• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.

    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Spitfire Newbie amateur mechanic needs help w/California smog equipment

L. Hua Po

Freshman Member
Country flag
Offline
Hello Spitfire Owners & Others, I am trying to "Restore" a 1977 Spitfire to pass the California Smog Testing. It belongs to a friend who was required to return to Australia and couldn't sell his car because it was a "Cheater" with the Weber carb, headers, etc. I've purchased (for him) 1976 and 1978 parts cars which I have been cannibalizing for smog parts. I have most of the obvious pieces back on the car---air pump & its piping, SZ carb & manifold, gulp(?) valve and more. I can find the drawings online for the canister hookup but not for all the little vacuum lines, like the small one for the gulp valve, the distributor and the EGR valve. Unfortunately, the parts cars had been somewhat did-assembled so the proper layout was mostly lost. Can someone direct me to a good site with all the vacuum lines shown? I also have 2 little elongated bulbs (flame arresters?) and the bracket but can't figure out how they fit into the array either. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I have researched Craigslist for engine pictures of the cars for sale and that helped a lot, but the little lines don't show up well. I have his shop manual too, but while it shows lots of parts, it doesn't show all of the hookups (Rats!). Thanks a bunch, folks, Harry in Mariposa, CA.
 

That is indeed a good drawing, thanks. I actually had used this to figure out some of the piping. I definitely like Spitbits, I copied their entire catalog to carry downstairs and use beside the car (I'll have to buy something from them, maybe radiator cowl pieces, these here are nasty). The drawing doesn't address the small vacuum lines, like the third line from the "Gulp" valve, which is my problem. I do appreciate your contribution though, thanks, Harry.
PS: I have a choice of 2 valve covers, 1 of which has top port for a PCV; does a 1977 properly have the PCV?
 
Thanks Jay, I did partially use this same drawing for the initial connections, like the earlier one from Kevin. They both were helpful, although the reference #10 to "Flame arrester" lost me. I found 2 flame arresters in the junk pile and I did see a picture of one of the Craigslist ad cars with both of them mounted vertically on the pass.-side-front of the engine, but again the small vacuum lines were indistinct. Maybe I need to find someone with a proper smog hookup car in Cal, and go visit them (and take pictures and good notes too!). VictoriaBritish has some neat pics too, but never the connections. I'll (stay calm &) keep on, Thanks again, Harry
 
Is there a Triumph club local to you? Perhaps a member has a similar Spit?
 
Is there a Triumph club local to you? Perhaps a member has a similar Spit?

Yes, thanks, I've just been in touch with a member of a club and plan on going over to see his car soon and make some drawings, yay! I've received a bunch of replies from sports car owners (like yourself and from Craigslist ads) and it has been gratifying, they're a great bunch and this is an interesting endeavor, I may enjoy being part of the bigger picture, not just fixing this one car.
Heh, I may have to wait a while to go over to the Bay area, we've got some serious rains here in the mountains---and we LOVE it but some roads are at risk. Thanks again, Harry
 
Back
Top