Dollywobbler's Maestro Van - SOLD!

[dollywobbler]

I very much doubt it Lukas. If I'd chucked money at the Sirion instead of buying the van, I doubt it would have been enough to get the Sirion sorted. As it is, the MOT runs until April, and the chances of me owning a vehicle that long are pretty slim!

[cort16]

When you come to sell it.

 

Call me

[dollywobbler]

FFS! Angry Dicky's oil filter compatibility warning was well founded. Drained the oil, removed the filter, discover new filter has a different internal thread. BOLLOCKS! I even gave the Unipart dealer the fuggin' part number from the old filter and they still ballsed it up! (supplied a Mann filter, but you kind of assume that having given them a part number, they'll cross reference it to the right part). 

 

I now have the van out of action as it has no oil in it, and no transport as the 2CV isn't here. Chances of getting the right filter tonight are fast diminishing. Not impressed. So much for supporting local businesses.

[dollywobbler]

Question is, do I just chuck the new oil in and say 'sod it, that'll have to do?'

[mrbenn]

Nah, do it once and do it right IMHO.

 

Annoying as it is you'd kick yourself afterwards for not getting a new filter on. Well, I would anyway!

 

ETA: Great van by the way, tried to post to that effect on collection day but had failure in the signal department. Shame its suffered so much since the restoration.

[dollywobbler]

I was annoyed enough that a Unipart dealer hadn't supplied a Unipart filter. I don't usually care, but there's lots of Unipart branding on the Maestro's engine bay. Would have been nice to keep stuff matching. I R CONCORZ!

[dollywobbler]

Decided to wait until I can get the right filter, hopefully tomorrow. Though I know they won't have it in stock, so maybe not. In that case, they can refund me and I'll have to take my chances elsewhere. I'm meant to be driving to Gaydon in it on Sunday, then on to Birmingham before heading down to Luton! I'm bloody glad I didn't stick to my original plan which was to do some work this afternoon, then do the service on Saturday.

 

The oil looked like it had come out of a diesel, so I guess it hadn't been done for a while. If I can't get a filter, I'll just have to put some fresh oil in but do another change after not very long. Might actually do it some good.

 

Bit concerned about the running hot too. If, as I suspect, the temperature gauge is actually accurate (ignoring the flashing red light of doom for a moment) then it seems to rapidly get warm climbing hills or when stuck in traffic. Two scenarious here. One is that the 'stat isn't opening sufficiently, the other is that it's doing the classic A-Series block silting. A coolant flush is on the cards and I think I've got a correct thermostat knocking about. Might as well replace that too.

[Angrydicky]

I guess the internal thread was too big? If so that's the same filter Eurocarparts tried to sell me. Hopeless. I gave all the places I tried the part number as well!

 

It's the same as Allegro/Marina 1.3 if that helps. I'd get straight on Ebay and look for a NOS one with a picture of the actual filter on it.

 

Fortunately the oil filter on the Maestro A series is mounted so high I was able to fill the sump with new oil, so I could start and move it about, then a few days later fit the correct filter without losing any of the new oil. It is a right pain though.

[dollywobbler]

Exactly that Dicky. I can't wait for Ebay though. In theory, a filter could arrive on Saturday morning, but that's cutting it a bit fine. As you say though, I could always fit the filter later. My solution would be to fit it dry then pull off the king lead and crank it for a while before letting it start. I'll see how I get on tomorrow.

[Squire_Dawson]

If it's same filter as an Austin as Angrydicky says then Helfrauds HOF 203 is what you want.

[RichL]

Quote of the vid:

 

"We always champion our own disasters"

 

So true. It might have been a bit shit back then but at least it worked. Sort of.

 

Not surprised you got the wrong filter. I don't think these factors can cross-reference numbers anymore. I always give as much info as I can, including numbers, to try and make life easier for everyone and get the right one first time. Rarely works these days I'm afraid.

 

Top work so far sir, keep at it!

[Micrashed]

 

Camper trailer conversion for when the MOT man calls....

[KruJoe]

Does Lanky_Tim still have his Maestro van trailer?

[dollywobbler]

Well, that was a frustrating morning. Got my refund swift enough (an entire £3) but no replacement on the shelf. Tried another factor. The first one they pulled off the shelf was similarly wrong. Fair play to him, the chap spent ages checking through various systems, came up with an alternative that was tiny, but appeared to have the correct thread. In the end, I decided against it. Ran out of time to get to Halfords (was on a break while on minibus duty) so it looks like I'll be chucking fresh oil in and leaving the filter. Given the state of the old oil, another refresh in a few thousand miles won't do any harm anyway.

[dollywobbler]

New oil lobbed in. Cranked it with the king lead off a few times, then started it, ran it for a bit, checked the stick and the oil is already quite manky! I shall stick with the plan for fresh oil after a short while.

 

Also fitted banging tunes and dug out my old cassettes.

 

Apols to Corsaviour as this is the Sirion's original stereo, which I liberated from the BX last weekend.

[Noel Tidybeard]

hey look the van is a GL with a fag lighter and everthing

[dollywobbler]

No bloody flick wipe though! CMS told me how to pull the wiper stalk towards me to experience utter wiper win, but I was frustrated when absolutely nothing happened. I LOVE FLICK WIPE!

[vulgalour]

#WelshWorldProblems

[Noel Tidybeard]

No bloody flick wipe though! CMS told me how to pull the wiper stalk towards me to experience utter wiper win, but I was frustrated when absolutely nothing happened. I LOVE FLICK WIPE!

just swap the stalk

if you get one with the variable intermittent you just need to swap wiper relay iirc

[dollywobbler]

That's probably going to be my plan to be honest. I should have swapped the stalk with the Disco at the weekend when Catsinthewelder wasn't looking.

[Noel Tidybeard]

but further to  that^^^ be careful as the metro ones look the same but are wired different

[Cavcraft]

The fag lighter was a welcome addition, my last one didn't have one so sat nav duties were severely curtailed.

[STUNO]

I should have a competition with Mr dolly and see who has the worst old tapes. I too have gone from CD's to tape There are boxes of old tapes to sort through this weekend. Fortunately it is a wet cold shitey one.

[dollywobbler]

Nik Kershaw's The Riddle is one of them. I can't find my copy of Thompson Twins. Mostly though, it's home-brew compilations from the late 1990s and my early motoring years.

[e287yba]

You want a riddle? The lack of PK on this thread is one !

 

The assertion that MG Metro instrument binnacles fit in an Maestro or Montego is one (they don't fit properly - they are several mm shorter ).

 

Lack of understanding around the Fuel ECU & temp gauge is another... The Fuel ECU 'reads' the output from the coolant temperature sensor, in order to operate the automatic choke (and the 'hedgehog' in the inlet manifold on 1.6s and 2.0s with carburettors, but not 1.3s ); it also provides a 'synthesized' feed to the temperature gauge to 'show' the engine's coolant temperature...

 

This is easily bypassed if the Fuel ECU is faulty and a manual choke is fitted, by fitting a Mini coolant temperature sender to replace the original (just below the thermostat and alloy outlet), using the appropriate wire to connect to said sender (I can't recall accurately, sorry but CM detailed it 15 years ago , it's NOT the one with a Black tracer but rather the Pink tracer that is connected to the ex-Mini sender?) and then connecting leads nos. 13 & 17 on the Fuel ECU connector (from memory) to give a more accurate temperature gauge reading (the one on my Monty 1.6 showed higher when the headlights were on though - but the red light never ever flashed).

 

There is a seperate sensor in the radiator (half way down) to trigger the radiator fan, so that's just TWO senders which aren't linked; the cooling system and its temperature control is somewhat simpler than others are trying to state upthread (but it can cope fine in 35C heat on a Monty 1.6 )!

[Noel Tidybeard]

i didn't say the metro binnacle fits a maestro i said the gauges fit- the gauge pack fits to maestro binnacle with 2 screws and a spring wire iirc

 

i wanted the correct fibre optic set for my 1.3 base but couldnt find one at the time so later type with metro dials it had to be

[dollywobbler]

Faulty fuel ECU is certainly possible, and confirmed by folk from the MMOC yesterday - who kindly didn't boot me of their 'stand.' 

 

Here's a pic of the van in the line-up, stolen from the AROnline Facebook group.

 

I'm convinced the overheat is fake now. The cooling fan behaviour is entirely as expected so I'm just trying to ignore warnings of doom.

 

Lots of people were asking me what my plans are for the Maestro van. Sad to say but I'm not sure this one will be sticking around for long. It needs the bodywork properly sorting out, but I can't afford to restore two vehicles. I'm struggling enough to get the 2CV sorted! I'm off to Bedfordshire today though, busy day tomorrow then back home. It's certainly not unpleasant to drive and is surprisingly happy on the motorway for a 1.3-litre van.

[chaseracer]

Nik Kershaw's The Riddle is one of them. I can't find my copy of Thompson Twins. Mostly though, it's home-brew compilations from the late 1990s and my early motoring years.

 

 

Your Shakatak tape is still in the Merc, don't forget...

 

[dollywobbler]

I cannot claim ownership of that tape. It belonged to the Merc before I got my hands on it. I listened to it once. That was enough.

[skattrd]

The high temp reading could be dodgy sensor or gauge.

I spent ages trying to solve my spyder running hot and after fitting a new fan with its own thermostat I realised that just below red on the gauge was actually 90 degrees and if anything the car was running a tad cool.