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

[Zelandeth]

It still surprises me how well insulated the engine cover on my van is.  It barely gets lukewarm - even the bit by my left foot which is about an inch from the exhaust manifold.

 

The bulkhead on the other hand needs some help in both the sound and thermal stakes...

Really enjoy seeing your attention to detail at every step of this project. 

I take it that film doesn't block too much visible light?  I'd suggest trying it out in the dark to make sure you're not rendered blind the first time something comes the other way...

[mat_the_cat]

Thanks  The claim is that it allows 70% of visible light though, and in practice it looks very similar to look through when you compare an untouched window. As I work for an optics manufacturer (not the drinking kind!) I have access to spectrometers which can measure transmission right across the spectrum, so let's see if the claims are true...

I've not yet tried it in the dark, so good shout! Really I hope I don't have to take it off, as we go away in a week!

[mat_the_cat]

I've had chance to make a few measurements, and it's broadly in line with what they claim. Visible light is in the 400-700nm range, i.e. 0.4 to 0.7 microns on the graph.  It peaks at 70% transmission, but cuts out a useful amount of infra-red radiation (the output from the Sun goes up to around 2 microns wavelength).

I then thought I'd compare it to one of our coatings we apply at work:

Oh. Not quite so impressive! Ours not only lets through more visible light, but infra-red radiation is cut almost to zero - if you zoom into the graph there is a tiny amount of transmission but bugger all really! I guess that's the difference between military and commercially available products when the performance/cost balance is less of a concern; I only wish I could fit the windscreen in one of the coating chambers!

[Zelandeth]

Given my lighting related hobby I have much want for that (or in fact any) spectrometer...

At 70% transmission you'll want to be careful...I have a sneaking suspicion that 75% transmission is the minimum allowed legally on windscreen/front side windows.  That's based on very old memories though so worth checking.

[mat_the_cat]

I'd read 70% recently, hence not wanting to go any lower, although don't know for certain the accuracy of the source. I was hoping to use my measurements as proof, but if 70% is the limit they could end up incriminating me!

[mat_the_cat]

We're now in France, in the middle of a heatwave - this was the forecast before we set off:

The van has been fine, and the mod have helped to keep the temperatures down inside, although nothing is of any help when cooking on the hob! Nice to be able to eat outside though.

Today has been the hottest yet - so hot that the road itself was melting in places!

It's now cooling down a bit, but the need for an electric hook up for the AC at night means no wild camping unfortunately. Still nice surroundings though.

[mrbenn]

The van has done well in those temperatures! Yikes.

[Noel Tidybeard]

The rules for tinted front windscreens and front side windows depend on when the vehicle was first used. There are no rules for tinting the rear windscreen or rear passenger windows.

Vehicles first used on 1 April 1985 or later

The front windscreen must let at least 75% of light through and the front side windows must let at least 70% of light through.

Vehicles first used before 1 April 1985

The front windscreen and front side windows must both let at least 70% of light through.

[mat_the_cat]

Back in the real world now, and a handful more photos from the trip. Out on a run we came across a shiter Rover enthusiast:

And also the rather sad sight of an abandoned Porsche specialist:

Given the state of the attached (once rather nice) house and gardens, and the gearboxes/engines visible mid-rebuild, and the car still up on a lift, you have to wonder whether some tragedy has occurred :-(

On a lighter note, a tragedy has definitely occurred here!

A result of the high temperatures was that we spent a lot of time around lakes, to jump into and cool off. This had its downsides, in terms of mosquito bites! 

At once point I was itching so badly if I could have ended the holiday there and then, I would, if I would just stop itching!

We had an unfortunate 24 hour delay in Calais, so had plenty of time to kill. With a bit of exploring we found the Battery Oldenburg, where some large guns were situated. Access to the side is not restricted, and in typical French fashion there is nothing to stop you exploring the abandoned structures.

Once inside I started to worry slightly about actually getting lost down the network of tunnels!

There was even evidence of where the showers were:

It's well worth a visit if this sort of thing is of interest, and Google maps will take you straight to where there is a walkway over the dunes to them. Not sure how long they will be accessible for, as the whole site is returning to nature, and we did see a few migrents about so the authorities may well close off what would be more appealing accomodation than a tent...

On the way back up we managed to watch a stage of the Tour de France, which was preceded by a procession of publicity vehicles, including a fleet of 2CVs. They clearly hold a place in the French's hearts, as they got once of the biggest cheers apart from the riders!

[mat_the_cat]

To replace the blanking plate where the AC remote receiver was previously located I decided to fit a water level gauge display. To drive this I needed to fit a pair of electrodes to the waste tank (I already have a working gauge for the fresh tank).

Just drill a couple of holes, and tighten up the screws to expand the rubber to seal.

I filled the waste tank up, both to check for leaks and also to test the gauge:

And even though I already have a freshwater gauge, this is better located, so l  tapped into the wiring to the existing sensor for the new gauge:

[mat_the_cat]

Well, the van has decided to reward the present of a nice new gauge by throwing in the charge warning light I suppose at least it's waited until we are safely back home though. It's a strange one - comes on when you reach 2-3k rpm sometimes, but if you drop the clutch while you're moving, allow the engine to drop to idle, then release the pedal quickly to raise the revs, it'll go back out again! Then may not come on for half an hour or so, no matter what revs you do.

Classic brush problems I'd thought, so changed those (along with the regulator, as that was quicker than doing the brushes alone). Still exactly the same.

Given that this was a new alternator brought purely on price, and has given me no end of trouble - I've already replaced the brushes, regulator and bearings on separate occasions in 50k miles, I threw in the towel for a hopefully decent remanufactured Bosch unit.

I'm getting very wary of fake parts nowadays, so avoided eBay to minimise the risk. Happily the box seemed to indicate a genuine part, and when I checked on the Bosch website it all checked out OK.

Fitting it was fairly straightforward although I had to swap over the pulley to get the belt alignment correct. Now charging well again, and hopefully peace of mind for the foreseeable future. 

[mat_the_cat]

On 7/24/2019 at 10:33 PM, mat_the_cat said:

Now charging well again, and hopefully peace of mind for the foreseeable future. 

There's always improvements to be made...I've just been doing what I enjoy most and playing with the electrics.

A bit of a back story: I used to have a voltage sensing relay which then closed the contacts on 3 further relays when the alternator was charging; fridge, a cut-off for the gas solenoid (so I couldn't accidentally drive off with the gas on), and a hefty 100 amp rely for the split charge system. When I fitted the AC I found that when idling for a while, the compressor caused the voltage to fall below the switching threshold for the VSR, causing it to drop out. The voltage then rose, the VSR switched back in again and so on. No good for contact lifespan so I then triggered the relays the 'old-fashioned' way from the charge warning light wire.

Now, the LT has always required a blip on the throttle after starting to extinguish the charge light, and so have others who I've spoken to. Only 1000 rpm or so, and has been the same on all alternators so pretty sure it's just a function of the low idle speed. But when I used the charge warning light to trigger the relays, the light would only go out once I hit about 3000 rpm, so usually a while after a cold start due to mechanical sympathy!

It took me round 2 years to figure out why , but it's because a small excitation current flows via the light until the alternator voltage becomes high enough for it to become self-exciting. Problem being that the 100A relay's coil has a resistance of 35 ohms (plus the  smaller relays), so the voltage is dragged down as there is a significant path to earth via the relay coils. So, I wanted to sort this.

I reckon a simple MOSFET switch circuit should do the job, and I had all the bits to do the job. The only N-channel MOSFETs I had have a fairly high 'on' resistance of around half an ohm, but it will only have to carry half an amp so heat won't be a problem. I gutted the case of a cheap relay to provide a suitable enclosure, and wired it up.

I've added an LED (with built-in series resistor) to show that it's working (or not!). I still need to add a protection diode across the relay coil, but hopefully this should do the trick of switching on the relays whilst drawing effectively zero current.

 

[Zelandeth]

I really need to sort the split charging system on mine... I've basically been going "La la la la!" and sticking my fingers in my ears whenever the subject gets mentioned.  It should be set up to charge the both batteries, but doesn't.  The relay involved is doing something as it's the same one which drops in the supply to the fridge only when the alternator is charging and that bit works.

Sadly the wiring around the leisure battery has been majorly hacked about...so most likely ripping that whole lot out and starting over is the way forward.  Which means routing lots of wiring as the control panel is basically as far from the battery as it's possible to get and most of the original wiring is permanently embedded in the fabric of the van.  Ah, the joys of coachbuilt vans.  My new wiring will be in trunking under the floor...no shortage of space down there at least.

My Merc is exactly the same in that it needs a blip of throttle to wake up the alternator and turn the light off.  Only a couple of hundred rpm actually so I could probably just nudge the idle up a little...

[mat_the_cat]

12 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

The relay involved is doing something as it's the same one which drops in the supply to the fridge only when the alternator is charging and that bit works.

Sorry to sound pedantic, but it's likely to be two relays required rather than just one, unless they've fitted the (rare) type with dual output contacts which are isolated from each other when off. Otherwise there would be a direct path for the fridge to discharge the leisure battery. 

It's honestly not as complicated as some would have you believe - you can make it so but it doesn't have to be! 

[Zelandeth]

According to the wiring diagram it should just be the one relay, and it does look to be a complicated one with something like eight terminals.

The wiring isn't that complex...it just seems it when someone else has messed around with it beforehand and left a horrible (dangerous) mess behind to unravel.  See also a live wire connected directly to the vehicle battery floating around loose in the (metal) leisure battery compartment.

[mat_the_cat]

I've finally fitted the modded 'relay', and wired it in to switch the 3 existing relays.

And the big question is, does it work?

Yes!

It switches the power supply to the fridge...

...the main split charge relay, and as a test I lit the hob before starting the engine. The gas was cut off and the warning buzzer sounded, as intended - all at just above idle speed rather than 3k rpm. Happy days

[Schaefft]

I've only seen your comment about the DDR/GDR foglights now. Turns out the "VEB Kombinat Fahrzeugelektrik Ruhla" who produced these lights traded them and various over components for a couple thousand Golfs the country wouldn't have had access to otherwise, among other things. Pretty interesting!

[mat_the_cat]

I've not used this for a month, but there will be some developments soon! Santa brought me a Chinese diesel heater for the LT, so I rigged it up temporarily on the bench today, to check for noise, fuel consumption, and whether it even worked or not! Apparently there are a few which are DOA, so wanted to avoid the installation work if it needed replacing straight away. Happily all seemed good, quiet enough on the lowest setting and frugal enough to likely plumb it in to the main diesel tank.

(sorry for the orientation, as I did film in landscape!)

Question is, do I tee into the existing fuel lines, or drop the (full) tank and fit the supplied pick-up pipe in the top. Leaning towards the former for ease, and I'm reasonably confident of being able to make a reliable connection without introducing an air leak.

[Zelandeth]

If your fuel lines are accessible I'd just hook it into the vehicle tank.  I'm guessing yours is of a similar sort of size to mine (70 litres), so you're not going to even notice it most likely unless you're using it pretty heavily.

Haven't done that yet on mine because my fuel lines unhelpfully disappear directly above the tank...so that's a job which will probably be waiting until I drop the tank to rust proof above it.  Oh...and to try to clear the blasted tank vent so it takes less than a week to fill it.

If you've not already heard about it, it's worth looking into the Afterburner project - a vastly improved replacement for the stock controller these come with, which really is the biggest limitation of them and is clearly where the money has been saved.

Details can be found over here:

http://www.mrjones.id.au/afterburner/

There's no store front where you can buy it as they're all made by the creator himself, you can contact him at the email address on that page though to ask for current pricing and availability.  I've just requested one in kit form at a cost of 60AUD (plus shipping) which seems like an absolute bargain for the features it offers.  No idea what the cost of the completed unit is though as I fancy putting it together myself anyway.

[Six-cylinder]

25 minutes ago, mat_the_cat said:

I've not used this for a month, but there will be some developments soon! Santa brought me a Chinese diesel heater for the LT, so I rigged it up temporarily on the bench today, to check for noise, fuel consumption, and whether it even worked or not! Apparently there are a few which are DOA, so wanted to avoid the installation work if it needed replacing straight away. Happily all seemed good, quiet enough on the lowest setting and frugal enough to likely plumb it in to the main diesel tank.

One of the youtube guys with a VW T3 has a separate 15 Ltr diesel tank for his heater and says it lasts one day on max, when it is well below freezing out side and he wants to be +70° F. When it is around freezing outside, it will creep into the low 60° F on min setting then the consumption drops to 15 LTR a week. 

[mat_the_cat]

Funnily enough I just joined the Afterburner Facebook page yesterday! Sounds a very reasonable price, and I wonder if I could get him to package up a pair of P76 rocker cover gaskets as well, to save on postage...

Yes, it's a 70 litre tank although 110 litre was available as a (rare) option.

[mat_the_cat]

4 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

One of the youtube guys has a separate 15 Ltr diesel tank for his heater and says it lasts one day on max, when it is well below freezing out side and he wants to be +70° F. When it is around freezing outside, it will creep into the low 60° F on min setting then the consumption drops to 15 LTR a week. 

I'm unlikely to be using it in sub zero temperatures, just making it a bit more comfortable on chilly nights. Max consumption in the manual is around a third of a litre an hour flat-out, so 15 litres a day sounds on the thirsty side, or a much larger heater.

[Zelandeth]

Great minds think alike it seems then.

A lot of the numbers I remember reading seem to apply to the 5kW version (which I have).

Economy is likely to be a lot better with the Afterburner as one of the drawbacks with the standard controller is that it will only throttle the fuelling back just far enough to keep the best exchanger temperature within tolerance with the fan throttled back.  The Afterburner varies the fuelling quite a bit more widely as I recall or also offers the option to have it actually cut the burner when up to temperature - the caveat there of course being a heavier load on your battery as it runs the glow plug (12A worth of load in my case) for about a minute at startup and shutdown.  So obviously you need to see what works for you in that respect.

[mat_the_cat]

Given that we rarely spend more than a single night in the same spot before moving on, and have a bank of 3 leisure batteries I'm not too worried about current consumption. Actually I'm not that worried about fuel consumption either, but more the fact that if the burner is running continuously, the temperature inside an insulated van is going to keep rising even when throttled right back.

Just been playing around with locations and narrowed it down to under the front passenger seat, or under the fridge. Will have a think about the pros and cons of each...

[mat_the_cat]

Under the passenger seat would probably be the easiest location, but likely noise with it being more in the open.

It would make it more accessible for servicing and repairs though, but unfortunately there is a box section directly underneath so I've ruled that out. I did consider in the food cupboard:

But decided against because it takes up valuable space (which is why I'm not considering mounting it under the seats) and also will heat up any food in the cupboard.

So, out with the fridge it was! This will be a neater installation, although trickier to access. First I cut a hole in the floor, which I then painted and sealed with PU sealant.

Then mounted the unit on the supplied steel plate, screwed down to the floor.

The X shaped plywood is to support the fridge, taken straight from the donor caravan! Crude, but it works.

Underneath I've sealed again, and mounted the exhaust silencer on a stud fixed to the jacking point.

From the side you can hardly see anything, especially not at eye level.

I've temporarily connected it all up again and it still works, just need to route the wiring, tee into the fuel line and put everything back!

[Zelandeth]

Just beware of the temperature of the gases coming out the exhaust, that's why I stuck an elbow on mine to divert the gases downwards to eliminate the possibility of frying anyone who walks past the van when it's running.

Still shocked how much difference that tiny silencer makes to the noise level.

[mat_the_cat]

Yeah, I remember reading about yours. I *think* mine being a 2kW version, the gases don't seem worryingly hot - certainly over the period of time I've run it, I've been able to walk past in contact with the van without concern. I will monitor it though!

I've also had a (possibly) cunning plan on how to reduce noise from the pump...watch this space!

[mat_the_cat]

My plan was to place the pump within a sealed box, and pack with foam to avoid any direct contact with the chassis.

The box was one a previous phone was supplied in, and I'd hung onto it in case it came in handy!

I've secured the wiring and pipework a little better now:

I've tee'd into the main fuel line to the engine, so time to fire it up properly!

I think there may have been one or two air bubbles in the line...

Thankfully the smoke soon cleared, and both heater and engine seemed to run well. I've left the heater on low now, and will try a cold start of the engine in the morning, to make sure there are no problems with drain back.

Sadly the noise from the pump is still noticeable. I'm not sure whether it will stop us sleeping, but planning to see in the new year overnight somewhere in the mountains tomorrow, so will report back.

[Zelandeth]

If I were you I'd ditch that fuel filter and fit a proper one.

I spent an hour trying to get mine primed before discovering that the two parts of the casing weren't actually attached to each other properly.  Not sure I trust the glue they have been used further than I can throw it either.

[mat_the_cat]

7 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

If I were you I'd ditch that fuel filter and fit a proper one.

I spent an hour trying to get mine primed before discovering that the two parts of the casing weren't actually attached to each other properly.  Not sure I trust the glue they have been used further than I can throw it either.

 

Yes, you're not the first to mention that! Seems to be a weak spot, and all the more important given that failure would allow air into the fuel supply to the engine. I did check very carefully for leaks, so it's not failed yet...