fbekholden.com

History, Craig - you are an acheologist... I can hear the music in the background playing in your workshop.... "raiders of the Lost Ark"

Hoist - tell Belinda to "talk" with Dorothy.... p-l-e-a-s-e.... I'm fine on my back under a car - providing it's been washed and dried under there.
It's the getting out and up again which kills me - not to mention walking around like quasi-modo for the next hour or so.. and then struggling to bend down to remove my boots.... old age, eh?... can't think of any other reason for it..(sic).

I now have taken responsibility for servicing the 200 cruiser... oil changes - have to be done from underneath... not quick and easy like an old Holden... there's two big bash plates that have to come off... then you can see the sump.

By the way, you might be interested in these.. not cheap - but, if you are prepared to commit as a once off - sump drain valves... Futomo.
Make them for all makes and models... a spring-loaded stainless ball valve with a locking lever.. all in a brass cast... no more sump plugs!... one is going in the cruiser.

Here's a link... you'll need the size and thread of your sump hole.. the one shown in this link I have provided has the extension barb.http://www.ebay.com/itm/EZ-104-Thread-s ... e9&vxp=mtr

Oops - that one is not a Futomo.... a knock off.. see if I can find the Futomo
There's a distributor in Sydney (where I got mine from) price was around the $48 mark, from memory.
Hole size is naturally a bit smaller than the sump hole (has to be) - just leave it drain overnight. To be 100% certain all the "bits" have had a chance to get out - pour a litre of diesel into the filler... and fill up the empty container underneath to the full mark.

New link -

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fumoto-F104N-En ... 1727930345

The "N" suffix denotes an extension barb... to which can be fitted a drain tube.... no more mess - straight into an empty container.
Valve lever is substantially secure - but I'll be wrapping a very small cable tie around mine to afford peace of mind...

Enjoying your walk into the old world, keep that whip handy - lots of vipers in hidden dark spots.

frats,
Rosco

Are you painting it Craig or just an undercarriage restore?
I bet that's not the first time you've pulled your fingers out of a hole looking like that!!!

Looks like the previous owners used farm dam water in it..

WayneXG95 wrote:Looks like the previous owners used farm dam water in it..

Surprised there aren't any Carp in there, then.... a cheap way of getting "fishoil" into places like that....ssshhhh! - don't tell everyone, we'll run out of Carp...

frats,
Rosco

Trev wrote:Are you painting it Craig or just an undercarriage restore?
I bet that's not the first time you've pulled your fingers out of a hole looking like that!!!

No paint Trev but I'm trying to work out an easy way to clean underneath and maybe coat it for some protection. Paint might come after 2018 Nats.

Re my fingers and holes, Belinda says your disgusting haha. Now your in the shit!

WayneXG95 wrote:Looks like the previous owners used farm dam water in it..

Spent the day digging and pressure washing the out water jacket. There was probably about 1" deep of shit around the back three cylinders, just lapping at the lower edge of the welch plug holes. The back cylinders were the worst for wear as they must have been running fairly warm. Funnily enough there was no thermostat fitted ether so it must have been playing up. Looks like it will be .010" oversize job. Hopefully I'll be able to find some pistons. OS cam bearings are a bit more of a challenge though. Tomorrow will be a start on the head and gearbox.

What you are doing now, Craig - is more than likely going to outlast you...
I ordered my current 179 HP block engine from GEM in Sydney - had to wait for it... back in 1982, before commencing disassembly of the front section of my old bus.
When the motor finally turned up - I trailered it home.. and started "looking" at it... I was absolutely shocked at the amount of crap I got out of all the cooling areas.... it may have been chemically cleaned - draino is a word which immediately comes to mind.. I got an awful lot of crap out of the water jackets and deep down in the lower areas around the base of the block.... the head was equally disgusting.
I phoned GEM up the next day to be told that "I had now effected modifications to their supplied engine".. my response was the fair trade ombudsman.. to which I was invited to return the engine for inspection and rectification.... no chance, and some 33 years later - the cooling system remains clear.....
Do the work now, maintain the system with treatment... and drain/flush/re-fill every two years.

I do hope you can appreciate that my comments are not directed as advice towards yourself...but perhaps others following your thread might heed my suggestion...

Oh, forgot to ask... any signs of Carp remains...or yabbies?

frats,
Rosco

Thanks Rosco, no drama's re your comments. It's an open forum, sharing of advise for one and all with the aim of keeping as many of these buses on the road, as well as helping others out with their projects.
I remember reading sometime ago about your drama's with your "Gem" engine. Sadly there's many that do shit work and rip people off in the process. I'm still going to get the block, head, and crank hot tanked. I also pulled out the rear plug for the main oil gallery and knocked out the front one as well. You'd be surprised at the amount of crud that packs up in the galleries.

Nup, no carp but I'm keeping my eye's open!

"tight lines", Craig.
To quote a famous phrase - "I think I've caught something"...from the "Jaws" movie.

Don't know if GEM have picked up their game over the past 30 years.. but, it was pretty ordinary back then.
Repco, well - I'd better not start.. GEM was my choice at the time - think you can appreciate, I'd already had one "repco gold star" engine .. and wasn't going for another one to replace it when I converted to the "red" side...

frats,
Rosco

Well I got a little astray today. Didn't get to the head or gearbox. Decided to fit the towbar which went real well. A little manipulation here and there but nothing too difficult. Even some of the paint on the bar matched the car colour. Thanks again to Kel!

Did a test fit with the teardrop on and the ride angle looks spot on. I was looking at fitting drop axles but wont now. I'll look at reworking the guards now that I've got the 13" in wheels on. The old wheels were 16" off a 1933 Dodge.

After that it was time to drop the rear end and continue on with the rest. Springs out ready to go and get redone so I can carry the rated 32 Hundred Weight! Shocks definitely are original. Not one drop of oil left in them! Top mount access points under the floor still had the paper covers stuck over the holes!

Had a good look at the spare wheel gear. 1 x Goodyear 4ply "Super Cushion", 1 x Colonial Sugar Refining Co Pty Ltd 70lb Pure Cane Sugar Hessian Bag, 1 x APAC Mechanical Jack (Not sure if this is original).

Like the tow bar with removable tongue.
Red dog looks rite at home .

Yep the dog loves a ride in any car.
Luckily the tongue comes off. No chance of getting the spare out with it on.

Belinda says "what, no finger comments!" lol

what a pearler

Craig Allardyce wrote:Yep the dog loves a ride in any car.
Luckily the tongue comes off. No chance of getting the spare out with it on.

Belinda says "what, no finger comments!" lol

Enough said about that I think