Thread: Operation Smeg

Strange electrical behaviour such as that, can often be a bad earth.

Check that the panels the lights are earthed to have good connections back to chassis earth. Remove any earth wires/straps and clean under them back to bright metal and put some vaseline on the metal before reinstalling,

Cheers Charlie

Originally Posted by chazza

Strange electrical behaviour such as that, can often be a bad earth.

Check that the panels the lights are earthed to have good connections back to chassis earth. Remove any earth wires/straps and clean under them back to bright metal and put some vaseline on the metal before reinstalling,

Cheers Charlie

Hi Charlie
That's what I was thinking. I have to pull the dash apart to replace the key switch and I want to make sure it's all good behind there as well. When I re-wired the back end, I added an extra wire so I could have an earth return all the way back to the battery, so I'll check it out this weekend. Just finished painting the tub internally, the only problem I have now is that after I have done the tub inside, radiator support panel, front guards and bonnet, it's a bit like putting a top hat on a cockroach, so now I think I'll have to paint the rest of the truck as well. O'h well it'll keep me off the streets over the christmas break. I'll take some photo's before work tomorrow and post them up.
Cheers Ian

A couple of pic's from last night, with Ralph in the background quietly waiting for me to start on him.

A couple more piccy's, the paint colour looks like canary yellow in the photo's, but in the flesh it's Camino Gold.

Hi All

The posts have been a bit slow recently as we are flat out at work (air cond). I used my vacuum pump to bleed the brakes and clutch on Australia day and managed to have them done in about 45mins which was a record for me and bleeding brakes, not to mention the wife's complaining about pumping the brake pedal again and again and again.......... Nathan (son) and I finally got to take Smeg for a run, albeit with no front end on, and noticed the back end jumping all over the place like a vegetarian in a butchers coolroom at about 40kph, turns out that 2 x tyres had a slightly raised surface in the centre of the tread pattern and 2 x tyres don't, but there was one of each on each end of the car. So we swapped them around until we get to replacing them when we register it and she ran sweetly, just a little bit fumy though so I might look into replacing the 15w-30 turbo oil with 20w50 and see if that makes any difference. Here are a couple of more photo's for your perusal. The last photo was a helicopter crash near Broome I witnessed. What a nightmare of a scene,

Cheers Ian

One more photo of the front end as it goes back together. It's been too hot and too busy to do too much but it has to be done as the young bloke now has 80 hrs up on his Learners and I want him to learn in this vehicle as much as possible.

Evening All

Gotta a couple of more piccy's of the front end as I replaced the front bar supports. I ended up painting the front bar black as after I panel beated it and cleaned it up with the wire brush, I would have had to have got it re-galvanised as spraying it with a pressure pack of gal would be like using a can of chinese chrome from supercrap auto's ( Sh&^house). I also got the Nathan interested in it on the weekend, FINALLY! (he can see it all coming together now) and got him to replace the rear shocks, and the difference in the ride was, dare I say, shocking!. It's much better now, doesnt jump around anymore, cant wait to get all the new tyres on as even though they have heaps of tread, they are 20 years old and gone hard. We also got all the tie rods changed over and surprise surprise, the steering doesnt clunk anymore. The engine oil was changed to Penrite HPR 20w-60 which seems to have rectified most of the fume problem, but not all of it though, (cant have everything can we now). Anyhow, the next thing is to panel beat the drivers side front guard and paint it and then it's just a matter of using up a box of
1/4" UNF nuts, bolts and washers to put it back together and re-wire the front end (including all the Lucas gremlins I know are in there). I seem to have used all the replacement parts I bought for "Operation Ralph" on Smeg and then some, but at least this has been a great leaning curve of how these beasts come apart and go back together for when I finish this one and get stuck into Ralph.

Cheers Ian

and a coupla more. The "IPhone" takes pretty good pic's for a nightime shot. Still not used to it though, I had to get my Account's Ladies 16 yr old daughter to fix it for me the other day when I changed something I shouldnt have