The rain came down so we got a bit of a start on Jimi's drivetrain.
First cab off the rank was the diff. Fitted it all up quite easily; however, the pinion is too shallow so I need another or thicker shim. I don't have access to any and haven't been able to locate the right ones on the net. I have decided to drop it off to the local diff guy who will set up up for only a few beer tokens as I have already fitted up the bearings etc.
One thing I did learn was that the oil and oxide works an absolute treat for marking the pinion and ring gear relationship.
So the M80 out of the VZ will be installed in the meantime.
Next was to start on the motor end. Once we raised him up on the hoist we had a good look and found a couple of surprises that were not visible on the ground.
- Main seal was weeping - I think it could have been left but then it mean the bx coming back out should the leak be more that expected or when it lets go in ???. So for insurance we picked up a new one.
- No spigot bearing in the rear of the crank. So much for everything there ready to go. The hunt was on - picked on up from a clutch and brake place in Canberra.
- Checked the supplied parts and found that the gearbox to motor mounting bolts are missing. None of the specialty fastener outlets in Canberra could provide a flanged M10 1.5 40mm bolt so we were out of luck there. Fortunately the VE motor we have for the Rat Rod project uses the same bolts so we will liberate them until we can find a replacement set.
After a run into town to pick up the missing bits there was only enough time to mount the new flywheel and clutch ready for tomorrow. The twin plate Mantic clutch was a very simple to set up and fit off. The only problem we came across was the Mantic clutch slave cylinder was the wrong thread for the external bleed setup that came with the "refurbished" box. The slave that came with the box is new so we are running with it for the simplicity of the bleed system.
So the plan for tomorrow - weather permitting - is to cannibalise the VZ for the diff, front swaybar links (they are missing) and tailshaft. Once we have them in hand we can fit up the gearbox, tailshaft, diff, swaybar links and the 3" exhaust. That should get us off the hoist so we can connect the clutch hose and new heater hoses/heater tap and add the ECM. Back up on the hoist to bleed the clutch and a final check then, touch wood, we will Jimi back to life.
If we get that done tomorrow it will be beers and clean up the garage for the weekend. What could go wrong?
Cheers n Beers
Jolls