Hello all...
Some of you may recall a post several weeks ago from someone who had
purchased a Spitfire in Phoenix, AZ, but lived in Kansas. Thanks to the
responses from the list, I was able to get the car here with only one minor
(story for another day) incident. Its now unloaded in my driveway and the
motor is scattered around the floor on the garage. For the first few days,
all I did was wander into the garage, look at the pile of parts, then return
to the house to ponder life in a mental institution. Since then, I have
made quite a lot of headway cataloging and inventorying parts and feel much
better about the project. Thanks to the Wichita (KS) British Car Club, who
had a show in McPherson last weekend. Seeing a bunch of assembled LBCs got
me started.
The motor should be ready to go to the machine shop in a week or two. I do
have a few questions before hauling the whole mess in. The machine shop is
going to clean the parts (lots of surface rust, parts had been on the boot
and rain), verify that the block is the correct bore for .040 pistons and
rings, enlarge old galleys, verify measurements and balance everything. I
received the motor in pieces, along with many new parts. There is a set of
.010 main bearings among the new stuff. The crankshaft does not appear to
have been machined. It has been recommended that I install MGB main
bearings rather than Spitfire bearings, because the MGB bearings will
provide a greater surface area, fewer troubles, etc. My plan is to order a
set of .010 MGB bearings and take them to the machine shop so that they can
measure the actual part that will be used. Would anyone use a different
approach?
I also have three thrust washer sets, one standard, one .005 and one .015,
presumably to judge which one is the best to use during assembly, or should
this be addressed by the machine shop?
I think that's all for this evening....thanks for listening!
Frank White
McPherson, Kansas
1998 Acura Integra GS-R
1997 Chevy S10
1995 Triumph Sprint
1989 Honda CRX HF
1984 Moto Guzzi V65SP
1974 Triumph Spitfire
1972 Yamaha AT2
"Speed doesn't kill. Its the sudden stop that gets you!"
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