Another 2a build thread

[drifter]

Hey Konrad

Thanks for the comment - yeah, this one's been taking a while but I have to fit it around other things, too. I'm not too worried, though. I have my own timetable.

re: the armchair experts. Yeah, there are a few that prefer to be negative but, in the majority, there are some fantastic fonts of knowledge in this place. Check out some of the replies in this and many other threads. There are many selfless people who provide positive encouragement and pearls of real wisdom. (I ain't gonna name them because 1) it would embarrass them and 2) I might miss one or two and that would embarrass me )

What are you working on? What are you doing to it? What would you like to do?

Cheers, mate
John

edit: found it - that's a very nice Series 3 you have there

[drifter]

Well... the gearbox is nearly all assembled now. Just the selectors and clutch operating mechanism to do.

I'll do them tonight and, with luck, will be putting the gearbox back in tomorrow.

Hmmm - maybe the engine this weekend...

I got a little bit sidetracked. I wanted to replace the diff breathers (yeah, I know, it's a long way from engine and gearbox but it all has to be done) with breathers that I could attach tubing to and thereby be less afraid to ford small streams.

I rang around and got quite a lot of advice which was all similar - the thread on the diff housing for the breather is a BSF thread. So, I rang the guys at ENZED and asked about them - no worries, come in with an existing breather and they will check it out. Which I did - and they supplied me with some right-angled fittings I could attach some hose to. It was a good result.

While talking to others, though, they also recommended that I put a couple of breathers on the gearbox on the theory that, if there was a way to relieve the internal pressure, the gearbox would be less inclined (at least initially) to leak.

So... I purchased a 1/8 BSPT tap and cast an exploring eye over the gearbox...

The flat plate that covers the output shaft. That'll do. (Done )

Where next? I was advised to poke a couple in. Still looking for another 'worthy' location. Any ideas?

[chazza]

Nice work drifter!

On my box there is a circular steel disc staked into the top-cover, which I suspect replaced the oil filler cap on the S1 boxes, and the removable square plate further back on the top-cover. Both of these have a small hole drilled in them to act as the gearbox breather.

If you have put the new breather on the rectangular plate, it might be wise to block the hole on the foremost one if you intend to go swimming

Cheers Charlie

[drifter]

Thanks Charlie

I have that circular steel disc, too and, yes, it has a hole in it. It is also fairly mobile in that it rotates very easily - so I suspect its waterproofing ability is doubly doubtful.

I'll seal it. No point in stripping a gearbox, getting new bits, re-assembling it and letting the water in

[dullbird]

Drifter the engine looks great, be interested in hearing about your gearbox rebuild as we got some seals to change on ours I thing before it goes back in

[drifter]

Thanks Lou

I created a bit of a thread in the Series 3 section (because I am putting a Series 3 box in). It's not complete - I tend to get things done and then think of documenting or photographing later.

I bought a 'gearbox gasket kit' from fwd.com.au (in Melbourne) for $11

I wasn't expecting to get as many gaskets as it contained. Best $11 I have spent in a long time.

I was advised to use high temp RTV for all joints - so I did - with a gasket tossed into the mix as well. For the rubbers on the bellhousing, I got those from GaryClr. The rubber seals for the gear selectors came from fwd.com.au - cheap as chips - just remember that the reverse one is a different size to the other two.

I picked up a handbrake shoe kit from GaryClr which included the rear seal. Be careful taking the speedo drive assembly off the back of the transfer case to fit the seal - there are shims there and they are important.

Ah - depending on the layshaft you have as to the 'fixing' behind the clutch activation assembly. That sucker has to be torqued up to 75ft/lb.

Think ahead and have your gearbox in a position where you can select a forward and reverse gear at the same time. I chose 3rd and reverse. That locks up the gearbox tighter than a budgies bum and you can swing on the torque wrench to get the required tightness. (I learned that one here on AULRO )

Aside from all that, it went back together a lot easier than the engine

Tomorrow we'll see if it still fits in the hole it came out of - it's not as easy as I thought getting it out - putting it back in will be 'interesting'. I have all the body on and I'll be annoyed if I get out of control and smash my beautiful new dash...

[drifter]

The engine and gearbox are in the vehicle! For the first time in goodness knows how long, there is a Landy engine in the engine bay!


+++++++++++++

I am now doing up a million nuts and bolts.

When it is all securely in, I will start connecting things...

... like:

the exhaust
fuel lines
fuel pump
brake light wiring
temp gauge wiring
ignition light wiring
alternator wiring
oil filter
carby and its connections
starter motor earth and wiring


and then:

radiator and hoses...
front and rear driveshafts

and then

rear brakes
front left brake (the right one has been replaced)

bleed brakes
bleed clutch

um

and while doing that - I guess I should have a battery on charge and nip down to the servo to get a few litres of fuel and some engine and gearbox oil.


With luck, I should be attempting to start it this weekend.

[dullbird]

thanks for the info

[drifter]

Finally!

I had a problem getting it started and narrowed it, I thought, down to the new distributor.

I was trying a few things when Toad arrived to give me a hand.

The first thing we found is that there was very little spark.

Possibly a crook coil - so we shot around the corner to SCA and got another one and put that in. Still buggerall spark.

I wasn't happy with the brand new distributor - to my way of thinking it wasn't pointing (the rotor wasn't pointing) to where plug #1 was supposed to be when the engine was at TDC - and there was no way I could adjust it to point to #1

and then we found that the carbon brush in the distributor cap wasn't in a position to touch the rotor and was stuck 'up' and the rotor seemed to be wrong - the rivet that I would expect to touch the carbon brush wasn't centered so there is no way it would have touched the brush (even if the brush was working)

So we bunged the old dizzy in and it started.

I will now have to sort out a good working dizzy for it because the old one is borked - the advance/retard mechanism is stuffed and it is basically worn out.

So, when I have that done, I can fine-tune the motor.

I still have a water leak - I replaced the washer on the heater tap last night with a new copper one but it wasn't good enough. I will have to get a fibrous washer in there and use some plumbers tape or something to seal the tap in place.

I have 2 oil leaks. Quite a bad one on the front output shaft of the transfer case. That needs a new oil seal and I have ordered a new one.

The other oil leak is a minor one (very slow leak - more a case of 'moisture' gathering into a drip every couple of hours or so) around the sump plug! Grrrr. I will get another new copper washer for that and use some plumbers tape or something similar (blue loctite) and that'll sort it. Problem is, it's gonna dump 6.5 litres of brand new oil when I take it out...

Anyways - onwards and upwards.

The motor was nice and quiet - no banging or clicking - very happy about that! My new exhaust sounds good.

I am a happy chappy.

[chazza]

I have 2 oil leaks. Quite a bad one on the front output shaft of the transfer case. That needs a new oil seal and I have ordered a new one.

The other oil leak is a minor one (very slow leak - more a case of 'moisture' gathering into a drip every couple of hours or so) around the sump plug! Grrrr. I will get another new copper washer for that and use some plumbers tape or something similar (blue loctite) and that'll sort it. Problem is, it's gonna dump 6.5 litres of brand new oil when I take it out...

Congratulations cobber!

With the leak on the transfer case, be prepared to have to speedi-sleeve the shaft, as over the years dirt and muck end up scoring them quite badly but it is an easy job to do.

With the sump plug, drain your oil into a very clean container and then you can re-use it straining it if necessary. Old washers can sometimes be re-used by annealing them first (heating to a dull-red and allowing to cool). If the face of the mounting boss and the head of the plug are in good condition you won't need any sealant on the thread. If you use silicon sealant on the thread, small lumps of it will end up in the sump oil and start to block the strainer

Cheers Charlie