Thread: Clutch and Welch plug

Got back to some work on the 2a this morning. Completed (except LH mudguard is still off) reconnecting the wiring for the front lights etc, including some minor improvements. A bit difficult because most of the colour codes on the wires seem to be missing, and temporarily installed the battery and checked operation. No unwanted smoke, and the lights seem to work.

A bit more complicated than the original, since I have added a headlight relay behind the grille. Had difficulty with this - it has screw terminals, and it is a bit hard to start these small screws when your fingers are so cold you can't feel them, and working in the cavity in front of the radiator.

Edit: This keyboard drops letters and misspells!

Got a bit more done - got sidetracked by the need to cut wood for the fire and by the weather being a bit unpleasant.

Back to it today. I am taking advantage of the fact that the floor is out to replace the gearlever base with one that is fitted for a reverse light switch. So first step was to remove the gear lever assembly from a 1981 S3 I have the remains of, and start cleaning it up. While this was soaking in degreaser, I removed the gear lever assembly from the 2a. The gear levers are not interchangeable (different bends), but everything else is.

I then completely disassembled both bits. as well as fitting the steel bracket that includes the hole for the reverse light switch, I am using the alloy casting from the S3 and the special steel washer below the ball, as both of these are quite worn on the S2a. Tomorrow I will have to make a new special bolt to stop the lever twisting, as both of them have excessive wear. It is just a 1/4"UNF bolt of the right length qith the thread turned off for about the last three millimetres. While at it I will do the wiring for the reversing light, and at some stage I will have to get a light. I am thinking of using a Defender one - I have a new one I was planning to use to replace the one on the 110, which is looking a bit tired.

Yesterday, got the gearlever installed. Took a lot longer than I expected, as I found that there is a different reverse baulk flap on the Series 3 to operate the reverse switch. Rather than getting the bit off the S3 (it is 150m away, its blowing a gale, freezing cold, looks like rain, and my knee is playing up) I made a small bracket to be held on the existing one, fastened by the adjusting screw locknut. Twice! It is very small, and I put it down somewhere while I went to the vehicle with dividers to check exactly where the hole had to be.

Filled the cooling system and started the engine - after fixing the petrol leak from the filter between the pump and the carburettor (I wonder how long that has been leaking, maybe that is why the consumption is a bit high? ). It is not clear why it was leaking, it was not moved or touched when the engine came out. It has a glass tube with a washer each end and the whole thing screws together. Maybe the washers shrank a little with no fuel for a few weeks. And the battery was not too good, and it was cold, so reluctant to run.

Took a couple of pictures to go with the previous post.
Selectors_5136.jpgFuel-Filter_5137.jpg

Spent a good part of the day running a wire to the back from the switch just installed. To protect it I ran a length of the black pipe used for garden drippers through the spaces where the cross ribs under the tub go under the lengthways ribs. Most of the time was spent looking for the roll of pipe. It was not where I thought I saw it a few weeks ago! Of course, when I found it, having looked in many likely and unlikely places, it struck me immediately "Oh of course! That's where I saw it."

And the wire was a lot less enthusiastic about being pushed through it than I thought it would be!

Now just got to run a wire from the other side of the switch to the fusebox (ignition switched fused accessories), a lot simpler job. But first I will have to cut some more wood in the morning before it rains.

Finished the reverse light wiring and reinstalled the floor.

And it is possible to get the driver's floor panel in without major disassembly or bending anything - tuck the back edge in under the handbrake rest the front edge on the brake and clutch pedals - and push these pedals down. You may have to slacken off a couple of brake adjusters!

Yesterday got the LH mudguard on and also the bonnet. Sounds simple but the mudguard in particular is definitely not easy on your own. and getting everything lined up was also not easy.

A couple of tricks that might help others.

1. The attachment to the radiator support is by two steel strips with one and three bolts welded to them. These can be held in place but still able to be moved in the slots by a suitable piece of plastic hose wedged behind them.

2. One of the most difficult things without a helper is the bolts that attach the splash panel from the top of the mudguard to the footwell. The top I have long ago replaced the bolt and nut with speednuts clipped on the flange on the mudguard, and this time I have dreamed up what seems to be the best way to hold the bolts in the footwell while you put the nuts and washers on them, and also stop them turning. Hold the bolt in place with a powerful magnet. Even more conveniently I used a gadget that I got to hold the dial gauge for adjusting wheel bearings - it has a magnetic base, which can be turned on and off just by turning a knob.

Of course there were other issues - for example, the four special bolts that hold the guard onto the vertical edge of the bulkhead are not all the same spanner size - two are 1/2", the other two are 1/4"W. These are so close that the only way of identifying them is to try a spanner on them! But different enough that a twelve point socket will not turn the smaller one if you get the wrong size, or won't go on the bigger one if you get the wrong size.

All I have left now is to replace the tool tray under the centre seat, fit the cushions, put a blind grommet on a hole in the footwell (not sure why it is there, never had anything attached there since I owned it - possibly a stop bolt for the accelerator on LHD), adjust the bonnet catch if necessary, replace the grille, and fit the bullbar.

Should get all that today. I may fit the reversing light if I decide to fit the one I have, but I need to get some wood before it gets cold again in a couple of days.

Got the job finished today,although I have not fitted a reversing light. I'm going to town on Tuesday (first time in three weeks, running out of some things), so if I have a chance I'll see what I can find rather than use the one I bought to replace the one on the County.

Biggest holdup on getting the job finished was finding the bolts for the bullbar. I had carefully put them somewhere safe. Eventually found them - disguised in a Milo tin about six inches from where the bullbar was leaning against a table, on the table, in plain view! I spent about an hour looking for them, part of this going through my stock of bolts looking for suitable ones to use instead. (Needed, ten 2"x1/2" UNF bolts, nuts and spring washers, two with flat washers.