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Post by LandieMark on Jan 11, 2019 11:51:58 GMT
I used to shoot. That is an expensive hobby! I still have my guns but only shoot clays occasionally these days. I used to shoot an awful lot of clays. I used to go shooting weekends. I borrowed the shotgun off a mate as he didn't work weekends because the banks were shut.* * copywrite Del Boy OFAH 1985One of my favourite moments in OFAH. Rodney: "Del, Iggy 'Iggins robs Banks!" Del: "Yes, but it's Saturday!".  |
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Post by PG on Jan 11, 2019 12:15:25 GMT
Hugely impressive work there. Seems a shame to cover that chassis up.
Those Range Rover Classics are rather tempting, but as my first job would be to ship it off to a restorer and then get some huge bill later on (which i could not afford), I think Ii'd best "look away now".
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Post by LandieMark on Jan 11, 2019 13:12:30 GMT
First really irritating problem. It's small in the context of things but it has pissed me off more than it should have.
I was building up the rear hub and couldn't get the hub nut onto the stub axle. It looks like the start of the thread has been damaged in the past. The rear stubs for the earlier series are hard to come by. The usual method is put the later ones on, but that means that the bearings need to be changed as they are different. It also means you need to keep two types of bearings in the toolkit or change the lot.
Rimmers had the proper stub in stock at a hefty £80, which I've ordered.
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Post by bryan on Jan 11, 2019 13:16:10 GMT
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Post by LandieMark on Jan 14, 2019 18:20:27 GMT
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Post by johnc on Jan 14, 2019 21:39:46 GMT
Plug it into the mains at night!
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Post by ChrisM on Jan 14, 2019 21:55:36 GMT
Plug it into the mains at night! It's not a hybrid/PHEV yet...... but give him time, and you never know ! |
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Post by LandieMark on Jan 15, 2019 10:23:17 GMT
Wheels and tyres ordered. Same style of wheel (silver 8 spoke) but in 16x7 as opposed to 15x8. This just means the tyres won’t poke out of the bodywork but it won’t look too tucked under either. Standard wheels are 16x5.5 or 16x6.5 with either skinny 5.5 or 6.5x16 tyres in old money. I’ve gone for the slightly wider 235/85 16 which still look right on a Series as they are similar in size to the old 7.5x16 fitted to LWB and military. I could have gone for a remould at about £100, but I’m trying the new B F Goodrich KM3 Mud T/A. £168 fitted each. Ouch. The wheels were cheap at under £40 each and I can sell the old wheels and tyres.   |
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Post by LandieMark on Jan 16, 2019 18:08:59 GMT
Stub axle installed. I now have a true rollling chassis. 😀. Rear axle pinion seal replaced - I had to make up a tool to hold the flange (metal bar with a couple of holes in it) and axles filled with EP90.
I’ve got the propshafts soaked in WD40 in anticipation of changing the UJs. Desperate to get the engine installed, but not likely to have time until next week.
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Post by PG on Jan 17, 2019 10:21:18 GMT
You've made great progress in what seems a short time. A rebuild measured (so far) in weeks or months rather than years!
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Post by LandieMark on Jan 17, 2019 10:54:48 GMT
You've made great progress in what seems a short time. A rebuild measured (so far) in weeks or months rather than years! Very much to the detriment of my bank balance, it has to be said! My problem is that I don't like stopping halfway though a job. |
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Post by LandieMark on Jan 17, 2019 20:15:41 GMT
Bugger, front propshaft UJs are different size to the rears. That will teach me to assume they would both be the same. Ordered and I will keep the others as spares. They fit the Defender too.
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Post by LandieMark on Jan 22, 2019 21:21:34 GMT
Propshafts all refurbished with new UJs, gaiters and paint. Rear lift handles painted and installed and I’ve swapped the old wheels and tyres for the new ones.
Just need to get the engine and gearbox brought up so I can get stuck in once again.
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Post by LandieMark on Feb 16, 2019 14:46:48 GMT
Engine and gearbox have been retrieved from my mate’s shed and the engine is installed.  I do need to order a clutch - there isn’t a lot of life left in this one. Flywheel is in good condition.  |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2019 20:41:54 GMT
One step and then the next, nice to see.
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Post by Roadsterstu on Feb 19, 2019 9:13:36 GMT
Coming on nicely, Mark.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Feb 19, 2019 12:50:37 GMT
When will the engine be sent away for a rebuild?
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Post by LandieMark on Feb 19, 2019 22:37:24 GMT
When will the engine be sent away for a rebuild? It won't. If it needs any time in a machine shop for specialist work then fair enough, but if it needs a camshaft I'll do it myself. |
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Post by LandieMark on Mar 29, 2019 16:33:48 GMT
I've been taking advantage of some early afternoon finishes to get on with some more bits on the Series III. Engine and gearbox are now in place and I have stripped the engine of ancilliaries, valve gear, camshaft and heads. The bores are clean and there is only a slight lip so they can stay as they are. I don't think it is worth stripping the block and having it rebored for the tiny amount of miles it is going to do. It wasn't burning oil when I got it so hopefully I can save some cash this way. Camshaft has some odd wear which may be explained by the lifters looking very new. It is a big no no to put new lifters in a RV8 without changing the cam, as it simply knocks the tops off the lobes and you are back to square one. I removed the heads because there seemed to be rather a lot of gasket seal having been used on the head gaskets. They were tin gaskets and it isn't unheard of for this stuff to be used, but I would rather put a set of composite gaskets on to be safe. Other than that, the heads look fine. Timing chain was stretched very badly - again, not uncommon on an old RV8. The engine was generally very dirty and sludgy so i have given it a good clean. I have ordered a new camshaft kit - it's getting a 3.9EFi cam which will give a little more low down torque than the standard 3.5 carb cam. That includes all the lifters and an upgraded timing chain and sprocket kit. I have also decided to ditch the nasty Stromberg CD175 carbs in favour of a nice shiny four barrel Weber/Edelbrock and new inlet manifold. This has added a large cost, but I have been working like hell recently, so I thought "sod it!" It should sort the rich running out of the box and introduce some reliability and remove the need for constant adjustment that the Strombergs seem to demand.   |
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Post by cbeaks1 on Mar 29, 2019 17:13:47 GMT
My father in laws 1973 Series III needs a new chassis and bulkhead repairs if you ever fancy some paid work Mark.
Alternatively do you know any places with good reputations?
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Post by LandieMark on Mar 29, 2019 17:51:35 GMT
My father in laws 1973 Series III needs a new chassis and bulkhead repairs if you ever fancy some paid work Mark. Alternatively do you know any places with good reputations? Haha, I think I have enough on my plate at the moment. I would recommend Chris and Simon at HR Auto Specialists in Durham. They did the Defender engine and chassis for me. Talking of bulkheads, teaching myself to weld is on the list. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2019 18:49:19 GMT
Nice to see things moving along, something worthy of attention rather than the other thing in London.
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Post by cbeaks1 on Apr 9, 2019 21:07:34 GMT
My father in laws 1973 Series III needs a new chassis and bulkhead repairs if you ever fancy some paid work Mark. Alternatively do you know any places with good reputations? Haha, I think I have enough on my plate at the moment. I would recommend Chris and Simon at HR Auto Specialists in Durham. They did the Defender engine and chassis for me. Talking of bulkheads, teaching myself to weld is on the list. Thanks - I will get a quote. Two terrifying quotes for a re chassis and new bulkhead so far. About £9k, and then another 3 to paint it if we bother. It’s a good job sorted Series are worth’s few quid. |
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Post by LandieMark on Apr 10, 2019 6:14:13 GMT
Blimy. Simon charged me £1500 for the chassis swap labour including new brake pipes but that was three years ago. The Series chassis are about £2k.
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Post by cbeaks1 on Apr 12, 2019 11:06:53 GMT
Blimy. Simon charged me £1500 for the chassis swap labour including new brake pipes but that was three years ago. The Series chassis are about £2k. Sorry to hijack! We have booked in with the guy in the same building as Richards chassis. Chassis swap is £1750, but we then have a new bulkhead being built and installed which adds another £2500! We are also getting a full respray in Limestone. Over £8k all in but good sorted Series 3’s are worth more than that and won’t get any cheaper. Will likely get a set of Wolf steelies with 285/35 r16. It has the same modular wheels you are getting at the moment, but the Wolf ones look a bit more period without being super skinny. Probably painted body colour as that seems to work on a series. Spending someone else’s money is more fun than spending your own. |
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Post by LandieMark on Apr 12, 2019 11:56:59 GMT
You may need longer studs for the Wolf wheels which is why I didn't bother. Sounds like it is going to be nice when it's done. I'm intending to keep mine slightly rough but usable.
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Post by cbeaks1 on Apr 12, 2019 12:05:01 GMT
Hmm - I saw the stud thing - horrible job?
Maybe I could persuade the re chassis guy to do it.
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Post by LandieMark on Apr 12, 2019 16:48:19 GMT
Just time consuming. The old ones will need pressing out of the hub and replacing with the longer ones. There is a school of thought that says just do them up effing tight instead!
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Post by LandieMark on Apr 13, 2019 17:08:48 GMT
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Post by LandieMark on Apr 27, 2019 16:03:50 GMT
More progress made. Engine is now pretty much fully rebuilt back up. New Edelbrock inlet manifold installed to take the shiny new carburetor and exhaust manofolds back on. My mate Dave helped me install the bulkhead so I can get on with wiring and plumbing for the first start. This is where things went horribly wrong.  IMG_20190418_175909 by Mark Lee, on Flickr I plumbed in the brake and clutch master cylinders and the clutch pedal wouldn't press at all once it was bled. I undid the bleed screw and it pressed OK. I removed the slave cylinder and the pushrod was hitting the back of the gearbox without the pedal being pressed. Big problem. I removed the gearbox and checked the clutch - it seemed OK and put it all back together. The same problem happened. I quickly came to the conclusion that the clutch must be wrong. There were no part numbers on the old clutch I took out and I had foolishly thrown it out as it looked identical to the one that went in as its replacement, so some research was needed. There is lots of information on the internet, but it is old and mostly anecdotal. Nothing concrete. Start with the engine and work from there. The block is out of a Discovery 1, according to the engine number. The flywheel is SD1 as it fits the standard Land Rover clutch pattern with no extra holes (Range Rover clutches are larger and don't fit into the Series gearbox). Most people use a Range Rover flywheel as it is heavier and half an inch thicker than the one out of the SD1. Some said that I needed a Series 2A clutch cover, some said a SD1 clutch over. Some said that either or both of these combinations would or wouldn't work with the Series 3 release bearing and I needed a custom length one. One thig is for certain, I wasn't buying various clutch covers to try by trial and error! I needed an exhaust, so I phoned Steve Parkers Land Rover who specialise in conversions. They haven't made or sold a V8 conversion for years and the information wasn't on the computer, but they offered to look in their books and get back to me. The two options for the SD1 flywheel are SD1 clutch and extended release bearing or Series 2A 6 Cylinder clutch with standard release bearing. The company that made the custom release bearing no longer trades so I went with the easier option, obviously. Clutch and exhaust arrived the next day and i excitedly insalled the new clutch - I was getting very good at removing and reinstalling the gearbox by this stage. Clutch disengages fully with the pedal but wont fully engage. I am pissed off and at a bit of a loss at this stage. I remove the gearbox and check I haven't missed anything and it is all OK. the gearbox is almost on and the clutch is fully engaged this time so I bolt it up and check. It is slipping when I turn the handbrake drum by hand. I remove the gearbox, yet again and remove the release bearing. This sits on a metal sleeve that is part of the housing for the oil seal. It turned out that this was pressing against the centre boss of the clutch and partially disengaging it. I did what any Land Rover mechanic would do in this situation and angle ground 10mm off the end, reassembled it all and tested. It now engages and disengages as it should. Exhaust was next - considering that an off the shelf conversion exhaust is always going to be a best guess situation, it fits quite well and doesn't foul anything. Brakes are next. I am changing the master cylinder as it is weeping and i need to remove the pedal box to lubricate the linkages as the brake pedal won't return properly. It has fought me for the last couple of stages, but I am getting there slowly. There was no oil in the gearbox which was worrying as I had driven it 1/4 of a mile and the transfer box needs a sump gasket as when I filled that, it started dripping all over the floor. Should be easily enough sorted.  IMG_20190426_180507 by Mark Lee, on Flickr  IMG_20190426_180513 by Mark Lee, on Flickr  IMG_20190426_180519 by Mark Lee, on Flickr  IMG_20190426_180527 by Mark Lee, on Flickr  IMG_20190426_180536 by Mark Lee, on Flickr  IMG_20190426_180547 by Mark Lee, on Flickr  IMG_20190426_180553 by Mark Lee, on Flickr |
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