Rare and Exotic EK ute build.

[wot179]

Gday Stephen.

I just laid on my back with a plastic mallet and started knocking the wheelarches back up. Took it slow so as not to stretch the metal any more than it was and it worked pretty well.

If I'd had an extra pair of hands to hold a dolly on the topside I could have gotten them a bit better, though Im pretty happy with the results for what they are.

There's a pick of the hammer in the background of one of the pics.

Above the tail lights I had a length of 18mm round bar about 10 inches long that I bent a bit and tapped them up gradually.

It was a turd of a job that used up a few knuckles...I' take a pic of how I did it and post it tomorrow sometime.

I'm glad you are enjoying the thread.

A bit of feedback makes the time spent taking and posting the pics worth it, so thanks.

[simmo65]

I guess my real question is does anybody manage to use a stock accelerator linkage when they fit a red with a fan?

Im happy enough with the engine position,though I may have to trim the firewall seam a little.

Am I wasting my time trying to make the factory linkage work?


Advice and opinions welcomed.

Hi Wot,

I have the original accelerator linkage working in my wagon. Although I had to reshape it a bit as it was hitting that head bolt as in your pic. It took a bit of trail and error for me to get right.. My motor is out at the moment so I don't have a pick of how it looks.

Also, I noticed your engine mounts in your pic has the driver's side bolted to the front of the engine bracket and the passenger side bolted to the back of the bracket. Is the way they are supposed to be??

Mine were the same but I thought the PO had it wrong and as I'm also about to put my motor back in I want to get it right

Cheers
Wayne..

[simmo65]

BTW , Great work on the Ute!

[wot179]

Cheers, Simmo.

Regards engine mounts, I copied how they are in my HT, so I guess they are right.

I doubt it really matters.

I had a tinker with the linkage, I think I will remake the brackets the raise the linkage up a bit then extend the bit that comes from the pedal to suit, it will make clearance a non issue.

[Blacky]

I had a tinker with the linkage, I think I will remake the brackets the raise the linkage up a bit then extend the bit that comes from the pedal to suit, it will make clearance a non issue.

Can you put some heat on it and bend the middle bit up just enough to clear without it running out of travel at WOT , Wot ???

[wot179]

I bent it cold and it cleared, but it got shorter at the ends as a result and looked like it might pop out of the brackets, so I bent it back.

I'll sort it out properly once the motor and box are finish mounted.

[Mick]

then extend the bit that comes from the pedal to suit, it will make clearance a non issue.

i'm pretty sure i have an ajustable one of those linkages i think they come off auto EKs don't know why the autos have an ajustable linkage but i've had a few of them and they've allways come off autos

[wot179]

Cool...put my name on it.

[simmo65]

Cheers, Simmo.

Regards engine mounts, I copied how they are in my HT, so I guess they are right.

I doubt it really matters.

Thanks Wot, I'll bolt my mounts up the same way as yours ..

[In the Shed]

Thanks Wot,
Always keen to learn how things are done by others and pick up any tips doing panel work.

Stephen

[wot179]

Here ya go Stephen, a better pic of the hammer I used.

I have a lot of hammers (but not enough..), this is my new favourite.

Its nice and heavy and the plastic head doesn't bruise or stretch the metal...it just pushes it around.



And the roundbar I used for above the tail lights.




I just put it inside the cavity and tapped it up.

Fiddly and painful, but reasonably effective.

A longer piece shaped a little differently would have worked better, but I used what was at hand.

Hope this helps you a bit.

[Mick]

got that ajustable rod and a pile of other linkage bits so you have some spares, ohh and a dozen eggs

[In the Shed]

Thanks Wot just goes to show what can be done with some basic tools and some time. Thanks
Regards Stephen

[wot179]

I got tired of tripping over the tailgate today, and as I had found some hinges, I though I would assemble it and bolt it to the car.

The mech was missing, but I had the rods, so I decided to use some HT bits I had salvaged off something years ago and modify them to suit.

First up was the mechanism.

It was miles off bolting up, the hole centres were wrong and it stuck out too far.





I welded a couple of bits of 4mm flatbar onto the front of the mech to both space it out a bit and to have something to redrill and tap into.





Good ol "Tap magic"



And its bolted up.


The slots for the rod needed to be filed out a bit too.

I also had no clips to secure the rods, so I drilled the rods and used washers and splitpins.
Can you see that hole?
I cant, but its there.


The washers and split pins had to go in from behind, one of those triple jointed finger jobs, but its done.

I didn't take a pic as I couldn't see to assemble it let alone try and get a pic.

The coverplate.


And the handle.


It works great.

I know its not what everyone would do, but it was a viable alternative using stuff I had laying about.

[Blacky]

looks good to me the original ones are getting hard to find nowadays, most have the top bit of the handle broken off .................