SLROC Forum

Brrrrrrrr, its a little chilly out there today, just stopped for lunch and defrost. 

Started off in the warm fitting new switches to the MUD console, although I could only stretch that out for an hour or so, then on with the winter woolies. Luckily it is quite a little sheltered from the wind and I am able to do "inside" bits, even though there are no doors or floor yet! Started off getting some of the dash back in and trying to sort through the wiring, it does need to change a little as I am moving the hazard flashers and heated window switches onto the MUD console.

Back to the cold again now ........... no sign of any of my trusty helpers today 

Another good productive day, and thankfully a whole lot warmer than yesterday.

Jobs today, started off with getting power onto the electrics to check the heater fan and windscreen wiper motors worked, these were already attached to the bulkhead when I bought it, thankfully they do seem to work ok. This also meant getting the seat box in place but not secured yet.

Then came connect up the brakes, a wee pointer here for anyone removing the bulkhead for the first time, take loads of piccies and make very, very, very good notes and drawings about how the brake pipes connect up. We had done a wee drawing and it just didn't seem quite right so it was over to the workshop manual and the piccies to check it all out, and the drawing was correct, just a little odd. For those that may not know, there is a pressure reducing valve in the hydraulic circuit which regulates pressure to the rear brakes, it just makes the connecting of new pipes a little more complicated than they may otherwise be.

So that was brakes fitted and bled and hopefully finished with now. Also tried to get the crank bolt undone, now we have brakes and gears, to get into the timing belt, it just isn't moving at all, are they normally this tight, using the trolley jack handle as an extension and it feels like the clutch is slipping rather than the bolt undoing?

Then came the wings and bonnet and running the wiring in to the front lights, only wee snag there is a plug, that looks like it has been plugged in, I just can't find anything to plug it into at the moment.

Towards the end of the day thought we may just see if it runs as well, fuel system primed but unfortunately there just isn't quite enough juice in the battery, very close to running but not quite, charge the battery and try again tomorrow.

Jobs for tomorrow, finish off round the wings, align the rear tub and secure that and the seat box and roof and play with the electrics, especially the wiring for the switches I am moving, needs to be unravelled and moved over.

Amazing job you are doing and thank you for sharing it with us.
Crank pulley bolt will be VERY tight .......... and there will be alot of transmission wind up before you really load the bolt. I would suggest engage 3rd and not 1st people often tend to do. Not all will agree though. You may need to borrow a 3/4 inch breaker bar and socket (1/2 inch may not be up to it) and then slip a piece of scaffolding over the end of it.
Looks like you plan to start the engine and check all is well before doing the belt ............. good call

Good luck and thanks again for the blow by blow bulletins.

A really, really bad day today, started off ok, got the battery charged enough and engine started, ran great, that is when the troubles started.

As we have changed the clutch that was the next thing to test, all it did was rattle.  After taking the gearbox out (again  ) and a few phone calls it was soon apparent that when putting the new operating fork in, I had not put new slippers in, easy fix thought I 

Off to Taggerts to get new slippers and the wonderful clip (sh1t bit of uselkess plastic) fitted, gearbox back in and .......... just the same, seemed to work ok once after that it just drags and it sounds like the release bearing is rattling about. So, out =comes the gearbox, again, refitted everything, attached the slave cylinder and took as much care as possible (when heaving heavy lumps of metal about  ). Tried again, seemed ok at first then just the same, and that is how i have left it for now.

Anyone that has any ideas please let me know as I am seriously p******ed at present.

 

Better day today, you all know the first job on the list, gearbox out .......... again, think this must be about the fith or sixth time. At first a little worried as it looked like the release bearing and plunger were all in place properly when first withdrawn a little. So out with it completely, had a wee look at the old one and ......... you can guess what's coming ...........  we could see the writing saying "flywheel this side". On the one hand I was a bit p******d off as one of my trusted helpers had done this bit (who had even done a clutch before so knew what to look for  ), but on the other hand, we now knew what was wrong. So all back together before lunch and working properly. 

Carried on this afternoon with finishing off gearbox, seatbox etc and trying to align everything properly (roof, sides, tub etc). Also a look at some of the wiring, the main bits we needed to locate were for reverse light switch and fuel sender which I'm hoping I have now found, tomorrow try and sort the rest of the wiring around the dash and finish the dash off.

So a fairly productive day and sooooooo happy that the clutch is all sorted so easily.   

"trying to align everything properly"

don't beat yourself up too much at this bit. Remember, Land Rover couldn't do it

Geoff

Top work fella. This is coming along nicely.

Keep it up

Another busy day today, trying to sort the electrics and fit the rest of the dash ........ taking far longer than I'd thought but I'm soldering everything and insulating with heat shrink, it's amazing how long it all takes.

So far I have managed to re fit the dash lower tray, re route and extend the cabling for the hazard and heated door switches, they are moving onto my MUD console, run the wire and fit new work light, fit new plugs for reverse light switch wiring, make up cables for switch illumination power and earth. Doesn't sound much does it, but it is just so time consuming, carry on again tomorrow and hopefully be able to virtually finish it off. 

Just a couple of hours today, front wheel arch eyebrow fitted, sump guard fitted, all front lights refitted and cabling extended slightly, bit more wiring completed around the dash and put some power on it to test fot the first time. Unfortunately that didn't quite go to plan, headlamps and tail lights all ok but indicators and hazard flashers have a problem, right ones don't work at all, still not bad for first attempt. 

I'm reading this blog and wondering where you get all the time. Or maybe your a sales rep for MUD consoles 

Last week was my Easter holidays 

Got doors back today and a 3/4 inch drive and scaffold bar, so full steam ahead again Friday afternoon. 

This was a very short afternoon as the Disco 3 handbrake has been screaming for a few days and had to come first.

Once that was finished I had a very happy couple of hours, managed to hang one door, the rear tub needs to come forward about a cm I think, will try that tomorrow once the other door is on.  I also had some major success, I got that damn crank bolt off. Secret for me was stick it in third (as someone had suggested) handbrake on, then using a 3/4 inch drive tommy bar, beat 7 bells of s**t out of it, and it worked, a sturdy 30mm spanner would work just as well. So timing belt changed ............. and it still runs   

This was my first venture into this area for a timing belt change, for those in the same boat, here is what lies at each stage.

Cheers for the pics Dave, but you know I'll have questions as well!  Lol

Bit of a mixed day, 2nd door fitted, finished off the front end and refilled the cooling system. Unfortunately the water pump doesn't seem to be working, no pressure at all coming out of it. So, new water pump, thermostat and belt ordered, I'm hoping that will sort it all out. Thinking back, I had noticed that it was looking a bit yucky when I drained it all down and the heater had been deteriorating.

Jobs for tomorrow, get the rest tub moved forwards about a cm, then that can all be secured.

For anyone contemplating doing this, this is my approximate costs so far including VAT (hopefully not a lot more, and I haven't actually worked it out before doing this post) not all would be the same and I have done a few bits before starting the main job, such as most suspension bushes.

Marsland chassis 1248
Springs, shocks, 1inch spacers, timing belt kit, clutch, brake pipes, door repair kits, a frame bushes, 550
Tree slider 120
Nuts, bolts, washers, anti freeze, cutting discs, pullers and various other odds and sods from tool station and screw fix, probably around 150
Water pump, belt, thermostat 50
Horn 1
Bulkhead delivered 350
Paint 42
Brake hoses, steering damper, Suspension Turret ring, rear pads 88
Mud console switches 80
Work light 10
Fuel sender unit 20
Labour for door and seat box repairs 80


Coming to about £2789!  Wow, thats quite a big number, but when you look at even eBay specialists, they come in at £2800 Plus VAT including springs and shocks or £2600 including VAT but using all of your old bits, just a few bushes, brake lines and hoses included. So looking at that, it's not too bad is it................ 

Well the end is definitely in sight, some more good progress today. With both doors fitted I was able to finally align rear tub, was struggling with that initially but then used an engine crane to lift all the weight of the roof and sides off it, so ened up fairly simple. So thats all doors fitted and aligned, seats fitted and perhaps more significantly, found the cable for the fuel sender unit at the back of the shed, and the plug it fits into.

So now this is the list of jobs left to do:

Fit water pump and thermostat (when they arrive)
Fit tree sliders (again awaiting delivery)
Fit horns, and grill.
Refit winch, modify wiring for interior switch operation.
Complete wiring for mud console.
Complete wiring in dash, finish fitting dash.
Fit wipers.
Tidy and secure all wiring.
Secure brake line from rear.
Fit head lining and interior light.
Fit tunnel and floor panels.
Fit rear brake disc shields.
 

And finally ........... Get it muddy, I'm sure the to do list will grow but the end is near!