ih8mud inspired build

[handcannon]

No problems there. Later is still fine.

Sounds like you will be moving from one menagerie to another. Pics when you get settled in would be great. Especially of the menagerie.

Don

 

[Vossie]

baie lekker dagha! enjoy NYC. never been myself, but my father was there in the 80's, said its about the furtherest thing from normal anyone from our neck of the woods can experience. enjoy!

 

[Weber Sarge]

Going to NYC from the Land Of Corn is shock enough , let alone from SA...
That's quite a twist about a wedding , nice surprise I'd imagine .
Can't wait for the next installment and round of photo's - we'll stay tuned.
You're visit didn't go unnoticed here , now the locals seem to think I'm some sort of International Trafficking specialist...lol . There must have been more than just you and my daughter in the gas station - word spreads really quickly around here .
Sarge

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

congratulations on the nuptials, so what does someone from SA send to a bride in NY for a wedding present? the options that leaped to my mind made me chuckle. I'd say send her a monkey, but then I realized the creatures in NY wouldn't notice something so normal.

 

[cult45]

Good to see DB that you and the MWFD are SnS in NYC! Someone needs to lend you a 45 so you can drive LHD!

 

[handcannon]

Dagha Boy, you've definitely picked up a following here. I just have to say that I like SBG's post, especially the last sentence. I'm a country boy at heart, though what I live in for country is no longer true country, but at least I'm out of town. Portland is far enough out of the country for me that I have no desire to even see what places like NYC are like.

Don

 

[Dagha Boy]

I didn’t really drop off the end of the earth in the past few months, but it was close.

To cut a long story short, (this may take a few posts) we got straight into the move when we got back. I put the load bed back on the chassis with a few bolts, put the tub on using two bolts and 4 zip ties. Then put my one steel cabinet with tools etc onto the load bed and my work bench on top of that lot.

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

THE TUB IS ON. (Couldn't resist dry fitting the seats - just to see)

All the body panels, carefully wrapped, went into the back of the Grand Cherokee. I hauled the Dagha Boy onto the trailer using a tow strap and the other Jeep. Strapped it all down nicely. Ready to leave at 03:00 the next morning. A bloody heavy load.

ON HE GOES

LOADED AND READY TO GO

Then the Grand Cherokee’s torque converter locked up! It runs a Mercedes Benz 3L V6 Turbo Diesel with a 6 speed ZF gearbox. It seems these torque converters are a problem. This meant a new torque converter.

After waiting two weeks for the torque converter and getting the wrong one from the agents, he fitted a recon unit. Still locked up and showing an error code. Experience told him it was the gearbox.

Gearbox recon called for… costs more than the vehicle is worth.

Fortunately the local indie does a lot of work on Land Rovers and the ZF box is used in them too. Sealed unit, “requiring no scheduled service” – you can’t even check the fluid level., so he reverse- flushed it a couple of times. Huge amount of black muck came out. Fitted new filters, refilled it and started up. It all worked fine as he had predicted .

After a three week delay we hit the road at 03:00 with the MWFD driving the old Green Jeep. Eleven hours and 1100 km later we stopped for the night. Perfect run.

We left early the next morning to do the last 700km home to the coast. When we hit the coast, we drove into bucketing rain and gail force winds. The last 300km was not nice. Eight hours on the road and we were home.

To get a bit of tech in here, the 1800km (1125m) took 19hrs on the road – average speed 95kmh (59mph) with fuel consumption of 15.4L/100km(15.3mpg).

Then the shock. The workshop was not even close to being ready! There I sat with all this stuff in the pouring rain and nowhere to go. Not nice.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

yikes

 

[Dagha Boy]

Sometimes things work out for the best. The next morning I got hold of a guy who owns a panel shop and owes me some favours from way back. to cut another long story short, he offered me space in his workshop and use of all facilities to finish off the Dagha Boy. Plenty air, spray booth, hoist etc.

Over the past two weeks in between other stuff I have been setting up my workspace there and will hopefully start work on the Dagha Boy tomorrow.

I have had to do a fair amount of travelling to consult since getting back. On one occasion I got tired and stopped at a B&B in the middle of nowhere. When I went around back to park my car I drove right into LC heaven.

The first thing I saw was a left hand drive BJ45 converted to a camper. Just sitting there!!! Turns out it was driven from Europe many years ago and the owners still come out every year and use it for visiting the game parks. NOT FOR SALE, but my name is at the top of the list now for when they do!

THE CAMPER.

USED FOR HUNTING. NOT FOR SALE

3 BEAUTIES SLEEPING IN THE SHED. NOT FOR SALE.

The white HJ45 is a pickup and has been converted to a station wagon for camping in Mozambique and the 70(?) series he uses to tow the hunting vehicle to the hunting grounds and for general use.

He is a retired airline pilot, loves Land Cruisers and did all the work on them himself. His son has a couple as well. A new friend made.

 

[boozewz]

Great to see you back @Dagha Boy. Thought it was due for an update.

And thats a sweet line up of Cruisers too!

Carry on sir.

 

[Dagha Boy]

Oh woe is me.

I'm settling down with some difficulty and not really getting as much done as I should, but there has been some progress.

I finally stripped down the H engine. Good thing I did that. First problem found was that one of the welsh plugs hidden by the side covers (behind the lifters) had a hole in it. Must have happened while it was standing idle as there is no water in the oil. Knocked them all out and although they all appeared shiny and new, they were totally corroded on the inside. It appears that whoever had installed them had coated the back surfaces liberally with what looks like black silicone. Why? It looks like the acid in the silicone caused the rampant corrosion. All will be replaced with new stainless steel.

Head looks good, but I'm going to replace the valve stem seals myself.

One of the pushrods was bent and had a big gouge worn into it. Appears to have been bent during assembly and then just run like that.

The cylinder bores had a ridge - could have been machined, but after chatting to the machine shop, it was decided to resleeve. Done, new standard pistons and all.

The crank was fine but was polished up nicely to make sure.

Oil pressure had been very low at operating temp when a ran it. No wonder, the oil pump was badly worn. Now the battle is on to try and find a new one. I've been trying for a week and just cannot find one. Got a few more leads to be followed up on Monday.

Everything else, cam, valves, rockers etc etc are all fine.

Took the Diesel pump and injectors in for service. Pump just needed clean and adjust but the injectors were toast and she'll get new and new glo plugs.

I think part of the unsettlement problem is that I sold the Green Jeep after 15 years of loyal service. Silly as it sounds it has been traumatic. I had decided to replace it with another FJ45 for daily driver which would then become the next project. That has not gone well so far...

I got to hear of one with a seized up 2F just an hour from here, but otherwise in very good condition and zero rust. Agreed on a price by telephone, just R 4500. ($ 320 USD). Found a very good 2F motor for R3500 ($250) nearby and bought it. Phoned to make arrangements to pickup and pay for the Cruiser and the guy says sorry he sold it to somebody from his church who "needed" it.... F%*#$@%.

Next morning early I'm on the internet looking for another one. There she is. A beauty! No rust really nice for R22000 ($1575) and also just an hour and a half away. But it's 5 in the morning, so I decide to wait until 7 to be polite. I phone at 7 sharp and the guy says, sorry a guy phoned and bought it half an hour ago. Moral of the story, the impolite early bird gets the cruiser. Damn.

On Friday I made up brackets to fetch my repo'ed HJ45 which is about an hour from here. Got there bright and early and got the bumper off and the brackets on in no time and took off. But the damn thing refused to track behind the Jeep... So I had to give up and will now have to hire a trailer to fetch it. No luck.

There is however another one on the horizon. The best 2nd hand Cruiser (HJ47) I have ever seen. The current owner bought it a few weeks ago for just R12500 ($900) but is known for never selling anything. I spoke to him on Friday and asked to buy it, expecting him to laugh at me. To my surprise he said he would think about it over the weekend and give me a price on Monday! He'll probably want R50 000 ($3500) for it, but it would be the bargain of the decade at that price. I live in hope! My luck has to change.

Will post some pics next week.

 

[2fpower]

Sending good mo-jo your way.

 

[Vossie]

Lekker dagha! Hope you win with the 47. Can't help but drool when you mention as many possibilities as that.

 

[Grant Woodbridge]

Good luck with that Dagha boy. I am doing my 40 series B-Type engine at the moment. I will post a pic and part number of mine. There is a slim chance it could be the same. Also battled a bit to get mine. Spares guy found this one in Cape Town.

 

[Dagha Boy]

Howzit guys

Thanks 2fpower, I need it.

Ja, Vossie, onto the trailer tomorrow. It is not everyday we get to see that kind of action at those kind of prices. Just a strange anomaly, normally it is rusted stuff at about R50k plus. Not a word from the seller today...

Thanks Grant. A B type engine? I haven't heard of those around here. Is it from the 60's? The picture is very different to mine. Looks like I may have got lucky on one in Joburg. Should have it here tomorrow afternoon and will then be able to tell for sure. Price was R1450 so I asked for two but they only have the one. Maybe its the good Kansas mo-jo found me this one and I shouldn't be greedy.

 

[Dagha Boy]

Casper decided not to sell at this point. The search continues.

I managed to find an new Aisin oil pump for just R1 400 ($100). I was so excited I ordered 2 (I have another H engine) but they
only had the one in stock.

Had a guy look at my transfer box. Turned out that it had been assembled incorrectly by the PO... The gears are a bit pitted and worn so we're trying to get new ones, or at least better 2nd hand ones that won't whine, or another transfer case.

Got another lead on an FJ / transfer case yesterday. It is a job-lot of three vehicles and a bunch of spares. Apparently the guy is cleaning shed and wants to get rid of all the stuff at once, take it or leave it. Two runners and a wreck.

FJ45

RUNS BUT HAS CYLINDER GASKET PROBLEM

THE WRECK

GEARBOX AND TFER BOX

They're about 4 hrs away, hopefully I can drive down next week.

 

[Dagha Boy]

Work continues on the Dagha Boy.

Diesel pump completely rebuilt, six brand new injectors and glo plugs. Nice, nice.

Engine has been resleeved, new pistons etc and crank cut to 10 thou. I decided to have the head completely done as well. In for a penny in for a pound.

Only problem is that the engineering works has lost one of the cam followers... Now it is my problem and I'm battling like hell to get one.

I eventually cut out the rusty parts on the bed floor. Then decided to just go the whole hog and replace the floor and wheel wells. Got new pieces made up and have drilled all the holes for welding it all down. It cost a little more, but it is going to be much easier to put together and the finished product will also look much better I think.

Once I've got the new floor in, I will hand it to Alfred who I'm hiring space from and his guys will finish and spray. Then it can go straight onto the frame.

As soon as I get the engine back I can finish it off and install it.

I have bent up all the new brake pipes so fitting them and all the new brake parts is on the list for next week before I get the engine back.

 

[Vossie]

Looking good dagha! Very tempting offer you've got on those cruisers... that's nearly a whole set, a 45, 75 and 60

 

[Grant Woodbridge]

Dagha boy if it helps I would be interested in the 75 for my rock truck build.

 

[Grant Woodbridge]

Forgot to mention I know a guy in EL who has a gearbox and transfer. PM me your cell if you interested.