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Hi all, please see this major site announcement: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058427594/boards-ie-2026
Spitfire Total Rebuild!
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Little update, emphasis on little, had a week off work and it just seemed to fly by!
Got the main and input shaft sorted, had to leave it at an engineers shop for work but hopefully that'll be that issue sorted....
Roller bearing had wore a recess into the end of the shaft!! :rolleyes:
After a few weeks of being put on the long finger and many phonecalls later I got the reworked shafts back.....
Hardened steel sleeve on the end of the shaft.
New insert and roller bearing inside the end of the input shaft. Both of them fit together tight as a glove now!
After that it was a case of cleaning up and prepping the calipers for painting, which they have recieved.
And then attaching this thing to the inside of the tub!
Oh, and I cut a piece of stainless to fit in behind the lights. I like it......
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Looked at the wiring harness then, freshly removed from the Starlet. Thinned it out a little before offering it up as there isnt as much room to play with in the Spitty tub and besides, a lot of the wiring was either not in use or of no use to me in the Spitfire.
Lotta wires!
Scrap pile.
Started tracking it through the tub then, just to get an idea of how things would pan out, what needed to go where and what directions I needed to go. For the most part it seems to be working out pretty good. Watch this space...
Onto the gearbox then.......
Freshly painted casing have the threads cleaned up.
All the bits and bobs lined up after being cleaned. Picked up a rebuild kit from Paddocks that had all the necessary bearings, needle rollers, gaskets, circlips etc...
Had two gearbox too pick and mix from so got a good selection of clean gears.
Had to make up a stand to hold the casing, vital if you're doing a rebuild! Bloody thing has no flat surfaces apart from the ends and thats not much good. So, for the sake of a few mins cutting and drilling it made life so much easier!
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Wow is all I can say. That is a real labour of love. And I'm a bit envious too. Time, space, help and above all patience.
Cheers!
The pics and updates here might look great but let me tell you it's demanding, almost every free hour I can muster goes into the project; it can be frustrating, annoying, draining, expensive and consuming! Still envious? 
I'll be at this car 2 years come next March, the only thing that gets me through at times and keeps a little momentum behind me is the fact that I've come so far and keep in mind the end goal......it'll be worth it!
Toyotafanboi wrote:That's a "little" update
Out of interest are you familiar with the wiring harness setup? Particularly the ones for the lights and indicators on the stalk? I'll need to figure out which is which so I can remove the plugs and swap over to the Triumph stalks and light switchs. 0 -
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might help or might lead you astray altogether :
http://www.mearcat.com.ai/docs/EP82%20Starlet%20Wiring%20and%20Connectors.pdf
Linkey no workey Sounds very interesting though! 0 -
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CroppyBoy1798 wrote: »Linkey no workey Sounds very interesting though!
Here's the same pdf, different link!
http://www.toyotagtturbo.com/wiki/EP82wiring/EP82%20Starlet%20Wiring%20and%20Connectors.pdf0 -
paulmclaughlin wrote: »Here's the same pdf, different link!
http://www.toyotagtturbo.com/wiki/EP82wiring/EP82%20Starlet%20Wiring%20and%20Connectors.pdf
That'll come in very handy, thanks guys! 0 -
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Feel free not to answer the question (as my Mammy would tell me it's rude to ask!) but I'm curious as to what kind of budget you're working to on this project as it's the type of thing I'd love to attempt at some stage!
I'd like to be able to give you an answer, but I cant.....
Simply because I dont know, or dont want to know :eek: I didnt set a budget, I've watched enough episodes of Grand Designs where people take on epic builds with a rigid budget only to see them a year plus later, run out of money, doing the work themselves in the freezing cold, leaving in a caravan and having gone 50 or even 100+ thousand over budget.....
Ok, so I'm not that bad just yet, but the initial outlay for the two cars was two grand (payed FAR too much for them but it was a case of the heart ruling the head) and after that there was been small outlays for parts etc, but they are in dribs and drabs, never any more than a couple of hundred at a time. So, I'm buying the items as I need them, so, its not too bad. I'd reckon up to this point I must have at least 5 grand, if not more gone into it and still counting!!
Now, you can look at that two ways, ie for that price I could have got something pretty decent, probably previously restored to a high enough standard I could jump in and drive or, that the money, effort and time invested will result in something uniquely mine that I'll know literally every nut, bolt and washer in it.
Tough one 0 -
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Hi Croppy. Just wondering if you've come across the "British V8" website? Lot's of interesting cars, including a lot of Spitfires, fitted with larger engines and gearboxes, including the odd Japanese one. (Not so big!) I can't post a link but you should find it easily with Mr. Googles help.
Have seen that site alright, thanks! Cant imagine what a Spitfire would be like with a V8 under the bonnet!
I'd like to say the engine conversion is motoring along, but, it's slow progress, simply because it takes a lot of time to make the modifications. Lot of checking, measuring, modding, reassembling etc, but, it's getting there......
Had to get an oilite bushing turned that would fit into the end of the 4EFE crankshaft. The purpose of the bushing is to support the input shaft of the gearbox. Being an oilite bushing (otherwise known as a spigot bush) means its self lubricating.
Finished bushing ready to fit.....
In place (bit of flash rust on the flywheel, no biggie)
Area pointed out needed to be removed to allow the starter motor to be fitted. As you can see, on the Triumph the starter was located to the left, that hole would need to be filled in.
Had to pick up a slightly bigger clutch plate to work with the toyota flywheel. The plate pictured is a 7 1/4" 10 spline.
Disc on the pressure plate, It is a bit smaller than the diameter of the pressure plate, but its the closest match I could get.
Handy little clutch centering tool, an input shaft from my spare (now in bits) gearbox.
Pressure plate and clutch disc centered and secured in place.
Bell housing and gearbox (with overdrive) plonked on top for a trial fit. Needed a couple of mill taken off the input shaft and then.....
It dropped in nice and tight.
Space cut out for starter motor.
Bit of light relieving done to the bell housing to accomodate the starter. A shield or cover will have to be improvised to stop any dirt/grit etc getting into the bell housing.
Since the pics were taken the bell housing plate has been further modified with the old starter motor hole being filled in. Bolts and threads being welded to the plate to allow it to be mounted to the engine and the bell housing to it. But, those pics are for another time.....0 -
Ok, so the engine/gearbox modification still needs some attention, but a quick glance at another job that'll need doing; the fuel tank.
Originally the Triumph's fuel was fed to the carbs by a mechanical fuel pump mounted on the engine, with my change over to the 4E with fuel injection it means an elcetric petrol pump will need to be added into the system. Seen as there was one in the Starlet that'd plug right into the wiring loom I had in situ it was a no brainer to use this. However it'll require a slight bit of work....
Unfortunately the pump set up, when removed from the Starlet tank is a bit longer than the Triumph tank. Not sure if I'll be using the float, The Triumph tank has the original one fitted so I'll revert to that so as to keep the fuel guage reading correctly.
Solution to the problem (well, one anyway) chopped the raised section, with mounting flange from the starlet tank and graft this onto/into the Triumph tank, thereby raised the pump setup the required height.
I'll get back to ye on it......... 0 -
Happy new year all! Here's to 2016 and getting this thing on the road!!
Got stuck into the fuel tank modifications..........
Tank was put on place in the car to check for space. A technical measurement shows its a fist wide worth of space, lots of room
Flange cut out of Starlet tank.
Flange modified and tacked together for a trial fit.
Section cut out of tank and ground to shape.
Bloody full height baffle in place, there is one on the other side also. This one has got to go! Spot welds were drilled out and the battle was chopped up with a shearers and lifted out. That'll teach it for getting in my way!
Baffle out and mounting flange in place for a trial fit.
Flange height is adjustable to allow the fuel pump and filter to sit at the right height.
Pump in for a trial fit, looking good!
Removed the swirl pot from the starlet tank.
Swirl pot tacked into the Triumph tank, but of a squeeze to get it in, but it fit eventually.
All ready to be cleaned up and TIG welded soon hopefully. The triumph sender will be fitted and used to keep the original guage.0 -
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Been busy working on the engine/gearbox. A little vid for y'all.....
Some accompanying pictures....
The adapted engine plate front.
Engine plate rear, note the plated in original starter motor hole to the left and the new starter motor hole on the right.
Engine cleaned up, painted and parked by the stove for some heat.
Almost ready to be mated!
Altogether now!
The sump that's currently fitted will be coming off to be replaced by the modified sump, when I get that one welded up.
May clean the water pump up, its letting the side down :P
:D 0 -
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Got the lower half of the bulkhead cleaned up and stonechipped. The same area was epoxy primed before hand. Hopefully get all the front end prepped and painted during the week then the tub can be dropped onto the chassis hopefully.
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