triumph spitfire 1500 engine rebuild

Blueprinted engines are achieved when a builder dictates these sizes to get the exact clearance they need. 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. 7500 19.00 21.88 Sidedraft carbs are the best alternative, especially twin Weber DCOEs. Oil pump whether you replace with new or reuse your current oil pump you will need to disassemble it and check the clearances. Your IP: I had a re-used bolt shear, causing catastrophic damage, my first rebuild. Sort By Price 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. 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) 4.20 postage . Perhaps our biggest issue was simply the original setups drivability. 6500 16.47 18.96 A short engine is the middle section of the engine assembly, namely the cylinder block. 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. Make sure you keep the ring compressor firmly against the block deck. These items are shipped from and sold by different sellers. 10 watching. The Triumph SC (small car) engines were never derived fromtractors. Inspect the rocker arm bushings and replace if needed. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Measured engine output had improved nicely: We posted 65 horsepower and 78 lb.-ft. of torque during our next visit to the dyno. Oil pump xmFnpTdjkUcUnQtjY4A6zvd5f4fG3r3ftcbDZwzrnG90J4oOQ3fXP5leOHPeW4da. Install the camshaft, front engine plate and cam thrust plate In my post above I was referring to "quality"! Its important that this be accounted for because too much clearance would cause a loss of oil pressure and too little clearance could cause damage to the bearings and crankshaft. In our case, Quantum Mechanics sold us a brand-new downpipe to match the European exhaust manifold. Early Spitfire and Heraldengines had lock tabs (https://www.canleyclassics.com/triumph-spitfire-mki/ii-crankshaft-and-camshaft). Theyve even won countlessSCCAchampionships. (TR6 engine block in the process of being CNCmachined, cylinders being bored). (To replace my old engine, which had suffered catastrophic failure). The process is mostly a function of carefully cleaning, disassembling and reassembling each carburetor while installing new gaskets. Piston-to-cylinder wall clearance must be checked. A bit too obvious for me that! Thrust washers needed to be maintained, or crank walk would destroy themaswell. As JohnD mentioned, you can optimise the pump to minimise clearances between the body and rotor, see:http://tr6.danielsonfamily.org/OilPump.htm. If you have a single row chain I suggest you upgrade to a double row chain if available. 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. Bare A-type OD base rebuild pricing is $1650. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. DO NOT be tempted by an external oil line to the cylinder head. Protecting it by reducing the stress. In England, Triumph Spitfire 1500s were sold with dualSUcarbs. We also redid the air cleaner with the original black crackle finish. Move the crankshaft the normal operating rotation (clockwise when facing the front of the engine) until you see the needle reach maximum camshaft lift. Click to reveal New rocker arms are not expensive and in many cases less than the cost of having your originals rebushed and refaced. I can then, at my leisure,rebuild the one in my car now and either sell it on or do another swap. Once you torque it to spec turn the crankshaft by hand, you should feel a nice fluid motion without any binding. Please contact us for further details concerning . Well we offer that as well. It's easy! After refreshing the carburetors, the next step is simply to replace the intake and exhaust manifolds with the European-spec pieces. | Posted in 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. Do you need custom pistons for this? Copyright 1995-2023 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. The last GT6s had a lot of differences from earlier mk3s, I wonder if Triumph went back to tabs? You can get a reaction between different paints causing wrinkling. 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. In England, Triumph Spitfire 1500s were sold with dual SU carbs. Lots of fun to drive.. Ray, July 19, 2015 @ 6:14 am 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. ASSEMBLY 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). If it is worn, have it replaced as well. However bad previous repairs, rust, and a desire for more power, resulted in These used to be cheap,but only Burton power (SC248)seems to have them now (7.61 ea). I highly recommend Moss uprated valve seals. The engine number is FM91xxxHE - which I know is Spitfire and High compression - E for engine? Buy used Triumph Spitfire motors/engines from our network that offers up to a two-year warranty on qualified units! 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. 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. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. The MG motor was incapable of being enlarged, just getting itto 1275 had required engineering handsprings (offset conrods? They could save you a big hassle later. The crankshaft needs to be measured for wear and sizing. ENGINE REBUILD KIT FOR MG MIDGET 1500 [ THE TRIUMPH ENGINE ] 1975 - 1980 . All pricing, component availability, and terms of business are subject to change without notice. The std stamped on the shells should mean std size. The biggest problem with these engines, however, had to be the single, emissions-era Zenith StrombergCVcarburetor. He said he'd had problems with soft lock tabs on other engines messing uptorque readings. Pointer this can be as simple as a piece of wire bolted to the front side of the block. Watch on There's nothing quite like the process of pulling apart, fixing and rebuilding a vintage engine. It went like stink. Whilst I don't have a bottomless budget, I would rather spend a few quid more now and not regret it later! Install the oil pan and gasket. item 1 MG MIDGET (late model) TRIUMPH SPITFIRE 1500 MOTOR ENGINE REBUILD SERVICE, item 2 MG MIDGET TRIUMPH SPITFIRE 1500 FP ENGINE BLOCK. A better solution is to use this as an excuse to use larger intake valves and enjoy improved performance. Remove no more than .010 so that the head gasket will seal properly. 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. Lighter pistons and lighter conrods, by reducing their mass. This reduces flow to the mains. A piece of angle iron drilled and tapped with a small bolt installed across the bore is easy to make. I would like to strengthen the bottom end - if that is actually possible? Dont let any steps get overlooked. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. What makes a Wishbone Classics engine better? The engine needing the least work to retrofit is the Triumph GT6, or the Triumph TR6. 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 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. 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. A fair amount of work, but nothing too technical, and it saves the engine. Water pump Third, install the main bearings in the main capsbut dont install the caps yet. Piston set these will come with rings and pins supplied. 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 Its really more simple than people make it out to be. Remember, these cars were optimistically rated at about 70 horsepower at the crank. Total price: $93.10. I hope this far into the game you already have a good manual. Please state if alternate sizes are required. Its rated horsepower was 104 hp in its final year of production, which was 1973. Is there a howitzer story there? You may have seen them at county fairs the vertical velodromes were originally built from old grain silos, leading to the name "silo-drome.". Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a2e7dcb8a2dc2cd At some point in the nearish future, I will be stripping and rebuilding my Spitfire's engine. Rocker arm bushings, if needed, Gaskets and the final touches Install the valve cover. 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!) While often lamented, Triumphs 1500cc, four-cylinder engine is still owned and loved by thousands of enthusiasts. The music is In The Hall Of The Mountain King from Edvard Griegs Peer Gynt Suite Triumph Spitfire 1969-1980 Owners Workshop Manual: Glovebox Edition (Practical Classics & Car Restorer) $2000. do make sure you stick to 97+ or better fuel, **95 ul was for side valves and mowers when these cars were born. NICELY RESTORED CAR WITH REBUILT ENGINE. Let the engine run 20 minutes at 2,000 rpm to break in your cam and lifters. 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. As always, check your local emissions laws. If your engine has press fit piston pins, like MG 1275, or the later MGBs, this is not something you can do yourself; it requires special tools. 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!) Rocker Assembly Triumph Spitfire, 1962-1981 (Haynes Manuals) $2995. Wishbone Classics is a specialist in rebuilding standard and performance British sports car engines. MG, Crankshaft grinding is a very skilled part of the machine shop phase. What you are looking for is the point the dial indictor needle quits moving as the piston comes to the top of the block. Powered by Gasoline and Caffeine. From the the tight budget, to the all-out approach, I've done it all, and can help you with your project Hap owns and operates Acme Speed Shop out of Greenville, SC, where his specialty is rebuilding MG engines ranging from stock to full out race prepared. One day. Custom options available from electronic fuel injection. You will need some headwork, and a skim o achieve a higher compression ratio (depends on the cam). I was not aware of the header from the UK. Engine gasket sets I prefer Payen brand gasket sets when I can get them. Some connecting rods will be a press fit type, and not need servicing other than pressing the old piston off and the new pistons on. Be sure to use engine oil with 1200 ppm of ZDDP to insure long engine life. Before the swapand with the original single-carb unit properly tunedour Spitfire produced 49 horsepower and 66 lb.-ft. of torque at the rear wheels, as measured on a chassis dyno. If all checks out take the car for a short drive (dont stray far from home, just in case) varying the rpm from 2,000 to 4,000. First, scrape off old gaskets as much as you can, then move on to degreasing. It might be suitable for some situations but the Spitfire (MG Midget) configuration is not one of them. Engine Block Anyone know anything about the downdraft Weber carb and aluminum intake kit being offered by englishparts.com? 100bhp should be achievable fairly easily. An adjustable cam gear is really worth it if your budget allows. Shop Work Ray, that is a good point, the wet sleeve motors like the Triumph TR3/$ engines are not a engine I work with. Have your timing light ready to set the timing. No problem. I don't want to build a racing engine, but would like to do some sensible upgrades to improve reliability and drivability. Almost 100,000 of these engines were used in the 1973-80 Spitfires, and nearly as many were used inMGMidgets sold from 1975andlater. After a few heat cycles, you will need to retorque the cylinder head and re-adjust the valve lash. You dont want anything to be bent or stuck, as this will affect your cars operation. Coat with oil, install and torque the #1 main cap to manual specs. But the US emissions regs sucked away both torque and power. Install your newly rebuilt engine in your car. Add to Wish List. Launched in October 1962, the Spitfire featured sleek styling by famed Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti. https://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-105313. Includes engine/driveline, suspension, brakes, Guess 3 mains and a thrust bearing that falls out were state of the art back then. Sometimes honing is necessary to get the proper fit. For a road engine there are a few simple things. TR3B-TR6 four speed gearbox with A-type OD base rebuild pricing $3250. Intake valves Consider oversize for better flow 7000 17.73 20.42 There is no need to hurry; time is your friend when degreasing. Austin Healey, MG or Triumph we can build it better than original and to any performance level. And, once you have the engine block on the engine stand, youre ready to dive in. Theres nothing quite like the process of pulling apart, fixing and rebuilding a vintage engine. 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. The strut towers have also been chrome plated and fitted. Vandervell do come up on eBay from time to time, but most are showing their age from long term storage. FUEL PETROL PUMP (**See Engine No**) (1970- 74) 20.50. Your connecting rod will almost always warrant big end resizing, and considered a must if you replace the connecting rod bolts. 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 Our initial zero-to-60 testing was just as depressing. 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, AnglefireSeptember 30, 2017 in Engine. You need the following to do the job: Never, ever fire up an engine without confirming you have oil pressure. Otherwise, enjoy the car, collect the stuff you need and don't put yourself under pressure! July 19, 2014 @ 4:35 am The rubber insulator can crack and wear out over time. They can handle the disassembly, cleaning, checking for cracks, machining and assembly for you. Just because your cylinder bores or crankshaft journals look good, never assume they dont have any wear or issues. There is nothing inherently wrong with a properly designed 3 main bearing engine. For a reliable road-going engine, careful building, in clean conditions will get you one tha is long-lasting! The Triumph SC (small car) engines were never derived fromtractors. 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. TR6 four speed gearbox with J-type OD base rebuild pricing is $2999. At least the MG stayed 'all British'. Finally the machinist will use a special tool to chamfer (angle) the tops of the bores. Set your dial indicator on the top side of that push rod. Thank you! Stroke(mm) = 76 Stroke(mm) = 87.5 All rights reserved. If you are using a performance camshaft you may have to advance the cam timing per the cam manufacturers instructions. 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. For the earlier 4 cylinder engines we always fit upgraded rear oil seals, an . Timing assembly always replace the chain, timing gear and timing chain tensioner. (Not for racing, just to bring them into the 21st Century and to get my little Midget screaming down the road). And its fine until it gets to temperature and then driven some more so is really hot - and given I found the other day that the overflow pipe was too short into the expansion bottle so was drawing air back in rather than water when the engine cools - so I suspect the engine was then getting a bit too hot at the top occasionally. Hap, Great article but I must disagree with method for finding TDC. Flywheel The idea is to remove all the accumulated junk, especially from critical areas like the float bowl and jets. The project is really starting to come together now, with the engine soon to go back in. , If using a performance aftermarket cam, it may be different than what is listed in the manual. Clearances and thoughts A larger motor was needed. Need oversized lifter / tappet bores? Take the connecting rod, with the cap removed, and the rod bearings installed and insert the connecting rod in the bore. The results were that the downdraft Weber gave essentially the same performance as HS4s. 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. On the bench, apiston and gudgeon pin weighs 346gms, but this is under 1g, the acceleration due to Earth's gravity, In the 2.5L, at 6000rpm the piston reaches more than 2000g, andweighs nearly a tonne! Once the studs are installed (if applicable) then install the head gasket. NEW PARTS 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. 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. Cam bearings I prefer the full circle type Exhaust valves Did mean I had to buy an engine hoist, load leveller and engine stand this week too. Inspect your starter ring gear. The snaps were so that I remembered how everything went, so I could put it back together again. Maybe Moss Motoring can find a engine builder that specializes in these engines to do article on them, I know I would read it with great interest. The 1500 long stroke is not the best for reliability and can suffer serious big end and con rod failures ifnused in a hurried life It does age quite quickly, upping the power wont help much in reliability Clives the best on this Pete clive Members 5.5k Posted October 1, 2017 For a road engine there are a few simple things. The factory paired these preferred carburetors with a free-flowing, cast-iron exhaust manifold that emptied into twin pipes. bolts. Spitfire Performance Upgrade Parts Fast delivery worldwide Payment options including PayPal British car experts 01522 568000 1-855-746-2767 No problem. Valve springs, Rocker arms assembly Strengthening the bottom end isn't an option, unless you go for a steel billet crank and conrods. To read Haps previous article on engine disassembly and inspection, visit www.mossmotoring.com/disassembling-british-engine, October 16, 2013 @ 2:20 pm Thank you very much! I tell my customers to go where the racers go. Crankshaft bearings for the connecting rods and main bearings. This guy does a good job of outliningthe issues with the 1500: http://triumphspitfire.rickbaines.com/weaknesses-of-triumphs-1500-engine/. Make sure to clean and lubricate your throttle linkage, too. My spit was a 79, and when I compare it to the other tech available at the time it just looks sad. Crank bearings are supplied standard size and pistons are supplied +0.020" oversize. Powered by Invision Community, http://tr6.danielsonfamily.org/OilPump.htm, https://www.canleyclassics.com/triumph-spitfire-mki/ii-crankshaft-and-camshaft. This is a Fiberfab Jamaican II, it was built in 1983 using a Fiberfab tubular steel chassis and a sleek, lightweightfiberglass body. The factory paired these preferred carburetors with a free-flowing, cast-iron exhaust manifold that emptied into twin pipes. Take your time and give your starter a break if it takes a while. 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. My apologies. Current car: 1980 Triumph Spitfire Past cars: 1975 Triumph Spitfire, 1973 Austin Mini, This is really useful and clearly written. Re the pinking. 5500 13.93 16.04 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. 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. If your crankshaft is out of spec and has to be reground, there are several under-sizes of crankshaft bearings available. Now that you have found TDC, move the dial indictors outside bezel to reflect zero at the needle point. Use rubber gloves, even water-based chemicals can be harsh on skin. I've read that a Newmans mildroad cam is a good option, and payan gaskets are the best, but what bearings and rings? 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! Restoration of my Triumph. Our zero-to-60 times dropped by more than 2 seconds. Get Started Inspect your valve guides next. I dont like refacing valves. 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. TheseSUcarburetors may be older technology, but they have served many owners very well through the decades. This pristine car is fa. Great Savings & Free Delivery / Collection on many items . Drivetrain The engine rebuild kits can be anything from stock, to mild, to wild street performance, to a even a full out race engine. Sold my spit last year and it was one ofthe few cars I never regretted selling. And the engine was a huge part of that. Really?). And it's easier/cheaper than replacing the crank and rebuilding the engine! This is where most cracks occur, so the proper filet radius is important for the overall strength of the crankshaft. 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. Follow the same process with the rod bearings as we did with the crankshaft and plastigauge each journal one at a time. Protection by optimising the oil supply is another option. 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. But yes, I do enjoy it and try and go out in it as much as possible - I bought it to drive and not be a show car. In this video,. A nifty-looking, dual-inlet air cleaner wrapped in a black crackle finish was part of the package. 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. Most cylinder head parts are inexpensive. 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. At the end of the day if it needs a rebuild every 40/50k its notthe end of the world as that is plenty of years use! Frequently bought together. Personally, I'd just check the originals for signs of stretch and reuse them. Yes I know it was built from parts in the 50s and the design never changed. 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. Triumph - Spitfire - Sales Brochure - (2015) (German) Brochure 4 Pages. 1979 TRIUMPH SPITFIRE 1500 MK IV. But this is for high revving engines, not road use. Click & Collect. Once the engine starts you want to set the idle at approx. We carry a wide-ranging catalog of used Triumph engines for all applications including gas and diesel engines. Over the past 8 years I ahve been upgrading my 1500. But now you will know what degree of offset key to order. If you are reusing your existing camshaft your lifters can be reused if they are in good condition. 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'd start with some head work a header and dual SUs. Yeah, except for Mazda, Ford, GM, Toyota, Mercedes, Nissan, Honda, etc. Whether stock, performance or race, only the highest quality components and workmanship go into our engines. Hap Waldrop. Install lifters, pushrods and cylinder head. Quickview. 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? 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. 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