Project What has two seats, a mid-mounted 6 cylinder engine, and a turbo? Rewire complete - finally success!

[mat_the_cat]

The rust spot on the door isn't too bad, but I think the pitting is too deep to remove mechanically. So I've treated with Bilt-Hamber Deox gel, which is a lot slower than the Deox C liquid, but I don't have anything big enough to immerse the door!

A rust converter might have just turned the surface black, but left untreated rust under the surface - now I know there is nothing to bubble up again after a few years.

I'm waiting for some paint to arrive for the door, so in the meantime I've started on the front brakes.

For almost 70k miles slowing a 2 tonne van, I think they've lasted amazingly well! So have stuck with the same brand as a replacement.

[jonathan_dyane]

That deox gel is great stuff. 

What do you think about the black areas that remain in the pits? I'm going through the process on my Jowett roof and can't decide whether I should consider it done or to try to continue until it's all shiny

[jonathan_dyane]

[mat_the_cat]

I would try and get the black stuff out - I think the way it 'removes' rust is that it converts it into a substance which is (should be) non-adherent. I found that if you agitate with a stiff or even wire brush, it will help this removal. Otherwise you may still get untreated rust trapped underneath.

[jonathan_dyane]

Cheers Mat, I did think as much. Lots more fun ahead

[mat_the_cat]

It may well be ok, but ive got no experience to say either way. You might already know this, but it helps to cover with cling film to stop it drying out. I imagine that covering the whole roof would be a massive ballache though. 

I've paused the brake work for now, as one of the dust seals has popped off, and the caliper piston is slightly rusty. Repair kits aren't too bad, but again will have to wait for them to arrive. So a couple of simple jobs - the awning light was an early LED type, and was just a bit too dim for reading comfortably. Added to that, despite being a decent brand and supposedly waterproof, it wasn't and some of the emitters were starting to flicker.

The new one is brighter and despite feeling more cheaply constructed (it was cheaper), looks to be better designed to prevent moisture getting in. It's at a better angle too.

Another quick win was the rear dampers. I did the fronts in 2020 so I wasn't too surprised that one of the rears had sprung a leak. I couldn't find genuine VW but Sachs/Boge were the OEM, so hopefully the next best thing.

I put my new toy to work, and everything came loose easily.

It's an impressive little impact gun that'll get into tight spots, but TBH I probably didn't need it.

In 16 years only one fastener hasn't been reusable, and I'm impressed by the negligible corrosion on the damper bolts after 29 years and nearly 300k miles.

Even the nuts are copper plated to prevent seizing, something I've only ever seen on exhaust manifolds before.

[mat_the_cat]

Cleaning up the rear of the door I noticed a few more rust spots. This is by far the worst, so not a disaster.

I was going to treat with gel, but then I realised I could just about dip the corner in Deox C liquid for speed and effectiveness. 

After a few hours immersion, most of the submerged rust has gone. 

Some of the deepest pits remain, plus the part which was above the liquid,so I've flipped the door round to get that in.

The area which was previously submerged has cleaned up nicely, so hopefully the whole thing will have by the morning.

[mat_the_cat]

It took another day of immersion, but all rust now gone. The black spot you can see is actually a pinhole, so the metal is very thin. At least I know the inside is similarly rust free now too.

I've dipped the opposite corner in there too - there was next to nothing showing on the outside but I know it must have got into the seam slightly. Still, for a 25 year old door I'm not complaining! 

The de-rusted corner has now been protected with a coat of Zinga; as an added bonus the pits left by the rust removal give excellent mechanical adhesion - it won't stick well to a smooth surface.

[cobblers]

These may be of interest to you?

Bit of a trek for you, but you do have form for driving a long way to collect doors!

[mat_the_cat]

The front doors aren't too bad thankfully (although free is always tempting!)

[mat_the_cat]

Bodywork, even to my mediocre standards, always seems to take forever. There were a few chips on the edge of the door from handling, so I've sanded those back and primed.

Next stage was to apply the top coat. Again I've gone for Rustoleum Combi-color, mainly for ease of application. Getting the colour on was the quickest part of the whole job!

While that's hardening I've been stripping down both sets of latch and sliding mechanisms, and using the least worn parts from each to make a good set. I'll keep the rest of the bits as usable spares, as the parts which aren't shared with the Bay window vans are getting a bit scarce.

Brake caliper pistons have arrived so can finish that job too hopefully this weekend.

[mat_the_cat]

The door hardware is now assembled and fitted to the door, and I've insulated it also.

One of the welds around the handle mechanism has a crack, so welding that up is all that's stopping me fitting it. I started to weld and promptly ran out of gas, so will have to go and get some tomorrow.

It's struck me that a possible reason for the long brake pad life could be the fact the caliper pistons are rusty!

This is pretty disappointing, as I fitted  new calipers in 2013, and I rarely take it out in the salty winter. The pistons don't even seem to have any plating, so have rusted at the first sign of water. The dust seals had popped off on this side, being (not) held on by a wire spring clip.

The new seals have a rigid portion, which is a slight interference fit on the caliper body. If the effort to fit them is an indication of how well they'll stay on, they should be ok!

Both pistons are now moving freely, so onto the original job of pad replacement. One side down!

[mat_the_cat]

I've given the inside of the door a good squirt of Dynax S50, and hung it on the van after greasing all the roller and hinge bushes. The dent to the previous door I think had distorted the frame slightly, as I could never get it to shut without a hefty slam, no matter how I adjusted it.

So after an hour or so of tweaking the newly fitted door, it was rather satisfying to be able to shut it smoothly,  for the first time in my ownership! 

But, there is a problem.

A freshly painted door makes the rest of the paintwork look tatty, not helped by bitumen splatters last year after driving on a newly tarred road in heavy rain.

We are in serious danger of mission creep! The green paintwork was done in 2013, so has lasted reasonably well for a quick job.

[stuboy]

looks like a freshen up on sides is required

[mat_the_cat]

That's the way I'm leaning! But first the mechanicals - in-between polishing the Airstream I've sorted the other front caliper. I could have probably left it as it was moving fairly freely, but I couldn't quite move the pistons back by hand like I could on the rebuilt side. So it would have bugged me not to!

Inside of the caliper cleaned up ready for the new seal:

Piston lightly smeared with rubber grease:

This means that any moisture getting past the dust seals shouldn't corrode the caliper or pistons.

Job done!

Next is the rear brakes. There's nothing actually wrong with them (that I know of!), but I didn't check them at the last service for the simple reason I was planning on changing the rear tyres around now. So will give everything the once-over while the wheels are off. I'd been trying to squeeze a few more miles from the rear tyres, but seeing as we're heading to France this summer, don't think they'll last another 2000 miles!

[mat_the_cat]

Rear brake time. There's a few little touches on this van, that I'm sure wouldn't have lasted through today's cost-cutting exercises. No need to hammer the drum, or use a puller. Just insert 3 M8 screws, and draw it off towards you.

It wasn't seized on, but was binding on the shoes slightly so resisted my efforts to pull off by hand.

No problems here...

...so just a few drops of oil on the adjuster threads to keep them moving freely.

I worked the adjuster up and down the threads a bit to make sure all was lubricated. The other side was much the same, until I spotted this:

I changed both cables 40k miles (8 years - how did that happen?!) ago, but could only get hold of a pattern part for one side. Guess which one has failed!

Happily though now, parts availability seems to have improved slightly so I've ordered a genuine one from VW Classic Parts - £27 including delivery from Germany.

While I wait for that to arrive I did a little cosmetic job. When I bought the van it was being used as a motorbike race van with an awning channel roughly screwed to the side (see first post for a picture). We replaced the top piece with a roll-out awning, but left the the vertical channels in place as I didn't really want to weld up the holes and risk setting fire to the insulation.

But then I had an idea. First of all droll out the self-tapping screw hole and countersink it.

Then fit a sealed countersunk rivet.

Dipped in Zinga prior to riveting, and this is the result. 

Annoyingly, several of the shafts snapped proud of the surface so had to be filed flat. But I reckon with a quick rub down and coat of paint they should be almost invisible. 

[mat_the_cat]

One of the other things which had been done to this van before I bought it, was fit a mains inlet socket. Badly. It's not even straight, and the edge of the hole hadn't been painted. Consequently it has rusted over the years. Time to sort it out! 

All rust now removed, although I'll live with the slight angle - don't really want to weld it up and remake the hole!

I wanted to replace the self-tapping screws and use threaded inserts instead. But first I had to make up a crude tool to fit the inserts. M8 screw, drilled out to 4mm.

Then screw on a nut, and thread an M4 screw down the middle with a washer under the head. Unscrewing the nut will push on the washer, expanding the insert and lock it in place.

All fitted and ready for paintwork. A quick freshen up is getting more involved!

[mat_the_cat]

I've actually been able to trim the opening slightly, and with a little directional enlargement of the socket mounting holes, the alignment is much better. 

Onto another section of bodywork:

Also dating from before purchase, it had been hammered out Father Ted style.

I'd already replaced the lower panel in 2007, but had thought little point in doing more with a mahoosive dent in the door! I managed to flatten out the metal to some degree, so it was no longer proud in places. Then applied sone filler, although more than I'd like to have done.

The upper part of the repair, the metal has actually been pushed into the door shut aperture slightly, exaggerated by this photo above.

It's not so visible from straight on, as it's simply a squarer edge than the original edge below. But it's hugely improved, and is perfectly acceptable to my eyes given the amount of minor dents all over the rest of the van.

It's a good sign that VW now appear to be supporting the LT more spares-wise. I hadn't been able to find a genuine handbrake cable previously, only one side from a dealer clearing out old stock. But now both sides are available via VW Classic Parts, and postage from Germany is probably faster than Hermes in this country!

Hopefully I'll get it in for an MOT next week.

[mat_the_cat]

The cable I ordered was the right-hand cable, which I checked and double checked in order to get the correct part number, 281 609 702 D. However, I didn't take note of the length.

The handbrake rod runs down the right-hand side of the van, hence the right cable is the shorter one. It looks like every single listing I can find has this wrong for a RHD van! So I had to re-order the correct cable, and pay postage again

Still, both sides are now fitted, and wheels back on. Next job was the fuel pump. I'd previously noticed a bitbof rough running under certain conditions only. At 2k rpm under load it will hunt a bit, but if you ease off from full throttle, or drive through the problem to higher revs, all settles out again. Similar at 2.5k rpm, but only with a light load, i.e. cruising at 50mph. A light load at other revs is fine, and if you accelerate, it stops the uneven running.

Chatting to @Talbot at the FoD a couple of weeks back, he suggested it could be the on-boost fuel compensator diaphragm starting to break up, as both scenarios are when the turbo is starting to spin up properly. This made sense, and given that I changed it around 13 years ago seems plausible. A new one was fairly cheap, so I ordered it anyway before taking the top off the boost capsule.

There was no visual failure, but it felt slightly stiffer than the new one so think the rubber is hardening. Plus, the bottom of the boost pin was all gummed up - looking down into the pump you can make it out.

I reckon that the combination of the two factors meant there was a bit of resistance to movement, changing the point at which it starts to respond to the initial change in manifold pressure. Hence not enough fuel as the turbo starts to spool up. As soon as more boost is generated, the pin moves as it should and fuelling is OK. 

I took it out for a test run, and all is perfect again 😀 Which means, using man maths, that the 380 mile round trip to the FoD actually saved me £300 on a rebuilt pump!

Another job was the fuel hoses, which I'd noticed during the recent service had started to perish.

All were replaced with Gates Barricade from a known supplier, and the crimped banjo fitting swapped with a standard push-on type.

Back onto the bodywork, and I've started to strip it down for paint.

There's a couple of spots which needed primer, but it actually looks around 80% better after just flatting the paint back, and solvent wiping to remove the engraved grime! 

[mat_the_cat]

Yesterday I phoned up to book an MOT, expecting it to be after the BH weekend. I was surprised to find they had a cancellation for today, as they're normally booked up for a while. I only use this garage for LT MOTs, as they're about 20 miles away but my normal local garage can't fit the van in. Bearing in mind I only see them once a year, I was even more surprised when I gave them the reg:

"Ah, a proper LT! Is it green?"

"Yes, partly..."

"Yeah, I remember testing it before. It's the biggest Transporter I've seen!"

So last night I was putting back together, in readiness for taking it in (half-painted!)

The only photo I have, is of the mains inlet being fitted. The sealant I'd previously used had cracked, so have gone with a strip of butyl sealant which never really sets. Time will tell!

And......another pass 😀 

The nearside rear brake is rubbing ever so slightly I think, not enough to give a significant resistance, but enough to hear. I've probably just wound the adjuster out too far. Will pop off the wheel and take a look.

The front and nearside are painted, so am planning to do the rest before the weekend is out. Unfortunately working Friday though :-(

[mat_the_cat]

As usual, jobs spiral to become bigger than first intended. There was a couple of pinholed areas around the wheel arch, so had to let in new metal.

Not a pretty job, and as new arches are available I think it'll be getting a pair in the next 5 years or so.

Then the laborious task of flatting back, guide coat (using up my random off-white aerosol cans), flatting back again etc.

The repaired areas were given a coat of green for better coverage, then the whole lower half was rollered.

Starting to look a bit better now, but when I came to reattach the front grille, it looked a bit too tatty! This earlier photo shows it, and also that it doesn't match the grey of the bumper.

So I got a can of dark grey plastic paint, and started to spray...

...no way in the world is that dark grey, and totally different to the cap colour! Wary of getting into a minefield of 50 shades of grey, I bought a couple of black cans from Amazon prime which arrived today. I'm not totally convinced, as it seems to be drying rather blotchy looking, but we'll see in the morning.

[mat_the_cat]

The end result wasn't too bad TBH.

Certainly smarter than before!

Inbetween coats of paint I did one or two little jobs, including sorting out the LED strip above the sliding door step. Id bought a roll purely on price around 10 years ago, and it didn't last at all!

The strip from Toolstation seems to last, so have soldered that in (a bit longer than the original too).

Once the paintwork was done I wanted to wax it. I've been using Armor All for a couple of years now, and it's really easy for someone lazy like me.

It needs very little buffing, and the biggest plus point is that if you get it on the trim, it doesn't leave white residue all over it! In fact it does a possible job of a plastic trim restorer, so an added bonus. It'd been a while since I'd used it, so the nozzle on the bottle was slightly blocked. I gave it an extra squeeze, and...

Once I had cleaned myself up, it probably only took about an hour to do the whole van, and it was back on the road today.

There's a couple of spots on the white paintwork which could do with tidying at some point, and one of the wheels is a lot rustier than the rest, but on the whole it's an improvement. I do have a brand new never used spare wheel somewhere, complete with 1980s tyre which I don't think I'm ever going to use on the road So may swap that tyre over.

[puddlethumper]

On 6/7/2022 at 10:05 PM, mat_the_cat said:

The end result wasn't too bad TBH.

Certainly smarter than before!

Inbetween coats of paint I did one or two little jobs, including sorting out the LED strip above the sliding door step. Id bought a roll purely on price around 10 years ago, and it didn't last at all!

The strip from Toolstation seems to last, so have soldered that in (a bit longer than the original too).

Once the paintwork was done I wanted to wax it. I've been using Armor All for a couple of years now, and it's really easy for someone lazy like me.

It needs very little buffing, and the biggest plus point is that if you get it on the trim, it doesn't leave white residue all over it! In fact it does a possible job of a plastic trim restorer, so an added bonus. It'd been a while since I'd used it, so the nozzle on the bottle was slightly blocked. I gave it an extra squeeze, and...

Once I had cleaned myself up, it probably only took about an hour to do the whole van, and it was back on the road today.

There's a couple of spots on the white paintwork which could do with tidying at some point, and one of the wheels is a lot rustier than the rest, but on the whole it's an improvement. I do have a brand new never used spare wheel somewhere, complete with 1980s tyre which I don't think I'm ever going to use on the road So may swap that tyre over.

That looks well smart. I maybe slightly biased as I do love an older van.

[mat_the_cat]

I do love a bit of beading!

[High Jetter]

1 minute ago, mat_the_cat said:

I do love a bit of beading!

Cum again?

[wuvvum]

21 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Cum again?

[bear-in-the-air]

On 6/7/2022 at 10:05 PM, mat_the_cat said:

The end result wasn't too bad TBH.

Certainly smarter than before!

Inbetween coats of paint I did one or two little jobs, including sorting out the LED strip above the sliding door step. Id bought a roll purely on price around 10 years ago, and it didn't last at all!

The strip from Toolstation seems to last, so have soldered that in (a bit longer than the original too).

Once the paintwork was done I wanted to wax it. I've been using Armor All for a couple of years now, and it's really easy for someone lazy like me.

It needs very little buffing, and the biggest plus point is that if you get it on the trim, it doesn't leave white residue all over it! In fact it does a possible job of a plastic trim restorer, so an added bonus. It'd been a while since I'd used it, so the nozzle on the bottle was slightly blocked. I gave it an extra squeeze, and...

Once I had cleaned myself up, it probably only took about an hour to do the whole van, and it was back on the road today.

There's a couple of spots on the white paintwork which could do with tidying at some point, and one of the wheels is a lot rustier than the rest, but on the whole it's an improvement. I do have a brand new never used spare wheel somewhere, complete with 1980s tyre which I don't think I'm ever going to use on the road So may swap that tyre over.

That's looking super smart 

[mat_the_cat]

Remember I obtained a hard to find undertray around the turn of the year. I subsequently found I was missing the section which joins the front and rear halves together.

I've finally got round to making up an ally sheet to bridge the gap, using the old door skin from the Series 3 Landy.

Will this gain me any extra mpg?

Another job ticked off the list was the sliding door lower roller. When I was putting it all back together I noticed it was a little worn, but another time the priority was getting it on so I could get an MOT. A new roller duly arrived (parts are shared with the Bay Window vans, so easy to get hold of still) and I fitted it this weekend.

Barely any difference in closing the door, so I've caught it in time before the bearing collapses. Better that than it dropping off, miles from home!

Earlier today I was a marshal for a local trail running race. So I took the van as a handy base, and to blast out some encouraging tunes. 

I counted 21 "Nice van" or similar, one "Can I borrow your bed?", and one "I thought it was a mid-race ice cream van".

[mat_the_cat]

We've made it to France! Currently sitting by the Loire with a bottle of wine, watching the sun go down :-)

Yesterday's evening was much the same, on the banks of the Seine with a bottle...

...before retiring to the van.

It wasn't all plain sailing though. I have a slight leak from the rear diff, so I topped it up before setting off. I have the seal, but didn't fancy fitting it the week before leaving! 

I did have a bit of a worry as it now seemed to be pouring out! After hunting down a 17mm hex key, some oil and a syringe...

...it looks like I must have overfilled it (I was on a slight slope), as when I checked it on the flat it was still OK despite lots of leakage!

A few interesting cars around, but the only one I've got a photo of:

[mat_the_cat]

We've now made it to our base for the week, and no real problems. It's become apparent though, that I have a fairly major oil leak! It doesn't seem to be using significantly more than previously, but since fitting the full undertray I think what is happening is that all the drips as I drive along, collect and spill out when I stop. I haven't parked on tarmac for months, so this is the first chance to see just how much is deposited! 

Another observation is that the coolant temperature seems more stable since I've fitted the rubber fan shroud seal. It never used to climb much under load, but gauge movement is now reduced, even though it has been pretty hot!

The AC has been very useful, and for that reason we've pretty much stuck to campsites in order to have mains to run it overnight. I've also realised how to make it more effective on the move! It's designed more for stationary use, being a lot less powerful than an engine driven system - plus a large (albeit well-insulated) box to cool. It seems obvious, but if I close off the cabin vents it no longer has to fight against the warm air being admitted as I drive along, and can get along with gradually reducing the temperature. 

Only one more car spot:

And a few of the camping spots on the way down.

Not sure this cobbled together arrangement maintains an appropriate IP rating...