The thing to remember is that the engine is many different systems that all have to work together. Follow the same process with the rod bearings as we did with the crankshaft and plastigauge each journal one at a time. The Triumph Spitfire is a small British two-seat sports car, introduced at the London Motor Show in 1962. 5500 13.93 16.04 Remove no more than .010 so that the head gasket will seal properly. Spitfire - Triumph Club - Vintage Triumph Register 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. A nifty-looking, dual-inlet air cleaner wrapped in a black crackle finish was part of the package. Is there a howitzer story there? Record your reading. Spitfire 1500 not starting - Engine - The Triumph Sports Six Club Forum TRIUMPH SPITFIRE 1500 16958 N/A RHD Refcode: 333759 Complete strip down, body spray with new parts and components and rebuilt 12 years ago, engine re. What you are looking for is the point the dial indictor needle quits moving as the piston comes to the top of the block. The big end of the connecting rods that clamp around the crankshaft need to be checked for sizing. Triumph - Engine Swap Depot xmFnpTdjkUcUnQtjY4A6zvd5f4fG3r3ftcbDZwzrnG90J4oOQ3fXP5leOHPeW4da. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Select your Triumph Spitfire PDF Download from the list below: Triumph - Spitfire - Parts Catalogue - (1962) Other Manuals 295 Pages. On some crankshafts the area where the seals ride can wear over time and new seals alone may not insure you wont have leak. You will want to ask around for the shop that has the best reputation for crankshaft work. Replace them. Is a lighter flywheel right for your classic? You will need a piston ring compressor. 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. Mathew Members 4.2k Posted March 30, 2021 Harlow Private 4,500 TRIUMPH Spitfire Spitfire Ray, July 19, 2015 @ 6:14 am I did the SU conversion source from Quantum Mechanics along with a 5 speed transmission also sourced from Quantum. If using a performance aftermarket cam, it may be different than what is listed in the manual. Position it toward #1 piston and then bring the piston toward the top of the block. Did mean I had to buy an engine hoist, load leveller and engine stand this week too. 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. Theres nothing quite like the process of pulling apart, fixing and rebuilding a vintage engine. The Kent fast road grind has a lot of lift but not a lot of duration which keeps the power band from being pushed too high. In our case, Quantum Mechanics sold us a brand-new downpipe to match the European exhaust manifold. Good information. MG MIDGET (late model) TRIUMPH SPITFIRE 1500 MOTOR ENGINE REBUILD SERVICE Refurbished $2,695.00 timwhomi5 (2,345) 99.6% or Best Offer Freight 39 watchers Sponsored New Complete Engine Seal and Gasket Set Triumph Spitfire 1500 MG Midget 1500 (For: Triumph Spitfire) Brand New $59.94 sportscarpartsltd (55,071) 99.7% Buy It Now Free 3 day shipping Car. Timing assembly always replace the chain, timing gear and timing chain tensioner. 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. The shop will most likely resurface the cylinder head to insure flatness, and provide for a good sealing surface for the head gasket. My engine is very user friendly around town and on the highway. Strengthening the bottom end isn't an option, unless you go for a steel billet crank and conrods. The idea is to remove all the accumulated junk, especially from critical areas like the float bowl and jets. Valve seals If the surface isnt flat, have the deck resurfaced. (To replace my old engine, which had suffered catastrophic failure). Make sure all stud and bolt threads are oiled. Pushing out the old pins is normally done by cold pressing. | From the March 2013 issue 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. Apply 30W motor oil to the cylinder walls and the piston skirts. Our reconditioned full engines have one of the highest rebuild specifications available on the market. Use a wooden, or plastic hammer handle, to tap the top of the piston down into the bore. Both BC (B series engines) and Triumph (the Vanguard/TR wet liner engine) also used the engines in all sorts of different applications - main vans, boats and tractors, but they weren't designed for agricultural use in the first place. 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. 142.132.219.252 It has transformed the Midget into a nice little cruiser. 1980 1500 Spitfire, I just added new cap, rotor, wires, pertronix ignition and flamethrower coil. I wouldn't bother changing the main bolts either, and I don't think loctite is a good idea. Follow the advice of the head gasket manufacturer in regards to coating. Lots of fun to drive.. Triumph Spitfire Parts & Spares - Moss Europe The results were that the downdraft Weber gave essentially the same performance as HS4s. Install and torque the main caps one at time. (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. Crankshaft replace your pilot bushing. Whilst I don't have a bottomless budget, I would rather spend a few quid more now and not regret it later! Crankshaft Quickview. Install a lubed lifter on #1 cylinder intake and then install a push rod into #1 intake lifter. Sort By Price And is actually a spelling mistake, made the first time I used it. 7500 19.00 21.88 After a few heat cycles, you will need to retorque the cylinder head and re-adjust the valve lash. Items that dont move, like valve covers, front and rear engine plates, lifter covers, timing covers, distributor bases, etc., you can clean yourself. Hap Waldrop. 20 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. The only reason you would install valve seats on the intake side is if a cylinder head has had many valve jobs in its life. 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. 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. Just because your cylinder bores or crankshaft journals look good, never assume they dont have any wear or issues. Deck H $3,341.18 New ---- Used Dart SBF SHP Iron Block 4.125 Bore 9.500 DH - 31375235 $2,999.00 New ---- Used 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. Quickview. Chances are your cam timing is probably not where it needs to be. At TRF, we know every part of the Spitfire 1500 engine intimately, and rebuild them to exacting standards This information does not touch on replacing the Piston sleeves(Liners) and the figure 8 gaskets. As JohnD mentioned, you can optimise the pump to minimise clearances between the body and rotor, see:http://tr6.danielsonfamily.org/OilPump.htm. Triumph Spitfire Engine Rebuild #8 - Distributor Fitting - YouTube (TR6 engine block in the process of being CNCmachined, cylinders being bored). The music is In The Hall Of The Mountain King from Edvard Griegs Peer Gynt Suite The key here is getting the entire setup, including the linkages. The CNCblock machining center is a major contributor to the high level of quality and performance on our engines. You have to have a good idea of your expectations and an understanding of the steps required to get what you want. The Birth of the Modern Sports Car: Datsun 240Z, Porsche 924, Triumph TR7 and Mazda RX-7. I think that they are 3.67 to 1. | We will cover that later. At some point in the nearish future, I will be stripping and rebuilding my Spitfire's engine. One day. Whether stock, performance or race, only the highest quality components and workmanship go into our engines. Quickview. We also redid the air cleaner with the original black crackle finish. I use a Moss high performance Pro Sport model on my MGB racecar and can attest to its high quality. 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). 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. Check the straightness of the top of the blocks deck where the cylinder head attaches. Because these parts are designed by Triumph to fit the cars, the swap is a snap and the results are nothing shortofremarkable. A 439 inch small block that put out 739HP on pump gas. Triumph produced the fun and affordable Spitfire for 18 years, during which time over 314,000 were built. As a rule of thumb, its best to replace the rod bolts. 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. 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. From the the tight budget, to the all-out approach, I've done it all, and can help you with your project Spitfire Performance Upgrade Parts Fast delivery worldwide Payment options including PayPal British car experts 01522 568000 1-855-746-2767 Connecting Rods Grinding off unnecessary mass from conrods, should be followed by polishing and shot peening, which does increase the strength. Transmission & Overdrive Rebuild Services | Wishbone Classics It should come around the outer edge of your degree wheel, preferably on the top side. If you build a 1500 properly and respect it then this much maligned engine can be as dependable as any other Spitfire engine. from a 1300? Measured engine output had improved nicely: We posted 65 horsepower and 78 lb.-ft. of torque during our next visit to the dyno. Bolting Dual DCOEs on a stock engine would would hurt driveability. Head has been gas flowed and the inlet ports "matched" apparently and it came complete with rebuilt carbs, alloy rocker cover and a twin pipe sports exhaust and4-2-1 header. Timing is set by ear - to be honest one reason for the rebuild/replacement is that the timing is all over the place when I use a timing light - which is either due to a crap dizzy or the pulley moving (Which is not as tight as I'd like - but the bolt is very much tight! By Tim Suddard Your manual will tell you the clearance specs, and you need to use an assembly lube on all moving parts inside the oil pump. There is nothing inherently wrong with a properly designed 3 main bearing engine. 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 My apologies. 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. Some enthusiasts opt for a WeberDGVdown-draft or single side-draft 40DCOEsetup. Then I realised itd be quite cool to make it an animation. Bolting on the new carburetors is easy, and since this is a factory setup, the throttle cable will perfectly join the existing system. In my post above I was referring to "quality"! Magnafluxing typically involves applying a fluid, or powder to the crankshaft, then viewing it under a black light. Then rotate the crank til it stops, note the reading on your wheel then rotate it backwards. Add to Cart. After this simple swap, our Spitfire was transformed. Check your camshaft end float I used to do it your way but a lecture by Dimitri Elgin pointed out that using a dial indicator can lead to errors. I hope this far into the game you already have a good manual. Which Engine to use - Teglerizer New rocker arms are not expensive and in many cases less than the cost of having your originals rebushed and refaced. 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. Do both methods and you will see the dial indicator method can lead you astray by a couple degrees. Drivetrain A window into racing in the 1960s | Sebring Special MGBs: How an MG TC gave way to a worldwide British car enterprise. Pay close attention to your workshop manual for tips like this. Triumph Spitfire Engine Rebuild #8 - Distributor Fitting - YouTube After a long hiatus in production, I'm back on my engine rebuild videos, though there aren't many left. I'll be making sure that my new one is as good as it can get to the "best" end of the specs. Copyright 1995-2023 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. The cost for this setup is only about $400 to $500, depending on the source and condition of the parts. triumph spitfire 1500 engine for sale | eBay DO NOT be tempted by an external oil line to the cylinder head. You need the following to do the job: Line up the dots on the two timing gears when installing the chain. Blueprinted engines are achieved when a builder dictates these sizes to get the exact clearance they need. During break-in, check for leaks. As of March 2007, all of our engine block work is carried out to the extremes of perfection on a CNCengine machining center. Both BMC (B series engines) and Triumph (the Vanguard/TR wet liner engine) also used the engines in all sorts of different applications - main vans, boats and tractors, but they weren't designed for agricultural use in the first place. Differential Mount Set Poly Front Spitfire GT6 . 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. TRIUMPH SPITFIRE MkI,II,III,IV & 1500 (1959-80) FUEL PUMP REPAIR KIT. I prefer tri-metal bearings; they are what the factory originally supplied for many cars. Zero out the indicator and double check to make sure you are correct. Street engines are warrantied for 12 months / 12,000 miles (contact us for complete details of the warranty). I built a 1500 engine for my '72 Spit back in the day. The biggest problem with these engines, however, had to be the single, emissions-era Zenith StrombergCVcarburetor. do make sure you stick to 97+ or better fuel, **95 ul was for side valves and mowers when these cars were born. I use .005 before and after maximum camshaft lift. Camshaft if needed/desired. Anyway even with the taller gears the engine isn't so high strung that it lugs at all. I always use bearings supplied by Jigsaw Racing, and with the above, they are long lasting, even inhigh revving engines. It might be suitable for some situations but the Spitfire (MG Midget) configuration is not one of them. British Parts Northwest Triumph Spitfire Performance Parts 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. , Inspect the rocker arm bushings and replace if needed. The project is really starting to come together now, with the engine soon to go back in. Line boring insures that all crank journals are in perfect alignment and properly sized. 7000 17.73 20.42 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. The OEM guides are cast iron. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Install your newly rebuilt engine in your car. For a reliable road-going engine, careful building, in clean conditions will get you one tha is long-lasting! Once you have confirmed oil pressure you are ready to fire the engine for the first time. 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 have rebuilt a dozen or so engines (probably double!) Sometimes old paint will strip off if soaked long enough. Theyve even won countlessSCCAchampionships. Current car: 1980 Triumph Spitfire Past cars: 1975 Triumph Spitfire, 1973 Austin Mini, item 4 New Valve Cover Gasket for Triumph Spitfire and MG Midget 1500 Cork, item 5 New Cylinder Head Gasket for Triumph Spitfire 1500 and MG Midget 1500 w/ Tab, item 6 NEW TRIUMPH SPITFIRE 1500 MG MIDGET 1500 WATER PUMP, item 7 Triumph TR6, GT6, Spitfire, MG Midget 1500 fuel pump to engine gasket 138791, item 8 Triumph Spitfire - TR250 - TR6 & GT6 & MG Midget 1500 - Rear Main Crank Seal, 5.0 out of 5 stars based on 9 product ratings, 5.0 out of 5 stars based on 5 product ratings, 5.0 out of 5 stars based on 4 product ratings, 5.0 out of 5 stars based on 2 product ratings. This number could vary, as long as it is the same exact point before, and after maximum lift. Piston-to-cylinder wall clearance must be checked. Ray Ciccarelli, Hello Exhaust valves Paddocks) sell. July 19, 2014 @ 4:35 am Performance & security by Cloudflare. Be extra careful installing the camshaft into the blockespecially with a block that has cam bearing as most nicks and scratches happen during installation. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. Vandervell do come up on eBay from time to time, but most are showing their age from long term storage. 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. The Spitfires exhaust system is epically simple, and any competent shop can build you a nice system. The factory paired these preferred carburetors with a free-flowing, cast-iron exhaust manifold that emptied into twin pipes. Oil Pump and Exterior Assembly The carb is a two stage design, so it's essentially a one barrel with a secondary that comes on at full throttle. I don't want to build a racing engine, but would like to do some sensible upgrades to improve reliability and drivability. If the gap is too big you are going to have to shim the camshaft or remove material from the back side of the cam gear. How do we feel about con rod lock tabs? Third, install the main bearings in the main capsbut dont install the caps yet. Southern Rebore Services carried out the machining work. Triumph Low Mileage Triumph Spitfire Used Engines For Sale @ BUYUSEDENGINE.COM CARMINE RED WITH TAN TRIM, TAN TOP BOOT. Spitfire 1500 Engine Rebuild - The Triumph Sports Six Club Forum Please comment on anything from main studs to cams to roller rockers to engine machining procedures, to compression ratios, to carbs, etc..Please post any good links on this topic as well. Your connecting rod will almost always warrant big end resizing, and considered a must if you replace the connecting rod bolts. Make sure to lube all points of contact. We've endeavored to have our machine work carried out on the finest, most accurate equipment available. For most of our engines .0015-.002 is ideal for rod and main bearing clearances. Get the distributor modified to match the cam (the Distributor Doctor) and find somebody to set the carbs up on a rolling road. Bottom end I might just get it balanced and reground if needed and look at different pistons and rods but also look at budgets. Almost 100,000 of these engines were used in the 1973-80 Spitfires, and nearly as many were used inMGMidgets sold from 1975andlater. Hardened exhaust seat inserts are a must for the hotter burning unleaded fuels used today. I have 185/60 13 tires which are a little lower so I put TR7 gears in the diff. It is a normal practice to oil the threads on all engine high torque bolts to help reach true torque. 9.99 Download now. Question is, should ILoctite the bolts and if so which spec should I use. 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. The engine needing the least work to retrofit is the Triumph GT6, or the Triumph TR6. Newman a decent supplier so may have variations worth exploring. Well we offer that as well. Never, ever fire up an engine without confirming you have oil pressure. "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. Rod bolts I recommend replacement. Which classic roadster offers the best top-down experience? What makes a Wishbone Classics engine better? Inspect your valve guides next. Triumph Spitfire 1500 engine and gearbox rebuild We've just finished the rebuild of this fast road engine for a locally owned Triumph Spitfire. Classic Triumph Spitfire Cars for Sale | CCFS Triumph Spitfire 1969-1980 Owners Workshop Manual: Glovebox Edition (Practical Classics & Car Restorer) $2000. 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. And, once you have the engine block on the engine stand, youre ready to dive in. Trending price is based on prices over last 90 days. Search (123\Tune+) For perfect timing. Crank bearings are supplied standard size and pistons are supplied +0.020" oversize. Still slower than my prius, these are tractor engines from the 50s. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 Moss Motors, Ltd. All Rights Reserved. 5.00 postage. A larger motor was needed. But the US emissions regs sucked away both torque and power. They are still relatively cheap, but are usually in need of new throttle shafts and waxstat to fixed jet modification. Keep your manual close at hand for the assembly stage. Quantum Mechanics offers these as used sets with manifold pulled from old Spits in England. item 3 Triumph Spitfire 1500, MG Midget 1500 Rebuilt 4-Speed Transmission, Original, !! This is due to the manifolds available for that adaptation. item 1 MG MIDGET (late model) TRIUMPH SPITFIRE 1500 MOTOR ENGINE REBUILD SERVICE, item 2 MG MIDGET TRIUMPH SPITFIRE 1500 FP ENGINE BLOCK. Triumph Spitfire Restoration Parts and Accessories | Moss Motors 2023 Events New & Featured Moss Motors 75th Anniversary Coin 010-915 $6.00 Products You Might Like Air Filter Element Midget, Spitfire 1975-80 950-805 BACK ORDER - We are temporarily out of stock on this item. Early Spitfire and Heraldengines had lock tabs (https://www.canleyclassics.com/triumph-spitfire-mki/ii-crankshaft-and-camshaft). This measured sprint took us an alarming 14.7 seconds to completenot very sporting for a sports car. Connecting Rod Bolt Set HD Triumph Spitfire, Midget 1500 . But all the above are expensive and competition related. The best currently available bearings are King Tri-metal which most suppliers (e.g. If you are using a performance camshaft you may have to advance the cam timing per the cam manufacturers instructions. If you are using an adjustable cam gear then you can do all of this without removing the timing gears again unlike a offset key which can have +/- 1-2 degree tolerance range. Useful article on the oil pump too. Apologies, confusion re std. I highly recommend Moss uprated valve seals. Please contact us for further details concerning . 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 A nifty-looking, dual-inlet air cleaner wrapped in a black crackle finish was part of the package.