Transmission and clutch

 January 19, 2023

Well the more I get into this truck the more like my decision to take it all apart.  I’ve found some poor workman ship and plenty that needs to be refurbished before I’d be happy with putting it back on the road.  Today I separated the transmission from the engine.  I was told it needed a clutch so that’s why I separated the transmission.  I found that the starter was missing one bolt and an improper bolt in another hole.  The inside of the bell housing is pretty oily; I’ll have to look into that.  The transmission brake will also be rebuilt. The engine has a lot of surface rust so I’m going to pull the stuff off it and pain’t it before i put it back in.

I was told the clutch need to be replaced.  I could see that the clutch slave was removed. I have the old slave but I can't (so far) get the plunger out so I can install a refurbishment kit) so I've ordered a new one; there only about $30 from Rovers North.  The flywheel and pressure plate look like the just need some surface cleaning.

I've pressure washed and cleaned the transmission and associate parts as much as I can without separating the transfer case.  I'll paint some parts (not the trans or transfer case) and put it back together with a refurbished transmission (emergency) brake assembly.

I’ve determined that the high-low shift lever was mounted wrong and a spring piece that hold it in place was missing.  The base of the selector is supposed to me on the forward side of the bell housing mounting plate and be off-set by some 3/8-1/2” spacers.  It was not, so not fitted to operate smoothly.  I was able to steal these pacers off a spare transmission that I have.

The throw-out bearing (Bearing release mechanism) is also at least not operating smoothly, if not bad, so I have to take it apart of clean, lube and check.  I noticed that the one on my spare trans works more smoothly so I may use it instead.

I found that the main shift lever bushing at the bottom of the lever is gone so I will need to fabricate a bushing for it.  I can get a new Series lever ($40 from RN) but the lever in the truck is a 6-month-only unique part of the factory build so I want to keep it. I will either weld a ball to the end or build up what is left with metal or Delrin. Originally this model had an O-ring on the end but they don’t last long.  The purpose of the larger end piece is to keep the selector from slipping between the shifter blocks.  It is approx 15-16mm in width so that it stays in the middle of each selector block.

So the fix was to put a larger “knob” on the end; an end that was large enough to fill the gap and not get stuck in between gear (I figured approx 15-16mm). I found an old socket the had the right ID to fit over what was left of the end and was about 15mm wide.  I JB welded it on the lever and smoothed the bottom corners.  I think it will work well and I preserved the factory shift lever.

4/21/2023

Throw-out bearing (clutch withdrawal unit)

This unit seemed to be a little sticky so I decided to remove it and take a look.  It is a simple mechanism that is lube'd by the transmission oil.  There is a gasket between the case and the unit that keeps the oil inside. There is a slide on a bearing that is actuated by a set of forks, which are actuated by the clutch servo mounted on the side of the bell housing, via a 2 part shaft.  the shaft with forks consists of a couple of bushings, a center rod, a spring and a spacer/washer.  I cleaned everything up and lube'd it all with grease even though it will be lube'd by the oil later,

Chassis off to be blasted

 January 13 2023

Chassis off to be blasted

As of the 13th I delivered the chassis to the blaster.  I asked him to blast the chassis and then coat it with a rust converter, including inside the rails.  I’ll paint it later.  Not sure if I will do that myself or have him do it.  The bake lines (what’s left of them) were left in place so I can copy them when I replace them later.  The PO had thought they could be salvaged but that’s not the case and I’m glad, for that and other repairs that I lifted the tub off.  I wrapped the exposed part of the chrome swivels in duck tape and asked him to avoid those areas, which I will clean up later when I rebuild the swivels, hubs and brakes.

Capstan winch restoration

January 10, 2023

Aero parts Capstan Winch refurb.

Wow! This is what I found when I opened up the Capstan which to clean a grease.  I found that it has a sealed bottom plate with a drain plug,  but if it sits out int he rain it will get water inside it. You’d have to pulling the drain plug all the time.  The engineering doesn’t make sense to me. Anyway it will clean up and be good as new when I’m done with it.

It’s now the 15th and I’ve finished 4 days of cleanup involving a parts wash, followed by an Ospho treatment, running the small bits in a Parts Shaker, wire brushing with a side-head and a wire wheel, and water rinse in between each step.  I have 2 seals. a bearing, a couple of gaskets, an oil did-stick and the 3 bolts for the Bollard cap, on order from LRO (UK).  The rest of the parts cleaned up well.  I’ll paint the Bollard and the rope guide roller and the other small parts black as original.  I had some thought to just clear coating the Bollard and roller to keep the patina looking original but think I’ll go with paint.

Here is what it looks like now that it’s done.

 January 8, 2023

I’ve had it all this time and torn it down, and just now thought to look for the chassis VIN number. It wasn’t readily visible so I wondered if it was there? The dumb irons look good, and they do not look like they’ve been repaired or replaced.  A little work with sand paper and the VIN was revealed. Happily, matching the dash plate, title and Heritage Certificate.

Clean up continues and will for a long time.  The hardware has been soaked in cleaner, soaked in Evaporust, washed, sprayed with Ospho, and they will be wire brushed again before use.

Pics of the cable covering being wire brushed after soaking in degreaser, then Ospho, then soaked in PB Blaster.  These are very time consuming to clean because of the way the “accordion”.  

The bottom side of the Capstan winch.  Soaking in PB Blaster after cleaning and waiting to come apart for cleaning a re-lube of the works.  I was thinking about the rusty drum and rope guide.  I don’t they will look right being painted so perhaps I’ll leave them with the light surface rust or maybe clear coat them.

 January 6-7, 2023

Back from holiday travels and back to work.  I’ve finished pulling everything off the frame so it can be media blasted. I did a lot of scraping and pressure washing with Purple Power.  I’ve seen a lot worst caked on crud on other vehicles.  I’m still thinking the frame looks good.  I’m thinking of getting a tumbler/shaker to clean nuts and bolts.  A lot of them are fine thread and may be harder to find new. While the frame is off getting blasted I’ll finish cleaning the engine and transmission and start refurbishing other parts.  I will cover the exposed part of the swivel for the blasting process but these the hubs and brakes one; they will be completely taken apart and rebuilt later anyway. Need new shocks and limiter straps and if I can find factory style springs I’ll replace these and refurbish the old ones at later date.  I pulled the wiring harness out of the frame making sure to feed a pull wire through the frame to use when I pull it back through.  I left the brake lines on as they are mostly bad and in any case not too hard to replace/build on a SWB (not the job it was on the 109!).

This is the frame, cleaned and everything off, and ready to blast.  Below are pics of other part I took off the frame.  The shocks will be replaced and the drive shafts rebuilt.

Every thing that has rust been covered with Ospho (rust converter) after I clean and degrease the part. After a day or so with the Ospho on that part I clean it with water. This will stop rust until I can get to that part later.  When I get to that part again in the build it will be wire brushed, or blasted in my cabinet before being primed and painted.  

The large electrical cables are encased in a steel flex tube.  It’s a cools set-up but that stuff is a nightmare to clean all the years of grease and sludge out of.  I put it in the parts washer then had to go inch by inch with a wire brush and it still didn’t get it all because of the way it flexes, “accordioning” on itself.  I did the best I could then cleaned more under running water.  After it dried I put Ospho on it for the rust.  Later I will run it on the wire wheel and hopefully that will get it clean.

When I pulled the harness out of the frame I noticed a lot of damage to the wrapping and some damage to the wires.  There was also a rats nest up in that frame tube which might explain some of it.  So how do you get a rats nest and other debris out of a closed box chassis tube that only has a couple 1.5” holes?  You got me, but I stuck a vacuum one in one hole and the air hose in the other.  I also got some of it with “finger tongs”? 

I have all the nuts a bolts that I removed bagged and tagged, and now sitting it container of Evaporust.  First time using that; we’ll see how well it works to salvage this old hardware.