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Re: spit engine swap? (pretty LONG)

To: triumphs@Autox.Team.Net, "eric@rpm.com" <eric@rpm.com>
Subject: Re: spit engine swap? (pretty LONG)
From: Peter Ficklin <pficklin@qnis.net>
Date: Tue, 30 Sep 1997 10:35:23 -0700
References: <01BCCD89.110539A0@eric@rpm.com>
Eric,
  This is "more or less" a copy of the message I posted to Ross quite a
while ago, when I finished the engine.  Since this time, I've re-bushed
the dizzy & put the Pertronix ignition in (it's actually for a 1500, but
with a few shims glued to the inside of the rotor magnets, it fit well,
and I had to re-drill the base plate a bit to mount the unit.  I like
it, because it's all inside the dizzy, and I get to keep my mechanical
tach!!!), and it runs great.  The cooling is solved with a boiled out
block, stock water pump & fan, but a 4-row core on the radiator w/ a
165F thermo.  No overheating so far, but it hasn't been road tested
yet.  I'll give it the "Central California" heat test some day!  I'd
like to go with a hi-perf coil down the road, but that will have to wait
for now.  The SU's have been rebuilt & re-shafted, as yours have been. 
What you've got sounds great - keep us posted on your progress.  Mine's
kinda a long term "LKDB" (let's keep Dad busy!) project, so I hope you
can be on the road soon!

A summary of work I had done on the 1147 block:

 - Bored engine to 0.040" over.
 - Crank ground to 0.010" under.
 - New main bearings.
 - New pistons & rings.
 - New conrod bearings & bushings.
 - Line bored block.
 - Decked block slightly to line up with crank line (so no large
compression differences from different pistons heights from cylinder to
cylinder).
 - Cam re-ground (0.270" lift, and about 292 degrees duration).
 - New lifters (yes, they are available - check with Rimmer Bros., I
believe they have them - you have to ask).
 - New rear seal from a 1500 - need new plate, and need to have the
"threaded/scroll grooves" on the crank area spray-welded, ground and
polished, therefore I can fit the 1500 crank seal on.  Really Cool!
 - 1500 flywheel fitted with 7 1/4" clutch disk - re-drill the threaded
crank holes out and tap to accept the larger flywheel bolts.  You will
need to get a friction shop to assemble one good clutch disk from two
old ones, one a MK I, and the other from a 1500.  Use the inner part of
the MK I (with the correct spline pattern to match the input shaft on
your tranny, and use the 7 1/4" outside part for the facings to match
your flywheel.  I'm amazed it went together so well.  I believe it was
about $40 for the disk work.  BTW, use the later pressure plate, with
the later throw-out bearing, and it should bolt together real well.
 - Pinned thrust bearings, so they don't "spin", with about 0.004" of
crank play.  Good for the stronger springs on the later model clutch.

Now, for the head work:
 - Ported and polished, with ports opened to match intake & exhaust
manifolds.  I removed the "alignment sleeves" from the intake manifold,
and drilled the face of the manifold, to match pins in the head to allow
precise alignment.  I beleive the competition preparation handbook
covers this procedure.
 - Bronze valve guides, with exhaust valves from a 1500.  Differences
are negligible.
 - End rocker arm pedestals from a MK III (more beef & stronger for
higher RPM's)
 - New rocker shaft with machined spacers instead of springs.
 - Dual valve springs from a 1500 (just in case...)
 - Head cc'd, and calculated out to about 9.6/1 compression.

Entire mess balanced.  Cost, about $1700.  Too much, yes.  Would I do it
again?  YOU BET!  Runs real smooooth, too! 

Eric C. Rupert wrote:
> 
> Pete:
> 
> I just finished a 1147 build (actually all I did was write the check!).  What
> goodies are you putting in?  I had mine punched out .020 and added
> high-compression pistons and heavy-duty valve springs.  Also, had the cam
> re-ground with a "street-performance" grind.  SU's bored and the oversize
> shafts installed to snug things up.
> Haven't done anything on the ignition side except a nice, tight distributor.
>  Have been thinking of the Crane/Allison ignition, 70Kva Coil and high-perf
> wires.  Anything else I can do w/o a major cost?  I am thinking of going to an
> electric fan but I had fair to poor results on my '71 Volvo which I had in
> high-school.  Didn't seem to push enough air.  In stock form, the Spit NEVER
> overheats and I am not sure I want to chance it.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From:   Peter Ficklin [SMTP:pficklin@qnis.net]
> Sent:   Monday, September 29, 1997 6:13 PM
> To:     triumphs@autox.team.net; lewis mckillop
> Subject:        Re: spit engine swap?
> 
> Barry Schwartz wrote:
> <snip>
> A really good swap (in my opinion) is one that can be converted back to
> the
> original condition if it was desired to do so, as well as looking like
> it
> was made from the factory that way.
> <un-snip>
> 
> Lewis,
>   I second Barry's opinion here.  You can go a long way to get more HP
> out of the 1300 as reccommend earlier.  I've got a '64 with the original
> 1147 hopped up suitably, although it's not at the point where it can be
> road tested yet.  Get Ross Vincenti to give you some of his driver's
> reports.  Judging by your e-mail address, I guess you to be in the south
> central valley of California.  If so, I know someone you need to talk to
> in Fresno who's done a lot of early Spit work.  Bottom line, it's your
> car, build it the way you want.  Good luck!
> 
> Peter Ficklin
> '64 Spit
> '68 Spit
Best of luck...
Peter Ficklin
'64 Spit
'68 Spit

-----------------------
Eric C. Rupert wrote:

I just finished a 1147 build (actually all I did was write the check!). 
What goodies are you putting in?  I had mine punched out .020 and added
high-compression pistons and heavy-duty valve springs.  Also, had the
cam re-ground with a "street-performance" grind.  SU's bored and the
oversize shafts installed to snug things up.  Haven't done anything on
the ignition side except a nice, tight  distributor. 
 Have been thinking of the Crane/Allison ignition, 70Kva Coil and
high-perf wires.  Anything else I can do w/o a major cost?  I am
thinking of going to an electric fan but I had fair to poor results on
my '71 Volvo which I had in high-school.  Didn't seem to push enough
air.  In stock form, the Spit NEVER overheats and I am not sure I want
to chance it.

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