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Triumph Repair/Questions
| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| brake light | 2/9/2012 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: i have a v reg 1500 spit and i am looking for the wiring for the duel mass brake valve warning lamp. ... A: The only right hand drive diagram I had didn't have the dual brake warning light in it. I did find a ... | ||
| headlight removal 72 Triumph GT6 Mk 2 | 2/5/2012 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I would think this is an easy operation, but I'm stumped. I have a GT6 and the previous owner ... A: To remove the chrome headlight rims insert a large flat blade screw driver behind the rim at the ... | ||
| 76 Triumph spitfire 1500: no power at starter | 2/5/2012 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I am trying to revive my old college ride. It was running fine when I parked itv(9 yes ago - I know ... A: The starter system uses the ignition switch to send power to a starter relay and the relay powers ... | ||
| clutch adjustment | 1/28/2012 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I have a 1965 Spitfire Mk2. Shifting is rough and I thought the clutch might not be disengaging ... A: The Spitfire clutch system does not have an adjustment. It is hydraulic and the standard first test ... | ||
| Triumph Spitfire pushrods | 1/10/2012 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I had my stock 1979 Spitfire head shaved 4 millimeters to raise the compression. I will need to have ... A: The rocker ratio is not the problem. The first problem is the contact patch on the valve stem which ... | ||
| Headlights/TR-7 | 1/7/2012 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I have a 1976 TR-7. When I bought it the Headlight motors would not work together. I found that the ... A: The TR-7 head light motors depend on the diodes, cancel/limit switches and run/stop relays to ... | ||
| Adding fluid for clutch | 1/7/2012 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: The clutch fluid in my TR-6 is very low and the clutch is not working when I push it in. So I figure ... A: When you are low on fluid air enters the system through the master cylinder and that is why you ... | ||
| Triumph Motor | 1/4/2012 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I have recently received a triumph motor, tranny and transfer case. I have no idea what motor it is ... A: That is a casting number not an engine number. The engine number is stamped into a flange at the top ... | ||
| 77 spitfire vibration | 1/2/2012 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: "If all this is true you have a bad bearing either on the tail shaft housing or the rear main shaft ... A: Only if you are sure that the rear flange is truly not turning because many times a clutch will ... | ||
| 77 spitfire vibration | 1/1/2012 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: "If all this is true you have a bad bearing either on the tail shaft housing or the rear main shaft ... A: There are 3 main bearings on the shafts that go through the transmission to connect to the drive ... | ||
| vibration on a 1500 spit (77) | 1/1/2012 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I am getting a vibration when the transmission is in gear on my spitfire. It does not vibrate out of ... A: I take it you mean it vibrates with the clutch in or out when you are on the road and moving because ... | ||
| Triumph Motor | 12/31/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I have recently received a triumph motor, tranny and transfer case. I have no idea what motor it is ... A: The engine looks exactly like a 75-on 1500 Spitfire. The prefix of "RK" does not match any Spitfire ... | ||
| ballast resitor/starter sonoloid | 12/26/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: my wiring diagram shows a white wire going from the ballast resistor and connecting to the starter ... A: First tell me if your starter solenoid has one or two small wire connectors on it. Then tell me what ... | ||
| ballast resitor/starter sonoloid | 12/19/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: my wiring diagram shows a white wire going from the ballast resistor and connecting to the starter ... A: The MkIII (12v coil)should only have one small lead on the starter solenoid which came from the ... | ||
| Triumph TR6 - Torque Specs | 11/12/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I am rebuilding a late 1960's TR6 engine, and I have not been able to ascertain the torque ... A: Bentley manuals states 60 to 80 foot lbs on the head and a friend who wrote a book on the specs of ... | ||
| 76 spitfire master cylinder | 11/3/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I am overhauling a tandem master cylinder and am unsure of the direction of the rubber pistons. The ... A: The one with the tipper valve should have gone to 77 and in 78 they went to the cylinder that held ... | ||
| radiator fan wobble on a 77 spitfire 1500 | 10/31/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: Just replaced water pump and fan clutch due to noise and leaking, and fan now wobbles. Used same ... A: It takes very little off a blade to upset the balance of the fan blade. It is very difficult to ... | ||
| Triumph TR7 Not Starting: Follow Up | 10/23/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I have performed just one of your suggested checks before finding the problem. I started out with a ... A: Matt, you need to set the ignition not "fairly close" but on the correct timing before proceeding to ... | ||
| Ignition switch "binds" | 10/18/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: 1971 TR-6. Odd problem. The ignition switch (just the switch itself) works & rotates normally. ... A: Have you wiggled the steering wheel when turning the ignition switch? Many times the column lock ... | ||
| TR6 Electrical questoin | 10/12/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: My tr6's blinkers stopped working and radio light was intermittent and when I stopped the car I ... A: When you have several electrical problems it is 100% a waste of time to try to use symptoms to ... | ||
| TR7 Not Starting | 10/10/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: We consulted about a TR7 water pump installation this past summer, and I'd like to consult you about ... A: Even though you have done a lot of work and testing, when you have a engine that does not start you ... | ||
| 1978 spitfire silenoid replacement | 9/28/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I have a bad silenoid on my 78 spitfire I went to auto zone and they gave me a ford silenoid for ... A: There is one more check of the solenoid that you must do to see if you have identified the correct ... | ||
| triumph spitfire 1972 vibration | 9/28/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: My 1972 triumph spitfire develops a vibration and noise when traveling on the highway. It only ... A: That does sound like a "U" joint on an axle. However, You need to carefully check the stub axle ... | ||
| 1978 spitfire silenoid replacement | 9/26/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I have a bad silenoid on my 78 spitfire I went to auto zone and they gave me a ford silenoid for ... A: If you had a coil wire (white w/yellow tracer) and a plain white wire from a power resistor going to ... | ||
| Turn Signal etc | 9/25/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: My 1979 spit has one of those magical electrical problems. Most of the interior meters and signals ... A: I found that while working in dealerships on electrical problem that You need to forget symptoms as ... | ||
| Triumph 1500 Clutch Pedel Binding | 9/23/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I have an intermittant problem when driving. Depressing the clutch pedel to change the pedel will ... A: The binding in the pedal could be in several places. It can be in the master cylinder or slave ... | ||
| Hazard switch | 9/18/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I've been having problems with getting power to the wipers, brake lights, reverse lights and turn ... A: My diagram don't show that at all. I see that several items you mention are powered by a purple wire ... | ||
| Re-installing Head on TR 6 | 9/16/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: First I want to thank Howard for his assistance in determining my engine issue. (Carb. problem on CD ... A: Just be sure the top of the block is clean and the head was checked for flatness. Be sure to use the ... | ||
| 1972 triumph spitfire running hot | 9/15/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I have a 1972 triumph spitfire . I just replaced the thermostat ( 195) and cleaned out all the ... A: I don't know how warm it is up there now but down here a 195 thermostat is way to hot. If it is ... | ||
| Triumph - Stromberg CD 150 problem | 9/12/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I own a 68' Spitfire MK3, I purchased it many years ago and have done nothing to the engine other ... A: Check your compression gauge on a known good engine. (Be sure to have the throttle open when ... | ||
| 74 Triumph Spit. 1500 | 9/12/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: ran across your good advice the other day, and thought I'd call back. I too have an aftermarket ... A: You shouldn't have to do all of that. When it quits just spray starter fluid into the intake and if ... | ||
| 1980 spitfire turn signal | 9/12/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I am trying to replace the relay switch. My manual show it behind the center dash panel near the ... A: You may need a small mirror and a light to see it. It should be just below the speedometer mounted ... | ||
| Oil change for a 1970 spitfire? | 9/12/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: What type of oil should I use in my 1970 triumph Spitfire? A: Oil weight should be matched to the engine condition and temperature in your area. Also, engine ... | ||
| Compression Test | 9/12/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I've got a 1980 Spitfire 1500 that's been sitting in my Mom's garage for 20+ years with limited use. ... A: It is always a good idea to run the test again after a valve adjustment. The numbers are a little ... | ||
| 1980 spitfire turn signal | 9/10/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I am trying to replace the relay switch. My manual show it behind the center dash panel near the ... A: I take it you mean the turn signal flasher unit which is not a relay. It is a very small two flat ... | ||
| fuel problem with 1974 tr6 | 9/10/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: Howard; I recently purchased a 1974 TR6, It was not running, the previous owner thought it might ... A: If it runs on choke only and even if it warms up a little and still only runs on choke only you for ... | ||
| Distributor for 72 Spitfire | 9/10/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: Howard, what is a suitable replacement distributor for a '72 Mark IV Spitfire? When I bought mine ... A: Sorry, I don't know of any specific supplier of distributors for the 72 Spitfire. It is a Delco ... | ||
| 76 TR6 clutch issue | 9/7/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I have a 76 TR6 that the clutch was ok on but the owner wanted an aluminum flywheel put in. Prior to ... A: That is a common problem with the TR-6. From what I seen the factory cut it too close on the design ... | ||
| Triumph - Stromberg CD 150 problem | 9/7/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I own a 68' Spitfire MK3, I purchased it many years ago and have done nothing to the engine other ... A: That's right, you did tell me you had a GT-6 engine in this car which is 1,5,3,6,2,4 firing order ... | ||
| Triumph - Stromberg CD 150 problem | 9/7/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I own a 68' Spitfire MK3, I purchased it many years ago and have done nothing to the engine other ... A: When working in dealerships, I often received cars with that same story and I had to do the same on ... | ||
Triumph Repair
Answers by Expert:
Howard M. Fitzcharles III
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Triumph TR-4 up & Spitfire, and Engine theory
Experience
Dealership line mechanic on MG, Triumph, Jaguar for 15 years, Instructor in commercial mechanics school 2 yr. Product information manager for piston and valve manufacture, Instructor & hotline answer man for import car parts importer 15 yrs.
Organizations
Associate member SAE
EAA member
Publications
Import Car magazine
Education/Credentials
ASE Master Auto with L-1 certification up to 2000
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