Thread: My 1955 86" rebuild.

Another warm day here, just like most places in Oz at the moment, the good wife had to go into Maitland this morning, so I went along as I needed to replace a part on the grinder that was damaged yesterday, went to all the wrong places though LOL , anyway while we were in the vicinity I took the opportunity to buy a small selection of nuts/bolts/square section spring washers etc that I needed for the job, and unfortunately fraction sizes for some bolts are no longer available, so I had to buy them a tad over length and shorten them in the lathe to suit

these are for the rear propellor shaft 1 1/8" in length (well they are now LOL) I bought enough to do both prop/shafts.
After lunch I set about refitting the prop/shaft and the exhaust system, gee doesn't Black paint and rubber attract the heat phew , trying to keep legs n arms off the hot metal was a delicate balancing act .
After finishing those jobs off, I jacked up the front this afternoon removed the front wheels

and was going to get into replacing the Spindle housings as they are pitted, not overly bad but I didn't like the look of them and as I have some really good ones here I thought I might as well swap them over, but the heat got to me, so It's going to have to wait, and with Australia Day next weekend, if I have a dead vehicle with NO wheels I might not be able to access anything, anyway that's been my day, cheers Dennis
ps Wrinklearthur, mate I'm not sure what type Makita, but it has the on/off switch up near the top of the grinder, my better quality Metabo has a better type of switch, as soon as you ease off your grip it stops, but I don't have any cup wire wheels to suit the thread on the Metabo,,.

It was much cooler 29c after 1900hrs and the work area was shaded, so I ventured back out and stripped the brake assembly off the RHS front,

and while I was at it, run the 9/16"BSF die nut over the wheel studs, and a tap through the wheel nuts, that's a little bit more that I won't have to do tomorrow, cheers Dennis

Well after a quick 5k walk, I have taken the LHS to pieces while it was still shaded, a few hits with a brass hammer on the brake drum and it was off, wel it was only 0645hrs, now to move on a few other items, cheers Dennis

I couldn't do what I wanted to do yesterday as we had some precipitation (not much) but enough to put a damper on things, so I got stuck into a couple of jobs for the good wife, I modified the wall hose mount and mounted two water feeders for her bantams.
This morning it was clear @ 0600hrs so off I went for a short 5k walk, then B/fast etc. We picked up the rear wheel cylinders in Maitland, they have been sleeved in S/steel, so starting with the LHS rear, I started to re-assemble it. Wrong, the anchor pin for the shoes was wobbling all over the place, loose so I thought, wrong again. After taking it off, I wasn't sure if it was U/S, the nut would not pull it up tight, so I made up a spacer washer to take it up tight

it is now very tight and the assembly + RHS are now back in place.
The chassis still needs to be repainted from the fuel tank forwards, but I have the B/head sitting up there, so not to be outdone, I dis-assembled the handbrake, removing all the loose paint etc, etch primed and painted it (dis-assembled)

after masking off what had to be, I let loose with some Gloss Black on the chassis

still a small amount of paint left, so I grit blasted the plates that hold the axle limit straps + bolts

After cleaning the gun it was still early, and with more precipitation on the way (raining ATM pouring in fact) I decided to mix some DBG and paint the alloy panels that are affixed to the door tops, both have been painted on one side, and the small alloy stiffening panels R & L of the door frames (no images of same) also painted a Pyrene fire ext bracket for 113-372 as well, anyway that's been my day, cheers Dennis

After a short 5k walk this morning early, I re-assembled the hand brake, the push knob still needs to be grit blasted and painted, chroming is out of the question, ridiculous money

Last Thursday I bought a brass bristle wire wheel, so I could get up under the roll on top of the wings, it worked good enough, so after that I etch primed both outer wings. Next items on the agenda were the alloy panels for the door tops, some careful masking so as not to get overspray, mix some DBG and apply

that's one of them, and that is the backhead of the boiler on my P class loco you can see in the background. A quick wipe over with some 600 wet n dry and the outer wings were ready for a coating of DBG (to preserve them)

I still had a small amount of paint left over, so out with this Jerry can and in no time it was recoated and hanging out to dry

the wind has picked up since midday, so not a lot has happened since, although I must say, the good wife has mowed the lawn today and allowed me to play, anyway cheers Dennis
ps all the cardboard boxes are used/cut up to paint nuts/bolts etc or lay something on it to paint, when the job is over it will all get recycled,,.

My trades assistant didn't want to go anywhere today in a Series Land Rover, I had ideas of driving to Newcastle in the gunbuggy, to see the Black Cat low fly over the harbour. Anyway I put it to her that in view of that she has to help me fit 52 rivets to the door tops, she didn't flinch LOL, here they are

here is my set up for setting this type of rivet

and the rivet/s

after lunch I took her for a short drive out through the Aberdare S/forest, gee the tracks through there are deeply rutted, it will be the next area closed off, anyway that's been part of my day, cheers Dennis

Looking good Dennis.

Another warm one here today, like most parts of the state. A bit slow off the mark this morning making phone calls about something that was going to happen but won't now, anyway such is!!
With my wife helping, we removed the bonnet and lifted the bulkhead off the chassis,

then I removed the front bumper bar and radiator etc, jacked it up remove wheels and secure the chassis on stands. A quick wash with some soapy water and blow off with air, mix some hi-gloss black paint and apply to chassis

while I had black paint in the gun, I grit blasted some of the items that belong with the accelerator pedal etc, etch primed and painted gloss black

the radiator was next, it is a new one, but after sitting around for the last 8 or so years it has got very dusty, so a quick blow off n brush and a coat of hi-gloss black, it looks new again

all items are now dry, what with the heat and the hardener LOL it doesn't take long.
Still a few more items to paint, radiator shroud and bolts etc, and the steering column, anyway that's been my day, cheers Dennis