Ciao tutti!
For those of you who don't already know, I'm working in Venice 'til Christmas time and my internet access is sporadic as the hotel WiFi is flaky at best, so apologies for not posting much recently but there hasn't been a lot going on in my MV life.
Anyway, I've left Grasshopper and the gang with a long list of jobs to do and I'm pleased to say that they've actually started some of them :-D
One of my plans for this winter is to remove and recondition the WLF rear bogie as it's leaking copious amounts of oil from the diff gaskets and seals. They are the type that drop into the top of the axle so the only way to change the gaskets is to pull out the rear bogie and lift them out. At the same time I’m going to get the rear springs re-done, replace the brake chamber diaphragms and air lines, re-wire the rear end, and jet-wash and paint everything.
I was back last weekend and made a start on the job. The bolts which held the bogie on were extremely tight and rather inaccessible so Grasshopper flame-cut them off. We discovered that the bolts were partially wasted due to corrosion and movement where they passed through the chassis and bracket so it’s a good thing they’re going to be replaced. After taking off the propshaft and brake lines, we removed all the rear wheels and dropped the drums down onto planks of wood. Then we just pulled the bogie out backwards with a tractor.
More to follow some time...