fried onions wrote: ↑Sat Dec 12, 2020 9:00 pm
Interesting you mention Sunbeam, matey is hoping to get hold of one of those diffs (3.9?) to replace the Humber 4.5 one. That combined with the overdrive should make for a serious long-distance car, which is his intention.
The Sunbeam was spoilt for me by the steering and it's feeble gearbox. The box, was originally a 4 speed all synchro 30's design intended for a 10hp side valve. It lay on its side for column shift to be attached, and for lhd cars was flipped it over by 180°. The first gear synchro was done away with to squeeze stronger bits in but it was hopelessly overstretched and mine would often pop out of gear with a bang if you floored it.
A common mod on the 'Sunbeams is converting to floor change using the Hunter gearbox from- it bolts onto the engine OK I think but bits of cruciform chassis get in the way.
On the positive side with overdrive the car was happy to keep up a true 75, not something that could be said for many '50's motors.
This afternoon I had a stab at removing the rear axle from the scrap Minor. In theory straightforward, although I approached it differently to what it says in the book, which recommended undoing the spring shackles. With the wheels off anyway there is plenty of room to remove the axle from one side through the springs. I removed all the fastenings alright including the shock absorbers and just hacksawed through the handbrake cables, the clevis pins being well and truly seized. I was expecting to jack the car up under the differential and it break loose, but the U bolts are not budging anywhere. I then removed the axle stands and let the jack down rapido hoping the force might break it loose, but no such luck. Bouncing the car up and down (which was quite funny without shock absorbers) did not produce the desired outcome. So I called it a day as it was already dark, and will examine the case with fresh eyes another day.
Haha, aye I did. That went along with the gearbox. I reckon it'll be a sweet drive with this low mileage gear once I get it all together. At least I hope so. Undecided as to keeping the current 98-odd thousand speedometer or fit the scrapper's 40-odd thousand speedo which will match the oily bits as a record of the mileage and ongoing use.
I can only imagine what a Minor with a quiet diff must be like......I'd change the speedo, it is mechanical mileage that counts. I started my time with Cowley off with a rebuilt, zero'd speedo rather than hazard a guess at how accurate the car's apparent mileage might have been.
There's a great long bar in Rock & Roll heaven.......
Can you not hammer the ends of the U bolts upwards?
Great minds think alike... I had planned to do this with the load off the axle being taken by the springs on axle stands. There is a hefty bracket to take the shock absorbers also which I am thinking is creating hindrance.
SiC wrote: ↑Tue Dec 15, 2020 9:16 pm
I'd keep the 98k Speedo. You're only 2k miles away from a satisfying full roll over.
Yes, my thoughts too. I can keep the fucked mechanics and run it until it rolls over, as I have plenty of used engine oil to recycle into the sump, by which time it will be Spring and I'll have the low mileage stuff and Gold Seal ready to transplant along with the speedo. I would like to see it roll around to zero and achieve 100,000. Tbh I think it's holding out for it before it finally gives up the ghost!
