onsdag 16 april 2014

Off the rotisserie and onto the car ramp and a bit of gearbox prepping

Today I was free from work,  I have been looking forward to this "bus" day for a while. Its vital now to get assembling the suspension parts as we need get it rolling around on its wheels. When that happens Peka will be able to paint the rest of the bus, as at the moment the tip girl now hinders this.

 So I started this morning in the garage at home.

here I am reading over and over how to assemble, no instructions with this model!

fresh axle tubes, don't think that paint is going to last long though.




 First I began mounting the drive shafts to the gearbox, that went well, I greased the fulcrum plates (measured the gap the night before) and slid in the spade end of the shafts and then slid the whole drive shaft into the gearbox - then in goes the spacer and the snap ring, all good. Next I started on the freshly painted axle tubes, at that point I found out I didn't have any gasket sealer around ? So after pacing around the garage and wasting some precious time looking for some I realized I had done what I could do at home. Its just part of living in the country side miles from anywhere.

 So I packed the gearbox and all the parts for the rear suspension and headed to peka´s
 My plan had been to bring a ready assembled rear end to simply bolt in, but this build never goes like the plan!

"Jeff" this bus has bags of character - part of the family.


 So I packed up what I had in to Jeff ( Kents T25 work horse ) and headed to Enköping. On the way I stopped for gasket sealer, gearbox oil, loctite and some rubber lube which I think will be good for the spring plate donuts, after this I arrived at Peka´s. Peka was away today but he had kindly let me work on the bus at his place on my own.  The mechanics in the joining garage let me in, and unlocked the doors so I could bring Jeff in.

 It was nice to see Rayer was there as pretty much straight away I found that I couldn't get the bus over the two poster ramp bump on my own, with some help from him and two big crow bars we levered the bus into position ready to be lifted from the tip girl.

I supported the bus with the ramp arms, which was a bit tricky, removed a few bolts and washers and soon I had the bus lifting away from the tip girl, I was a bit worried as it rose up that it might jump of its stands,  I had thoughts of seeing our beautiful bus topple off the lift and crash like the Hindenburg right in front of me. but it didn't, all went well : ) although I will be glad whens it stands again on its own 4 wheels : )

Generations

Im very happy the way the inside turned out, now begins the patina
getting ready to take the strain of the tip girl.

I was looking around for something suitable to place the gearbox on, I looked in the paint booth and noticed a nice surprise...!   Peka had been busy before he set off on his holiday, he had made a start on the chestnut paint, the front, rear and engine doors had been painted : )


not too brown, more black in the low light, I wonder how it will look in the sun?





safari mounts installed
 After I had safely got the bus on the ramp I broke down the rotisserie a bit and piled it in the back of Jeff ready to take home and assemble for when the bus comes home.
It is very heavy, if forgotten just how heavy and it was a bit of a struggle on my own getting it into the bus.

In between that effort I drooled over the dash.
Kinda expensive recon, cant wait to try it out, Hardened side plate and new nose cone, bushes, seals and now its a 4.125
 I began bolting up the axle tubes and soon realised I needed some bolts, washers and nuts... I had asked in the morning at Mekonomen but they hadnt helped!? I had bought some at VW in Enköping a few days before while trying to get my locking wheel bolts removed from the daily Golf but they were very expensive and didnt really have what I needed, so I went and found Rayer again who was busy fixing a compressor, he told me about a place in enköping called "TOOL" said it was good prices and good selection, I knew of it, so I headed there straight away.

It was just the place I had been looking for, a very helpful guy, a massive selection, they had everything I needed and more.
 I took 16x washers, 16x spring washers,  16x m6 nuts 6x new m10 nylock nuts, 16x m6/m8 nuts, and about 10x m8 bolt.

and when I came to pay - I was thinking, ok this is Sweden, this little lot will come to something crazy like thirty quid or more....

But I was pleasantly surprised - 65 kronor he said,  that's about 6 pounds : )

Very happy to find that place, no more wondering where to get the nuts and bolts from now.



 So I returned to the garage and I had a little time left before I needed to return the bus to the country house and switch cars to then hot foot it back to Örsundsbro to collect the boys.

I tested the fitting up of the extension parts for torsion bar housing and of course the fit was not perfect, so tomorrow I need to file a little. It seems to be the norm with most a lot of after market parts. At least the bolts and washers I got were just right, a little longer then the originals which is exactly what I need now that this extension has to be sandwiched in.

I bolted up the nose cone mount to the chassis, didn't torque it as I forgot to bring the torque wrench, and placed the gaskets in between the axle tube and gearbox to see how that was, again couldn't finish as no torque wrench! Then just before leaving I thought Id check the large M18 x1.5 bolts that are on the end of the frame horns, I had over looked these before, and immediately saw that the threads were in a bad way - I will see if the guys in the workshop have a tap and die this size tomorrow, and try and clean them up, I shall order some new ones anyway but its a bit of a pain as I need to torque these up when getting the box back in, before the bus can sit back down on its wheels.
M18X1.5





I phone selfie, me and the 55 - need to find a name....how about
Monty? aka Mr burns....

Glad Påsk - Happy Easter !










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