Merkabah: MB 2626 AK 6x6 tipper to expedition truck conversion

pairospam

Observer
Sorry guys. Did not mean to leave you hanging on. Just had a few things to do, like... work, today.

Well, I f...ed things up, that's the whole point.

Decided to take the cover out again without removing the whole gearbox and take a look at what was the cause of this so unexpected disaster.

And it was, indeed, very easy to find out. I made a mistake when mounting the gear cluster and the synchronizer disc dots mismatched the logs on the gear housing. I did not notice it when bolting the cover back, but the disc bent and the cover broke. That's why nothing worked and the rumble was so ominous. I broke the gearbox cover.

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pairospam

Observer
Shitt happens, yes. No matter how careful you are, you can always do wrong when you are not an expert.

Well, ten years in this project had left quite a big amount of scars on the skin of my pride, so I cursed a few miliseconds and quickly began to look for solutions.

And I found, pretty close, the right one: an old truck, as old as the Merkabah, that had the same rear cover and was for sale for scrap.

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As Sitec quoted no too long ago: what do you do when a truck has the spare you need? Of course, you take the whole truck home!... or something like that.

And that's what I did with the aid of my brother in law. We towed the doomed truck and parked it at home, ready to be dismantled piece by piece. It had, in addition to a very similar gearbox and a lot of brake components, a V10 that used to work before being put on hold, waiting for a resurrection that never came.

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Madoxen

Active member
Well someone was smileing down on you for a suitable doner truck to be so close. How comparable is the gearbox? Will u use just the housing or the complete swap?
 

Sitec

Adventurer
Brilliant find! It's always good to have a spares department in your own back yard! :) Thanks for sharing the gearbox disaster pics too. Yup, these things happen!
 

Sitec

Adventurer
With the time and effort that has gone into Merkabah, we are all looking forward/wanting to see the finished rig! Where are you Pairospam!? :)
 

Neil

Observer
We stayed with Pairoa for a month in 2018.

I don't think there's a not or bolt on the vehicle that hasn't been polished up, or replaces. It was like showroom condition.

Very impressive, but still had lots to do

Neil
 

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