Clutch and Welch plug

[JDNSW]

For some time the clutch on the 2a has tended to slip when pushed, so a while back I ordered a clutch plate, and planned to replace it when I get a chance. This means a choice of "do I remove the engine or the gearbox?".

My decision was made a couple of months ago when I started to lose coolant, and it was traced to the Welsh plug on the back of the engine. Engine would have to come out. A few days ago, I removed the bullbar. Not strictly necessary, but makes life a lot easier.

So yesterday I got started, after hosing the mud and cow dung from underneath the previous night. First removed the floor, transmission tunnel and bonnet, and the flywheel housing cover. Surprisingly, there were no real issues with the various bolts and screws. I made extensive use of a cordless drill with a 1/4" drive socket accessory. The only one that caused a bit of heartache was one of the captive nuts on the LH side of the bulkhead to floor spun in its cage, but clamping it tight fore and aft with vicegrips bent the sides of the cage in to hold it, helped by a spray of WD-40.

The overdrive lever must be removed to get the transmission tunnel out (must be in OD!), and the yellow knob, spring etc, of course. With the overdrive, and a round heater, and the bent handbrake lever, it is possible to get the transmission tunnel out - but only just! Then removed the bonnet, not the easiest by yourself. Finished off by degreasing and hosing down the gearbox, bell housing etc and leaving to dry overnight.

Today, removed the LH mudguard. A bit fiddly, but no real issues. Remove the windscreen washer tank, wiring and tubing, and disconnect parking and blinker wiring, then remove nuts from captive bolts onto the radiator support. Next the bolt onto the footwell support, and the footwelll to top of mudguard panel - I have previously made this easier by replacing the 1/4" bolts, nuts and washers along the top of this panel with large S/T screws, washers, and speednuts, so you do not have to worry about holding the nuts. Removing the three bolts at the top onto the bulkhead is easy. This leaves us with just the four screws onto the bulkhead down the back edge. The middle two do not have to be completely removed, as they have open diagonal slots like hooks in the guard. Only issue was that while the bottom three had 1/2" heads, the top (and most inaccessible one) had a 1/4"W head. Fortunately, I remembered vaguely about this from when I painted it about ten years ago. At this stage the guard just lifts off.

Next is the radiator support complete with radiator. Before this can be done I removed the battery, and you need to remove the front wiring harness where it goes to the headlights and LH guard. Complicated by the fact that I have a headlight relay in there. Grille of course has to come off. Then remove the radiator hoses - draining it first of course, and all you have to do is to remove the three bolts on the bottom and the ones onto the RH mudguard. All of these last are captive bolts, but the top three also hold the bonnet support anchor, meaning the other bolt on it needs to be loosened to move it out of the way. And these, especially the top one, aver very difficult to get a spanner on. I used a ratchet ring/OE with a 1/2" hex to 1/4" drive - you can't use a ring/OE directly, and there is no room for a conventional ratchet handle.

The radiator support and radiator can then be easily lifted out. Gave the engine and general area a bit of a degrease and hose down and left it to dry overnight.


170983

[ian4002000]

It sound like you are having a great time . you will have the chance to clean up lots of things whilst you have it all apart.

Ian
Bittern

[p38arover]

Welch! Welch!

[loanrangie]

Welch! Welch!They might be Welsh boyo [emoji38].

[JDNSW]

I stand corrected Ron!

Not as much progress as I would have liked today. I have the engine ready to remove except for the bell housing nuts (not anticipating issues there) and one exhaust pipe to manifold nut that declines to move - one came off after soaking in WD-40 for a couple of hours and five minutes with a hot air gun, and one unscrewed the stud out of the manifold. The third one is refusing to move, and I really do not want to break off the stud.

I found the front lifting point was missing, so I had to make and attach one. I have about two thirds completed making a lifting tool from available bits and pieces. I am hoping I can get the exhaust pipe bit without further issues after soaking overnight. It is, of course, the most inaccessible one!

One minor bit of 'drama' was the discovery that one of the engine mount nuts is metric - after I had tried both AF and Whitworth spanners! I am finding that most things are UNF, just the odd bit of Whitworth to spice things up! Some things seem to be excessively unhelpful - for example, as well as the battery negative going to the block, there is a heavy cable from the coil mount on the head to the firewall, as well as a heavy cable from a starter mounting bolt to the chassis. Possibly because it was originally FFR. Positive electrical links to the firewall is a good idea, but I don't think they need to be starte cable material. Worth noting that I improved my headlights years ago by fitting a direct link from the battery negative to the radiator support (which is where all the front lights are earthed).

[Blknight.aus]

I stand corrected Ron!

Not as much progress as I would have liked today. I have the engine ready to remove except for the bell housing nuts (not anticipating issues there) and one exhaust pipe to manifold nut that declines to move - one came off after soaking in WD-40 for a couple of hours and five minutes with a hot air gun, and one unscrewed the stud out of the manifold. The third one is refusing to move, and I really do not want to break off the stud.

I found the front lifting point was missing, so I had to make and attach one. I have about two thirds completed making a lifting tool from available bits and pieces. I am hoping I can get the exhaust pipe bit without further issues after soaking overnight. It is, of course, the most inaccessible one!

One minor bit of 'drama' was the discovery that one of the engine mount nuts is metric - after I had tried both AF and Whitworth spanners! I am finding that most things are UNF, just the odd bit of Whitworth to spice things up! Some things seem to be excessively unhelpful - for example, as well as the battery negative going to the block, there is a heavy cable from the coil mount on the head to the firewall, as well as a heavy cable from a starter mounting bolt to the chassis. Possibly because it was originally FFR. Positive electrical links to the firewall is a good idea, but I don't think they need to be starte cable material. Worth noting that I improved my headlights years ago by fitting a direct link from the battery negative to the radiator support (which is where all the front lights are earthed).

put the other studs back in first, heat them up then chinch them up, allow to cool, then heat the corner of the manifold that holds the sticking nut and stud.

[p38arover]

When replacing the nuts, use brass nuts. They won’t seize on like steel nuts.

[JDNSW]

When replacing the nuts, use brass nuts. They won’t seize on like steel nuts.

They are brass nuts! I fitted them about twenty years ago when I replaced the cracked manifold!

[JDNSW]

Well - I got the exhaust off. After the overnight soak in WD-40, the stud screwed quite easily out of the block. Now all I have to do is to get two brass nuts off the studs!

I spent most of the morning completing my engine lifting tool or spreader. Then started to remove the nuts on the bell housing studs. Starting with the hard to get at ones underneath. But I forgot about the bottom one holding the slave cylinder bracket being hard to get at. I'm not sure how you are meant to remove it without disassembling other bits. For a start I managed to get it started and coming loose with ratchet ring spanner - 1/24 of a turn at a time. Then had a brain wave and got it most of the rest of the way with a 3/8" drive socket and two wobble extensions with a miniature ratchet handle between the gearbox and the transfer case extension. As the nut came off the angle on the wobble extensions became unworkable and the last couple of turns were by poking it round with a long screwdriver. All this leaning in through the driver's door. I think I might take the low range lever off to put the nut back on!

This left me with a headache, so I have knocked off for the day/ I need to split some wood and light the fire anyway, after I have smoko.

[JDNSW]

Sorry about the hiatus. Tuesday spent going to town, but Wednesday I finally got the engine out - and most of Thursday getting it fitted to my engine stand. Today was mostly spent cleaning things up, although I did start on that yesterday.

With fifty years of oil/soil mix removed from the bits you can't get at with the engine in place, I wonder if the reduced weight will improve performance and fuel economy?

171089
Got the engine out.
171091

The coolant leak turns out to not be the welch plug that I got a replacement for, but another one next to it that does not feature in my parts book and that All 4xfour do not have. I will see if I can get one in town on Tuesday, otherwise I will have to make one.

[JDNSW]

I didn't get anything done at all on this today. I got a call from my nephew in the village 6km away to tell me that his sister's house a block from him had burnt down. A great niece of mine and her husband driving home from nightshift in Dubbo saw the fire and called 000. They found my niece, with her dog, sitting in the gutter. They woke up my nephew, and he called another sister who lives 5km away. The house, a historic place, built as the stationmaster's house in around 1930, became the schoolteacher's house, when the station was demanned in 1940, and when the school closed in the early sixties was sold into private ownership. My niece, late fifties and single, has lived there for over twenty years.

I drove down there early this morning. The RFS was just finishing damping down, with five trucks there, and I was able to get information from the local crew, most of whom I know. The house, made of cypress pine, is totally gone - all that is left is twisted roofing iron and the metal water tanks, plus a brick chimney.

Her total possessions as of this morning consists of a nightgown, a dog, a car, but no keys (separate garage), and a trailer. Probably a lawnmower and garden tools as well, the garden shed survived. Her sister took her to Dunedoo hospital with low blood pressure, but she was discharged late this morning. She is staying at least temporarily with her sister and b-i-l. A major issue is that she is totally deaf, and has lost the electronics for her cochlear implants. And of course, has lost all her ID, phone, computer, laptop, etc.

I hope to get back to the car in a few days - I still need some parts, but there is work I could be doing.

[Cadas]

That’s awful news, glad she is ok though.

[JDNSW]

I have been doing a bit, but nothing really to report on, mainly degreasing and general cleaning. I managed to get a replacement welch plug for the smaller one in town. I have also replaced the alternator stay and the fan belt (easier to do with the engine out). Also removed the clutch and tried unsuccessfully to remove the pilot bush. It seems to be unworn and in good shape, so I will clean out the grease I used to try and get it out, and reoil it. Both pressure plate and flywheel surface are in virtually perfect condition. Since I removed the starter to make it easier to wash the flywheel housing out, I washed the bendix drive in turps to remove the oil (who did that?) and dusted it with graphite. Both it and the ring gear look perfect. As far as I can remember the starter has never been off in the nearly thirty years I have owned it.

Today I finally got to the welch plugs First thing I found was that the welch plug I got by mail order was the wrong size. Fortunately, I also found when I cleaned it up, that it is bronze, and does not need replacing. When I cleaned up the smaller one, a hole about 2mm across became visible. Only a light tap was needed to get a screwdriver size hole in it. Levering it out was not easy, due to the restricted access - the flywheel housing is bolted to the engine stand to leave access for the clutch, which means it is constraining access to the welch plugs. Still need to do a bit of cleaning up - I think I have a suitable size wire brush wheel - somewhere!

[JDNSW]

Another setback. Found the small wire brush and cleaned up the hole - and found I had mismeasured the size of the welch plug! It is 1" (or so close that it has to be that).

It is problem living 60km out of town with no mail delivery. I'll get one when I go into town on Thursday to get my covid vaccination. And this means I probably won't get the engine back in before I have to go to Sydney to see a specialist next week and probably not before going to Yass for a grandchild's birthday. just after the long weekend!

[whitehillbilly64]

Hi John.
I found the 'correct' one inch (25.4 mm) brass plug to tight when I tried to put them in last week on a 79 S3 2 1/4 Petrol.
I could get them to start and It was cutting the out side edge. Went to my local engine rebuilders and we decided on 25mm (63/64's) brass plugs, which was still very tight to fit to tap in.

whitehillbilly

[JDNSW]

I can do one better - I have now thoroughly cleaned the hole to bright metal, and measured it with vernier calipers. It is actually 15/16". I'm going to town tomorrow to get a covid test, so I'll see if I can get one, and one you tried (63/64") as a backup. At worst I can make one, or turn down a 1" one. Thanks for the heads up.

[JDNSW]

Well, I spent the whole day in town yesterday. Nobody had a 15/16ths" (24mm) welch plug. I tried my mechanic, who went through his collection without luck. He also had an online ability to check stock at all the suppliers in town. And none of them had any. However he has a friend who does engine overhauls on his farm about halfway home for me, and he phoned and arranged for me to get one on the way home.

Which I did. I have yet to insert it - seem to have had phone calls all morning.

[JDNSW]

Well, got the welch plug in this morning. Not without difficulty - the engine stand limits access to it. Also installed new fuel pump that I have had for a while - the old one works fine, just leaks oil.

[mick88]

G'day John,
interesting thread to follow, nothing ever goes exactly to plan, or at lest not straight up, and every ten minute job takes an hour.
The last time I pulled my series three down to fit another engine and a new clutch i anticipated having it off the road for about a fortnight,
however after a few other bits and pieces that were sorted along the way, it ended up blowing out to over four weeks.
The colour of your engine is an unusual one.

Cheers, Mick.

[JDNSW]

According to the plate on the side of it it was overhauled in 1987, which was probably just before it was demobbed - I bought it in 1990 (I think).

Yesterday fitted the clutch, cleaned up the studs that screwed out of the flywheel housing rather than letting go of their nuts, running a die over the thread and a tap through the nut where necessary.

Nothing substantial done today, just a lot of little things - fixing better support for some of the wiring, making a new firewall to engine earth, replacing the engine mounts, rewrapping part of the main loom, that sort of thing.

Nothing will get done for about a week - Tuesday I am off to Sydney to see the bloke who cut my ear of, and make sure it has not spread. Going down on the XPT and returning Friday.

[1950landy]

Well, got the welch plug in this morning. Not without difficulty - the engine stand limits access to it. Also installed new fuel pump that I have had for a while - the old one works fine, just leaks oil.

Is that another welch plug in the back of the head ? Will you be replacing it while it is out?

[JDNSW]

Yes, it is, and no, I'm not replacing it while the engine is out. For a couple of reasons - removing the head with the engine in situ is just as easy as while it is out, and that is in an even worse position relative to the engine stand.

The position of the engine stand relative to the engine was made to allow access to the clutch - doing it again I probably could have made the clutch a bit harder to get at, but still manage, and made the welch plugs easy - hindsight is wonderful! Last time I did a clutch by pulling an engine out I did not have an engine stand, so this my first experience using a stand.

[JDNSW]

This exercise reminds me that at the 70th at Cooma I was talking to the elderly owner of a Series 1 who had prepared for his drive home with a leaking welch plug on the back of the engine by putting a block of softwood against the back of the engine held in place by a couple of turns of fencing wire around the block lengthwise, and twitched tight. He said he had done the same in Africa decades ago.

[JDNSW]

Nothing for the rest of the week - off tomorrow to Sydney for a medical appointment. Should be back Friday. Got nothing done today, getting packed and making sure everything was set for my absence.

[JDNSW]

Got back on Friday, and had to spend Saturday getting some firewood and trying to get the house warmed up. Back onto the 2a yesterday and today.

Did a bit of tidying up of the engine bay, and spent most of Sunday afternoon freeing two exhaust pipe studs from their nuts, and replacing the studs in the manifold, plus some minor changes to the lifting tackle, and attaching the RH engine mount and its foot to the engine. Today got the engine in place and largely bolted in. Except for the two almost impossible stud nuts on the flywheel housing behind the front prop shaft and transfer lever. They are still to do.

There is surprisingly little clearance getting the engine in - the exhaust pipe against the starter pushes it to the right, and then the other side catches on the engine mount bracket on the chassis. And the LH engine mount is an issue - it is almost impossible to get the engine aligned with the gearbox with it attached to either the engine or the chassis, and almost impossible to lift the engine enough to get it in place after the gearbox is bolted up (but I did manage this).

The first two pictures show it being prepared to put in, and the third shows the three guide studs I used to help align the input shaft with the clutch and flywheel. These were simply 3/8"W coach bolts with the heads cut off and the ends slotted to make it easy to get them out. The locations were chosen from where the studs had come out when removing the engine, but making sure they were in locations where it would be easy to get them out and put the proper studs in.

171551171552171553

[drfish]

Nice work John, hope you won’t have to do that again for a while. I like the idea with the 3/8 W studs for alignment [emoji106]

[JDNSW]

Nice work John, hope you won’t have to do that again for a while. I like the idea with the 3/8 W studs for alignment [emoji106]

Thanks, that is why I put in the special picture of them. Just makes life easier, without a lot of trouble.

[mick88]

Good job John.
Sturdy looking gantry system you have there.
That big RSJ wouldn't even know the two and a quarter was swinging on it.

Cheers, Mick.

[JDNSW]

Well, today back into it! A little bit anyway. Got the remaining two nuts on the bell housing fitted and done up. The bottom one of the three that also hold the bracket for the slave cylinder was the real pain. This is almost impossible with the front prop shaft in place. Not wishing to remove this, I removed the transfer lever. With this removed, it is merely difficult, using a 12" wobble extension and a very fine ratchet lever. Getting the nut started was the real problem.

Just as well I removed the transfer lever - the pivot bolt was worn almost halfway through. The anti-rattle spring is pretty worn too, I think I'll see if I can find one of them.

Also degreased the radiator from where it overflowed with bars leaks in the radiator after I failed to replace the radiator cap by accident when I was keeping it going with the coolant leak while waiting for parts and time!

[drfish]

Well, today back into it! A little bit anyway. Got the remaining two nuts on the bell housing fitted and done up. The bottom one of the three that also hold the bracket for the slave cylinder was the real pain. This is almost impossible with the front prop shaft in place. Not wishing to remove this, I removed the transfer lever. With this removed, it is merely difficult, using a 12" wobble extension and a very fine ratchet lever. Getting the nut started was the real problem.

Just as well I removed the transfer lever - the pivot bolt was worn almost halfway through. The anti-rattle spring is pretty worn too, I think I'll see if I can find one of them.

Also degreased the radiator from where it overflowed with bars leaks in the radiator after I failed to replace the radiator cap by accident when I was keeping it going with the coolant leak while waiting for parts and time!

I have found the small fingers and hands of my 10 year old son are extremely helpful in just this type of situation. It’s a good way for him to earn his pocket money!

[JDNSW]

I had thought of this - I have my 11yo grand daughter here at the moment, but she has decisively declined the opportunity to learn mechanicing, much to my disappointment. Should have been very suitable - my d-i-l and all her offspring have unusually small hands! She (11yo) is actually quite helpful, for example worked well yesterday loading firewood while I was chainsawing it. I will continue to work on her to gain this assistance.

[JDNSW]

Got back to some work on the 2a this morning. Completed (except LH mudguard is still off) reconnecting the wiring for the front lights etc, including some minor improvements. A bit difficult because most of the colour codes on the wires seem to be missing, and temporarily installed the battery and checked operation. No unwanted smoke, and the lights seem to work.

A bit more complicated than the original, since I have added a headlight relay behind the grille. Had difficulty with this - it has screw terminals, and it is a bit hard to start these small screws when your fingers are so cold you can't feel them, and working in the cavity in front of the radiator.

Edit: This keyboard drops letters and misspells!

[JDNSW]

Got a bit more done - got sidetracked by the need to cut wood for the fire and by the weather being a bit unpleasant.

Back to it today. I am taking advantage of the fact that the floor is out to replace the gearlever base with one that is fitted for a reverse light switch. So first step was to remove the gear lever assembly from a 1981 S3 I have the remains of, and start cleaning it up. While this was soaking in degreaser, I removed the gear lever assembly from the 2a. The gear levers are not interchangeable (different bends), but everything else is.

I then completely disassembled both bits. as well as fitting the steel bracket that includes the hole for the reverse light switch, I am using the alloy casting from the S3 and the special steel washer below the ball, as both of these are quite worn on the S2a. Tomorrow I will have to make a new special bolt to stop the lever twisting, as both of them have excessive wear. It is just a 1/4"UNF bolt of the right length qith the thread turned off for about the last three millimetres. While at it I will do the wiring for the reversing light, and at some stage I will have to get a light. I am thinking of using a Defender one - I have a new one I was planning to use to replace the one on the 110, which is looking a bit tired.

[JDNSW]

Yesterday, got the gearlever installed. Took a lot longer than I expected, as I found that there is a different reverse baulk flap on the Series 3 to operate the reverse switch. Rather than getting the bit off the S3 (it is 150m away, its blowing a gale, freezing cold, looks like rain, and my knee is playing up) I made a small bracket to be held on the existing one, fastened by the adjusting screw locknut. Twice! It is very small, and I put it down somewhere while I went to the vehicle with dividers to check exactly where the hole had to be.

Filled the cooling system and started the engine - after fixing the petrol leak from the filter between the pump and the carburettor (I wonder how long that has been leaking, maybe that is why the consumption is a bit high? ). It is not clear why it was leaking, it was not moved or touched when the engine came out. It has a glass tube with a washer each end and the whole thing screws together. Maybe the washers shrank a little with no fuel for a few weeks. And the battery was not too good, and it was cold, so reluctant to run.

[JDNSW]

Took a couple of pictures to go with the previous post.
172482172483

[JDNSW]

Spent a good part of the day running a wire to the back from the switch just installed. To protect it I ran a length of the black pipe used for garden drippers through the spaces where the cross ribs under the tub go under the lengthways ribs. Most of the time was spent looking for the roll of pipe. It was not where I thought I saw it a few weeks ago! Of course, when I found it, having looked in many likely and unlikely places, it struck me immediately "Oh of course! That's where I saw it."

And the wire was a lot less enthusiastic about being pushed through it than I thought it would be!

Now just got to run a wire from the other side of the switch to the fusebox (ignition switched fused accessories), a lot simpler job. But first I will have to cut some more wood in the morning before it rains.

[JDNSW]

Finished the reverse light wiring and reinstalled the floor.

And it is possible to get the driver's floor panel in without major disassembly or bending anything - tuck the back edge in under the handbrake rest the front edge on the brake and clutch pedals - and push these pedals down. You may have to slacken off a couple of brake adjusters!

[JDNSW]

Yesterday got the LH mudguard on and also the bonnet. Sounds simple but the mudguard in particular is definitely not easy on your own. and getting everything lined up was also not easy.

A couple of tricks that might help others.

1. The attachment to the radiator support is by two steel strips with one and three bolts welded to them. These can be held in place but still able to be moved in the slots by a suitable piece of plastic hose wedged behind them.

2. One of the most difficult things without a helper is the bolts that attach the splash panel from the top of the mudguard to the footwell. The top I have long ago replaced the bolt and nut with speednuts clipped on the flange on the mudguard, and this time I have dreamed up what seems to be the best way to hold the bolts in the footwell while you put the nuts and washers on them, and also stop them turning. Hold the bolt in place with a powerful magnet. Even more conveniently I used a gadget that I got to hold the dial gauge for adjusting wheel bearings - it has a magnetic base, which can be turned on and off just by turning a knob.

Of course there were other issues - for example, the four special bolts that hold the guard onto the vertical edge of the bulkhead are not all the same spanner size - two are 1/2", the other two are 1/4"W. These are so close that the only way of identifying them is to try a spanner on them! But different enough that a twelve point socket will not turn the smaller one if you get the wrong size, or won't go on the bigger one if you get the wrong size.

All I have left now is to replace the tool tray under the centre seat, fit the cushions, put a blind grommet on a hole in the footwell (not sure why it is there, never had anything attached there since I owned it - possibly a stop bolt for the accelerator on LHD), adjust the bonnet catch if necessary, replace the grille, and fit the bullbar.

Should get all that today. I may fit the reversing light if I decide to fit the one I have, but I need to get some wood before it gets cold again in a couple of days.

[JDNSW]

Got the job finished today,although I have not fitted a reversing light. I'm going to town on Tuesday (first time in three weeks, running out of some things), so if I have a chance I'll see what I can find rather than use the one I bought to replace the one on the County.

Biggest holdup on getting the job finished was finding the bolts for the bullbar. I had carefully put them somewhere safe. Eventually found them - disguised in a Milo tin about six inches from where the bullbar was leaning against a table, on the table, in plain view! I spent about an hour looking for them, part of this going through my stock of bolts looking for suitable ones to use instead. (Needed, ten 2"x1/2" UNF bolts, nuts and spring washers, two with flat washers.

[JDNSW]

And finally - the reversing light!

It is mounted using one of the bolts holding the tub to the rear crossmember. The biggest problem was undoing the bolt, which had rusted on the bit of thread sticking out of the nut. Then I had to find a new bolt and nut!

I have mounted it just above the LH hand grip/bumper to protect it, although it has a sturdy diecast body.
173007

[Cadas]

Doesn’t a reversing light take the fun out of it

Now they know you are coming at them.

[drfish]

And finally - the reversing light!

It is mounted using one of the bolts holding the tub to the rear crossmember. The biggest problem was undoing the bolt, which had rusted on the bit of thread sticking out of the nut. Then I had to find a new bolt and nut!

I have mounted it just above the LH hand grip/bumper to protect it, although it has a sturdy diecast body.
173007

It’s a good job you’ve done there John, but I was curious why you went to so much trouble - are you particularly safety conscious, or spend a lot of time reversing [emoji6]?

Cheers,

Matt

[JDNSW]

I usually only take it in to town for the annual pink slip, but seeing most parking in Dubbo is nose in parking, I do a lot of reversing into traffic when I do. And every trip I get very anxious about someone not realising I am reversing, especially since the rear visibility is not too good with the canvas on.

It is something I have been going to do for years, but I just seized the opportunity when I had the floor out for the other work, and hence access to the gearlever base. Running the wiring was pretty trivial.

[drfish]

I usually only take it in to town for the annual pink slip, but seeing most parking in Dubbo is nose in parking, I do a lot of reversing into traffic when I do. And every trip I get very anxious about someone not realising I am reversing, especially since the rear visibility is not too good with the canvas on.

It is something I have been going to do for years, but I just seized the opportunity when I had the floor out for the other work, and hence access to the gearlever base. Running the wiring was pretty trivial.

That makes a lot of sense, you don’t want to risk that beautiful car being damaged by some inattentive or careless driver!