I quite fancy having the rear ride height about here. Or maybe just a tiny bit lower (it was just lowered off the jack). Me leaving one of our local classic car shows. Finally got around to fitting the 70s AA badge i bought at Tatton. Just need to find something for the other side now.
I'm about 75% positive i've fitted the oil deflector plate under the generator stand upside down. Unfortunately the only way to be 100% sure (without the use of a borescope) is to pull the fanhousing off or atleast lift it enough to remove the generator stand and look.
Oil deflector plate was the right way round after all. Got most of it back together again, just need to go underneath and reconnect the accelerator cable conduit as the tube through the fanhousing is refusing to slide into it.
Fitted a new rubber bit to the bottom of the road draft tube, gave evereything a good clean up and took it for a drive in the sunshine. Found one of the pushrod tubes seems to be leaking at the concertina section. Seals looks OK and not cracked though. Not sure whether to replace it with a £15 SCAT spring loaded one or just clean it up, smear it with exhaust past around the concertina bit and call it a day. Not in the mood to remove the engine just to replace a tube.
Had a bit of a run around while the weather and roads are still dry. The smear of exhaust sealant i applied to the leaking pushrod tube seems to have worked as there were no drips underneath the car when i got back. The underside of the oil bath air cleaner was a bit oily though so i'm wondering if theres a crack or hole in the bottom thats letting oil drip out. Managed to snap the aerial i bought at Tatton off while washing some dead insects off the windscreen.
In for MOT yesterday and it failed on a worn inner tie rod end. I've got 3 pre 68 ones in my parts stash but not one later one. £13.75 off VW Heritage ain't too bad though i suppose. First problem was the nut was seized solid which took a bit of work to remove. Second problem, the rod end is seized into the steering boxes arm. 3rd problem...
Soaked it in plusgas overnight. Tried again this afternoon and its still not playing ball. Theres not quite enough space to hit it with a couple of hammer either and my pickle fork splitter is too big for tie rod ends. Its perfect for balljoints though. Gonna pick up a smaller pickle fork from halfrauds tomorrow and get medieval on its ass with a club hammer.
Finally got the little bugger out. Massive amount of slop in it. Never noticed when i refitted in a couple of years back. Nice new one fitted.
Yep, but I had to make a plate to go under the rod end as the smaller pickle fork was slightly too wide to touch both sides of the tie rod at once so it was just trying to lean it over instead of popping it out. I'd given the steering box pitman arm a good couple of whacks on its side with a hammer beforehand too.
Now with a nice new MOT for the year. Didn't realise how much difference there'd be with a new tie rod end. I could have quite easily been driving around on it for another year if i'd not MOT'd it.
Took the bug out for a run while the roads were dry and the weather wasn't freezing. First time in age Fran had been out in it too. No radio as i snapped the aerial a while ago and haven't bought a replacement yet so had to rely on the delicate sound of thunder that is taper tips.
Decided to raise the rear end one outer spline as got fed up with the sound of the towbar scraping along the road. Torsion bar cover removed and axle unbolted. Spring plate knocked off the step. Spring plate removed. Reinstalled one spline up (or down?). One spline round.
