Well, I found out exactly why the engine in my Herald has been leaking a
quart of oil every 250 miles since I got it from Mom back in 1971. It's
the 1147cc version, but you later Spitfire owners might be interested in
this as well.
I found out _where_ it was leaking almost a year ago, when the engine
was disassembled for R&R - there was a grimy streak running down from
the fuel pump. I disassembled and cleaned the fuel pump last week, and
there's no way the oil was escaping through the pump. Saturday I went
over to the resto shop to bolt it on.
Checked the studs carefully. The one toward the front of the engine was
fine, but the one near the back plate was most certainly NOT fine. Tried
to clean it with a 5/16 UNF die, but couldn't even get it started. So
out came the vice grips, and out came the stud, and in went a new one
(double bolted. Do NOT use your vice grips to drive in a stud 8-).
Mounted the pump, with plenty of gasket compound so it wouldn't leak.
Hand tightened both bolts, then lightly torqued the front bolt with a
1/2" socket, then...
The socket wouldn't go over the rear bolt. The priming lever was in the
way. Tried to tighten it with an open-ended wrench, but there was not
enough nut to grab to apply any decent torque - the pump body and back
plate were in the way.
The solution was to remove the rear stud and install a 5/16 UNF x 1"
"socket head" bolt. Please don't tell the concours judges! If you're
interested in trying this, you can probably go as low as 3/4". No longer
than 1", or the end of the bolt will reach into the block. You don't
want that to happen!
So now I know that my engine has leaked a quart of oil every 250 miles
on the highways and byways of North America since at least 1971, because
some mechanic Mom took the car to couldn't get the fuel pump installed
right!
Bill Kelly
'62 Herald GA41328LCV, blocked and ready for paint
'68 TR250, awaiting installation of "new" petrol tank
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