I received the replacement clutch release bearing from GBS so all set now with parts to prep the gearbox & ultimately join to the engine.
Type 9 gearbox requires part of the starter motor bulge on the bell housing removed to clear a chassis member. I'm taking a chance - working from reference to other peoples builds and some rough measurements to decide where to cut. I'm not going to install/mark/remove the gearbox - this might come back to bite me later :)
I thought the bell-housing might be ally, but by the time I had finished the dust was plainly magnetic so looks like a steel cast iron housing. I cut through with the Dremel and the abrasive cutting discs - of which I managed to get through 6-7, especially when the cut got deep its easy to put accidental side pressure on the cutting discs and shatter them.
I emerged from this job looking like I had been mining for coal - black steel dust everywhere - eye and breathing protection a must! (See later posts, I should also have taken some off the lower start motor mounting point to clear the chassis tube sufficiently)
I emerged from this job looking like I had been mining for coal - black steel dust everywhere - eye and breathing protection a must! (See later posts, I should also have taken some off the lower start motor mounting point to clear the chassis tube sufficiently)
I painted over the cut edge with black hammerite, played a little with the original & quick shift levers to find all the gears, then went on to install the clutch release lever and bearing:
2x gearbox mounting collars go at 3 & 9 o-clock on the housing, they needed a little grinding to get an interference fit then pushed into the holes on the engine with a little help from a rubber mallet:
(To the right of the picture below you can see the window I smashed with a flying Dremel tool when opening up the spare wheel panel holes)
Minor snag - the gearbox mounting kit is 1x M10 bolt short - I think it must drive whomever packs the bolts crazy counting them & they just miss one here & there.
I need to think about plan the next steps - once I mount the gearbox to engine it becomes very difficult to move which means probably doing this just before install in the chassis.
Plan:
I need to think about plan the next steps - once I mount the gearbox to engine it becomes very difficult to move which means probably doing this just before install in the chassis.
Plan:
- Chassis back onto its wheels
- Chassis into the drive
- Mount gearbox to the engine
- Fit gearbox/engine (in the drive to give vertical room to work)
