Try and rebuild or get a new engine

[tomgt6]

Well, last night I started to take the 1147 engine apart for the spitfire. Not a good thing. Found damage to the crank and it was already ground 30 under. Damage to the block back by the thrust bearing.(may be able to find someone to weld in metal and grind it back down) Every piston had broken rings and damage to the piston.

I am afraid that this engine block is shot. I didn't even bother to measure the bores to see if they had anything left. And I haven't look at the head to see what that needs as well. It may be easier and cheaper to find a new engine and rebuilt that. It looks like I may have to take the engine out of the Herald which has a 1147 rebuilt spitfire engine in it already and put it into the spitfire. I would then need to find an engine for the Herald.

What to do?

Engines are harder to find around here in Minnesota. Most of them are at least 200 + miles away and shipping I am sure will be a big issue.

Maybe I should go with a 1300 engine if I could find one. Is this an easy upgrade?

What do you guys think?

 

[Andrew Mace]

Tom, it really doesn't sound good for that engine. From a money standpoint, it also doesn't sound economically practical to "save" it. A 1300, particularly an earlier FD or FE ("small journal") version would be a nice upgrade but might not be all that much easier to find than a replacement 1147? Definitely time to start networking with Minnesota Triumphs members and such!

Oh, and with your very early Herald (and its earlier and somewhat weaker style of chassis), I'd definitely want to go no "bigger" than the 1147 Spitfire engine you have in it now.

 

[trfourtune]

I agree, find a good used engine to rebuild. Yours sounds BAD, and is for parts only (if there are any good parts).
R

 

[70herald]

Tom don't waste your time on that block, just to many problems. repairing them properly will cost you more than the cost of getting a better engine.

Now as for getting a different block they show up on Ebay all the time. The problem with any engine like that is that you have to assume it needs a total rebuild. The problem is that you really will have no way of knowing how many times it has been rebuilt or how out of shape the cylinders are until you get it.

My original block was really shot also and already bored out to +0.6 over. I found a different block for less than the cost of sleeving the block. the new block was 0.2 over however by the time we got a good cylinder wall surface we were at 0.6 over. acceptable but not great.

If there is some way you could get the seller to pull the head and at least tell you what the current piston size is that would help.

 

[pjsmetana]

I'm partial to the Spitfires myself (and the TR3's), but this really is all about which you like better. You have a good engine that seemingly needs nothing done. So if you like the Herald more, leave it and drive it. If you like the Spit more, then put your good engine in it. Once you decide that, then take your time and find a decent engine to replace the one that sounds horribly past deceased. Just like anyone will tell you, there are good deals out there, and good things come to those who wait.

 

[HerronScott]

Tom,

It's a shame that you aren't any closer to Virginia. I have a Spitfire MkI engine (FC36337HE) sitting in my basement garage that I would love to find a good home for. Unknown condition though as I pulled it from a car 21 years ago from a car too far gone to save body-wise.

Scott

 

[DNK]

Any relation to Gill Scott Herron

 

[HerronScott]

No relation although lots of references since Scott is my middle name and I sign everything R Scott Herron.

Scott

 

[vagt6]

Tom,

It's a shame that you aren't any closer to Virginia. I have a Spitfire MkI engine (FC36337HE) sitting in my basement garage that I would love to find a good home for. Unknown condition though as I pulled it from a car 21 years ago from a car too far gone to save body-wise.

Scott

Please excuse the thread hijack, folks, but it's for a good cause!@


Scott, I hope to see you at the Shenandoah Valley Brit Car Club show this fall. If you need show info or a brochure, PM me. And if you're not a member, please join. Great bunch of folks who really know their LBCs.

--Mark