Nick's US-spec GT6

[zardoz]

The half shafts on the Subuaru diff are easily unbolted and then the earlier datsun half shafts (with a flange) fit straight on without modification or you can fit the datsun axles direct to the diff. No machining parts,

[GT6 Nick]

After weighing up the various rear axle options, I've decided to use Nick Jones' CV conversion. Part 1 was sending my uprights over in exchange, but despite sending them first class, the postman in Yeovil decided Nick's drive looked a bit icy (at least I think that's what happened) and sent them straight back. So that was $212 down the drain.

 

Anyway, Nick's now sent a full kit (25kg worth), which I've been tracking with delight over the internet from the Fedex depot to Stansted to Paris. ETA in Brisbane is 6pm on the 26th  

 

As for the first pair of uprights, it looks as though I'll have to deliver them in person, but not before Britain thaws.

[DaveNotSoSideways]

EEKKK

 

Was chatting to someone the other day about this, you wouldnt believe what goes on at RM/PF

 

Don't send stuff via regular mail services from Aus/NZ they usually come in Parcelfarsce. Best to avoid the NZ/Aussie and PM/PF postal service and use Fedex, UPS, DHL there is atleast some accountability there. You can get your money back, you try getting a cent back from a package handled by 6 companies

[Nick Jones]

This is Fedex...... and properly insured.

 

I have no idea what Auspost and Parcelfarce were playing at (mostly Parcelfarce I think).  When I finally discovered from Auspost (after emailing about 4 times) that they use Parcelfarce in the UK, I got that sinking feeling.  They claimed to have tried to deliver twice, once on Christmas Eve (which would have been impressively quick if successful) and again on 4th Jan.  Both times there were people present at the times given.

 

When I finally got to speak to a human (16th Jan) they claimed the didn't have the correct address....... having just read the address out to me  :.  Can I get that resolved then?  Oh, no sir, it's on it's way back to Australia...... they should give you your money back Nick!

 

Nick

[GT6 Nick]

How's that for speedy? My Jones-Bowler CV conversion kit has arrived! Obviously Fedex's estimate of Feb 26th was a tad pessimistic, factoring in hurricanes and acts of the Customs gods.

 

Feb 22, 2010 10:14 AM     Delivered               BRISBANE AU    ;D

Feb 22, 2010 8:16 AM          On FedEx vehicle for delivery     BRISBANE AIRPORT AU

Feb 22, 2010 7:02 AM          At local FedEx facility          BRISBANE AIRPORT AU

Feb 21, 2010 3:44 PM          In transit               ALEXANDRIA AU

Feb 20, 2010 11:17 PM     In transit               ALEXANDRIA AU

Feb 20, 2010 11:17 PM     Int'l shipment release          ALEXANDRIA AU

Feb 20, 2010 1:31 AM          Departed FedEx location     GUANGZHOU CN

Feb 19, 2010 10:55 PM     Arrived at FedEx location     GUANGZHOU CN

Feb 19, 2010 5:00 AM          Departed FedEx location     PARIS FR

Feb 19, 2010 1:26 AM          Departed FedEx location     PARIS FR

Feb 19, 2010 12:23 AM     Arrived at FedEx location     PARIS FR

Feb 18, 2010 3:39 AM          At local FedEx facility          PARIS FR

Feb 17, 2010 9:51 PM          Arrived at FedEx location     PARIS FR

Feb 17, 2010 9:01 PM          At local FedEx facility          PARIS FR

Feb 17, 2010 7:54 PM          In transit               STANSTED GB

Feb 17, 2010 7:28 PM          In transit               STANSTED GB

Feb 17, 2010 3:11 PM          Left FedEx origin facility     BISHOPS STORTFORD GB

Feb 16, 2010 10:35 PM     In transit               NORTHERN SORT GB

Feb 16, 2010 8:28 PM          Picked up               NORTHERN SORT GB

Feb 15, 2010 3:21 PM          Shipment information sent to FedEx          

 

I have a metre-long box behind my desk full of shafts, CVs and uprights - how that will fit on my bike carrier I don't know...  : Anyway, thank you Nick, I can't wait to fit it all, and then start working out the CVs or adapters for the Subaru diff. One thing at a time.

[lordleonusa]

Fedex have the largest Airline in the world, they even have their own airport!

 

A very impressive organization.

 

L

[Nick Jones]

Good news!  ;D

 

Yeah, I'm thinking I might put myself in a Fedex box next time I want to go to Aus.  Pick me up from home and deliver to destination  

 

Wasn't there a Tom Hanks film with Fedex?  Castaway?  Not that many of the parcels on that shipment got delivered......

 

Nick

[spitNL]

Yeah, I'm thinking I might put myself in a Fedex box next time I want to go to Aus.  Pick me up from home and deliver to destination

Or Parcelfarce if you want a two way ticket.

 

F.

[Nick Jones]

Or Parcelfarce if you want a two way ticket.

 

F.

 

yeah..... but you be pretty hungry by the time you got home - was about a 5 week round trip.....

 

Nick

[GT6 Nick]

Right, I've started putting the rear suspension together, at least as a trial fitment. And it looks as though my trunnion bushes are too thick - or am I?

 

I've fitted new trunnion bushes into a wishbone, but can't squeeze the upright between them. The gap measures 79.6mm, while the portion of the upright that goes between the legs of the wishbone is 82mm (and that's the same for the old and new uprights). It had bushes when I pulled it a part last year - are currently available ones thicker? The metal plates certainly look thicker than I remember the old ones looking. No idea about the plastic parts.

 

One solution would be to grind down the uprights slightly, but I dislike modifying factory parts to fit poorly-made modern repro parts (if that's what the problem is). Another would be to thin down the plastic 'washer' tabs. Has anyone else had this problem, and how did they solve it?

[Nick B.]

Looks strange. How much are we talking - bring out the dial. Is it to much to just use brute force?

 

Don't modify the original parts. Will come back to hunt you next time ........  

 

Cheers

(4cyl)Nick

[GHR630]

I had this issue too. I am not sure why the uprights vary, but they do seem to and I had one of each! I just "relieved" the larger one. Has lasted a few thousand miles and some frantic track action.

[GT6 Nick]

The difference is 2mm. The replacement uprights are identical to the old ones though - I can't refit the old ones with the new bushes either.

 

Brute force alone isn't an option, I'll just end up destroying the bushes. If I relieve the uprights slightly - say 1mm - then I should be able to persuade them to slide in. And if I replace the bushes with thinner, more authentic ones in future a washer would take up any slack. Well, that's a job for tomorrow.

[Nick B.]

I would modify the bushes to suit the application, and leave the uprights as is

 

Just my two cents.

 

Cheers

Nick

[Nick Jones]

They are supposed to be a tight fit.  I remember having a fairly major wrestling match with them last time I did mine.  Difficult to to see just how much you have to find (oh I see, 2mm)  but if they are really too big I'd say that you should file down the plastic bushes just enough to make it a wrestling tight fit (1mm off each bush).

 

Chris Witor does a Superflex version which I'm very tempted to try next time.

 

You need to fit the hub before you final fit them (fit wheel studs and brake backplate first!!!) and don't try to push the thing around on it's wheels unless the outer CV is fitted and hub nut at least nipped up....... James can tell you why  

 

Nick

[GT6 Nick]

Superflex, eh? I'll have to check them out.

 

It won't be on wheels for a while. I want to get some Revolutions, but will have to save up. Not for the wheels, for the shipping charges!

[DaveNotSoSideways]

There are loads of bad trunnion bushes doing the rounds, heard plenty of moaning in the last 18months.

[GT6 Nick]

A few little bits and bobs taken care of. The rear trunnion bush issue was solved by machining down the rear uprights so that the wishbone fits in place. If I replace the bushes with correct sized ones in future, I'll have to shim the difference with washers  

 

The front suspension is finished. I kept the standard uprights, as the threads look good and I couldn't see any cracking, and replaced the trunnions. I understand the Canley lower joint mount's been modified now? Well, I'll still want to see one before thinking about using them. The original hubs cleaned up well, and were fitted with new bearings and Ford 12mm studs. They're not as light or shiny as alloy hubs, but I doubt I'd notice much difference in the handling, and they can be changed later anyway. The AP vented discs are a likely future upgrade, but as they're not Australian Design Rules (ADR) certified, the standard setup will have to remain until the car's back on the road. And with 1144 or similar pads, the standard setup should be OK. Not brilliant maybe, but adequate for now.

 

I've also spent some time trimming the new floorpan to fit. I decided to replace sections of the floor instead of the whole thing, as the corrosion was limited to the pressed sections in the footwell and under the seat. The replacement panel was already chopped in half for postage (at my request), so I just trimmed off the excess so that the sections overlap sound metal by an inch or so. My plan is to weld them continuously around the upper and lower edges - probably by someone more skilled than me.

 

There won't be much more done before I get back from the UK. The next steps are to get some wheels so I can be sure the guards don't need massaging, and some replacement front valences. And then it'll be time to break out the sander and get it ready for painting  

[GT6 Nick]

A pilot's medical meant I had to drive out to Mackay yesterday, so I killed two birds with one stone and visited a couple of paint shops (apparently 'panel beater' is passé). I wanted to see what sort of work they did and find out what paints they use. Both do bare metal resprays and only use 2-pack, and one guy showed me an example of the work they do, a bright yellow Torana. With 2-pack followed by clearcoat, it looked awesome. the other thing I wanted to ask about was the best way to strip the old paint off. There's a company in Mackay offering soda-blasting, but I've read bad things about it - apparently the soda leaves a residue which prevents paint keying properly to the metal. While both painters did recommend it, one said that the surface has to be prepared before painting with vinegar  . I think good old fashioned paint stripper and scraper are going to be the best bet, and certainly cheaper.

 

I think some of Dave's standards are rubbing off on me. The GT's heater motor had a lot of surface rust, so I cleaned it down the other day and painted it. The finish was just about perfect, but when I glued the Smiths label back on, the glue reacted and wrinkled the paint (and destroyed the sticker). I sanded the wrinkles out and added another coat of paint, but that still had a few wrinkles, and even a small run. Sigh, So instead of shrugging and moving on to the next part, I stripped the paint off again this morning and gave it two new coats of gloss black. This is all for a part hidden under the dashboard!

 

As for the heater enclosure itself, it was sandblasted. The metal's finish suggests the guy used the same pressure as for mining equipment, and it's taken a bit of work to straighten out. The first coat of paint looked matt because the surface was so rough, and a second coat isn't any better, so it'll be another long job. Perfectionism takes so long!

[JohnD]

Edit - sorry, coming late to this thread, but anyway:

Nick,

There are at least two different styles of upright.

On one, the lower part of the upright has bosses on the faces that accept the wishbone, as do yours, the other doesn't.

I think that the latter may be slightly narrower, but I may be wrong.

I've never been able to find out about the history of these, which cars they went on etc.

Bill rarebits would know.

 

Meanwhile, why not thin the bush flanges?

Take off the tin dust covers, mount bush in wishbone and apply a finely adjusted wood plane.

A micrometer thin slice would fit it to the upright.

Re-assemble and voila!

John

PS in the pic, isn't your wishbone upside down?

[GT6 Nick]

Hi John,

I've only persuaded the right hand upright and wishbone tho fit together so far, so I'll try thinning out the bush on the other side. Interesting that there may be two sorts of uprights. Yes that wishbone is the wrong way up, I think that's just how I sat it all on the ground for the photo.

 

Nick

[Nick Jones]

There are two types of uprights.

 

The early ones have washers that sit against the faces where the wishbone bushes run.  The later ones have pads included in the casting.  With the coreect washers fitted to the early style, both should be the same width.

 

I prefer the early ones as on the later ones the pads are often damaged and they can't be mended by swapping the washers!

 

I'd definitely mod the bushes rather than removing metal.

 

Nick

[GT6 Nick]

When not posting photos of the trip to the UK on the blog, I've been in the garage getting the GT6 ready for the paint shop. It's been a surprisingly satisfying job, peeling layers of paint off to reveal pristine Triumph steel. Also revealed are a 38 year history of dents, several generations of repairs and a dodgy respray. At least all that extra paint kept the steel largely rust-free  :-/

 

I bought a new set of front valences, as the originals have taken a lot of hits over the years and were rusty as well. I also bought a front spoiler. My car didn't originally have one, so I didn't realise when ordering that the steel centre valence isn't necessary. Oh well, I'll get it painted anyway, so I can see if there's any difference to cooling with and without. Another mod I'm pondering is side vents, either the Le Mans Spitfire type or Marcus' higher variety. Marcus' ones look good, but are a major change from the stock look. I'm aware a NACA duct with a trip-lip is the most efficient, but don't think they look very nice. Still, I figure any shaped hole is better than none.

 

Speaking of changing the stock look, I've bought a set of 15x6" rims to check guard clearance. I'd have preferred 14 inch rims, but Revolution don't make 'em... and I love the 5-spoke look. The rears wheels clear the guards fine, although I may roll the wheel arch lip just in case. The tyres protrude a half inch or so past the front guards though, so a little tinwork will be required. Better now than once painted! The wheels will protrude slightly less with 1 - 2 degrees negative camber. At the moment, the camber's exactly neutral even with four shims under the lower wishbones (it also had positive camber before I took it apart), so I may try Canley's adjustable top wishbones. If Leon says they're well made, that's good enough for me. As long as the ball joint doesn't reach the limit of its travel before the Konis are at maximum compression and stretch - that would be bad.

 

I'm also aware that 15" rim and tyre combinations can have problems with camber change, and have studied the Eikoff rear suspension article and John Davies' treatise. As a result, I've bought a set of the rear 3-position wishbone mounts, as well as a 1" lowering block. The car no longer has rotoflex couplings, so an additional mod could be longer, tubular rotoflex wishbones to increase negative camber. Nick Jones has warned that the CV joints only have 11mm of plunge, so I'll have to bear that in mind as well. Lastly, the tyres are Yokohama C-Drives, which have good reviews. They have a pretty rounded shoulder, so should be able to cope with a certain amount of camber change.

 

Back to the paint stripping...

[DaveNotSoSideways]

Make sure you get a tyre with a soft sidewall, not "rim protection" tyres. R888, A048R work so well as they are basically baloons with no sidewall thickness, essential imo on 15" and light car.

[GT6 Nick]

The Subaru diff's now fitted to the car, after a few alterations to the mounting plates - photos later, when I have the right bolts for the spring. In the meantime, I've found that the standard Herald shockies, on full droop, let the CV halfshafts touch the chassis main rails. I wondered if they were a few mm too long, or the axles were thicker, but the problem turned out to be the bushes. The lower shock bushes are designed for a thicker bolt than those sticking out of the rotoflex upright - see the picture. So, should I get some new bushes, or make up some spacer tubes to better locate the shockies? Will urethane bushes for Konis fit the Monroes?