Here are some technical shots under the bonnet, for those so
inclined...
Email:
CWNicholls@aol.com
Pictures
will take a while to load…
Last
edited Saturday, November 17, 2007
Oil filter and oil cooler adapter plate area
Showing the oil cooler sandwich plate setup,
and fuel pump. That's the top of a Koni shock absorber, 2 clicks from full soft
all around.
The filter shown is a Fram PH8A filter using
the filter adapter from 1147 engine. See this website http://people.msoe.edu/~yoderw/oilfilterstudy/oilfilterstudy.html
for information about oil filters. I just looked through my Fram PH8A inventory
and noticed that 4 had an anti-drainback flap inside and 2 did not. The one I
just took off didn't either, don't know what the one on there now has. What's
the deal here? Frankly, I don’t think it makes a difference if the engine is
off for a few hours or days. The oil
drains out anyway when the filter is in the orientation it is in the Spitfire!
Looks like Fram is making a poor product now,
according to the above webside comparisons. I'll probably go to Mobil 1 filters
(I can’t find these anymore now in 2005), M1-301 for the PH8A equivalent (or I
could use the M1-204 (equivalent to the PH16 Fram some people also use on
Spitfires) I use on the Jeep to simplify inventory), when my stock is depleted.
I am already using Mobil 1 oil and filters on my Jeep Grand Cherokee
After seeing the email at bottom of page, I'm
switching filter brands TODAY. I'll probably stick to regular 10-40 oil however
since oil consumption/leakage is about a quart every 400 miles. I also change
oil quite often, about every 500 miles, since I'm lucky to get 1000 miles
driving in a summer. This year (1999) should easily see over 2000 miles,
however, with the trip to Maine for the
I don't understand the purpose of anti drain
back valves in the oil filters, in the long run at least. If you re-start the
engine in a few minutes or hours, I believe the oil filter may retain some of
the oil that was in it at shutdown, but I don't think it stays there all that
much longer. From my experience with this car, the oil seeps down into the
engine in a matter of hours or days by going into the block, thru the oil
gallery and into the crank and then to the block. I've noticed that if I change
the oil soon after a drive, I get a lot of oil out of the filter upon removal.
If I wait a day and change when the engine is cooled down, there's little or
nothing in there.
The oil cooler lines come off the sandwich
plate at 90 degrees. The copper colored item around the lines is a hard copper
alloy to protect the hoses from rubbing through on the motor mount flange on
the front suspension tower. I've also added some tire tape and a piece of hacksaw
blade in that area as the copper was worn about half way through.
The fuel pump is shelf item at Western Auto.
It is the low-pressure unit, Purolator PRO #42S Universal electric fuel pump,
1.5-4
Sandwich plate showing the adapter that
screws it to the threaded oil filter adapter on the block in position. Oil
cooler bypass spring ball-valve (which came apart) has been replaced by 1/4x20
bolt (see nut ~2:00 on sandwich plate) and nut after it came apart. I figure
the oil cooler won't plug up anyway…
Sandwich plate. Adapter that screws it to the
threaded oil filter adapter on the block is removed.
Trying to show the piece of hacksaw blade on
the bottom of the oil cooler hose/copper where it rubs against the suspension
tower. The horizontal line in the mirror is the blade…
Showing the oil filter adapter. Available from
the Roadster Factory in two different thread configurations depending on which
oil filter you want to use.
Notes concerning the Fuel Pump location.
I’ve been told that these fuel pumps are supposed
to be located near the tank and low in the body and that they are designed to
push not suck the gasoline. Please note
that this installation is slightly below or close to the level of the bottom of
the tank and doesn’t need to suction the gas as gravity takes care of
that. I didn’t want to cut the gas lines
in the trunk and mount the pump there or under the floor of the car where it’s
hard to get at when it fails. I also
didn’t want to hear the noise of the pump mounted to the tin body. The fact that it’s been in this location for
over 20 years with no location related problems (the first one failed in its
late teens as an internal seal started to leak and the gas was siphoning out
during winter storage). Anyway, I plan
to leave it where it is. It was easy to
replace and install the shutoff in this location.
Tip
Fuel capacity tip for all you late model
Spitfire owners: Install a early pre-smog gas tank from a MkI or MkII or MkIII
(maybe early MkIV) with the vented gas cap. It holds a full 10 gallons versus
the 9 in yours. Reason being the filler pipe extends into the tank an inch or
so in the late cars leaving an air pocket at the top of the tank of about
1-gallon capacity for venting to the charcoal canister.
Email about Fram Filters from Triumph list
Subj:
Fram Oil Filters on the '6
Date:
From: garrison@dsl-only.net (The
Garrisons)
Sender: owner-triumphs@autox.team.net
Reply-to: garrison@dsl-only.net (The
Garrisons)
To: triumphs@autox.team.net
CC: rknize@interaccess.com
So I've used Fram filters for years. Many years. Swore by 'em. Would use nothing
else.
Recently visited the web site of the guy who
did the oil filter survey when it was a topic on this list
(http://minimopar.simplenet.com/oilfilterstudy.html). Mr. Knize did not like
Fram oil filters. A bit discouraging, since his study seemed pretty reasonable
and straightforward.
Last week I did an oil change on the '6.
Pulled off the Fram oil filter and... its guts were sucked up against the face.
Probably not good. Had this happened to me before? Would I have noticed? Or was
I just paying attention because of Mr. Knize's study? Who knows.
So now the question is: Who's air filter do I
switch to???
- GeneG
-
Email:
CWNicholls@aol.com
