LP2a SAR restoration

[Lynn Eades]

Phillip, The conduit threads are just that. The answer is to find an old electrician with a set of B.S.Conduit dies. I found a set over here on Trademe quite easily.
3/4" o.d. is the same tpi as UNF (3/4"x 16) but i'm guessing your wanting to run a thread on 1" conduit which is also 16tpi and is specific to B.S. Conduit thread.
The resistor should be fine as long as you have continuity.
If you use an original (Ford) coil, they are notorious for failing when hot. The insulation (even in a nos one) will likely have deteriorated.
They can be rebuilt in the U.S. if you are that keen.
Basically how the system works is that the Ford coil is a 4.5 volt coil.
When you first turn on the key 6 volts goes through the cold resistor to the coil.
This gives the starting h.t.voltage a boost while the battery is under load from the starter. As the resistor heats up the voltage to the coil drops down to the 4.5 volts.
If you use the Ford coil without the resistor, it will eventually burn out.
If you use a std 6 volt or indeed a 12 volt coil, bypass the resistor.

The lighting circuit breaker: If you get a short in any of the light wiring, it will rattle away (noisily) and hopefully your lights still sort of go. Basically an abnormally high current draw will open circuit the relay. It however shuts again very quickly, suppling power to the lights again(momentarily)
When this happens, turn 'em off. It needs fixing.
If power flows through it and you can physically open the points (Which probably need a gentle clean)and they close again (spring) then it will probably work?

[Phillip]

Hi Lyn,

Awesome. Thanks, I'll be running an electronic ignition and matching coil, so you've solved a conundrum for me regarding the ignition resistor.

I have continuity on the circuit breaker so no issues there but will maybe just assume that it will it will work if I ever get a short.

Thanks once again.

[Lynn Eades]

You could hook it up to a measured load, to test it?
I'm not sure what the combined wattage of the lights are, but I imagine a 1 x 100w (12 volt) bulb would set it off?
What wattage are the original headlight bulbs?
At 12 volt, they will be 6 to 24 watt bulbs x 2, plus the two tail light bulbs at a further 6 watts each? Total=60 (ish)?
A 100 watt load can't be far off?

[Euan McDonald]

more evidence of black conduit.

[Phillip]

My little bloke got over a few hurdles this weekend, he learnedly how to ride his bike without the trainer wheels and also wanted to come down the shed and give me a hand. Here he is dismantling the air cleaner elements.

Lyn, thanks for the information on the thread types - I've picked up both the 3/4" and 1" BSC dies out of the UK. When they arrive I'll be able to finish the wiring conduit.

Still cleaning and painting lots of small parts. Very satisfying to see the pile of rust shrinking and the pile of green metal growing.

[Phillip]

Keith Hudson came down to visit over the long weekend for a holiday and to impart his knowledge on pulling apart the suspension.

I helped to run a 'Fun Run' for the Mens Resource Centre on Australia Day and worked on Friday, so it did not turn into a long frenzy of carrier restoration so we only got to tackle the suspension late on Saturday afternoon.

The bogies on my carrier were of some random scrap carrier, so I chose to tackle the bodgies of the spare carrier which is known to come from drier climes.

Our first problems arrived in taking the nuts off the axles, as the first axles started to spin. I found the big spanner and stopped the axle from turning and with the aid of a long bar, got the nuts off.

Expecting to be swinging on the sledge hammer to bash the axles out over a few hours, I could tell that Keith was almost in tears as each axle easily came out the way the they are supposed to.

With some time left, we tackled removing the springs. I must admit that this was a job I was not planning on doing just yet as after listening to all the horror stories, I was anticipating much colourful language.

So imagine my surprise when, about an hour after pulling the bogies into the shed, we had them all in pieces. The hardest part was actually removing the nuts fom the rods and we only had to cut one rod (and only then because I was impatient).

A big thanks to Keith for imparting your knowledge and manpower

[Ron Pier]

I did puzzle over your pictures until I saw your location......Now I get it Ron