Bit of an update on Helens truck and a few questions .
As you all know its a re bodied truck originally registered in 1991 as a 413 softop which brings up a few questions as its now bodied as a long wheelbase hardtop samurai if there is such a thing? .
The question is does a 413 have the same size/ width axles as a samurai ? I thought a samurai had wider axles than a 413 as it presents questions about replacement wheelbearings discs etc ?
Any info would be helpful as I don't know the timeline of these things .
Further update about the truck .
After using it successfully at Broxhead for Blorc we returned it to precision autos for further reengineering as we were suffering massive vibration after engaging 4 wheel drive .
It was found to be caused by the engine being mounted too far to the passenger side of the engine bay and the bellhousing hitting the transmission tunnel . It also appears this had tried to be corrected/fixed/bodged by fitting a very stiff polybush to one engine mount to stop the engine twisting left and banging the transmission tunnel. Precision autos had a machined up a press together engine mount with the correct rubber insert made up for the left side and cut away and repositioned the right side engine mount , moving the engine across approx. 20mm and tilted slighty and correctly aligned .
The single cherry bomb exhaust was fiercely loud so we have had it cut and a stainless silencer welded in and this has also improved power as we think it has raised back pressure.
The fuel system repair was found not to have worked as it was still suffering starvation and when investigated further by dropping the tank , it appears the replumbed breather system originally fitted when the truck was rebodied was fitted back into the tank ! Precision autos have now resolved this by welding an 8mm breather into the tank after first spending an hour or so flushing the tank as it was full of rust ! The fuel lines and breather pipes are also now properly p clipped to the chassis as opposed to being cable tied as was and they have also installed an electric fuel pump .
The dash board has had an extensive rewire , the under bonnet is now completely rewired with a new relay system and most of the fuel line replaced.
Also curiously the extended axle breathers we asked to be fitted when we bought the truck , seemed only to be for show as the rear one didn't exist , the original short length still sitting on the top of the fuel tank . The front one however does exist , I will be checking its actually connected!
On a positive note 3 of the 5 wheels are now metallic purple as is the repainted front bumper .
We are both very disappointed by the standard of the original engineering of truck and question its likely reliability if we had not commissioned this work .
We are not there yet but if there is a moral to our story? , reputations are built on thorough engineering and by good experiences , we are having this great experience with Precision Autos. We believed the reputation of a big name would hold good when we were searching for and subsequently buying the truck .
To our sad and costly experience it has failed miserably and totally .
However after spending more than the truck cost in reengineering Helen will own the truck of her dreams . Caveat emptor !!!