That is not true but often repeated. For the earlier 4 cylinder engines we always fit upgraded rear oil seals, an . Austin Healey, MG or Triumph we can build it better than original and to any performance level. Whether stock, performance or race, only the highest quality components and workmanship go into our engines. Bare A-type OD base rebuild pricing is $1650. If building a performance engine, ARP bolts may be ofbenefit, but they use their own special lube with a lower than factory torque!! The music is In The Hall Of The Mountain King from Edvard Griegs Peer Gynt Suite Double and triple check this to make sure you are at TDC. What have you done to upgrade your 1500's? This may seem like a lot of clearance to your machinist who is not used to working with our engines. Engine Block Rod bolts I recommend replacement. I use .003 clearance on my manganese bronze guides. Protecting it by reducing the stress. For example, most modern black composite material head gaskets require no coating or sealer. View cart for details. I like to start with the center cap. Single DCOEs on the 8 port heads suffer from uneven fuel distribution between the inside two cylinders and the outside two owing to the unequal runner lengths of the available intake manifolds. It will smooth out an engine and pull locked up hp to the fore. There was an article in Classic Motorsport comparing different SUs to different Webers on the same MGB B-series engine. A bead blast cabinet is ideal for this job; however a wire brush on a drill, or bench grinder with a wire brush will get the job done. Be sure to use engine oil with 1200 ppm of ZDDP to insure long engine life. I think that they are 3.67 to 1. You get extra points for completing this task if the engine in question is British or Italian of course, along with a tidy little bonus point if the engine is pre-1980. Line boring insures that all crank journals are in perfect alignment and properly sized. 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. Its okay if areas around the water jacket do not completely clean up. sorry real name is Mark - Ill update my signature when I get 5 ! 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. Anyone know anything about the downdraft Weber carb and aluminum intake kit being offered by englishparts.com? https://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-105313. Triumph Spitfire - Engine rebuild - YouTube Restoration of my Triumph Spitfire showing the newly rebuilt engine by Prather Racing - Kent Prather and myself. Some enthusiasts opt for a WeberDGVdown-draft or single side-draft 40DCOEsetup. 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. Make sure to clean and lubricate your throttle linkage, too. Buy the HD/LC or whatever they are called, a few a set more than, that shell looks pretty much like its hard ever run , ive seen much worst in brand new engines off production, WHAT A MACHINE SHOP SHOULD DO The mean piston speed will be 26.5m/sec. I built a 1500 engine for my '72 Spit back in the day. Exhaust valves Buy your used Triumph Spitfire motors/engines from us and save time and money. 9.99 Download now. Hap, Great article but I must disagree with method for finding TDC. I'd start with some head work a header and dual SUs. The leaning and surging had vanished. theres no dirt inclusions ,or scuffing , look very good to me Hardened exhaust seat inserts are a must for the hotter burning unleaded fuels used today. One day. ], Story by Tim SuddardPhotography asCredited. And, once you have the engine block on the engine stand, youre ready to dive in. Sometimes old paint will strip off if soaked long enough. But Kas Kastner, the US race engineer who led Triumphs competition effort there, fond that flow to the mains could be optimised by external lines, instead of the internal oil gallery, in the "Kastner Octopus". Every time we use this miraculous product, were impressed with how it knocks down exhaust temperature and holds up for years, looking like new for a long, long time. 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. This pristine car is fa. Triumph TR engines. ft/9.5 kgm) at 2500 rpm respectively. (585) 889-2786 Finally the machinist will use a special tool to chamfer (angle) the tops of the bores. Many parts are available for this engine from aftermarket suppliers. In this video,. Theyve even won countlessSCCAchampionships. Piston set these will come with rings and pins supplied. Apply 30W motor oil to the cylinder walls and the piston skirts. After your 20-minute break-in, do your final tuning. Pat Garity. (different torques given by ARpdepending on what lube you use on the threads, more torque needed if you use 30weight oil..), I agree you can re use our spec of bolt a number of times , what you cant reuse is more modern specs where the torque has been, Tightend to its yeild point these are dangerously likely to fail if re used, More moderns are often spec'd as up to a target torque followed by accurate angular rotation, In stages on production these results are devised from watching the toqure climb and rotation, The meters that measure this carefully stop as soon as the torque rise flattens and rotation is about to continue, Ive got one in the cupboard gathering dust never use it these days, Usefull on troublesome fitting to find the ultimate torque. We carry a wide-ranging catalog of used Triumph engines for all applications including gas and diesel engines. Watch on There's nothing quite like the process of pulling apart, fixing and rebuilding a vintage engine. Remove no more than .010 so that the head gasket will seal properly. If your crankshaft is being reground and your connecting rods resized, this is time to use the size spec range to get the proper rod bearing clearance. 5500 13.93 16.04 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. 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. This item: Triumph Spitfire 1500: Repair Operation Manual. I'll be making sure that my new one is as good as it can get to the "best" end of the specs. You have to have a good idea of your expectations and an understanding of the steps required to get what you want. Similar upgrades but I milled .125" off the head, sourced a pair of SU's from a '67 Spit, and installeda header from Victoria British. , There is no need to hurry; time is your friend when degreasing. However bad previous repairs, rust, and a desire for more power, resulted in Read More 1978 Triumph Spitfire with a Mid-Engine Turbo 1.8 L Inline-Four. As of March 2007, all of our engine block work is carried out to the extremes of perfection on a CNCengine machining center. $29.77. My spit was a 79, and when I compare it to the other tech available at the time it just looks sad. Select your Triumph Spitfire PDF Download from the list below: Triumph - Spitfire - Parts Catalogue - (1962) Other Manuals 295 Pages. Totally computer controlled, and programable, this specialized equipment eliminates inaccuraties and errors that can be introduced with manual equipment. My apologies. Let the engine run 20 minutes at 2,000 rpm to break in your cam and lifters. You will do this similarly to your crankshaft end float. Blueprinted engines are achieved when a builder dictates these sizes to get the exact clearance they need. Harlow Private 4,500 TRIUMPH Spitfire Spitfire A nifty-looking, dual-inlet air cleaner wrapped in a black crackle finish was part of the package. The magnaflux chemicals help the machinist detect cracks. I don't want to build a racing engine, but would like to do some sensible upgrades to improve reliability and drivability. TheseSUcarburetors may be older technology, but they have served many owners very well through the decades. These are both good solutions, but we went with an even easier fix on our1973Spitfire. The Triumph Sports Six Club The vehicle was based on a design produced for Standard-Triumph in 1957 by Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti. If you are using a copper gasket then use a copper gasket spray coating. Regrinding the original cast iron exhaust seat is a short term answer, as valve seal will be lost in a short period of time. Purpose manufactured components designed to replace faulty original designs - for increased reliability and durability. If all checks out take the car for a short drive (dont stray far from home, just in case) varying the rpm from 2,000 to 4,000. What you are looking for is the point the dial indictor needle quits moving as the piston comes to the top of the block. Dont let this step scare you. This may take several minutes. Now stop at .005 before the indicator reaches zero, or maximum lift, record your readings at the degree wheel. 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. If it is worn, have it replaced as well. He has a 2 liter OHC compared with the spit's little push rod 1500. Performance & security by Cloudflare. I use .005 before and after maximum camshaft lift. NICELY RESTORED CAR WITH REBUILT ENGINE. FUEL PETROL PUMP (**See Engine No**) (1970- 74) 20.50. | Posted in I own a suitable license for this piece of music, supplied by Chris Worth Productions. 7000 17.73 20.42 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. 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. Copyright 1995-2023 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. Piston-to-cylinder wall clearance must be checked. 5.00 postage. Something went wrong. 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. 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. Oil pump whether you replace with new or reuse your current oil pump you will need to disassemble it and check the clearances. Car. Now that you have found TDC, move the dial indictors outside bezel to reflect zero at the needle point. All spark advance is handled electronically. AnglefireSeptember 30, 2017 in Engine. Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. Oil Pump and Exterior Assembly I start with the #1 piston. Cam bearings I prefer the full circle type Remove no more than .010 so that the head gasket will seal properly. Handy Tip: If using an adjustable cam gear, torque the cam retaining nut to manual specs before making your adjustments. Line boring is not needed in most street engine rebuilds. Good information. Install and torque the main caps one at time. Sort By Price Then I realised itd be quite cool to make it an animation. It's the 1500cc variant, however, its had some cylinder head work and a fast road camshaft. And oversized washers are available if there's wear on the crankshaft. Your IP: Line up the dots on the two timing gears when installing the chain. Restoration of my Triumph. Remember, these cars were optimistically rated at about 70 horsepower at the crank. and you mention getting new sleeves and piston sets. If theres any drawback, its the legal ramifications. If using a performance aftermarket cam, it may be different than what is listed in the manual. All rights reserved. I can then, at my leisure,rebuild the one in my car now and either sell it on or do another swap. Thanks Richard. Still slower than my prius, these are tractor engines from the 50s. Move to zero and then around and stop at .005 past zero. Southern Rebore Services carried out the machining work. And is actually a spelling mistake, made the first time I used it. Quantum Mechanics, Ltd. Minimum engine rebuild service price is $10,000 USD for a fully rebuilt dyno tested engine package (fully assembled engine, carbs, ignition, exhaust manifold, etc) All engines being rebuilt are torque plate honed for superior cylinder bore geometry and improved piston ring seal I thought for 30-40 I'd just change the bolts - more for piece of mind rather than anything else - not going ARP as the engine will be pretty much standard. Started out as just a collection of snaps as I stripped down an engine bought off ebay. Keep your manual close at hand for the assembly stage. Its really more simple than people make it out to be. The snaps were so that I remembered how everything went, so I could put it back together again. Your connecting rod will almost always warrant big end resizing, and considered a must if you replace the connecting rod bolts. It was beautifully designed by the legendary Italian car designer Giovanni Michelotti, and it also surprisingly sold in greater numbers than any of its rivals between 1962 to 1980. Strengthening the bottom end isn't an option, unless you go for a steel billet crank and conrods. How have you set the timing?? For most of our engines .0015-.002 is ideal for rod and main bearing clearances. The Webers are 1 step up from the stock ZS carb, but suffer from a lack of tuning experience and info on this side of the pond. Connecting Rod Bolt Set HD Triumph Spitfire, Midget 1500 . I prefer tri-metal bearings; they are what the factory originally supplied for many cars. It has transformed the Midget into a nice little cruiser. 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!) Once you have finished the plastigauge procedure, and cleaned it all up, make sure to use assembly lube on your rod bearings and install your rod caps. Quickview. NEW PARTS For about $200, we had a local muffler shop fabricate a new system. They are still relatively cheap, but are usually in need of new throttle shafts and waxstat to fixed jet modification. While often lamented, Triumphs 1500cc, four-cylinder engine is still owned and loved by thousands of enthusiasts. Manganese bronze guides expand with heat at a different rate than your cylinder head and require more clearance than cast iron guides. It takes a trained eye to do this procedure. The problem with the thrust bearing is serious, and every Spitfire (or GT-6, or TR-6) owner should know how to check crank end play. Chances are your cam timing is probably not where it needs to be. I would like to strengthen the bottom end - if that is actually possible? All in all, even though there are more desirable sports cars out there the 1500 Midget has been a fun car to have owned for the past 18 years. If you feel any resistance, make sure the ring compressor is tamped square against the block deck, and if you still feel resistance, you may want to look in the bottom of the block and make sure your connecting rod is not interfering with the crankshaft. I have seen someone fitting an extra thrust bearing by machining the cap to suit - but keep some material for retaining the extra and existing bearings. 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. | Alfa Spider vs. MGB vs. TR6 vs. Miata. It's easy! At TRF, we know every part of the Spitfire 1500 engine intimately, and rebuild them to exacting standards 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. MPS(m/s) MPS(m/s) Proper clearance is required in many areas of your enginepiston to cylinder wall, crankshaft end float, camshaft end float, connecting rod side clearance, and then also things like spring valve lash. 1980 1500 Spitfire, I just added new cap, rotor, wires, pertronix ignition and flamethrower coil. My engine is very user friendly around town and on the highway. 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. I had a re-used bolt shear, causing catastrophic damage, my first rebuild. A parts washer makes this job a lot easier, but if you dont have one you can make a temporary parts washer out a 5-gallon bucket and waterbased degreasers. DO NOT be tempted by an external oil line to the cylinder head. Deck H $3,341.18 New ---- Used Dart SBF SHP Iron Block 4.125 Bore 9.500 DH - 31375235 $2,999.00 New ---- Used All engines are run and broken in prior to installation or shipping to the customer. Manganese bronze guides are also available and I almost always use them because they are very long wearing. At some point in the nearish future, I will be stripping and rebuilding my Spitfire's engine. 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. US Supplier of 123Ignitions, Pre-programmed\switched models, Programable USB PC models and "NEW" Wireless Bluetooth models for Apple or Android. Clearances and thoughts Personally, I'd just check the originals for signs of stretch and reuse them. Do both methods and you will see the dial indicator method can lead you astray by a couple degrees. 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 quantumechanics.com, Swain Tech Coatings Inc. MACHINE SHOP WORK Each engine I take to the machine shop is: Magnafluxed for cracks in the block, head and crankshaft. anglefire is my forum name across all forums I use. Thanks for the information - especially the bearing supplier. I dont like refacing valves. Protection by optimising the oil supply is another option. Thrust washers needed to be maintained, or crank walk would destroy themaswell. Check the wiper section of the rocker arm where it makes contact with the valve stem. June 30, 2021 June 30, 2021; GT6; Fanatik Builds started their 1971 Triumph GT6 project as a simple restoration. Move the crankshaft the normal operating rotation (clockwise when facing the front of the engine) until you see the needle reach maximum camshaft lift. Most cylinder head parts are inexpensive. Drivetrain They can be rebuilt/modified by anyone who knows SU's. (Not for racing, just to bring them into the 21st Century and to get my little Midget screaming down the road). They could save you a big hassle later. Does the backfire come from timing, or carb? In our case, Quantum Mechanics sold us a brand-new downpipe to match the European exhaust manifold. Bottom end You need to plastigauge the bearing clearances. This was criticallyimportant asBrazilian automotive, This is a wire frame sculpture of the Ferrari F40 inarguably one of the Italian automakers most important and historically significant supercars. His advice on road cars and racers is often the last word. The dual HS setup appears to be the best way to go, either the HS2 set-up from a Euro 1300 Spit or the HS4 set from a Euro 1500 Spit. Thank you! You will need some headwork, and a skim o achieve a higher compression ratio (depends on the cam). The cars are to enjoy, not be a burden. 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.