Walter the Dormobile

I was under the Dormobile tonight removing the rear propshaft so I can inspect the handbrake shoes, these are usually covered in oil and I had noticed the odd drip from the backplate.

While under there I realised that the Dormobile tool tray under the seat will stop me fitting the Rocky Mountain overdrive ! I'll have to inspect the tool tray and see if I can make a modified one to clear the overdrive.

On the plus side the handbrake shoes were dry (old riveted linings), the catcher is doing it's job and diverting oil away which means I need to replace the seal while I'm in there. I'll also check the propshaft UJ's & sliding joint.


Colin

I made a custom tray out of aluminium angle and sheet aluminium. Maybe not as elegant, but it works.

Are you planning on having this ready for Cooma next year?

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Originally Posted by 86mud

Are you planning on having this ready for Cooma next year?

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Basically yes, but there's always something that gets in the way...... like another LR project.

It starts & drives, engine & gearbox were re-conditioned years back, brakes have been overhauled just a few rigid pipes to makes.
Headlining is underway, seats need stripping & recovering, seatbelt install to finish.


Colin

I was laying on the floor of the garage tonight, underneath the Dormobile removing the gearbox front output shaft seal housing.
Dirt falling in my face, struggling to find a 1/4W OE spanner that would fit and swing in the limited space available.
Getting out from under was a struggle each time and it took several different spanners plus removing the drivers floor to get the job done
It crossed my mind, is this an enjoyable hobby or some form of masochism ?

I guess it's the challenge, fixing things yourself and, hopefully, the end result.....

Anyway, seal housing cleaned up, original leather seal removed and I found a seal 'in stock'.
Maybe back under the Dormobile tomorrow night to refit.

The front propshaft is next, a quick check over and new slip-joint seal.

Colin

Replaced one of the front driveshaft UJ's. Just a small amount of play but decided best to replace it before it fails.
Plenty of grease in it but a series of angled grooves in two of the bearing cups. I've seen this wear pattern in the past and wondered why it's at an angle ?

New slip-joint seal fitted, painted and will install next week.

Colin

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Originally Posted by gromit

Replaced one of the front driveshaft UJ's. Just a small amount of play but decided best to replace it before it fails.
Plenty of grease in it but a series of angled grooves in two of the bearing cups. I've seen this wear pattern in the past and wondered why it's at an angle ?

New slip-joint seal fitted, painted and will install next week.

Colin

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Just a guess, but if there is wear on the needles, cups, and pins, this would allow the needles to tilt as there is now free play. The direction of tilt is presumably dependent on which way the joint is torqued. Which will tend to be mostly the same way - i.e. the front shaft is being driven by the diff most of the time, and the reverse for the rear shaft.

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Originally Posted by JDNSW

Just a guess, but if there is wear on the needles, cups, and pins, this would allow the needles to tilt as there is now free play. The direction of tilt is presumably dependent on which way the joint is torqued. Which will tend to be mostly the same way - i.e. the front shaft is being driven by the diff most of the time, and the reverse for the rear shaft.

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John,
As the bearings oscillate I wonder why the needles would tilt one way ? When I've seen this before I wondered if a needle roller was missing but as you say, wear will allow enough room for the needles to tilt. Odd that two opposite ones had grooves, the other two were OK.

It was lucky I detected the tiny amount of play, the UJ the other end had seals, this one had steel cups and felt so possibly an original ?

Colin

Colin,

The bearings oscillate, but as I mentioned, the load on them is usually the same way, either driving the axle or being driven by it, and my guess is that it is this that determines which way the needles tilt. But whether they are able to tilt will depend on how much wear there is, and this is almost certainly dependent on how much grit has got in over the years, and how little grease.

Moved the passenger seat tonight and the tray under the seat that's in the way of fitting an overdrive is steel so easy to modify or re-manufacture

Battery is under the bonnet but there is also a battery well under the passenger seat, maybe for a 'house' battery.
There's also a tool roll that the previous owner must have missed, I'd seen it under the seat but hadn't bothered to investigate.

At some point I need to work out where to mount a small gas bottle underneath. Originally it was under the drivers seat but an auxilliary fuel tank has been fitted there. At present there is a gas bottle in the wardrobe !!

When the weather improves I need to move it outside, weld up some holes in the B pillars where someone has fitted seatbelts and fit some rivets into the holes in the roof where I removed some aluminium brackets fitted by a previous owner.

I should probably make a list and start ticking things off.


Colin