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After trawling the internet and my photo archive, in case anyone is interested, this is the best I can show the difference between the Zenith (right) and the Solex (left) bell crank assemblies. For the Zenith carb, when you push the accelerator pedal, the throttle lever is pulled down. For the Solex it is pushed up.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...017/12/225.jpg
Quote:
Originally Posted by 68s2alwb
Argh, can't see how to edit my post. The Zenith is left, Solex is right.
Hi all.
I've been absent for a bit - other things just got in the way of doing anything on my LR. Since my last post I visited Rod, picked up a bunch of needed bits, got the vehicles dash installation and wiring 90% done (made my own looms), put in and plumbed the fuel tank and bolted up the truck cab.
Finally getting the roof on really transformed the look of the vehicle - it's almost looking complete now. I bought the fuel tank from Paddocks a while back along with a bunch of other stuff. It was listed as suitable/fitting both short and long wheelbases. Well it didn't fit until I got a local radiator shop to relocate the filler neck ~40mm closer towards the rear of the tank.
The truck cab bolted up all nice and square without much hassle at all. I sealed the top of the windscreen frame to the roof with a 20mm wide, 3mm thick rubber strip from Clark Rubber and a little clear silicone for good measure. 20mm W, 6mm thick compressible foam strip was used to seal the bottom of the windscreen frame to the bulkhead. For the upper half of the truck cab rear I was supplied the same part# rubber channel seal for both the top and the bottom. The top seal fitting (to the roof) was fine, but it didn't make much sense for the bottom, so I ended up buying (also from Clark Rubber) a strip of this expensive 25mm-square-cross-section EPDM sponge seal and cut/notched to fit.
All of the cab assembly far far was worked out well, with the exception of the aftermarket door tops I bought. They are utter garbage. After much manipulation and twisting I managed to get the left hand one to at least fit bolt up reasonably square, but there is no hope for the right hand one. I've attached a picture to show just how bad it is - you basically cannot close the door as the door top angled edge hits against the windscreen frame and cuts through the rubber seals well before the door is closed. I tried to gently manipulate this door top frame, but it immediately started to break apart along some of the welds. These door tops weren't prepped/undercoated both inside out by the manufacturer either and seem to be made of a grade of steel that instantly dissolves to iron oxide when in contact with moisture. Before trying to fit up I washed the frames and a little water invariably leaked to the insides. ~24 hours later when I picked them up and tilted utterly brown water leaked out.
If these door tops actually fitted to an acceptable quality I could have them acid dipped & primer dipped (eg by a company such as Minus Paint here in SA) and then repainted, but as they stand with their warped dimensions they are totally unfit for purpose. Not sure what to do at this stage. IIRC these tops cost me $180 each plus freight. With prep and paint I'm easily in north of $600 for junk not fit for purpose. I think sourcing some original Series 2(A) door tops that aren't rusted out and buggered might be difficult. Can anyone advise if, say, S3 or even Defender door tops would bolt up to and fit my S2A doors?
Now hoping to get this truck on the road before the end of the year. I guess I can take my time if required sourcing and restoring replacement second hand door tops as having those missing won't prevent the vehicle from being driven - might just be a little bit drafty inside, that's all :)
http://www.glensstuff.com/landrover/lr900.jpg
http://www.glensstuff.com/landrover/lr901.jpg
http://www.glensstuff.com/landrover/lr902.jpg
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http://www.glensstuff.com/landrover/lr904.jpg
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Door tops, while not identical, are interchangeable from Series 2 through to the last soft top coil sprung ones.
Are you sure it's the door tops and not an alignment issue elsewhere ? I've fitted several aftermarket doortops without any issues.Quote:
Originally Posted by 68s2alwb
I'd find someone locally who has a Series II or III and offer one of your door tops up to see if there are any dimensional differences.
Colin
Quote:
Originally Posted by JDNSW
Thanks, that's good to know. I'm not really familiar with anything later than a S3 though, but coil sprung would have to be Defender? Up to what year?
Quote:
Originally Posted by gromit
Hmm, here is where I'm at after a little bit of playing this evening. I slightly bent the fixed mounting bolts for the right hand door top in an attempt to get it to bolt down at less of an inwards angle and put about 3mm of washers under the top door hinge where it bolts to the bulkhead. Wow, what a difference that ~3mm makes. When closed the top of the door leading vertical edge now sits about 0.5mm proud of the outer face of the bulkhead. The bottom of the same edge sits flush. Not spacers/washers are fitted to the bottom hinge.
I think this is about as good as I'll be able to get it overall, which I guess would be acceptable if it wasn't for the other quality issues with these door tops. Being 1960s Datsun-quality steel and unpainted on the inside I think they will rust out in no time. It would likely be more economical to source and later pair of good condition secondhand door tops and just have them repainted, than to have these aftermarket top treated properly.
http://www.glensstuff.com/landrover/lr906.jpg
I haven't found any that are painted on the inside.Quote:
Originally Posted by 68s2alwb
I've been masking up the holes and then tipping paint inside the frame and rolling around so it's all covered inside. Then hang it to drain.
I did the same with the repaired door frames.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4277/...49275c7a_z.jpgDSCN3291 by Colin Radley, on Flickr
Colin
2016 was the last Defender, but I am not sure when the last soft top ones were made - the most recent ones you are likely to find in this country are the ex-army Perenties - as far as I know, no coil sprung soft top Landrovers have ever been sold to civilian buyers in Australia, but door tops are available for the perenties - main difference of these from earlier ones is the join between the two sheets of glass is parallel to the windscreen, not vertical.Quote:
Originally Posted by 68s2alwb
Hi all.
I've been AWOL for a bit. Have done bugger all to the Land Rover since my last post, but am getting stuck into it again. I'm recompiling a list of parts still needing to be sourced, will post in the future. Hey Rod, are you still around here? lol.
Just recently got to work on a slightly mangled and modified army bull bar which I dragged back to Adelaide from Pt. Lincoln years ago. One end was dinged and twisted, there were lots of extra bits welded on and the thing had been lengthened at each end by about 3", which caused the main vertical supports to foul the indicator and side lamps. Some grinding, cutting, welding and banging later and it's almost there now. I still have some grinding to do to clean up the welds and then it will be off to the galvaniser. For the chassis supports I think I'm going to have them angled down much steeper than original so that I can insert and weld into the chassis a pair of crush tubes; bolting them down that way. I'll be able to retain the dress panel that way too; will just have to cut a pair of notches into it.
Pics follow. That's it for now.
http://www.glensstuff.com/landrover/abb_01.jpg
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