Repair 7

Triumph Spitfire Tech Tips

The Triumph Motor Company is an English car manufacturer that was founded in 1885 and became defunct in 1984. One of the companys most popular models was the Triumph Spitfire. Because the Spitfire has been out of production since 1980 many enthusiasts are forced to complete their own repairs to keep their Spitfires running. If you are the owner of a Triumph Spitfire, there are several tech tips you should know about.

Overheating

One common problem with Triumph Spitfires is overheating. If your Spitfire is overheating the first thing you should do is check your coolant and oil levels. If your Spitfire is still overheating, try removing your front license plate. Surprising as that may sound, for many Spitfire owners this has worked. If you live in a state though that requires you to have a front license plate you can also replace your thermostat, flush the radiator and replace the radiator cap.

Anti-Sway Bar Repair

Many Spitfires, due to their age, have anti-sway bars that have eroded or become weak. You can choose to purchase new anti-sway bars, but it is much cheaper to use a different approach. To repair your sway bars you can weld steel plates to the front of the A-arms and then attach the sway bar to the steel plates on the A-arms.

Fuel Gauge Calibration

Occasionally you may need to re-calibrate your fuel gauges to get accurate fuel readings for your Triumph Spitfire. When re-calibrating though, there are a few tips you should know about. The first is that the sender unit in the fuel tank can only fit in one specific position, which is flush against the tank seal. Another tip is to make sure that the ignition key is off prior to reconnecting the wires to the sending unit. If the sending unit creates a spark you may cause a fire.