Losh's VR Ute build thread

[figjam]

Gemini, Torana, Kingswood, or maybe something like I VE that won't break down

Nah. He needs something with Euro style and reliability, like an Alfa Brera AWD with the 3.2 Holden V6. What could go wrong there ?
The idea is to park it in the driveway, it will look good, even when you can't drive anywhere in it.

 

[Lex]

You only need a shed when it rains or 40 degrees temp.
Don't need the shed to change the coil packs & dfi.
I can do that on the side of the road 10 - 15 minutes.

 

[losh1971]

The size is 7/32 of an inch, thats for coils to dfi.
7 mm for wiring plug to dfi.

Yeah and I would have that size sitting in the roller cab too in a long socket. I just thought I will bring the cheap 1/4 metric short socket kit plus some extensions and surely one would fit but no such luck it was in between my smallest and the next one up, smallest too small, next one up too big..... I'm mindful of not carrying to much valuables in the ute. My ute is insured but my tools wouldn't be.

 

[losh1971]

You only need a shed when it rains or 40 degrees temp.
Don't need the shed to change the coil packs & dfi.
I can do that on the side of the road 10 - 15 minutes.

No don't need a shed to do this job. I was outside on the grass with my old table that sits under the tree and acts as a workbench of sorts. What you do need but is a safe place to keep your tools. That way you have everything at your disposal at the time you need it.

 

[Lex]

Yeah and I would have that size sitting in the roller cab too in a long socket. I just thought I will bring the cheap 1/4 metric short socket kit plus some extensions and surely one would fit but no such luck it was in between my smallest and the next one up, smallest too small, next one up too big..... I'm mindful of not carrying to much valuables in the ute. My ute is insured but my tools wouldn't be.

I had the same experience with the sockets. Went & bought 7/32 & put it in the 1/4 inch metric case, which sits in the car with a spare dfi & coil packs.
Its got me out of the shxt. As mentioned before only takes 10 - 15 minutes to change the lot & no waiting for a tow home.

 

[greenacc]

Roller cab and compressor as well??? Hmmm.

Yep, and it will look like a plumbers Ute then.

 

[losh1971]

Yeah I'm gonna keep the old coils and DFI in the ute as spares Lex, in case I ever do have a break down. Probably buy a socket from Total Tools when I can get there next and just chuck it in the cantilever box that sits in the ute box with a few other cheap basic tools.

 

[losh1971]

Spent the arvo and early evening today overhauling my rear brakes on the ute. Fitted new DBA street rotors QFM HPX pads, rebuilt the calipers and fitted two of the three rear braided lines and new shoes. I found one of the slide pins was seized so i had heat it with the Map torch to get it out. All good now plenty of slide grease so it shouldn't get stuck.
Right now i am just waiting for the brakes to cool down before I head down the road to complete the bedding in.
I found out i have leaking axle seal on the drivers side, so I haven't fitted the shoes on that side. I gave them a fair amount of adjustment so they are grabbing when the leaver is pulled. I reckon I won't have a go at the bearing and seal myself as it's a bit of mucking around and I would need some tooling for the press to get the new bearing and retainer on. Hoping that a mech can do the job in 2 hours or less so it doesn't cost me too much.
I am suspecting that the woosh noise i hear from my diff may disappear once the bearing is replaced too.
I would have liked to have fitted the middle braided line this eve but it's too dark and i don't want to get part way through and not be able to lock the shed because the ute is sticking through the entrance. I will aim to get it done in the morning.
As for the brakes they were ok before but I can feel a fair improvement with moderate pedal. I think with all the braids fitted and the bedding in finished i will have substantially better brakes. I'm keen now to ditch the Bosch front rotors i have and fit the new slotteds. But i don't have a set of pads so that will happen in te next few months i suspect. I haven't checked the front pads yet but i reckon they must be getting close to needing replacement.

 

[afstruct]

Not hard to do rear bearings and seals.
you should surely have something around ( improvise ) to suite pressing in and out ( can carefully cut old bearing almost all the way through to help getting off.

 

[Dylan kingswood]

Yep, and it will look like a plumbers Ute then.

No roller cab or compressor here mate only a bearing press