Kristen’s Puma Build

Lesson #1 - Don’t buy a clutch alignment tool that doesn’t align the clutch with the spigot bearing.

Lesson #2 - No matter how hard you try or for how long, if the centre of the clutch and the spigot bearing don’t line up, you are never, ever going to get the gearbox on.

Lesson #3 - If you make a special tool (or find someone who already has one - thanks Mike) that is the same diameter as the spigot bearing that can also have an extra piece slide on over the top of it to finish the alignment of the clutch plate all with the pressure plate in place and the bolts done up so that the plate doesn’t move but the clutch plate can be shifted slightly - then that’s the easy way to go!

Lesson #4 -When everything lines up, the gearbox slides on like butter!  Even a little person like me can offer up the gearbox and do up all the bolts, including using the torque wrench in less than 30 minutes all by myself.

Here’s a picture of the final product.  Thank goodness that’s done!!!!

The past 29 days seem to have flown by without much to show for it in terms of completion but I have done lots of small stuff like installing new rear brake shoes; making fuel tank straps complete with trying out differing widths of rubber between the tank and the strap; removing the sump to fishmouth the pipe to discover it’s already been done; bashing the dents out of the sump and putting it back on; and sourcing a commodore fuel pump holder.

Lastly I’ve been trying in vain to put the gearbox back on the engine!!!!!! After nearly 4 hours, the damn thing still won’t go on!  I spoke to a few clubbie friends who suggested that I take the pressure plate and clutch plate off and make sure that the clutch plate actually fits the spline.  Well, it fits the spline.

Now to try and put that gearbox on again!

After “Stig da Velder” visited today and finished the welding for me, I couldn’t help myself - I had to get it rolling!  I hadn’t realised how exciting or emotional it would be to get it on all four wheels and moving.  Everytime I’ve looked at it today I find it hard to believe that I’ve managed to get it this far.

Wow!!

After what has seemed to be an eternity, I’m finally at the stage when I needed the services of “Stig da Velder”.  Stig came to visit today and has helped me with the last few brackets for the diff and subsequent welding.

Stig da Velder was kind enough to help me with the correct alignment of the diff, setting the trailing arms, setting the shockers in place and fixing the panhard rod.  Thanks Stig da Velder!!

Now You See Him…

 
Now You Don’t…

Okay, so it’s taken me 204 days to finish the front brakes but I think they look fantastic.  I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Now I just need to connect the banjo bolts and replace the drill bit holding the shocks with some bolts and the front is complete just in time for me to go back to work.

After much hunting and lots of sheer luck, I’ve found just the thing! A new accelerator pedal!  It’s silver, shiny, looks great and didn’t break the bank.  I need to make a few minor modifications to the foot well so that I can reach the pedal once the seat goes in  - otherwise I’ll need to wear blocks of wood on the bottom of my shoes so that I can drive the car.  Who knows, maybe I’ll grow a bit between now and when the car’s finished!!!

Today I thought I’d tackle the trailing arms and shocks to see how it all goes together.  Needless to say that it looks really, really good and my aim of having it rolling by Christmas almost looks do-able!

I’m a little unsure about what length the trailing arms should be and the round thingy (love those technical terms) that connects to the drive shaft seems to be too far to the right of the trans tunnel but there’s still some more adjustments to make.  I also still need to make up the extra brackets for the shocks to attach to the diff and the one where the rose joint that’s on the end of the panhard rod attaches to the right hand diff bracket.  Once I get the alignment right the welding can start.

With Richard’s help today, I also winched the engine up to see what changes if any I need to make to the engine hoist when I come to put the engine and gearbox in.  It turns out that the sump has a slight dent in it so I’ve drained the oil and will remove and replace the sump cover to make sure there’s no damage.

After much work on the diff, Richard (he who lift’s heavy things) and I lifted the diff into the car.  It’s now ready for me to turn so that the drive shaft is pointing towards the engine rather than at the floor, add the brackets, tack them, align the trailing arms and then take it out again so the brackets can be completely welded in place and the diff painted before it can go back in.

Maybe my hope of having a rolling chassis by christmas is not that far fetched after all.

More work to do yet.

To all my faithful visitors - thanks for staying with me through this project….. although I do wish it was finished!!  You might have thought that I’d been visiting Slackville again but I’ve just been really busy working 7 days a week for the past two months.

Unfortunately working 7 days a week doesn’t leave much time for cooking, eating, sleeping, cleaning, washing and/or being a mum let alone working on the car but I’m back to normal hours now and not before time.  Mind you, the 8 weeks haven’t been a complete loss in that I’ve arranged for someone to make the fuel tank and I picked it up today.  I’ve also added steel tube strengtheners to the grooves in the seats so that I can attach them to the runners and they’re now almost ready to be upholstered.

Thank goodness it’s nearly christmas - I could do with the break!!!

Stay tuned!

Okay, well I knew that I still needed to remove the power steering pump and move the alternator from the driver’s side to the passenger’s side but I’m not sure how it’s meant to go back on - maybe blu tack might work.

Am yet to work out if anything else needs to come off the engine OR if there’s something that I’ve taken off that really should have stayed on….. all part of the learning I suppose.