Jolls VZ ute project

[Fu Manchu]

So do I.

 

[Jolls]

Rose at 0530 this morning to load the old girl onto the trailer for the trip into GenTech. While loading her onto the trailer the rod to the clutch master cylinder popped out of the pedal. Made things a little difficult! Could not find the clip in the floor - just the washer so I expect the clip had come off some time ago and it finally wiggled free - of course just beore it is to be tuned. I told the lads at Gentech - they took in all in and will sort it while she is there. Was hoping to get a call this afternoon to pick the old girl up - I guess I will have to wait until tomorrow and butter up our local mechanic to get her in for a blue slip on Friday.

 

[Jolls]

Not sure we can call her a beast any more - still ugly as a dropped pie and continuing to be a PITA - but sweet to drive.

Got her back from Gentech this afternoon - 270kW max power and 464 NM max touque on the dyno. Not so much of a power curve as a lineal progression to around 5200 rpm. She now idles well - the cam gently rocking her at around 900 rpm. Took her for a lap around the circuit and she is a sweet drive.

Just to dick me around when I took her off the trailer she threw an SRS warning at me. Maybe she was pissed off that I didn't drive her home.

Hooked up the Tech 2 - and found DTC 21 - Driver Airbag Circuit Resistance Too High. The reading shown was 999.0 ohms - I assume this is GM speak for open circuit. I expect it will have something to do with the clockspring - but I don't know and am tied up with work tomorrow morning. I have pushed the rego check back to Saturday morning and trust I will be able to resolve the problem tomorrow arvo. I have my sons Crewman project to canibalise for parts to get us over the line if need be. Not really a solution as I am just shifting the fault from a project now to a project in the future - but an answer to us needing a ute for the buisiness in a hurry.

 

[Jolls]

So the clock spring was the culprit - failed. Ripped the one out of the crewman project (Mr Walker) to get us over the line. We are now on the lookout for a replacement. Off for drinks tonight with one of my subbies and booked in for rego at 0700. That will be fun I am sure.

 

[Fu Manchu]

Keen to hear how it goes. Not able to have a cold beer yet enjoy it.

 

[Jolls]

She is possessed. Drove down to the local workshop. No problems. Did the testing of lights, brake test. Took her for a run and the SRS light comes back on. Get her home - same fault - DTC 21. Nothing in the airbag circuit for 7 months of working on the pedal issue and now two "clock spring" related issues in two days. The replacemnt came form a running and working ute so I think there is more to it! I guess there is a little more "fun" ahead.

 

[Jolls]

Pulled the clockspring yesterday and it was bound and broken away at the connector to the main harness. Pulled the original apart and it was the same. Both had been crossed over and bent out of shape a number of times. Up until we put the new steering wheel on she had been working fine.

I pulled the replacement wheel off a VZ in a wreckers and didn't think to campare it to the original. On comparison there is a difference in the depth of the casting around the spline; spline depth is the same just the support casting is different.. Having checked everything else I have to assume that this is related to the clocksprings being destroyed - although from the looks of the internals both had seen plenty of trauma durig their life.

I took a stab at soldering it but destroyed the connectors with the heat - so into the bin for both. I have ordered two new ones on ePay - one for each project new and will check the local wreckers in case I can pull one tomorrow.

I will post some pics this afternoon to show the difference - perhaps someone an explain the why. I can only imagine that it compressed the clockspring casing somewhat and dragged the ribbon cable out of the connection.

 

[Lex]

Pulled the clockspring yesterday and it was bound and broken away at the connector to the main harness. Pulled the original apart and it was the same. Both had been crossed over and bent out of shape a number of times. Up until we put the new steering wheel on she had been working fine.

I pulled the replacement wheel off a VZ in a wreckers and didn't think to campare it to the original. On comparison there is a difference in the depth of the casting around the spline; spline depth is the same just the support casting is different.. Having checked everything else I have to assume that this is related to the clocksprings being destroyed - although from the looks of the internals both had seen plenty of trauma durig their life.

I took a stab at soldering it but destroyed the connectors with the heat - so into the bin for both. I have ordered two new ones on ePay - one for each project new and will check the local wreckers in case I can pull one tomorrow.

I will post some pics this afternoon to show the difference - perhaps someone an explain the why. I can only imagine that it compressed the clockspring casing somewhat and dragged the ribbon cable out of the connection.

When installed both times, was the clockspring centered?
When installing the vt. If installed correctly, there is a little window, that shows green. If the green is showing, it is centered correctly.

With the vf clockspring there is no window. So l turned it, till it wouldn't go any further. Then l turned it the other way, counting the revolutions as l went. I think l counted 6 revolutions. So, turned 3 revolutions back. It is now centered.

I've given 2 examples of installing a clockspring, because l haven installed vy - vz before. So, l'm wondering if you centered the clockspring before installing? Maybe that's why they both broke?

 

[Jolls]

Thanks Lex

I used the method outlined in the manual which is 2.5 turns. I'm pretty sure that the problem is related to the steering wheel that was purchased as a replacement. The picture below is the original wheel from the ute:

Note that there is 5mm from the spline housing to the rest of the casting that is in close proximity to the closckspring.

The photo below is the replcement wheel I pulled off a VZ at the wreckers.

Same - Same but different. Note that the casting on this wheel is in the same alignment. I expect that the casting squashed the clocksprings and casused them to fail.

The photo below is from the VZ crewman project. Same as the casting from the original wheel.

I will throw the crewman wheel on in the interim. Does anyone know what the spare whel I now have is off - it is clearly not from the VZ. Was there a difference betwwn the VY and VZ wheels?

 

[gtrboyy]

Any date codes on it to guess?