fbekholden.com

Ok folk, with wet weather on the way and being confined to barracks during this Covid-19 terrible time, I have opportunity to add a fair bit more to the history of this wonderful old vehicle...

By the 17th March '83, I had worn out the crap tyres which came with three of the second hand HD/HR rims... and fitted Semperit 185/70's to complete the full set of five. These were really good tyres. But a little wide for the 4.5" rims.. they "walked" a little in a straight line and I could feel "flex" in them when cornering.. but, they were great tyres and I had no issue with these... unlike the Kleber V229's I had fitted many years previous in which two of them developed huge blisters in the walls when the rubber and belts de-laminated... that was scary.

I was still having brake troubles.. it simply wouldn't pull up in a straight line. My log book shows that I sanded both sides of each front disc with emery and replaced the brake pads for Hardie GDB 525... at that time, they cost $21.79 for the set of four pads.

On advice from Lumenition - I opened up the spark plug gap to 0.040 and filled the fuel tank for another test run.
At mileage 157,010 - I filled the tank again after a day trip to Gembrook, Upper Yarra dam and back via Yarra Glen, Research and Warrandyte... again, this magical figure came up at 29.22 mpg... I was now pretty happy and relaxed that the motor had settled down and the vehicle was running relatively free... with little concern for it dragging brakes.

At mileage 157,500 - I changed the oil, spin on filter and Frantz filter element - the first time I got to see what it had trapped from breaking in the engine.
There were a number of small shiny metal particles.. almost microscopic, at the top of the Frantz element (toilet roll lookalike). There weren't any "lumps" but there were bits of broken away silicone gasket.. which I will never use again. I am now a devoted believer in the "Permatek" range of gasket goo's and sealants... I have such a hatred for silicone in vehicles that it is congruous I should avoid them entirely.

I opened up the spin on filter, removed the element and spread it out... quite clearly - it did not trap these very fine metal particles - there weren't any in it... so, if we think about it - they went "through" the spin on paper thin element of a Ryco Z30.. but were trapped by the extremely finely bound up face of the sheets of filter element in the Frantz.... all 4 1/2 inches of it.

At the same time, on the 1st May '83.. is where insurance renewal (previously mentioned) was refused by AAMI and we now have full comprehensive insurance with RACV.. with all included mods... for the princely sum of $94 plus the $35 annual RACV membership fee....

My records show that I had concerns with the float level - in the next two months, I have adjusted and re-adjusted the level... some time at 5/8" below the main body chamber surface.. and "supposedly" some at 43/64ths... my fuel consumption figures don't suggest there were concerns - but I do recall for many years, the car "stuttered" when making a downhill right hand turn on accelerating... I don't know if this was due to the angle the motor eventually sat at.. or whether there was something amiss with the float level starving the check valve of the power pump by-pass jet.
I must have given up and lived with it, for there is no further mention of fiddling with the float level until many years later.

On 26th June, 1983 - my log shows that I removed the generator and regulator.. and fitted a Bosch BX-1 40 A alternator with built in regulator - that unit continues in faithful service to this very day - and has never been serviced.. it just works.

It was in fact on 28th June, '83 that the head was changed by RAM automotive.. in Dandenong.. not earlier as previously believed.
Mileage was 158,602.... so, the motor had done some 6,000 miles with that amazing power.. but the terrible run-on and pinging no matter what I tried to do with ignition timing...

Couple of pix to break up this monotonous drawl... these were taken in January of this year... I did a "refub" in the engine bay some years back.. the alloy of all components was polished and coated with "Glisten PC"... this amazing product keeps maintenance of the almost chrome like finish polishing can achieve very easy and quick.
As you can see, the proximity to the exhaust manifold seems not to compromise the coating...

Pix..




On 14 July, '83 at mileage 158,879 - Nulon E-30 teflon engine treatment was added at an oil change.
I am a firm believer in this product. In hindsight, during February 2005 - at mileage 216,181.4 - the motor was removed and every conceivable part was disassembled... looking for a "knocking" sound under load at between 1850 and 2400 rpms.... which still has not been found (later - years later, well come to this)... the Nulon treatment certainly stunned both the chap (mechanic) who was helping me source the knock and myself... not one sign of wear could be found in the engine... some 57,000 miles later. The cross-hatching was still evident in the cylinder walls. Using "plasti-gauge" all main and connecting rod tolelances were within spec... there was no scoring or marking of any of the journals or bearing caps... whether this is due to the E-30 or the Frantz filter (which was temporarily diconnected to ensure full treatment) - is beyond determination.. but, with both - it certainly "worked".

On 11th August, '83 a "Karina" mileage master was fitted between the throttle body and manifold. I firmly believe it did something to the economy of the vehicle.. along with the E-30..
A return trip to Benalla via Merton resulted in figures of 28.53 mpg with speeds of 60 and 70 mph in the log.
The return trip, at a more sedate pace of between 50 and 60 mph - produced the best ever recording of economy - at 32.03 mpg.. I had my 30 mpg 179 motor...and very happy.

1984 and 1985 go pretty much without mention, save for servicing. Not a lot was going on, and I appeared to have learned to live with the braking and steering issued that went with the modification... these would not be finally resolved for another 20 years.

180,000 miles came up on 31st Mar, 1986.

Again, not much to report for 1986, save that it was in May that my father passed away... I seem to have either not done anything to the vehicle - or was otherwise too occupied with the plethora of duties and life-changing events to make entries.

I show replacing the battery with a 7 plate battery costing $49 on 2nd Sept that year.

Nothing outstanding shows up in the log from then until 5th November (Guy Fawkes Day) 1988 - the year of our bi-centenary.. when I purchased a replacement 3:08 coarse splined diff centre from Kumbak auto dismantlers in Braeside... for $150.00 with a $10.00 deposit...

We'll continue on from here picking up on removing the 3:55 centre in the next post....

frats,
Rosco

Great reading. Looking forward to the next instalment.


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

Sorry to hear about your Father, he couldnt have been very old.

Can you share where your inspiration to record pertinence originated?

I was a bit concerned with my alt/generator as they are bigger in the body and as you say much closer to the exhaust manifold - I ended up getting hold of a red motor adjuster bracket so I could tilt it away just that bit more from the heat source - cant be good for the wiring and insulation internally

Thanks Patrick,
I don't know that it was "inspiration"... more obsession, and once started - I was reluctant to stop... there are big blanks in date continuity, but these probably reflect long spells of no action other than when entries were made for servicing.
I have done this all my life with motor cars, boat and caravan... it won't stop until I do.
To make matters even more concerning - I completely typed out both hand written log books from the EK into this machine... took a week, but I type fast.... it is this electronic log book which I now refer to as this thread continues...

See if I can find a pic of Page 1 of the first log book....





This pic shows the second log book on top of the first. I "acquired" the lovely bound first book when working as a junior clerk in the VR in 1972.
Second book was a "purchase" from a newsagent supplier... it is only half filled, once I went to electronic - I no longer made hand entries.





And - found it...... I kept this paint can label.. but could never find it, until now... it was slipped into the cover of book 1...
Take particular note of the first four words at extreme upper right "this paint contains lead" - this is beautiful paint to spray..

The paint code for Snowcrest White is hand written - should anyone need it. 1J024

Also, my disciplined habit of writing the date on the label when last used - then crossing out previous dates is also just evident...



Hope to have some more up in this thread today... we are getting back to the stage where plenty of pix were taken... there was a lull in them there for a while... as you have suffered..

frats,
Rosco

FJWALLY wrote: Wed Apr 01, 2020 7:06 pm I was a bit concerned with my alt/generator as they are bigger in the body and as you say much closer to the exhaust manifold - I ended up getting hold of a red motor adjuster bracket so I could tilt it away just that bit more from the heat source - cant be good for the wiring and insulation internally

FJW - yes, I "burned" (exhaust heat) the brown wire from the generator to the regulator when I first connected everything up with the red motor... the wiring loom was too short to stretch the extra distance where I had run the wiring - it was "one of those jobs" which was to be addressed once it was up and running... but sadly, didn't eventuate.
Back then, I didn't know what the brown wire was... and later learned that having broken it, it simply caused the gen idiot light to remain on...

It may very have been the root cause of the regulator failing... but I doubt it..... it may have fused the other two in the loom somewhere as well...... but I doubt that now as well - I replaced all of them when I went to alternator.

I do remember the gen light coming on and taking the regulator to an auto sparky "shot" was all he said..... I asked about having it repaired or a change over - and it was on his advice that I not waste my money if the vehicle was no longer original - and go with an alternator with a build in reg.. which I did. He told me there were only advantages, but not for him..... they made a lot of money out of regulators, but models of this age were becoming fewer, and the amount of time they spent in repairing them did not justify the amount they charged for a change-over.... I now suspect, he didn't have a change-over in stock.... and knew he had no hope of selling me a new one.... why would you, the price of the alternator wasn't much dearer... with an inbuilt reg.

I told him I didn't know what wiring had to be added but he explained that the existing black and light/dark blue wiring could be removed entirely - the joined two red B+ wires being the source from the battery to the bus bar of the lighting switch and could simply be hooked up to a 40A lead from the starter solenoid... I could do that.

What he didn't tell me was that it was no longer "fused" (illegal) or protected.... it was a direct lead from solenoid to lighting switch... on the supply side.. it was protected on the output side by the thermal contacts of the light switch.. but the "hot" side was a short just waiting to happen.

Years later, when I made my own loom up, I fitted a 40A re-settable circuit breaker to the engine bay side of the firewall...
The big issue with fuses is that when they blow - they don't reset.. and you lose everything. Nasty stuff if it blows when you are traveling at speed at night.... this is also extremely pertinent to anyone who fits fuses to their headlights.... go with re-settable circuit breakers and quad up on them - and at least you should get one beam until you can safely pull off the road...

Back to the auto sparky - he told me that the brown wire was the generator light in the instrument cluster... to connect that to the "ind" terminal of the alternator...
I had to replace that lead anyway - so making a longer one which went all the way to the instrument panel wasn't an issue.

He failed to mention running a direct lead from the battery negative earth if ever the braided fuel line hose was replaced - I freaked out when I learned that this copper braided hose is "body earth"... with petrol running through it. Needless to say, the braid does not come into contact with the petrol - but the fuel pump does.... I had fitted a neoprene rubber hose to replace the braided one - and still don't know from where the vehicle survived getting the earth return to the battery... may have come through the back door (figuratively speaking) engine, trans etc. etc... but I fitted a designated earth lead from the battery to the body at the battery box once I learned this.

Brackets - I went with the EH upper generator bracket initially - but ended up making up a slotted piece of 3 mm metal from some bar stock... with a drill and a file to make the slot.... no angle grinder back in those days - just a lot of vice work, the drill and a lot of pushing a file... still in the vehicle today... probably looks very similar to that fitted to a HD or HR... it works, and I have no reason to re-visit the area.

I remember having to put two bends in it to line up the face mount bolt hole with that of the mount hole on the block... easily done with the vice and an FBH.

frats,
Rosco

Yeah the fuel line earth is a real brain teaser - what were they thinking? Electricity and fuel - what could go wrong?
Mine is a direct wire from Battery to Alt and a big earth from Alt to Body Chassis -

Ive also added a big earth from block to front subframe and Battery is earthed to body in the rear and I have improved a lot of other earth points to body as well to ensure there is more than one path - I still have the Regulator in place but it no longer plays any part - the wires are chopped and hidden back in the loom so it looks correct but has no function any longer.

Sounds like you have effected an original look, FJW..... in modern times, many who now look would not know otherwise....
My red motor id sprayed Holden engine grey enamel..... I still get told that I have kept the old "grey" in it.... well, it is a "grey" motor - but a Merlin would still be one if painted grey....

As a side note - slow typing for the next week or two...... I'm guessing no-one else tried to cut two fingers off with secateurs yesterday?....sliced one from top to bottom and down to the bone.... not going to Doc or hosp with this virus rampant..... cure probably worse than injury...

frats,
Rosco

The braided fuel line was put there originally to eliminate static electricity.

Its funny how we can get freaked out by this but think about how your fuel sender works, now that's a brain teaser !!!!

Ouch that there pain will be worse in a few days !!! Take care Rosco !!!!!!

Greg

Yes - and in both cases, it's the hotter neg used..... maybe the Poms had the right idea....?

With locomotives and electric trains, each axle had an earth strap - to prevent current running through the axle bearings to find earth at the rail.

frats,
Rosco

I fitted a replacement electric fuel pump in the tank of my v6 petrol 4Runner few years ago now which freaked me a bit. In reality though, there are no moving parts in the fuel line and it’s only 12v fercrissake. Yes you want a good earth battery to block, battery to body etc. Full size earth battery to starter motor bolt can be a good idea. XF Falcon I had (only &*#@ I ever owned) melted the insulation off the leads one hot day out paddock bashing for work. RAA contractor chucked an earth to the starter on site. I also melted the plug leads on that car but I’ll blame degreasing the engine bay with super petrol for that. Used to get hot under bonnet though. I blame the damn extractors. Sorry to digress and hope those fingers heal up quick Rosco.


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

Thanks Clay - can't do anything with my left hand for now..... ring finger took the full brunt of it..... if anyone ever intends to pull on a large palm frong whilst holding secateurs - don't.... the frong will let go and the open blade (just sharpened for the job using a diamond stone) will go straight to the bone and will not find mere flesh any resistance .... from top of finger right down along the bone to the bottom.... a huge "flap" opened up... will take weeks to heal up.... no power tools for some time now... can't hold anything with my left hand.
Fortunately, the middle finger just got "dug" into - but also to the bone in two places.....
They will go onto the ground from now on if I need to pull anything away if it isn't free to pull out... lesson learned.... getting older, and more careless... now, where's that chainsaw?.... and my new chainsaw pruning pole (yet to be used)... not for some time now, me thinks....

Re - XF - I would have liked to believe that by the the time the "blue oval" had got to "F" in the X range... they'd have found and corrected this fault... copper wire is not "that" expensive... surely?

I have used petrol to clean stuff in... it's pretty good at it.... too good with some materials.... kero was always much safer.. and, at the time - cheaper.... to compare them now....

fratsm
Rosco

Sorry to hear about the digits Rosco - if they are deep mate I would seriously consider getting to at least a good doctors nurse station as a few stitches will heal it much faster than being left alone - having sliced my thumb to the bone last year straight done the middle with a bait knife while fishing you need that wound super clean and closed up as much as possible - hope it heals fast for you.

Thanks FJW - I do accept your advice.
However, I've now pretty much decided I'll let it run for now.... I am not using either finger and have almost tied them together.
I did fully flush, sterilise and close up the wounds before applying gauze then binding them fairly tightly for the first day.
The middle finger is doing fine... the ring finger is still weeping and bleeding after a 10 minute bath in warm water and Dettol... then bound up with new dressings...
They are both swollen... but this is to be expected... heck of a lot of damage instead of a simple slice (which actually hurts more than this).
It feels like a bruise now... dull and sore to the touch.

If this pandemic wasn't on - I'd have probably gone to the doc's today... just to receive some reassurance (and a good bit of reprimanding).

If swelling doesn't start going down in a day or two - I'll have to go...
Skin colour is good, no red streaks up my arm.. and I can feel with both finger tips.... quite sensitively.
The gashes have closed up well .... and I'm not using either to do anything... hence this primitive speed at typing (penance) - not that anyone on the other side of my screen can tell...

Thanks again for your kind thoughts.... I have two good thumbs and six fingers left.... unless I do further damage.
Secateurs are securely under lock and key... but I still hold the key (for now).

frats,
Rosco

G'day Fellow Posters
I've read with interest the various posts regarding low oil pressure. I've just installed an Autometer oil pressure gauge. The oil warning light comes on when the car has stopped, and almost stopped (in low gear), the gauge then showing from about 5 - 8 p.s.i. Is this something to worry about, as there is still minimal oil circulation? During normal road speeds the pressure fluctuates between 24 and 28 p.s.i., which to me seems O.K. My engine is, I think, a little worn, though not blowing smoke or leaking oil. Has anybody had similar readings? Many thanks in anticipation.