125 replies to this topic

[RX25SE]

Pre 90's glue indeed.

 

My Gemini wagon did the same thing. I just left it as the body was toast....

[El_Freddo]

I found a few rusty spots under various trims when doing my car. Mainly under the boot seal. Thankfully nothing major but left long enough who knows

 

Yeah it shows up really easy on the white vehicles. Dunno why we got another white vehicle in the family and I should’ve learnt this from asinine the Brumby before we got the RS. Those three are white!


 

Mmmm. Might have to check the gen2 car I have in those spots mentioned. Gen3 I do not care much about as it will be gone once I get another ute. Good to see it's being checked over and fixed though Bennie! Good pics showing the issues to look for as well!

  

Thanks Ben. I wanted to show the issue for others if they haven’t dug in this deep. On the L series or MY it’s easy to deal with this as basic trim pieces come off - not a whole jigsaw puzzle of parts!

The Gen3 doesn’t have this type of ridge, they worked out a different way of doing it and I’ve not looked closely at it. Gen2 could be different and more inline with the Gen3 body too.

Pre 90's glue indeed.
 
My Gemini wagon did the same thing. I just left it as the body was toast....

That sucks Jase. I know a fella that did loads of work on his Gemini as an apprentice mechanic. When it came time to let the car go, no one wanted it and it went to the wreckers/crusher with loads of good bits on it as well as a pearl paint job. He bargain priced it and still no one wanted it. That was about 2004. Now it would be worth a few grand and then some...

Now to try working between shit weather.

Cheers

Bennie

[RX25SE]

 
That sucks Jase. I know a fella that did loads of work on his Gemini as an apprentice mechanic. When it came time to let the car go, no one wanted it and it went to the wreckers/crusher with loads of good bits on it as well as a pearl paint job. He bargain priced it and still no one wanted it. That was about 2004. Now it would be worth a few grand and then some...

Now to try working between shit weather.

Cheers

Bennie

 

 

Yeah, mine was a bit the same Bennie. I sold it in 2006 for pretty much the value of the drive-train.

 

I built up a 0.120" oversize G180 1.8l block with an early big valve 1.6 head. CCed the chambers and match ported the head to a modded stock intake that I added some material to the carb mount so I could adapt a Weber 32/36 DGV carbie to it. That sat under a modded Gemini air filter housing that I grafted the center of a Cortina air filter into it so it fitted the shape of the Weber. A Clive Cams camshaft and set of Ford AR Telstar valve springs finished off the head.

Block was decked 0.020" and O ringed to stop the HG from blowing every other week and a set of flat top pistons lifted to compression up to just over 9:1 form the piddly 8.5:1. A set of resized, beam polished and shot peened rods hung off a de-burred crank and a set of full groove main bearings gave the crank 360 deg oiling.

 

I actually used a Subaru part on it too, probably of an L series!!

 

IIRC they used a vac actuator to pull the idle up when the A/C compressor cut in. As I fitted A/C to mine, I adapted one on the Weber and used a Camry vac solenoid to control it via a Landcruser A/C dash switch. Also had a vac heater tap from a VN Commodore on it to cut the heat with the A/C on.

 

Best thing about it was the 'don't give a f#$k body' that went like hell. I used to run that engine out to nearly 8000 rpm each time I drove it!

[El_Freddo]

That’s an awesome backstory! Shame about the ending - and the body. All of my vehicles have generally had good running gear (at least they did in the end) with a body that’s not how I want it to be. The family bus is probably the best example we have, even then there’s some known issues to attend to. Will have to wait until summer for that effort...

Thanks for sharing you Gemini story! Link to pics in the GT.

Cheers

Bennie

[RX25SE]

Thanks for sharing you Gemini story!
Cheers

Bennie

 

Thanks for reminding me about it!!

[El_Freddo]

I finally resealed the rear diff - I think its only been about a year since it came out of the RS to live on my sheds floor. A house move has pushed me to finally get it done. So slack! If we werent moving Id be fitting a factory rear locker to our Pajero and tidying up the Brumby and the L series... this WAS low priority on my list for now. Hand is forced so its done. Next will be to fill with oil and fit back into the RS.

Solid clip in r160 stub axles - I didnt realise the RHS stub axle was longer than the left, I always thought they were the same length internally:



The rear cover gasket was pretty much dead. I contacted my local dealer to get an idea on price and availability, that was Thursday, Im yet to hear from them. What I worked out is that the original gasket is metal sandwiched in paper. I know the later model diffs run a metal only gasket so I stripped all the paper off the metal and gave it a small smear of high torque silicone and assembled. Heres the metal gasket in the middle of the paper pieces from each side of the metal unit:



Who knew the kids mud kitchen would actually be useful for something other than their mess and entertainment?!

Thats all for now.

Cheers

Bennie

[Barbbachello]

Different length stubs/dealies is an early LSD thing. 98~ (i think) they went to same length shafts. IIRC only the gen 1s have the stub axles in the rear diff. Everything else is male cvs

and yep metal gasket and some spooge will work just fine

[El_Freddo]

Spooge seems to have worked well as planned. Diff is half installed at this point. Might have an oil leak on the RHS plate that the diff stub pokes out from - it could be a bit of oil I dropped but I thought I got it all in cleanly. Future Bennie’s problem as I’m not messing around with that atm, need it on its wheels ASAP.

Left to do is bolt the tail shaft in, and fit everything on the LHS including the knuckle that was removed to have the driveshaft pressed out of it.

Cheers

Bennie

[El_Freddo]

Ok, future Bennie was yesterday. I couldn’t help but think that I’m this close to it that I should just get it done. What a waste of time that was. Seems there was no real leak to stress about - about 100mL of diff oil poured out when I pulled the side plate off (caught it to reuse, it’s clean).

So I might just have some weeping upon swapping the seals, that or I need to do this again and really scrub the shims to get them super clean and maybe apply a very small amount of spooge to the O ring.

Anyway, she’s back on all four which is awesome! Been well over a year I think... now to paint some primed parts, prime some exposed metal parts and then put the tailgate back on it. I’ll also need to tidy up everything in the cab area and prep it all for transport, including the roof lining. The joys of moving (it’s turned out well for us it seems, more on that later).

Cheers

Bennie

[El_Freddo]

Quick pic of how my RS is sitting ATM. Some rust work is happening to seal the bare metal I left exposed when the first rains came back in Autumn, she was wrapped up since then with regular checks for any leaks from the tarp (I know, tarp bad, shed good). Still got a lot to do on it but small steps right?!



Today will see some primer go on the metal surfaces that were treated with rust buster yesterday. The already primed surfaces will get a sealer coat of paint on them. Nothing pretty at this stage, just stopping the rust to prevent more future work to rid this body of rust.

Cheers

Bennie

[Barbbachello]

All progress is good progress

[El_Freddo]

Three and a half years later… small update on less than half a day’s work:

I finally got stuck into some work on the engine I picked up about two years ago. Doing the timing belt kit and seals on the front end.

It’ll get the intake and turbo that came with the RS fitted before it’s dropped into the RS. Hopefully - and a big hopefully - I’ll have it running by the end of the week. This gives me four useable days this week to get it sorted and there’s loads to do.

Once it’s running it’ll be easier to move around and this will see the project move forward from there. Then the real work of putting it all together to be a complete vehicle begins. She won’t be as pretty as she was when I first got her but she shouldn’t leak in the wet like it did and it should run without creating a knock symphony and associated smoke screen - all going well.

Updates as they come - next one after the engine is in. I know I need to do something with the fuel pump as it was pilfered for another vehicle. I’ve got a replacement somewhere for it. I also grabbed a 2nd hand TD05 to replace the old one that is damaged.

Cheers

Bennie

[duncanm]

Some inspiration for you.. an Italian RS resto.  Mostly fluff, but an entertaining watch

 

 

mmm. youtube embed isn't working. Try "www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J55KWavztk"

[allpaw4]

Ooohh, movement! Sounds great Bennie! Hopefully she comes back without those issues after your work! Keen for some progress pics, although its definitely pot calling kettle with me lol

Love that old projects are still seeing some tool time!

You've got quite the little stable over there Bennie, I'm envious!

Cheers,
Ben

[El_Freddo]

Inspiration?! Nah, thats jealousy!! I wish I could do something like that! One day maybe, just got to keep the car tidy enough to make it worth the effort if I ever get the chance!

Cool video though. They made some interesting choices in the build - made the call for tubular suspension arms front and rear but we only ever saw the rears.

I can see why ppl build the sedans and spray them up etc - they seem far easier to strip down to spray than the wagons!

Anyway, today saw the RS pulled from its hothouse cocoon to emerge as an almost parts car (cry). Mice made many visits as have rats it seems. The interior stinks but from what I can see theres no lasting chew damage to the interior.

I gave the engine and engine bay a degrease and pressure wash. The engine got the intake fitted after the coolant crossover pipe O rings were swapped for new ones. The engine is now ready to come off the stand and have the rear air/oil separator plate swapped for a metal one (need to find it!), the rear main will be replaced before the flywheel and clutch goes on.

Im going to run the pressure plate and disc that came with the RS - its becoming a bit of an exercise to get this going on a tight budget working with what Ive got unless its necessary to sort it out. I see the value in returning it to a complete running vehicle at this point - anything that needs replacing later can be done then.

I need to read up on the process of installing the engine with the pull clutch - from memory the throw out bearing comes off and joins the clutch fork on the gearbox. Once the engine is installed it clicks back into the clutch assembly and works from that point on. I also need to locate the clutch fork pivot shaft. I know Ive got it, finding it is the issue. Worst case scenario I pull the shaft from a phase 2 box Ive got in the wings. Hopefully there the same unit - but hopefully it wont come to this. I found the clutch fork so thats a start.



^ this is basically where shes at - going over previous threads the last time I had a complete engine this close to is was in early November 2016 when I pulled the dead engine out! That was four house moves and half a state ago! I was hoping to be further along today but I forgot how involved cleaning is - and I might as well do that now while Ive got full access! And after giving the bumper a bit of a squirt while doing the engine bay, she might just scrub up ok after a decent wash, time will tell on this one too.

Before finishing up for the day I was looking over things and thought Id push the clutch slave cylinder in so I didnt have to think about it when fitting the fork - only to have it spew fluid everywhere! I dont have a spare so Im hoping I can put a kit through it or get someone to do it for me

Cheers

Bennie

[El_Freddo]

After essentially two day’s off, I got another day at it - listening to the Hottest 100 (which should be tomorrow on Oz day like it used to be… that’s another story though!).

New rear main seal, plastic oil/air separator plate swapped for an alloy unit, flywheel and clutch fitted. The clutch fork shaft was located and the gearbox side of things sorted.

Then came time to lift the engine to drop it in. Only that moving the crane on dirt was nearly impossible, certainly sketchy at best. So Redback was employed to pull the RS forward until the engine was in about the right place. Then it all went together without any issues.

She’s currently sitting like this - about 8 years and three months since the last time she sported an engine in the engine bay.



Now to see if the engine will fire on some start ya bastard before hooking EVERYTHING up properly.

After that it’s cleaning everything out from the unwanted visitors and get stuck into putting the whole vehicle back together.

I’ll be stoked if it fires up without any concerns - a feeling I’m trying to hold at bay until it’s confirmed, not easy!!

Cheers

Bennie

[El_Freddo]

Double post - poo-poo internet had me load it twice >:-(

[allpaw4]

Ooohh. Very nice to see the work progress man!

Shame about the clutch slave, but sorta expected after 8 years of no movement perished rubber seals. At least you found it before everything was installed and back in the way again.

I've found that a gas torch on full boar (one of the hand held ones, not an oxy) with a 150mm flame is great for removing webs that are a pain to remove otherwise. Quick flick around the engine bay and wheel wells removed 95% of my spider issues in a space of about 5 minutes, maybe less. Flicking it around doesnt give enough time to heat anything else up, and just burns off the webs nicely. Mice and rat deposits are a little harder to move. Been told that leaving the car uncovered and bonnet open is enough to stop them nesting in the engine bay, as they don't like the cold or wind, which an open bay dissuades them enough apparently. Food for thought.

Cheers,
Ben

[El_Freddo]

Yeah better that I found the hydraulic clutch system issue now than when I was anticipating a first drive!

The engine fired on some start ya bastard so I moved on to sorting the fuel system, starting with replacing the fuel pump.

I got a DW200 and had to use the old sock - which thankfully I kept as I removed the fuel pump back at our old place in anticipation of fitting the new pump. Everything was shoved back in for the move without the new pump fitted as it wasn’t necessary for transport.

I snapped one of the little 8mm studs that holds the hanger to the tank. Bit frustrating as I took my time, used wd40 and wore brushed the tops of the threads.

All that aside, I’m up to the part of joining the factory in-tank wiring to the new pump’s wiring with its fancy plug that clips into the pump. Just trying to work out the best way to do this so avoid any future issues.

Between all of that I pumped out the liquid varnish that used to be good 98RON. The inside of the tank is a little scaly from minor rust, I’m hoping this will be ok in the long run, we’ll see on that one. I pumped the fuel out with my spare Fawcett pump that I kept in the Brumby, used some old fuel hose off a carb in the shed and a set of jumper leads to power it - ensuring that the positive and negative leads were exclusive of each other for obvious reasons.

That went well and I pumped out 95% of the fuel in the RHS of the tank. I don’t have enough hose to get to the other side, nor can I see how much is in there. I intend to add a lot of fresh fuel to hopefully dilute the old fuel so it’s not a problem.

To get it running on its fuel system I’ll use a NA intake tract so I don’t have to deal with the turbo intake gear - I’ve got a few things to sort out here and stuff will inevitably come out again anyway.

For now it’s about getting the joining of these in-tank fuel pump wires done correctly. Any input would be welcome.

Cheers

Bennie

[Barbbachello]

With the right pump it should just plug into the oem harness. 

Otherwise id be buying a replacement plug and pin set and pinning the new plug onto the oem wiring. Biggest issue is insulating any joints you make. The fuel will eat most cheap wire/tape/heat shrink eventually