Runamucks Datsun 620 ute

[RUNAMUCK]

While i had the drag link partly installed, i took a picture showing where the drag link runs through where I notched the sump.

ive got the motor as low and far back as i could muster.

[RUNAMUCK]

Another day of steps forward, followed by steps back. 

I've got the radius rods in with the new bushings. I haven't tightened the nuts down yet. I'd prefer to do that with the truck sitting on its wheels so the rods aren't sitting at quite such a pronounced angle.  

But before the wheels can go back on, I've discovered another issue which needs to be addressed. 

The master cylinder (which came with the parts truck which I bought off @I'm new here) appeared to be leaking out the back. 

When I'd bled up the brakes, the pedal didn't quite feel right. (I probably mentioned this on the last page)  I knew that Hamish had replaced the master cylinder with a brand new one. So aside from cleaning out the reservoirs, I never bothered to pull it down for inspection before fitting it. 

 Stripping it down revealed the rearmost seat had a tiny bit of wear/damage.

 

I'll swing by safeR brakes tomorrow and grab some replacement seals. Only one is bung. But I fucking hate brake fluid. So fucked If I ever want to delve inside this thing again.....

[RUNAMUCK]

Bit of a fuck around with thw master cylinder.

I ducked into the brake shop after work today.  Showed them the handful of seals I needed. 

The guy had a measure up, looked at his computer, had a measure up, and went out back. 

Came back with a girlock box that looked both ancient, and filthy. (Had a "I've been sold once before, and got returned because it wasn't the right thing" look about it.  So he sold me a kit with new pistons, seals etc.

Tbh, I really just wanted new seals. But obviously he didn't have any, so he sold me what he had. $23.  (I'd seen miscellaneous brake seals elsewhere for $4.50 each, so I guess the price was about right. 

Upon arriving home, I compared the new pistons to my old ones. They looked reasonably close, but not identical.  What concerned me was that the hole in the back of the cylinder which accepts the push rod from booster looked different. A careful measure up revealed the replacement one was 2.2mm shallower. 

Now I've learned not through my own experience, but from other people's that if this shit isn't right, you can have a bad time. 

At old school nationals 2011, I remember @Avenga brakes got jammed on. (And Cletus adjusted his pushrod a bit shorter, which cured the problem)

Then another time, @datto_610 had a similar problem. (I had to slap his pushrod in thw lathe that time, and machine a bit off to make it short enough)

and yet another time again, @- i5oogt - had a rebuilt master cylinder he got off (i think) @Carsnz123, and had the opposite problem. (The push rod was too short to properly actual the cylinder/make it pump fluid)

Fore armed with this knowledge, I very carefully measured how much push rod was poking out. (With a veiw to making sure I only made it 2.2mm shorter)

Unfortunately the fucking adjuster nut on the pushrod was seized solid. Not really having the fight in me to try unseize it, I said fuck it. (NGL  there was actually an over supply of expletives laid down during this process)  so I carefully removed the seals off the the new pistons, and fitted them to my old ones. I honestly reckon I could of got away with just replacing the rearmost one. But while I was in there etc. 

Typing all this bullshit now, it's kinda dawning on me is that pushrod still ain't right, (its never been run on this booster before) Then I'm going to be cursing my name for not persevering with unseizing that pushrod adjustor.

Anyway, after dinner I bolted it back on, and used a big plastic syringe to bleed the air out of the cylinder. 

Tomorrow I'll enlist the assistance of one of my crotch goblins to properly bleed the system. 

[RUNAMUCK]

Since such things are now available, I ordered a replacement steering column grommet off ebay.

my old one was kind old and fucked. Plus it had the extra hole where the now redundant column shifter used to protrude through.  Everyone knows that drafts in an old car make it not a nice place to be. (All of my old cars have been drafty tbh) 

unfortunately to remove thenold one, i had to remove the column shroud, the undiactor stalk assembly, and unbild the steering box off the chassis rail to drop the death spear column down. (Wee bit of a faff)

but i got it off.

the next challange was a fixing mount which is spot welded to the column

i really didnt want to tear the new grommet trying to squeeze it over that. Everyone on a post I created on Facebook said they tore theirs getting them on. 

I tried to make a cone out of an empty toilet roll, but the cardboard just ripped.

So plan B was the cut the neck out of an L&P bottle, and slide it over.

Then I sat the grommet it a bowl of boiling water to soften it up.

I hooked it out of the water, dried the collar of the comment, and liberally coated it with silicon grease.

It still took quite a bit of pushing! (I had to use one long skinny screw driver each side of those ears to persuade the grommet to go over.

After dinner I reassembled everything. (Which was also a faff too)