Well, I'm really pleased to announce that another Amazon is back on the road: 1965 121, B18A, M41, Land Rover blue, 2 doors. Soon B20B, though... I've been using it for two days now & it's a treat. I just love it! Since I'm writing here now, I'd like to thank everyone who patiently answered my questions on this boad in the past months. You've been a great help!

A few things have to be done before pasing the safety test, including these that I'm a little unsure about:

1) there is no way, without depressing the clutch twice, to shift into 3rd & 4th gear without scratching the pinions (pretty badly...). 1st & 2nd are problem free. I adjusted the clutch & it didn't seem to help a lot. At this point, I'm considering 2 options: a) synchros are getting old, but it means they are worn out: never seen that on a 160k km M40/41. b) the GB comes out of a 144, and when transferring it, I chose to use the 144 clutch (whole kit) that was almost brand new.The 144 clutch is the "flat" type as opposed to the 121 ones I've seen so far that are al ot thicker. The bellhousing comes from the 1965 Amazon in order to mount the slave cylinder. So, is the 144 clutch compatible with the hydraulic clutch command & bellhousing? If not, it could explain why the box does't shift well. So should I switch bak to an amazon clutch when dropping the B20B under my hood?

2) I keep getting noises from the rear axle. Sound as if metal was rubbing against the rubber cushion around the axle (older setup 1958-67). I tightened the obolts, which improved a little, but still get cracking and ssqueaking noises when toque is applied to or released from the wheels. And it tends to get more frequent (i.e. when shifting, for instance) I might just need to tighten the bolts/drive/ tighten until the rubber is fully compressed. Any expereince with that?

thanks once again!
Séb

If it was sitting up a while the syncros may just be a bit gummy.
An old trick we used to use was to put it up on jacks, drain the tranny. fill it with denatured alcohol* carefully with vehicle properly jacked, braced, blocked, etc, fire it up and put it in gear and run it a bit at idle to circulate the alcohol.
Shut it off.
let it sit a bit and do it a few more times, then drain it out ( and leave drain and fill plugs open for awhile after draining, alcohol residue will evaporate ) and refill with fresh synthetic( OK Amsoil dealer...shameless plug)oil and see what happens

Congratulations.

One often unnoticed problem with clutches not releasing properly on an Amazon is wear on the fork of the clutch master cylinder. The hole where the cotter pin goes through and connects it to the pedal wears oval and you get a lot of lost motion. The clutches for 120, 140, and early 240 all superseded out to the same part, if you can get appropriate adjustment on the threaded bar you should get away with it.

As to your noise, have you checked the rubber cushions for the pins on the propshaft centre bearing?



Regards


Pete

Peter,

doesn't the hydraulic clutch setup use a different lever than the cable ones? 140/240 is always cable, and has a pulling action. If I recall correctly (and extrapolate from the 164 and 940 clutches) the hydraulic ones have a push action and a different style lever.

Bram

Hi Bram,

You're quite right that the lever is different, and as you say the cable clutch action is pull whereas the hydraulic pushes. However the action on the release bearing is the same because the pivot is placed differently. None of this affects the 3 piece clutch assembly. Originally there were umpteen different versions, indeed the early cars didn't use a diaphragm type clutch. All clutches for anything with a 18/B20, including 240's as well as the 240 up to '78 with B21 superseded out to part number 271263-6, this part number is for a 3 piece clutch kit, ie. it includes the release bearing. It is however not good practice to mix and match bits from different manufacturers.


Regards



Pete

>M40/41. b) the GB comes out of a 144, and when transferring it, I chose to use the
>144 clutch (whole kit) that was almost brand new.The 144 clutch is the "flat" type
>as opposed to the 121 ones I've seen so far that are al ot thicker. The
>bellhousing comes from the 1965 Amazon in order to mount the slave cylinder. So,

I'ld expect not, unless you found a throwout bearing to take account for this difference. The pressure plate and throwout bearing are specific both to each other and to the clutch mechanism. If the pressure plate is thinner I'ld expect a standard throwout bearing not to reach the full travel, unless you also modded the mechanism.

Are those rubbers firmly in (I've heard stories of rubbers being just too small and moving in their housings), and as far as there are metal insert in them did you grease them?

Bram

Hey Séb!
Congratulations!
I think your bellhousing is OK but you may need a different throwout
bearing with the diaphragm clutch.

It could be that your synchros are bad - not too sure on that but they
usually go bad in first and second gears first.

It has been 27 years since I had an early 122 but if you can't tighten
up the bolts against the rubber, you might need new rubber.

Best regards,
--
George Downs Bartlesville, Oklahoma