Intro from Malaysia - WR7002 - C304

[Heinkeljb]

Keep going! It's finally coming together....

Can'twait to see the finished vehicle and then to see how it preforms in the jungle which is going to be it's new home!

John

[geckoadventure]

16 December 2016

Day 9 of the big rush.

We work all day quietly on the Volvo, Brett continues to bend the turbo heaat shield slowly. Customers come in the shop 7+ and all gravitate to the Volvo many questions etc

I work on the Water tank repair/fit - 6mm spacers are welded to the rear of the tank to cater for the unexpected BUMP.

Brett finishes the welding and leaves me the job of fitting the turbo shield. 2 hours later and a few unusual fixes to fit it and getting late in the day the turbo shield is bolted in.


Quickly we setup for the cabin move


15 minutes later we have mission success the weeks goal is achieved. But it will have to be lifted off Monday morning to fix up the harness sea belt mounts at the rear of the cabin. However everything else is all ok as we do the fit inspection.


She looks great better than I could have imagined. People ask when is the top coat going on. Thats it Ford Creamy White (or Desert storm base paint colour - hehe)






Had to have a pic with the grill in.


Dinner later and we drink a lot of beer lol.

[Haf-e]

I am sure it will look better with a top coat - of mud that is...

Great Job - very nice to see it coming together.

[GadgetPhreak]

Wow! That is looking amazing. Great work. It will be one of a kind when you get it done. The craftsmanship and thoughtful details are excellent.

[geckoadventure]

17 December 2016

Day 10 of the big rush.

I'm a little slow. Waste 3 hours getting bolts as I got given 4 7/16 bolts not 3/8 like I needed.

But ended up getting the harness seat belts fitted cleaned out threads etc and all the bolts cruised in. Inspection of the cabin shows it needs to come off as a few of the rollcage holes are a little out.


Take a nap in the boat hammock late in the day as it's sinking hot.

18 December 2016

Day 12 of the big rush. Another slow day

Worked on the water tank slotted the top bolt holes to make it easier to fit - hey presto it was much easier to install. Now need to do the filler taps and the outlet taps sometime next week.

Fitted the shunt for the Battery monitor.


Removed the cabin ready for tomorrows work marked all the holes to be trimmed. Removed the air cleaner as we are now attaching the air cleaner bracket and the supports for the harness seat belts together.

19 December 2016

Day 13 of the big rush.

Cleaned up the holes with the air tools.

Then we we mounted the cabin. Marked the position of the harness brackets and made up the tubes and welded them to the air cleaner bracket. Bolted down the 4 bolts of the cabin. 8 to go to the rollcage still it will be a long slow process to get everything to line up.

We redid the wiring to the injector pump to add a plug to it.

Mr Brown decided to wath everyone from the bow of the boat.



Then it was time for the reason for the big rush to occur. The 12 horse horse float turned up for its revamp and intimidated everything in the workshop with it's size.



Then suddenly it was hometime and this is the Volvo as I left it after 13 days of work on it.


I took the boat home ready for a trip sometime after the Volvo is finished.

Merry XMAS everyone.

[Heinkeljb]

How much of the original Volvo is left?

Merry Christmas and may 2017 actually see it finished and being used!

John

[geckoadventure]

How much of the original Volvo is left?

Merry Christmas and may 2017 actually see it finished and being used!

John

Chassis, Cabin, Winch, driveline , gearbox (crown and pinions are Flying spanners kit), end February should see it finished. Its needed for a micro hydro power installation project on 12th March.

[geckoadventure]

29/30 December 2016

Day 1 and 2 of a 5 day rush.

5 days to work on the Volvo in a row.

I work on creating the nice entry of the 4 power steering hoses into the cabin LEFT, RIGHT, POWER and RETURN .

Day 1

Remove the brake and booster and the clutch cylinders . We cut and brace the dash.

Cut the hole for the hoses and start the plate from 4mm alloy.

Day 2 then assist with the wiring of the central locking putting the wiring internally in the door frame.




5.15pm we have glued down the rear cabin alloy valance. Day work is over no wait the horse float is out we can get to the front roll cage. Pick it up and install it slowly. The horse float is reversed back in as we finish. The truck is complete no more large parts remain to be bolted down.


The roll cage looks good in the new colours.


The 4 hole plate which is giving me grief


6.10pm leave the workshop. Then the trusty Isuzu DIES about 500meters from the workshop engine check light on. It runs enough with light off to get it back to the workshop, leave it and leg it the 2+k back to the hotel via a halfway meal and a cold beer to cure my sorrows. I think its fuel filter will check in morning.

[geckoadventure]

1 January 2017

Does not start well a walk in the rain to breakfasst then picked up and taken to the workshop we decide to bolt down the front roll cage. Hmm it will not the top bolts do not line up I confirm with Brett I have to trim 7mm of the right side top and 1mm from the left side due to the welds stopping the tubes sliding in and we also need to clean up the joins they look awful and some scraps and water damage. It's decided off it comes.



Making the plug to seal the top tubes from a piece of 4*2 that the guard puppy chewed up,


Then fitting with sealant


Then fixing the welds and the grinding mistakes from removing a cross joint gone wrong.


Then we check the gear lever to see if it'ss working. It is but we discover 4 wires we had missed from the loom. Damn!!!!!!!!

Now we have the issue of the ugly hole from some beaver who called themselves a workshop from the previous owner to deal with also this will burn vauable time. The deadline is 5/March/2017 my birthday.



Home time I have the front roll cage sanded, filled and undercoated and repainted it looks smick and I cut the ends off correctly an verify with a vernier ruler. The roll cage fits as I fit it myself with the forklift and a bit of string. It bolts in 10 bolts of the 14. The last 4 well I missed thatss 6mm hole with a 8mm thread. Needs to be fixed also.

2 January 2017

Day is for pedals I find everything I neeed, hen its lunchtime and then the heart plays up cos I forgot to take the tablets yesteray and this morning I have to rest for the rest of the arvo.

Hometime pic.


The 5 day visit ends sadly with a wasted 1/2 day.

Train home to Kuala Lumpur

[geckoadventure]

7 January 2017

Damn the Isuzu is not ready so ISUZU inform me leaving a lasst minute plan of taking the mighty Landcuiser up with its dead air conditioning of taxi train an taxi's I elect the Landcuiser.

so we (Joe fom the kids home) arrive 10.00am yes I'm late hot wet with sweat and the windows rolled down for 190k.

First time for Joe make 8 2" Square plates with a nut attached for the underneath of the seats so there is no chance of seat mount bolts pulling through in an emergency. So guillotine lessonss under strict adult supervision.


My job searching for nutz an bolts and missing wipers part. I fluke the end of the steering lock nut. One WF nut left that we that at the bolt shop by taking the whole steering assembly to the bolt shop.


Then its time for the pedal assemby it does not go well. The master cylinder bolt hole does not line up with the brake pedal.

End of the day what do we have pedal assembly not working. Seat bolt down points done without turning on the argon gas damn. Pedal assembly failed. Steering ready waiting for pedals to be installed.

[geckoadventure]

8 January 2017

It's decided after measuring the pedal travel and position etc that the pedal needs to be 30mm lower to give 40mm of travel and match up to the lower position of the master cylinder.


The two part pedal is made.


Then I make the bottom of the pedal and the bushes from solid bar and drill them out. They will be welded up Monday as we do not have a long enough 14mm bolt in the workshop but it's now ready to go.


The new templates for the floor coverings are made




Home via a visit to my Ipoh Mum and the windows down the whole 205k drive home

[VinceAtReal4x4s]

Wow, this is a mountain of engineering challenges that keep getting solved!

[geckoadventure]

29 January 2017

14/15 January was a charity trip into the jungle to deliver food to the Orang Asli after the monsoon rains

Then the factory was unavailable the next weekend.

So 29 January was second day of Chinese New year so I'm back on the Volvo. Ihave the mighty RED Landcruiser after fixing the aircond and a few other items to make life comfortable for the wife on our Journey to IPOH for Chinese New Year.

It's decided after measuring the pedal travel and position etc that the pedal axle needs to be 30mm lower to give 40mm of travel and match up to the lower position of the fulcrum needed.

We are working on the pedals when we hear a mewing noise a close investigation reveals 4 kittens in the guillotine and one angry mamma cat.

She runs leaving me to sort out a box and warmth for the kittens - they are cold and wet and Mr Brown is locked away he will kill the kittens.





We finish the brake pedal off and its mounted in the bracket. It all fits in the proper place. I make a bracket for the clutch arm. It does not fit well however there is a 20mm height difference. We need to remake the clutch cylinder bracket.


The clutch needs a spacer bush made its a bit loose.

That obstacle means I can work on the accelerator pedal.

30 January 2017

Work on the pedal continues and it's mounted in place it looks like it will work . I mount the steering column to make sure niothing is in the way.

Home time - wifey decides its CNY we have dinner with Mum before leaving. 9.30pm we leave Ipoh for the 200k drive home. Yup you guessed it CNY traffix was so bad atfer 2 hours I had travelled 9k on the highway. 6.5 hours later at 4am in the morning I arrive home exhausted. I keep the wife awake the whole way as punishment for making us leave late lol.

[geckoadventure]

2 February 2017

Public holiday in KL train up arrive IPOH 1.00am - Tired I collect the trusty Isuzu from the workshop 8.30am

Back to KL in the evening

4 February 2017

I'm starting to hate this drive I just sit on 150K for the 190k just keep outta my way.

First job finish the accelerator pedal off a few mods it will be finished. Like heck, I decide to add a clamp to stop the cable top moving and causing issues a few more hours are lost making sure itsLate in the arvo down to the bolt shop - hey it's open I get 4 imperial UNC 1/4 inch bolts. They don't fit damn.

The go faster pedal is slowly getting completed.


5 February 2017

Mr. Brown smells cat and eventually finds mama cat upstairs and a 2 hour watch and wait game. Mama cat proves she is cunning and eventually slinks away unscathed.


First job finish the accelerator pedal off a few mods it will be finished. Like heck I decide to add a clamp to stop the cable top moving and causing issues.

It's all ready in the arvo and finally looks better. Then the 4 bolts for the door stop will not screw in.

Late in the arvo down to the bolt shop - hey its open I get 4 imperial 1/4 inch bolts. They don't fit damn.

The go faster pedal is slowly getting completed.


7 February 2017

Another holiday - take joe from the home with me. We work on brackets for the seat bottoms etc.

[geckoadventure]

9 February 2017

Another Public holiday the drive to IPOH is easy less than 90 minutes still on 150k.

First job finish the accelerator pedal off a few mods it will be finished. Like heck I decide to add a clamp to stop the cable top moving and causing issues.

We take the clutch pedal miles away to a engineering shop they are also open. They specialize in GEAR cutting. More on this later as they can make PORTAL gears hmmmmmmmmmmm.They will have the nylon bush ready

Saturday. The day cruises by working slowly to finish the bracket.

The go faster pedal is slowly getting completed.


10 February 2017

Bolt shop take a pic of the thread with me. Crossed thread and a UNC tap and I run around all 4 bolts on the right door then the left door and all the bolts now fit. Now the bracket bolts in and the go faster pedal all works. The inspector gives it the thumbs up. Then it's painted.

Mr Brown excited to see me as usual.


The completed go faster pedal.


Then only thing left commence the brake line fitting. We prepare the Volvo to move across the workshop. By 4.30pm it's across the shop and on the hoist with a lot of effort its sitting on wooden planks on the hoist.

6pm hometime.