driving brisbane - perth in the EK

[Woody01]

hey guys,

well i was always planning on driving my EK over to Perth, from Queensland. But its looking look its going to happen sooner rather then later now. Im very new to the world of FB/EKs so i was hoping for the experience of some of the guys on here to help me out on things i should check, replace, freshen up on the old girl before we tackle the drive.
i will have my mechanic do a final check over everything before i head off, but i like to try and do things myself, so im basically after a list of common problems i should be looking for, or worthwhile upgrades on the EK so i can start pre paring it for the drive, as i want it to be smooth sailing the whole way across Ive done the drive a few times, but never in a car this old.

budget to spend: about $5,000.



its specs are:

138 grey motor - out of an EJ - stock as far as i know
3spd manual
standard rear end as far as i know
standard front end.

any other info you need sing out.
(would like to keep driveline/running gear the same, so i dont have to put seat belts in it)

cheers in advance
woody

[fingers]

If ya going to run it as it is .....then get your radiator professionally cleaned and flow tested ...replace the radiator cap and any dodgey looking hoses or belts and throw some spare ones in the boot ..change the oil in the engine ,check the oil in the gearbox and diff and general service ....give her a tune up with new points and plugs do a compression check .......check front wheel bearings replace if nessecary if not repack them.....check everything else while ya there ......and a wheel alignment and check uni joints ...you will get better tyre wear if your frontend is setup correctly ...its all pretty much run of the mill maintenance .....thats for a start mate I,m sure there will be more advise coming .....get some contacts along the way ...if ya down my way and ya need some assistance give me a call or drop in for a beer and a rest anyway always got plenty of spare parts and cold beer .. ..I,m in Drouin East of Melbourne .. Have a safe and enjoyable adventure mate....Fingers ph 0409253202

[Trev]

I would change the diff centre to a 3.36 even if it is just for the trip.

[minifb]

Good luck mate... An EK wont make it.. Buy an FB lol

[Harko]

Take a spare timing gear with you

[Woody01]

Thanks for replies guys, this is the sort of stuff I was after.

Fingers - I was actually thinking of going down to Sydney, then across to Melbourne for something different, last time I drove from Perth to qld, I snuck up the back and missed all that. The cold beer sounds good!

Harko - I've been reading through some threads, and a few of them mentioned the timing gear, do you think it would be worthwhile replacing this before I set off, or is it more of a just Incase to take a spare?

Trev - ill do some reading into the gear change...

[Harko]

Its doable on the side of the road , cant remember if you will need any specialised tools (long time since I changed one) well two in the same week
Always good to not break down but then again you dont have to change it yet.

[WayneXG95]

One of the guys on here posted his trip to Perth from Sydney in his Ute.
Any one found the link?

[Woody01]

Its doable on the side of the road , cant remember if you will need any specialised tools (long time since I changed one) well two in the same week
Always good to not break down but then again you dont have to change it yet.

okay, Changing timing gear half way across the nullabor would make a good story. might have to watch a few bush mechanics episodes just incase

One of the guys on here posted his trip to Perth from Sydney in his Ute.
Any one found the link?

i remember reading this thread ages ago, will have to have a look for it again.

[fingers]

Thanks for replies guys, this is the sort of stuff I was after.

Fingers - I was actually thinking of going down to Sydney, then across to Melbourne for something different, last time I drove from Perth to qld, I snuck up the back and missed all that. The cold beer sounds good!

Harko - I've been reading through some threads, and a few of them mentioned the timing gear, do you think it would be worthwhile replacing this before I set off, or is it more of a just Incase to take a spare?

Trev - ill do some reading into the gear change...

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Its a great drive down the coast mate ...thru Eden ,Mallacoota , Lakes entrance , Drouin etc ........very scenic .....a little longer than down the Hume but worth a thought .......Fingers

[MyEKisdriven]

As long as your car is in reasonable nic and you don't push past the speed limits you should be fine with a general tune, replace plugs-points-cap-etc,change all the oil and getting the radiator serviced is a good idea as well as fitting a radiator sock (,I used one of my wife's stockings and it worked a treat).
Make sure you carry a jerry can too (, 41lt tank will only get you so far !!!), I had to use mine twice when I drove over.

here's a link to MyEK where I'd written a few things about my trip, I had a blast and I'd do it over n' over in my ute if I didn't have to work for a living, or have a wife, or have kids, pay tax and.... well... I'm sure you get the picture..

Anyhow, back to that link...
http://www.fbekholden.com/forum/viewtop ... 11&t=15165

I'm sure you'll enjoy the experience.

[Woody01]

Sounds like one of the main issues is radiators, so will look into doing something there. Maybe a Aussie desert cooler or pwr radiator, want something that will look good when I tidy the bay up down the track.

Thinking will change the timing gear for peace of mind. Is there anything else worth changing / upgrading while I'm at it.

Can anyone recommend someone in qld, who knows their stuff with the Greys....

[MyEKisdriven]

I agree with Tim,
Just get your radiator serviced and you should be fine.

When are you planning on driving over ??

[EK283]

Youv'e got to get one of these

http://franktonitto.com/tefba.php

All the crap that will dislodge in a long distance trip will astound you.

The filter lets you clean daily and will also save your radiator. I have them on every car and it beats pulling the radiator out for cleaning when it gets blocked.

Regards Greg

[Trev]

Greg, that filter doesn't look that fine to me , I recon the "Sunny Tim sock" would do better at catching the smaller bits (cheeper too) .