Thread: A well used 80''called Klonk

Erich. Yes all the followers are worn through the chrome not quite as bad as the photographed one but well past it. As John said I don't think the oil was changed very often, the sump was ugly, lots of grit and sludge thicker under the oil pump screen.

1950landy. Thanks might send Keith a PM , I have been watching his post. Klonk looks new compaired to what he started with.

Spent time after work today washing parts in the parts washer, head, cam,followers etc. I put the parts in the washer this morning and let them go round all day and gave them a good scrub up tonight. There are 4 blokes at work into speedway racing they were amazed at the size of the intake valves and ports in the head. Our apprentice was stumped,he couldn't work out how the engine worked with just one valve.

Cheers Steve

Originally Posted by klonk

Our apprentice was stumped,he couldn't work out how the engine worked with just one valve.

Cheers Steve

Had a good laugh when I read the above.....

Thought Id better give you an update of what has been happening in klonks shed , as its been awhile.











Yep that about covers it!

Too much work, sick of pushing spanners 7 days aweek and half the nights as well. 3 nights this week I got home at 10pm. Never mind summer will be over soon and no more A/C repairs to machinery.

However Ive started on a plan. Seeing as the engine is waiting for repair I have started to play with it abit. Starting with the cylinder head ports. Ports that size really need a pair of webbers attached . The carb fitted to klonk is off a 2 ltr motor so I thought that I may aswell make use of the extra 2 mm of choke size and increased air flow. So nothing scientific or calculated just a good old fashioned smooth up of the intake ports, an improved intake manifold and a custom built header to match the improved exaust ports. Easy!
Dont think Ill do any other mods maybe a balance job if there is any budget left after the overhaul.
So photos are of before and after the cleanup of the intake ports, abit more to go yet, but Im not going to make them bigger, just clean them up abit.

Cheers Steve

Originally Posted by Tomo

Had a good laugh when I read the above.....

hi tomo parts on there way jim

Finally got over the disappointment of the worn out engine, Id shut the shed door in disgust and walked away. Now the air/con work has slowed down and finally some spare time. Id ordered gearbox parts earlier in the year, so sent parts to the machine shop for repair and had everything back ready to put together.
The transferbox front housing had badly worn selector shaft holes so the machine shop put brass sleeves into the housing now they are nice and snug again.
The needle bearing spigot on the g/box main shaft was starting to go through the hardening as they do, so I machined it down on the lathe at work and pressed a hardened sleeve on from the bearing shop. the new sleeve is alot harder than the original.
Next was the lay shaft. The front nut was loose when I pulled it apart and so the sleeve and gears had worn badly, so machined the gear faces flat on the lathe and built up the end of the sleeve with the mig and machined it to size so everything was tightened with the nut again. I replaced the layshaft with a second hand one as well as the splines were worn.
The syncro hub was also checked and was useable, the three centering springs were replaced with some good second hand ones from a mates spares box and the syncro cones were lapped together with their mating gears using course valve grinding paste. If you have never done this trick before you need to. Before you do it take the syncro and gear, put them together and twist which you will probably be able to do. Then apply paste to the gears cone surface, sit the cones together and give them about six twists backwards and forwards, clean the paste off, put them back together and twist, now try and get them apart. no more gear crunches now.
Assembly went well, remembered to seal the outside of the bearing and seal holder in the back of the gearbox, otherwise gearbox oil ends up in the transfer box.
Transfer box was straight forward but needed to reshim the new speedo housing bearings.
Gearstick wasnt forgotten,I built up the ball on the bottom to get rid of most of the free travel and made up a new grub screw that goes in the slot to stop the stick from turning, nice and tight now.

Continued next post

Continued from previous post.

To stop dirt and sand wearing out the transfer box selector shafts again I made up a dust seal to cover them. Its made from closed cell foam off an old trampoline edge mat. The 80'' transfer boxes dont have ''o''rings on the selector shafts to seal them like the later ones. Hope it works!

And just to prove I wasnt sitting around sulking about the engine, I did abit of paving to take my mind off it. Sometimes I wish Id gone fishing or to the pub instead and payed someone else to do it.
Had to use a crusher dust base and cement dust under each paver so they wont move when walked on due to having the gravel between them, which ment each paver had to be leveled and checked. Finished it off this weekend cutting the angles.

Cheers Steve

Well this week I had to bite the bullet and take the leap. Time to start reassembling all the pieces. The shed was cleared. David my son and his mate Angus were called upon to help. Soon klonks chassis was dusted off and sitting on stands in the middle of the shed. Springs and shackles were fitted and axel housings sitting in place. After all the cutting and welding of the chassis everything slid into place nicely, only one front centerbolt needed abit of help to get into the hole. Next the ubolts were fitted and tightened and then front and rear diffs and axels were fitted along with the front hubs and brake plates.

To make room in the shed I fitted the bulkhead to get it out of the road along with the fuel tank. About that time I started to feel like a kid in a lollie shop, picking parts off the shelf and bolting it together. All the unseen work cleaning, painting and bagging of parts really payed off, especially the bolts.

Continued next post

Continued from previous post.


While the serial no's were accessible budding artist daughter Catherine was called in to highlight the numbers.

Next was the brakes. On assembly I noticed that the drums had been machined oversize, so looks like Im going to have to get oversize linings fitted to the new shoes, its the cheaper option, unless I can find some second hand drums.
Today I made a start on the brake lines. Im using 3/16'' lines instead of 1/4'' due using later more common wheel cylinders. So made up the flex lines to the front wheels. The original joiners and fittings are used as I bought special adapter nuts for the end of each steel pipe. now just need to find a double flaring tool to finish them. Our brake shop charges $5 per flare to do them so its not too bad but there is 14 of them.

Best organise a wiring harness soon, then start fitting the bulkhead fixings etc. Lots to do now!

Cheers Steve