Oliver and Colin's 1960 Series II rebuild.

[cbalme]

Hi oldgravy, I'd love a photo I'm not sure I set mine up right but it seems to be working.

I got a bunch of stuff from craddocks this afternoon.

A new gauge to replace the one that was missing the temperature sender.

https://i.imgur.com/bkbbMS9l.jpg

A new radiator cap which is very tight to put on. Time will tell whether it works or not.

https://i.imgur.com/J1FlTWgl.jpg

Brake line brackets for a Series III axle were installed as well. I may need to get a different type of flex hose with a long part on both ends.

https://i.imgur.com/w5b3KSql.jpg

[oldgravy]

Here's what I got.

[cbalme]

I must have a different handbrake backing plate than you, mine doesn’t have a hook like yours.

[cbalme]

Just been chipping away at little jobs like cleaning parts and getting them ready for paint.

Finally got a Power Brake Tower thanks to Matt, now I can do a proper job on the brake system. When I got the brake tower it was seized solid, so straight into a bucket of diesel it went. Then I pulled it out and took the impact driver to all the nuts and pulled the servo off which went straight into the bin.

https://i.imgur.com/NiCW601l.jpg

Took a bit of persuading with a brass mallet to get the pedal to move back and forth smoothly but now I can move it around by hand so I will wire wheel and paint it with POR 15 after I find a suitable clutch pedal in my parts loft.

https://i.imgur.com/XuHyHWol.jpg

Very very close to firing up the old 2.25. It is all wired in properly as far as I know. The white wire goes to the + Terminal on the battery and the red one goes to the distributor.
https://i.imgur.com/z9MfDl5l.jpg

I had to take the fuel pump off the old seized motor after messing around with the one I was trying to use for over an hour, Something is wrong with the diaphragm it won't build pressure. The original AC pump was pulled off the seized block and pumped fuel like crazy. I bet it's been rebuilt at some point because it has a few stripped screws.

https://i.imgur.com/TWeUchTl.jpg


Once I run a fuel line to the carb it should be ready to fire up!

[ANDYD]

Exciting times.... good luck with the start up, hope it roars like a lion (or purrs like a cat!)

The steering wheel came out well, good work.

[cbalme]

Thanks Andy, very pleased with how the wheel turned out.

I started this evening with plumbing in the fuel lines from the pump.

https://i.imgur.com/FVr8zQjl.jpg

Then pushed it into the yard to fire it up.

https://i.imgur.com/1gTWw3Kl.jpg

After doing a bit of fiddling we ran some jumper cables to the starter and tried turning it over. It turned over quite a few times and barely coughed into life and then stalled on us. Disappointing results but that means it can run, and I will make it run!

It gets spark, it's getting fuel, and it has air, I think it is lacking the pull from the starter motor or crank handle. The starter weakly turns it over and I wasn't able to crank it over by hand fast enough. Tomorrow I will get it to go somehow. If anyone has any advice it would be greatly appreciated because I don't really know what I'm doing.

[John]

Hand cranking does not require speed and you'll never get any unless you have little to no compression. You'll only get one hit past compression at a time however I don't think I would expect to get a rebuild to start first time on the crank unless you know that everything else is spot on. Put a known good battery in it and take it from there.

Good luck.

[cbalme]

I thought it was all in the speed of the pull? I understand I can only hit it once and then I have to hook the crank handle back into the pulley. The battery is brand new and reading 13.3 volts when I began turning it over and has been recharged.


Which way is full choke on the Solex? I'm pretty sure it's pulled all the way back towards the bulkhead.

It did cough and sputter for a second so the timing is sort of set.

[cbalme]

After messing around with it this afternoon I decided to set the plug gap properly, I think that did the trick it fired up and roared like a lion before stalling because it ran out of gas.

"There you go, it runs" sums up this video pretty well.

[franko]

Amazing, that’s got to be the best feeling ever 🙌🏼.

[cbalme]

Chipping away at little jobs now.

Painted the brake and clutch booster after disassembling them both. Came out very bad with POR-15 Semi-Gloss black. It had no gloss to it and was completely flat. Going to try a tin of full gloss and see how that looks.

https://i.imgur.com/p2qmXGSl.jpg

Started getting the body panels ready for paint. Found some doors, wings, and door tops that will be painted bronze green with the new paint guns I bought for really cheap at princess auto

https://i.imgur.com/ne0ePMpm.jpg https://i.imgur.com/scF2IwBm.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/1VLVOSym.jpg https://i.imgur.com/00ewrUdm.jpg

Then turned to get the tub ready for paint. This is going to be the most painful to repair since it has a few layers of poorly applied paint.

Looks pretty good on the back of the truck!

https://i.imgur.com/llJHgvPl.jpg

All the galvanising removed. Planning on doing the same for the hood.

https://i.imgur.com/ogepIxul.jpg

Unfortunately I found bondo on the rear left panel. That's the only place that's got it as far as I can tell and it's on there thick. Here's an 11/32 socket for scale.

https://i.imgur.com/gMZ8L1al.jpg

Not really sure what to do there. It is too much of a hassle to replace that panel so I may just slap some more bondo back on or leave it alone. Most of the damage is hidden by the license plate anyways...

My shiny rebuilt gearbox is already leaking, I think this hot weather has something to do with it :x

The engine also leaks out of the front crank main seal. So off comes the timing cover in the next few days :roll:

[bsa_m21]

Re Leaks - So she's already marking her spot! Must be British!

You might want to take the seal to your local bearing house and see if you can get a double lip equivalent. Failing that, check the crank for wear. If so, see about getting a "speedy sleeve" to repair.

Re Bondo - I don't know about you, but I've seen way too many Series with cracked and falling off bondo. The thin aluminum flexes in vehicle use and causes the rigid bondo to crack and fall off. So if you plan to use the vehicle offroad at all, I'd think about taking off the bondo that is there and using a propane torch, "shrinking" hammer (has a spiral-milled face shrinks metal on impact) and dolly to get the dents out. I've used them in the past and it really works. Google it -there's lots of info and video's online.

Just my 2 cents. And keep up the great work!!

M.

[DrRangelove]

Hey Colin, looking good!

I had to speedy sleeve my crank seal as well - so far so good RE: leaks from that spot. My gearbox/transfer case is also leaking after replacing all the gaskets/seals and being generous with the RTV. Apparently this is just par for the course according to everyone I've spoken too - frustrating, but you just learn to live with it I guess (and check fluid levels regularly!)…

That bondo is giving me flashbacks to my body panels - I think I had up to a 1/4" of the stuff on the worst areas! I ended up chipping/sanding mine away but it was a horrible job and I'm left with a dented, pucked and shot gun blast scarred body that adds a certain charm lol

[cbalme]

Thanks Martin and Dave. I'll look into a double lipped seal I didn't think of that. I ordered two crank seals because I've heard you can fit two in the front hole.

I replaced the crank pulley with a brand new one already because the old one was very worn.

With the gearbox I'm hoping that if I put the proper weight oil in it will leak less, right now it has a very thin GL4 Hydraulic fluid/Tractor Transmission fluid just to flush all the junk out and then I'll put the right stuff back in.

I agree with not putting bondo back on the panels, the 110 has it in the rear tub after being rear-ended and you can see massive cracks it looks awful. The doors I am using have a thin skim of bondo already so I won't bother taking it off just leave them alone. The tub I am using must've run into something I found a 3/4 inch hole punched through where I was chipping off bondo.

The license plate covers most of the damage so I'll do my best to hammer out the majority of the dent and then leave it be.

[cbalme]

Got some more painting done in this nice weather, also getting closer to painting the bronze green.

New paint on the brake and clutch pedal towers, starter button and headlight switch.

https://i.imgur.com/fmA8IVql.jpg https://i.imgur.com/dXq9bJul.jpg

Replaced all the tie rod ends with the safe type for my tie rods and installed the correct Series III brake lines from the chassis to axle.

https://i.imgur.com/lY1seXNl.jpg

Then turned back to the dreaded bondo. Took it off with a rapid strip sanding disk on an angle grinder which made short work of it.

https://i.imgur.com/2QHsOiJl.jpg

The metal has stretched quite a lot, haven't tried the shrinking hammer yet but a license plate hides the worst of it so it may not be needed.

https://i.imgur.com/v5F66myl.jpg

My buddy who is building his own series of Series came over to help me pound out the dents in the tub. Most of them came out and I'm quite pleased with that next is the wings.

https://i.imgur.com/Dgieu2jl.jpg


This evening I tore the timing cover off. Not as bad of a job as I thought. Used two new seals and self-tapping screws this time instead of the rivets. I figured out the hard way that a rivet is no good for holding a mud shield on unless it is sealed. There were clear holes into the engine so that may explain the very large puddle of oil upon startup.

https://i.imgur.com/z7tZ8dnl.jpg

Mostly back together now, the next task is trying to mount a Lucas Alternator to the block without the proper mount. The old 19j came in handy for something other than a boat anchor when I hauled it out of the lake to get the power steering and alternator bracket off of it. I got it mounted up to the Petrol block but the alternator pulley doesn't line up with the belts on the other pulleys. I may have to bite the bullet and source the proper bracket for just a Lucas alternator.

https://i.imgur.com/I24xTxvl.jpg

It is so close to lining up. Just slightly too far forward. Any advice?

https://i.imgur.com/1kMofV0l.jpg

[BlkP38]

Love it! Hauled the 19J out of the lake. Most of us have a spares stash, but somewhere more conventional.
Looking good Colin. Not long now.

[cbalme]

Picked up a few parts from Greg's farm this week, like this battery hold down.

https://i.imgur.com/viKy2ADl.jpg

Also redid the nameplates. I used a rapid strip sanding disk because I was too lazy to sand all the letters.

https://i.imgur.com/84K3f7zl.jpg

I also picked up the proper alternator mount for a 2.25, it turns out the pulley is the wrong one for this engine so it will need modification.

https://i.imgur.com/dhJpqW4l.jpg

Straightened the passenger side wing pretty well but the left one needs exchanging with a different wing in better shape I think.

https://i.imgur.com/zPVJznUl.jpg

Proof that I'm getting closer to painting is this newly built paint booth. Hopefully get all the green bits painted next week.

https://i.imgur.com/SroPT4pl.jpg

Then turned my attention to the bulkhead, I had been debating for a long time whether to replace the footwells, someone went crazy with a drill before I got it. Rather than just filling the holes I had the footwells replaced. Much less time and way stronger than the originals who were already pretty thin.

https://i.imgur.com/M9GJ3FYl.jpg

Cut them out and welded in new footwells.

https://i.imgur.com/cKrNWTFl.jpg

Some of the holes won't line up but thats nothing a bigger drill bit and some nice wide washers can't hide!

https://i.imgur.com/ClRNqd3l.jpg

This evening I tidied up the fuel lines, instead of running above the distributor and over the rocker panel it now follows along the right of the engine then goes above the thermostat as it should.

https://i.imgur.com/DifCsATl.jpg

[ANDYD]

Hey Colin, Awesome job with keeping your Landy project moving along steadily. I'm guilty of letting my project grind to a halt in the summer, although I did pick up a big suitcase of engine parts while visiting England. I'm very jealous of all the space you have there in that barn, even have room for your own spray booth!
Keep up the good work ..........
Andy

[cbalme]

Thanks Andy, it is very useful having a large shop but one downside is that it's hard to keep such a large space clean!

Got the Lucas 16ACR installed with the proper pulley. Now it's ready for the engine wiring loom.

https://i.imgur.com/NUYVdZCl.jpg

Also cut the holes for the Kodiak Mark II Heater, hopefully it's in the right spot but as far as I can tell it's not terribly critical.

https://i.imgur.com/NtPHtIWl.jpg

If anyone has parts for a Kodiak Mark II I am looking for a right-hand defroster, intake cowling and shutoff valve.

[cbalme]

Had a very busy week last week. From Monday to Saturday I was spending most of my time prepping everything for paint. I did not realize it was that much work.

After the first layer of stripper and a fair bit of work. The biggest job was the tub because it had so many old crusty layers of paint. The rest of the truck has good paint so I will just scuff and sand it. I did end up finding a few more bondo areas which weren't as bad compared to the other spot.

https://i.imgur.com/HrpjuePl.jpg

It took 4-5 stripping discs and lots of aircraft aluminum stripper to get the job done and a few days of hard work shared between my dad and I but for the most part everything's done. Here it is all done up hanging off the tractor The Gods must be Crazy style (although much less extreme) to chop off the ends of the u bolts.

https://i.imgur.com/Ld1bZCjl.jpg

Using the old wings because I will most likely beat them up a fair bit so now I won't wince when they get dings in them.

https://i.imgur.com/GsAcdfJl.jpg

A mostly sandblasted bulkhead, when the sandblaster was working it was quite enjoyable but the reliability of that thing is worse than Land Rovers...

https://i.imgur.com/coNDIHTl.jpg

Hopefully I'll be able to come home on most weekends to spray everything before it gets too cold, otherwise I'll invest in a heater.

I'm debating on whether I repaint the deep sills as well, I know they get crunched very easily in the bush. Another option is to get some rock sliders welded up with some thick square tube which is what I'm leaning towards.

[cbalme]

Got a little bit of work done this weekend. The Carburettor was leaking when it ran so I bent the float a bit so that should help.

Also replaced the pinion flanges, it's one of those jobs that should've been done when the diffs were apart but they were overlooked. The old ones weren't too bad so they'll become spares.

https://i.imgur.com/eQz0Coxl.jpg

Went quite smoothly but found this on the rear diff. Someone (myself) must've put it in wrong. I'm very confused because it looks as though the seal is the right way round but the spring is on the outside. Is this a double lipped seal?

https://i.imgur.com/nYpwzKEl.jpg

[ANDYD]

Hi Colin,
The manual states that the lip (and spring) should be facing in towards the axel. Its hard to see from your photo but I wonder if the lip of the seal has folded inside out when you pulled the flange off?
There should also be locking tabs under the nuts (couldn't see them in your photo).
Cheers,
Andy

[cbalme]

Hi Andy, thanks for the help. I did a quick google search of the part number (FRC 4586) and it appears to be in the correct position. There is a spring on the inside and outside.

https://www.lrdirect.com/FRC4586-suppli ... rteco.html

The reason that there is no locking tab is that they were broken, I replaced them with spring washers that are covered in black paint. (Even though that part is supposed to be bare)

[cbalme]

Got a few little tasks done this weekend and a big milestone reached this afternoon.

Routed the vacuum advance the right way round, before this it would've hit the throttle linkages.

https://i.imgur.com/sbPFf3rl.jpg

Then started on hanging body panels for paint. Bit tricky finding a way for everything to fit in but we got it done.

https://i.imgur.com/fHyIgNEl.jpg

Today we sanded all the panels with 320 grit paper and then gave them a final wipe, then painted them in a very vibrant green.

https://i.imgur.com/v3CGqxJl.jpg

Luckily that was just the primer and not the final coat, I don't think I could handle a truck that colour. Looks almost like pastel green.

Here it is with the first coat on, after supper we'll get a second coat on.

https://i.imgur.com/eqW6iKql.jpg

Overall very impressed with how it turned out, had to add a few runs and imperfections in definitely on purpose to make it authentic. I'll let it dry over the week and then it goes on Saturday, exciting times!!!

[oldgravy]

Authenticity is important! Congrats.