Oliver and Colin's 1960 Series II rebuild.

[red90]

Or...the shaft may be installed back to front.

[cbalme]

The locating Pin is installed in the second hole from the front of the engine. There is no hole in the rocker shaft for the locating pin to thread into at the front but the locating pin at the back was already threaded in and lined up. This pin is in between cylinder 3 and 4. So I suppose this means the shaft is installed backwards. It should work either way, shouldn't it?

[red90]

It should work either way, shouldn't it?

I'm not sure. If it is completely symmetrical, it should not matter. It looks like it, but I can't guarantee it.

[cbalme]

It seems as though there is an oil return and entry gallery from that video so it should work either way. I think I will use it the way it is and take my chances.

[cbalme]

Well I did another valve set and found one adjuster to be of concern. Is this a sign of bad things or is it normal? It is screwed in very far compared to the others. I checked the pushrod and it is straight and compared to another push rod they're the same length.

The photo is of #6 adjuster, which was adjusted when #3 valve was open.

https://i.imgur.com/n8h5idLl.jpg

The push rods from the old motor are slightly longer compared to the ones from this motor.

[red90]

Are the valve heights the same? Rocker bent?

[The_Anachronist]

Yeah with an engine that old I’d bet on valve height. All mine were about .25” short - and with not much zip left in the spring.

[cbalme]

The valve heights seem about the same compared to valves near #6

https://i.imgur.com/P5viCbVl.jpg

The next thing I'd suspect would be something to do with the cam and followers. The plan is to rebuild the Solex 40 PA in the next few days and see if the engine will run. Then I'll decide from there what to do.

I have been making progress in other places like the steering and Air filter. It's a lot of painting to make things look nice and tidy. The steering box is in very good shape it just needs a new gasket to solve a leak.

https://i.imgur.com/4ze0ULXl.jpg

Air Filter installed

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

[cbalme]

Got a bit of work done today on the old Series, refurbished the Solex Carb and got it back on the Motor. Very close to firing it up and seeing if it actually runs!

My Grandfather and I tore the carb apart and cleaned it up and reassembled it with a kit. It was missing some parts so we just cleaned and reused the old ones.

https://i.imgur.com/hDKdUaSl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/FxiLSnAl.jpg

Then without anything else left to do I decided to bend up the brake lines for the rear axle. I used my hand to bend the lines so it's not very pretty. The lines are longer than they need to be which is annoying.

https://i.imgur.com/C6do0gZl.jpg

[cbalme]

We've finally got around to putting the gearbox back together. Victor came over last afternoon to give us a hand.

Here we are pressing first gear on to the layshaft. They had to remove it and take all the wax off. I'd left it on which turned out to be a bad idea.
https://i.imgur.com/QIOPR4Ll.jpg

Pressing the bearing on to the primary pinion. We made sure to the washer on the other side as per the manual. The previous time it was apart someone put the washer on the wrong side.
https://i.imgur.com/iCMza1dl.jpg

We then put the primary pinion into the bellhousing. We had a hell of a time trying to pound the bearing in so we used a heat gun to warm the bellhousing for 5 minutes then it just fell in. It was quite comical how easy it was compared to before. We used the same trick for the layshaft bearing and tightened up all the studs and bolts that held them in.
https://i.imgur.com/WS5iBEcl.jpg

Getting the gears ready to go in. at the time we had the layshaft assembled in the wrong order but we figured that out later when the Syncro wouldn't fit beside the gears
https://i.imgur.com/xsLEqawl.jpg

Didn't take many photos of the assembly since it required many hands but it went together without too much trouble. The biggest issue was lining up the layshaft with the main shaft but after a bit of fiddling, we got it to go. The gear that matches the primary pinion was put on at the same time as the bellhousing and primary pinion since it was the only way we could get things to align.
https://i.imgur.com/680NHJ0l.jpg

We called it a night after we got the gear selectors aligned. We ran it through all the gears and none of them grind so it is ready for the transfer case and final reassembly.
https://i.imgur.com/tTXM03yl.jpg

[cbalme]

Did a bit of fiddling with the gearbox tonight. Hopefully I'll have it done by next week.

I only got the reverse springs installed tonight. It was missing one so I just changed them both while it was apart.

https://i.imgur.com/g5AtBjml.jpg

[cbalme]

I got bored Saturday night and decided to put the box back together. I finished it up this morning and just need to put the slave cylinder back on then it's done.

I adjusted the clutch release pin with the 7/16 drill bit and bolted it back on. I also put the top back on with some grease to hopefully seal it.
https://i.imgur.com/gJczUV1l.jpg

Then shimmed up the transfer case, it didn't need any extras it was already perfect.
https://i.imgur.com/DI8CKdnl.jpg

After that I mated it all together. I put the intermediate shaft in before the gearbox output gear which was a mistake so I had to take all of that apart again.
https://i.imgur.com/8TmA9bAl.jpg

Put the springs in for the gears and setting the clearances with the adjusters
https://i.imgur.com/dyFVZd2l.jpg

Just a few more things then it's ready to go back in!
https://i.imgur.com/uRC20lBl.jpg

[cbalme]

I was expecting to be able to put the box back in the truck this afternoon but found a crack in the pipe that connects the slave cylinder to the throwout assembly.

You can just make out a hairline crack beside the hole for the pin. Above is the galvanized pipe we used to make a new one.
https://i.imgur.com/6uVqzdFl.jpg

Our reamer was broken so I had to file it out by hand which took quite a while. Eventually, I got it to fit as it should with a new grommet in place.
https://i.imgur.com/I0c2eo5l.jpg

Put a shiny new slave cylinder into the housing I found in my parts pile that was nice and clean. I will adjust it later one I get the hydraulics installed.
https://i.imgur.com/nZcCdcJl.jpg

I also cleaned and degreased all the mounts so I can paint them.

[ANDYD]

Great progress Colin, I'm feeling a bit guilty having left my project for a few weeks and watching all your good progress.

So regarding the gearbox, now that you put it all back together, did you find a lot of wear and tear on gears or bearings or were the replacement parts more just to change them while you had it on the bench? I'm at that point where I am going to change all my seals, but not really seeing any wear or excess movement in the bearings or gears.
Reluctant (or lazy) to just change bearings for the sake of it .... hummmm...

[cbalme]

Hi Andy, good to hear it is still being worked on. With this gearbox my original plan was to just change all the gaskets and seals but I crushed that rear layshaft bearing by accident so I had to take it all apart. After disassembly 1st gear was found to be in bad shape so we changed it out. Other than that all the gears were in good shape. It's very easy to change the bearings if you have a heat gun and a freezer or access to a shop press. We changed 3 out of the 5 bearings inside the gearbox because they were easy to deal with even though they were in good shape. We left the rear mainshaft bearing because it was in perfect condition and reused the old bearing that goes between the mainshaft and the primary pinion because the new britpart bearing had more play.

I didn't change any transfer case bearings I just took it apart and cleaned it. When you go to put everything back together just shim it all and make sure it's set to the correct preloads and that sort of thing.

Overall I would just give the whole box a good look over and change anything that looks overly worn. I'd also talk to Victor or Matt who are quite good at this sort of thing.

[cbalme]

This afternoon we got the gearbox installed. It was very fiddly and took a while to line everything up but then it all just slid into place.
https://i.imgur.com/5Tx9eaOl.jpg

I was having troulble aligning the mounts and it turns out I put the removable cross memeber on the wrong way round. Once I got that sorted out it went into place quite well
https://i.imgur.com/qAe4Nayl.jpg

Then I put the handbrake on with a bit of siliconce on the mudshield. The shoes were easy to put on on the bench with older springs
https://i.imgur.com/lv0TIdYl.jpg

Then I torqued up the flange, put the drum on and adjusted the handbrake to how it should be.
https://i.imgur.com/pcD1df0l.jpg

Also made a new cork gasket for the filler hole on top. It took two tries and turned out okay.
https://i.imgur.com/md1ltE2l.jpg

Next job is putting the propshafts on and then onto welding the bulkead!

[cbalme]

It's been a busy week without much progress on the Land Rover.

Propshafts got installed last weekend with new bolts.
https://i.imgur.com/S5jWafnl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/XBa9t1gl.jpg

Bought a battery that was an inch too long so I had to trade it for another. Getting closer and closer to firing it up!
https://i.imgur.com/tmhVGx7l.jpg

Found out that Land Rover makes two carburettor elbows, one is for the Solex on the left and the other is for a Weber or Zenith on the right. You can slightly see that the one on the right is slightly bigger. So I had to paint the other and not use the nicely painted one I already had. Now it's all connected and the old vacuum advance I found in the parts bin is hooked up.
https://i.imgur.com/Bf0FG11l.jpg

I also got a vintage Jack-All from my grandpa which will suit the 109 quite nicely.
https://i.imgur.com/2rBDIVxl.jpg

[cbalme]

After taking a break from working on the Land Rover to focus on school I found some time to get some work in.

I exchanged my other battery for one with the reversed terminals so it'll work with my Land Rover.

https://i.imgur.com/Ppw2wG9l.jpg

Gave the inside of the frame a thick coat of Wax, hopefully it'll be good but I may need to recoat it because this stuff doesn't harden.
https://i.imgur.com/RBTfMrSl.jpg

Two Cans barely did the whole frame and I had to buy the applicator separately. It came with 3 lengths but I only used the long one.

https://i.imgur.com/2dOWKlal.jpg https://i.imgur.com/FVebCwNl.jpg

I also replaced the original breather hoses for the Axles since they were only stubs. Hopefully these will be long enough and not get snagged on anything. I don't think I will need breather hoses that go all the way up to the top of the bulkhead since I don't plan on doing any deep wading.

Back Axle

https://i.imgur.com/XPV5vKil.jpg

Front Axle. There was no where to route the hose on the other side of the frame so I had to route the hose over the diff.

https://i.imgur.com/L6tAQ0Ll.jpg

[cbalme]

A few little things got done yesterday. I painted the radiator and shroud and screwed them back together. I had the radiator tested by Gerwin Solutions. It was tested up to 10 pounds and held up fine So I may get a few more years out of it. It only needed a new cap and tap. I have yet to find a cap because it is the rare kind off of a Series 1.

https://i.imgur.com/E9WoOU2l.jpg https://i.imgur.com/ExP1Jx9l.jpg

I drained the old gear oil out of the steering box and filled it up to the brim with thin one shot grease. This should stop any leaks and keep it lubricated up for many years to come.

I then turned my attention to the steering wheel. I spend a good hour wire wheeling the main aluminium part and then degreased the handle and everything. I then taped off the chrome parts. After it was all masked off I took some JB weld and forced it into the cracks in the plastic so it would be strong again. I then gave one more good degreasing with scotchbrite and then primed everything with self-etching primer. Tonight I'll sand it back a bit and then give it a few coats of gloss black.

https://i.imgur.com/m3JdbJCl.jpg

[cbalme]

Put two coats of gloss black on the wheel this afternoon. It's looking very good and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out.

https://i.imgur.com/5tdkzWtl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/L3WwbVdl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/FOkBy2Dl.jpg

I also painted the part that does the electrics for the horn and the self-cancelling turn signals.

https://i.imgur.com/o0bokvQl.jpg

Now I need to find something to coat the horn and surround. It is supposed to look wrinkly but has a pattern. I am going to look into finding a wrinkle paint.

[bsa_m21]

You can get Eastwood black wrinkle paint from KMS. They usually have it in stock.

Looking good!!
M.

[cbalme]

Thanks for the tip Martin, the only KMS we have on the island is in Victoria so I'll look around locally before heading down. How do I separate the button from the surround that needs to be painted?

Tonight we turned the engine over on the starter, just to make sure the oil pump was working and to make sure the rocker shaft was getting oil. It was a rough start because I forgot to add the oil pressure gauge so I emptied a litre of oil onto the floor before I noticed my mistake. After plugging in the gauge we turned it over again and got 30lbs of pressure and the rocker shaft began emptying oil out of the holes so it turns out the way the shaft is facing doesn't matter.

Click on the photo and it will take you to a video.

http://i.imgur.com/5Stym7Fl.mp4

The original gauge showed 30lbs. I ordered a brand new one off of Craddock which will be cheaper than getting it rebuilt.

https://i.imgur.com/UUDHgK1l.jpg

Just need to sort out the electrical and fuel then it'll be ready to run by itself!

[cbalme]

Haven't got around to firing up the motor just yet, but it is almost all wired in and ready to go. In the meantime I got the centre horn button painted.

First of all, I disassembled it everything. You just need a small chisel to pry the tab over and then some water pump pliers to twist the centrepiece out. Here it is all in bits after bending the tab over.

https://i.imgur.com/D7fhfOzl.jpg

I then took the horn button and wet sanded the deep scratches and imperfections out with 400 grit sandpaper, it gave a super smooth finish and turned out quite nice with a coat of gloss black but I don't have any photos.

Matt told me to make sure the metal wasn't cold so I put it in the sun for an hour before I painted the horn surround.

https://i.imgur.com/7nIHFtkl.jpg

I took a can of VHT Wrinkle Plus to it. It sort of looked wavy and disappointing but the can said to expect that so I left for a bit.

https://i.imgur.com/wHAvF2tl.jpg

Then came back to this.

https://i.imgur.com/p6V1dPJh.jpg

The metal was almost too hot to hold at the time I painted it which I think made the wrinkles tighter than they should be but I am still very impressed!

My photos don't really show all the details but it looks the part.

[cbalme]

Put the horn button and centrepiece back together and it looks great!

https://i.imgur.com/50ye3xfl.jpg

I got the rest of the steering wheel back together, I just need to figure out a way to take all the tape off as it's stuck on there really well.

https://i.imgur.com/FpLGqj9l.jpg

My parts for the handbrake from Roversnorth finally arrived, even in a green bag!

https://i.imgur.com/yvfcK30l.jpg

I finished installing the handbrake this afternoon and it goes on tight after about 4 clicks. I also installed a spring but I am not sure if that is where it is actually supposed to go.

https://i.imgur.com/yI9tZXul.jpg

A close up of the return spring. I'm not sure it's in the right place.

https://i.imgur.com/wG153lIl.jpg

[oldgravy]

On my S2 the return spring affixed to the backing plate. I have a poor quality photo somewhere if you need it...