Forums » Classic Cars » Who is way behind? 1 2

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  May 6, 2009 11:19 a.m. OFracing New Reader

  Ian, I just put the lowered springs and Spax shocks on my GT6. It looks very nice but I didn't get a chance to test drive it yet. The header clamps arrived on Monday so I was able to complete the new exhaust on the GT6. The cars been on jack stands for 3 weeks waiting for parts. The same day that they arrived, the race spit was at the muffler shop getting a new pipe made and while the car was on the lift one of the axle shafts fell out of the universal bracket. My first race of the season is Saturday at Pocono so I've been working on fixing this problem. These aren't the stock shafts and didn't have the coupling pinned, looks like it was just a press fit. The cars has been like that since I bought it 4 years ago and I suspect it's been the same way for years before that too.

  I had the end pressed back on and a pin put in. Tonight I'm going to put it back in the car and pin the other side. I think I dodged a large bullet here, if this happed at speed this weekend it could have gotten very ugly rather quickly. There's no run off room for most of the Pocono track, just a concrete wall.

  When I get some pics of the front end rebuild and the new exhaust I'll post them. Hopefully I'll be able to drive the car on Monday, the rest of the week is shot.

  mike

  63 Spitfire

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  May 6, 2009 12:02 p.m. André Rousseau Reader

  Before

  

  After

  

  Got to love how they looked when you've setup the springs, spacers and shocks.

  A.

  1968 Triumph GT6 Mk1

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  May 7, 2009 1:59 p.m. Ian F Reader

  Parts!
  

  I went to assemble the GT6 uprights last night and immediately ran into snags... don't have bolts I need (knew this, but forgot)... and don't have inner wheel seals... (didn't know this... crap)... and one of the rotors that was sitting in the cardboard box developed severe surface rust, so it's currently soaking in "rust-remover" solution...

  Unfortunately, finding the inner seal locally proved to be a problem... a REAL problem... Fortunately, one of the local parts houses turned me onto Bearing Depot in nearby Middlesex... except they can only match part numbers... so that sent me onto RockAuto to dig up a manufacturer part number... called back... "shows we have six, but let me check..."..... "nope... don't have them after all... but let me see if I have something..." .... "yep... have some that should work... " Sweet. I'll be over during lunch. Then a trip to Pep Boys for the bolts... and they amazingly had every one I need thanks to revamping their entire nut & bolt selection recently (which means stock is still good and organization hasn't gone to heck yet).

  Returned to the office to find my Spit Bits order sitting on my desk. Sweet.
  

  So with any luck, the car will start looking like a car again tonight... and a buddy will hopefully be coming over on Sat to "pump, pump, hold..." so I can bleed the brakes.

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  May 7, 2009 9:50 p.m. Leo Basile New Reader

  Well Guys,
  

  Today I drove the car with the BDA. WOW!

  Its sooo faaasst!

  "Simplificate the design and add lightness" Kelly Johnson on the SR-71

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  May 8, 2009 6:46 a.m. André Rousseau Reader

  YOU THINK

  You might need to put some new tires on that bad azz machine...

  A.

  1968 Triumph GT6 Mk1

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  May 8, 2009 7:33 a.m. Ian F Reader

  Denied...

  Wheel seals I bought don't fit... too small... the hub bore specs out more like a TR6... in a minor panic, I measure the bolt circle... whew... 3.75"...

  Also remembered I don't have wheel studs... I don't want to pound the ones out of the old hubs, but I may have to... since Dorman (the brand most parts houses stock these days) no longer lists them... so they can't even be ordered... crap... I would have ordered them from Spit Bits had I remembered I needed them...

  I did get the spindles installed on the car last night, so at least something was accomplished...

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  May 8, 2009 8:44 a.m. André Rousseau Reader

  Lists... You need lists.

  I use TR6 studs on my GT6, but then you'd need new studs too.

  I did not touch the GT6 last night.

  So if I want to make the run this weekend I need to bust a move.

  Hook up the oil filter and cooler. Change oil/test for leaks. Check the diff and trans levels. Any last minute checks.

  A.

  1968 Triumph GT6 Mk1

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  May 8, 2009 9:24 a.m. bikesnrovers Reader

  My frustration came the other night when I was working on the Land Rover. I was putting in the rebuilt injector pump (only a minor swearing task) and then I was going to install the timing belt, water pump, timing cover, et cetera.

  All went well up until the water pump, I stripped the hose clamp - you know: tighten it clicks back loose, tighten, click. Do you think I had that size in my parts bins?? Noooooo!

  And living in rural Wisconsin is not like a quick trip to NAPA (or other car parts store/implement store/hardware store).

  Oh, well, it was late anyway. And SWMBO was feeling left out.

  Tad

  If it doesn't leak... it's not mine!

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  May 8, 2009 12:27 p.m. Ian F Reader

  bikesnrovers wrote: Do you think I had that size in my parts bins?? Noooooo!

  I used to have tones of spare bits and hardware... but then had to move shop... now I have next to nothing... practically have to run to the store pick up a 1/4-20 nut...

  Yeah ... should have made a list and put it in the box with the parts... right on top... so I knew... stupid... of course, if I'd been smart, I would have bought all of the parts long ago anyway... I should know better...

  FWIW, the rusty rotor came out of the solution so nice and clean I decided to go ahead and do the other rotor... at least they'll match.

  Make sure all of the lights are working properly.

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  May 12, 2009 11:27 a.m. Ian F Reader

  Update.

  Brakes and suspension upgrades are installed, bled and working. It's still lacking inner wheel seals, but I'm hoping to find a pair of OE-type felt seals in my mailbox this afternoon. Shouldn't take more than a half-hour to install those...

  The car stops, handles and (surprisingly) rides much better.

  I'm also planning to do a DIY front end alignment tonight...

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