Ferret Fluid Flywheel rebuild

[Wayne Hingley]

Originally Posted by Robin Craig

...The resultant phone call I received was "the Ferret is on fire"...

Thats a scary phone call to receive Robin! Hows your heart? Was there any fire damage, or did they get it out quickly?

[rob love]

Wayne: Most likely they boiled the oil in the flywheel, causing lots of smoke and mess.

[Robin Craig]

Wayne,

as Rob so rightly says the "smoke" was infact very hot vaporised oil.

It was that very description and a lack of a burning smell upon arrival on scene that led to my avenue of questioning that revealed what had not gone on before start up.

It is a learning curve you have to go through when you don't have enough of the correctly trained people or correctly motivated people.

It has been at least 2 years since the event but maintaining vehicles is just a small part of what we do at work. Winter is our repair time. It is cyclical.

Robin

[Robin Craig]

Apologies for not posting for a bit.

We have surveyed the vehicle and received direction and the scope of the work has widened.

The fluid flywheel is back together and awaiting the threaded plug so we can pressure test it.

We have ordered 4 new flexible brake lines and have started cleaning up other items, one of the most critical is the bevel box breathers. Such a small item but such a massive implication if it doesn't function.

The rear vertical armour was missing some of the cage nuts and some were damaged beyond repair so we have replaced a bunch. I welded them in using a special stainless / mild steel stick electrode that works nicely. Not exactly the same but superior manufacture / function so I am ok with that.

The vehicle will be a good runner once we have gone through all the systems.

The fuel tank has gone out for cleaning and we are working on the new auxiliary tank and connection.

[Lynn Eades]

Robin, Is that breather what was fitted as original?
They are also an Australian carrier part used to let surplus grease out of the suspension units. I would have thought that they have quite a strong spring and that the Stewart Warner type (look at your Landrover ones) with the loose cap is more suited / sensitive to the bevel box application.
I don't know, just asking.

[Robin Craig]

Lynn they are Original Equipment Manufacture items the breathers. What you cant see in that picture is that I have it held in the open position so the photo is somewhat staged per say.

Robin

[Robin Craig]

Lynn

Here is an underside and topside together