Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.
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Rdover
Joined: 26 Nov 2007 Posts: 413
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 2:11 pm Post subject: |
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I collected the assembled gearbox and UJ/prop and it's all looking fantastic _________________ Richard |
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kevin2306
Joined: 01 Jul 2013 Posts: 1359 Location: nr Llangollen, north wales
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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Are they fitted yet?
Kev |
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Rdover
Joined: 26 Nov 2007 Posts: 413
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 11:46 pm Post subject: |
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no time until Saturday unfortunately. Plus it's a 2 man job to drop it in.
Once it's in its a 3 hour pottering job to get it buttoned up then I can get busy sorting the brake linkage and then measure the brake lining thickness and get them sorted.
Still got some photos to take and load up.
Happy days. _________________ Richard |
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Rdover
Joined: 26 Nov 2007 Posts: 413
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Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2015 11:22 am Post subject: |
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Rear springs ...
I knew they were weak but not that they were completely shagged. The front of the car sits at 57cm chassis height (bottom of chassis to ground) but the rear, which should be higher, is at 54cm. Even after lifting the rear off the ground and setting it back down the ride height was 56cm and dropped to 54cm within about 5 minutes.
So, I bought 4 budget £3.99 bathroom scales from Argos and used three of them with a big thick plank on the top a wheel at a time to find the corner weights and therefore the total axle weight and then, once the springs had been removed, the unsprung weight. This was done with me in the driving seat and the car empty but ready to roll (sort of). Possibly the most complicated way of finding out that I need to go on a diet!
Corner weights (kg)
Without driver
Rear o/s 292
Rear n/s 300
front o/s 193
front n/s 218
total rear 592
total front 411
Total 1003 kg
With driver
Rear o/s 348
Rear n/s 334
front o/s 209
front n/s 238
total rear 682
total front 447
Total 1109 kg
The total without driver (ie the load on a trailer) has the car road ready but without fuel, oil or coolant so add ~40kg for that and the car actually weighs ~1150kg which is tad more than the 700kg the coachbuilder thought!
Camber heights with the chassis ride height set at 57cm ie the chassis remains level. I've done this so the car looks right when sat.
rear o/s 80mm
rear n/s 86mm
The axle (still connnected by propshaft and panhard rod) is 126kg, 60kg o/s & 66kg n/s.
New springs will further improve the driving experience! _________________ Richard |
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Rdover
Joined: 26 Nov 2007 Posts: 413
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Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2015 11:35 am Post subject: |
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On another subject ...
We got the gearbox dropped in, which was dead easy, and I started to make a new output UJ leather oil seal only to discover that the fixing pin which goes through the UJ/drum assembly, locked up the UJ. After much faffing around I spotted that the nut on the gearbox output shaft's split pin was bent over the end of the shaft rather than round the nut and was fouling. I moved that and it was suddenly a lot freer but not perfect.
For some odd reason the new UJ pin would be fine one way but move it by 90deg and it would jam. Luckily it only needs 35deg of movement so it was duly fettled and fitted and all reassembled.
I'm investing in all new bolts/nuts for the clutch release and shaft flanges as well as suspension bolts and once they arrive I'll have a nice evening's reassembly and then it'll all be done barring the adjustments apart for the trans brake shoes which need relining but that cant be done until everything else is in place and I can measure the lining thickness required.
The re-assembly list:
gearbox input shaft flange - refit
clutch release/engine to gearbox prop - refit
steering control assembly clamp - paint, refit with new leather oil/grease seal
timing control arm - refit and adjust
hand throttle control arm - refit and adjust
foot board - refit
oil pressure gauge - refit
transmission brake control rods - refit then redesign and fettle
rear springs - refit the new ones
It's a short list and about a day's work and the car will be ready bar final fettling by the end of Feb
Happy days _________________ Richard |
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Rdover
Joined: 26 Nov 2007 Posts: 413
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Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2015 9:46 am Post subject: |
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I've been pottering away and so far I've got the gearbox installed with the rear prop UJ and slip joint working perfectly which is a joy. I started to fit the prop/clutch release mechanism (which joins engine to gearbox) only to find that it no longer lines up properly! I suspect that all the new bearing and bushes have tightened things up a tad so the engine will need to be 'shimmed up' by a couple of mm. This will prevent wear, reduce vibration and noise.
The new rear springs will be ready later next week and will be stronger yet more pliable than the knackered, 30 year old ones I've taken off.
The big jobs are all done now and I'm down to refitting ancillaries and fettling.
I'm having too much fun to rush it but almost everything is ready to reassemble quickly if I need to. _________________ Richard |
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kevin2306
Joined: 01 Jul 2013 Posts: 1359 Location: nr Llangollen, north wales
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Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2015 11:29 am Post subject: |
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all sounds very positive and im sure the end result will be a fantastic vehicle to enjoy
Kev |
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Ray White
Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 6316 Location: Derby
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Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2015 12:29 pm Post subject: |
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Had you considered using some leather or perhaps felt to raise the engine? Just a thought. |
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Rdover
Joined: 26 Nov 2007 Posts: 413
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Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2015 12:40 pm Post subject: |
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To start with I've simply levered the prop up to bolt it up temporarily so I could then connect everything up, bolt down the gearbox and make sure it all lines up.
I'm planning on measuring the gap properly by unbolting the gearbox:prop flange again, allowing it to drop and then making up spacers to raise the engine. I could use felt but these engines are usually hard mounted so a suitably thick steel plate or maybe very hard rubber would probably be best I think.
Fortunately the alignment is perfect its just the height that is now out by a couple of mm. I'll undo 4 bolts, jack the engine up a touch and slide in a wee plate. Dead simple but it is amazing how much wear there can be!
Every small thing found and fixed makes the whole thing just that little bit better. _________________ Richard |
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Rdover
Joined: 26 Nov 2007 Posts: 413
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Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 10:37 am Post subject: |
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Last night was momentous.
I had finally found the right size and length of bolts for the spring mounting plates (U bolt type things) and had got the springs into place with some difficulty given they are thicker, stronger and have a greater camber (the 'height' of the spring).
First I looked at the steering mounted controls and after much head scratching they bolted up perfectly - all the effort in straightening and 're-rounding' tubes and rods was well worth it.
It took about 15 minutes to get the springs bolted into place and I was on the final fitting of floor plates and then checking front to back for things I'd forgotten. It was then I hit a snag - the floor panel wouldn't fit back in! I knew the linages would be in slightly different places after relining and adjusting but it seemed that one reason the transmission brake didn't work well was it was jamming against the underneath of the floor.
This called for joinery work which is not, as my woodworking friends will confirm, my strongest skill set. Still, how badly wrong could I get it? Actually it was clear where the arm had been hitting the floor so I put the floor into place as best I could then drilled a hole which was almost, but not quite, totally in the wrong place
Out with the floor and more holes drilled then all joined up with the jigsaw with the bent blade and re-fitted. Close. Really close. Just a wee extension and some judicious chamfering with a chisel and it was done. Not exactly pretty but it will be covered by the floor matting and its only a bit of shonky plywood which needs to be replaced with some nice pine boards in any case.
So that's it. Apart from normal Spring starting and fettling the car is done, complete, restored. Yes, I said complete and finished. Now I only have to keep it maintained ... once I've fitted the sprag brake I've been planning to fit for 6 years, the leather side plates to fill the gaps between running board and chassis, remade the front spring hangers in a more accurate style, the new front springs, adjusted the tonneau cover to keep the back weather tight when no one is sat there, find and fit better accessories .....
Amazingly, with several weeks to spare before the first event of the year at Beamish where I will have 3 days of pottering round the site to get starting, running and adjusting done. Here's a list of the events I'm booked into so far and if you're there please come and find me and say hello.
Beamish Northern Steam Fair 10th-12th April (semi static)
Dumfries VCC weekend 16th-17th May (rally)
Strathmore Transport Extravaganza at Glamis Castle 11th-12th July (static)
Biggar Albion Rally August tbc (rally am, static pm)
3 Lochs Classic Rhu August tbc (rally with static display before and after)
VCC Scottish Main event Elgin Sept 20th-25th (rally) _________________ Richard |
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roverdriver
Joined: 18 Oct 2008 Posts: 1210 Location: 100 miles from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 11:05 am Post subject: |
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The busy restorer becomes a busy displayer! Well done, enjoy the adulation (?) of the visiting public.
Dane. _________________ Dane- roverdriver but not a Viking. |
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kevin2306
Joined: 01 Jul 2013 Posts: 1359 Location: nr Llangollen, north wales
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Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 5:31 pm Post subject: |
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Well done, just wished we lived closer so could pop for a look!
Kev |
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mikeC
Joined: 31 Jul 2009 Posts: 1775 Location: Market Warsop, Nottinghamshire
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Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 5:35 pm Post subject: |
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Rdover wrote: |
Amazingly, with several weeks to spare before the first event of the year at Beamish where I will have 3 days of pottering round the site to get starting, running and adjusting done... |
Great! I'll be there with the Saxon, which has been treated to a new petrol tank to overcome my fuel supply problems; I've just been out in it this morning and done more miles in half an hour than I have managed in the last three years |
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Rdover
Joined: 26 Nov 2007 Posts: 413
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Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2015 10:21 am Post subject: |
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mikeC wrote: | Rdover wrote: |
Amazingly, with several weeks to spare before the first event of the year at Beamish where I will have 3 days of pottering round the site to get starting, running and adjusting done... |
Great! I'll be there with the Saxon, which has been treated to a new petrol tank to overcome my fuel supply problems; I've just been out in it this morning and done more miles in half an hour than I have managed in the last three years |
Great.
I'm now planning to be there either Thursday evening or v early Friday. I'll see you there. _________________ Richard |
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Rdover
Joined: 26 Nov 2007 Posts: 413
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Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 11:37 am Post subject: |
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I finally remembered to bring my camera into the office to upload some pictures.
Last night I was pottering and fettling ready for a test run prior to going to Beamish on the 9th and I happened to take out the spark plugs to clean them. You may remember that I had terrible plug fouling problems which I identified as being caused by flooding the cylinders with fuel when trying to start the car. The plugs seemed to run a touch too cool which meant that they did not burn off the residues from the fuel which ultimately wrecked the plugs and made both running and starting terrible.
There was an odd thing last September; I bought Champion D21 plugs which are hotter than the D16/AB6s I had been using. This meant that the plugs should burn off residue faster and avoid the fouling problems. When the order arrived from The Green Spark Plug Company one of the plug boxes had the wrong plug in it! The replacement arrived too late so I ran with 3 D21s and 1 AB6. Fast forward to last night and I finally got around to putting in the new D21 and took out the 'old' ones and found they were a nice dry brown/black colour and the ceramic was perfectly clean. It seems the carburation is fine AND the residue is burnt off if I do a long enough run. I'll still use brake cleaner to start it from now on but its another indication I've got the settings about right.
Photos
_________________ Richard |
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