Early HPE restoration

[WestonE]

Not a bad idea Nigel. I think I would change the Diff Bearings and seals, Clutch arm bush, Main shaft output seals behind Clutch release bearing and of course an oil change and quick inspection with the end plate removed on the main box. Note the bolts for the cover plate respect plenty of release agent maybe heat to prevent snapping. I replace mine with Stainless bolts as they carry no significant load. With the box in service if 1st to 2nd Syncro is OK then a second oil change with the box hot soon after using it to get the crud washed out. Beware the box with golden oil on top and black sludge below. This is oil breakdown and it etches the Syncros and trashes all the bearings. I saw this on a 24k only Monte Box that then needed all new internals.

[Carlwil10]

Great to meet you peter and thanks very much for the roof trim for my beta.

Carl

[peteracs]

Hi Carl

No problem, hope it fits the early car? Looking forward to your next installment!

Hi Eric/Nigel

Good call on the diff bearings, I have a new set of seals already. I do intend to drain the oil and see if there is any residual sludge. The first box I bought was supposed to be refurbished, but not by the seller, so it will be suck it and see time.

Thanks for the comments

Peter

[peteracs]

Also just received a pair of new door keys from John Richard. He managed to source some new/old stock blanks with plastic ends rather than the solid metal ones. Fortunately the code on the end of the glovebox lock is the correct one for the rest of the car. The only key I had before this was an after market and had no markings.

Peter

[Nigel]

You added some very good points Eric. I was perhaps
a little brief on my post!
Those diff bearings are easy to get and easy to fit, and don't
affect any existing pre-load set-up, provided the shims all
stay in place.

N.

[peteracs]

Hi

After using the new tilting lift on the Spider, which did a good job. I now wanted to use it on the HPE shell to allow me to get rid of the current support 'dolly'. The problem with using it as intended is that the bars which connect the two sides of it would get in yhenway of the dolly. So I split into two separate lifts and arranged them under the sills of the shell. Each has a separate gearbox so this worked well. The only issue being having to support the bars which stick out. I then connected a drill to take up the slack

The shell is now supported by the tilting lift both sides. I will see how it progresses probably leaving it for more elderly folk. I will make some more permanent supports rather than the blocks of wood I grabbed to keep it balanced.

Peter

[WestonE]

That is probably a design improvement given the weight. I guess getting both sides rising to the same height involves running round the car though.

[peteracs]

Hi Eric

Yes you have to raise each side so care needed there, also to use regularly will involve some improvement to sideways stabilisation, but the benefit is weight/maneouverability and storage all of which are a problem when you want to move it. Also this way together with axle stands for added security leaves the center of the car without any obstacles whilst under the car. Also only one side has the retaining pin to stop the tilt so that one needs to be used if only using one of them to access a particular side.

Peter

[peteracs]

Hi

A decision which has been kicking around unanswered for a long time was what fusebox to use. After discussions with Philip Day (Thema/Dedra Consortium) at The Restoration Show a year and half ago, he kindly sent me over time a couple of Thema fuseboxes and some of the special housings for the spade connectors. Apparently there is more than one version of this fusebox shown in the first and second photo and the special connector housings vary!

I opened one up to understand the construction and it uses multiple layers of flexible PCBs, so no corroding wiring etc internally which is a great result. I therefore set to sorting out the pin outs etc which is no mean task, gleaning info from a Thema 8.32 wiring diagram. After going a fair way down this route I decided that having a new fusebox was probably a good way to go, but drew a blank other than one in Lithuania with a seller not happy to ship to the UK.

At about this time I stumbled upon a very similar fusebox used in an Iveco truck (third photo), which is the same construction, but more relay slots, a little bit bigger, but should fit in the passenger footwell and they are available new from various UK sources at reasonable money. So order has gone I for one of them. The bonus is that the internal wiring diagram is available as a download (I did not find an equivalent for the Thema one).

Also originally having a shortfall of the correct connectors for the Thema box, I set to and produced a 3D print copy of the housing which has two advantages, the originals use a spade connector which is slightly unusual, so I designed the new one to accept standard spade terminals and I can tweak to keyways to suit whatever slot I want to use it in.

A fair amount of time and work to get to where I am with it, but I now feel happy with my choice which should give me plenty of capacity both fuses and relays.

Peter

[betabuoy]

A wise choice Peter. You probably recall our discussion at your Betameeta a couple of years ago; the passenger footwell works very well, as does the Durite item I used.
For reliability and safety, the rewire, modern fuse box, and relocation away from the exhaust manifold, was the best decision I made with my Beta.

[peteracs]

Hi Chris

Yes, remember looking in your car and talking about it. I also have some of those generic relay and fuse boxes in case I run out of places on this box, unlikely on the fuse end, but maybe on the relay. One thing I like about the Iveco box is it has a stud for the 12V input rather than a simple connector.

Peter

[Ferrit]

A wise choice Peter. You probably recall our discussion at your Betameeta a couple of years ago; the passenger footwell works very well, as does the Durite item I used.
For reliability and safety, the rewire, modern fuse box, and relocation away from the exhaust manifold, was the best decision I made with my Beta.

Chris that fusebox tray, did you have it made, it looks very cool.