GiSelle the GS Mechanical Refresh Mark 2

when you say the y clamps, I just left the full extension of pipes up to the outlets on and drop the motor in then put the bottom shrouds on with the clips on them.
 
Another day in paradise! There's nothing quite like a sunny Winter's day to potter about getting greasy.

Today saw the heads go on, fairly straightforward, and the shrouding and inlet manifolds on.

I broke out the Copper-Eze for the head to barrel joint and the head bolt threads. Also used some rubber grease on the oil tube o-rings, just to ease their entry! (OoEr Matron!) All torqued up nicely and ready for work.

The shrouding is one of those jobs that makes you wonder what sort of mind altering substances were used by the designers, but I'm getting the hang of it now. I seemed to find all of the little M5 bolts and their matching orifices. So far so good.

All buttoned up with a new oil filter and a sumpful of cheap oil that I can use for a short time then recycle. I always reckon that when the motor's been opened up, it's a good move to flush it all through then refill with some good stuff. Any scunge I missed after cleaning up after the honing should also get flushed out, not that there should be any.

A couple of minutes with a belt around the oil pump pulley, a multimeter on the oil pressure switch and Ryobi-San on high speed saw the oil circulated and up to pressure quite painlessly. Even better, so far, no leaks!

So tomorrow will see me fitting the timing belts and front fan housing and fan. Then I'll be hoisting the beast up for ease of access and installing the exhaust manifolds . Another fun job. And I'm really not looking forward to getting at the Y-piece clamps when the time comes!

Progress is a wonderful thing!

Cheers for now. Pottsy

How on earth do you manage to get so much done so quickly. Even if I manage to find the time and have the parts to fix something I generally spend 95% of the time searching for bits that were there .... 30seconds ago :confused:
 
How on earth do you manage to get so much done so quickly. Even if I manage to find the time and have the parts to fix something I generally spend 95% of the time searching for bits that were there .... 30seconds ago :confused:
Getting old Shane...... it takes half a day to do something that took half an hour, 30 years ago.
 
when you say the y clamps, I just left the full extension of pipes up to the outlets on and drop the motor in then put the bottom shrouds on with the clips on them.
I'm talking about the two forward connections from the Y to the "engine to Y" (or extension) pipes. To remove and replace the gearbox & engine complete, the y pipe needs to come off and back on with it all in situ, Those two clamps have to be the most inaccessible bastards I've ever met!

And Shane, I'm retired and locked down. My time of having to do things with young kids etc was years ago. This is my time now! In any case, I took most of the day to do this lot. I see no reason to rush. Oh, also had some time out delivering Pablo to No 1 son to use while a replacement radiator for his Disco is on the way.

Once the motor is all back together it will go in the corner while I tackle the gearbox. Fun times ahead!

Cheers, Pottsy

Will the cavalry reach the beleaguered garrison in time to watch the news? Will Harvey the wonder hamster learn to fly in time? These are all questions to be answered in future exciting episodes! Stay Tuned!
 
I'll concur with you on those clamps, they are a swine. I have to replace the 3 into one plastic connector pipe for the LHM return and that's going to be a back buster. Thinking of making it up in copper pipe so it can take more stress, even though there shouldn't be any. I've also been trying to get the clutch cable to behave properly, bought a replacement off Daniel in Germany and after taking the old one off and hooking up the new one realised it was way too long (LHD version). Don't know where to find a replacement RHD one. Chevronics don't even have them.
 
I've had some success with one of the local re-manufacturers of cables. For the DS clutch cable I had to make up the ferrule and they made up the cable and crimped my ferrule on.

These are the guys in Eltham, where I reside. https://www.retrospares.com.au/auto-cables-and-gears but I'm sure there's a chandlers or similar up your way who could do that if they had a sample to replicate.

I know what you mean re those pesky return lines. I re-created quite a few in rubber some time back but my back still hasn't recovered from that! I know what you mean. Bending over the top of the motor etc is no fun.

While all the twirly bits are out I'm going to give the whole engine bay a good clean as well as address all of those weepy little buggers.

Cheers, Pottsy.
 
Megasquirt on a GS sounds like a fun project. There was an article in the club mag in 2019 about a guy in England fuel injecting a GS. From memory his was a single port set up, basically a very fancy carb.

If you are feeling brave Pottsy, a mob in the Netherlands has worked out a way to modify the DS EFI manifold for modern EV14 injectors. They also machined the flywheel for a crank angle sensor to run distributorless sequential spark spark and fuel.
 
For cable rebuilds, plumbing mods etc you can't beat doing it yourself.....
All you need is a lathe, a silver soldering kit ( propane torch, flux, 45% silver rod) and a bit of cunning.
Attaching end bits to the cable is easy....
With 1mm disc (or an old fashioned hacksaw) cut a slit into the side of the end bit exposing the old cable, and remove that. Slather it with flux paste, lay the new cable in the slot, and silver solder it. Only heat the end piece, not the cable which will burn if you put heat on it.
Once you have mastered fine silver solder work you can do anything..... including making beautiful brass, steel or stainless hydraulic connectors, return 3 ways, octopus hearts, hydraulic pipe splices etc etc.
I guess I had a head start with silver solder, building racing bicycle frames in the '70s, then working in hydraulics in the '80s.
It is still one of the most valuable repair tools.
Tip.... clean, clean, clean, plenty of flux paste, gentle heat control, don't use flux coated rods, only use 45% silver rods.
Jig the pieces, so they don't move while making the joint. Don't burn the flux!
 
I'll concur with you on those clamps, they are a swine. I have to replace the 3 into one plastic connector pipe for the LHM return and that's going to be a back buster. Thinking of making it up in copper pipe so it can take more stress, even though there shouldn't be any. I've also been trying to get the clutch cable to behave properly, bought a replacement off Daniel in Germany and after taking the old one off and hooking up the new one realised it was way too long (LHD version). Don't know where to find a replacement RHD one. Chevronics don't even have them.
There was a separate discussion of clutch cables in another thread and a recommendation of TGA Cables in Croydon (eastern suburbs of Melbourne). In the absence of the equipment and skills set out above, I am due to send TGA my broken cable for re-manufacture. Apparently they do a good job - I will report the outcome.
 
This is me, answering the questions no-one really ever asked! :)

The engine is now re-ringed, re-belted, re-timed, re-assembled and weighed!

Before you look at the photo, try and guess how much a complete 1220 motor weighs? If you're anything like me, you're probably wrong!

Anyway, that's stage 1 compete. Stage 2 is sorting out the dodgy 3rd gear synchro and noisy bearings in the box of cogness.

Stage 3 will be very messy when I get out the de-greaser and pressure washer for the engine bay so I can sort out the return lines in a clean environment.

And stage 4 will be weaselling all the sorted mechanical goodness back in the cavernous (!) engine bay. Implicit to all this is that I have success in stages 2 and 3, and can find all the little bags I put bolts and stuff in! :)

So there yez have it. Looking like Lockdown 6.2 is imminent, not to mention curfews, so I guess I'm going to have to do this to save my sanity!

Cheers, Pottsy

Will the ravening hordes feast on the defenders or will the cavalry arrive in time with condiments? These, and other life changing questions, answered anon.
 

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Is
This is me, answering the questions no-one really ever asked! :)

The engine is now re-ringed, re-belted, re-times, re-assembled and weighed!

Before you look at the photo, try and guess how much a complete 1220 motor weighs? If you're anything like me, you're probably wrong!

Anyway, that's stage 1 compete. Stage 2 is sorting out the dodgy 3rd gear synchro and noisy bearings in the box of cogness.

Stage 3 will be very messy when I get out the de-greaser and pressure washer for the engine bay so I can sort out the return lines in a clean environment.

And stage 4 will be weaselling all the sorted mechanical goodness back in the cavernous (!) engine bay. Implicit to all this is that I have success in stages 2 and 3, and can find all the little bags I put bolts and stuff in! :)

So there yez have it. Looking like Lockdown 6.2 is imminent, not to mention curfews, so I guess I'm going to have to do this to save my sanity!

Cheers, Pottsy

Will the ravening hordes feast on the defenders or will the cavalry arrive in time with condiments? These, and other life changing questions, answered anon.
Is that weight with the gearbox on? I thought i'd carried them around in the past .... but no way. Maybe I'm thinking the 2cv motor. Its very easy to carry around.
 
Yeah, just the motor. 2CV unit is much lighter and, yes, one Aussie bloke can lift it.

I'm sure a weightlifter could do 116 kilos, but not this little black duck!

Cheers, Pottsy.
 
When you're on a roll!

OK, the gearbox is next. Degreased and pressure washed for a start.

Careful bagging of the groups of parts as we go is a bit of a first for me. I usually don't go this far, but what the hell, we're going to be locked down a while longer, I might as well be organised. (And my memory is crap anyway!)

The halves are now separated. I really love split casing gearboxes. So much easier than delving in through a small opening like a Mini, or even 2CV.

Also feeling a little bit self satisfied as my tentative diagnosis of the gearboxy issues seems to be on the mark.

First thing I noticed when the output shafts came out was that both bearings are really rough and worn. Bingo, first diagnosis of the "zizzing" noise right on target.

Then a close look at the 3rd gear synchro ring area. Yep, there's bugger all clearance between the cone and the dog. Spot on again.

So a check of the whole thing is now on the cards, as well as fitting the good used 3rd gear assembly I have. Bearings are the next thing to chase and replace. I may have a couple of usable ones that will fill the bill if I can't source new ones in a timely manner.

Time to chase up a couple of the local suppliers with some seal sizes and bearing numbers and see what we can do.

Once again, I hope the pics are self explanatory.

Cheers, Pottsy.

Once again the call went out to all who would listen. "Who'll swap a drumstick for a breast?" Answer came there none apart from the snaffling sound of fervent gurgitation!
 

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Don't lose any of the balls and springs in the in the selector lockout area. Have a good look at that needle roller bearing on the input shaft, I have seen them fail in the past with very oily results on the clutch when the input seal gets destroyed.

Cheers, Ken
 
Thanks Ken. I'll be checking all the bearings very closely. The detent balls and spring and sliding doover are all in the bags.

I've spent way too many hours crawling around the floor with a magnet after sproinging detent balls across the garage from Mini gearboxes to fall for that one! An interesting tip is that detent springs can be attracted out of their little burrows with a magnetic pickup tool. Bad luck if the casing is cast iron though! :)

Cheers, Pottsy.
 
Looking good :) Interested in any part numbers you figure out for the bearings. I'm going to have to haul out my spare gearbox, and see if I can figure out how to check the synchros in that off car. Not super keen on pulling the engine, installing that one, and hoping for the best :)

Cheers,
(young) Ken
 
This is great reading, Pottsy.
Keep it up, I wish you all the best getting your GS sorted.
I haven't had a GS since the 1980s but you are making me long to own one again.
 
Pottsy, I have a NOS bearing 1GY 95 572 594, given as and measuring 25x62x67.25, which looks like it fits onto the secondary shaft. Does that correspond to one of your gearbox bearings neded or do you have that one in your spares?
 
Having read the above .. a GOOD AUSSIE BLOKE weighs as much as a GS engine ... some even as much as the engine/gearbox combined which in early introductory advertising was referred to as the "power egg".
Keep up the good work Pottsy. Your literary style alone is worth the effort.
 
Thanks for the kind words Fritz.

I was surprised that it was actually lighter than I expected. Sort of congruently opposed realities as this GAB is always heavier than expected when confronted with a massometer. Fortunately I still weigh less than a GS engine, however. (Just not by a large margin at present. I blame being locked down!)

"Power Egg" is an interesting term. I can see where they were heading, however, given the lack of the P word in a GS it seems a bit of a misnomer, or perhaps even oxymoronic. Short of a dinosaur egg I can't really see ova in general as being powerful.

Surely the Mad Blokes could come up with something catchier. Perhaps "Power Podule". :)

And David S, I'll be going through the bearings one by one today with any luck so should have some numbers for comparison.

Cheers, Pottsy.
 
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