guykay Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 I was working on the CVRT Samson at the weekend. I managed to get some main brake pads from Bannisters & found a few hours to fit them. I would love to have a chat with the person ,that placed the main brake calipers where they are, accessing the pad retaining plate bolts against the hull side, particularly on the side by the gearbox oil filter was nearly impossible. Good job the plate is slotted on that side. Nevertheless, all proceeded worryingly smoothly, all clear sign that disaster lies ahead. Buoyed up by the success of brake pad fitting, I decided to slightly adjust the height of the rear of the gearbox, as after I had replaced the box some weeks ago the fan drive belt had been running close to the end of the fan pulley & nearly riding against the retaining plate. So loosened off the 4 clamp bolts, undid the rear bolt & removed a smidgen of packing. Retightened everything. Simple. Fired up the Samson to drive it back into the shed & heard a slight whistling noise that wasn't there before. Lifted the decks for a quick check that all was well. Oh dear, adjusted the gearbox packing the wrong way, belt position was worse than before. Fire up Samson again to drive it out of the shed & there was a Big Bang followed by a whooshing noise. On investigation, the belt had forced off the retaining plate on the front of the fan pulley & this had managed to sever one of the radiator pipes resulting in water p--ssing everywhere. 10 minute job now became a 3 hour job as I had to drill out & retap the 6 screws that normally hold the plate onto the pulley & source a bit of 1 3/4 hose to replace the bust, bit. Refill cooling system, & adjust gearbox by INCREASING the packing under the back mounting point. & hey presto were back to where we started. Character building I think they call it. I love this hobby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidewinder Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Always one thing after another.. And I've got all this to look forward to with the Spartan I've just bought.. honestly, I can't wait! :coffee: James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirhc Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Those pads are very annoying, it's not so bad if the last person didn't do up the bolt next to the hull too tight, but almost impossible if its very tight. How's the gearbox working out? Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Oh I can sympathise with that one mate...when I got my Sabre the pads were seriously delaminating and use of brake fluid had destroyed the seals. This had caused the piston to be stuck solid in the caliper. PO had clearly used something very large to try and force it back resulting in the pad being bent and jammed in place. Had to get the calipers out with gearbox in place - they do come but only if you guide them out on a fiendishly difficult path, all while youre lying upside down in a position which can only be tolerated for 30 seconds at a time. Happy memories! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guykay Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 Chris Gearbox is absolutely fine. I am going to drop out the oil again this year & replace the filter assembly with one of the later units with a warning light when the bypass operates. Forward/reverse linkage seems a bit stiff, but the trick mentioned in the forum about briefly switching the ignition on & off works every time. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Chris Gearbox is absolutely fine. I am going to drop out the oil again this year & replace the filter assembly with one of the later units with a warning light when the bypass operates. Forward/reverse linkage seems a bit stiff, but the trick mentioned in the forum about briefly switching the ignition on & off works every time. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD I find that tweaking one of the sticks sometimes helps too. Dont go too mad though or you'll end up spinning on the spot if the drive goes in unexpectedly..! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guykay Posted March 12, 2013 Author Share Posted March 12, 2013 I'll give that a go, it's probably easier than reaching over your shoulder to twiddle the on off switch with your right hand whilst wrestling with the forward/reverse lever with your left. Why are these things so bloody in unergonomic Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Its because they were designed to be driven by 19 year olds, who are a)more flexible b)not going to complain... Also remember this is essentially a 1960's design so compare it to most cars of the time and you would probably find a similar lack of ergonomic thinking. It is the indicators which are the really scary bit. I think on Stormer the indicators are on the tillers, much more sensible. Alternatively there should be a second indicator set up for the commander (but he could always give hand signals I suppose)... Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guykay Posted March 13, 2013 Author Share Posted March 13, 2013 I think that there is a mod to convert the old style tillers to more modern ones with the indicator buttons on top. They have curly wires from each tiller disappearing into the gibbons somewhere. A bit Heath Robinson really. Why am I not surprised? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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