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Mar 18, 2012 19:42:37 GMT
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It's been a while, folks, but things have been progressing on the chassis. I keep a grinder for cutting and a grinder for grinding, and BOTH packed up the same weekend. SO....  I thought the rear outriggers were good at first, but on closer inspection, the back corner is a great dirt trap, and ends up rotting through the main chassis rail. Repair plate, and new rear outrigger in place, but I've left a little gap in the back corner to allow for clearing it out once in a while.  I've also gone for full width plate in the boot floor. It gives me more options for roll-cage braces if I decide to drop fitting the rear seats. Also new body support brackets and some fillets to the coil-over top mounts.  And that's it, the chassis repairs are done. The chassis is loaded up on the trailer ready to go for blasting. I hope to deliver it next weekend. And when it comes back, I'm ready with this.  |
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Mar 19, 2012 19:03:03 GMT
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Reference measurements for Tattoo101, but might be useful for others. Some quick measurements of an X30XE with Omega gearbox, but fitted with FWD sump from Calibra/Vectra.  The front of the engine is wider due to timing chain and covers. If kept behind the suspension towers of the Scimitar, that's not a problem. Note at the back of the engine there's gubbins like coil packs, and the water pipe running from the back of the block around to the front right. This protrudes a fair bit from the rear right of the engine. (Sausage shaped thing in the diagram :-) ) PAS pump is measured on the front. My current plan is to keep this an an idler, which is why I've included that measurement. Air-con compressor is removed as that'll not go into the Scimitar. Gearbox measurement is to the drive flange. The Omega selector mechanism is a bolt-on item and easily modified to required length. |
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Mmmmmmmmmmm.....cleeeeean   |
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that looks nice n clean theres a 71 scimitar down near me keep tryin to get my brother to buy and do sometime silmar to what ur doing keep the good work up its looking great
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ooo looks nice mate  |
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Stretch1568, talk your brother into a closer look. Scimitars are so undervalued, it's unreal. Compare the price of a Scimitar to a 3 litre Capri (which is essentially the same thing underneath), and see what a bargain they are.
As long as the chassis is reasonably sound, the rest can be dealt with.
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A little over 4 hours of painting, and I have the first coat of POR15 on the chassis, and I've only used about 1/2 of the 946ml tin. The paint is pretty thin, and is best applied in thin coats, so it goes quite a long way. (Just as well at the price of it.)   I also discovered the chassis number, which is stamped onto the front face of the front suspension tower on the driver's side. Even after shot blasting it's barely visible, so I'm sure it unreadable on almost any Scimitar by now. A coat of thick paint would hide it. I've now given the chassis a light dusting of whatever-spray-can-of-silver-paint-you-can-find, so I can see where I need to paint the second coat. |
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Apr 12, 2012 17:47:35 GMT
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The next major area of attention is the rear suspension. I pulled the entire half-shaft/hub assembly out to access the trailing arm mounts, which are pretty crusty and need to be remade.  And to make sure I keep the location of the pick-up points, a couple of lashed-up jigs.  One of which uses the inner bits of the bashed out bush from the trailing arm.  |
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Apr 21, 2012 16:56:36 GMT
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There's a lot of work involved in it, but I've repaired the axle bracket on one side.   Congratulating myself on a job well done, I took a look across the axle and found the bolt for the coil-over is inclined maybe 4 degrees different from the other side. Kinda disappointing after all the jigging. I think I need to make sure the trailing arm mounts are aligned properly before I start the other side of the axle. Some quick measuring suggests they're OK, but the new plan is to fit the axle back in the chassis to make sure I can get all the trailing arms on without one of them being too long or too short. I can assess the angle of the coil-over bolt while I'm there too. Next step is probably to clean and paint the trailing arms, and fit new bushes. Ordering new bushes is a job for early next week. |
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Well I got the axle casing repaired. The bracket on the other side only needed minor repairs. I got new bushes for the trailing arms and got them pressed in at the garage across the road. I stuck with metalastic bushes : the consensus on Scimitarweb suggests the axle is well located, and that poly bushes would feed stresses into the brackets. I can see what they mean when the axle twists during cornering. Bushes in the Watt's linkages were good, which was a nice bonus. All painted up, it's now fitted. Excuse the crusty old Spax suspension which is a temporary measure. I'm hoping to go with a full set of Gaz units.  But what has been bugging me for weeks is the half-shafts. Stripping them down to inspect and renew means pulling the hub off the end of the half-shaft. Comically, the manual says "Using a suitable puller, remove the hub from the end of the shaft"  Talk on Scimitarweb was this needs serious force, with some guys saying 20 ton hydraulic pullers won't even look at it. Today, finally, with heat from a blowtorch of the B&Q variety, a pipe flange arrangement as a puller (another Scimitarweb suggestion), and heavy hammer blows, both hubs finally gave in to me.  So I'm having my own little celebration today. Forward momentum can continue. |
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Looking good, those 4HA rear hubs are a dangerous thing to play with! Tight as F##k mine were...
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carmad
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,002
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I have a good axel complete I would let go might be off some use to you
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Mantakev : you got that right! Most suggestions have included keeping the nut on to avoid the hub shooting across the garage when it lets go.
Carmad : thanks for the offer. If the hubs hadn't come off, I might have taken you up on that.
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Jul 13, 2012 17:15:17 GMT
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Lots of cleaning and painting recently, and rebuilding the suspension. New bearings fitted to the axle, and back plates back on.  Front suspension starting to go back together. Bottom trunnion fitting kit is a pain to fit. 18 pieces of washers, rubber seals, nylon bushes, splash shield and steel tubes. What a palava! I'm not sure how good the trunnions are. One is binding a little, and twisting when I turn the suspension from side to side, so it might be bent?   Also got a mojo-boosting delivery today.  And you know how you gotta try them out   |
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Jul 13, 2012 17:25:56 GMT
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that chassis looks incredible, top work sir
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Jul 28, 2012 18:01:34 GMT
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Thanks Darren. Long story short, I bought this cheap as it was going to the crusher otherwise   It's an Scimitar SE6 series, where mine is an SE5 series. Very little is interchangeable, but there were some SE5 suspension bits thrown in. Already from this I've got a NOS suspension upright to replace my bent one, and a pair of new trunnions. I just bought new ones the week before last, so these will be spares. Apart form that, I've no great interest in this one, so may move it on now I've saved it from the crusher. I could break it, but it's too good underneath. The seller has had the body off, repaired the chassis and overhauled the suspension, so it's a shame to see all that good work go to waste. It's full to the roof inside with original parts. As for the SE5a, the suspension overhaul is almost complete. Now I have the big purchase of adjustable dampers and springs. |
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,790
Club RR Member Number: 34
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Jul 28, 2012 19:08:55 GMT
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i hear a lo tof talk about em, but ive never had a problem with 4ha rear hubs. a 20 quid machine mart pulled and big hammer have always sufficed. they go with a bit of a pop, but are dead easy compared to say, golf front wheel bearings, which you do need a big press for.
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Jul 29, 2012 10:05:44 GMT
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I'd like to see your hammer, Dez :-)
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Jul 29, 2012 15:01:26 GMT
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nice to see it coming along buddy. pitty you not closer as i could be interested in the chassis. should be doing a bit on mine this week |
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Jul 29, 2012 16:06:25 GMT
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'tis a pity. The chassis repairs have been done with some serious steel. None of your folded 2mm steel here. ;D
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