What have you done to upgrade your 1500's? 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!). Do you need custom pistons for this? For most, dropping off the cylinder head complete to a machine shop is the best idea. Get Started 1971 Triumph GT6 with a LS4 V8. Which is a big part of a rebuild, ft/9.5 kgm) at 2500 rpm respectively. 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. Crankshaft grinding is a very skilled part of the machine shop phase. The rule with engine building is clean, clean, and then clean some more. But do no explore the rev range too often (maybe get a rev limiter!). This guy does a good job of outliningthe issues with the 1500: http://triumphspitfire.rickbaines.com/weaknesses-of-triumphs-1500-engine/. If your engine has a harmonic balancer, it will have a rubber insulator between the inner and outer rings. Early Spitfire and Heraldengines had lock tabs (https://www.canleyclassics.com/triumph-spitfire-mki/ii-crankshaft-and-camshaft). At TRF, we know every part of the Spitfire 1500 engine intimately, and rebuild them to exacting standards To read Haps previous article on engine disassembly and inspection, visit www.mossmotoring.com/disassembling-british-engine, October 16, 2013 @ 2:20 pm (585) 889-2786 Oil pressure regulator parts They are inexpensive, so replace them. You will need some headwork, and a skim o achieve a higher compression ratio (depends on the cam). Triumph Spitfire 1969-1980 Owners Workshop Manual: Glovebox Edition (Practical Classics & Car Restorer) $2000. MG Midget Triumph Spitfire Rebuilt 1500 Engine About this product About this product Best Selling in Engine Blocks Speedmaster Pce286.1049 Aluminum Engine Block Ford 351w Windsor 9.500 In. 7500 19.00 21.88 Coat with oil, install and torque the #1 main cap to manual specs. Carburetor Rebuild Kit, Weber DGV Downdraft . Line up the dots on the two timing gears when installing the chain. They look 10X better in the engine bay on a 1300 or a 1500 than a ZS or Weber and have been around forever. Motor runs excellent, no issues with state inspection and everything works as it is supposed to. Spitfire/GT6 site suggests E for engine, to avoid confusion with commission number. | Triumphs and Jags back in 1972 (58k scanned image of an official price sheet) Building an engine test stand Assorted first hand tech rebuilds Rebuilding Seats Windshield chrome Trim Oil Cooler Installation New Pistons and rings Grinding Rings New Dashboard Front Spring lowering Stainless Steel Brake Lines Rear axle tricks Interior Trim 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. (203) 463-8299 The weber downdraft is basically the same carburetor that was used on early German Capris and Ford Pintos (1970s).