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Wow Drew, you are the master of parts cleaning. The wagon is coming along beautifully.

Nice work mate. I have to drop that gasket by but on leave this week.

It seems the only part you can’t do yourself on the box is the actual worm gear on the shaft. They wear in the straight position and can’t be adjusted out, lest they bind as soon as you turn. I swore I’d get mine done. One day…………………


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

You can cheat when reassembling the steering box, by turning the ball nut upside-down . . .
The steering gear internals are absolutely pristine, Drew.
And you took the jacket off the steering column too. The drive screws weren't a hassle to remove, then?

Rob

Rob the ‘jacket’ as you called it was riveted onto the alloy steering box but the jacket was wobbling side to side due to the lack of strong mounting points into the y frames.

So I drilled the rivets out and removed the jacket, cleaned everything right up, reassembled the steering box with the long steering shaft.

Once the long steering shaft is in place the jacket slips on and is held central to the long steering shaft with a small bearing up in the honey pot.

I mixed some cold weld and glued the jacket to the steering box holding it all true with some short self tappers into the drilled out river holes.

Turned out very strong and considering I’ll have a brace on the steering box now it really should never have a flex problem again

Errol62 wrote: Mon Oct 25, 2021 12:26 pm
It seems the only part you can’t do yourself on the box is the actual worm gear on the shaft. They wear in the straight position and can’t be adjusted out, lest they bind as soon as you turn. I swore I’d get mine done. One day…………………

Clay rare spares sell new worm gears and nuts in a kit for about $500.

The box itself is an easy rebuild mate, I wouldn’t bother sending it interstate to get done, do it yourself at home

Ok that’s good to know Drew. Bloody excellent. Yes I’ve had them apart and back together years ago and got a few here to play with.

I was thinking to get the all synchro conversion done as well but possibly could do that myself also. I did the trimatic conversion on my sedan but the all synchro conversion may be more complex. The factory ones also had the issue of jamming between gears as I well remember from my HX van.


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

purty

So life is busy and I’m doubting that I’ll have the car on the road for the Barossa nationals in June but I’ll keep soldiering on.

Built the steering column and rebuilt the indicator mechanism too.

And my spray painting mate Damo came over and showed me how to tint some paint and do the age old trick of blowing some paint in so it doesn’t stand out like dogs balls.

Low pressure, low material, small fan on the gun and wait for it…
A piece of cardboard to stop any over spray!

That's the way Drew.

Nice blonde wig your mate got 8 ) 8 )

FB ute driver, EK van project

Drew,

That is great, I would so be tempted to restore the body and paint but once you start that there is so many hours that go with it.

It is always a pleasure to see an original painted car with its great life story patina although.

Look forward to the rest of your work.

Greg

Love it - no way I would paint that car , it near broke my heart when the bloke with the ute on here that was in similar condition (and colour) to this wagon pulled it right down and blasted it - I hope to god he at least finishes it and it doesn't end up parted out

Cheers guys, I must say it’s a challenge to not go that touch to far on the body and paint because just a touch too much will just spoil it.

I think I went too far with painting the firewall but I jut want the engine bay looking new incase the coppers pull me over.

Well it guaranteed I will get pulled over haha, it’s gonna be a copper stopper!

Nice work Drew
Who would have thought ........ cardboard hey! Oh forgot to say the steering column looks very tidy too

Regards
Stephen

Is that a commodore two speed wiper motor you are running Drew?


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie