'Yes it's going to be a trike'

[jevi]

Well I can report a bit more progress.

Following Mr monkey's advice, Ive found a small enginering company a bit further round on the trading estate where I work who have agreed to machine my hubs for the princley sum of £20 (dropped them off dinner time today will get them back tea time tomorrow - good eh?)

Things to do next - chase up the brake calipers (current owner is waiting for some new flexi hoses for his Mk 4 calipers before he changes them [due in next 5 days - fingers crossed]) try to find the breather hole in the axle tube and decide if I need to weld it up or not?)

Things I must do - weld up the gash I cut in the axle tube when removing brackets (I think its visible in the attached pic?)

Anyway onwards and upwards!

[TwistedPatience]

Well done mate, sorry I couldn't help with the hubs.

[jevi]

Thanks Doc

Best laid plans and all that, walked into the engineering works and the guy I saw wasn't there but his boss was!  Didn't know if he knew the guy was doing the job for me so didn't want to drop him in by asking if the parts were ready.

Will try to call over my "lunch break" tomorrow and see if I can catch the guy I saw first time around.

Fingers crossed I'll have my turned down hubs AND my brake calipers by the end of the week.  Then I might have a bit more progress to report (with pics hopefully)

[jevi]

OOP's forgot to ask if anyone knows of a bearing outlet in the North East that might have RLS 8RS (inch) bearings.  I tried the people Manky told me about and was quoted £45 for a pair of bearings and oil seals (Being a tight git I thought I'd try someone else)

[tbone]

Try here...http://simplybearings.co.uk/shop/p42051/LJ12RS+Imperial+Rubber+Sealed+Deep+Groove+Ball+Bearing+1x2-1/4x5/8+inch/product_info.html


Are your old drum parts looking for a new home?

[triker_Chewie]

following the MMM disc conversion, you must bin them

[jevi]

Thanks T Bone I'll give them a try.

[tbone]

And the drum brake parts??

[jevi]

Sorry T Bone didn't read your reply properly.  If you look back at the pics I posted earlier, that pile of crap on the floor is the remains of the drum brake backing plates and hubs (not sure if I kept the hubs but the rest got skipped).  The hubs were in a pisspoor condition (one side was so rusted it took quite a bit of heat, WD40, 3in1 and a length of scaffold pole on the socket extension to get it to turn), the other end wasn't so bad (it turned but again wasn't in a very good condition).

Called at the enginnering firm this lunchtime to find I didn't need to worry about dropping the bloke in it with his boss however the chap I needed to see is on holiday till next Monday and the hubs havn't been touched. - Ah well

[jevi]

Hurrah!  Got my turned down hubs today, I welded up the hole in the axle tube on Sunday so now all I need is matey boy at the
garage to fit his new calipers and Im ready to plough on.

Daft question time again - If I'm getting the axle powder coated should I send the fully assembled  (but suitably masked) axle  or should I break it down to the componant parts?

[Manky Monkey]

Check with your coater Jevi. Mine prefer parts to be stripped right down, but others may mask them themselves.
Don't forget to drill a new breather hole in your axle tube by the way.

[jevi]

I've only welded up the gash I cut in the tube.  I have'nt seen a breather hole any where on the tubes but they are pretty rusted (so I'll probably find it when I get them blasted)

[jevi]

'T Bone' came up with the goods again.  I ordered 2 new bearings from 'Simply Bearings Ltd last night at about 18:00 and they turned up this morning!  How's that for service!  Hopefully when Ive got a few things like the holidays out of the way I can get on with the job again.

Ive seen 'Morrags' link regarding how to identify the oil seals (Gaco IND 49516) but when I type that into the Simply Bearings site the search comes up blank.  There is an ebay shop 'Reliantparts' advertising a pair for £10 + £2.50 postage but he uses the reliant part number to id them, are they all the same?

[jevi]

Sorry for not posting any updates for some time but currently I need to empty my garage before I can get anywhere near the bike.  I've totally stripped away the swinging arm and drive unit and tack welded a new seat mounting plate in place (pics asap). My latest problem is I've now got my brake calipers but no carriers/hangers (?)

MkII Golf's appear to be like hens teeth in this neighbourhood - are there any other doner's which use the same carriers/hangers (passat?, audi?)

[jevi]

Should have thought about it earlier and done a search on the site.  I now know very ealy passat and audiA4's share the same brake carriers as the MkII golf.   So guese where I'm spending the next couple of weekends (unless I can talk my favourite garage into searching for them?)