387 replies to this topic

[stevemc32]

Cheers fellas!

 

Had a bit of success on the steering rack parts searching!  Put in a whole lot of time googling cars that had similar racks and found that a lot of the British Motor Corp cars like the Mini, Moke and MGB all used a very similar unit that looked a little different on the outside but had pretty much identical insides.  So I scored a set of the spring washers, the elusive top shaft seal, some pinion cover shims and a couple of gaskets from a Mini joint in Sydney called Mini Kingdom Online.  They even had the parts to my door next day which is pretty unusual these days.  Out of stock on the yoke cover shims unfortunately so hopefully I've got enough from the pull down to sort it out with the new washers.

 

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Also spent the afternoon swearing a lot putting the crossmember back in.  It was really only the engine mounts that were a problem, the bolt holes didn't even go close to lining up with the crossmember holes until I attacked them with the round file...  Anyhow, after having only planned to drop the crossmember a few millimetres to get the new rubbers between it and the chassis it ended up being out a lot longer than I'd hoped.  It does look better for it though.

 

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Edited by stevemc32, 09 February 2022 - 05:27 PM.

[stevemc32]

Still raining in Sydney so I spent the day in the shed putting the steering rack back together. 

 

I replaced the two bearings, yoke spring washers, the oil seal, rack ends, tie rod ends and boots.  I erred on the looser side when it came to the shims as I didn't want to cause anything to bind up but it still feels much more solid than it did before.  I might have to revisit the shims later on if it frees up a bit too much.

 

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[stevemc32]

Got most of the front end back together and it's come up nice. 

 

Bit more dicking around with the rack before I can call it done but it's pretty much time to move to the rear.

 

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[gad05]

Nice work Steve, good to see you making some real progress.

Cheers Graham

[Heath]

Looks great. Nice work.

[stevemc32]

Thanks gents, slowly moving forward for now.

 

Didn't get as much done this week as I'd hoped but the steelies got cleaned up ready for new tyres and the diff made it's way down to the backyard for a cleanup, paint, re-bush and re-brake.  I thought about doing the rear bearings as well but I think I'll leave them for now and just do an oil change on it.

 

It has a number painted on it I believe is 2810721 DE but couldn't find any matching info in the LJ parts catalogue so not sure it it means anything interesting.

 

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[stevemc32]

Spent the morning popping all the rear end bushes with special tool 4A101, or something similar.  There's a lot of rust down the back there.

 

The rest of the day was spent on the wire wheel again...

 

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[RallyRed]

Nice work and good pics mate.

[rodomo]

 special tool 4A101, or something similar.  

Ha ha ! I have one of those too! Good work!

[gad05]

Are those Steelies Volvo rims Steve?

[S pack]

It has a number painted on it I believe is 2810721 DE but couldn't find any matching info in the LJ parts catalogue so not sure it it means anything interesting.

Steve you won't find that number in any parts catalogue.

The number and suffix code is an assembly line code for a complete 2.78:1 ratio rear axle assy. 

I noticed in your pic the paint is badly chipped. The suffix code is definitely DE? couldn't be DF at all?
 

[stevemc32]

Correct Graham, they are Volvo 15 inch wheels.

 

Thanks for that info Dave, it could certainly be DF instead of DE but it's a little too far gone to tell.

 

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Any idea what the gold coating is?  It's on top of the paintwork and has been on all of the suspension parts I've removed so far.  It's like wax and just melts when I hit it with the wire wheel.

[S pack]

Steve, just like the word HOLDEN cast into the diff carrier in your pic above ^^^^ there should also be a cast date code.

I am interested to know what the cast date of your carrier is.

There should also be a DOM date code stamped into the metal rear axle housing, somewhere around the perimeter of the differential mounting/gasket flange.

 

Looking at your pic I think I can see the date stamping.

Edited by S pack, 21 February 2022 - 03:54 PM.

[S pack]

Could just be my eyes playing tricks but looks like something stamped where I have put the red box.

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[stevemc32]

Good eyes Dave.

 

Here are the numbers, the housing looks like 04K3D and the cast date is 11J3.  The production date of the car is 21/11/73.

 

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[S pack]

Thanks Steve,

04K3D = 4th October 1973

11J3 = 11th September 1973

 

Both fit in with your cars 21/11/73 completion date.

 

It appears that rear axle assy code 2810721 DF commenced back in the 1971 LC Torana.

I think your rear axle assy part number suffix will be DF not DE.

Edited by S pack, 21 February 2022 - 05:32 PM.

[stevemc32]

Cheers Dave.  It's good to know a little bit of the history held in the numbers.

 

I think I've finally gotten past the wire wheeling stage of this mini refresh.  That is until I start on the rusty body parts that need repairing for rego.

 

The rear end is all painted up and given a few days to harden off will be ready to re-bush and go back into the car.  The shed is a little chaotic at the moment but all the car parts in it are generally now black instead of a rusty brown.  The passenger side oil seal on the diff looks to still be in good shape too!

 

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[stevemc32]

Got some new o-rings into the brake fail switch and all the bushes into the rear control arms and diff.  Lots of damage to my new paint pressing the bushes in but I just sprayed over it again to hopefully keep the rust away.

 

I need to do some work securing and sheilding the fuel lines for the engineer before refitting the diff but it hasn't stopped pissing down here for days so I'm not real keen to get under the car.  Hopefully the forecast for showers every day for the next week is wrong and I can get it sorted out.

 

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[stevemc32]

Looked at getting the rear brakes back together today and came across an issue with the Rare's spring and clip kit.

 

The adjuster nut spring doesn't clear the adjuster nut as the extended end is not long enough.  Just checking the website now and looks like these might be springs for the Kingswood brakes instead.

 

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[stevemc32]

Smashed out a bit of work today since it was the first semi-dry day in over a week.

 

The plan was to get the required stuff done under the rear so I could put the diff back in.  All went well, got new brake lines made up from the master all the way out to each of the wheel cylinders.  Completed a few tasks for the engineer as well, got the fuel line secured and shielded where it passes over the exhaust and made up another hard line to parallel the brake line for use as fuel vapour feed to the charcoal canister that I need to add.

 

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After that the diff went back in fairly painlessly with all new bushes, shocks and springs.  The front and rear springs are both standard height so it might be ready for some rally action when it's back on the ground.

 

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[stevemc32]

Finally got the last of the brake lines remade.  Painted up the booster and fitted some new rubber parts to it and a new master cylinder.  Just need to rebuild the rear brakes and then it'll be ready to bleed and pretty close to going back on the ground for a while as I move to building the carport roof.

 

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[stevemc32]

My house is not flooded so I won't complain about the rain when there's people doing it so tough at the moment.  Just had to get on with working in the water to get the rear brakes fitted.  I'll wait for a dry patch before I get underneath to refit the handbrake cables and adjust the shoes.

 

On a brighter note, got some cheap tyres fitted to the steelies and put one on today with a GTR cap that needs a resto.  I don't think it looks horrible!  If I could get square edged trims in 15 inch I'd probably add those but I'm not sure I like the round ones that I've tried.

 

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[stevemc32]

Back on it's wheels fully re-suspended and braked.  My brake lines pretty much all leaked at the joints.  I managed to get most of them sorted out, still an issue down at the t-piece on the diff so I might need to remake one of the lines there.  Otherwise everything seems to have gone back together ok.

 

It certainly doesn't sit low on the new suspension but it's just a cruiser so I don't mind a little extra ground clearance and I think it still looks ok.

 

The temporary carport roof has been dismantled and ready to get the real one up so there might not be much happening on the Torana for a while.  Hopefully it won't be another 5 years...

 

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Edited by stevemc32, 05 March 2022 - 08:45 PM.

[claysummers]

Good work Steve. How did you sort the spring fouling on the brake adjuster, and are those commodore rims?


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[stevemc32]

Cheers Clay.

 

I bought the Rares spring pack from Resto Country and they replaced them straight away with the correct ones.  Seems the pack just had the wrong ones in it.

 

The wheels are 15 inch Volvo steelies with 205/50/15's on them.  They look like they fit ok but won't really know until I hit some bumps at speed to see if anything makes contact.