Thread: JayBoRovers 101

Did some work on the 101 today. Changed the drivers side rear hub oil seal and cleaned the drum and backing plate. Replaced the brake shoes on both rear drums - a shame really because both sets looked almost new except for the oil all over the drivers side ones. Made sense to change both sides together though and keep the left hand side set as a spare.

I got caught up chasing a power steering leak on my wife's Audi so didn't have enough time to change the brake hoses, so that's a job for next weekend. It's a long weekend for WA next weekend so should get those done and a few other jobs.

Another weekend, another job or two or three on the 101 completed.

I started with replacing the left front hub oil seal. It hadn't been picked up on the pit inspection but I was suspicious enough to buy a second hub oil seal when I ordered my bunch of bits from Abel Engineering. Sure enough, when I removed the brake drum there was sign of oil getting into the drum - luckily not yet onto the brake shoes. I want to also change the swivel hub wiper seal but chickened out. It does weep a little, but the pit inspector hadn't picked it up, so a wipe before I drive in for re-inspection should do. I have the swivel hub seal so can change it once it's licensed.

Second job was to replace the front brake jump hose between the chassis fixed point and the axle housing. This was a bit of a hassle and I ended up dropping the ice-cream container I was collecting the brake fluid in and got fluid all over the place. I managed the job though. Bleeding the brakes was a PITA and they're still not good - requiring a pump to the floor before a second go to actually get braking happening. I did get clean fluid coming through with no bubbles for ages though. So I clamped the front hoses and went to the back wheels and bled those through for a while. Got a bit of air out and then no more. Still no difference to the braking though. I'll have to try something else next weekend.

Next job was to remove and dismantle the speedo looking for any problems that might make it jump around below 40kph. Got it out and pulled apart easily enough. Couldn't find anything amiss (first time in quite a few years that my trade as an Instrument Technician has been useful) so I'll hook up the spare cable to the innards and see what that exposes. In the mean-time I've bead blasted, sanded, primed and painted the shell and dial rings and also cleaned the glass lens. I've just got to put a coat on the inside of the unit to really top it off. Looks great. Will look stupid in the dash with everything else looking "well used".

So I have one weekend left before the re-inspection if I'm going to go for it. The big ticket items left to do are:
- the LPG certification (I'm assuming it was installed in the UK and not been tested here - need to book it in somewhere but hard to juggle around a very busy time at work)
- sorting out all the oil leaks (have some gaskets but some of the leaks are not "friendly" to fix. I wonder how well silicon would hold it at bay for a short while?)

The easier to manage items to do are:
- extending the rear mud flaps to the extent of the tyre width (I have the rubber here so just need some time next weekend)
- getting an updated weighbridge docket (can be done on the way to the re-inspection easily enough)
- sealing the floor holes (easy peasy with a tube of silicon or armed with some rivets - next weekend)
- sort out the jumpy speedo

Going to be touch and go for getting it al done, but I'll try!

Got the speedo back together and it looks mint. Got it fitted back into the dash panel. I removed the entire speedo cable, cleaned it, flushing it through with copious WD40. I removed the inner cable and cleaned that with an oily rag. I found the drive end was quite "flattened" (normally is "squared") so I re-squared it in the vice. I thought that might be the reason for the "jumpy" reading below 40kph so got all excited. Blew out the outer sheath with compressed air and refitted the inner cable and then reinstalled the whole thing back in the 101. All good so far. Connected my battery drill to the gearbox end of the cable and pulled the trigger ... nothing. Checked the connection at the speedo and wiggled the drill end a bit and pulled the trigger again and ... nothing. Hmmm. Tried the drill in the other direction and ... voila ... success. At low speed the speedo is nice and stable at any point to the maximum speed the drill would indicate, which was about 40kph. So put the cable back into the speedo drive unit on the back of the gearbox and go for a test drive and ... nothing. Speedo now not working at all. Tried several times with refitting the cable and nothing. Very disappointed ... and very annoyed at the pit inspector for fussing over such a trivial thing as now I've taken a step backwards and can't hope to get over the pit for re-inspection by Friday.

I did get the mudflaps extended on both sides at the rear, so the mudflaps now have the same reach as the wheel arch flares. One win anyway.

I did a lot more water blasting around the engine and drivetrain to remove grease and oil. The worst oil leak seems to be from the overdrive cover at the back of the gearbox. It seems oil-tight at the top and leaks at the bottom. (Yes, I realise the oil will be at the bottom and not in the top). The top bolts were tight but the bottom two I easily got a 1/16 more turn, so I'll see if that makes a difference. Otherwise it's not a big job to remove the overdrive and put some gasket sealer under that cover.

There also seems to be some oil coming from around the oil pump, maybe from the oil lines. Interestingly there are two spare oil lines in the bunch of spares so I wonder if these have been a problem before. I've cleaned all around them and hopefully will see where the oil comes from.

The engine driven (ex 101 ambulance) air compressor suddenly decided it will work again today. Almost gave me a fright when it burbled into life with a knocking chuff-chuff when I was playing with the switch. With a few revs on the engine it chuff's along merrily. No action from the pressure gauge on the air tank, but I'll get to that in time.

I also replaced the rope for one side of the canvas and have enough rope to redo the other side and the back one day.

So my list for the licensing inspection is now down to getting the speedo drive working, the LPG installation certified, an updated weighbridge docket and maybe some more oil leak investigation - now that I have the time because I won't make the retest deadline. I might still try and get the LPG certification done this week, and then may as well get the weighbridge test too.

Anyone have any experience with the speedo drive assembly? It was working before I pulled the cable out but isn't working now. All I've effectively done to it is reshape the end of the cable back to the original square shape. Any hints appreciated (if you've read this far - I must get some photo's sorted for my posts!)

Re: Speedo issue
I had a speedo just as you described on my stage 1.
I know I replaced my cable. I seem to remember replacing the drive output shaft/gear around the same time.
Try a new cable first.

Had the same thing happen to mine John. The outer sheath stretches over time and the inner ends up not quite engaging at the speedo end. Easy fix - remove the cable from the speedo, pull the inner out, remove the ferrule that attaches the outer to the speedo - I think it unscrews, but can't quite remember - it wasn't too difficult, then cut 1/4" off the outer sheath with an angle grinder. Reassemble and test. Worked for me.

You should be able to see about 1/2" if the inner poking out of the sheath - if you check this at the moment my guess is that there isn't much poking out and it's not quite engaging in the back of the speedo.

Originally Posted by bacicat

Had the same thing happen to mine John. The outer sheath stretches over time and the inner ends up not quite engaging at the speedo end. Easy fix - remove the cable from the speedo, pull the inner out, remove the ferrule that attaches the outer to the speedo - I think it unscrews, but can't quite remember - it wasn't too difficult, then cut 1/4" off the outer sheath with an angle grinder. Reassemble and test. Worked for me.

You should be able to see about 1/2" if the inner poking out of the sheath - if you check this at the moment my guess is that there isn't much poking out and it's not quite engaging in the back of the speedo.

At the speedo end, the inner cable has a ferrule crimped to the cable that sets the length of the inner cable that extends into the speedo. Adjusting the length of the sheath wouldn't change that length of protrusion into the speedo. The speedo does work with a drill turning the cable inner down at the drive end, even if I pull the inner back as far as it will go (ie pulling the inner cable ferrule against the sheath ferrule by pulling the drill back while it's turning). So, if you're right and the outer sheath has stretched and my disconnecting it and reconnecting it has done something, then it must be not engaging at the drive end?? I guess I could confirm that by pulling the speedo end out and making it visible while I drive to see the inner turning. Unfortunately it's dark when I leave for work and dark when I get home, so it'll have to wait for the weekend.

I seem to recall my new cable being flat on the end and not square like the usual ones, maybe by squaring it, it is slipping in the gearbox drive

Originally Posted by JayBoRover

At the speedo end, the inner cable has a ferrule crimped to the cable that sets the length of the inner cable that extends into the speedo. Adjusting the length of the sheath wouldn't change that length of protrusion into the speedo. The speedo does work with a drill turning the cable inner down at the drive end, even if I pull the inner back as far as it will go (ie pulling the inner cable ferrule against the sheath ferrule by pulling the drill back while it's turning). So, if you're right and the outer sheath has stretched and my disconnecting it and reconnecting it has done something, then it must be not engaging at the drive end?? I guess I could confirm that by pulling the speedo end out and making it visible while I drive to see the inner turning. Unfortunately it's dark when I leave for work and dark when I get home, so it'll have to wait for the weekend.

Ok, looks like a different cable to mine then. Mine slid back down the sheath and shortening it did the trick. Yeah, take it for a drive with the speedo end disconnected and in view. That will soon tell you where the problem is.