1959 Land-Rover Series 2. Seating, and distractions…

So a bit more done over the last couple of days. 

I stripped down the mainshaft of the really bad donor, and it was just as much of a horror story as the layshaft side. Smashed synchros, broken bushes, chipped teeth, and even the mainshaft itself looked to have got hot enough that I wouldn’t chance reusing it unless it was in a last ditch attempt to get out of the desert “Flight of the Phoenix” style. Still, as I said, the two have yielded enough bits to make one serviceable one. I also pulled apart the mainshaft assembly from the good one my mate gave me all those years ago and, whilst it’s done some work, everything was still useable and all the end float tolerances were (just) ok. So it all got cleaned and reassembled. 



Here’s the special socket I made earlier this year being used to hold the input shaft so that I can tighten the layshaft locking bolt. 



With that done the snazzy blue end cover can go on. 



Nice. That’ll give the rivet counters something to froth over. 🤣

Next step is to fit the selectors. Or it would be if the seals I have in stock for the selector shafts were the right ones. Pants. Another order of bits. At least these are small enough to go in an envelope. So progress on this one ground to a halt. Fortunately, the new layshaft and gear for the official spare box arrived today, so I could fit those and progress that box too. 



Once the bellhousing and front cover were on that one though, I ran up against the same problem with lack of seals. I could probably reuse the old ones on this box as they’ve not seen the same services as the other, and aren’t rock hard like those, but they’re such a pita to change if they leak (and they’re only 30p each) it seems foolish not to put new ones in here too. So I had a tidy, sorted out the bits I’ve got to post, and cleaned up the leftover spares with a view to flogging them on eBay when I get a chance to list them. 



My gearbox hospital is a bit more “general ward” than “intensive care” now. Hopefully the seals will arrive early next week and I can get these both buttoned up and stored away. 

It’s just metal Lego. You don’t need any “special*” kit to do a Series Land-Rover gearbox, just patience and somewhere clean-ish to work. We will keep the moment, having checked it would engage second ok, I went to see if it would engage first without the gear in place and shot the synchro detent springs into orbit, strictly between just you and me. Cue twenty minutes or more trying to find them, then another twenty minutes getting the little so-and-so’s back into place.





* well, you do need whitworth spanners, and I suppose they’re specialist tools these days. 🤣

It’s a drive member flange turned down and welded to an old socket, but yes, a clutch centre would work (and would have been my first choice had I had one).

I am a terrible hoarder. Not plastic bags and old newspapers, granted, but I can see how some people can become slaves to their possessions out of all proportion to their worth. I have decided that, once the parts I’m swapping with a S2C member are actually with me, I am going to reassemble the last gearbox, give it a cursory check and clean, and sell it on. I really only need one decent spare complete transmission assembly, even the extra main gearbox is something that I would probably be unlikely to use, and that might get sold at some point too.

I operate the same kind of “misbehaving exchequer” with anything that I sell, using the money guilt-free for other projects. It’s not really about the money though, it’s about making the best use of my time. I’m not rich, far from it, but I have even less time than I have pennies. I needed to rebuild the main spare gearbox, so that it’s ready to use if I need it, and I wanted to make use of the ‘box my mate gave me once it was clear that it could be combined with the bits from the scrap one and only cost me gaskets, seals and time. I might end up keeping it entirely out of sentiment, but the third complete transmission can just go “as is” rather than take up two or three days that could be better spent on other things. There’s also the sad fact that someone who buys a £200 “good” secondhand gearbox does so with the expectation that it lasts as long as it lasts, or is going to rebuild it themselves, so don’t come banging on my door if it breaks. If I sell a rebuilt one for £500 that takes me another three days work, it’s going to go to the type of person that’ll expect some kind of warranty - I simply can’t be dealing with those kinds of people.

Yep, saw that film in the 90s as a teenager and thought it was awesome. I group it together with Ice Cold In Alex for some reason.

Precisely that. I first saw it when I used to build an Airfix kit in a plastic bag every week and was probably picking dry polystyrene cement off my fingers as I watched the film!

I was going to ask what size spanners are required, but you answered before I posed the question. Did LR go metric on the Defender?

In regards to getting rid of accumulated stuff, I now find it liberating, be it selling or gifting. I understand your concern about buyers expectations. "No warranty expressed or implied" is how we say it over here. As in, curse word-off!

Great to read your updates.

John

They must have still been using up their old stuff for quite a while, as the '38 propshaft bolts are 9/16", if I remember.

Turbos on many moderns fail because of blocked oilways, the Peugeot / ford 1.6 engines were really bad for it at one time, fit a new turbo and pretty soon it too would go the same way. I guess it's that sort of experience that leads to the warnings.

What a great journey is this Glen! I first saw this topic yesterday and spent the best part of the evening reading it. I use my old cars only in the mostly dry months but all year around must be even greater. I only wonder with the rather basic sound insulation material and a big diesel it must be still very loud. Never considered extra sound mats up to the fire wall and floor?
Great job! Enjoy it!
Thom