Thread: Barney - a 1958 Series II

Thanks lads,

I remember thinking when I picked it up from the farm,"a couple grand tops and I'll have a cool Land Rover to ride around in". Hahahaha...

Actually a couple of grand might have done it if I'd stuck to the Holden engine and didn't strip it down or worry about painting it. The engine is where the big money has gone so far, but it's nearly finished now so the costs (may) slow down after then.

I really can't see me stopping on this project, it's obsessing me... I've become the guy people avoid at parties, I just stand in the corner by myself mumbling about diff ratios and positive earth systems...

And nettles are tasty...

Next thing you will find once you've finished this project, that you decide to buy another... And then when you are half way through that restoration, a couple of bargains pop up - and you decide that the price is too good to let them go, and then.. Well.. You have to build a big shed to put them all in!!!

So my swivel boxes(?) are packed with grease. Is this right? Shouldn't it be gear oil or something? They have a drain plug and a fill plug so I assume oil...





Advice please.

Yeah, should be oil, my ones had grease in them as well, probably for the simple reason that it takes longer to leak out.

Cheers,

Yes, all Series swivels are specified to be filled with oil, and it does matter. The problem is that grease, once pushed away from a surface, does not flow back, but the biggest issue is that the top swivel bearing is a fibre (Tufnol) bush. This relies for lubrication on oil soaking through it, and grease is not good at "soaking through". The result is early wear of the top bush and swivel pin. (You will also get this if you run most of the time with disengaged free wheel hubs - need to spin the shafts every few days to oil the top swivel.)

Certainly, the swivels are most likely to have been filled with grease because it leaks out less, but ironically, a prime cause for leakage is a worn top bearing allowing the seal to move away from the ball.

Note that it is acceptable to fill the swivel with the "one-shot" semi-liquid grease that is specified by Landrover for filling swivels from the mid 1990s. This flows well enough to meet the lubrication requirements, but does not leak as easily.

John

I have been using floating grease in my 80 inch for years . It is the type of grease they use in the gearboxes of drills & grinders which is a molly grease mixed with gear oil . Has worked well & do not have any leaks.

Originally Posted by 1950landy

I have been using floating grease in my 80 inch for years . It is the type of grease they use in the gearboxes of drills & grinders which is a molly grease mixed with gear oil . Has worked well & do not have any leaks.

Thats how i had done mine in Betsy with half oil and a full shot of swivel grease. The railcos were great as were the driveshaft uni's. No leaks. Freewheeling hubs only ever used on the beach or sandpit.

Cheers Rod

All good information lads, and thanks.

John, I do not have "Tufnol" bushes, neither do I have a spring arrangement as my parts list catalogue for a 1958 shows; I have taper bearings upper and lower, with external shims to adjust them. Is this yet another variation? Possibly from a later year?

Peter.