Reddos FB Panno has a "break""

[reddo]

Yo

Most of you are aware that i bought 'rose6y"s tradesmans standard panelvan back in June this year.
While it had a very reliable 138 and reasonable brakes it ...... weeelll... it just didnt manage the job as a vintage van towcar.

So..... in the past 6 months i have been squirreling away a few of the "right bits" to get the van into at least 1967 specs.

Bits include a good 149 from a forum member

I scored ( at NSW AHD) a HR front end that has the engine mounts and EK outrigger welded in to suit suit an FB/EK.
It came with a pair of good discs, calipers and a booster to suit ... but i elected to go with all the commercial spec drums, shoes and booster off a HR ute.

Mate works at a local brake place..... machine 4 drums, 4 new wheel cylinders.. a full set of new shoes.. completely reco the booster.. total $150... i am grinning.
Gave the 3.55 diff to Promac in Newcastle.. said.'"do what needs to be done"... they lappped the diff . new oil slinger seal.. everything sweet,,,,$50 cash...

Took the HR front end ... completely dissmantled as well as the HR diff housing backing plates , etc, etc to the local sand blaster... $100 every last bit blasted and primed in grey primer. new top and bottom ball joints fitted.
Kmac front sway bar. A pair of new Monroe wyhlie ( spelling ) shocks. A pair of heavy duty 2"lowered springs and a complete set of rubbers to suit the Hr to FB/EK front end

On a forum members advice i rang "Äutocables" in VIC and spoke with "Joe". on friday arvo.
Ordered a HR ( drums all round) rear end brake cable to suit F'B/EK.. paid by card.. $122. Cable was in my letterbox Monday arvo... Thanks Joe. New wheel bearings and seals on both axles.

Ripped the grey out the other night and removed, front end and most of the hardware, wiriing harness from the engine bay. spent a day ... rubbing, masking up and painting the engine bay.

Question: the engine bay on my van had ......by the looks of it a firewall the same colour as the car.. It had been painted over by brush with flat black??
Am i right in saying that the standards had this same colour as the car firewall set up??...... Jacko??

Inner gaurds and subframe are now gloss black and .. to be honest look like the inside of an old shit tin... should of done it GMH flat black... but.... HEY.. the firewall looks magnificent

The 149 has had the 179 sump and oil pickup fitted, new water pump, water jackets, welsh plugs etc ... I strapped it on a pallet the other night and fitted the EH bellhousing and a starter motor. Filled it with oil .through a few wires around...... it fired straight up and ran like a clock... no oil leaks.. bonus.

I finish work Xmas eve.. I have until the 11/1/ 2010 off.... If i stay off the piss i will have a FB with HR running gear and a good 149 by the time i am due to go back to work...
So.. where are you spending your Holidays?? I will be under an FB...ummmm... One more question.. Has anyone got a gaurd mounted stubby holder with gravity feed to mechanic below available for loan over the festive season.....

http://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/ ... 010734.jpg

Honestly officer... it 'riginal..its a "grey motor"...
http://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/ ... 010737.jpg

Reddo

[Devilrod]

One more question.. Has anyone got a gaurd mounted stubby holder with gravity feed to mechanic below available for loan over the festive season.....

Two words - Camel Back.....

Should be a good tow car when done Reddo.

[southcoastkustom]

Good work Reddo. When youi break it down and shop smart, it comes together very easily.

[EKjimmy]

beer in a camelbak...so crazy it just might work. don't even need to take an esky on holidays now
Jimmy

[Trev]

Fill your washer bottle with your chosen beverage and run the line and switch down to where you are working

[reddo]

Hi all

Thanks for the advice.
The van is a Melbourne build.
I have owned a few utes and vans over the past 40 years but this one is the first with the firewall the same colour as the body. I figured it must of been just another one of the shortcuts GMH took when building the standard tradesmans van.

As for shopping smart..... yeah ... that plus having mates in the auto trade .. and... not relying on Ebay to source the bits. I just had a look at FB/EK parts and accessories on ebay. 4 pages of parts . Almost 3 of them are pages of "Buy It Now"replica bits etc.

Good bless swapmeets and the Local Trader

Reddo

[FB MAD]

Hi all

Thanks for the advice.
The van is a Melbourne build.
I have owned a few utes and vans over the past 40 years but this one is the first with the firewall the same colour as the body. I figured it must of been just another one of the shortcuts GMH took when building the standard tradesmans van.

As for shopping smart..... yeah ... that plus having mates in the auto trade .. and... not relying on Ebay to source the bits. I just had a look at FB/EK parts and accessories on ebay. 4 pages of parts . Almost 3 of them are pages of "Buy It Now"replica bits etc.

Good bless swapmeets and the Local Trader

Reddo

Me too Reddo, am relying less and less on evilbay purchases as it's becoming too expensive for me.Swap meets etc and "the grapevine " are becoming my main parts supply source more and more.

[reddo]

Hi.

Front end is all but done. Have the car back on its wheels.. yet to fit all the brakes. Will do all the brakes in one hit when i get the HR ute back end under the car

Todays project is fitting a HR diff housing under the van.
Question .....
The HR housing spring plate bolt centres ( side to side measurement ) are 100mm apart whereas the FB is 80mm apart.??
Whats the plan of attack??
do i ..... use a dremmel to "widen inwards" the HR housing bolt holes by 10mm either side to suit the FB bottom plate ... or ... Do i use a HR bottom plate with 100mm bolt hole pattern ??.
If i use a HR bottom plate are the " spring sandwich rubbers""on the HR the same width as the FB /EK rubbers....
I am thinking FB springs are narrower... hence different rubbers.

I intend using U bolts rather than the HR short bolt set up. Reckon the U bolts hold things in place better.

Can someone who has done this conversion help here?? Whats your thoughts ???

Cheers
Reddo

[mrs ratbox]

i've always just used the HR stuff but with U bolts (u bolts mainly because of lowering blocks) and never done any ajusting, can't really say on the sadle rubbers i've just used whatever i've had around i think there is a bit of a differance in them but i know i've used the EK type with the HR setup

[reddo]

Yeeeee.. Haa

After spending what felt like a week under the van fitting the red motor, and.. was.. she got the nod from the RTA today.
A few things worth mentioning that give ya the shits doin a Hr running gear conversion.
Dont forget to use the original "spacers "between the upper and lower HR rear spring saddles.. These stop ya crushin shit out of your new rubbers. Vans and ute saddle rubbers and spacers are different to HR sedan spacers and rubbers ... get it right so ya diff dont shift around.

The lug on top or the HR diff where the flexible brake hose meets the diff housing is 4" too far towrds the diff centre. Ya need to weld a tag on the same distance that the FB /EK mounting point is.

Joe at Autocables is a great bloke.. he supplied exactly what i asked for with the rear handbrake cable.. HR ute rear into a FB van.
The Fb outer case on the cable is 460mm,, same on HR.. but when i fitted the cable it pulled up 30mm short of the FB C clamp. Had to make up a flat plate that extened back the 30mm so everything fitted neat and worked properly.

Yeah . yeah.. i am hearing ya say the diff housing cant be sitting on the locator bolt through the springs.. it is.. both sides.

I managed to score a six blade flexi fan off ebay for $30 free postage. These fans work fine. I have no gripes with them. The bullshit about the 4 rivets per blade coming out at high revs is crap. Ya w ould have to be doing 20,000 RPM for that to happen. The big plus with these fans is that nothing sticks further forward towards the radiator than the heads of the bolts that hold it onthe water pump. Leaving you with around 30mm off the radiator.. I have a 3 core HR rad in there .
They work great at low around town revs .. and flatten out when scooting down the highway to save HP and fuel consumpition.

Use both the HR top and bottom hoses.
Make sure the bottom hose has the coil wire in it to prevent the hose sucking flat at hi revs reducing water flow from the radiator.

Took the car to Blue slip bloke. More than happy with the HR ball joint/ Hr ute boosted drums/ Hr 3.55 rear end/ 149 conversion. Just an adjsutment of records.,.. record the engine number , quick look around the engine bay.. record Vin number..
Happy with the 2250 to 2450 conversion....

$47.00 ...thank you sir..

Oh by the way.. I have a complete disc brake HR front end and a set of 186 s headers you might be interested in .. been layin around my shed for years. I will never use them .. i have a fully restored FC""......

Ähem".. yes mate keep talkin....

RTA confrontation"" went as smooth as ..
Just and ädjustment of records".. heres one for the records.. NO CHARGE.. now THAT is totally unheard of at NSW... Talk to someone without charging.???

One happy repowered FB owner....
original Front end left today.. FB cruisin snapped it up

Reddo

[Harko]

Awesome Reddo

[pauly]

Sounds the goods.

[reddo]

Not happy with the diff ratio.. Tacho says 3000 rpm at 60 MPH.
The old Grey with a 3.89 use to pull about the same.
Maybe i am actaully travelling quicker than the indicated speed??

Soo.. dragged out a 3:36 that survived the 2007 Newy floods and whipped it over to Promac for a "going over". Hope to have it back mid next week. Stick it in one night and head off to Golbourn swap meet next saturday.

Hopefully tyhe 3.36 will give the van "longer legs"on the highway.
This 149 goes a LOT better than i remember my very first registered old 149 HD panelvan ever going
Will bung a few photos up one day soon.

Reddo

[FB MAD]

I think from memory my old FC wagon used to sit on around 3300 rpm ish @ 60 mph ( standard 3.89 diff with crossply's ) so 3.55 would be about right @ 3000 rpm @ 60 mph.

Depending on your rolling tyre diameter Reddo I'd guess a 3.36 will bring it down to around 2700 rpm ish @ 60 mph.

Sometimes those little 149's can go just as good as a 186 can given the right engine performance enhancing modifications .