Author Topic: It's not easy being green - 1971 TC  (Read 10598 times)

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Offline Cheguava

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Re: It's not easy being green - 1971 TC
« Reply #90 on: Saturday,May 25, 2024, 12:10:09 AM »
Am I missing a knack to removing the locks or is it just PlusGas and brute force?

If every effort with a spanner and screwdriver fails, you will have to cut one flat back to the thread with a Dremel or similar small grinder. Once you have cut through completely, all the pressure is relieved on the thread and it should undo easily. The problem is corroded metal is bigger than uncorroded metal, so it stops it turning purely due to size.

If you need a new large nut, I have plenty spare as I changed 14 door locks for new.
Thanks for the tip - will have a good go with my assistant, and if that fails, get the Dremel out.

Offline 4129R

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Re: It's not easy being green - 1971 TC
« Reply #91 on: Saturday,May 25, 2024, 02:02:31 AM »
Am I missing a knack to removing the locks or is it just PlusGas and brute force?

If every effort with a spanner and screwdriver fails, you will have to cut one flat back to the thread with a Dremel or similar small grinder. Once you have cut through completely, all the pressure is relieved on the thread and it should undo easily. The problem is corroded metal is bigger than uncorroded metal, so it stops it turning purely due to size.

If you need a new large nut, I have plenty spare as I changed 14 door locks for new.
Thanks for the tip - will have a good go with my assistant, and if that fails, get the Dremel out.

I had a similar problem with similar nuts holding the wiper box to the body where the wiper arm attaches. That one was much easier to get at, but just would not turn with a spanner.

Offline Cheguava

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Re: It's not easy being green - 1971 TC
« Reply #92 on: Monday,May 27, 2024, 06:21:04 AM »
Having a bit of a bad run getting stuff to let go. I've had to order more decent dremel discs as the thin ones aren't up to the job so moved onto the bits left at the front. Everything is rusted up - getting to the stage where (after a quick check of the suppliers price lists - I am from Yorkshire) I'm having to resort to more cutting. The pipe from the brake reservoir to the cylinder was rusty at both ends and the middle, and the nut at the master cylinder would not yield, so cut the pipe off at the bottom so I can get a ring spanner or socket on it later. Would have needed replacing anyway, and less than a tenner. Hoorah!

Onto the Handbrake pivot bolt. The bolt head does turn a little, but is fused to the pivot, so will only move a little.  >:(  PlusGas sprayed liberally and hit bolt and pivot bar with hammer to try and shock them free of each other without success so far. Keep reminding myself that stuff is 50 years old, and has sat for 20, so is to be expected. Still frustrating.


Offline TurboFource

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Re: It's not easy being green - 1971 TC
« Reply #93 on: Monday,May 27, 2024, 08:08:23 AM »
I had to cut the pivot bolt off with a hacksaw blade up under the dash …. Great fun  :-\
The more I do the more I find I need to do....

Offline 4129R

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Re: It's not easy being green - 1971 TC
« Reply #94 on: Monday,May 27, 2024, 08:47:49 AM »
If you are talking about the large headed bolt that the reaction lever pivots on, and you are converting from LHD to RHD, there is a mirror image threaded fixing on the chassis, so you just need a new bolt. With enough leverage, that bolt will shear off as it reduces in size a lot after it passes through the reaction lever. I think the thread is 3/8" UNF where it bolts into the chassis.

Offline Cheguava

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Re: It's not easy being green - 1971 TC
« Reply #95 on: Monday,May 27, 2024, 10:30:55 AM »
If you are talking about the large headed bolt that the reaction lever pivots on, and you are converting from LHD to RHD, there is a mirror image threaded fixing on the chassis, so you just need a new bolt. With enough leverage, that bolt will shear off as it reduces in size a lot after it passes through the reaction lever. I think the thread is 3/8" UNF where it bolts into the chassis.

It's this bolt. I'm not switching sides, keeping the original RHD, the bolt moves but the reaction lever has fused itself to the bolt. Will try and free it off with brute force, but failing that, I reckon I can get the angle grinder in from the passenger footwell. 

Offline TurboFource

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Re: It's not easy being green - 1971 TC
« Reply #96 on: Monday,May 27, 2024, 01:31:43 PM »
I did this …
The more I do the more I find I need to do....

Offline Cheguava

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Re: It's not easy being green - 1971 TC
« Reply #97 on: Monday,May 27, 2024, 01:57:13 PM »
I did this …
That's definitely on the cards as an option, going to try and somehow get the lever to let go of the bolt if I can, but failing that I'm just going to have to saw it off. Appreciate the input - it is a comfort of sorts to know that I have not been selected alone for this torment!

*Edit* - not managed with sockets, and not enough room to get at it with the angle grinder, so hacksaw it is. On the positive side, accelerator pedal assembly is out and freed up with penetrating oil, so that will go back in. On the negative, the brake and clutch pedals look like being a swine to get out...
« Last Edit: Monday,May 27, 2024, 03:13:01 PM by Cheguava »

Offline TurboFource

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Re: It's not easy being green - 1971 TC
« Reply #98 on: Monday,May 27, 2024, 04:15:56 PM »
You are definitely not alone!
The more I do the more I find I need to do....

Offline EuropaTC

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Re: It's not easy being green - 1971 TC
« Reply #99 on: Monday,May 27, 2024, 10:04:31 PM »
Can you get an impact driver with an extended socket on it ?

I'm a late convert to these things but having bought a cheap wired Lidl driver I'm sold on the tool. Things I would previously have struggled with breaker bars just come off PDQ....

Offline Cheguava

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Re: It's not easy being green - 1971 TC
« Reply #100 on: Tuesday,May 28, 2024, 02:26:58 AM »
Can you get an impact driver with an extended socket on it ?

I'm a late convert to these things but having bought a cheap wired Lidl driver I'm sold on the tool. Things I would previously have struggled with breaker bars just come off PDQ....

I'm not sure if that would work, as the bolt itself is loose but fused to the lever. I've got an old school impact driver which I will try with a socket and see if it might shock free, but the bolt is moving around like the thread it was screwed into, presumably on the chassis, has stripped or rusted away...

Offline 4129R

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Re: It's not easy being green - 1971 TC
« Reply #101 on: Tuesday,May 28, 2024, 04:08:55 AM »
On the negative, the brake and clutch pedals look like being a swine to get out...

One you have disconnected the clutch cable and the brake bar to the M/C, the only thing holding the pedals in place are 4 x 1/4"UNF nuts under the body. You will probably have to loosen all 4 and tap with a hammer as the plate on the inside tends to stick to the bodyshell.

Offline TurboFource

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Re: It's not easy being green - 1971 TC
« Reply #102 on: Tuesday,May 28, 2024, 12:28:45 PM »
Mine was the same, it was turning in the threads
The more I do the more I find I need to do....

Offline Cheguava

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Re: It's not easy being green - 1971 TC
« Reply #103 on: Tuesday,May 28, 2024, 01:06:04 PM »
Mine was the same, it was turning in the threads

You have my absolute admiration for having hacksawed through the whole bolt - that's serious hard work! 

I managed to get the angle grinder access from the driver's (RH) footwell without destroying anything else, although that only got me about 3/4 through, and I had to junior hacksaw the rest off. Then got the stub out with mole grips - it unscrewed. But the head of the bolt appears from underside to have been welded to the handbrake lever - suspected effery - but I don't quite know how they got it in if they did weld it to the bolt. Either way it's out, just have to detach the head of the bolt from the lever.

Offline Cheguava

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Re: It's not easy being green - 1971 TC
« Reply #104 on: Tuesday,May 28, 2024, 01:08:11 PM »
On the negative, the brake and clutch pedals look like being a swine to get out...

One you have disconnected the clutch cable and the brake bar to the M/C, the only thing holding the pedals in place are 4 x 1/4"UNF nuts under the body. You will probably have to loosen all 4 and tap with a hammer as the plate on the inside tends to stick to the bodyshell.

So pleased to hear that - was worried I had to get that out before lifting the body - will leave it until after then in that case.