611 replies to this topic

[76lxhatch]

Added earth terminal for the fuel sender.

 

Of course I thought I was just going to swap out the sender and pickup assembly with the tank in the car - nope. I forgot there's a baffle plate in the tank that runs right through the location for the pickup, more adjustment needed. Had to do it the hard way.

 

Got the pickup and float arm tweaked to the necessary angle with the tank on a stand, and even managed to do a basic leak test by tipping it up.

 

According to the instructions, the Speedhut fuel gauge has a preset for the correct 40-250 ohm range. But I must have a mis-print because it behaves more like the 0-30 ohms shown in a different set of instructions I found online. So I had to manually calibrate empty and full positions but seems to work well now and certainly fixed the unreliable reading issue. The gauge does seem to have reasonable damping too, the needle doesn't swing up and down with rapid float movement.

 

Have had occasion to use the intermittent wiper control recently, works great but time for new wiper blades again as they don't last long in the sun. Decided to try something different to see if I can get more than 10 seconds out of them before they start shuddering over the windscreen. I've had a good run out of the flex blade setups, but they don't offer a fitting style that suits the arms. They still have a simple centre pivot though, just push the pin out and throw away the plastic adapters and it's pretty close. Made some stainless hardware to suit.

 

In addition to updating the blade holder this assembly has significantly less slop than the worn out originals which I'm hoping will help. They sound a little better running over the windscreen but it stopped raining so a proper test will have to wait.

[Bruiser]

Just put a set of those wipers on the Mrs’s car, not much choice between the crummy generic ones and anything claiming to be better
She wanted something “good”, she drives the freeway home late nights after work in fog and rain. So…
Pricey, so I grumbled but grabbed them to keep her happy
I still can’t believe how good they actually are, they work a treat

[Shiney005]

79 series Landcruiser ones would be too short I think, but the original Toyota blades last 7 or eight years, and that is while being out in the dust regularly. They look at me funny when I order OEM ones from Japan (they never have them in stock), but totally worth it.  

[76lxhatch]

79 series Landcruiser ones would be too short I think, but the original Toyota blades last 7 or eight years, and that is while being out in the dust regularly. They look at me funny when I order OEM ones from Japan (they never have them in stock), but totally worth it.  

Length was actually the clincher in picking these, I didn't think short ones would be available but you can get them down to 350mm (these are 380mm). You could literally fit two end-to-end in the box which is one-size-fits-all.

[76lxhatch]

Wipers do seem a lot better (so far).

 

Have been looking for a spare wheel on and off, it's a challenge finding something that will fit below the floor but still be a reasonable match in rolling diameter and clear the brakes. I haven't actually tried it on the car yet but pretty sure it will work, 15x5" with 165/80 tyre. Wheel is a bit ugly but hopefully it won't be seen much.

[yel327]

That will work. When I ran 14x8 and 14x7 on my hatchback I used to have a 14x5 HQ rim with something like a 175x60x14 tyre and it just fit neatly.

I would have tried a space saver though. Out of something like a V2 Monaro (5 x 120) or one of the BA-BF Fords (5 x 4.5"). It was going to be my starting point for the HK, mine is a 5" wheel car so the wheel stands upright in the quarter, those with the D70/14 tyres on 6" rims had the wheel laying over with more room but have extra brackets.

[76lxhatch]

Still using 5x4.75" stud pattern, didn't want to be modifying wheels or need special wheel nuts if I could help it. I had considered a 17" front runner but they are way too pricey and even then a suitable tyre size is quite difficult to find.

 

It has an even uglier (at least on a Torana!) smoothie cap which will never see the light of day. I should make a hold-down though, turns out the bracket on the floor is actually still there!

[yel327]

Yeah you might have to look harder in Australia for a 5 x 4.75" space saver if your current path doesn't work for some reason. A Corvette one would work, they are something like 155/80/17, you'd just have to find one off a car over here. I'll just grab a VE/VF or a BMW. The BMW space savers can be a mag wheel too. Here is a 155/90/17 BMW which is what I plan to use if it fits but wrong pattern for your application:

 

https://www.ebay.com...:Bk9SR6Cg9MCJZA

[76lxhatch]

Wheel fits fine front and rear, it actually has better brake clearance than any 15" wheel I've used. For obvious reasons tyre clearance is not an issue.

 

Much to my surprise the little bracket for the factory hold down is still present and intact on the boot floor so figure I may as well use it. Copied the original rod using one from an old battery retainer, and made a custom knob that seats in the wheel nut taper from some leftover cast aluminium.

[76lxhatch]

A few pages back I cleaned up the two-piece swivel thermostat housing and made it one-piece with some epoxy. It's not a bad unit but there's a design flaw with the recessed cap screw idea; the base material under them is too thin causing warping and leaking if you crank on them too much. They're also difficult to access. I should have welded it up and machined before painting it - I may still one day, definitely won't be throwing it away because this $70 part apparently now sells for $250!!

 

At any rate I had a genuine GM housing from a VN in good condition, these are better engineered with the bolt bosses being much thicker. Also cast a chunk of aluminium from some pieces of old piston and machined that up as a spacer to get the correct height. Made it the same shape as the earlier thermostat housing so I can use it if I ever change back, or want to drill the other port.

 

Fixed the colour and made up some shoulder bolts with slightly reduced size heads, fitted with a new top hose.

[claysummers]

Nice work


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[RallyRed]

Very neat.