2025-10-23 Accelerator Cable

Just a small update from tonight.  When I took off the airbox to gain access to the engine mount, I noticed the accelerator cable was broken.  This sucked because it was the original green one.  

Because of the slight tension on the cable, it was skewed.  Time to fit a new one, yet another item off the list.  I got sent the long, 160cm, LHD version of the cable

This fits better

The original had a hose over a portion of the cable.  I assume to protect from chaffing.  All I did was take a 3/16" fuel line and split it down one side and slipped it over.   As good  protection as possible

The cable passed over the top of the valve cover and the top rad hose.  Figure this would be good to protect as well, so that section got some fuel line hose as well.

The hard part was reattaching the clip on the pedal itself.   Needed thick gloves to prevent slicing fingers up 😁 

What's Next? Pull the nose wiring harness to get access to address the wiring connections.  Nut not pull the entire harness.  

2025-10-21 Engine Mount Rebuild First of Three

Early on, I checked the gearbox mount and, well, the rubber portion is gone.   When the engine is running, it shakes.  So, I expect the engine mounts to be toast as well.  When I pushed on the left-hand one, it sank into the rubber.  UGH!

I watched some videos and read some feedback where others have replaced the rubber mount in situ.   There was no way I could access the mounting bolts.  It would probably be different if it were up on a hoist.  

Step one: jacked up the engine to take the load off.  There are four 5/16" bolts on the engine and four M8 bolts on the fender.   Then the massive 19mm k-member mount bolt.  

Getting it on the bench....

Don't forget the harness holder :-)   It is a strip of metal with a rubber tube over it.  Like the one by the starter.  It gets blasted, painted, and then three layers of heat-shrink tubing are applied over the top.   Refurbished and ready to go

This is the "movement" on the mount LOL 

It is toast!

Separating the mount, it looks like the OE mount.  So it would be 45 years old.  We all wobble after 45 years LOL 

After breaking apart the mount into its pieces, off to the sonic cleaner for an hour of a hot bath.   The engine side mount already looks better with no grease LOL 

Off to the media blaster 

Off to paint for all of the pieces

Here is the result 

Fully reassembled on the bench.  The main 19mm locknut is just short of snug, so it can move up and down before the final tightening.  

Yes, I added a ground strap across the mount.  I confirmed the conductivity.  Needed to scrape the paint off the engine side and the fender side.    Wherever possible, add extra ground straps.   LBCs will never complain that there are too many LOL 

The wiring harness holder is back on as well

After playing with the bolts to get them all aligned, it is back in 

New bolts wherever possible.  Lock washers everywhere and new locknuts :-)  Another job done, and only two more mounts to go 

2025-10-19 Air Pump Delete

The air pump was already deactivated with the belt removal. I plan to remove it later as part of another project.  But the exhaust manifold pipe kept getting in the way of reaching down to the lower parts.   

The first part was to remove the air pump line from the monifold.  I was reading online that this can go one of two ways.  Easily, and the pipes simply come out.  Or the pipes break off.   Since most of this car has not been touched since the original assembly, the pipes came out easily.  

When you do this, the holes need to be plugged.  It takes 7/16 UNF x 1/2" long bolts.  I could not find anything shorter than 1", so they got cut down and inserted

After a lot of bolts!   The support bracket and the pump came off.  

The hoses on the pump needed to be cut since they loop around other components 

With the support off the engine, there are two bolts that need to go back in.  One for the alternator pivot and one for the front cover.   

The alternator bolt needed a spacer.  I don't have a collar to stick in there.  So like everyone else, stack the washers.  How do you keep them together while installing?  A little painter's tape.

The other bolt got a 'spacer' as well.  But going to revisit with a proper length bolt and not need the spacers.  

More access now

Here are the spacers

Note: After looking at the picture, I realize I am missing another bolt, above the upper red arrow.

What's Next?  Right side engine mount.   

Miscellaneous item 

The steering shaft gets reconditioned, cleaned, repainted, and new mounting bolts are installed.   

2025-10-16 Headlight Surrounds

Trying to track down the flaky wiring to the headlights, the outside rubber surrounds needed to come off.  The surrounds have embedded washers that the screws.  Well, the washers all fell out 😡  There is nothing to hold them on anymore

Looking around the web, tried to see what others have done.  Here are the ones I found

• Glue replacement washers back in place.
• Screw replacement washers into the surrounds.
• Take plastic drywall anchors and embed them in the surrounds

I decided to do the drywall anchor thing.  The screws are M5 and found #10 drywall anchors. First, cut them off at about 5/8"  

Then, with a little RTV, I just screwed them into the surround.  The next day, cut the excess RTV flush with the surface.  

The next day, the final adjustments 

Need to drill out the anchor to take the M5 screw, and I think it was a 13/64" since the head of the screw is not that large.  I did need to get new screws, and I ended up using M5 x 30mm

The next step was cleaning the rubber itself.   A little Scotch-Brite pad and parts cleaner.

I have used vaseline on plastic to bring them back, so I tried it on the rubber. The goal is to add some moisture back.  Well, it didn't work as well as the hard plastic.  

The end result speaks for itself 

2025-10-16 Shifter Bushings

One mandatory upgrade is to replace the shifter bushings.  There are four locations in total.  Each location takes two bushings.   

The fun part is not replacing these.  The fun part is doing it while the gearbox is in the car, and my fat hands! LOL 

"While I am here", the centre console is going to get cleaned LOL 

Start taking off the plates to access the shifter remote

Looking all original 

Didn't know they used Dum-Dum sealant for this plate.   Still pliant.  This is used on the windshied top cap of the Spitfire as well.   

Now, I didn't have more pics while I was working on it.  But here are the steps, basically, I took

• Loosen off the mounting bolts
• Drop out the disintegrated bushings. In total, there were three 
• Clean up the sleeves, etc.  Make sure the bolt threads are clean 
• At the end, I needed to 'glue' one of the bushing sets together.  A little RTV to hold the two bushings and sleeve in place.  Let that set overnight.  Otherwise, it seemed like I needed two sets of hands to assemble all four positions  
• After about two to three hours of actual work, I got the bushings in place and the bolts tightened down.  

For the cover plates, well, I could not leave them.  They went into the media blaster, then the paint.  

It looks so much prettier in gloss black LOL

That looks better!!  Job finished.

2025-10-16 Headlight Upgrade

One 'splurge' item was to install P700 headlights with LED bulbs.  The other triumphs have the same setup, and I have been very satisfied.  Besides, a car this small needs all the help it can get to be seen by other drivers

AUXITO 2025 H4/9003 LED Headlight Bulbs, 30000 LM 900% Brighter, 6000K Xenon White

Yep, they are those bright, "I am here!" bulbs.  But being so low to the ground, blinding the oncoming driver is not an issue.

The clarity of the lens with the P700 is amazing 

Even when turned off, there is a difference

What's next?  Finish cleaning up the wiring harness issues in the nose.