Thread: The restoration of Wombat

Originally Posted by wrinklearthur

Ah! Now I know how to do it.

Actually, to follow on that thought.

First: DON'T cut off the nuts until after you've made extensive efforts to remove them. Soak with penetrating oil, use heat and hopefully have a socket with a good breaking bar. If you can get the nuts off, and the bolt itself refuses to move from the chassis, you can choose to leave the original bolts in place but once you cut off the nuts (as I did), you're stuck with getting them bolts out.

Second: Try to remove the bolts out with the firewall in place, even if you slide the firewall forward to heat things up, then slide it back for the assault with the hammer. This avoids falling into the trap I did when my son bent the passenger side bolt. Maybe it creates other traps

Third: Heat is your friend and while my propane torch did make a difference, it probably wasn't hot enough.

Fourth: Patience - this process took me a good three weeks or more (I'm too scared to look). There were times when I knew I wasn't actually doing anything because I was tired and despondent but if nothing else, getting everything good and hot and squirting on some penetrating oil will help for your next attempt.

Fifth: You can spring the firewall off one side while it's still stuck on the other side and the suggestion made by someone else to use the firewall as a long fulcrum to twist it on the bolt that's jammed is a good one.

WD40 vs the Acetone/ATF mix? I still don't know. The bolt finally came free using the home brew, but I'd also drilled out half the bolt by them, maybe it was going to come free. I wish I had some way to adequately test this this stuff but will continue to experiment with the home brew (no, I'm not convinced by the video because rusted nuts and bolts are very much a case by case exercise so I feel back to back comparisons are dodgy).

Tomorrow, a whole new insanity as I attempt to get the engine and gearbox out. If this takes three weeks, the whole thing's up for sale

Got the brake master cylinder and pedal, clutch pedal and drive shafts out.

Spirit not broken... yet

One problem with the clutch - a pin won't come out
Now where have I encountered this problem recently?

Of course, it may not be supposed to come out, but if not why did it have a split pin top and bottom? Be nice to get it out of the way come lifting the gearbox out time



Any thoughts?

Can you rotate the pin at all? It may have worn and developed a lip.

Originally Posted by Brisruss

Can you rotate the pin at all? It may have worn and developed a lip.

So it's definitely supposed to come out. That's good. I'll try rotating it. One of the other bushes (forget which) was very badly worn so it wouldn't surprise me if this is. Thanks for the tip.

It is meant to come out. It is possibly bent (or bent and partly fractured) - this happens!

John

Thanks. That close to the clutch itself, I leery of too much force without knowing it's supposed to come out. Will try again tomorrow.

Now, the speedo cable. How is it connected to the gearbox? Those three little bolts I can see or is there a knurled end under all that grease and crap that I can't see?

And while I'm obsessing about tomorrow's disaster:
At this point, I'm thinking of pulling the gearbox and transfer case in one piece - this is because I've got a crane, all the body work is off so there's nothing in the way and the mounts to the chassis are off the transfer case. It'll be a case of hook up the crane, unbolt stuff, lift the box clear of the chassis, turn 90 degrees, push to the back of the shed and lower it gently onto a bench where it can live until I do something with it.

I get the 'drive a wedge of wood between the back of the engine and the cross member' bit, and it's not hard to use one of the rear casing bolts to mount a bracket at the back of the assembly for one chain from the crane, but what's the best way to support the front of the assembly? A strap under the bell housing? Fit another bracket to the front somewhere?

Originally Posted by crackers

Thanks. That close to the clutch itself, I leery of too much force without knowing it's supposed to come out. Will try again tomorrow.

The clutch release shaft is quite solid and well supported, so you are unlikely to damage it.

Now, the speedo cable. How is it connected to the gearbox? Those three little bolts I can see or is there a knurled end under all that grease and crap that I can't see?

Speedo cable is attached by three tiny screws, presumably the bolts you can see. These retain a circular plate the cable is threaded through. Don't lose the screws - they are BA and may be hard to replace.

......
I get the 'drive a wedge of wood between the back of the engine and the cross member' bit, and it's not hard to use one of the rear casing bolts to mount a bracket at the back of the assembly for one chain from the crane, but what's the best way to support the front of the assembly? A strap under the bell housing? Fit another bracket to the front somewhere?

The gear lever bracket is suitable (easier with the gear lever removed and bracket bolted back on).

John