Julius the Moke's RTR(return to roadworthy)

Started by travellering, March 16, 2019, 06:01:31 PM

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travellering

Hi all, first post on this forum.    I recently picked up a 1966 Moke from GA (seems to have been an SC car for most of it's life).  Neither the car or my wallet justify a full restoration at this time, so this is just going to be a journaling of the minor jobs and quibbles in getting an almost ok car back to safe and roadworthy.

BruceK

Nice Moke!  I like the color.  Welcome to Restoration Mini. 
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

MiniDave

Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

Willie_B

Welcome aboard guys. Nice to see you have the moke out and about.

MPlayle

Nice to see I am not the only one doing the Jeep (as DD) and Moke thing.

Welcome from here as well.


travellering

Sorry to get your hopes up MPlayle,  the Jeep isn't ours.  I'll bring more clarity as I get used to posting pics on this board.   That was taken on the only substantial drive we have done so far in Julius, from the house to the British car club meeting about eight miles away.   That was as far as I was willing to go on the dry rotted tires.

Fortunately we didn't go much further as the clutch started to get very notchy as we approached home. 
So, job 1 was to get new tires fitted.  Job 2 was get the clutch sorted, and job 3 was track down the clunks and squeaks in the steering and rear suspension.

tennmoke

Let me know how/if I can help Alan. Want to see it out having fun this 60th anniversary year.

travellering

Thanks for the offer Mark.  If I hit a real stumbling block I'm sure I'll take you up on it.  New tires have been installed, and i pick them up on Monday.  I wound up replacing both master cylinders as the brake cylinder bore was pitted,and the clutch cylinder was worse...

Now onto replacing the cv joint boot that was literally 90% gone...

MiniDave

yeah, dirt makes a lousy lubricant, doesn't it?
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

travellering

I'll be able to answer that more definitively tomorrow after it visits the parts washer at work.  Hopefully the joint is still good and I can clean and reboot it.  Rachel has this plan of doing the car club drive next weekend in Julius. 
Also found this has the most worn out steering rack I have ever had in a mini!  Easily five degrees of slop in the passenger side wheel, and you can see the tie rod slopping back and forth...

MiniDave

I saw a clip from Mini 59 popped up yesterday on FB, I was right behind you guys in your blue wagon - I was driving my Racing Green with my grandson!

Too bad it's LHD, I just swapped out a perfectly good RHD rack I could have sent you....
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

jedduh01

Welcome..!!
   I was about 4 hrs too late to making the phone call on that Moke!  SOO happy it went to Mark = then on to now you Alan and Rachel!

Steering rack = you should be able to Repair your rack if its just the Passenger side Cork bushing that has failed.


Use the common Nylon bush that is sold = cut it in half= and re insert

https://www.minimania.com/msgThread/121649/1/1/Mk1__Steering_rack_Bushing_repair_-_it_can_be_done


I also Think i have a CV Assembly or two that could be offered = Used / unknown real conditon but probably just removed on a working drum to disk upgrade.. Let me know if you need. 

Best of luck!

J Handy




MPlayle

I believe my Moke came with a spare (supposedly new) CV assembly.  I will have to check the boxes of stuff in the garage and see if I can get a part number off it to confirm it is a drum brake CV.  Open to an offer plus shipping if it will work for you.


MiniDave

I also have a couple of good ones for drum brakes, so plenty of parts available.....
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

travellering

Appreciate the offers folks!  It looks like the joint is good enough to go back together for now.  Balls were a bit duller than brand new, but no pitting or grooves in balls or channels, so I think it will hold up to 25hp for a while longer.  Ordered a new boot for the sliding splines, and and will hopefully have the driver's side buttoned back together as soon as that arrives.  On to the rack repair now....

travellering

S,  color me confused... removed the rack boot, and am faced with nothing with wrench flats.  Is there a special single toothed spanner collection that is required to get the inner ball joint of the tie-rod off the rack?

MiniDave

You see the notch? The collar has been pinned there, so un-pin it then take a pair of channel locks and spin the collar off.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

jedduh01

   yep = un pin may be 'difficult but has to happen )

  A small pair of Plumber pliers have been my savior to get in there and get a bite on the round surfaces.  Even holding the steering shaft to unscrew the outer collar. working at the edges, marring the surface isnt the end of the world.. Stays outside of anybushing locations.

Don't forget there is one Phillips set screw - RACK housing into the bushing holder
   .. Ususally accessible thru the frame = SMALL = holds the locking ring in place.

Make sure to reference it= when re installing the new.. so when seated= the screw will find its tiny hole to hold in place.

travellering

Ok, I admit I've been a bit busy on other projects, but finally got the other side regreased and reassembled, then did succeed in getting the tie rod removed from the rack.  Found and removed the set screw for the bushing, but can't seem to get any angle on any decking screws that actually bite in between the bushing amd the rack to enable the rack to push the bushing out.  Any pointers or other methods I may not be thinking of?

jedduh01

Deck screws your'e on it = I prefer About 3 inch...
  Wedge / screw in the  3 screws into the bushing== 2 / 6 /10' Oclock Position.
 
I put washers on the Screws ends giving a larger head area available .. and a little bit of wire to hold them sort of aligned together  in the same angle plane.

Once all wedged in there= use the steering wheel . Turn Left =  and the Rack Shaft will push Out.. also pushing out the screws.   the screws and rack will drag out the busing all together. Usually only takes about one turn of the wheel to drag out the busing.  Ive also had the screws pull out if they;re not wedged in there enough= not the end of the world.  The bushing just needs to stay intact.

Goodluck!

travellering

So far i have tried screwing them in there so hard they are damaging the threads on the rack.  The bushing steel/metal section is too hard for them to actually pierce the metal, and its too far in from the end of the rack to get an angle where the point of more than one screw goes in between the bushing and the actual rack.  No matter what they pop out as soon as I start turning. 11.gif 50.gif 22.gif 50.gif

travellering

Finally said sod it.  Five hours, four jackstands and three hydraulic jacks later.... :-[

This was not a great choice of a one-handed job.   About three hours could have been saved with competent help....

MiniDave

Yeah, those are never fun...is it RHD? Gonna just get a new one?
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

travellering

LHD, and strangely enough, as i do not remember ever buying one, there appears to be a LHD mk1 steering rack sitting in my garage.  (The black one in the bottom of the photo).  Four RHD classics in my collection, and only the last 2 (purchased within the last year) are LHD, so it's unlikely I intentionally purchased one for the wrong side drive.  Being a tragically disorganized parts hoarder has finally paid off...

MiniDave

Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad