> I get a great deal of info from the TR8 and Stag list which is sent to me
> via owner-TR8-digest@mercury.Ics.mit.edu and rwelty@krusty-motorosports.com
> respectively but is there a similar list for Spitfires?
Yes indeed, it's called spitfires@autox.team.net. It's not mentioned on the
Team.Net website, but it does exist and is quite active. There's also a digest
version. Send a plain text email to majordomo@autox.team.net with the line
"subscribe spitfires" or "subscribe spitfires-digest" in the body of the message
(but without the quotes).
> On checking the advance over the engine
> rev range I find that it's only advancing 10 degrees whereas is should go
> to 25 or 30 degrees.
I think you're confusing centrifugal advance with total advance ... according to
my Haynes the centrifugal advance was only 13 crankshaft degrees. Static
advance for a UK-spec Mk I or II is listed as 13 degrees, giving a total of 26
degrees.
> Thinking about dismantling the distributor to
> get at the centrifugal bits I find that the "core" plug in the end of the
> rev counter drive has to be destroyed to dismantle the distributor and
> nobody seems to stock these.
I'm certainly no expert, but looking at the diagram, I suspect you can remove
the point plate and so get to the advance mechanism without removing the
distributor drive.
> I have a distributor from a
> Spitfire 4 ( sometimes called a Spitfire Mk I) which does have a vacuum
> advance. But it won't hold a vacuum. Has anybody ever taken one of these
> apart and fixed it?
My local independent parts house was able to send my original TR3 advance out to
be rebuilt. You might call around your area, especially any old "auto electric"
shops that may still be around.
> My overall quest is to get the power of a European Mk III and therefore
> restore the power that was lost when Triumph had to sacrifice power to meet
> the early US emission regulations.
Joe, I think that's your cue ...
Randall
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