I have a ‘72 Spitfire. A few tips about using the choke. With SU carburetors, if adjusted correctly, the choke has three positions. With the choke control pulled out as far as it will go, the carb jets are pulled down to give you a very rich mixture to assist the engine in firing up. The choke also operates a fast idle cam, so that once the engine has caught, the engine idles at a high RPM to prevent it from stalling. Once the engine is running, you can move the choke to its intermediate setting immediately. You slowly push the choke most of the way in, this returns the jets to their normal setting and the revs will fall as the choke cable backs off the fast idle cam. You want to leave the choke control open slightly, so that the fast idle cam holds the engine rpm at around 1,000 rpm. When you drive off, you will be able to push the choke all of the way in and the engine will warm up. In general, I try to use the minimum choke. I don’t like running the engine very rich as liquid fuel can dilute the oil film between the piston and the cylinder. For this to work the choke needs to be correctly adjusted. Any decent workshop manual will show you how to do this. Occasionally, the linkage to the front carburetor may fail to return that jet to its correct position and you end up running very rich on the front two cylinders. You will know this has happened when the rpm remains high with the choke control fully closed. You may have to open the hood and press the jet back in place by hand. If this happens, it is usually due to the choke linkage being fouled with oil and road dirt. Give the linkages a scrub with kerosene using a toothbrush and lubricate them with 3-in-1 and this will normally fix the problem. I haven’t tried it myself, but some owners leave the linkage to the front carb permanently slack so that the choke cable only operates on the rear carb. Reputedly, the car starts and idles fine if you do this. It’s worth taking the time to gain a detailed understanding of the SU carburetor. It is a genuinely cute piece of engineering and once set up, rarely needs adjusting. Most of the problems blamed on the carburetors of these old cars are actually ignition issues and, if you haven’t done so, I highly recommend that you fit a good electronic ignition unit. I have Lumenition systems fitted to all three of my cars and ignition problems are a think of the past.
thanks for the info! definitely the most informative comment I've received and I appreciate it! the reason I let the choke sit on for a while is that a viewer asked to hear it longer, I know its not the best thing to do but I felt a couple minutes wouldn't be the end of the motor, hopefully. usually what I have been doing is when I start the car, I almost immediately start slowly releasing choke until the engine runs smoothly and then I just adjust it to let it sit around 500 to 700 rpm until its warm. but I will now use the choke correctly now that I know the proper way to use it.
I agree completely with everything this guy says. However, I just recently had my electronic ignition, which was installed by a previous owner who knows when, fail! I never would have believed it, but they do fail. FAST XR-700 here.
I owned a 1974 Triumph Spitfire when I was 17. Loved that car. My next roadster was a 2006 Pontiac Solstice. It was a also a fun car. My next one will be a MX-5 RF when used ones come down to what I can afford. I enjoyed the video. Brought back some memories.
thats awesome, I would love a newer Miata swell, even the newer fiat 124, but I'm in the same boat as you where I rather wait for the prices to drop a bit. Glad you enjoyed the video :)
What fun you must be having! I had a number of Spitfires years ago. The last one I had was a 74 and I remember installing a full Monza exhaust on it. It sounded awesome. Unfortunately this vid does the sound no justice . Kudos for posting this. Now I'm building a 05 infiniti G35 coupe . It's definitely a fun project.
Thanks for the video. It's a beautiful sound. I ag him. Also the car driver is wonderful. Greetings from Germany. Roman. I'm looking forward to more videos of your car and the sound.
Happy to make the video for you! and thanks, I'm working on being more smoother on my steering movements, I'm very jerky with it. there will be lots more videos to come.
@@squeelznpeelz3135 Thanks again for the video. I'm really looking forward to new exhaust sound videos of your beautiful vehicle. I'm very happy. Best regards to you from Germany. Roman
when driving there is no smell but if you are idling you will smell it. when you get into the house after a drive, the smell will be on your clothes aswell. it was worse with my original exhaust because of leaks but now its pretty tolerable. what I would recommend is to have everything sealed up or welded so that 100% of the exhaust comes out the back and past the bumper, so add a couple inches of pipe to the system if you have to.
Nice video. I think you used the choke for too long. On mine I can really fast turn it off. It is idling too rich here I think. Greetings from Belgium!
I believe you're correct, usually I don't have the choke on for more than 5 seconds or so in the summer but as it was a cold day I thought to keep it longer, mainly for the sound as someone requested longer cold start idle sound
I ordered it from a site called Moss motors, of course with shipping and the exchange rate from USD it was a bit more than I wanted to spend. luckily there is no duty on parts for cars older than 25 years to Canada
im like 5'8, but I know people over 6' that drive them comfortably. I think the biggest issue tall people have is more getting into it when the top is up as its a bit awkward as the car is low.
@@squeelznpeelz3135 yeah my problem isn’t so much leg room it’s that my eyes are right in line with the top of the windshield. Also have you ever driven it on a highway or interstate? They’re so small that I feel that would be terrifying lol.
@@lukeallison1182 oh, I can see that could be an issue, I just keep the seat far back and leaned back so that I can avoid that.highway driving is mostly just uncomfortable from noise, but being in the smallest car on the road, is a bit scary not gonna lie, but if you ever worry about being beside an 18 wheeler, I can confirm that the spitfire fits underneath the trailer so if one was to change lanes on you, you would most likely just fit under and be fine. also Ill just add that its probably not a good idea to drive under one, I've had some people use the terms "irresponsible" and "criminal neglagence" to describe that action lol
My spitfire looks just like that but mine definitely has a much deeper sound. Not sure why because the exhaust looks the same, I do also have long tube headers so that could be it. When it lopes like that right after it starts just give it a good bit of gas for a second and it’ll sort out. I wouldn’t idol it for so long with it only running on 2 cylinders like that.
I've got the triumph tune 4-2-1 header with the Monza exhaust that was extended about maybe 4 inches, idono if that extra pipe makes a difference in sound though. yea, usually I kind of push the choke in almost right away as it doesn't need it and the gas smooths it out, but a subscriber asked to hear the cold start lopes for longer lol
its luck of the draw basically. if you have one that is maintained and parts are replaced as needed then you can go quite a while without needing any repairs. it is common for these to leak fluids, but last year I had no breakdowns and the year prior I didn't have any breakdowns either
It is not a car you can just put gasoline in and go. You have to watch the oil, coolant, brake/clutch fluid and tire pressure. Electrical problems are an everyday possibility. I've heard of two brake line failures, experienced one. But as mentioned IF you replace with good quality parts (and both good and bad ones are out there), you will reach a point where it turns into a reliable little car. I am most impressed with mine.
I have a ‘72 Spitfire. A few tips about using the choke. With SU carburetors, if adjusted correctly, the choke has three positions. With the choke control pulled out as far as it will go, the carb jets are pulled down to give you a very rich mixture to assist the engine in firing up. The choke also operates a fast idle cam, so that once the engine has caught, the engine idles at a high RPM to prevent it from stalling. Once the engine is running, you can move the choke to its intermediate setting immediately. You slowly push the choke most of the way in, this returns the jets to their normal setting and the revs will fall as the choke cable backs off the fast idle cam. You want to leave the choke control open slightly, so that the fast idle cam holds the engine rpm at around 1,000 rpm. When you drive off, you will be able to push the choke all of the way in and the engine will warm up.
In general, I try to use the minimum choke. I don’t like running the engine very rich as liquid fuel can dilute the oil film between the piston and the cylinder.
For this to work the choke needs to be correctly adjusted. Any decent workshop manual will show you how to do this.
Occasionally, the linkage to the front carburetor may fail to return that jet to its correct position and you end up running very rich on the front two cylinders. You will know this has happened when the rpm remains high with the choke control fully closed. You may have to open the hood and press the jet back in place by hand. If this happens, it is usually due to the choke linkage being fouled with oil and road dirt. Give the linkages a scrub with kerosene using a toothbrush and lubricate them with 3-in-1 and this will normally fix the problem. I haven’t tried it myself, but some owners leave the linkage to the front carb permanently slack so that the choke cable only operates on the rear carb. Reputedly, the car starts and idles fine if you do this.
It’s worth taking the time to gain a detailed understanding of the SU carburetor. It is a genuinely cute piece of engineering and once set up, rarely needs adjusting. Most of the problems blamed on the carburetors of these old cars are actually ignition issues and, if you haven’t done so, I highly recommend that you fit a good electronic ignition unit. I have Lumenition systems fitted to all three of my cars and ignition problems are a think of the past.
thanks for the info! definitely the most informative comment I've received and I appreciate it! the reason I let the choke sit on for a while is that a viewer asked to hear it longer, I know its not the best thing to do but I felt a couple minutes wouldn't be the end of the motor, hopefully. usually what I have been doing is when I start the car, I almost immediately start slowly releasing choke until the engine runs smoothly and then I just adjust it to let it sit around 500 to 700 rpm until its warm. but I will now use the choke correctly now that I know the proper way to use it.
I agree completely with everything this guy says. However, I just recently had my electronic ignition, which was installed by a previous owner who knows when, fail! I never would have believed it, but they do fail. FAST XR-700 here.
I owned a 1974 Triumph Spitfire when I was 17. Loved that car. My next roadster was a 2006 Pontiac Solstice. It was a also a fun car. My next one will be a MX-5 RF when used ones come down to what I can afford.
I enjoyed the video. Brought back some memories.
thats awesome, I would love a newer Miata swell, even the newer fiat 124, but I'm in the same boat as you where I rather wait for the prices to drop a bit.
Glad you enjoyed the video :)
Triumph Missfire
What fun you must be having! I had a number of Spitfires years ago. The last one I had was a 74 and I remember installing a full Monza exhaust on it. It sounded awesome. Unfortunately this vid does the sound no justice . Kudos for posting this. Now I'm building a 05 infiniti G35 coupe . It's definitely a fun project.
Love that Triumph sound.
Sounds awesome man 😎🤘🏼
Sounds great!
Thanks for the video. It's a beautiful sound. I ag him. Also the car driver is wonderful. Greetings from Germany. Roman. I'm looking forward to more videos of your car and the sound.
Happy to make the video for you! and thanks, I'm working on being more smoother on my steering movements, I'm very jerky with it. there will be lots more videos to come.
@@squeelznpeelz3135
Thanks again for the video. I'm really looking forward to new exhaust sound videos of your beautiful vehicle. I'm very happy. Best regards to you from Germany. Roman
Sounds great 👌 could you send the link of the exhaust ?
Those roads look good
super fun road to cruise on but it gets really busy being in an area with close to a million people living within a 15 minute radius
@@squeelznpeelz3135 Yeah, I drive the same roads lol. Only twisties in the city.
Nice exhaust man. Is there much of a drone at highway speeds
thanks! To be honest its super drony at anything over 90 kmph, so I don't enjoy highway driving with it much.
How acceptable or bad is the fuel smells in the cockpit when idling or driving? Beautiful sounding exhaust
when driving there is no smell but if you are idling you will smell it. when you get into the house after a drive, the smell will be on your clothes aswell. it was worse with my original exhaust because of leaks but now its pretty tolerable. what I would recommend is to have everything sealed up or welded so that 100% of the exhaust comes out the back and past the bumper, so add a couple inches of pipe to the system if you have to.
@@squeelznpeelz3135 thanks for the reply. That was very helpful. Mine is clearly leaking a lot as it smells very strongly for ages.
Nice video.
I think you used the choke for too long. On mine I can really fast turn it off. It is idling too rich here I think.
Greetings from Belgium!
I believe you're correct, usually I don't have the choke on for more than 5 seconds or so in the summer but as it was a cold day I thought to keep it longer, mainly for the sound as someone requested longer cold start idle sound
How did you order this into Canada? I would really like one on the car I’m currently building! Thanks
I ordered it from a site called Moss motors, of course with shipping and the exchange rate from USD it was a bit more than I wanted to spend. luckily there is no duty on parts for cars older than 25 years to Canada
can I ask how tall you are? I am 6'0 and have been in a spitfire just haven't driven one. Is there any space?
im like 5'8, but I know people over 6' that drive them comfortably. I think the biggest issue tall people have is more getting into it when the top is up as its a bit awkward as the car is low.
@@squeelznpeelz3135 yeah my problem isn’t so much leg room it’s that my eyes are right in line with the top of the windshield. Also have you ever driven it on a highway or interstate? They’re so small that I feel that would be terrifying lol.
@@lukeallison1182 oh, I can see that could be an issue, I just keep the seat far back and leaned back so that I can avoid that.highway driving is mostly just uncomfortable from noise, but being in the smallest car on the road, is a bit scary not gonna lie, but if you ever worry about being beside an 18 wheeler, I can confirm that the spitfire fits underneath the trailer so if one was to change lanes on you, you would most likely just fit under and be fine. also Ill just add that its probably not a good idea to drive under one, I've had some people use the terms "irresponsible" and "criminal neglagence" to describe that action lol
@@squeelznpeelz3135 that’s an awesome explanation but I hope I never have the opportunity to go under an 18 wheeler lol
My spitfire looks just like that but mine definitely has a much deeper sound. Not sure why because the exhaust looks the same, I do also have long tube headers so that could be it. When it lopes like that right after it starts just give it a good bit of gas for a second and it’ll sort out. I wouldn’t idol it for so long with it only running on 2 cylinders like that.
I've got the triumph tune 4-2-1 header with the Monza exhaust that was extended about maybe 4 inches, idono if that extra pipe makes a difference in sound though. yea, usually I kind of push the choke in almost right away as it doesn't need it and the gas smooths it out, but a subscriber asked to hear the cold start lopes for longer lol
Is that a good car?? I mean, a car that doesn't give mechanic problems? A car that you can use every day??
its luck of the draw basically. if you have one that is maintained and parts are replaced as needed then you can go quite a while without needing any repairs. it is common for these to leak fluids, but last year I had no breakdowns and the year prior I didn't have any breakdowns either
It is not a car you can just put gasoline in and go. You have to watch the oil, coolant, brake/clutch fluid and tire pressure. Electrical problems are an everyday possibility. I've heard of two brake line failures, experienced one. But as mentioned IF you replace with good quality parts (and both good and bad ones are out there), you will reach a point where it turns into a reliable little car. I am most impressed with mine.
Gosh, those upturned pipes are so sexy!
sounds nice, dont think quad tips suit these, but personal preference.