triumph spitfire 1500 engine rebuild

Triumph - Spitfire - Sales Brochure - (2015) (German) Brochure 4 Pages. TR3B-TR6 four speed gearbox with A-type OD base rebuild pricing $3250. 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. 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. Our reconditioned full engines have one of the highest rebuild specifications available on the market. Tim mentions the Weber DGV as a suitable alternative carb. Wishbone Classics is a specialist in rebuilding standard and performance British sports car engines. That is not true but often repeated. Started out as just a collection of snaps as I stripped down an engine bought off ebay. All engine parts are cleaned, prepped and machined or new. The best currently available bearings are King Tri-metal which most suppliers (e.g. Make sure your crankshaft is at BDC (bottom dead center) meaning the crankshaft journal is closest to bottom of the engine. Is there a howitzer story there? A balancer can be rebuilt or you can purchase a new one and in some cases a high performance harmonic balancer is available. from a 1300? Your IP: It is now running with high compression pistons, UK-spec cam, UK-spec 4-2-1 exhaust manifold, and HS4 carbs. Double and triple check this to make sure you are at TDC. It was beautifully designed by the legendary Italian car designer Giovanni Michelotti, and it also surprisingly sold in greater numbers than any of its rivals between 1962 to 1980. But not just any pump--SU carb float valves will allow gas by if it's under too much pressure, so you need a low-pressure pump or pressure restrictor in the system. My GT has them and Rimmers show them on TR2 -4a, but not GTs or Spitfires. 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. Triumph produced the fun and affordable Spitfire for 18 years, during which time over 314,000 were built. 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. We can rebuild or repair your engine to factory specifications, and in most cases to much better than factory specifications. Manganese bronze guides expand with heat at a different rate than your cylinder head and require more clearance than cast iron guides. 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. Other Areas of your Engine Inspect your starter ring gear. Need someone to fit steel main caps to your block and line bore for the proper fit? 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. Detractors complained of durability anddrivabilityissues. Thank you very much! Move to zero and then around and stop at .005 past zero. Sidedraft carbs are the best alternative, especially twin Weber DCOEs. Im only really in the planning stages as when I do pull the engine, Id like to do things like make sure the head is lead free - Im told it was done by the guy who rebuilt it before the last guy who I bought it from. Spitfire/GT6 site suggests E for engine, to avoid confusion with commission number. These are both good solutions, but we went with an even easier fix on our1973Spitfire. Dennis Vessey - Performance and Triumph engine building, reconditioning 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 music is In The Hall Of The Mountain King from Edvard Griegs Peer Gynt Suite item 1 MG MIDGET (late model) TRIUMPH SPITFIRE 1500 MOTOR ENGINE REBUILD SERVICE, item 2 MG MIDGET TRIUMPH SPITFIRE 1500 FP ENGINE BLOCK. 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. I used to do it your way but a lecture by Dimitri Elgin pointed out that using a dial indicator can lead to errors. Crankshaft replace your pilot bushing. MG, I use a Moss high performance Pro Sport model on my MGB racecar and can attest to its high quality. Oil pump whether you replace with new or reuse your current oil pump you will need to disassemble it and check the clearances. I'll be making sure that my new one is as good as it can get to the "best" end of the specs. Connecting Rods 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. FUEL PETROL PUMP (**See Engine No**) (1970- 74) 20.50. Add to Cart. Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in Engine Blocks. Handy Tip: Use a Sharpie to put markings on parts you have already torqued or checked clearance to know where you are in the process. Triumph Spitfire, 1962-1981 (Haynes Manuals) $2995. I used new bolts and tabs, but this was 1980s so bolts would be from the good bucket. Inspect your valve guides next. As you'd expect Vesseys are the specialists in the repair and reconditioning of the Triumph 4 and 6 cylinder engines. I'm guessing not particularly. Most cylinder head parts are inexpensive. 20 The results were that the downdraft Weber gave essentially the same performance as HS4s. A short engine is the middle section of the engine assembly, namely the cylinder block. Install and torque the main caps one at time. 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. Do this one main cap at time working from front to back being careful to not rotate the crankshaft. Does the backfire come from timing, or carb? 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. In my post above I was referring to "quality"! Lube should be used any place one part makes contact with another that could cause frictionthe exception being the piston and cylinder walls. Engine was previously rebuild by Ivor Searle, looks brand new under the rocker cover.. Ps, fuel tank is disconnected, now pumping fuel out of a fresh can. Spitfire 1500 Engine Rebuild - The Triumph Sports Six Club Forum If you are reusing your existing camshaft your lifters can be reused if they are in good condition. A better solution is to use this as an excuse to use larger intake valves and enjoy improved performance. As always, once we test fitted the manifold, we sent it to Swain Tech Coatings to be coated. Totally computer controlled, and programable, this specialized equipment eliminates inaccuraties and errors that can be introduced with manual equipment. This firm finds these parts overseas and imports them for American enthusiasts. Now loosen the crank nut and rotate the degree wheel to reflect TDC on it. Really?). When you achieve the same degrees BTDC and ATDC your wheel will show TRUE TDC. Cam bearings I prefer the full circle type 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. Camshaft if needed/desired. Thanks Richard. Southern Rebore Services carried out the machining work. As JohnD mentioned, you can optimise the pump to minimise clearances between the body and rotor, see:http://tr6.danielsonfamily.org/OilPump.htm. Once you have finished the plastigauge procedure, and cleaned it all up, make sure to use assembly lube on your rod bearings and install your rod caps. 5500 13.93 16.04 I always use bearings supplied by Jigsaw Racing, and with the above, they are long lasting, even inhigh revving engines. WHAT YOU CAN CLEAN YOURSELF Keep advancing the timing until you do, then retard just enough so you don't get any pinking. Fuel pump work good (tested). The idea is to remove all the accumulated junk, especially from critical areas like the float bowl and jets. Install the crankshaft and bearing I would like to strengthen the bottom end - if that is actually possible? Make sure to clean and lubricate your throttle linkage, too. Make sure you use assembly lube on every main cap and your thrust washers as well. I like to start with the center cap. The Triumph SC (small car) engines were never derived fromtractors. Oil Pump and Exterior Assembly What have you done to upgrade your 1500's? $29.77. I wouldn't bother changing the main bolts either, and I don't think loctite is a good idea. First, scrape off old gaskets as much as you can, then move on to degreasing. Almost 100,000 of these engines were used in the 1973-80 Spitfires, and nearly as many were used inMGMidgets sold from 1975andlater. My engine is very user friendly around town and on the highway. The OEM guides are cast iron. So, if not Vandervell, what other makes are recommended? Transmission & Overdrive Rebuild Services | Wishbone Classics triumph spitfire 1500 engine for sale | eBay From the the tight budget, to the all-out approach, I've done it all, and can help you with your project The three-main-bearing design did not lend itself well to hard use. I'll look for the head stamp and see what it says. Otherwise, enjoy the car, collect the stuff you need and don't put yourself under pressure! Powered by Gasoline and Caffeine. Dealer 12,500 Triumph spitfire Triumph spitfire SOLD 1973 not sure of mileage last owner se. The machine shop should magnaflux your crankshaft to rule out any cracks. In this way, conrods can be made 15% lighter and stronger than the OE ones. Bare J-type OD base rebuild pricing is $1399. | Never miss an article, [Editor's Note: This article originally ran in the March 2013 issue of Classic Motorsports. Lifters (tappets) are always replaced with a new camshaft. A complete rebuild includes the following: EVALUATION As an engine is torn down, each part is checked for excessive wear, damage and failure. Get the distributor modified to match the cam (the Distributor Doctor) and find somebody to set the carbs up on a rolling road. If it is worn, have it replaced as well. Good information. Triumph Triumph Spitfire 1500 engine and gearbox rebuild - CCK Historic Whether stock, performance or race, only the highest quality components and workmanship go into our engines. August 25, 2016 @ 9:30 am 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. Bare A-type OD base rebuild pricing is $1650. Dial indicator on a magnetic base. Make sure you keep the ring compressor firmly against the block deck. Timing assembly always replace the chain, timing gear and timing chain tensioner. The rule with engine building is clean, clean, and then clean some more. Without question this is a job for a professional. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. and you mention getting new sleeves and piston sets. This reduces flow to the mains. Triumph Spitfire - Engine rebuild - YouTube I've read that a Newmans mildroad cam is a good option, and payan gaskets are the best, but what bearings and rings? It takes a trained eye to do this procedure. You will do this similarly to your crankshaft end float. I think that they are 3.67 to 1. TheseSUcarburetors may be older technology, but they have served many owners very well through the decades. With your choice of advance curves or a tunable unit. 6500 16.47 18.96 Add to Cart. Paddocks) sell. It should come around the outer edge of your degree wheel, preferably on the top side. Keep your manual close at hand for the assembly stage. 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 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. Triumph Spitfire 1500: Repair Operation Manual - amazon.com Get your hands on the complete Triumph factory workshop software. Frequently bought together. 4>2>1 manifolds easy to source, and the canley single sports box would be my choice. - I think there is some end float issues amongst others!). Because this CNCengine center also bundles multiple machining operations into one piece of equipment, we no longer have to worry about different individual machines introducing any deviations in tolerances between machining steps. If the gap is too big, have the cylinders bored and new oversize pistons fitted. Instead, Ill tell you about steps the manual may not cover, and about the engine assembly sequence that can be helpful to you. They will measure the new pistons to bore the cylinder. Grinding off unnecessary mass from conrods, should be followed by polishing and shot peening, which does increase the strength. Once all of the pistons are in you can rotate the engine to the access the bottom side. 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. $20.74. Now stop at .005 before the indicator reaches zero, or maximum lift, record your readings at the degree wheel. Remove no more than .010 so that the head gasket will seal properly. These items are shipped from and sold by different sellers. 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 There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Once the engine starts you want to set the idle at approx. The 1500 is a stroked 1300 and like all stroker engines, they make torque down low, but do not like higher RPMS. Given that MG and Triumph were both owned and built by BLMC, choosing the Spitfire motor for both was a no brainer. Add to Cart. Most cam lifters can be installed after the cam, but on the MG and Austin Healey A-Series engine, the lifters have to be installed before the cam is installed. Rocker shaft 1296cc, 1493cc) . Check the wiper section of the rocker arm where it makes contact with the valve stem. 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. I like to get parts down to bare metal, because painting over old paint is a mixed bag of nuts. I have a lot of experience in building engines, I even put together a current class record holding engine at Bonneville. The car was largely based upon the chassis of the Triumph Herald saloon, but shortened and without the Herald's outrigger sections. do make sure you stick to 97+ or better fuel, **95 ul was for side valves and mowers when these cars were born. If your crankshaft is out of spec and has to be reground, there are several under-sizes of crankshaft bearings available. Take your time and give your starter a break if it takes a while. Bolting on the new carburetors is easy, and since this is a factory setup, the throttle cable will perfectly join the existing system. Paul Tegler's Triumph Spitfire 1500 Mega Site You will want to ask around for the shop that has the best reputation for crankshaft work. These engines were known to be delicate, especially if over-revved. I would like to fit a sports exhaust at the same time too. Shifts well, stops well. I suggest you guys go read the same thread over on the MGExperience board. Many British engines have cam bearings in the block. Follow the same process with the rod bearings as we did with the crankshaft and plastigauge each journal one at a time. Buy used Triumph Spitfire motors/engines from our network that offers up to a two-year warranty on qualified units! Get Started MACHINE SHOP WORK Each engine I take to the machine shop is: Magnafluxed for cracks in the block, head and crankshaft. NEW PARTS Like so many other emissions-era carburetors, ours caused the car to surge and run leanespecially at highway speeds. This engine is almost a direct bolt-in. 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. Line up the dots on the two timing gears when installing the chain. Cut a small piece of plastigauge and place on the #1 journal. This is very important, because if you are not on TDC, all your readings will be wrong. Get notified when we add a new Triumph Spitfire Manual. If you have a single row chain I suggest you upgrade to a double row chain if available. Purpose manufactured components designed to replace faulty original designs - for increased reliability and durability. Protecting it by reducing the stress. Similar upgrades but I milled .125" off the head, sourced a pair of SU's from a '67 Spit, and installeda header from Victoria British. Theyve even won countlessSCCAchampionships. 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. Dont let any steps get overlooked. Its really more simple than people make it out to be. 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. This may take several minutes. The factory paired these preferred carburetors with a free-flowing, cast-iron exhaust manifold that emptied into twin pipes. Hap Waldrop. Thrust bearing in the proper size. 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. Use new gaskets and properly clean all mating surfaces. This is done to prevent a piston ring from getting caught and breaking during installation. For example, most modern black composite material head gaskets require no coating or sealer. At this point the machine shop is ready to assemble the cylinder head. Pay close attention to your workshop manual for tips like this. 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. There was an article in Classic Motorsport comparing different SUs to different Webers on the same MGB B-series engine. Useful article on the oil pump too. Have your timing light ready to set the timing. Sort By Price As of March 2007, all of our engine block work is carried out to the extremes of perfection on a CNCengine machining center. 1980 1500 Spitfire, I just added new cap, rotor, wires, pertronix ignition and flamethrower coil. Guess 3 mains and a thrust bearing that falls out were state of the art back then. Short stroke Vs long stroke: The 1147 & 1300s can all rev much higher than a 1500, the 1500 due to its bigger capacity has more low down pulling Torque. You need the following to do the job: Anyway even with the taller gears the engine isn't so high strung that it lugs at all. The shop will most likely resurface the cylinder head to insure flatness, and provide for a good sealing surface for the head gasket. I highly recommend Moss uprated valve seals. 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. He has a 2 liter OHC compared with the spit's little push rod 1500. I think these carbs were also stock on 70's era Fiat 124 sedans and roadsters, but I may be wrong. But all the above are expensive and competition related. Our initial zero-to-60 testing was just as depressing. It might be suitable for some situations but the Spitfire (MG Midget) configuration is not one of them. Remember they have to go in the exact spot they came out of it. http://auskellian.com/paul/links_files/performance_enhancements.htm. Quickview. Digital Rev Limiter Pertronix . Your machine shop can easily do this for you. You may also have to replace your connecting rod small end bushings as well on a floating rod type. | From the March 2013 issue 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! I can then, at my leisure,rebuild the one in my car now and either sell it on or do another swap. Thrust washers needed to be maintained, or crank walk would destroy themaswell. It's a surrogate for the actual stress calculation that works out the acceleration of the piston, whichis a LOT more difficult! Perhaps our biggest issue was simply the original setups drivability. Please contact us for further details concerning . Maybe because its the one I raced back in the day, but it always just seemed better balanced than the 1500 for some reason. 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). Services - J If your engine has a harmonic balancer, it will have a rubber insulator between the inner and outer rings. as perspicacity of this Triumph Spitfire 1500 Engine can be taken as skillfully as picked to act. These used to be cheap,but only Burton power (SC248)seems to have them now (7.61 ea). 4.20 postage . On some crankshafts the area where the seals ride can wear over time and new seals alone may not insure you wont have leak. 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. In England, Triumph Spitfire 1500s were sold with dualSUcarbs. All spark advance is handled electronically. 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. Engines & Engine Component Rebuilding Services 1973 Triumph Spitfire 1500 - cars & trucks - by owner - vehicle Early Spitfire and Heraldengines had lock tabs (https://www.canleyclassics.com/triumph-spitfire-mki/ii-crankshaft-and-camshaft). item 3 Triumph Spitfire 1500, MG Midget 1500 Rebuilt 4-Speed Transmission, Original, !!