Thrust bearing in the proper size. I have only ever torqued up to the factory spec, and never had any issues. The snaps were so that I remembered how everything went, so I could put it back together again. The key here is getting the entire setup, including the linkages. Valve guides 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. A 439 inch small block that put out 739HP on pump gas. | Dont let any steps get overlooked. I tell my customers to go where the racers go. This number could vary, as long as it is the same exact point before, and after maximum lift. Quickview. I have 185/60 13 tires which are a little lower so I put TR7 gears in the diff. 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. 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. A short engine is the middle section of the engine assembly, namely the cylinder block. Handy Tip: If using an adjustable cam gear, torque the cam retaining nut to manual specs before making your adjustments. Make sure each time you do this you rotate the engine counter-clockwise approximately .100 and then start back in the normal rotation of the enginethis will make sure there is no timing chain slack that could skew your readings. as perspicacity of this Triumph Spitfire 1500 Engine can be taken as skillfully as picked to act. We will cover that later. found some suitable music, rekindled my ancient knowledge of Premiere, storyboarded it, shot it as I worked on the engine (my poor DSLR got covered in engine oil), this was the result. Record your reading. Install the crankshaft and bearing The project is really starting to come together now, with the engine soon to go back in. Ray, July 19, 2015 @ 6:14 am 2023 Motorsport Marketing. And the engine was a huge part of that. Always seemed like a sacrilege putting a Spitfire engine into a Midget. In our case, Quantum Mechanics sold us a brand-new downpipe to match the European exhaust manifold. Newman a decent supplier so may have variations worth exploring. MACHINE SHOP WORK Each engine I take to the machine shop is: Magnafluxed for cracks in the block, head and crankshaft. Hap, Great article but I must disagree with method for finding TDC. Valve seals I really like the improved proformance. Need oversized lifter / tappet bores? Get the distributor modified to match the cam (the Distributor Doctor) and find somebody to set the carbs up on a rolling road. As a rule of thumb, its best to replace the rod bolts. Power is supplied to the wheels via a 4 speed manual with overdrive gearbox. Rocker arm bushings, if needed, Gaskets and the final touches All rights reserved. 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. As of March 2007, all of our engine block work is carried out to the extremes of perfection on a CNCengine machining center. This is where most cracks occur, so the proper filet radius is important for the overall strength of the crankshaft. Double and triple check this to make sure you are at TDC. TRIUMPH SPITFIRE MkI,II,III,IV & 1500 (1959-80) FUEL PUMP REPAIR KIT. He said he'd had problems with soft lock tabs on other engines messing uptorque readings. DO NOT be tempted by an external oil line to the cylinder head. They look 10X better in the engine bay on a 1300 or a 1500 than a ZS or Weber and have been around forever. For a road engine there are a few simple things. 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. This should enable even 'inferior' bearings to be long lasting. If building a performance engine, ARP bolts may be ofbenefit, but they use their own special lube with a lower than factory torque!! 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. Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on Engine Blocks, Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- You may also like. If using a performance aftermarket cam, it may be different than what is listed in the manual. Having trouble posting or changing forum settings? Connecting Rod Bolt Set HD Triumph Spitfire, Midget 1500 . I wouldn't bother changing the main bolts either, and I don't think loctite is a good idea. All engine parts are cleaned, prepped and machined or new. I dont like refacing valves. A nifty-looking, dual-inlet air cleaner wrapped in a black crackle finish was part of the package. A Speedi-Sleeve can be used to renew the surface. 3 main engines were definitelymore common but Triumph had a lock on using only half the thrust washers other manufacturers (like MG) did in that period - a definite shortcoming. 5.00 postage. I own a suitable license for this piece of music, supplied by Chris Worth Productions. Get Started http://triumphspitfire.com/enginenumbers.html, Ok, given that I'm going to drop the sump to replace the oil pump, I have decided to also change all the bolts on the bearing caps - gives me the opportunity to inspect the journals and shells and re-oil prior to start-up (its been on an engine stand for about 3 or 4 years). item 3 Triumph Spitfire 1500, MG Midget 1500 Rebuilt 4-Speed Transmission, Original, !! Other Areas of your Engine It might be suitable for some situations but the Spitfire (MG Midget) configuration is not one of them. (Not for racing, just to bring them into the 21st Century and to get my little Midget screaming down the road). By the time you factor in a driveline loss of 15 to 20 percent, our low horsepower reading looks pretty accuratemaybe even a bit impressive. Installing new piston pins and pistons require a rod heater, where the rod is heated to about 1200 degrees and then the piston and pin is installed on that rod quickly before it cools. " Create your own unique website with customizable templates. This may seem like a lot of clearance to your machinist who is not used to working with our engines. If the surface isnt flat, have the deck resurfaced. I replaced the original exhaust header with a Pacesetter which increased the pipe diameter to about 2"but have learned there are better ones available. If you can catch a fingernail on the surface of the flywheel where the clutch disc rides, you will need to resurface your flywheel. In England, Triumph Spitfire 1500s were sold with dual SU carbs. I think Ford later made a knock-off of the carb that was used on 4 cylinder mustangs and later US made Mercury Capris (1980s). Quickview. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 Moss Motors, Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Bolting on the new carburetors is easy, and since this is a factory setup, the throttle cable will perfectly join the existing system. Opening out the oilways in the block, cross drilling and ovalising the orifices are all possible, as is optimising the oil pump. Shifts well, stops well. Dealer 3,695 Triumph Spitfire 1500 1978 Triumph Spitfire 1500cc in yellow, has been dry stored. Maybe because its the one I raced back in the day, but it always just seemed better balanced than the 1500 for some reason. 1979 TRIUMPH SPITFIRE 1500 MK IV. Pay close attention to your workshop manual for tips like this. Once the studs are installed (if applicable) then install the head gasket. 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). Thrust washers needed to be maintained, or crank walk would destroy themaswell. "Blueprinting" the crank, making absolutely sure that it is built to precise spec, with best quality parts, is what you have been discussing with Pete and Clive. Install the cylinder head and rocker arm assembly. The engine number is FM91xxxHE - which I know is Spitfire and High compression - E for engine? There is no need to hurry; time is your friend when degreasing. Triumph removed the lock tabs quite early on in production and never reinstated them despite loads increasing considerably (e.g. I've googled and it seems to be questionable! Get notified when we add a new Triumph Spitfire Manual. You have to have a good idea of your expectations and an understanding of the steps required to get what you want. Because these parts are designed by Triumph to fit the cars, the swap is a snap and the results are nothing shortofremarkable. Then I realised itd be quite cool to make it an animation. item 1 MG MIDGET (late model) TRIUMPH SPITFIRE 1500 MOTOR ENGINE REBUILD SERVICE, item 2 MG MIDGET TRIUMPH SPITFIRE 1500 FP ENGINE BLOCK. Theres nothing quite like the process of pulling apart, fixing and rebuilding a vintage engine. Add to Cart. Almost 100,000 of these engines were used in the 1973-80 Spitfires, and nearly as many were used inMGMidgets sold from 1975andlater. This should make for a more spritely drive. If theres any drawback, its the legal ramifications. June 30, 2021 June 30, 2021; GT6; Fanatik Builds started their 1971 Triumph GT6 project as a simple restoration. Detractors complained of durability anddrivabilityissues. 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. ft/9.5 kgm) at 2500 rpm respectively. Connecting Rods Most machine shops have a special tool that can cut all three angles at the same time. Once the crankshaft is installed, be sure to check your crankshaft end float as I first discussed in the disassembly article, and make sure it is in spec per the manual. Triumph had a lock on using only half the thrust washers Take the connecting rod, with the cap removed, and the rod bearings installed and insert the connecting rod in the bore. Launched in October 1962, the Spitfire featured sleek styling by famed Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti. Started out as just a collection of snaps as I stripped down an engine bought off ebay. Install a lubed lifter on #1 cylinder intake and then install a push rod into #1 intake lifter. A window into racing in the 1960s | Sebring Special MGBs: How an MG TC gave way to a worldwide British car enterprise. Quantum Mechanics, Ltd. And it's easier/cheaper than replacing the crank and rebuilding the engine! .0015 to .002 is acceptable. A trip to the machine shop requires a plan. Once all of the pistons are in you can rotate the engine to the access the bottom side. 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. 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. PS just noticed - you DO call yourself "Anglefire"! The 1300 Spitfire and MG motors shared quite a lot; iron block, 3 main bearing crankshaft, similar bore & stroke, similar cylinder heads, similar carbs, similar power. Totally computer controlled, and programable, this specialized equipment eliminates inaccuraties and errors that can be introduced with manual equipment. | Never miss an article, [Editor's Note: This article originally ran in the March 2013 issue of Classic Motorsports. I'm guessing not particularly. And real-world performance? For example, most modern black composite material head gaskets require no coating or sealer. Something went wrong. Regrinding the original cast iron exhaust seat is a short term answer, as valve seal will be lost in a short period of time. It takes a trained eye to do this procedure. Power is, This documentary tells the story of the humble Land Rover, from its origins immediately after WWII as a four-wheel drive farm tractor replacement right, This is the Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE stunt motorcycle that was used while filming the memorable chase scene in the James Bond film No, This Jaguar E-Type has been built to Semi-Lightweight specification by XK Engineering, its powered by an all-alloy Crosthwaite & Gardiner 3.8 liter straight-six thats, The Volkwagen SP2 was developed by Volkswagen do Brasil specifically for the Brazilian market as a locally producedsports car. If you're a British car owner that seeks perfection, you will not find another engine rebuilder that is able to produce as fine of finished unit. Right off the bat, this larger engine delivered more torque than its predecessor. More torque, as we know, helps produce betteraccelerationnumbers. This firm finds these parts overseas and imports them for American enthusiasts. 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. Bolting Dual DCOEs on a stock engine would would hurt driveability. Rotate the engine by hand; I like to do this from the rear of the engine as to not disturb the degree wheels setting. Weight is mass times acceleration, andI've done this for a TR6, the worst possible case. Motor runs excellent, no issues with state inspection and everything works as it is supposed to. This is a Fiberfab Jamaican II, it was built in 1983 using a Fiberfab tubular steel chassis and a sleek, lightweightfiberglass body. Never, ever fire up an engine without confirming you have oil pressure. Some information and prices may be differenttoday. Have them measured by your machinist. | Posted in The '78 spit I just bought has this and a 4 tube header on it. The machine shop should magnaflux your crankshaft to rule out any cracks. I use a Moss high performance Pro Sport model on my MGB racecar and can attest to its high quality. Our initial zero-to-60 testing was just as depressing. Re the pinking. Strengthening the bottom end isn't an option, unless you go for a steel billet crank and conrods. For the earlier 4 cylinder engines we always fit upgraded rear oil seals, an . The music is In The Hall Of The Mountain King from Edvard Griegs Peer Gynt Suite Digital Rev Limiter Pertronix . do make sure you stick to 97+ or better fuel, **95 ul was for side valves and mowers when these cars were born. Buy your used Triumph Spitfire motors/engines from us and save time and money. None of these points will do you any good though, in reality youll have either turned to alcoholism or been committed to a lunatic asylum long before the task is completed. 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 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). 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. Took the car out for a ride and have a small backfire after shifting. Payen gaskets where possible, use the best crank bearings you can find (vandervell but you will have to be VERY lucky) and you WILL need a thermostatic oil cooler, and millers CSS20/60 oil a good idea. 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. While adding main bearings and redesigning thrust washers is not an easy feat, at least one of the engines problems can be addressed: without much headachebettercarburetion. Without question this is a job for a professional. WishboneClassics is able to perform certain machining operations on your engine that you cannot have done elsewhere. Lube the rod bolt threads with motor oil or fastener assembly lube, like the one ARP makes, and torque your rod bolts to manual spec. Custom options available from electronic fuel injection. You can use new lifters with a used cam but never used lifters with a new cam. Measured engine output had improved nicely: We posted 65 horsepower and 78 lb.-ft. of torque during our next visit to the dyno. if you look under the rocker shaft face if its stamped TKC1155 its could alreadybe an unleaded head there's some disparity over these numbers depends on. Blueprinted engines are achieved when a builder dictates these sizes to get the exact clearance they need. Make sure the engine does not overheat. Move the crankshaft the normal operating rotation (clockwise when facing the front of the engine) until you see the needle reach maximum camshaft lift. Triumph Spitfire, 1962-1981 (Haynes Manuals) $2995. Early Spitfire and Heraldengines had lock tabs (https://www.canleyclassics.com/triumph-spitfire-mki/ii-crankshaft-and-camshaft). At least the MG stayed 'all British'. This is very important, because if you are not on TDC, all your readings will be wrong. 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. Has Weber carb. The shop will most likely resurface the cylinder head to insure flatness, and provide for a good sealing surface for the head gasket. I wont cover every little detail that a manual will tell you about engine assembly. | Alfa Spider vs. MGB vs. TR6 vs. Miata. It will smooth out an engine and pull locked up hp to the fore. I like to get parts down to bare metal, because painting over old paint is a mixed bag of nuts. Get your hands on the complete Triumph factory workshop software. What you are looking for is the point the dial indictor needle quits moving as the piston comes to the top of the block. It's currently (As far as I know) standard - though is from a Dolly 1500! Cut a small piece of plastigauge and place on the #1 journal. from a 1300? It's easy! Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. If you have a single row chain I suggest you upgrade to a double row chain if available. Mount the rear engine plate, flywheel and clutch. During break-in, check for leaks. Still slower than my prius, these are tractor engines from the 50s. Triumph produced the fun and affordable Spitfire for 18 years, during which time over 314,000 were built. Make sure your crankshaft is at BDC (bottom dead center) meaning the crankshaft journal is closest to bottom of the engine. A new set isnt expensive. Remember they have to go in the exact spot they came out of it. BLACK SOFT TOP. Keep your manual close at hand for the assembly stage. quantumechanics.com, Swain Tech Coatings Inc. Make sure all stud and bolt threads are oiled. Next, install the cylinder head. Install the oil pan and gasket. 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. Lighter pistons and lighter conrods, by reducing their mass. The factory paired these preferred carburetors with a free-flowing, cast-iron exhaust manifold that emptied into twin pipes. ASSEMBLY Line boring is not needed in most street engine rebuilds. Click & Collect. 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 Quantum Mechanics offers these as used sets with manifold pulled from old Spits in England. Inferior steel in the crankshaft, narrow bearings and thrust washer inadequacy posed issues for the 1500 and on top of that the single carb is a negative, as your test showed A competitor in my race group used to refer to his 1500 as "Mr Floppy" (referencing the crank, which precluded using high rpm). A balancer can be rebuilt or you can purchase a new one and in some cases a high performance harmonic balancer is available. The std stamped on the shells should mean std size. Triumph Spitfire 1500 engine and gearbox rebuild We've just finished the rebuild of this fast road engine for a locally owned Triumph Spitfire. The Spitfires exhaust system is epically simple, and any competent shop can build you a nice system. They can be rebuilt/modified by anyone who knows SU's. Remove the spark plugs and turn the engine over until you see oil pressure at the gauge. Car. Our zero-to-60 times dropped by more than 2 seconds. When you achieve the same degrees BTDC and ATDC your wheel will show TRUE TDC. Install lifters, pushrods and cylinder head. Thanks Pete and Clive - as I say, I'm not after a racing engine or even upping the power particularly. Hardened exhaust seat inserts are a must for the hotter burning unleaded fuels used today. Its really more simple than people make it out to be. (585) 889-2786 The following is a list of new parts I typically include in an engine rebuild. You'd hopethey'd have put them back for the sake of a few pence if they reduced engine failure rates That's interesting, I wonder why they are on my late GT6 mk3? 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. Clearances and thoughts Listen out for rattling and blue. Cutting the valve seats: The most common is a three angle seat for better performance and sealing. Stroke(mm) = 76 Stroke(mm) = 87.5 A fair amount of work, but nothing too technical, and it saves the engine. 21.49. The Triumph SC (small car) engines were never derived fromtractors. Now that you have acceptable readings on the main journal make sure you clean the plastigauge off each crankshaft journal and bearing shell. The biggest problem with these engines, however, had to be the single, emissions-era Zenith StrombergCVcarburetor. $29.77. Southern Rebore Services carried out the machining work. Pinning them with a couple of 4-40 flathead brass machine screws is a simple effective solution. 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. 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. I also experienced the thrust washer failure which ruined the crank so my advice is to keep your foot off the clutch as much as possible. You can get a reaction between different paints causing wrinkling. Its okay if areas around the water jacket do not completely clean up. My best friend has a Fiat with a DCV on it that responded VERY well to it. The first step is buying the right parts. Bare A-type OD base rebuild pricing is $1650. Check the wiper section of the rocker arm where it makes contact with the valve stem. While often lamented, Triumphs 1500cc, four-cylinder engine is still owned and loved by thousands of enthusiasts. I had a re-used bolt shear, causing catastrophic damage, my first rebuild. Its rated horsepower was 104 hp in its final year of production, which was 1973. 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. I like to start with the center cap. But the US emissions regs sucked away both torque and power. Description Triumph Spitfire - Classic Car Fuel Injection Conversion Based on our Premium Vehicle Kit for 2 SU carburettor upto 125 BHP This kit contains all the parts needed for our Classic Fuel Injection system (you do not need to order anything else from our range ) Save around 200 when buying as complete kit And here's the reason why. 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. Body & Chassis Brakes Clutch, Gearbox & Axle Cooling System Electrical Engine Exhaust Exterior Fuel System & Induction General Accessories Heating & Ventilation Interior Apologies, confusion re std. This is a good time to consider a performance cam. The results were that the downdraft Weber gave essentially the same performance as HS4s. Make sure you use assembly lube on every main cap and your thrust washers as well. Street engines are warrantied for 12 months / 12,000 miles (contact us for complete details of the warranty). On some crankshafts the area where the seals ride can wear over time and new seals alone may not insure you wont have leak. I built a 1500 engine for my '72 Spit back in the day. Crank bearings are supplied standard size and pistons are supplied +0.020" oversize. , In some states, this kind of modification is a no-no. Altering the factory cam timing can be done in one of two wayseither by using offset camshaft keys or with an adjustable camshaft gear. Thanks for the information - especially the bearing supplier. Have your timing light ready to set the timing. WHAT A MACHINE SHOP SHOULD DO 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. We're able to bore Triumphblocks to accept cam bearings, we've even produced specialized tooling to shorten the duration of this procedure - which saves you money, because we can do it quicker. No problem. I did the SU conversion source from Quantum Mechanics along with a 5 speed transmission also sourced from Quantum. Sometimes honing is necessary to get the proper fit. July 19, 2014 @ 4:35 am And is actually a spelling mistake, made the first time I used it. Carburetor Rebuild Kit, Weber DGV Downdraft . 4>2>1 manifolds easy to source, and the canley single sports box would be my choice. Inspect the rocker arm bushings and replace if needed. I'll look for the head stamp and see what it says. 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. The rubber insulator can crack and wear out over time. 6000 15.20 17.50 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! Select your Triumph Spitfire PDF Download from the list below: Triumph - Spitfire - Parts Catalogue - (1962) Other Manuals 295 Pages. Spitfire/GT6 site suggests E for engine, to avoid confusion with commission number. Be sure to use engine oil with 1200 ppm of ZDDP to insure long engine life. Add to Wish List. My engine is very user friendly around town and on the highway. A piece of angle iron drilled and tapped with a small bolt installed across the bore is easy to make. 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. 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. The chap who created this stop motion film is one of the few chosen ones who successfully completed a full engine rebuild without throwing in the towel and marching down to the pub, the engine in the film is a 1500 4 pot from a Triumph Spitfire one of those cars Ive always sworn Ill buy.
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