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Prop shafts and stuff

To: "Spitfire Bulletin Board (E-mail)" <spitfires@autox.team.net>
Subject: Prop shafts and stuff
From: "St.John, Kenneth" <ken.stjohn@hexcel.com>
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2002 08:07:40 -0700
Hey listers,
        Thought I'd report on this past weekends playing around.  Yesterday
was a beautiful morning and while the rest of the house was asleep I pulled
the car out in the sun to work on some nagging problems.
        First I fixed the inside drivers door handle - again.  A generous
application of tape to where the rod meets the plastic connector should help
keep it together!  Then I fixed my clock (yes - I have and old anologue
clock on the dash.)  Found the exhaust rattle - a body bracket had broken
free at the spot welds.  Attached that with bolts.  Replaced the missing nut
holding the radiator in.  Even swapped distributor to try one with a working
vacuum advance - think I like it.
        Most important, since I'd done my gearbox and u-joints I'd been
getting a noticeable vibration at 50 mph - apparently this is pretty common
and can be solved by cenetring the joints, changing shaft orientation,
and/or rebalancing.  Since I had the car's rear in the air (for the exhaust)
and I was going to the hardware store, I thought I'd try something that John
McCartney had suggested.  I bought two band clamps (79 cents each) and put
them on the drive shaft (if the balance weight is at 12 o'clock - the
barrels of the clamps are at 3 and 9)  All I know is, I was half way to work
before I realized - No vibration, and then I remembered the clamps.  I might
play a little more, but for $1.38, a pretty nice improvement!

Happy Spitting
Ken St.John
'74 Spitfire 1500 (Lil Red)
"65 Spitfire Mk II project "Ol Blue"

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