Joe,
I could use some help with my frame-off resto. You busy?
Best wishes,
Jeff in San Diego
'67 RHD Spitfire Mk3 aka "Mrs. Jones"
'68 LHD Spitfire Mk3 frame-off resto project
Jeff's Classic '67 Spitfire Mk3 site & Vintage Spitfire Webring
http://www.ohms.com/spitfire/spitfire.shtml
home of the NEW Totally Triumph Auction
"By Triumph enthusiasts, for Triumph enthusiasts"
http://www.ohms.com/cgi-bin/TRauction.cgi
and..The Totally Triumph Garage forums -- moderated, focused, friendly!
http://www.ohms.com/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi
...plus a few other surprises!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe Curry" <spitlist@gte.net>
To: "Spitfire Internet Mail List" <spitfires@autox.team.net>
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2001 1:50 PM
Subject: Trip Report (longish)
>
> Last Saturday morning at 4:30 a.m. Arizona Time, I set out to deliver my
son's Mk2 Spit to him in the LA area. I also had to take some
> interior panels to my Daughter who lives in Long Beach. She has a '65 VW
and I bought the parts for her Christmas present. THey did
> not arrive on time, so as any good Dad knows, I had to go there for
installation.
>
> The trip over was pretty eventless and I made good time arriving about
12:30 Pacific Time. I unloaded the Spitfire in the Hotel
> parking lot because I had prearranged for my son to come over and collect
it (with his girl friend following him home in his new VW
> Jetta).
>
> My daughter then came over to the hotel and I installed the interior
pieces in the parking lot. We both then went to our respective
> domiciles to clean up for the prearranged dinner that evening.
>
> My son and his girl friend came over at about 4:00 and we went over to my
daughter's apartment and the two couples and myself went out
> for a nice dinner. Afterwards, it was decided that my daughter and her
boy friend would go to a movie and my son would get his car
> home. So on that note we split up and the remaining three of us went to
see "The Mexican".
>
> After a few exciting previews, the start of the movie was interrupted by
my son's girlfriend saying that he had trouble on the
> freeway. So we got our money back and headed back to where his car was
parked. His description of the problem was: "It ran fine until
> I got on the freeway and then it just quit. I tried to start it a few
times and it would just sputter a bit and then die."
>
> I started troubleshooting with cars whizzing past my arse at 80 miles per
hour. Good solid spark, fuel visible in the glass filter,
> the engine turned over fine. I scratched my head and removed the hose
from the fuel filter, turned the engine over and no fuel came
> out. I then removed the float bowl cover from the front carb and no fuel
there either. I removed the top of the fuel pump and it was
> very nasty. So I cleaned it out as best I could and reinstalled the top
and still no fuel. Then I removed the feed line and gas
> poured out. My conclusion was the pump was bad. So I removed the top
part of the body to expose the diaphragm and it appeared to be
> intact. With that off, I spun the engine and the diaphragm did not move.
>
> So I removed the pump from the block and discovered that the rod that
holds the cam follower onto the pump came out and allowed all the
> parts to fall into the oil pan. Case Solved!
>
> So, I went back to the hotel ad got the truck and trailer and went back
and loaded the Spit back up (again with cars whipping by much
> too fast and close). I drove the 45 minutes over to his apartment and we
pushed the car off the trailer and into it's parking space,
> pinching my thumb in the process! Afterwards, we again said our good-byes
and headed back to Long Beach. I dropped by daughter and
> her boyfriend off at their car and said goodnight. It was after midnight
by then.
>
> I arrived at the hotel, showered and hit the sack with a thud that was
heard back in Tucson, I'm sure! However, I think that everyone
> in Long Beach decided to drive in front of the hotel and the noise kept me
awake until well after 4:00 a.m. I finally dozed off and my
> internal alarm clock woke me up about 8:30. I jumped in the shower to
shake out the grogginess and my daughter called while I was
> doing so. She wanted to meet me for breakfast and I said OK, so she drove
over to the hotel.
>
> We went to a place she likes and we had a nice breakfast followed by a
tour of the race circuit that will be used for the Long Beach
> Grand Prix in early April. We were passed by a boat!! (on a trailer, of
course). Then she took me back to the hotel so I could get on
> my way home. When we arrived, I decided to investigate a faint hint of
gasoline in her bug. I looked in the engine compartment and
> there was no sign of leakage. Raising the trunk lid, I discovered that
the fuel sending unit had fuel floating in it. Apparently it
> was leaking when the tank is full. One of the pieces of cardboard that
covers the fuel tank was completely saturated with gasoline,
> hence the fuel smell. I threw that out and told her to have her boy
friend put some duct tape over the sending unit cover and it will
> be ok until I can get her a new sending unit. THe float is filled with
gas anyway causing the needle to remain on 1/4 tank regardless
> of how much fuel is actually in the tank.
>
> So my work finally done, I washed up, checked out and made my way back to
Arizona, arriving in time to see the premier of "The Lone
> Gunman"!!!
>
> A full and very tireing weekend, decorated with some satisfying
troubleshooting and work done for my kids! What would they do without
> me?? .... Please don't answer that! :)
>
> Regards,
> Joe Curry
|