ih8mud inspired build (2 Viewers)

[Dagha Boy]

It's the BIG DAY!

Oh happy day!!!! Today, I started re assembling the Dagha Boy. But let me not be rude...

Kevin, you bugger. You got right close to me. I'm close to the Orpen Gate and you could have come and stayed over, the MWFD would have loved having Homies to stay, and I would have loved showing you guys around. Damn!

All prayers for rain are welcome. We're having yet another heat wave which is expected to last till at least Thursday. Perhaps if SBG can do a small rain dance and divert some of the PNW moisture this way...

Mike, I'll keep 'em comin' as long as you can stand them.

Littl42,,, Ja, Boet, I feel for you. I am sooooo lucky that I have it both ways and can still live the life of Riley and not be affected too badly. Moenie worrie nie, tonight I'm having a special Klippies and Coke just for you, with a very vociferous lion for background music. Cheers!!

Now back to the Dagha Boy.

Yesterday I got the frame back under roof and cleaned it up from all the dust, monkey poop etc which it had gathered while lying outside. Once I'd washed it off, I saw that it was full of dings and scratches, so first thing this morning I rubbed it down with a scotch pad and gave it another generous coat of paint.

After looking all over for somebody to help me with getting the axles rebuilt and set up properly, I found a guy called Luhan only about 20km from me. When I went to see him, about doing the job, the first thing he did was to pull out a very well-used factory manual for me to identify the diff. That was when I knew I was onto gold. He quoted 4hrs for the rear and 5 hrs for the front @ R350/hr. (That is $21.65 in real money at today's exchange rate. Less than $200 to completely rebuild both axles.)

OFF TO LUHAN

Having got that done, I started to re assemble. The very first thing to go back on the frame was the right hand side step support - 4 bolts. I started off by running a tap through the threads to clear all the paint.

TAP TAP

Then got out all the nice stainless steel bolts, gave each one a shot of copper compound and tightened them up.

Sloooowly but surely, one bolt at a time I went. Not all tightened down properly, but just there ready for the bits as needed when I really start to assemble in anger.

NOW, ISN'T THAT NICE-NICE? ALL CLEAN AND NEW.

Once they go in finally, I will put the torque wrench on each one and mark it with a dot of paint. That way, I reckon I'll know that each and every one is at the correct torque. If it ain't been marked, it ain't been torqued, should also be easy to check that nothing is shaking loose.

By sunset I had just about everything done on the frame that I can do at the moment.

Things are really bad for the animals at the moment. The scientists say it is a good thing as it improves the gene pool, with the sick and the weak being weeded out and that one should not interfere. But it is sad.

We have one particularly sad case here. It is a young Nyala bull named Hoppy. (First big mistake is giving it a name) Hoppy broke his leg as a baby, and was nursed by a couple who used to live here. By a miracle his leg healed in a fashion and he has managed to survive in the good times. Now that times are bad, it appears that he cannot cope with the long distances he has to walk to get food and water. The little guy tries but he has got skinnier and skinnier. Being hand reared he comes to the house in search of food. The MWFD who is strict about keeping the lawn cut, has let it grow long, so that when Hoppy comes back for water every 2nd or 3rd day, she lets him into the garden to eat green grass.
He gets all the scraps from the house as well. Banana peels, old bread, etc. Then he takes off into the bush for a couple of days again. He's a very dignified chap, and although he was called Hoppy - Hop-a-long - he is so dignified that we have given him the name of Hopwood which we thing is more suitable to his demeanour. I just hope we can pull him through the drought.

Hoppy came to share my HAPPY DAY.

"HOPPY" HOPWOOD

 

[Dagha Boy]

Off subject. I'm a bit over excited/stimulated tonight, so forgive me.

Sound advice is: "Never drive a Land Rover further from home than you're prepared to walk back." And it is true!

So the question is: "Who would be dumb enough to buy one?

The following pics taken at a 2nd hand dealer's yard.

"THE WIPERS LOOK GOOD"

"THIS MIRROR IS REALLY SOLID"

"YEAH, I SAY WE BUY IT!!"

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

you scored on the diff rebuild. I paid a first and second mortgage to the chaps who did mine.

I'll have to share the monkey picture with some friends who overland here with a note that only monkeys love Rovers.... everything with them is D90 this and Series 2efinA .... okay, maybe I added a bit there... it's all good fun, I tell the Jeep folks that they their Jeep thing because they simply have no imagination....

'tis true, naming food is bad.

 

[Dagha Boy]

Either way, SPG, I find it doesn't really put me off my food.

Today's challenge for me has been the rear anti-sway bar. Bought a nice kit with the 4 link bushes, pins, nuts and even split pins which fit perfectly and look good.

The problem arose when it came to the D shaped bushes where the bar connects to the frame. The part number on the diagram I have (see below) is 48815R.

DIAGRAMME (SOURCE UNKNOWN)

What I got in the kit does not fit, not even close.

The pic below is what I got together with my beautifully refurbished bolt-on covers (48823R) on the diagram.

THE CHALLENGE

My sway bar's diameter is 23mm and down to 21 to 21.5mm at the spot where the bush is located.

I've looked all over the internet but it seems that this is not a freely available part. Asking around town this afternoon I was told that the normal practice here is to take them off and throw them away when the rubbers wear out and it starts banging and clanking...

IMHO that may be okay for in the bush, but what if you have a ton on the back at hi-way speeds... well okay, with the H engine 80kph on a down hill?

What do you guys in OZ do? What do the Yankees do? What do the Kiwis do?

I'm going down to Cape Town on Sunday and know of a guy there who does rubber mountings, bushes and stuff. I'm thinking of taking the covers down and seeing if he can perhaps mould something in there that fills the whole cavity with a 21mm diameter hole. I don't know whether he will be able to, I'm just postulating in case there is no easier off the shelf option. Please help.

Had a nice long lunch in town, so the MWFD went light on dinner tonight.

Mini tomato, basil and mozzarella balls on a skewer with a drizzle of honey and balsamic reduction. Nice-nice!!! Even if there is no meat. Is this the right food for the Mid West or an aberration? Bloody nice though!

 

[boozewz]

One of my favorite threads here.

Keep up the good work @Dagha Boy

 

[Dagha Boy]

My apologies for going right off the tech stuff again, but I get a bit hyper when I've been to town and on top of that I've managed for the first time to down load photos from my phone. Bear with me....

PARKED OUTSIDE THE PUB IN TOWN

AND OUTSIDE THE GROCERY STORE.

AND ONE FROM THE MEN'S TOILET FOR THE KIWIS

AND FINALLY, FOR THE JAPANESE WHO GAVE US LAND CRUISERS... ( AND DEFEAT ON THE RUGBY FIELD)

 

[cult45]

The sway bar is a handy thing my man. But will restrict articulation off road as you're probably aware. If the bush is too small then you're right - it's gonna flop around in there. If you can't find a new bush then you gotta make up the gap somehow.

 

[Dagha Boy]

The sway bar is a handy thing my man. But will restrict articulation off road as you're probably aware. If the bush is too small then you're right - it's gonna flop around in there. If you can't find a new bush then you gotta make up the gap somehow.

Ended up taking them down to Cape Town with me and leaving them with Rubberman who will now use the covers and vulcanise some rubber in there to the correct spec. Then just cut a slit on the one edge to get them on. Should work.

 

[Dagha Boy]

I have been quite but not entirely unproductive.

After the Cape Town trip I have slowly but surely dry fitted everything to the chassis frame that I could. Just to make sure I have all the right bolts and stuff for every where and to make sure everything fits.

When it came to fitting the springs I got a bit of a surprise. The refurbed springs I got a few months ago were too "short".

FRONT AXLE

REAR AXLE

The springs were very bowed and fortunately I had to go to Nelspruit the day after (yesterday) so was able to drop them off to be flattened a bit. Put them back this morning. The shackles still have about 20 degrees slant but I'm fairly confident that will be cured once it is on its wheels.

The real mission yesterday was to drop off all the body parts excepting the cab top and back panel and the load bed with Kobus at CK Customs for final finish and paint . He has just moved premises and is still busy reassembling his spray booth. There are several Alfa Romeos, a 1952 Citroen, a 1950 something Mercedes Limousine and a V12 E Type ahead of Dagha Boy, so no chance of getting it before I return from the States in mid June. Too bad, but I am assured of a good job. Probably better than I want.

HEY HO. AND OFF SHE GOES

Luhan the diff guy has promised the diffs back on Monday. I'm hoping for next week some time or maybe even the week after. There is no rush in Africa. Once I've got them I can finish off the brakes and get the chassis on wheels. Then put the engine back in and take the whole thing on an a bar to get the engine sorted out. That has to go before 8 April when I leave so it's ready for the body when I get back.

If all goes well and given a bit of luck, the Dagha Boy could be back on the road and saleable by end of July...

 

[Dagha Boy]

Well, I couldn't wait so tried today for the diffs... Not done yet. Damn! That's how my morning started, but then it unexpectedly got better.

BARN FIND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And this I think must be the ultimate barn find wet dream. An 80's FJ45 completely stripped down, sand blasted, body redone, nice greenish colour, all mechanicals redone but for the engine which is toast, but it comes with a Lexus 1UZ V8 VTTi but requires a bell housing to mount to the gearbox, apparently readily obtainable. This thing is basically at the same stage as the Dagha Boy; ready to assemble... jist needs to be dusted off.

The owner apparently got into it about 3 years ago and has lost steam/interest. All of it is now lying in a shed at the guy who did all the mechanical work and who is desperately trying to get the owner to get his stuff the hell out of there.

I was so excited I forgot to take photographs.

Will go back later this week and spend a morning going through everything carefully and will take lots of photos. Then see if I can do a really sweet deal. It is going to have to be really, really sweet if I need to pay before the Dagha Boy is sold.

On top of it, I have been thinking of doing a Lexus conversion on the next one anyway, because the spares for the old F and H engines are getting so scarce and expensive.

The Lexus conversion is very popular here for Toyota Hi-Lux pick-ups. The engines come from Japan and are far cheaper than to overhaul existing.

I am a bit concerned about the high revs for optimum output. But in my ignorance I think it will be OK for mainly high way driving, and if it gets hairy off road there is always low range. Or am I missing something?

The 4500 EFI is the engine the new Cruisers are fitted with. I don't know which 4.0 V6 is used in the comparison, but it may be a GM motor.

POWER

TORQUE

The excitement is too much. I need to go and have a very careful look at it and not rush it.

A think I can mark it off as a good day.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

I'll post a picture, later today, of my other 3 projects that have languished because of another 'good deal'

sorry to be debbie downer, but is the deal good enough that, should bad stuff happen, that you get neither project done? believe it or not, the answer to that question could be yes - but that's what keeps me from having my very own wrecking yard behind my house.... and why I only have 2 non-moving projects instead of 100.

 

[Dagha Boy]

Thanks SBG. This is the type of feedback and informed advice one needs during these mad moments of excitement. I'm going to have to be very cautious, as there is a strong possibility that we may move to the coast again at the end of the year or early next year. That could leave me with a whole half-done project to move more than a thousand miles. It also looks like I may get my HJ47 back from the guy I sold it to 2 years ago... no body, but a very good frame and mechanicals. That could then suddenly be three projects. The pros and cons will have to be carefully weighed.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

in 2012 I said that if anyone was concerned about the speed I was going to check back in 2016
SBG's Special Buick Sledanette - The BangShift.com Forums

here's that car today


there were setbacks, but quite frankly other projects got into the shop and done.... I really do plan on this being next - but right after I paint my pickup.... anyway, as I said, I speak from experience.

 

[Weber Sarge]

I love old Buicks - class and cool all in one ....
If a 45 came my way - it would be bought in a heartbeat , those deals just don't come around and are getting thinner all the time . It took forever to find my 40 , really wanted a 45 Troopy but finding one reasonable in the US is a joke and most have more issues than I'm willing to deal with . A mid-wheel base would be ideal , but they are like Unicorns here so I live with the 40 and enjoy it for now ...
Sarge

 

[Dagha Boy]

OMG! IT'S AWESOME!

I would have gone insane having that standing in my workshop waiting for TLC. Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful.

I'm going to check out the barn find very carefully and then make an offer of $1500 and go as high as $2000. I can afford to lose that if the worst comes to the worst. I'm sure I'll get it back if I put the parts on the internet.

Worst thing is I don't know yet what the Dagha Boy is going to cost me. It looks like about $10 000 when all is done. At best I will get about $12 -$13 000 for it. Didn't get my axles today because now they need to new flanges on the third members. Had to order them from Pretoria which will take about a week. The WJ Jeep's front brake pads are shot and also have to come from Pretoria, so I couldn't have carted the axles here anyway. Damn.

Spent some time out of frustration bashing at the front bumper which was badly bent and buckled. Somebody had wrapped a chain around it and pulled. All squished up and also bashed in the left hand side. Just when the heat was about to get the better of me my 4lb hammer's handle broke, but it is close to done. Did a test fit and all the holes line up

BUMPER

Got myself two brand new front mudguards this morning for $ 531. Compares well to CCOT's $ 780 for the same thing.

 

[Dagha Boy]

With the wait for the diff spares, I decided to start removing and refurbing all the bits and pieces on the engine.

The engine had been covered in oil and diesel and dust when I got it a year ago. Once I had removed the body I scraped off the worst of it and then hit it with some really powerful cleaner and a pressure gun. There was still some dirt left, but much of it inaccessible behind bolted on stuff. It has taken an entire day to remove and clean the water pump, the diesel filter and bracket, the inlet manifold and throttle body and various brackets, the oil filter housing and all the fuel lines and brackets.

All were dismantled as far as possible, wire brushed and degreased and sprayed with high temp silver paint. Most of the stuff was aluminium and had been sprayed over. It was just impossible to get it to a finish sufficiently nice to leave it bare, but the paint is pretty damn close to raw aluminium. Most of the pipes and brackets were originally yellow plated and I would have loved to replate them, but it is such a drama getting the stuff to Johannesburg and then to actually get it all back without critical pieces going missing. So I did them all in the same silver. Good enough. I replaced all the fasteners with stainless steel.

The left hand side of the engine is bare, as is the back and can now be properly degreased and painted black. On the right hand side I still have the injector pump covering about half the side. That will have to come off tomorrow - after I have read the manual to see what I have to watch for wrt timing marks etc.

LEFT HAND SIDE

RHD SIDE

FRONT

Once that is done, some high temp black onto the block and I can start reassembling again.

I found what I think is a solenoid stuck on the side of the engine between the starter and the injector pump. It has a wire running to the starter solenoid and is connected to the throttle (?) behind the pump. I think it holds the throttle open when the engine is being cranked.

THROTTLE SOLENOID?

One thing that is a bit worrying is that the rubber boot is dead. Judging by the very tight fit it is clearly meant to keep it very well sealed. It looks like the damage has been done on this one. When I connect the bracket to negative and put positive to the lug it sparks but nothing happens. Dead or just rusted up? I will try the dismantle route and if that fails try to get a new one.

 

[diogenese]

Is that the stop solenoid? or does it have a stop cable? If id does have another means of stopping the engine then I think that would be an excess fuel device for easier starting. In your climate it's probably not needed

 

[Dagha Boy]

This one you have to haul on a knob in the dash to kill the engine. no other way. I was also thinking that it may be a cold weather starting aid.

Just for interest's sake it has a nice high quality decal on it Nippondenso co ltd and teq logo with the following numbers: 22560-47020 and 053410-062 1 and 12V and 12P. The 12P and the 1 of the previous number are stamped into the decal.

I've looked on a few other HJs but none of them have it.

We're having a cold day here today, wind and just 24 degrees. Makes a nice change from the 40 plus we've been having for the past few months.

 

[diogenese]

Just checked my manual, it is a cold start aid. It allows extra fuel whilst cranking.
My Aussie spec H engine does not have one and starts fine without it, it does need its glow plugs though.

 

[Dagha Boy]

Thanks Diogenes, that solves the "mystery." I recall now that it takes its power from the starter solenoid via a short wire. That should have told me it operates when the engine is cranked.

I think I'll open it up and see if I can fix it, failing that I'll just put it back but not connect it. Ja, my experience with these engines is that they insist on a good glow before firing up.