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Amicale Spitfire
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Museum main entrance |   Bielles, Pistons, Vilebrequin... |  Conrods, pistons, crankshaft... 

These photos are from Peter Hill, a big thanx to him !

These photos are from Peter Hill, a big thanx to him. If you have such atrocities, please consider to add it to our horror museum !

bielle coulée Conrod

Conrod from a Spit 1500, 70,000 miles, never been repaired, was running very well until we began to hear a little "tinkle" sound from the engine when revved not in gear. 10 miles later BANG!. Stopped and saw daylight through the side of the block. Total engine write-off...
piston spitfire A piston from the same engine...
vilebrequin Spitfire Crankshaft (Spitfire MK3) or what it's left of it...

This engine from a 1969 car was still running, but had a loud rattle sound from the timing chain cover
vilebrequin Spitfire The crank had been reground a year before, but the machinist had not made the edge/corner radius of the front main bearing journal large enough, and a crack slowly formed while the engine was being used, it then broke.
culbuteurs Spitfire Rockers

In the 1997 motorsport season, says Peter Hill, our Spitfire Mk3 racer had an exhaust valve head break off on two different events.
piston spitfire The reason was new but poor quality exhaust valves. The weld between the head and the stem failed. We now always fit TriumphTune racing valves, no more problems.
piston spitfire Piston

Spitfire Mk3 racer got a blocked jet in 1 of the Webber DCOE40 carburetors, caused a lean petrol mixture in cylinder no3, over heated, and melted the standard aluminium piston, leaving the steel compression rings undamaged ! This happened in less than 1 minute from the start of racing
Coussinet Spitfire Shell Bearings

An FDxxx engine big end shell bearings where the locktab broke off (found in sump) and the top shell span around jamming in the bottom one. All the white metal and copper were in the sump. Bearings were Vandervell. Conrod now changed and crank reground -020inch.
Last update 01/09/2018