The Gubblemobile- Series III from hell.

[ntsqd]

I've not used any of this company's product, but I've read good things. Figured I'd mention them in case your research didn't reveal them.

Dakota Digital Speedo Senders

Dakota Digital Universal Speed Signal Interface

 

[Alaska Mike]

I just found that website this afternoon, but I'm not exactly sure which one is right for me (if any of them are). I'll probably call them tomorrow to see what is available. Novak has one for $90 that they say will work, but it doesn't allow you to run mechanical speedometers. I'm torn as to which one I'm interested in, since I've had electrical ones fail completely without warning. Electrical ones are generally more expensive as well, but there are ones that allow to to compensate for tires and gear ratios. The main thing is that the engine runs well. I can use my old GPS72 for a speedo if all else fails.

 

[Alaska Mike]

It was a frustrating but ultimately rewarding day. I mounted the front axle on the springs and put together the front swivels. I found that the previous owner had somehow swapped swivel housings around, so the drain plugs wouldn't open. He also swapped bolts and studs, and generally did a lot of scary maintenance. The frustrating part was figuring out how things went back together, sometimes by trial and error. I was on the second swivel before I realized he had swapped them around, resulting in a lot of extra work. I hope this guy doesn't work on vehicles anymore...

However, at the end of the day the axle started to come together and I felt like I accomplished something. I had to stop because I don't have a 10 spline 3.54 3rd member to put in there, which meant the axle shafts couldn't go on and the spindles and... It was a good place to stop. My hands are beat up enough.

 

[Alaska Mike]

I was doing a little looking at my footwell repair panels (British Pacific version) with are different from the existing panels in several ways. I'm considering cutting out the rotted areas of the existing footwells and then grafting in the new ones where required. Basically the bottoms of the footwells are pretty ventilated in the usual spots- especially at the outside corners. I'm going to need to get access to the lower doorposts so I can treat the cancer I see there before it gets any worse. I'm not going to do too much work on the bulkhead until I get the engine and drivetrain mounted so I can see what will need to be trimmed or modified. One step at a time...

 

[Hltoppr]

Every little bit on this project is a step towards completion!

-H-

 

[Alaska Mike]

I wasn't feeling like that for most of yesterday, although once I figured out how all the parts were supposed to go instead of following what the previous owner did, it went together really well. I just wish I had figured out earlier that he had hosed it, so I could have moved on to another project, like installing the shocks.

 

[Alaska Mike]

Now I know why Mercedesrover put in a Defender bulkhead.

Today I spend a gazillion hours drilling out welds on the passenger side floorboard- and I'm still not done. Every time I felt like I had them all, 5 more would show up in the hardest to get to places. I ended up cutting up the foorwell into smaller pieces so I could get a better angle at some of the welds. It's been painful, and my hands are shredded. The parts closest to the tunnel are the worst, since there is three levels of sheetmetal stacked and a ton of seam sealer. There's also no rhyme or reason to where the welds are located- it's just where the guy felt like putting them (sometimes 3 or 4 right next to each other. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it's going to be a while.

In other news, the machining on the engine is done, so I'll be picking it up tomorrow. Who knows when I'll get a chance to work on it. I'm winding down the project for the year, since skiing is right around the corner and I won't have any time for serious wrenching.

 

[Mercedesrover]

Wish I'd known you were at this stage....I could have sent you some really nice spot weld drills.

 

[Alaska Mike]

"This stage" is a very loose term. More like I bounce from one task to another as my fancy, finances, and parts permit. I had to stop on the front axle for awhile, I didn't have the engine to work on, once I get the engine back the bellhousing is at Novak getting machined... This just happened to be where I could make a dent. It's likely that I'll get the passenger side done and it will be a long time before I get to the driver side.

I'll probably bolt together the block, shrinkwrap it on the engine stand, and push it off into a safe corner of the garage. As I mentioned, my time this year is almost up.

 

[Hltoppr]

Yeah...If the rest of us try to compare our build times with Mercedesrover's, we're all going to be pretty shamed....that was the fastest progress I've ever seen for someone doing it themselves, rather than a shop working on a client's rig!

I'm in the same boat here...getting colder, so I've got to have the rig driveable, in case I can't take the moto....

-H-

 

[Alaska Mike]

Sexy is relative...

I think this is sexy:

I brought the engine home today and started getting it ready for what is likely going to be a long nap. I just had to compare it to the transmission, and somehow I don't think the SM465 will have any problems handling all that the 2.5L can dish out.

The short block was toast, thanks to the incompetent guys who rebuilt it last. I think I could have done more precise machine work with a hacksaw and an angle grinder. It would have had to be bored .060 over just to clean up the cylinders, and some of the "repairs" they did in the main bearing area were a thrown rod (or worse) waiting to happen. We found a really nice short block for next to nothing and it was bored a more reasonable .020 over.

The head was in much better shape, and came out really nice. The whole thing went together really cleanly, and I'm pretty stoked about another big chunk of the project being sorted out.

This is yet another reason I'm jealous of Mercedesrover:

To get any work accomplished, I had to uncover the portion being worked on, usually stacking the boxes in the narrow aisle. What I wouldn't give for better lighting and access to all parts of the project...

This is actually extremely neat, as the wife started using strong language to describe the garage. I took the hint.

 

[Alaska Mike]

This morning before work I snuck in a couple hours bolting parts on the block. I took pictures of it before I removed the pieces, then printed out large photos so I had a point of reference. Hard-earned knowledge taught me that the Chilton's doesn't show everything. Where does the stud go? Or is that a bolt? How it this sensor situated? Little stuff like that.

I'll probably spend tomorrow morning at a car wash with a few cans of engine cleaner and the rest of the exterior engine parts. Manifolds, water pump, power steering pump... they're all a little grungy- much too grungy to go on that nice clean block. I may end up just replacing some of the parts as they aren't that expensive.

I took apart the distributer today and generally cleaned it up... and there is was. Under the oil and dirt was a sticker and the mark of the Prince of Darkness. Here is proof that no matter what you replace, evil is just a part of the Series Land Rover experience.

Electrical Theory by Joseph Lucas

Positive ground depends upon proper circuit functioning, the transmission of negative ions by retention of the visible spectral manifestation known as "smoke". Smoke is the thing that makes electrical circuits work; we know this to be true because every time one lets the smoke out of the electrical system, it stops working. This can be verified repeatedly through empirical testing. When, for example, the smoke escapes from an electrical component (i.e., say, a Lucas voltage regulator), it will be observed that the component stops working. The function of the wire harness is to carry the smoke from one device to another; when the wire harness "springs a leak", and lets all the smoke out of the system, nothing works afterwards. Starter motors were frowned upon in British Automobiles for some time, largely because they consume large quantities of smoke, requiring very large wires.

It has been noted that Lucas components are possibly more prone to electrical leakage than Bosch or generic Japanese electrics. Experts point out that this is because Lucas is British and all things British leak. British engines leak oil, shock absorbers, hydraulic forks and disk brakes leak fluid, British tyres leak air and the British defense establishment leaks secrets...so, naturally, British electrics leak smoke.

 

[James86004]

I must be the only person who has had very little trouble with my Lucas electrics. Certainly no more than the electrics on my other cars.

 

[njtaco]

Electrical Theory by Joseph Lucas

Thanks for the laugh...who do I give credit to when I forward this to our electicians? Lucas?

BTW, I've been enjoying this thread a lot, and learning so much about this vintage Rover. Keep up the good work!

 

[revor]

Electrical Theory by Joseph Lucas

Positive ground depends upon proper circuit functioning, the transmission of negative ions by retention of the visible spectral manifestation known as "smoke". Smoke is the thing that makes electrical circuits work; we know this to be true because every time one lets the smoke out of the electrical system, it stops working. This can be verified repeatedly through empirical testing. When, for example, the smoke escapes from an electrical component (i.e., say, a Lucas voltage regulator), it will be observed that the component stops working. The function of the wire harness is to carry the smoke from one device to another; when the wire harness "springs a leak", and lets all the smoke out of the system, nothing works afterwards. Starter motors were frowned upon in British Automobiles for some time, largely because they consume large quantities of smoke, requiring very large wires.

It has been noted that Lucas components are possibly more prone to electrical leakage than Bosch or generic Japanese electrics. Experts point out that this is because Lucas is British and all things British leak. British engines leak oil, shock absorbers, hydraulic forks and disk brakes leak fluid, British tyres leak air and the British defense establishment leaks secrets...so, naturally, British electrics leak smoke.

:xxrotflma

Oh... It hurts.....