Collectioning Rickman, half and half.

[Mally]

Set off yesterday afternoon, train to Stockport. Met my new friend from BlaBla in his Merc and off down the M6.

My new friend works at Heathrow it seems, which is across the road ish from my Rickman.

Met up with the man selling the Rickman, who also has a Merc. He takes me to my 'new' car.

"Forgot to tell you" he said it goes into rev when you want 1st.

No prob says I, gear lever spring I'll sort it.

Set of for petrol........backwards.

Up the M40 all fine, stop for a break.

Off again, 'Delays on M6'. Not wanting to be in a queue and setting off backwards I head for the M1. Bit longer but keep moving. Going along a very dark road very fast when temp gauge rises.

Pull into lay by full of trucks. Much steam, always a good sign, must still be water about. 

Get out with torch, smell of petrol. walk round n/s. Lay by flooded. look under car, join in fuel hose leaking.

Clamp pipe with mole grips.

Sat Nav says I'm on A42 near M1. Report this to lovely lady at RAC.

I've been a member nearly 2 days now!

No problem we will have someone with you in a hour.

One hour later phone goes.

Hi RAC man here, I believe you are my next job and I'm with you around now? Me yes.

Him, well I'm 1 hour 20 mins away at the mo. You can wait or I'll send a truck...... Send a truck.

1 hour later truck arrives, much faffing about and off we go.

Left home 15-30. Arrived London 20-30. train + BlaBla.

Set off back 21-30, broke down 1am

 RAC truck comes 3am. Home 5am.

Conclusion. Train, BlaBla and RAC are very efficient.

Rickman good in parts. The half I drove it was good, the half on the Truck was fuel efficient

Have made much progress today, will report later.

I still like it.

[Mally]

 

First try with a photo if it works I'll take some more.

Right woke up day after, 5 hours sleep. Topped water up 5-1/2 pints. Cortina book says holds 10pts.

No leaks. went for a run, seems OK.

Has 2 spotlamps stuck right in front of the rad, so they have gone now.

Also has a Kenlow fan which was doing a good job of blocking airflow but looks like it's not moved for 10 years.

Took rad off, chucked kenlow on scrap pile. Top hose has a crack near the jubilee clip, with rusty stains around it.

Am hoping that's the leak. Bought new timing belt, fan belt and thermostat.

Have decided to change everything that's made of rubber. Will fit them tomorrow.

 

The colour can only be described as shite.

I thought, when I bought it in the semi dark, that it had a blow over!

On close inspection however it seems maybe the gel coat has changed colour drastically, as the photo hopefully shows under the bonnet and trims its still red. 

Am reluctant to take a buffer to it, at least its all the same colour now.

Anyone seen this before?

[scdan4]

i like that.

[anonymous user]

Very nice, did someone chop up a Ford Escort to build it, or is it a later one?

[Mally]

They were all chopped up Escorts one way or another as far as I know.

I used to have Duttons which were similar but much worse.

[vulgalour]

That's faded in a really odd way, it's still shiny but it's gone terracotta so it must be the colour that's gone funny in the sunlight.  A nice addition to the growing purchases of top shelf shite this month is enjoying.

[Mally]

Can rescue the Kenlow if anyone wants it. wired the fan direct and nothing happens, but the sensor may work.

Apparently new petrol is crap and rots old fuel lines, am fitting copper back to front with short new hose at both ends.

They were all home builds, but quite a few were built by specialists for people who couldn't/wouldn't do it themselves.

This one was very well constructed originally, but bits have been added and nothing removed. Has 2 inline filters one next to the other, 2 horns etc.

[RoadworkUK]

I'm not a Kenlowe fan either.

[dollywobbler]

That's quite a caper, for a Rickman Ranger! This place really is on fire at the moment. Thankfully not literally.

[Mally]

 

Hole in top hose, cracked on out side pinhole on inside.

 

So, top hose off, fan belt off, had trouble with altenator bolts, timing belt cover off.

Undo bottom pulley bolt, set timing to marks, pulley off, timing belt off, not sure how old but its Quinten Hazel!

New timing belt on, cover on, new fan belt on, easy!

Tighten altenator bolts, bolt on adjuster brk shears off on its own, well almost.

Bolt is screwed into water pump. Cant drill it out body in the way.

Ah well take the water pump off to drill it. Undo 2 water pump bolts, very hard, 3rd bolt shears despite me being very, very careful.

Sheared in engine bugger. Can drill this one though. Good job or it's engine out!

Drill the broken bit out very carefully and run a tap down it. Decide to locktite a stud in and put a nut on the end.

As I have the pump off might as well change it. Off to buy one.

So two steps forward 2 steps back. Did scrounge a rubber for the exhaust when I went for the new water pump though.

Have another go tomorow.

[Mally]

 

 

 

Water pump on, belt on, water in.

Photo of how much a Kenlow obscures the rad.

They are good in a traffic jam but not any other time.

Gear lever spring circlip lost and rubber perished. Bodged with jubilees.

It's running again now.

Off racin this weekend, further reports next week.

 

[Mally]

 

[Mally]

 

Done it again! Keep posting by accident before I've finished!

 

 Photo of old heater hose. connector at elbow has x3 small pipes glued up with silicone. Seemed to work but all new pipes now

.

Fuel pipes under car. Rubber hose is 1/4" from tank joined to 5/16 to pump.

This fell apart on my way back so I bodged it. Am very proud of the Halfords socket which I used in the join.

The copper pipe is my new fuel pipe, flared out to 5/16 at the pump end.

Have changed a leaking rear wheel cylinder, and changed oil and filter.

That's it for now.

 

[Mally]

 

Ho hum.

If I keep going bound to get it right sometime.

[Mally]

They did indeed copy, err, borrow the idea from a Japanese company.

Some of the Suzukis at that time were prone to turning over.

It was said they put a Rickman on the tilting table they use for double decker buses to make sure it was stable.

Also heard the back  door hinges on the Suzuki were out of line. They put that right on the Rickman.

[Faker]

They did indeed copy, err, borrow the idea from a Japanese company.

Some of the Suzukis at that time were prone to turning over.

It was said they put a Rickman on the tilting table they use for double decker buses to make sure it was stable.

Also heard the back door hinges on the Suzuki were out of line. They put that right on the Rickman.

 

Transpired 410/413 were not as unstable as they were portrayed. Tests were carried out after a couple were involved in fatal collisions, and the range rover available at the same time toppled at a lesser angle than the Suzuki. Needless to say the controversial subject wasn't mentioned again. Funny that! Suzuki continued to market and sell the rhino for years, and the jimny which replaced it (jimny heavily based on 410/413 rhino).

[Mally]

 

Thought I'd have a go at the lights today.

They have been wired so the dipped head lamps come on with the side lights. Cars do this nowadays but not Mk2 Escorts.

I don't like it as I tend to leave the side lights on when I go to the Chippy. So want it original.

Found a wire attached by scotch lock to the side lights at the switch, followed it, took the glove box out and found this!

 

I'm all for an odd scotch lock but this is ridiculous. Some lengths of wire have 4 scotch locks for no apparent reason.

Could take a while. I used to work with Alec Trishun, who always sorted me out. But even he would scratch his head a bit with this.

There is a bank of switches and warning lights, on the dash, some of the switches work the warning lights but non actually have a function.

Most of it will likely end up in the bin.

Decided to put the glove box back in for a day or two.

[oldcars]

/\   good luck i would not know where to start with that little lot.

[Rocket88]

I knew an auto electrician who would refuse to touch anything with even ONE of those "bastard blue things from hell", as he succinctly put it.......... 

[PiperCub]

Wow - that is a mess and a half! The Scotchlok - the wiring bodgers best friend, the electrical equivilent of the self tapping screw. 

 

I strangely like these Rangers, I don't know why but I always have. 

 

FYI - I used to work with a guy who extensively used/abused Suzy SJ410/13's properly off-road (incl racing them) and said the whole instability thing was largely bollocks as they were pretty stable things for an off-roader & very difficult to roll. Suspect it was more to do with idiots expecting a 4x4 with it's soft suspension and higher CoG could be thrown around like a hot-hatch without consequences. 

[Mally]

Before

 

 

After

 

 

Leftovers

 

Still a few Scotchloks about, but mainly fastened to the Rear wash/wipe switch, which for som reason is on the passenger side.

Will remove them when I move the switch.

At the moment everything seems to work that needs to work. Fingers crossed.

[Mally]

Still not got the hang of posting.

Obviously last picture is the finished one.

[vulgalour]

Commendable de-bodging happening here.