Blue Mule resto in Malawi

[M5driver]

Oh. D**n! That must mean I got the last of his stock. I asked for 10 pints, with the hope that I'd be able to get more if needed. When I talked to him, he seemend like he would get more if needed. Guess he changed his mind.

When I get home (taking a lunch break) I'll look thru my emails for other contacts. There is a RB dealer in Ghana, but I don't know if that will work. I know the RB guys in UK will ship here, but it travels as hazmat, so that will be pricey. I'll try to get you the UK contact this evening.

 

[M5driver]

The tub went to the panel beater last week. Great progress getting it skraped clean and ready for sanding. Now if that Rust Bullet would just get here from S Africa

In the photos below, I marked the rust through in red; the blue is the hole where the CB antenna was many years ago - that will be cut out and patched, just like the perforated areas. The green marks are the worst of the non-through rust - this will be cleaned and covered with RB before any filling/smoothing is done. The orange is an example of the seam rust; the seam sealer is being removed from all seams, so any rust underneath the sealer can be treated, RB'd, and resealed.

The chassis was supposed to go to the panel beater on Friday, but circumstances intervened. Try again tomorrow (Monday).

Close inspection of the frame reveals NO RUST THROUGH - nothing but surface rust!!! Not bad after 30 years. The benefits of dry climates for most of that time.

It's slow progress, but progress nonetheless. More pix as we go.

 

[lostmarbles]

Wow!

I take it that the whole tub was cleaned to bare metal simply by scratching and sanding manually?

If so. That's the method I use too - Except that I resort to a flapper-wheel on a disc grinder for the sanding where I can. - But I've never tackled such a big area at one time and I would never get it so clean! I'm happy to leave a lot of evidence of the original primer left. I also like it to rain (I work outside) after I've sanded things down because I find that helps the primer stick to the panels by providing a "surface-rust etching" where things are too smooth. But then it tends to rain a lot here. (This is one of the few advantages the rain provides.)

And I'd have to say that my painting methods are unorthodox though.

Gee. I'm impressed! There would be a LOT of man-hours there! Lucky you have lots of helpers. Even so, could be repetitive-strain-injury (RSI) in a few wrists!

 

[M5driver]

Marbles,

The tub had not been sanded yet when I took those pix; just s****ed bare. Sanding should start today. All done by hand. We are wire wheeling a few spots that can't be sanded. The panel beater had 8 men working on this thing the last time I dropped by the shop. Unfortunately, didn't have the camera with me then.

I hope to get the chassis/engine/gearbox moved to the panel beater today. Can't pull the engine myself at my house, since I don't have a hoist or cherry picker I can ship with my household goods each time I change posts. Once the engine/gearbox are off the frame, the springs & axles will come off, everything will be s****ed and sanded as clean as possible before the RB goes on. Looks like I have only 3 small spots to cut and patch on the tub.

We're being slowed down right now by the failure of the RB to arrive from S Africa yet. But here, any forward motion at all is considered great progress. Still waiting for a few parts to be delivered as well. Those things usually get here about 6-8 weeks after I order.

 

[M5driver]

At the panel beaters

Time to start work on the bottom of the tub. Firewall is looking good

 

[M5driver]

Got the chassis/engine/gearbox moved to the panel beaters finally.

 

[M5driver]

So we started tearing down the rest of this rig. Need to get that engine up on a hoist again, and try to set id down on a larger tire - don't want all that weight on the sump.

I wouldn't have known to check those two plugs for oil leaks if I hadn't read about it here. I had managed to stop all the leaks except for a small one at the back of the engine that I just couldn't find. Got the bell housing off and sure enough, both of those plugs are just slightly wet, and the oil trail runs around both sides (not exactly visible in the photo). I've got replacements, so the plugs will be replaced.

 

[M5driver]

Parts. Most of this just needs cleaned up. I'm very happy about the low level of rust. Those OME spring packs will have to come apart and be cleaned up. No surprise - it's time to replace the clutch as well. That one is it's second. It's worn almost to the rivets, so now is the right time to swap it. Should be rather easier with everything so...umm, accessible Just ordered a kit - should be here in 3-4 weeks.

 

[M5driver]

The chassis. Both sides. Surface rust only - we'll clean it up, spray it with rust bullet, and should be ready to paint. FWIW, the latest word on the RB is that is will be delivered into my hands, in my office at the Embassy on Monday. I'll believe it when I touch it.

 

[M5driver]

Meanwhile, back home, I can start cleaning up other parts and rebuilding some things that might need it.

The door limiters is a good place to start. But, look - that pin is cut less than halfway! I could have waited another 30 years to change it

BTW, if anyone besides me is looking for stainless steel split pins/cotter pins, try smallparts.com. Very nice selection.

All for now. and s

 

[lostmarbles]

Thanks for the update.

I really enjoy following your work.

 

[M5driver]

It's Here!!!

The Rust Bullet finally arrived from S Africa. I'm so happy! <sniff> Only took 2 1/2 months from the time of payment in full to actual delivery. Distance approx 1428 km (887 mi). I had said earlier that I would finally believe it when the RB is in my hand. That is the RB, in my own personal hand Let the painting begin! (Well, on Monday...)

 

[tmarx]

Congrats! Jt(Teebag) dropped my RB off last night and I am lead to believe that the only supplier of RB in SA is now totally out of stock.We got the last bit

 

[M5driver]

And only $65/pint delivered. I bought 10, just in case all of it didn't make it here, or it gets spilled at the panel beater, or... or well, just to be sure.

I'm hijacking my own thread for a few pix - how I spent my day today. There's sort of a BJ/FJ4x connection....

How to load and move a 50-ton chiller (air capacity, actual weight aprrox 6 tons) that I inherited in my job here. It was intended for our new Embassy, which was never built, so I had to sell the unit and move it. It had sat at our warehouse for about 4 years.

So, get 12 strong men, a portable, knock-down frame, a 5-ton chain hoist and an old Toyota flatbed truck. Lift one end of the chiller, set it on barrels, lift the other end, back the truck under it and Bob's yer uncle!

 

[M5driver]

Next

 

[M5driver]

And

 

[M5driver]

Oh, yeah... the 40 series connection: check out the FJ/BJ4x style turn signals on the fenders of this old Toyota

Hijack over.

 

[lostmarbles]

Wow. It's amazing what you can achieve with manual labour and simple equipment. I bet there wouldn't be any university-types there doing calculations to ensure max load ratings aren't being exceeded either. (Just the old-fashioned "judgement".)

By the way - I can use my refigeration background here to say that a "ton" is actually a unit used to describe "rate of heat extraction" in refigeration. And 1 ton = something like 200 Btu/min. Where a Btu is a "Brittish thermal unit". (There's those poms again -Why can't it be a "kiwi thermal unit".)

Brings back memories because my job at one time was "issuing quotations for the supply of refrigeration equipment to installers". (We used to supply quite a few "packaged water chillers" used for air conditioning - which I assume is what this is - but not the "Carrier" brand. I used to service a lot of Carrier stuff though.)l

 

[M5driver]

Congrats! Jt(Teebag) dropped my RB off last night and I am lead to believe that the only supplier of RB in SA is now totally out of stock.We got the last bit

TMarx,
Glad you guys got some. I am disappointed that Norbolt stopped carrying the product. I think he should have marketed it to panel beaters and auto restorers, clubs, etc. I think he was gong mainly after the boaters market.

The panel beater here thinks 10 pints will be more than enough to do the whole thing. I probably got a little too much, but couldn't take chances on getting halfway and running out.

 

[M5driver]

Wow. It's amazing what you can achieve with manual labour and simple equipment. I bet there wouldn't be any university-types there doing calculations to ensure max load ratings aren't being exceeded either. (Just the old-fashioned "judgement".)

By the way - I can use my refigeration background here to say that a "ton" is actually a unit used to describe "rate of heat extraction" in refigeration. And 1 ton = something like 200 Btu/min. Where a Btu is a "Brittish thermal unit". (There's those poms again -Why can't it be a "kiwi thermal unit".)

Brings back memories because my job at one time was "issuing quotations for the supply of refrigeration equipment to installers". (We used to supply quite a few "packaged water chillers" used for air conditioning - which I assume is what this is - but not the "Carrier" brand. I used to service a lot of Carrier stuff though.)l

I'm always surprised at what can be accomplished with enough labor. Makes me tired to watch, tho

I forgot about the Kiwi Thermal Units thing. The more important number for this job was the 6 ton weight, and how they handled that.

Max load ratings are always exceeded here. If it has wheels and an engine, it can handle anything, right? At the rate they blow out tires, roll vehicles (the panel beaters' chief job is rebuilding rollovers) and kill people, it's astonishing that the population is still growing.

I called that truck a flatbed. That is "flatbed" the way a corrugated road is smooth. But, by golly, it got the job done, and no one was hurt.