Clay’s Wedgewood Blue FB Ute

[Errol62]

Got me bamboozled. Speedo went up to 70mph driving with the drill on low speed. Drive key in box feels positive and rotates test cable. I tried jamming the end in with few strands of wiring cable section and run the car at idle in neutral first gear no speedo. Seeking inspiration in breakfast.
Will try idle in third gear


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

[Brett027]

Hey Clay, good looking breakfast. If you are sure the drive gear is functioning properly, and the speedo is working, then there is only one option left: the ends of the cable aren't engaging in either the drive or the speedo. Given its a new cable, the ends must be square, and assuming you are confident the drive and speedo inputs are also square, the only thing left is that the inner is not long enough to engage both ends. Have you pushed the cable down into the drive until it engages and checked how much inner is showing on the speedo end? Occasionally I have had cables that get clamped up when you tighten the lock nuts, but when that happens you twist the inner to destruction. Good luck

[Errol62]

Speedo works

Rear axle is stubborn. Tried using the inverted drum as a slide hammer. Plan is get five long bolts to engage with studs and use a spare axle as the slide. Think I’ll go visit konnect Monday and try this. Will throw it back together meanwhile. Coffee and cars at Mclaren Vale tomorrow, if the rain eases. Looking out at the gauge looks like 10mm. Raining too hard to go out there.


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

[ardiesse]

Clay,

(Hoping you've taken the C-shaped rear axle retainers out) . . .

One trick I've found to work, although laborious, is -

Remove the brake shoes, rear axle retainers and backing plate bolts. Get a couple of long 3/8" UNF bolts with lots of thread, and nuts to suit. Pull the brake anchor plate out as far as it will go, and insert the bolt threaded end first through a hole in the axle shaft, through the brake anchor plate. Screw a nut onto the bolt as the threaded end of the bolt passes between the anchor plate and backing plate, until the bolt head clears the axle shaft.

Repeat bolt and nut installation at the diagonally opposite backing plate bolt hole.

Rotate the axle shaft so that the bolt heads bear on the flange, or a stud. When in position, tighten the nuts against the backing plate so that the bolt heads push against the axle shaft. Crank the nuts up, a little at a time, until (hopefully) the axle shaft is pushed out of the housing.

Rob

[Harv]

Axles... shudder. Changed the bearing on one side of the FB after it failed. Figured I should do the other side too. The passengers axle refuses to budge. Even with Dads brute force adapter plate and sledgehammer (and yep, locking plates removed). The bearings can be an incredible fit after half a century... frightened the local diff mob on how much force was needed to press them off the drivers axle.

If you want to try a “known good” speedo driven gear or cable, give me a yell and I’ll pull one out of the FB or Graces ute.

Cheers,
Harv

[Errol62]

Thanks guys. Rob, knew you’d come up with something. Hadn’t cottoned on to fact that the retainer bolts can be removed thus allowing removal of the plates. Otherwise the backing plate can’t come out enough together them over the studs. Harv thanks for the offer but I got the speedo working with the trick of jamming a few strands of wiring cable in the gearbox with the cable end.

Anyway I put the oily mess back together ready for a drive in the morning.


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

[Errol62]

No progress on the mechanicals. It drives and that is what I've been doing with it.

Picked up these door cards from Adelaide rare spares. They are Masonite. I may have a ho shaping them before I stick the vinyl back on.

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[FireKraka]

They do look pretty thick Clay but at least the FB/EK door cards are basically fully straight/flat where the FC ones have a slight curve to them.
Hold them against the door mate you will see what I mean.
Neil

[Errol62]

Yeah know what you are saying Neil. They will be fine. Taking to the trimmer next week. I could do it but he will do a better job and won’t cost much. He never heard of the VHT vinyl paint.


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

[FbSTDwagon]

No progress on the mechanicals. It drives and that is what I've been doing with it.

Picked up these door cards from Adelaide rare spares. They are Masonite. I may have a ho shaping them before I stick the vinyl back on.

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I think I will buy the same door cards and try my best to remove the original skin from my old cards and transfer to the new cards...

Has anyone done this before?

[Harv]

Stu's write-up is excellent. I learned the hard way though that it is not a good idea to de-skin the old cards, then let them sit for a year before attaching to the new boards. They shrink, and are near impossible to stretch back on without tearing.

Cheers,
Harv

[FbSTDwagon]

Stu's write-up is excellent. I learned the hard way though that it is not a good idea to de-skin the old cards, then let them sit for a year before attaching to the new boards. They shrink, and are near impossible to stretch back on without tearing.

Cheers,
Harv

If that is the case warped door cards with good skins my be better than nothing!

[Errol62]

Yer made me paranoid so I clamped them to the new cards. Will take to trimmer for a look next week.


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

[Errol62]

New plates

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[Errol62]

Hopefully got this on "correct" now.

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