triumph spitfire 1500 engine rebuildtriumph spitfire 1500 engine rebuild
As always, check your local emissions laws. You can get a reaction between different paints causing wrinkling. It is a normal practice to oil the threads on all engine high torque bolts to help reach true torque. If using a performance aftermarket cam, it may be different than what is listed in the manual. That is not true but often repeated. Perhaps our biggest issue was simply the original setups drivability. Buy used Triumph Spitfire motors/engines from our network that offers up to a two-year warranty on qualified units! The Triumph Spitfire is a small British two-seat sports car, introduced at the London Motor Show in 1962. Cutting the valve seats: The most common is a three angle seat for better performance and sealing. - I think there is some end float issues amongst others!). , Cylinder head Click & Collect. AVAILABLE IN STANDARD OR ALL REGULAR OVERSIZES [ E-MAIL OR TEL. Without question this is a job for a professional. Do this one main cap at time working from front to back being careful to not rotate the crankshaft. Manganese bronze guides expand with heat at a different rate than your cylinder head and require more clearance than cast iron guides. Once you torque it to spec turn the crankshaft by hand, you should feel a nice fluid motion without any binding. But the Spitfire could be easily stroked to 1493 ccto regain some performance. As for the MG Midget, I preferred the 1275. Quickview. This is very important, because if you are not on TDC, all your readings will be wrong. Thrust bearing in the proper size. 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! Many British engines have cam bearings in the block. But do no explore the rev range too often (maybe get a rev limiter!). A bit too obvious for me that! You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. The first step is buying the right parts. Early Spitfire and Heraldengines had lock tabs (https://www.canleyclassics.com/triumph-spitfire-mki/ii-crankshaft-and-camshaft). To read Haps previous article on engine disassembly and inspection, visit www.mossmotoring.com/disassembling-british-engine, October 16, 2013 @ 2:20 pm The engine number is FM91xxxHE - which I know is Spitfire and High compression - E for engine? Sold my spit last year and it was one ofthe few cars I never regretted selling. Anyone know anything about the downdraft Weber carb and aluminum intake kit being offered by englishparts.com? The strut towers have also been chrome plated and fitted. Handy Tip: If using an adjustable cam gear, torque the cam retaining nut to manual specs before making your adjustments. About the Author: As an engine tuner and builder for more than 30 years, Hap Waldrop is the go-to guy on British car forums. Our initial zero-to-60 testing was just as depressing. Deck H $3,341.18 New ---- Used Dart SBF SHP Iron Block 4.125 Bore 9.500 DH - 31375235 $2,999.00 New ---- Used After this simple swap, our Spitfire was transformed. 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. 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. The 3 main floppy 1500 crank can live well at higher RPMS than a stock 1500, if rotating and recipricating assemblies are well ballanced and good ARP main studs are used. 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. WHAT A MACHINE SHOP SHOULD DO Ideally, youd also get carburetors that arent worn out. If you build a 1500 properly and respect it then this much maligned engine can be as dependable as any other Spitfire engine. Restoration of my Triumph. British Engine Rebuilder 217-232-7303 Specializing in MG/Triumph 1500 Engines " I will not let you run one of my rebuilt engines in your car if I would not run it in mine. I hope this far into the game you already have a good manual. The thing to remember is that the engine is many different systems that all have to work together. an improvement of nearly 25 percent. A fair amount of work, but nothing too technical, and it saves the engine. Yeah, except for Mazda, Ford, GM, Toyota, Mercedes, Nissan, Honda, etc. Because our carburetors didnt exhibit any throttle shaft wear, we didnt need to have them rebuilt. 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. Then I realised itd be quite cool to make it an animation. All rights reserved. , Install and torque the main caps one at time. A nifty-looking, dual-inlet air cleaner wrapped in a black crackle finish was part of the package. My apologies. For engines with a lifter cover or external lifter access, install the liftersif not already pre-assembled. CARMINE RED WITH TAN TRIM, TAN TOP BOOT. Feb 2016: We are currently only rebuilding Triumph TR3B (four synchro) through TR6 transmissions and A and J type . So, if not Vandervell, what other makes are recommended? I start with the #1 piston. Power is supplied to the wheels via a 4 speed manual with overdrive gearbox. 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. I own a suitable license for this piece of music, supplied by Chris Worth Productions. The carb is a two stage design, so it's essentially a one barrel with a secondary that comes on at full throttle. 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 The MG motor was incapable of being enlarged, just getting itto 1275 had required engineering handsprings (offset conrods? Quantum Mechanics, Ltd. Finally the machinist will use a special tool to chamfer (angle) the tops of the bores. as perspicacity of this Triumph Spitfire 1500 Engine can be taken as skillfully as picked to act. 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. Body & Chassis Brakes Clutch, Gearbox & Axle Cooling System Electrical Engine Exhaust Exterior Fuel System & Induction General Accessories Heating & Ventilation Interior Valve seals Once the piston gets to the point where the ring compressor is resting on the deck of the block use a dead blow hammer to tamp the top edges of the ring compressor to square it against the bore. They don't appear on any of the Canley GT6 diagrams, but they were certainly there the first time I took the sump off in 1979, or there abouts. Grinding off unnecessary mass from conrods, should be followed by polishing and shot peening, which does increase the strength. Right off the bat, this larger engine delivered more torque than its predecessor. 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. Does the backfire come from timing, or carb? You can use new lifters with a used cam but never used lifters with a new cam. 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. Digital Rev Limiter Pertronix . Add to Wish List. In our case, Quantum Mechanics sold us a brand-new downpipe to match the European exhaust manifold. After refreshing the carburetors, the next step is simply to replace the intake and exhaust manifolds with the European-spec pieces. 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 think Ford later made a knock-off of the carb that was used on 4 cylinder mustangs and later US made Mercury Capris (1980s). And, once you have the engine block on the engine stand, youre ready to dive in. For most, dropping off the cylinder head complete to a machine shop is the best idea. $29.77. Get the distributor modified to match the cam (the Distributor Doctor) and find somebody to set the carbs up on a rolling road. In England, Triumph Spitfire 1500s were sold with dualSUcarbs. We also redid the air cleaner with the original black crackle finish. But the US emissions regs sucked away both torque and power. But now you will know what degree of offset key to order. Motor runs excellent, no issues with state inspection and everything works as it is supposed to. Totally computer controlled, and programable, this specialized equipment eliminates inaccuraties and errors that can be introduced with manual equipment. More torque, as we know, helps produce betteraccelerationnumbers. Well we offer that as well. Our reconditioned full engines have one of the highest rebuild specifications available on the market. Make sure all stud and bolt threads are oiled. Refer to your workshop manual for the proper spec but it will likely be .002-.005. A heat shield is highly recommended for these as well. Triumph removed the lock tabs quite early on in production and never reinstated them despite loads increasing considerably (e.g. In some states, this kind of modification is a no-no. Blueprint clearance is mostly done by more advanced engine builders, but your machinist can measure and machine everything to spec. TheseSUcarburetors may be older technology, but they have served many owners very well through the decades. Just because your cylinder bores or crankshaft journals look good, never assume they dont have any wear or issues. It will smooth out an engine and pull locked up hp to the fore. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. 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. Add to Wish List. But all the above are expensive and competition related. Add those two numbers together and divide by twothat is your cam timing. Our zero-to-60 times dropped by more than 2 seconds. Anyway even with the taller gears the engine isn't so high strung that it lugs at all. I discussed addinglock tabs with the engineer when I did my Herald engine, but he warned against it. In this way, conrods can be made 15% lighter and stronger than the OE ones. Surfacing them smooth will result in more material being removed than needed. Make sure you keep the ring compressor firmly against the block deck. Bottom end THE FINAL LAP Remove the spark plugs and turn the engine over until you see oil pressure at the gauge. If you find excessive wear your machine shop can reface them. The cost for this setup is only about $400 to $500, depending on the source and condition of the parts. Click to reveal First, scrape off old gaskets as much as you can, then move on to degreasing. It is extremely important that the filet radius (the edges of the journal where it joins back into the crankshaft body) is restored when the crank is reground. Bearings shouldn't touch surfaces! How have you set the timing?? The weber downdraft is basically the same carburetor that was used on early German Capris and Ford Pintos (1970s). 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 When you achieve the same degrees BTDC and ATDC your wheel will show TRUE TDC. Fuel pump work good (tested). Set up the magnetic base and dial indicator on the front side of the cam, or cam gear, and moving the camshaft front to rear reading the movement on the indicator. Position it toward #1 piston and then bring the piston toward the top of the block. Engine Rebuild Kit Major Spitfire 73 to 80 Part number MEK7380 Availability: In stock Triumph Spitfire 1973 to 1980 Email Question $726.52 $920.47 Share this product Engine Rebuild Kit Major Spitfire 73 to 80 Go back to product details Piston Set 1500 (Choose Size) Piston Set STD 1500 9-1 + $233.99 Piston Set 020 1500 9-1 + $193.99 For a reliable road-going engine, careful building, in clean conditions will get you one tha is long-lasting! Whether stock, performance or race, only the highest quality components and workmanship go into our engines. I don't have a clue what else is in there yet but I intend to pull it down and find out before I run it hard. Inspect your valve guides next. Connecting Rod Bolt Set HD Triumph Spitfire, Midget 1500 . You have to have a good idea of your expectations and an understanding of the steps required to get what you want. 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. Use the ring compressor around the piston at the point where the rings are located on the piston to compress the ring as it would be when in the cylinder. For example, most modern black composite material head gaskets require no coating or sealer. Freshening a carburetor is not as scary as it sounds, and companies like Quantum Mechanics supply the necessary kits. This reduces flow to the mains. Now loosen the crank nut and rotate the degree wheel to reflect TDC on it. Get your hands on the complete Triumph factory workshop software. Test fitting the crankshaft and bearings ft/9.5 kgm) at 2500 rpm respectively. Its rated horsepower was 104 hp in its final year of production, which was 1973. But no proof or paperwork so Im assuming it wasnt. The following is a list of new parts I typically include in an engine rebuild. I am looking for some specific engine modifications, specific cam recommendations, specific machining insight from the Spit crowd who have been tuning these engines longer and harder than we MG owners. The, The traditional Silodrome was a carnival sideshow attraction also called the Wall of Death." Vandervell do come up on eBay from time to time, but most are showing their age from long term storage. All pricing, component availability, and terms of business are subject to change without notice. This number could vary, as long as it is the same exact point before, and after maximum lift. We will cover that later. What makes a Wishbone Classics engine better? Get notified when we add a new Triumph Spitfire Manual. I've seen talk of 100HP from some out there, but I have to admit that the 3 main bearing crank arrangement scares me pretty badly. Install the cam thrust plate, timing gears, chain and tensioner (if applicable) following the workshop manual guidelines. We carry a wide-ranging catalog of used Triumph engines for all applications including gas and diesel engines. Crank bearings are supplied standard size and pistons are supplied +0.020" oversize. Once you have confirmed oil pressure you are ready to fire the engine for the first time. For the earlier 4 cylinder engines we always fit upgraded rear oil seals, an . Apply 30W motor oil to the cylinder walls and the piston skirts. 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. 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. 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). Many parts are available for this engine from aftermarket suppliers. 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. | And the engine was a huge part of that. No problem. 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! However bad previous repairs, rust, and a desire for more power, resulted in Rocker arm bushings, if needed, Gaskets and the final touches 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. Buy your used Triumph Spitfire motors/engines from us and save time and money. The Spitfires exhaust system is epically simple, and any competent shop can build you a nice system. A nifty-looking, dual-inlet air cleaner wrapped in a black crackle finish was part of the package. Install the crankshaft and bearing If your engine has a harmonic balancer, it will have a rubber insulator between the inner and outer rings. Great Savings & Free Delivery / Collection on many items . 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. 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. He has a 2 liter OHC compared with the spit's little push rod 1500. www.mossmotoring.com/disassembling-british-engine, Planning for Rebuilding the Engine on the Spitfire | Triumph Spitfire Mk3 Restoration Project: Bruce's Triumph Therapy, http://mossmotorsltd.wpengine.com/restoring-british-engine/. Its okay if areas around the water jacket do not completely clean up. 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. The project is really starting to come together now, with the engine soon to go back in. I would like to strengthen the bottom end - if that is actually possible? I used new bolts and tabs, but this was 1980s so bolts would be from the good bucket. A short engine is the middle section of the engine assembly, namely the cylinder block. 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 All rights reserved. This should make for a more spritely drive. 5500 13.93 16.04 I raced both 3 and 5 main bearing MG engines and the 3 mains were dealing with slightly less drag and seemed a bit stronger and quicker revving, but bearing life when run to high rpm was better on the 5 main engines - they didn't get around to making 5 main versions until 1965 and Triumph never did go with 5 mains for their 4 cylinder sports car engines. On some crankshafts the area where the seals ride can wear over time and new seals alone may not insure you wont have leak. | Never miss an article, [Editor's Note: This article originally ran in the March 2013 issue of Classic Motorsports. Sidedraft carbs are the best alternative, especially twin Weber DCOEs. Shop Work Crankshaft There was an article in Classic Motorsport comparing different SUs to different Webers on the same MGB B-series engine. 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. 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. Remember, these parts may be nearing their 40th birthday, so go with a reputable dealer. 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. This full engine rebuild kit includes the minimum of parts required when rebuilding an engine (less crank & cam); and assumes that your cylinder block, head, crankshaft & camshaft are all serviceable. My GT has them and Rimmers show them on TR2 -4a, but not GTs or Spitfires. 2023 Motorsport Marketing. This guy does a good job of outliningthe issues with the 1500: http://triumphspitfire.rickbaines.com/weaknesses-of-triumphs-1500-engine/. As you'd expect Vesseys are the specialists in the repair and reconditioning of the Triumph 4 and 6 cylinder engines. Given that MG and Triumph were both owned and built by BLMC, choosing the Spitfire motor for both was a no brainer. These items are shipped from and sold by different sellers. Carburetor Rebuild Kit, Weber DGV Downdraft . If you are reusing your existing camshaft your lifters can be reused if they are in good condition. 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! do make sure you stick to 97+ or better fuel, **95 ul was for side valves and mowers when these cars were born. 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. Rod bolts I recommend replacement. 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. Sign up for a new account in our community. 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. I'm guessing not particularly. Install lifters, pushrods and cylinder head. I don't want to build a racing engine, but would like to do some sensible upgrades to improve reliability and drivability. In addition there are no springs or weights to fool with. 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. It has transformed the Midget into a nice little cruiser. Add to Cart. from a 1300? Copyright 1995-2023 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. Scott Sewell. Bottom end I might just get it balanced and reground if needed and look at different pistons and rods but also look at budgets. 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. Line up the dots on the two timing gears when installing the chain. A balancer can be rebuilt or you can purchase a new one and in some cases a high performance harmonic balancer is available. The mean piston speed will be 26.5m/sec. If youve got the okay from Johnny Law, a straightforward swap to dual SU carburetors can net you a more fun and agile driving machine. The vehicle was based on a design produced for Standard-Triumph in 1957 by Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti.