Harv's (Grace's) EK ute
Re: Harv's (Grace's) EK ute
bump
I started with nothing and still have most of it left.
Foundation member #61 of FB/EK Holden club of W.A.
Foundation member #61 of FB/EK Holden club of W.A.
Re: Harv's (Grace's) EK ute
Managed to add insult to injury this week. With the wagon dizzy out, I switched to Grace's ute for daily driving.
It has mainly been doing the driveway shuffle in the last year, with a lot of time on choke. Pulled the plugs, cleaned them, and it ran nicely. Putted around for a few days getting groceries and it was waking up nicely. Creaks and groans from sitting around getting less (the car, and me too) and running better. No spirited driving, top speed around 70km/h.
Took it out to Rocket to pickup some stuff, parked it and got the gear. Came back and it would not turn over. The battery is mebbe 5 years old, and sits idle a lot. It had been turning over OK, but only moderately fast. Figured the battery had crapped out, pulled out the jump starter box. Struggled for a second and then fired.
Oil pressure light came on. Checked wiring, all OK. Has plenty of oil in it. Hmmmm..
Limped it home gently, ran OK when parked. Let it cool down, check oil and water again (all good). Won't turn over by the battery. Mebbe the battery is stuffed (waiting for Number One Son to bring home the battery testerer). Motor turns over by hand (good) but creaking noises over about 1/8 of the turn (not so good).
Remove fan belt to eliminate generator and water pump. Make up a plate to bolt to the harmonic balancer with a square hole for a ratchet in the middle. Curse myself for not making that plate up 30 years ago, and doing it now on a 44º day. Fit plate and turn motor, still creaking over parts of the turning process.
Suspect I have wiped the bearings. No idea how - perhaps the oil pump relief valve jammed open. Some more thinking to do, but looking like engine work required. I have to do the grey-motor-shuffle for the FED in the next few weeks, so this just adds another step to that dance. I think:
a) Speedway short motor out of FED.
b) Worked head off FB and onto speedway short motor. Leave lightly smoking short motor in FB for now for mockup.
c) Speedway motor into Grace's car.
d) EKMart long motor into FED once it arrives from Galloway Engines (mebbe January).
Never a dull moment, but better that the engine randomly craps out on me than having sold it and it craps out on the buyer.
Cheers,
Harv
It has mainly been doing the driveway shuffle in the last year, with a lot of time on choke. Pulled the plugs, cleaned them, and it ran nicely. Putted around for a few days getting groceries and it was waking up nicely. Creaks and groans from sitting around getting less (the car, and me too) and running better. No spirited driving, top speed around 70km/h.
Took it out to Rocket to pickup some stuff, parked it and got the gear. Came back and it would not turn over. The battery is mebbe 5 years old, and sits idle a lot. It had been turning over OK, but only moderately fast. Figured the battery had crapped out, pulled out the jump starter box. Struggled for a second and then fired.
Oil pressure light came on. Checked wiring, all OK. Has plenty of oil in it. Hmmmm..
Limped it home gently, ran OK when parked. Let it cool down, check oil and water again (all good). Won't turn over by the battery. Mebbe the battery is stuffed (waiting for Number One Son to bring home the battery testerer). Motor turns over by hand (good) but creaking noises over about 1/8 of the turn (not so good).
Remove fan belt to eliminate generator and water pump. Make up a plate to bolt to the harmonic balancer with a square hole for a ratchet in the middle. Curse myself for not making that plate up 30 years ago, and doing it now on a 44º day. Fit plate and turn motor, still creaking over parts of the turning process.
Suspect I have wiped the bearings. No idea how - perhaps the oil pump relief valve jammed open. Some more thinking to do, but looking like engine work required. I have to do the grey-motor-shuffle for the FED in the next few weeks, so this just adds another step to that dance. I think:
a) Speedway short motor out of FED.
b) Worked head off FB and onto speedway short motor. Leave lightly smoking short motor in FB for now for mockup.
c) Speedway motor into Grace's car.
d) EKMart long motor into FED once it arrives from Galloway Engines (mebbe January).
Never a dull moment, but better that the engine randomly craps out on me than having sold it and it craps out on the buyer.
Cheers,
Harv
327 Chev EK wagon, original EK ute for Number 1 Daughter, an FB sedan meth monster project and a BB/MD grey motored FED.
Re: Harv's (Grace's) EK ute
Bugger
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getting my FB ute on the road
EK van on rotisserie
EK van on rotisserie
Re: Harv's (Grace's) EK ute
You must have killed a Chinaman ........
I started with nothing and still have most of it left.
Foundation member #61 of FB/EK Holden club of W.A.
Foundation member #61 of FB/EK Holden club of W.A.
Re: Harv's (Grace's) EK ute
between Harv and Errol i'm surprised there are any Chinamen left
sometimes yor just better off shitting in yor hands and clapping
W.S.C.C.A
Woodstock chapter
W.S.C.C.A
Woodstock chapter
Re: Harv's (Grace's) EK ute
This has been a fantastic read. The joys of motoring.
Regards Seb
Regards Seb
Yellow Knight
Re: Harv's (Grace's) EK ute
Haven’t broken anything for at least a month mickMick wrote:between Harv and Errol i'm surprised there are any Chinamen left
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getting my FB ute on the road
EK van on rotisserie
EK van on rotisserie
Re: Harv's (Grace's) EK ute
see comment re no Chinamen left
sometimes yor just better off shitting in yor hands and clapping
W.S.C.C.A
Woodstock chapter
W.S.C.C.A
Woodstock chapter
Re: Harv's (Grace's) EK ute
Mick wrote:see comment re no Chinamen leftErrol62 wrote: Sun Feb 15, 2026 9:47 pmHaven’t broken anything for at least a month mickMick wrote: between Harv and Errol i'm surprised there are any Chinamen left
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FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie
getting my FB ute on the road
EK van on rotisserie
EK van on rotisserie
Re: Harv's (Grace's) EK ute
Fixed the blown head gasket in the wagon (all bar one rocker cover that does not want to seal 
), trundled the wagon out and Graces ute back in.
Pulled the utes dizzy…
Said bad words.
Screwdriver down the dizzy hole, and oil pump is siezed. My bet is that the pump screen has let some crap through, it has jammed the oil pump, and the siezed pump took the tang off the dizzy. It has a steel timing gear, otherwise the fibre one might have let go instead of the drive tang… mebbe.
Motor now needs to come out to get at the oil pump. First I need to rig a lifting point in the new shed. One way to christen the shed I guess.
Cheers,
Harv
), trundled the wagon out and Graces ute back in.Pulled the utes dizzy…
- IMG_0928.jpeg (3.62 MiB) Viewed 1487 times
Said bad words.
Screwdriver down the dizzy hole, and oil pump is siezed. My bet is that the pump screen has let some crap through, it has jammed the oil pump, and the siezed pump took the tang off the dizzy. It has a steel timing gear, otherwise the fibre one might have let go instead of the drive tang… mebbe.
Motor now needs to come out to get at the oil pump. First I need to rig a lifting point in the new shed. One way to christen the shed I guess.
Cheers,
Harv
327 Chev EK wagon, original EK ute for Number 1 Daughter, an FB sedan meth monster project and a BB/MD grey motored FED.
Re: Harv's (Grace's) EK ute
Harv,
That looks fairly conclusive.
The next step depends on whether you like working under a car. Under "Minor Service Operations" in chapter 6 of the EK shop manual, the instructions for oil pump service are somewhat like this -
1. Remove front engine mount nuts, jack up engine and support with a suitable piece of wood.
2. Remove front suspension assembly.
Evidently without irony.
Rob
That looks fairly conclusive.
The next step depends on whether you like working under a car. Under "Minor Service Operations" in chapter 6 of the EK shop manual, the instructions for oil pump service are somewhat like this -
1. Remove front engine mount nuts, jack up engine and support with a suitable piece of wood.
2. Remove front suspension assembly.
Evidently without irony.
Rob
Re: Harv's (Grace's) EK ute
ardiesse wrote: Sun Mar 01, 2026 1:13 pm Harv,
That looks fairly conclusive.
The next step depends on whether you like working under a car. Under "Minor Service Operations" in chapter 6 of the EK shop manual, the instructions for oil pump service are somewhat like this -
1. Remove front engine mount nuts, jack up engine and support with a suitable piece of wood.
2. Remove front suspension assembly.
Evidently without irony.
Rob
I started with nothing and still have most of it left.
Foundation member #61 of FB/EK Holden club of W.A.
Foundation member #61 of FB/EK Holden club of W.A.
Re: Harv's (Grace's) EK ute
It’s out.
Cheers,
Harv
- IMG_0985.jpeg (6.23 MiB) Viewed 407 times
- IMG_0987.jpeg (5.59 MiB) Viewed 407 times
- IMG_0988.jpeg (5.44 MiB) Viewed 407 times
Cheers,
Harv
327 Chev EK wagon, original EK ute for Number 1 Daughter, an FB sedan meth monster project and a BB/MD grey motored FED.
Re: Harv's (Grace's) EK ute
Nice engine crane you got there mate
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getting my FB ute on the road
EK van on rotisserie
EK van on rotisserie
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In the Shed
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- Joined: Wed May 16, 2012 10:18 pm
- State: SA
- Location: South Australia
Re: Harv's (Grace's) EK ute
Very practical thinking there Harv, I like it. Interested to see what you find as you look deeper into the motor.
A day in the shed beats a day at work!