Thread: Series 3 Rebuild.

Today I got back to it with my new best friend the TransMig 135. I've manufactured the first of the battery holders. I tested it with the tub on and all fits well with a 300 x 170 x 200 size battery, more than big enough!

I have made it so that even with the axle down to the bump stop the holder will still be clear of the 7.5 tyre.

A thick piece of rubber that I already have in the arch to reduce noise protects the battery from mud and dirt and there is 3mm plate on the holder base to stop rocks.

The cable will be routed behind the battery and then into the chassis through the same hole as the rear lights.

There is only one disadvantage... there is no way you can change the battery without removing the tyre first. For the benefits I'll gain I'm prepared to put up with it. I shouldn't need to change them often.

Completed the second battery holder and found some hidden rust under the rear cross member "square patch" support.

I've cut a hole through the side of the chassis and re-enforced it with some pipe to allow the fuel filler line to reach the new tank. This is the first time I have ever used a MIG welder...I'm not doing a pretty job, but they are sufficient. After turning the chassis over I've found the front dumb irons are worse than I thought. I've ordered two new ones. With the amount of work I'm doing on this chassis I may get it galvanised after all.

The transfer case "high speed conversion" has been a huge time waster. A parts supplier has ran me around the mill for the last 6 weeks. I'm convinced they find me annoying and do not want my business and they are a major supplier mentioned on here! I'd asked them for a quote on $3000+ of parts and in 4 weeks they did not even get back to me. I've cancelled my order with them.
I've now decided to instead change the diff centres to 3.54's. I'm hoping my Discovery has 10 spline diffs as I can use those. Despite the fact the low range is also changed, the new 200Tdi will be able to handle it. The 3.54's will also give a higher overall speed to rpm's compared to the transfer case conversion.

I wasn't feeling confident about welding the new bottom onto the rear cross member so I asked my brother who is a proffessional metal fabricator and welder to "give me a lesson" and he "demonstrated" the correct way to do it.

I've also made an excel spreadsheet that will work out the internal volume of a fuel tank taking into account the sheetmetal thickness. I've attached it incase anyone in the future is doing the same and doesn't want to waste 2 hours of their life working it out. If you wish to unlock the formula cells, unprotect the sheet with the password "ok".

I might ask my brother to show me how to weld it togethor...

Top work mate!

Keep the updates coming!

OK! Here's another:

After weeks of debating to myself, continually measuring, re-measuring and calculating, I have come up with my final fuel tank design. It will hold 95.4L, be made of 2mm mild steel, fill from the standard fill point, starts from the rear of the middle crossmember, extends over the differential and to the rear of the chassis. With the rear axle hitting the bump stops and the springs flattened the tank will still be clear and it will not reduce any ground clearance. The attached sketch shows it from the drivers side. The diff sits under the "700" section.

Just took it to a metal shop for them to bend up so I'll only have minimal welds to do.

Time to start that gearbox rebuild

My wife bought two front dumb irons from a guy on ebay:

"Bought a month or so ago from Melbourne based specialist, but not needed in the end"

Well they arrived today and I figured out why he didn't use them. They're different! As in made by different manufacturers and look as though they hold the springs at different positions.

There's another week wasted.

This has happened before... the melbourne mob have a habit of sending out mismatched parts.

Unfortunately for you, as you bought them from eBay you can't take it back to them.

Pick which one you want, buy another of that type and flog the other on eBay again.