24 years restoring a Sprint in New Zealand

[mahony]

I take it when you fitted the gutter trim you used the correct clips

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=16417&hilit=+gutter

[Mad Mart]

Clips? which clips? Never used any on my restos.

[Dolly-Nut]

"Only fitted to cars from VA9547 onwards".

[mahony]

Clips? which clips? Never used any on my restos.

Self explanatory if you click the link, if there not on your latest late resto someone previously has forgot to put them back

[Carledo]

Its just another bit of metal put in by BL to make it rust away quicker like the sill mouldings and the clips around the rear window and rear panel chrome trims!

My Sprint is way past that comm number (VA 26140) is previously unrestored and I gotta take my knackered trims off anyway so I think i'll do it tomorrow and see if any clips are present underneath!

Steve

[Howard81]

I was just going to say that mine had them and post the photo.. but it looks like I've already done so

[mahony]

I was just going to say that mine had them and post the photo.. but it looks like I've already done so

I beat you to it

[Robert 352]

Some interesting comment there.

My car had the little clips which were sitting in under the stainless gutter trim but I am not sure that they were fitted to the donor car which formed an essential part of this project. Perhaps there was a change of supplier or perhaps the tooling which was used to make these trims was changed at some stage during the production run and the clips were added to ensure that the gutter trim stayed in place.

If there was one thing for sure there was no way I was going to install the gutter trims that were on my car originally!

I have opted not to fit them at this time, for the trims which I am using are off the donor car, a fairly early car for it was fitted with Stromberg carburettors. I will take the risk and if they come adrift or show signs of coming off then I will fit them.

[Robert 352]

The project has taken a big leap forward following the installation of engine and gearbox all sitting on its subframe. I used the up and under method which I had trialled earlier and which has been used by others.

The car was rolled on its four dollies in under the hoist and the first step was to lift the car sufficiently which allowed the slave (1850) subframe to be unbolted and moved out of the way.

20121127-3676Pw removing slave subframe.jpg (130.39 KiB) Viewed 4367 times

Then it was a simple matter of lifting the car higher until the complete engine assembly could be wheeled in under the car

20121127-3683Pw Engine iin position.jpg (134.57 KiB) Viewed 4365 times

and it was lowered down until the lower front shock absorber bushes could be attached. It was necessary to jiggle and rock the car a little so that the exhaust manifold bolts cleared the side of the chassis rails and at the same time it allowed the inner wishbone mounting points to move into their correct position, tucked up close to the inner wheel guard.

The two shock absorbers helped to guide the assembly down onto the subframe itself. The rear upper mounting rubber bushes were pushed up onto the tubes on the chassis rails and I attempted to do the same with the front upper mounting rubber bushes although they tended to fall off just at a critical moment so I left them sitting in the subframe. When the car until it was about an inch clear of the subframe I dropped the front bolts down through the front upper bushes and it guided the whole assembly into position.

I then bolted up the two front bush assemblies making sure I had the engine stay bar bracket on the left hand bolt.

The gearbox was jacked up slightly using a bottle jack. At this point I discovered that I had installed the rear mount on the gearbox facing backwards instead of forwards but it took not a great deal of time to unbolt it and turn it around and then bolt the gearbox mount into place. Finally the rear subframe bolts and bushes were bolted up.

20121127-3687Pw Engine installation complete.jpg (123.94 KiB) Viewed 4364 times

It was time for a cup of tea and to realise that it was the first time in over 20 years that the engine assembly had been reunited with the car.

By late evening, after the front wheels had been refitted, the car lowered onto the front dollies and the lifting beam removed, the car was moved from under the hoist back around into the workshop on the other side of the wall seen in these photos. Then the engine stay bar, fan and radiator were installed.

It completed a very satisfactory day’s effort.

[Robert 352]

One of the tasks which followed the reinstallation of the engine and subframe within the engine bay was to reinstall some of the ancillaries such as the radiator, heater fan unit and so on. They were all fitted without any problems at all.

I could not persuade the upper universal joint on the intermediate shaft to slide up onto the bottom of the steering column. The workshop manual gave few hints although between the parts book and the manual it seemed that the upper universal sits with the clamping bolt at about the 9 o’clock position. I eventually pulled the steering column out of the car and sat it on the bench for I had restored two intermediate shafts, the original one from the car and the second from the donor car. Two bottom couplings had also been overhauled and fitted with new rubber bushings although only one has the earthing strap connecting the top and bottom halves. I used the one with the earthing strap in my car

Only one of the two upper universal joints seemed to fit the splines on the steering column and by carefully working my way round the steering column spline I found that it was in fact necessary to fit it at the 9 o’clock position.

20121201-3692Pw Upper steering universal.jpg (51.35 KiB) Viewed 4292 times

I worked it up and down the splines a few times in order to remove any burrs or rubbish in the splines themselves and then marked the position with a couple of dabs of typewriter correction fluid. I did the same on the bottom coupling. Then making sure that the steering column was locked with the tab on the column midway between the left and right indicator releases,

20121202-3694Pw Steering column centre position.jpg (126.17 KiB) Viewed 4289 times

I bolted the steering column back in the car loosely with the splined bottom end just visible through the bulkhead bushing.

It took no time at all then to slide the bottom coupling onto the steering rack spline, engage the top universal coupling with the splines on the steering column. Then the steering column was bolted firmly back into position and all three coupling bolts fitted back into their respective holes. The steering column was unlocked and the bolt which had been holding the steering rack in its mid position removed and the three bolts were tightened.

According to Stu’s law (see straylight’s restoration threads) it should have taken 5 hours to do. It was a little less but it was a lesson in patience and a lesson in following the hints given in the book for the upper universal did finish up sitting with its clamping bolt at the position indicated.

[straylight]

good work again robert.

I take 5 hours just to clean a petrol tank

The universal clamp must fit over the splined shaft so that the pinch bolt can slide in over the recessed bit on the shaft. I've never had to mark anything, just match up the bolt to the recess and everything is fine.

What has always done my head in is trying to get the steering wheel on straight, so it points ahead when the car is driving ahead. I've always faffed around with that universal to try to get it right, but I think the best way (and probably the recommended way) is to take the steering wheel off and simply put it one when you know the steering is in the straight ahead position.

stu

[sprint95m]

What has always done my head in is trying to get the steering wheel on straight, so it points ahead when the car is driving ahead. I've always faffed around with that universal to try to get it right, but I think the best way (and probably the recommended way) is to take the steering wheel off and simply put it one when you know the steering is in the straight ahead position.

stu

I disagree Stu, because I think the best way is to drive the car back and fore to ensure you have it in the straight ahead position,
then undo the lower steering coupling from the steering rack, rotate steering wheel to correct position and then reconnect steering.
Obviously, this assumes that the steering wheel is corrected aligned on the column (in order for the indicators' self cancelling to
operate correctly) and secondly that you have an original type lower coupling (the aftermarket ones won't slide far enough up the
intermediate shaft to actually disconnect from the rack. In which case you have to slide the column's shaft up and rotate s/wheel etc.)



Ian.

[gmsclassics]

Yes, agree 100% with Ian's approach. Lots of practice at this as you need to do this everytime the subframe is lowered to change a clutch or gearbox. That is when good marking of the alignment where the parts join makes reassembly so much easier. I have also found that a large flat washer, well greased, fitted between the intermediate shaft and the steering column protects the plastic bush in the bulkhead from premature wear and takes up the slack that can otherwise result in in / out play in the steering column and an annoying knocking especially over rough roads.
Geoff

[straylight]

yes, of course ! point taken and thanks for the correction. So I have been doing it the right way ! I once thought I was wrong but I was mistaken

I'd forgotten that the indicator canceler would thwart my cunning plan. I've only had the steering wheel off once or twice.

Robert also suggested that a wheel alignment place could get it bob on by adjusting the tie rod ends while they do the alignment.

stu

[Jon Tilson]

....and when you do that you find the nearside wheel will rub on the tie rod to the sub frame......

I think they must have been set up at the factory so that the n/s wheel didnt touch and then do the rest from there....there really isnt much clearance..

Jonners