Author Topic: Mellow Yellow's Minibeast - maintenance and makeover (Read 11999 times)

mellowyellow · « **Reply #195 on:** April 09, 2017, 06:25:11 PM »

Thanks Newie, I'll break out the soldering iron and heat shrink. The fresh electrical tape was just a temporary protection. It's been like that since I bought the moke - I've never had the headlights out before. Yep, I understand not sealed beams - just used the wrong words. $:-\$

Dev, the temperature gauge is an add on, not part of the main dash, but the fuel gauge still works (as well as a moke gauge does). I've only got 4 fuses anyway.

Terry · « **Reply #196 on:** April 09, 2017, 06:34:47 PM »

Hi,

Another test for the hadlights is to run a wire from the battery terminal on the solenoid directly to the terminal at the end of the Blue/Red or Blue/White wire coming from the headlight, unplug from the junction where the feed and the two headlights join. If you do one side at a time and turn the lights on you can check if there is a difference between the two and this can be the different rating of the H4 globes but can also show up resistance in the connections at the switch and/or high/low beam contacts in the stalk.

Fitting a New Era style headlight relay can help improve your lights over the standard connections.

Terry

mellowyellow · « **Reply #197 on:** April 21, 2017, 12:47:04 PM »

Well I've busy working and now have a few days free. Soldered (sort of) and put heat shrink on the headlight wiring. I put new globes in both sides. Fitted Repco H4 Plus 30 globes (12V 60/55W P43t) which are supposed to give "30% more light and greater vision". I haven't been able to see if they have the same brightness on both sides yet. I did notice the headlights themselves felt warm, but can't remember how warm the other globes were.

I also started to investigate the temp gauge problem. The green wire near the thermostat is connected and wires at the back of the gauge are good and tight. But...while looking around the engine bay i found some more dodgy wiring connecting to the solenoid. I have no idea what the yellow wire is/was for but it doesn't go anywhere. Any ideas? Can i just remove it when I rejoin the black wire?

Newie · « **Reply #198 on:** April 21, 2017, 04:50:19 PM »

Yep, cut that yellow wire off, strip back the brown wire and join/solder it properly with heat shrink insulation when you're done.

Who knows what the yellow wire was for, but definitely not factory - just more dodgyness that needs getting rid of

Newie

mellowyellow · « **Reply #199 on:** April 23, 2017, 04:42:20 PM »

Well it seems I've solved the temperature gauge issue. Cut off the yellow wire and reconnected the brown one. While I had a few connections off the solenoid, I noticed another wire that connects onto the engine. The connection was covered in oil for some reason, so all was cleaned up, the connecting tab given a light sand and re connected. Ran the engine for a while this afternoon, and the temp needle was not moving. Then finally it moved up past 40 degrees. Not sure which fix solved the problem, but hey, it works so who cares.

mellowyellow · « **Reply #200 on:** July 11, 2017, 10:21:08 AM »

Rego renewal papers arrived the other day. headed down to the same bloke that checked it last year and... all good (of course)

Ready for another year of moking. (After paying the expensive green slip). Only thing is, it should be cheaper than the hilux

I have still not done anything with the clutch return spring. Moke is running well without it and I'm not into fiddling with things that are working okay, especially clutches. I will have to look further at the oil leak though. I haven't had a good look at the source, but somewhere near the rear of the engine. I'll start with removing the sump guard and cleaning up underneath to see whats what.

mellowyellow · « **Reply #201 on:** August 27, 2017, 09:45:37 PM »

Well the clutch return spring problem has been sorted...finally. Thanks again to all the helpful comments on the other thread.

In short, put the spring back on, and could not get any gears. Next, adjusted the adjusting bolt and put the spring back on. Getting good at this spring refit by now.

But now I had a fast idling engine. Go Figure. Following Incogneato's suggestion I took the spring off again, and put the accelerator cable between the slave cylinder and the spring...all good.

Running smoothly. The clutch pedal feels a bit different, but I could be comparing with the stiffness of the hilux clutch. Went for a short run for fuel and air, and all seemed good.

Next...find the oil leak. Took off the sump guard so I have access to the sump and will have a look after I clean things up a bit.

Newie · « **Reply #202 on:** August 27, 2017, 10:03:06 PM »

Great to hear that you have the clutch problem sorted properly now Mellow.

Oil leaks are another issue again. I think you have the right idea in cleaning it all up as best you can for a start and go from there.

mellowyellow · « **Reply #203 on:** July 22, 2018, 09:47:33 PM »

Looks like a while since I have worked on the mini beast. Rego time is almost here so i fired up the mini (eventually) and got it out in the sunlight. Unfortunately it has been doing more than just marking it's territory, it left a reasonable puddle. I put frsh cardboard and 2 foil trays underneath, before I put it back in the garage.

I still can't quite see where it is coming from. I cleaned up around where the selector shaft goes into the engine. there seemed to be some oil there. I was also intrigued to find a wire holding things together. From my Gregorys workshop manual, that doesn't seem right. Any ideas? I may have to see if my mechanic can spare a day out of his retirement to have a look for the leak.

Not sure if you can see, but there is also a chunk out of the rod an inch or so back from the part with the tie wire. Perhaps I ran over something and got clobbered at some time.

I'm also curious as to how much movement there should be at the engine end of the shaft particularly where the wired on bit is. (NB you can tell I don't know all the right names for the parts, so open for some education as usual

)

Terry · « **Reply #204 on:** July 23, 2018, 12:19:59 AM »

Hi,

the bit of wire is there to stop the pin from falling out and although not a factory bit of wire, it is not that uncommon a technique to see and I use on most vehicles I play with. If the pin itself is not moving about in the hole then it is fine.

If the Moke is in neutral there there is a reasonable amount of free movement. Place it in gear and check again and there will also be movement but probably less.

Terry

Maddog · « **Reply #205 on:** July 23, 2018, 01:51:00 AM »

Hi Mellow,

That's a pretty good place to start looking for leaks...

If you can get underneath it's not that hard to fix yourself.

https://www.moke.com.au/in-the-garage/gearbox/86-rod-change-seal-replacement

When the seals are being replaced is a good time to replace the roll pins in that joint as well. I don't know what your gear change is like now, but the way that one is hanging out and the wire holding it in suggests it might be a bit loose.

https://www.moke.com.au/in-the-garage/gearbox/68-sloppy-gearchange

Cheers, MD.

mellowyellow · « **Reply #206 on:** July 23, 2018, 09:30:06 AM »

Thanks for the replies. I was a it concerned about the oil leak as it was not as bad before the complete engine and gear box rebuild a few years ago. I'll check today since I put it over a clean surface to drip into.

Terry, I now understand about the wire as an insurance for the pin. I'll recheck the movement, but from what you have said it is probably ok.

Maddog. Mokewerx was my next port of call for info. The photos you have put up really explain all the bits much better than the Gregorys manual. I'll crawl under a bit further and have a look from a different angle.

As for rego, I finally have to replace the windscreen washer bottle. I liked that I still had an original one, but it's leaking again and not working. So a universal one pretty much the same size is on it's way.

mellowyellow · « **Reply #207 on:** October 15, 2018, 09:18:08 AM »

Tamworth preparation.
To be honest...not much. The moke has been languishing in the garage for most of the winter and came out rarely when I needed to get easily in the garage. More recently I have been wary of driving anything, especially the moke after my Hilux was hit in the rear and written off.

I'd only had the newer one for 3 months so now having to rebuild another into a touring 4WD.

So there has been lots of internal debate about driving the moke to Tamworth. Yesterday I bit the bullet and went for a reasonable afternoon run up the northern beaches, and back along some windy moking roads through Church Point and Terrey Hills. If the weather is kind this week, I'll moke to work. I need to get back to the feeling that the mini beast is my "happy car".

Newie · « **Reply #208 on:** October 15, 2018, 02:28:48 PM »

Good on you Mellow

One of the best things about these bigger runs and events such as the Round Up is that they motivate people to (a) Get out and drive their mokes and (b) Get them up to scratch mechanically as well as finally checking at least one or two items off the long "one day" list that so many of us have. I know mine would certainly be nowhere near the vehicle it is if it wasn't for the Round Ups, Rylstone Classics etc

Hope all the test runs go smoothly and you get yourself back into the Mokin groove

mellowyellow · « **Reply #209 on:** July 22, 2019, 10:08:05 AM »

Well it seems I haven't posted for a while. The minibeast has again been hiding in the garage more often than not since Tamworth. So much so, that it was still carrying half of the Tamworth countryside with it. So as the rego is due in a few weeks, it had a good tub on the front lawn yesterday. All nice and shiny, except I still have to do the side curtains. Checked all the required rego stuff - lights, brakes, oil leaks etc. Headed down to the inspection guy this morning, and of course - passed with flying colours. I think it helps if it looks good.

Took it for a bit of a run to do some shopping, and remembered all the little things I want to fix/improve, rattles to find, hand brake to adjust, steering pulling a bit to the left, oil leak to stop (slow). Just another day in moking paradise.

My enthusiasm has been renewed.