27th June 2010 - Differential & Driveshafts

The first job today was to fit the wiring loom to the rear chassis.  To do this we unplugged all the fusebox connectors and fed the wires through the hole in the bulkhead top panel then reconnected them.  Couldn't find any suitable fasteners for the fuseboxes so left them dangling.  Having already labelled all the connectors using the wiring diagram it was easy to find the part of the loom which goes along the inside top edge of the transmission tunnel and out past the rear brake union.  We put a piece of split convoluted tubing over the section on the exit to the tunnel to protect it (see photo below).  It was then a matter of following the already-attached saddles out the the right corner then doubling back to the left.  All the connectors seem to be in the right places - we'll see later!

 The aim of getting the rear wiring on was to be able to move onto the milestone of fitting the differential.  As suggested in the manual, this required the removal of the rhs brake pipes from the union to allow easy socket access then placing the studs through the right-hand bushes (see photo) prior to lifting the diff in.  They were then relatively easy to push through the diff with a bit of help from Matthew.  After fitting and torquing up the mounting nuts the next job was the stabiliser bar at the back of the diff - another easy job..... at least it would be if there wasn't a 7/16 nut missing!  We'll have to come back to that one.  One of the trickiest (and messiest) jobs was getting te diff oil in - the tube's just slightly too short to reach from the chassis rail.  Got there eventually, but I hate the smell of gear oil - it reminds me of a Triumph Spitfire I had when I was a student which lost a litre of oil from the gearbox every 100 miles!

Time for a break then to watch England vs. Germany in the World Cup - wish we hadn't bothered!

We needed cheering up after the match, so decided to get the driveshafts at least in place before we headed home.  This is where we're starting to get the hang of Westfield build manual-speak;  When it says something "may" need doing (in this case undoing the top mountings of the hub carriers) it means "will"!  That done, the drivesharfts went on easily and make it look like things are coming together - even though they're not fully bolted up yet.  A job for next time.

Earlier in the day Matthew had wanted to start on the dashboard although it won't be needed for several months ... so he did:

12th June 2010 - Rear Suspension & Fuel Pipes

Having laid out all the remaining rear suspension and brake parts last time, Matthew completed the remaining corner in no time, with only limited need for the "persuading stick" (rubber mallet)!

Next job was the fuel pipes: Having made a complete hash of putting in the bulkhead bend (twice) I ordered some more from Westfield on the proviso that they put the bend in for us. This they did (and still delivered next day), leaving us to put in a lesser bend to tuck round the edge of the lowered floorpan (driver's side) and run along the inner edge of that panel, just below the brake pipe, before exiting under where the diff will be with opposite 45 degree bends. Had to be careful about where to rivet the double p-clips under the pedals so that the rivet didn't interfere with them. I also think we were supposed to use the standard rivets (as per the panelling), but these were a bit too short to hold the doubled-up clips safely so we used some longer/ large headed ones. I think these were intended for the inertia reel belt cover amongst other things - whatever - they did the job brilliantly and if we have to get 6 more rivets it was definitely worth it for peace of mind.

Another job completed today was the mounting of the loom saddles: With the help of the now-labelled loom laid out over the back of the car, the routing suddenly became obvious. This was aided by the confidence provided by discussing the problem with a Westfield mechanic who was at their "Westfield Experience" last weekend. In his words "it doesn't matter too much where you mount it (the loom) as long as it's secure and doesn't touch any moving parts". He also gave me a tip on how to get the ball joints tightened which I'll try out next time.
Wiring loom next time, which will get us back in sequence with the manual. Here's a picture of how it looks now (couldn't resist putting the wheels on!)

2nd June 2010 - More Progress at last: Side Panels

Due to the lack of available weekends plan B has come into operation: Grab a couple of hours on the way home from work! Even though its a 20 mile detour it meant that the side panels went on, thanks to 170 pop rivets (85 each side) and a whole load of messy silicone sealant. I had been holding off doing these in case the chassis needed turning over, but realised that now the suspension's on it can't be turned over anyway; fingers crossed that the fuel pipes and wiring loom can be fitted from underneath! I may attempt my first call to the Westfield helpline to see if they have a template for the bulkhead hole for the upper steering column - there's no mention in either manual of the need to cut one!