Ongoing Work in 2010

Jul 23rd '10 - Electronic Ignition Distributor Fitted

Got the new distributor fitted today. The ballast resistor was fitted to the firewall, and coil fitted to the side of the cylinder head with the new bracket. The new unit was fitted at the same angle as the old, but the engine didn't start when first turned over. 

The timing must have been out on the original unit as the new one had to be rotated about 20 degrees before the engine fired. After a bit of adjustment the engine was running smoothly and with more power than before.

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Jul 21st '10 - New Electronic Ignition Distributor

While I got the new distributor in time for the Breighton weekend, I couldn't fit it as the Hotchkiss distributor mounting bracket was different to the Willys type. I also needed a bracket for the coil, as this is external on the new version. New parts were ordered and arrived while I was at Breighton.

I need to fit some crimps to the ignition leads to allow them to fit the new distributor cap, and hope to have the new system fitted and running at the end of the week.

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Jun 21st '10 - Ignition Troubles

During the last few trips out, the engine has been loosing power and missing occasionally. At the Debach/Thorpe Abbotts weekend, the problem got a bit worse, although only on the long drive to Thorpe Abbotts. Once home, the distributor was stripped, cleaned, points set and the plugs cleaned and re-gapped ready for the Great North Fly In. The plugs were very sooty, showing the clyinders haven't been giving a good clean burn. During the last part of the trip there, power dropped off considerably, although short drives around the airfield were fine.

Driving home, the first 5 miles were fine, then the problems returned forcing a pull in to a layby. The condenser was swapped for an old one kept in the Jeep, and this instantly fixed the trouble, but it only lasted for another 20 miles and the problem returned, but there was enough power to limp back home.

The original ignition system has done 10,000 miles in my use and who knows how many in French Army service. Rather than persisting with this tired system, I have decided to upgrade it to a modern electronic ignition unit from Jolley Engineering. Since Willys parts are more easily found, I am getting the new ignition unit built into a Willys distributor, knowing that it will be cheaper to replace and easier to find Willys rotor arms and distributor caps rather than the Hotchkiss type currently fitted.

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Mar 13th '10 - Spring Service

No pictures and nothing exciting done, just engine oil change, gearbox and transfer case oil checked and topped up, all grease points done and steering knuckles greased. Everything is now sorted for the start of the season. I think the first proper run out is mid April for the Yorkshire MVT Crank up.

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Feb 6th '10 - New Fuel Tank Fitted

After several days of preparation, the new fuel tank was fitted today. The job started with the tank which was received in red oxide primer.

It was sprayed several coats of olive drab and finally the bottom of the sump was skinned in fine 49 gram fibreglass cloth, applied with epoxy resin. This would prevent water from attacking the sump as it had on the old tank.

Once the tank was ready, the drivers seat was removed, followed by the old tank. The tank well was cleaned out of loose material, rust removed with a rotary wire brush, and then scrubbed out with petrol.

Once as clean as it was going to get, the well was cleaned out again with cellulose thinners. The well was then lined with a 200 gram heavy duty glass cloth applied with epoxy.

 The well was a little thin in places, and the glass layer both reinforced the well and gave a smooth internal surface allowing water to drain freely out of the drain hole.

With the outside temperature still fairly low, the epoxy was force cured with heat from a 3Kw fan heater. This allowed the well to be painted out within hours rather than the following day.

 
After about 6 hours work, the new tank was fitted, plumbed in, checked for leaks and then the seat re-fitted.
 

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Jan 26th '10 - Brake Light Switch & Fuel Pump

Today the new brake pressure switch was fitted to replace the failed unit. Surprisingly little brake fluid was lost when fitting the new switch so very little air came through when bleeding the brakes afterwards.

The other job for the day was to fit a new fuel pump seal kit. One of the fuel pipes put up a fight coming off the pump while the other was seeping. Tightening the brass union would change the pipe angle by 90 degrees, so for now, PTFE tape helped seal the threads on the loose side so I didn't need to make up a new pipe. If it shows no signs of leaking over the next couple of weeks, I'll leave it alone, but I needed it fixed enough to test the pump after the new seals were in. Hooking the diaphram onto the pump arm was difficult, but worked much easier when I realised the arm was wider than the hole it needed to fit through! With it all back together, the engine ran much more smoothly at idle. Worn seals were causing minor air leaks which was upsetting the mixture at idle.

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Jan 25th '10 - Bar Grip Tyres Fitted and Fuel Tank Problem Discovered

The plan was to fit the new tyres and fit a new brake light pressure switch to the master brake cylinder with the assistance of Croft Engineering.

However, part way through doing the tyres, a fuel leak was discovered that turned out to be pinholes in the bottom of the fuel tank as a result of corrosion/old age. A temporary fibreglass patch was applied to get me home until a new tank can be fitted.

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Jan 19th~24th '10 - Hood Repairs and Respray

The weld in the seam of the hood has been cracking at the front for a while. However, when putting the Jeep away at the end of last years winter road run, it pushed a little too hard against the trailer hitch, and bent the front edge down to the left of the seam.

The seam was welded again, with a piece of steel to brace the inside of the joint to stop flexing from cracking the weld.

The outside was smoothed off with an angle grinder and it was red oxide primed and left to harden

On Saturday 23rd, the area was rubbed down, filled, red primed again, rubbed down and olive drab sprayed 
Finally on Sunday 24th, the olive was flatted back and the Prestone markings re-applied. Once the paint has had time to harden off, it need a light rub over with a slightly oily petrol rag to weather the colours down a bit and to put a slight sheen on the paint to match the rest of the vehicle. 

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