Manky's Pop.

[Manky Monkey]

The joint between the diff & the axle casing was previously sealed with chemical metal. I don't think I did it, but genuinely can't remember -curse my goldfish memory. I assume it was done with the axle in place under the original Sherpa van because it was applied over oily metal & didn't bond properly. I was able to peel it off. There's no way I'm removing the diff housing & disturbing the gears to replace the gasket, so I plan to run a bead of Araldite around the joint. Can't do that until I've tightened the nuts down, but I'm dreading it as I'm bound to ruin the rather shiny paint. If I don't do it though, I just know it'll leak.

[Manky Monkey]

Another small job sorted. The Sherpa axle uses a single handbrake cable, looped between the 2 drums & pulled by an adjustable linkage with a pulley wheel, attached to the bottom of the lever.
Last time around, I made a linking rod from a galvanised fencing tensioner turn buckle, but it had corroded & looked pretty naff. So I picked up a bunch of stainless threaded adjusters at a steam rally a couple of years ago. 5 quid for half a dozen of them. Apparently they'd been used to support the Christmas lights in Regent Street. Thanks to a spot of welding from Mr Loon, I now have a nice shiny stainless adjuster.

[Manky Monkey]

Obviously, this faces backwards once it's hooked up to the cable.

[morrag]

Nice detail Mr. M, makes all the diff. between "that'll do" and an engineered job! ...Morrag

[Manky Monkey]

*sigh*
This morning was going really well, right up to the point where I dropped the axle off one of the stands while trying to figure out how to re-fit the hubs without damaging the paint.
So I've spent the afternoon sanding out the damage to the paint & respraying it.
Sometimes I think this rebuild would go quicker if I just locked the garage & threw away the key.

[Manky Monkey]

Touching in a scratch on the chassis, using a McDonald's takeaway bag to mask the master cylinder. Yeah the New Year's diet's going well.

[stinkey]

You have been offered assistance mate?😥

[Manky Monkey]

I have?
Archie came & helped me lift the axle down from my workbench last week, but this was a drop of 6 inches, from the stand to the ground, caused by me looking at one end of the axle & not watching what the other end was doing.
With my luck it'll have bent something now -it landed on the flange that the brake backplate bolts to & the diff/propshaft flange. The sooner I can get it back under the chassis the better.

[stinkey]

Im sure Archie will come back to help you fit the axle, it won't be damaged and you can touch it up once fitting back in place because you will scratch and scrape it while doing it 😥😁..tbh I'd leave it as long as possible before fitting it, allowing the paint to harden will be a good thing and maybe tinkering with other stuff till help arrived 🏋️‍♂️🚵‍♂️🏇🧗‍♂️

[Baychimp]

I've told you before,you only have to text.

[Manky Monkey]

Being feeling a bit down lately -just the Winter blues. All I seem to do is go to work, traipse round the streets in the pouring rain or freezing cold, spend the afternoon's in the garage, then go to sleep ready to do it again the next day.
So I'm taking a day off to go for a walk in the countryside while the sun's shining -but I'm I'm sure I'll end up back in the garage later. I've also only had intermittent internet access, so apologies for not posting more often recently.
Nice to see Mr Bay chimp yesterday. I'd shut the garage door down to warm it up to paint some parts. The gas was running out in the heater so I was trying to get it done while I could. Then someone turned up & opened the door & let all the heat out -then the gas ran out, so my painting plans were buggered. Hello Bob
We chatted for a while then I locked up & went in search of a gas supplier. Got a bottle from the local supermarket petrol station in the end. 42 quid if you have an empty bottle. No contracts or forms to fill in.
So I went back & painted my bracket & gently wound the dome nuts down onto the diff housing while the paint was drying. The bracket holds a brake pipe fitting & goes under one of the nuts, so I can't torque them down till it's fitted.

[stinkey]

Same size gas bottles here cost E12 each 👍 and boy do we need it at the moment 🌬❄

[Manky Monkey]

I thought you went there for the warmth?!

[stinkey]

I did? 😱😎  he says sat huddled up against the calor gas heater

[Manky Monkey]