Author Topic: 1968 Series IIA Carawagon  (Read 4084 times)

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Offline PCB93

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  • Location: Cheshire
Re: 1968 Series IIA Carawagon
« Reply #45 on: May 26, 2018, 08:03:34 am »
Morning all,

Following the usual long period of inactivity, a modicum of progress has occurred - mostly in the form of a distributor re-build. I'd never done one before, so it was an educational experience for me, at least. This will likely be a rather long post, in which very little actually happens - the Star Wars: The Jast Jedi of Land Rover forum posts, if you like. Moderately more exciting updates may follow in the coming days.

Distributor as removed, less cap, rotor arm (which was ****), and vacuum unit. Lucas model no. 41227A, June 1968 date-stamp:


Internal gubbins: contact breaker points, condenser and LT lead:


Internal gubbins removed, aside from the rather sorry-looking wire at the bottom of the photo, which I assume is an earth:


Contact breaker moving plate and base plate removed to reveal the centrifugal advance unit:


Once the two springs are removed, along with the screw retaining the cam, the cam can be lifted out (noting the position of the rotor arm slot relative to the distributor driving dog) to reveal the action plate, which sounds tremendously exciting:


Centrifugal advance weights shown at the opposite extremes of their travel:


Next to be removed are the driving dog and thrust washer, requiring this locating pin to be driven out:


The main distributor shaft can then be pressed (or driven) out:


Shaft and action plate removed:


A plastic distance collar sits on the shaft below the action plate:


All parts were then given a good going-over with a brass brush before being, in an unprecedented moment of organisation, placed in a box for re-assembly the following day:


Earth lead replaced, with a bit of the original loom from my Series III (for the screen-wash motor, I think!):


Distributor shaft being pressed back into place, following a liberal smear of moly grease:


Driving dog and thrust washer re-fitted:


Cam and centrifugal advance unit back in place, weight contact surfaces also smeared with moly grease:


Base and contact breaker moving plates re-fitted. The little post down at the right is where the vacuum advance spring attaches:


LT lead re-fitted, alongside new points and condenser. Yes, I do have a safety pin in place of a missing button on my shirt:


The adjusting nut for the vacuum unit is kept at the correct setting by a coil spring and a small leaf spring, which has a central bump to allow it act as a ratchet:


Vacuum unit and rotor arm fitted:


Cap clamps and cap fitted:


Clamping plate fitted; just about ready to go (needs an o-ring in the groove below the clamping plate). For interest I've paired it with the distributor from a 1958 Rover P4 105 (from which I have the engine). Rather a reduction in size appears to have occurred in the intervening ten years:


With that complete, I now know what the inside of a distributor looks like, but still can't really say how most of it works - centrifugal advance and vacuum units especially. Some reading required!


Now over to the garage where the Carawagon is currently stored. I've been slowly adding boxes of refurbished parts. No idea how I came by the Marks and Spencer one - I'm nowhere near posh enough to shop there:


Unfortunately, the main aim of my visit was not actually to make any progress, but to remove the overdrive, which I'm temporarily loaning to the Series III while its own is re-built. The latter, after three years of near total silence, has recently decided not only to do its best Ju-87 'Stuka' impression, but also to rattle loudly once warm, which is a tad concerning.

So here we are - nice and sludgy:


Thought I'd look for the gearbox number while I was in there. Looks good for being the original, to the best of my knowledge:


Mostly came away no trouble. The only exception was the pin linking the lever link-rod to the selector shaft, whose split-pin was rusted fast and required filing level on both sides:


Overdrive coupling sleeve revealed:


Removing that took rather a lot longer than it ought to have done, as the clutch slave cylinder was seized in the dis-engaged position, leaving the gearbox mainshaft spinning freely. Much faffing later, I discovered that the clutch could be engaged by levering a crow-bar against the front prop-shaft and clutch actuating lever to push the slave cylinder back into place. The mainshaft nut then unscrewed easily, allowing the overdrive coupling sleeve to slide out.


While in the cab, I noticed this faint pencil writing on the dash: '96 Radio Solent.' Presumably the owner's local station from its days on the Isle of Wight!:



Now for a tiny bit of progress. Engine oil strainer re-fitted:


Sump ready to go on, now free of the half-inch depth of grey gunge it arrived with:


Sump fitted. Strangely, the two bolts into the bottom of the timing cover are UNC, while the rest are UNF:


Probably its first new oil filter since 2004:


Oil filter housing fitted:


A load of 20W/50 was lobbed in, before wrapping-up for the day. Heading over again this morning to sort tappet clearances etc. With a bit of luck, it might just be running soon. I said that in 2016, however!

Phil
1979 Series III 88" Hard-top - daily drive
1968 Series IIA 109" Carawagon - project