505 replies to this topic

[LXCHEV]

Sounds good TB. Quick question - what brand is your accelerator cable bracket? Looks pretty neat. Is the pedal heavy with the twin springs?

[IMORAL]

Great work TB. You should be proud mate. The car looks and sounds amazing.

[Tyre biter]

Sounds good TB. Quick question - what brand is your accelerator cable bracket? Looks pretty neat. Is the pedal heavy with the twin springs?

Brett,

It escaps me right now - car will be home soon and I'll check it for you.

If I forget to get back to you then please, drop me a PM to remind me to do so.

Cheers, TB

 

Great work TB. You should be proud mate. The car looks and sounds amazing.

Thanks Paul.

Very bloody excited I tell you - I drive down to Albury tomorrow with the empty trailer to meet the engine builder half-way and then I bring it home

All going well, the replacement gearbox will turn up on Sunday - once that has been swapped over then I can put the centre console back in and almost done - just need to sort a sticking rear brake issue out is all.

Cheers, TB

[Tyre biter]

It-is-home.

Got to take it for a quick drive before having to put it away.

No more 'knock-knock' jokes - it is brilliant!

Just need to cross my fingers and hope old-mate turns up on Sunday to exchange the $2k gearbox full of second hand and beyond-worn parts...

Cheers, TB

[Ice]

Now you can rest easy its home Craig

[Tyre biter]

Grant - all good brother - the bride put those cardboard boxes full of goodness knows what there six years ago soon after moving in, all the time promising to 'go through them to sort it all out'.  They haven't moved a smidgen since, and have sort of sagged into themselves further ensconcing their place whereby I reckon they will likely not budge until/if we get a 5.5 on the Richter scale...

_____

 

Update: I got a replacement gearbox from Peter Zitis of Australian 4 Speed Specialists late last week - a long story which doesn't warrant re-hashing here (enough said in this thread and elsewhere on this forum) other than to say that a phone call at the beginning of this month started with him threatening me with a lawsuit for defamation but concluded with him finally acknowledging what had transpired: that his gearbox was not as described/sold, and that it was far, far, far from his best effort in utilising numerous second-hand and worn components.  This outcome was a significant step in Peter's and my 'relationship' for want of a better term, and I am thankful to him that he acknowledged this - it was important to me that he did so.

 

In any case, we agreed that the best course of remediation was for him to build a replacement gearbox as opposed to rebuilding the one he previously sold to me.

I was told the replacement gearbox would be his best ever M21 - happy days

It arrived, I put it on my workbench, we shook hands, I said my goodbyes and I went back to life.

On Sunday I unscrewed the filler bolt and wouldn't you know it - tiny bits of metal - lots of it...

He has since sworn the case was 'hot cleaned' - turns out it was cleaned by a third party and he cannot understand what has occurred - it is called pre-assembly QA Peter, aka the 'white glove test'.

 

Yep, I acknowledge that he has twice come down to me in Canberra from Sydney.

The first time he stood in my house, he looked into my gearbox and he swallowed what he saw leaving me in the dark - a fairly dour outcome which predictably left me fired up once the truth was known to me.

Second time around I was left with an effort promised to be the Rolls-Royce of M21 rebuilds - one bolt unscrewed and I am already concerned it is in fact a 1990's Daewoo Cielo in terms of the effort and attention to detail applied by him given the elevated expectations I held inspired by his promised dedication to this particular task.

 

Nevertheless, I am an optimist and am prepared (yet again) to flow with it.

I will take it to a fellow tomorrow for an inspection where (fingers crossed), everything will be adjudged to be otherwise a-okay merely warranting a clean-out.

And make no mistake, I have said what I have knowing that Peter is a member here, expecting that he might see this post, and anticipating that he would therefore respond - I am being very careful to play the issue and not the person outright, and to merely state the facts whilst acknowledging my prior explosions as to my assessment of Peter's character that was a direct consequence of his behaviour.

 

I pray that after a bit of elbow grease on my part the case can be thoroughly cleaned and this becomes the end of it.

But I repeat George Santyana who said: "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it”.

And so despite Peter's repeated requests of me, I will not be a source of reference for him, nor will I resile from my prior or present commentary - all of this is what it is, and his conduct is what it was, which warranted what I had to say.  However I do genuinely wish the very best for those who procure his services, and indeed to Peter himself - I sincerely and genuinely hope you find your Phoenix Peter.

 

Cheers, TB

Edited by Tyre biter, 23 November 2015 - 10:46 PM.

[hanra]

Maybe a full or at least partial refund would have been the go?

[Bigfella237]

Good luck with the inspection Craig, photos, photos and more photos!

 

Just one small thing, when having it looked at, make sure it has the correct speedo drive gear in the back, easy job now, sucks to do later!

[IMORAL]

Jesus

I think this bloke will have more mess to clean up than whats inside these 'rebuilt gear boxes' if it turns out its faulty yet again lol

 

Good luck with it Craig. I do hope it is ok. As horrible as your run has been maybe take comfort in knowing it has brought a smile to my face knowing I am not the only one this stuff happens too haha

[Tyre biter]

Maybe a full or at least partial refund would have been the go?

Brad,

I suggested this to Peter Zitis - not forthcoming and frankly I am between a rock and a hard place to pursue this.

The outcome may well be different if this replacement gearbox turns out to be a dud.

I am confident I would win a claim with NSW Fair Trading - just not at all confident I would ever see the money in my account.

Having said that, the metal dags are likely left over in the case from a previous incarnation and with a clean out should not pose an issue.

Just a good thing I checked otherwise it would have ruined the thing.

I appreciate your concern - thank you.

Cheers, TB

 

Good luck with the inspection Craig, photos, photos and more photos!

 

Just one small thing, when having it looked at, make sure it has the correct speedo drive gear in the back, easy job now, sucks to do later!

Good point Andrew - I will have a look - thank you for the tip.

Inspection result is still pending...

Will advise on how that turns out.

Cheers, TB

 

Jesus

I think this bloke will have more mess to clean up than whats inside these 'rebuilt gear boxes' if it turns out its faulty yet again lol

 

Good luck with it Craig. I do hope it is ok. As horrible as your run has been maybe take comfort in knowing it has brought a smile to my face knowing I am not the only one this stuff happens too haha

Thanks Paul,

Yep, this car of mine has been christened 'Christine' for a reason - nothing goes right/well - it fights me every step of the way it seems.

I see a puddle of engine oil on the garage floor having driven it 5km yesterday.

Can't bring myself to have a good look yet - please, please don't be a rear main seal - fingers crossed it appears to be a little forward for that...

Oh, and did you note brother: not one 'notwithstanding' in my previous diatribe?

Cheers, TB

Edited by Tyre biter, 25 November 2015 - 06:30 PM.

[xu2308]

Put some Holy Water on that Beast TB, when I had my Black SS with the Number Plate SS0666, niggly things went wrong with it for a little time, or is it a Hatchback thing. My SS only had 40,000 Ks on it when I bought it and I had to fix a few things on it that should not had failed, Heater Core and Headlight high beam flasher thingy and some other silly things etc, Thought it was the Devil Number on the Number Plates lol

Edited by xu2308, 25 November 2015 - 06:50 PM.

[IMORAL]

The old rear main. Had mine out 3 times to fix it..... now i just ignore it. Its the only leak so ergh.

Lol my hatch is also named that . Goodluck

[Bigfella237]

Somebody may be able to confirm but didn't the last of the Holden V8's have a full circle seal, or am I thinking of something else?

 

I remember VN Commodore 5 litres were shocking for rear main leaks, even brand spanking new there were warranty claims after warranty claims. I recall they even brought out a special tool to change the rope seal without pulling the crankshaft out so they could be 'fixed'... err, well 'replaced' anyway... while still in the vehicle.

 

I always thought it wouldn't be that hard to machine the back of the block & rear main cap to take a full circle seal, I just never got around to trying it?

[rodomo]

I always thought it wouldn't be that hard to machine the back of the block & rear main cap to take a full circle seal, I just never got around to trying it?

The flywheel flange is the problem. It's bigger than the seal.

[Bigfella237]

Ah yes, it's coming back to me now...

 

 

I thought I'd seen something like a 'snub-nose' crank that was just parallel all the way back but it must have been on some other engine, too many years working on Jap stuff since then.

 

BTW, I don't think I've EVER seen a Toyota engine with a rear main leak?

Edited by Bigfella237, 26 November 2015 - 12:31 AM.