1968 Land Rover Series IIA

[jdobson]

I thought I’d put a bit of an update on my old girl and the latest thrilling instalments. Since getting her back on the road last June I feel I have had my fair share of mechanical woes but the good thing (always look on the positives!) is that all the bits I have fixed have not failed… so I’m just working through the bits that I thought might not require care and attention.. Since January I have done the following:

Replaced the engine mounts – one of which had split completely.

Replaced the fan – one of the blades snapped off, slicing the inner wing but thankfully not damaging the radiator.

Had the carburettor fully rebuilt. I could see that fuel was leaking from the inlet pipe and found the thread stripped. I tried to bodge it together but in taking off the carburettor I must have disturbed something and it soon became apparent the whole thing needed an overhaul.. I used CSC Carby in Burwood, NSW. What a great service! They arranged the courier to collect from my work and returned within 24 hours.

Serviced it, including oil change and new spark plugs plus lead, distributor cap and points – plan is to change the distributor to an electronic version so I don’t have to mess around with points again.

Bought bench seats for the back – only short wheel base ones but that’s all I needed.

Replaced the bearing in the steering column – now my steering wheel doesn’t feel like it’s about to fall off which is nice.

And now the current and most annoying item – replacement of the clutch. Just before Easter I was on my way into work and suddenly lost drive. I got myself recovered and dropped off back at my place (the bloody recovery guy put it in my neighbours parking space / car port… and it’s been sat there ever since – do you think I should talk to her.. I left her a note…).. back from my Easter break I set to sorting it out on Monday. What a pain it is. I started off with removing the floor, then the seat box, then the steering wheel followed by disconnecting the prop-shafts and gearbox mounts. When I got to disconnecting the adaptor plate from the gearbox (it has a Holden six cylinder engine fitted) I found just 3 loose bolts holding it together and the adaptor was found to be cracked. Reading up it seems that clutch alignment with these conversions is a common issue.. anyway some pictures.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/31.jpg (http://s137.photobucket.com/user/jdobson1981/media/023_zps17477d0a.jpg.html)

Our free trip back home courtesy of the NRMA roadside assistance..
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/32.jpg (http://s137.photobucket.com/user/jdobson1981/media/330_zps1e932091.jpg.html)
Floor etc. removed – what a hideous job, there are so many bolts / screws holding down the floor though at least they were all new so removal was pretty easy.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/04/33.jpg (http://s137.photobucket.com/user/jdobson1981/media/529_zps8d60a1bc.jpg.html)
One very broken clutch plate…
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/1144.jpg (http://s137.photobucket.com/user/jdobson1981/media/537_zps1e33a8f5.jpg.html)
Cracked adaptor plate.. and the ‘new’ one I got hold of..
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/1143.jpg (http://s137.photobucket.com/user/jdobson1981/media/544_zps73aa6237.jpg.html)

So I’m back at work now and won’t be able to resume work on the Old Girl until Saturday. I have had the flywheel skimmed and bought a new clutch plate so I think I have everything needed to try and put it back together. I have checked the alignment of the replacement adaptor plate and it looks to be correct… I am not looking forward to lifting the gearbox back in – I took it out on my own but suspect getting it back in won’t be quite so easy. I am also taking the opportunity to try a replacement gearbox that I picked up from eBay a couple of months ago. It was only $50 and having inspected the gears it looks good… the gearbox it replaces was very noisy with a couple of other issues so I’m hoping for an improvement (and maybe even a speedo that works). I guess I will road test it before refitting all the floor..

Ah the joys of Land Rover ownership… I think it generally does pretty well. I use it every day driving to work which is about 30 miles and considering that’s battling through the start/stop Sydney traffic I don’t think it does a bad job. It has been a little disappointing with the latest clutch issue but I’m sure it will be worth the aggravation.

Cheers guys!

[Ozdunc]

Wow. Thats a fairly monumental crack in the plate.
Any idea what would have caused that?
I'd be making sure everything is properly aligned and maybe new gearbox mounts as well.

I've seen you driving around town, the 'old girl' looks very good :)

[jdobson]

I've read that many of the adaptor plates do not fit properly and in fitting the gearbox it's slightly misaligned. I also think engine mounts and very few studs holding the engine / gearbox together were to blame. I have new gearbox mounts to fit and I've measured the replacement adaptor and it looks like the alignment is decent.

You'll hopefully see her back on the roads of Sydney this weekend!

[Lotz-A-Landies]

My first guess about that failure is the adapter was out of alignment. There was one brand that were regularly out of alignment in three different planes.

When you fit the new adapter check the alignment with a dial indicator gauge see : http://www.aulro.com/afvb/holden-powered-series-land-rovers/133415-before-fitting-holden-engine-check-aligment-first.html

Also, I notice you have both a diaphragm and a fingered (Borg & Beck) type clutch pressure plate. The fingered type was usually for the SI/SII/SIIa while the diaphragm type for SIII. Make sure your clutch throw-out is the correct one for the pressure plate.

[jdobson]

I have two clutch covers - one came from the replacement adaptor I bought (it also came with flywheel). I'm likely toing to stick with the Borge and Beck cover - the clutch action was good before.. this is with a Series IIA gearbox..

[Johnno1969]

Clutch troubles aside - what a beautiful Land Rover!

[jdobson]

Thanks Johnno! I'm very pleased with how the restoration went and when it's not broken down, it works really well. I especially like cruising round the Northern Beaches.

I'm trying to get tomorrow off work so I can set about putting it all back together. I suspect it will take all day and I'm not looking forward to trying to lifting the gearbox back in with no hoist.. though I did manage to get it out fairly easily.

[67hardtop]

Very nice landy mate:cool:. Wish mine was half as nice:(.

Cheers Rod:wasntme:

[jdobson]

After two and a half days of working on her, she is finally mobile again. That is definitely one job I do not want to repeat again - so labour intensive and time consuming! I thought that getting the gearbox in would be the biggest challenge but actually that was relatively straight forward and I was able to get it to line up with the engine pretty easily. It was just everything else - lining connecting the handbrake assembly back together, connecting the prop-shafts... finding that the clutch slave cylinder was broken so getting a replacement, plus a new hose... anyway it's back together and the clutch is so much lighter. The gearbox is also far quieter than the last one (thankfully - this one was an eBay special so I didn't know if it would be any good).

I have a couple of things to do, like adjust the rod on the clutch slave cylinder and then I need to sort out the misfire.... which I suspect is points related..

[Cobber]

It looks a treat, glad to hear it's mobile again :BigThumb:

[jdobson]

Now sorted the misfire.. I bought new points and as I was about to fit them I noticed one of the plug leads wasn't really plugged into the top of the distributor. Oops, guess I should really have checked that. At least it was an easy fix!

[67hardtop]

Good luck to you. that's a great result.

Cheers Rod:wasntme:

[jdobson]

Another lovely commute through Sydney traffic this morning. I've refitted my doortops since it's so cold! I must be getting soft - back in the UK this weather would be considered warm and I'd have had my roof off.

I'm going to attempt to get the speedometer to work this weekend, I'm hoping the replacement gearbox this will have cured the problem - I just need to remove the dashboard and hook it up. Not that I really expect the speedo to be accurate and since it's in MPH it's not going to be all that useful here in Australia.. other jobs to do this weekend include adjusting the handbrake (again!), fixing one of my back lights (the bulb keeps coming out of the fitting... Britpart...) and replacement of the exhaust / manifold gasket (again!).. the Land Rover sure seems to keep me busy.

[Cobber]

I know what it's like to have a bunch of Land Rover tasks on the go I can assure you! :D all you can do is go through them one by one ... it'll give you something (else) to do on the weekend! :BigThumb:

[jdobson]

Well this weekend was remarkably free of Land Rover tinkering. I ended up replacing the points earlier on in the week and it's made a big difference to how smooth it runs. I still need to adjust my handbrake. I seem to spend my life adjusting it! I also need to buy a new water pump - there's a rumble and I think it's on it's last legs. Thankfully these aren't especialy expensive. Just hope I can replace it without having to remove the radiator.

Sunshine forecast here in Sydney for the week so I'm taking my roof off :D

[jdobson]

Spotted last week, the infamous 'Bill'.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/150x100q90/856/prm1.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/856/prm1.png/)
Series Land Rovers seem to be getting a bit common over the Northern Beaches.. here's another regular I keep spotting.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/150x100q90/819/pcgx4.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/819/pcgx4.jpg/)

Got my roadworthy test coming up in the next couple of weeks so spent the weekend sorting out various known issues... I now have fully working brake lights, a horn and a dip switch... the one fitted was made of the weakest components known to man and it never worked properly before it exploded. I have replaced with a Ford Falcon floor-mounted switch... please forgive me but it's much better quality than the part it replaced.. Now all I need to sort out is the major oil leak between engine and gearbox and the leak from the gearbox itself... I think I have come up with a cunning, temporary plan... I don't really want to take the engine out to replace the seal....

[Ozdunc]

Funny I've got a mirror image of that photo.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/07/870.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/nYy4MS)

Amazing the high quality of person parking outside the local fish and chipper.

It was nice to put a face to a name. The 109 looks great, despite your protestations about the quality of the paint job.

[jdobson]

The Old Girl keeps asking about Bill, she seems smitten.

Engine oil leak seemingly fixed.. But replaced by gearbox transfer box leak! Would draining it for the roadworthy test work....

[Ozdunc]

:D

Where's the box leaking from?
If its the main cover (they tend to warp) grab a sheet of cork gasket from SuperRepCheapCoAuto, a tub of Hydromar (or what ever that blue goo is called) and a new blade for the Stanley knife, and you should be good to go in a few minutes.

If it's else where, you could try cleaning the area up, then wiping a smear of silicone over the leaking area. It won't be permanent and you'll need to scrape it off after but it might keep you clean enough to get through rego and deal with it properly later.

[jdobson]

Sounds like a good plan, didn't realise you could buy cork from the likes of SuperCheap etc... and yes it is leaking from around the cover - I tried the gasket maker sealant (blue stuff) and it just wasn't good enough for the job. Definitely need to put a gasket in there...

[S3ute]

Hello from Brisbane.

The various outlets for Roamerdrives (e.g. British Offload) sell a finned alloy cover plate for ~$100 that is intended to allow the transfer case oil to run a little cooler than normal.

The added bonus is that this unit is supposedly less prone to distorting than the original steel bolted to alloy arrangement, and hence less prone to leaking. Might be worth investigating - I am sure there will be people out there with them fitted to their trucks.

Cheers

[jdobson]

Well I'm good for another year, got it through the roadworthy inspection. Took it in this morning and it failed on leaking exhaust and loose / leaking shock absorbers all round. I'm not convinced the shocks were leaking - think the oil on them was from various other things but decided to bite the bullet and get new all round. It's been an exhausting day, racing around getting bits then fitting and sorting out the exhaust leak. Managed to get back to the garage this afternoon and present it for a retest and all good. I've now paid up in vehicle registration and insurance for the year. Expensive but it's very pleasing to think it's good for another year. I shall have to celebrate tonight!

[Ozdunc]

Hope the celebration was good :D

What shocks did you end up getting?

[jdobson]

Shocks were Armstrong. Hopefully they're decent - it was a case of whatever I could lay my hands upon in a day. Ordered through Ayers in Brookvale, they arrived at 2:30 and I fitted them in less than an hour. It now rides much better.

[Ozdunc]

If its made a difference then shocks were probably (definitely) leaking. Money well spent :)
Never heard of Armstrong, but just googled them and they've been around 35 years so can't be too shabby.

[gromit]

If its made a difference then shocks were probably (definitely) leaking. Money well spent :)
Never heard of Armstrong, but just googled them and they've been around 35 years so can't be too shabby.

Maybe more than 35years........ I have Armstrong rear suspension units on a 1957 Panther 600.



Colin

[Ozdunc]

:D

Got that off their website. Maybe they've been around so long they've forgotten how long it is!!

[gromit]

:D

Got that off their website. Maybe they've been around so long they've forgotten how long it is!!


Or maybe 35 years ago they re-invented the company........



Colin

[jdobson]

Well in my haste to fit them I failed to include the two inner-washers on the front at the base of each shock. Had better fix that soon or the bushes will wear out. It looks like compressing the bushes and getting the split pins in will be a nightmare job! Anyone with handy tips? I'm thinking perhaps large molegrips will do the job.

I replaced the gearbox cover plate, made up a new gasket, applied lots of seal and it's still leaking! I have no idea how it could still have an issue, guess I'll be lying on my back again lurking underneath the gearbox.

There's a large pool of oil in each parking spot I've used at work. Perhaps not the best example when I'm meant to be an environmental consultant... :)

[gromit]

It looks like compressing the bushes and getting the split pins in will be a nightmare job! Anyone with handy tips? I'm thinking perhaps large molegrips will do the job.

:)

A short piece of pipe with a cutout at one end, use this and a G-clamp to make split pin insertion a doddle.
I'll see if I can find a picture......


Colin

[jdobson]

Well my Land Rover continues to serve me well. I changed jobs a few months ago and now my commute takes me from Manly to Mona Vale each day. With weekend trips I’m averaging 250 km a week which isn’t bad for a 47 year old Land Rover. After replacing the clutch a few months back it’s been running pretty well. In the last few months I’ve only had an issue with the rear brake lights with the bulbs popping out of the fittings (evidently a Britpart ‘special’). My girlfriend and I are planning our next big trip. We have decided to drive from Sydney to Adelaide via Broken Hill at Christmas time. Depending on how much time we have, and whether the Land Rover survives the trip, we’ll return via Melbourne. We’ve got a couple of weeks off work to make the trip so should be good. Just need to work on a few things, the water-pump bearings are rumbling and the brakes feel like they could use some attention too. I notice that the flexible hose at the rear is distorted and needs replacement. Annoying as these were all replaced less than a year ago.



Here are some pics I took the other day in Collaroy, I don’t know who owns the Series I but it looked great and I would love it! It had a galvanished chassis and despite its unrestored appearance had clearly had money spent on it. I’ve seen it a few times in the area and couldn’t resist taking a picture when the opportunity arose.





https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/11/667.jpg (http://s137.photobucket.com/user/jdobson1981/media/unnamed2_zpsef2cbe1c.jpg.html)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/11/668.jpg (http://s137.photobucket.com/user/jdobson1981/media/unnamed4_zpsd7d2bf40.jpg.html)

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Was the parking intentional or serendipity? :thumbsup:

Nice piccy, interesting how the Series 1 sits higher than the SII.

[Ozdunc]

I have that bulb popping out situation. I wonder if the plastic softens in the Aus sun?

I'm seeing you quite regularly heading through Freshie, but I'm always on my pushie and not in Bill. So if you see a short fat MAMIL waving at you its probably me. :D

I've seen that S1 once or twice as well, there seem to be quite a few Series round by us these days. I saw an S2a fire tender near Harris Farms the other day.

[jdobson]

Yeah there do seem to be quite a few Series Landies around the Northern Beaches. There's a bright orange one in central Manly but I've only ever seen it parked up. I shall keep my eyes open as I cruise through Freshie each morning - I take that route rather than driving through the slightly depressing Brookvale! I assume 'Bill' is still going strong, we should sort a trip out some time.

[Ozdunc]

Yeah that would be good. Maybe in the new year, diary's looking pretty full before Xmas.