It has been a couple of weeks since my last update and things have been a bit slow. The fuel line has turned up along with the steering knuckle and gear shift linkages. I was unable to find an identical connector for the fuel line so I opted for a straight brass connector. I cut the old connector off and using the steam from a kettle to warm the thin wall fuel line (unlike the ticker rubber reinforced fuel pipes supplied with the kit) and fitted the inline connector. I’m pretty sure the seal was good enough but decided to fit a clip later. The rest of the fuel pipes were showing signs of corrosion so I cleaned them back and repainted them dark green along with the power steering hydraulic pipes.
Now onto the sub frame: I chopped the exhaust hanger off the sub frame and painted it up. With the hanger removed I was able to hold the sub frame in place and assess the work required to fit the sub frame properly. From speaking to Ben at MSC there is a metal crush tube surrounding each of the predrilled holes so I can adjust the hole alignment. A major point here: The bottom hole cannot be widened as it is designed to match the sub frame fixing holes. I got a round rasp and started working on the worst of the holes. All was going well until the note from the rasp went all metallic on me. Bugger I’ve hit the crush tube. I put the sub frame up to tub and fitted the bolts again. It was better but not enough. The only alternative was to work on the other hole. Working on the other hole as I pulled the rasp out it snapped in two. Double bugger! So I persisted with the broken rasp until my patience and finger tips wore out. I put the sub frame up to the tub again still not enough. Then an idea came to me I pulled out the battery drill and a 13mm flat blade drill bit. Ten minutes later and success – the sub frame fitted and the bolts go all the way up and through the holes in the top plate.
The fuel tank, now resplendent in black with green pipes, it was time to put it in position. I gave the roll cage fixings a final check tightening as some won’t be seeing daylight again and used a stack of three tyres to rest the tank under the tub so I would only have the lift it a little to get it in place. After a long struggle I managed to get a nut on each fixing bolt. But there was no way the tank straps would go all the way to the tub. I tried again, and then again. This was getting so frustrating. I moved the tank back on the straps and tried again, it was close, but no cigar. The fit was tight and once the bolts were tightened I was concerned that the pipes and clips might be fouling on the tub. So off it came...again. Turns out from the scratched paint work on the top of the tank it was the roll cage bolts on the tank.
Now the only Murtaya in Holland, to my knowledge, belongs to a guy called Bart. I read his build blog online a year or so ago and I remembered his solution to this problem was simple. A ruddy big hammer! I downsized the solution to a rubber mallet and moulded the offending areas of the tank. In the tank went and out it came again, a few more choice blows and in went again and in, out, in, out, shake it all about. You do the hokey cokey etc.
Finally, it went in smoothly and securely. I used a hacksaw blade to check nothing was rubbing on the tank or the tub. Now for the sub frame, using the same tyre stack as before I put the sub frame in place and started to wind up the bolts when the lightening strike of bollocks struck again. The sub frame was fouling on the back of the fuel tank. I gave up for the day – I was knackered
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