LP2a SAR restoration

[Phillip]

Looking back, it’s been a fair while since my last post. During my absence from the forum, I made a gantry out of scrap I beam, fitted the engine and completed the wiring.

So many little jobs! In hindsight I’d recommend a table on the outside of the carrier on which to place the plethora of tools and parts that you need whilst working in this space. On a positive note, you get heaps of exercise climbing in and out to go and get that part/ tool that you left on the work bench!

I made up a tool to get the correct bend on the bifurcated rivets holding all the felt in place, this worked well in forming the loops on the rivet arms to keep tension on the rivet head - well worth the effort to get the correct result.

Both fuels tanks are now restored and the near-side tank fitted as this posses the least hindrance to any final works in the engine bay. Thanks to Euan McDonald who had a sample of what was fitted to the hole in the fuel tank under the rear seats - it’s a breather that was discarded on later fuel tanks.

All the fuel lines made up with new fittings, I found cloth covered fuel line but could not source the old style swagged fittings, what you see is the nearest I could get. The purists will note the pick up is rotated 1600mils - this was so the line does not rub anywhere.

One of the few concessions made in this restoration, besides an electronic ignition, is an electronic fuel pump. As I fitted a new mechanical pump, I only wanted to use the electric pump to prime the carby, so I ran an extra wire in the harness so that it can be turned on/ off from the drivers compartment. Works a treat as she fires up easily on 6v.

[Phillip]

I went to fit the rear seat over the fuel tank and decided I didn’t like the look of my re-orientated fuel line, some careful bending of the brass fuel line and I’ve now got the line facing the right way and not touching anything

Fitting the rear seat was fun (not) and I’m not sure that once the engine cover is in place that I’d be able to sit on it!

The wiring is now complete, the capacity to switch the electric fuel pump on and off from the drivers compartment works a treat. I was not getting a charge out of the generator but the coils are giving the right readings, so pulled it out and re-cleaned and polarised it, now charging!

Air filters, engine cover, all those little jobs and (shudder) tracks next!!!!

[John Mackie]

Absolutly great work on your carrier . I only just found your thread, I do not know how I managed to miss it. I would like to add some comments learnt while restoring my carrier.
Exhaurt system. My muffler gaurds were so badly bent that I had to replace all 4, I asked a company to cut some 2.5 "strips from a sheet. they said they had some 2.5" X 0.25 " I gladly bought some . On my carrier the tail pipes were still attatched to very sad mufflers, I re-used the old tail pipes and joined them up to the exhaust pipes , it is alittle throaty but not noisy,
The 2 piece sump you mentioned will not let the engine sit down.. I found out!
On seting up the differential you indicated that you had minimal backlash , maybee the axle may have needed some shims between the axle housing and the pinoin bearing housing.
you have most likley found solutions to these problems but I mention them just in case.

[Phillip]

Thanks John,

Its been a fun learning curve, they are very basic, sooo much easier to work on than the Ferret that was my first project.

My muffler guards had coped a hammering as well, but an oxy and a large hammer got them straight!

Looking forward to being able to get back down the shed soon.

[Phillip]

Well it’s been a busy 2019 but not enough movement on the restoration front. Fighting my end of year apathy, I pulled my finger out (as well as smacked several of them with a sledge hammer) and finished sorting out the track enough to get the old girl mobile.

It steers so just fine-tuning, get the rear tool rack and engine cover restored as well as continuing with all those ‘small details’ to get it finished for April 2020

[Phillip]

I was lucky that one of the covers for the mortar rounds survived from being turned into a BBQ plate and provided a reference for the missing cover. Darrin Wright kindly supplied a laser cut ‘kit’ the same as he used in his restoration.

It was good that Darrin had the original drivers side cover, whilst mine still had the opposite side cover. Between the two covers, this has formed some excellent reference points as they are not mirror copies of each other and there are varying construction techniques between Darrins cover and mine.

Not quite finished, but almost there...

[Andrew Rowe]

Hi Phillip,
You say this lid is the cover for the mortar rounds, I always understood this cover was for the radio set? cheers Andrew.