THE PORTAL HUB - Pinzgauers, Haflingers, Volvo 303s and more!

1. Think I need new shocks, pulled all the shocks and they were really easy to compress in but hard to pull out, unless that is the normal operation? Anyway I was thinking of using ranchos all the way around with adjustables up front, don't think I need the adjustables in the back of a 712. Any other sugestions for shocks?

2. Having trouble removing the front brake lines up front at the lower body attachment point on each side. Have tried a thread penatrant and heat, and still the pipe fitting is stripping. Don't want to cut them off but I'm out of ideas, any special techniques or tools to use? Also is the fittings and brake pipe the same as the unimog?

3. Getting ready to take off the body.
a. Disconnected the wiring harness between the body harness and the tube harness.
b. Disconnected both the shifting linkages and ball joint at hi/low box.
c. Disconnected the wires at the battery box.
d. Disconnected the wires at the starter, engine to body ground strap, distributor and alternator molex.
e. Disconnected cables for carbs, parking brake, choke and throttle.
f. Disconnected hydraulics at main interchange (x5), clutch, and soon brakes one way or another.
g. Removed all shocks and limiting straps.
h. Removed heat exchange on back to muffler.
i. Removed all fuel lines, fuel sender wire and heater hoses.
j. disconnected steering linkage and dampner, front body stabilizer rod.
Anything I've forgotten?

4. How important is the foam inside the air tunnel. Mine is still in really good shape and I can't see any rust at the edges. But that doesn't mean there isn't any underneath, would hate to go through all this work to miss some rust at the tunnel.

5. Does anyone have a used tranny/gear box access cover in good shape, mines a little rough, l need one thats not bent or dented but paint condition doesn't matter, light surface rust okay.

Thanks, Miles

Miles

What are you trying to "crack" the brake pipe fittings with?
You MUST use a brake pipe wrench for this application, a line wrench won't work; It rounds the nuts.
If you have rounded the nut, find a GOOD quality vice clamp wrench like one made in USA or Facom (French tools the best! I have a chest full of 'em). Select a FLAT vice type across the flats and tighten it so that you have to us ereal effort to clamp it. Then try to loosen.
The Unimog pipes and nuts are the same by the way.
Dennis

Dennis...I was using a 12mm flare nut wrench and thats how I rounded them off. A 11mm flare wouldn't fit and the 12mm was just a little sloppy, If I had a 11.5mm that would have been perfect These are just really stubborn. I'm tempted to just cut them off and make up some new lines.

And yes Facom makes some nice tools as well as Stahlwille. I'm currently looking at buying a Facom, Pin Style Adjustable 20-100mm Face Spanner Wrench with multiple pin tip styles. Thought this might work for removing the groove nuts in the axel housing. Thus replacing the 2 Special tools 905.3.35.402.1 & 905.3.35.403.1

Miles

Miles
Then from what you are stating the best thing is to have a go with some flat faced vice grips. Don't use chinese junk!
If you do round them then there's the hacksaw!
You can get a flare tool from Snap On. Don't quake, if you are doing big repair jobs on vehicles it must be part of your tool kit. These kits are not expensive and you can cannobolise steel brake pipe from other Euro vehicles to make steel brake pipes.
Dennis

You MUST use a brake pipe wrench for this application

Ok, I give, what is this? Is it literally like a plumbers pipe or "monkey" wrench?

Todd
A pipe wrench (or spanner as we call them across the pond) looks like a regular ring style wrench EXCEPT that it has a slot ground through the ring so that the pipe attached to the fixing nut can pass through it. The ring is a six sider and will fit snugly onto the nut do that you can crack it loose.
A bit stouter than a normal line wrench the tool has less tendency to flex spread than a normal open end wrench.

Of course you need to buy something that will work! Cheapo wrenches tend not to work too well, like those you see at "Harbor fright"for these applications! I have just bought a set from 10mm to 19mm (Snap On) for $248, but these cover the sizes needed to loosen injector pipes as well. Normally you only have to buy one or two for Pinz. Like an 11mm/12mm and a 10/13 or 12/14 to tackle tasks on a your vehicles. Remember they come in American sizes as well.

A good line of quality but affordable tools are available in the US under S&K brand. Owned by Facom of France these tools are some of the best and compete very well against Snappy & Mac Tools. I have alot of Facom tools in my box and S&K wrenches. Under Pro use they don't break and that's important when you earn your living by using this stuff.
Happy wrenching
Dennis

Gotcha! I believe I've heard them called hose fitting wrenches or something like that.

Snap on is outta my budget, but I usually can afford Craftsman at the least. THanks.

In the US it is called a "Line wrench", as it is used on line fittings. I like the "crow foot "type with a 12" breaker bar.

Dennis...Thanks for the heads up on the flat faced vice grips, never knew they existed, always had the curved jaw style, They did the trick with a big puff of rust dust at each fitting.

Question: when I reconnect the pipe fittings can I use a anti-seize product on the threads to prevent them from seizing up in the future as long as I'm careful to just keep it on the threads?

Also I found this dry lube product made by liquid wrench I want to spray my bolt surfaces with to help prevent corrosion. anyone know anything about this product?

Miles

Miles
Do not put anything like anti seize compound, oil or such like on brake pipe joints. If you must, soak the threads in brake fluid only. Remember the pipe joint is a cup & cone affair and needs only minimal tightening.to seal. Overtightening just recreates the problem(s) you have experienced.

Any oil based substance must not be allowed to get into the brake system. It will contaminate the fluid and that can cause congealing or even rotting of vital seals if it got that far.

The flat vice grips "touch" is a method I saw in Iraq where I ran 1500 buses and the Arab mech's used that tool universally.
Dennis
"Hathi Shugli Elioum"
Well that's my job for today!