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So today I picked up the engine and its associated goodies and got it mounted back on the stand ready to start the rebuild. Rope seals in an oil bath at the moment in preparation for getting to work on it tomorrow afternoon.

Pulled down the steering column; the first thing I noticed was that the end cap came off as soon as I undid the screws as the lash adjustor was not engaged.pitman shaft gear was rubbing against it. I will need to check the end clearance when it goes back together to see if it is worn. If it is I will build it up and then cut it back to spec.  It also has a good worm drive and bearing surfaces; again because it was well greased, but using a GP grease as opposed to moly.

I think that the selector shaft is in good condition and the selector connection is sound.



On closer inspection of the one I had already it appears that a washer has been welded onto the shaft to stop the selector from being prised off the shaft. I assume that there was some issue there at one time. I will grind the washer off the back and remove the selecotr shaft tomorrow. The indicator mechanism and horn contact came with it an are also in good used condition.



My plan at this stage is to determine which selector shaft is best, clean up the original one and put it all back together, then repair/reinforce the original selector shaft and put the other one back together as a spare.

I did not get to stripping down the front end today but it does look in pretty good nick. Rob, I'll let you know what I find in relation ot the control arm shafts when I get to that bit.

Craig,

You've done well with that lot.  On FC front suspensions, the lower control arm shafts can get loose in the crossmember.*  You can only tell when the front springs have been removed.

Sooo - if it turns out that "Found Object's" front suspension has loose lower control arm shafts, I'll give you a call.

*How do I know?  Bitter experience.  On my grey FC, it took a lot of work with a welder and a file to fix the holes in the crossmember.  There are more than a few Holdens with the lower control arm shafts welded in place.  That makes replacement even more frustrating.**

**How do I know?  Experience, again.  This time an HD Premier I restored.

Rob

Hi All, during one of my trolling sessions on the forum I discovered someone had sourced the washer nozzles to fit the wiper bezel. They were sourced from the USA the name just alludes me at present and also a suggestion was posted that the items were also available here in OZ. A part number was furnished namely 55-17666.
Not wishing to belabour the fact I purchased a set from Classis Pick Up Supplies in Qld. The items arrived promptly and on attempting to install same on my FC discovered that the thread diameter was much smaller than the screw plug removed from the wiper bezel. Needless to say i was disappointed.
I am posting this as my experience, with no prejudice intended regarding anyone's past dealings or acquisitions from other sources. Thanks Norman

Picked up the running gear from a sedan from Wagga this evening. The gear came out of a running 58 model that is having a heart transplant to a supercharged blue motor.

I pulled the two drums off the diff and they are in good nick so I didn't inspect any further and took the bundle of parts that were on offer. In addtion to the drums being in good nick the brake linings look almost new so the shoes are probably useable.

The front end appears to have good king pins, wheel bearings and tight steering linkages. I'm looking forward to pulling the front drums to see if I have a couple of spare drums and another set of usaeble shoes.

When I inspected the steering column it looks like the selector tube is unmolested. I will pull it down and use it as a template to undo the repair on the one I have and re-repair it to the correct dimensions. With luck the bearing race and worm drive will be in good nick as well.

In addtion to the brake drums, as part of the deal, I picked up three FE/FC hub caps in average to good condition and one HR? one, a set of sedan rear leafs, and four rims with tyres. So overall I'm pretty happy with the find.

Rob, once I check the front end I trust that I'll be able to send the bake parts you sent down back.

Thanks all for the advice - I think that I now have all of the machanical components sorted.

As to progress today:

• 3.36 centre is now in the housing and the oil seals have been fitted. My press is a little too short to press the bearings and collars back onto the shafts so Son 2 will get them sorted at one of his mate's workshops (he's a spanner turner by trade).
• Son 3 was able to change the FB/EK fuel pump kit for a red 6. We'll see how that goes together tomorrow.

Cheers n Beers

Hi Norman I did the conversion and used a VN Commodore wiper motor and FC control arms.

Pete Mallaby does a conversion that he sells on Evil Bay if you are interested.

Thanks Rob,

The levers both look to be in good shape and not too worn. The linkages on the other hand are in terrible conditions and need to be built up and filed back round. Should be no trouble with the MIG.

I am off to Wagga tomorrow afternoon to have a look at a complete front end, diff and steering gear. It may have a good selector tube and soem usable brake drums. Perhaps I'm being a little too positive given the age of the parts.

I just came a cropper with the fuel pump resto - picked up the kit only to find that what I have isn't a grey motor pump. I expect that it is a red motor version, so will do a run into town and change the kit over.

For a couple of extra sheckles I could have bought an aftermarket red motor fuel pump with glass bowl and for a few sheckle less an after market red motor pump with no bowl.

I do have the original fuel/vacuum pump on the other grey if I need to use it- decisions, decisions.

Wiring harness extension cables and connectors arrived from Vintage Wiring today so that is another parts piece ticked off. I have put that aside as I won't even look at that until the paint is done.

Cheers

Craig,

All stock FC lower levers.  Couldn't make it out too well, but I hope the lower shift lever isn't too worn where the "fingers" of the selector lever bear on it.  I'd suggest an EK-HR lower selector lever.

Advanced Gearshift Upgrade: EK-HR lower shift lever, but you also need the special cup washer that goes with it.  *But* you'd have to raid an EK-HR gearshift tube for the collar (brazed on) and swap it over to the FC gearshift tube.  The collar would have to be jigged into place so it's square and correctly positioned.

As you can tell, I'm exploring these options for "Found Object" (if'n'when I get back to it . . . )

Rob

PS - I have a few spare FE-FC brake drums.  There might even be a serviceable pair among them.

Harv's advice matches my expereince - not so much with HR diffs though. My experience is with the VY centre the upgrade was around the same price as the repair. Fortunately I had the tru-trac with the roller I purchased with the insurance $ post a collision with a roo. Enough to write off the SS ute so had to do the swap from one chassis to another and upgraded the diff while I was at it.

I've got a rebuilt HR LSD in the FB (yet to drive it in anger), and a trutrac in the BW78 in my EK wagon (which gets leaned on a lot at Eastern Creek).

The banjo tru-trac will set you back about $1600. Depending on whether what you find is repairable or not, you could be facing close to that much to have the HR centre rebuilt. That sounds sad, but from the diff work I have had done is not too far from the truth.

You will never kill the trutrac, but will be rebuilding the HR periodically.

The trutracs are a nice centre, but you would soon find the next weakness (coarse spline axles) if you wanted to lean on it. Probably not an issue unless you take it to the strip.

Cheers,
Harv

All now sold.    Al.