Category: Cars

Bit more of an update. Had some time to cut down some tray sides i bought off Gumtree:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2022/01/11/20220111145710-df2a7871-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Then added a bunch of Raptor to them. Really highlights how short the tray is, but its workable enough.

I then bolted on a bunch of accessories so it looks cool while crawling down the mall, and been driving it around. Stopped to take some happy snaps on my way to a conference last week… of course i took the dirt road to get there.
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2022/02/07/20220207191628-f4c2cafa-xl.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2022/02/07/20220207191404-7c1d9ef8-xl.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2022/02/07/20220207191410-4f5de422-xl.jpg[/IMG]

It has come a long way since i first saw it in the paddock:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2020/04/29/20200429005438-95b0b3ae-xl.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2020/04/29/20200429005502-2dfc207b-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Lots more little things to do with it. Canopy fitout is next, plus need to wire up the accessory lights etc. But all of that can be done while it is driving.

Next big thing for it will be rock sliders, and then turbo…

Not a huge amount of progress over the summer, mainly because of being away and it being too damn hot to do much. But got the wiring finished, although it needs a slight tidy:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2022/01/11/20220111145804-e7347a96-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Plus finally got around to redoing the latches on the rear drawer. From factory the central latch didnt fit properly, and was attached with only two screws to the body of the drawer. That is ok, because i was going to replace it with side compression latches instead. So out came the TIG and welded in a plate and then cut holes for the two side latches:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2022/01/24/20220124205228-379a7f93-xl.jpg[/IMG]

A lick of paint and it looks like this:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2022/01/24/20220124205248-ff3256a6-xl.jpg[/IMG]

It will get raptor coated at some point when i build the side steps, but until then our finest Australian Export $2 can will do. Not sold on the gunmetal grey fascia for the drawer too, so will probably repaint that in black at a later point.

And finally I rewired the winch solenoid to a plate, so it will fit on the side of the battery:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2022/01/11/20220111145723-2d6b0d20-xl.jpg[/IMG]
Much better:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2022/01/11/20220111145705-1ba43cc9-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Thats about it for now. Ive been driving it around a bit to get some kms on the engine, and all has been well so far. Except the front diff is leaking like a sieve.

Need to tidy up the tray sides and mount them, and then I can do the interior and canopy

Havent had as much time to work on the HIlux as before, but still plugging away and getting stuff done in the background. I had been putting off the wiring for as long as possible, so instead I fitted the under tray pods:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/12/12/20211212021322-e5b4e6ec-xl.jpg[/img]

Then I regreased the winch:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/12/12/20211212021251-f1f60a8e-xl.jpg[/img]

And finally fitted up the bullbar:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/12/12/20211212021424-93903f64-xl.jpg[/img]

Need to sort out a plate mount and stuff, but that will come.

Eventually i resigned myself to needing to sort out where everythign was going in the car, and so after my new battery arrived I mocked everything up:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/12/12/20211212021158-58ed1227-xl.jpg[/img]

Renogy 50A DC-DC charger, 1000W inverter, and a slimline 170AH battery.

Then it was time to get the funk on. Hole punches and dimple dies make life easy

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/12/12/20211212021541-330a3351-xl.jpg[/img]

But had a delay courtesy of a small leak in the gas line on the TIG which was causing a venturi and sucking air in:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/12/12/20211212021551-95423b3c-xl.jpg[/img]

That took way to long to figure out, but once it was sorted the welding could continue as normal.

Which in the end leaves me with this:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/12/12/20211212021700-2f9b0d56-xl.jpg[/img]

Need to tighten some bolts with assistance (I’m not stretch Armstrong), but that will be easy enough shortly.

Plus i built a new battery tray, because the old one was sized for a smaller battery than the larger truck unit that they had fitted it with:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/12/12/20211212021649-d67405bf-xl.jpg[/img]

That gave me the ability to add a mounting plate for something too…

For now though i just need to get my crimping on and sort out all the wires.

The process of screwing all of this back together has been really slow. Although part of that is because i keep getting distracted by other things. First up was getting the drawers in, which i mounted up using a ton of M8 stainless hardware and sandwiched 3mm rubber sheet in between, got it all together and it fits well:

[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160316-e3bd0654-xl.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160329-183138f6-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Then i started running the wiring for the rear battery and realised how filthy the cabin was, which led to pulling out all the interior to clean it:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160527-5cff47e2-xl.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160635-22fe4d45-xl.jpg[/IMG]

And it truly was filthy:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124163620-31bc9015-xl.jpg[/IMG]

But i did find some interesting things when doing automotive archaeology. True to form there were a few casings under the vinyl:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160504-726f4015-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Plus some ski club tickets from 1998, the same year as the Hilux was made
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160341-df0826d7-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Anywho, i also found this big dent under the clutch pedal:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160554-4c8ef36c-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Which after a hit with a hammer gave:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160601-876a5b03-xl.jpg[/IMG]

That spot is here, high up under the car between the chassis rail, torsion bar and gearbox. I have absolutely no idea how it could have even been hit.
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160606-9e1affe6-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Completely bizarre. Ohwell, it got a bit of a beating and then some sound deadening added over the top…. then one thing led to another and suddenly the entire rear of the cabin was covered in sound deadening:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124163605-56167ee9-xl.jpg[/IMG]

While all that was drying I got around to refitting the flares, after the flare mounting rubber finally arrived:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124163714-2496d9dc-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Then after refitting all the interior i figured out why it was all so filthy.
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160511-4f1883de-xl.jpg[/IMG]

That is the rear cabin vent to allow pressure to equalise when opening and closing doors. The one on the left was what was in the car, and the one on the right is what it should look like. Basically had none of the flaps or dampening chamber, so little wonder the cabin filled up with mud and junk.

Anywho, I decided that I should actually make some progress on getting it back together and built a bracket to mount the battery isolation switch and manual override:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160537-94f3e15e-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Was all pleased with myself before promptly realising that I had completely forgotten to add space for the circuit breakers. So then i had to build a new one. Take two:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160542-bc3cf807-xl.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160549-44abc6bd-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Its made out of 1.6mm sheet steel, so a bit of an overkill, but I didnt have any 1.2mm or 1mm around.

Finally my Deutsch plugs arrived so i did the wiring for the rear tail lights with my new crimper. Its so good having a nice crimper for this stuff:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124163659-674d9e02-xl.jpg[/IMG]

And I also finished off the grille that was munted by the previous owner, and gave it a bit of a paint job:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124163706-d3a88db6-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Thats about it for now. Currently waiting for new slim AGM to arrive so i can finish the rear seat wiring and then I can get a move on with mounting up the canopy properly and doing all that sort of stuff.

On Saturday i pulled my finger out, took a teaspoon of concrete, and figured i could work in the rain if need be. So managed to get the engine out of the garage with a bit of pendulum trickery and no small amount of good luck:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/10/03/20211003181700-4dc0aefe-xl.jpg[/img]

That meant i could get access to the back of the engine to put the rear main seal and carrier on, and then the flywheel:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/10/03/20211003181727-1894a1a3-xl.jpg[/img]

Add some pink bits, and then a fresh release bearing to the gearbox.

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/10/03/20211003181753-1354ef98-xl.jpg[/img]

Then its time to gingerly wheel it all over to the ute to offer up:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/10/03/20211003181802-e63586b8-xl.jpg[/img]

Lift engine into engine bay, and spend a while trying to line up the input shaft with the clutch. Remember part way through that you forgot to remove the clutch aligning tool (yes, note that above). Wiggle the engine back and forward until you can get your hand into the bellhousing and pull that out.
Funnily enough it is much easier to get into place without an alignment tool in the way….

Manage to get it lined up and then add the bolts in and pull down on the dowels:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/10/03/20211003181812-2dda1524-xl.jpg[/img]

Took a bit of effort to get the bellhousing bolts in, but managed to do that. Much easier without the intake and exhaust manifolds in the way.

Then it was up to test fitting the dynamic compression ratio modification device:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/10/03/20211003181820-1c0903c3-xl.jpg[/img]

Spent a bit of time checking out clearances and taking measurements for the eventual spoolyboy install:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/10/03/20211003181847-a3adfe44-xl.jpg[/img]

After that there was a bunch of boring bolting up of ancillaries. But im waiting on heater hoses to arrive, because they are a pain in the arse to replace with the manifolds in place, so i thought I should actually do it now. But that will delay most of the rest of the bits. Hopefully they will arrive this week and I can get it screwed back together next weekend and then start on the tray soon after.