Thursday, July 06, 2006

Flywheel woes! 5 speed box - back on form (touch wood)

So I had more flywheel woes, it came off again and this time destroyed the flywheel face and spun welded bits of the flywheel on the end of the crank...

So out with the engine, crank was machined on the rear end, back to concentric, extra dowel added. Maybe some none visable damage from the first time?! Another flywheel was prepared and this time its 4.5-4.6kilos - 1kilo lighter than my old one.

I searched through some drills and did some test holes after measuring them and tried the ARP bolts in them, this was in order to ensure a tight fit between the flywheel and bolt flanges...I ended up having to work the bolts into the holes a little as the fit was very tight, just span them in the flywheel with an airpowered impact hammer without the impact bit, numbered the bolts and holes with a centre punch...

They should act like 4 dowels not just bolts, tolerance is much tighter than the stock bolts and holes..., remade the dowels from some spring steel bar and they are super tight on the flywheel too....I will never use ARP lube again, loctite all the way, lube only on the heads where they rest on the flywheel. Fingers crossed this will be the end of the my problems...the new flywheel grabs the crank very firmly and I cannot see it moving again.

Went to http://www.midlandbalancing.co.uk/ and saw the main man Bill, great guy - got the new fly balanced on the crank, it was a 3hr drive for a £5 job! 24grams out after some hardcore lathing/lightening...20 of those grams was actually the two holes from the previous balance!, so my main man Alan did a great job on the flywheel. Run out was checked also etc.

I have fitted the 5 speed box and like it alot, a great deal! Ratios are much improved but the car needs a 4.11 and it will be mental again.

My old SuperSpec close ratio spitfire box is for sale at £220, fitted with new gaskets, I have inspected it and its perfect ready to run, there has been no wear on the synchros in my 3years of use! Its the VERY good box!

I like my new flywheel, touch lumpy at idle, needs 1100rpm idle speed and 1000-2000rpm isnt as smooth but I can tune that out I think...Spins up really well, it feels very free at the top, fun on the wet lanes on a test run this afternoon, mad wheelspin in 2nd from 5K up!

Type 9 fitment was straight forward, I milled my own spigot bush, 15mm bore, the end of the my input shaft tip was 14.9mm, so a tight fit. No judder potential...

For the first time in 10years of spitfire ownership the rebuilt engine doesnt leak or drip a drop when parked up after a run, the gearbox doesnt leak or drip a drop....Miracle! the only thing dumping drips is the diff, next job...I cannot believe there are no leaks!

Brought another Mk3 engine on +20 rebore to build up as a spare bottomend, hopefully its not thrusted etc as I have to pick her up!

I am off to Nurburgring to see the Dutch guys in August 11-13 I think, aim is to take the spit and do a few trial laps! If all is well I'll get my toe down a bit, but will take it quite easy I wanted to thrash the knackers off it one afternoon at an airfield and try to break something first.... take it easy compared to full race speed anyway! guess the airfield shakedown has been replaced by one 800miles from home! Be a few late nights before this, have to take some spares too...need to think that one through.

Some tunnel mods required. Like a sherman tank! Gear stick position is nice, backwards a bit...


Copied Josh, short knob, ooooerrr. I melted off the top bit of the Ford one, I then bashed off the cups, leaving a bare stub. I drilled an 5.5mm hole down the stub, tapped it to M6...I then drilled out the triumph gearbox knobs metal sleeve to the size of the stub on the Ford lever, drilled out only 50% depth leaving th 50% remaining thread, I then JB welded an M6 stud into the old gearknobs threaded area, making a screw on and offable gearbox knob! Tidy.

The rear panel on the gearbox is actually the bit I cut from the stock gearbox cover...This tunnel seals 100%, far better than it did the way Canley's sold it to me, cause it wasnt big enough on the hump area and sat too high at the back. I curse the damned thing everytime I fit or remove it, I was about to smash it with a hammer half way through reshaping it...but it came good.


Its back in one bit an 11hr marathon from 5pm to 4am yesterday took care of the rebuilding!

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