Dave's shonkers - collection begins

[Dave_Q]

Nearly 2 months later, this update doesn't look very big.

Finally got the bottom end built up. A mate from work had the cases for a couple of weeks to machine a bush for the leaky gearchange shaft, I got him to whizz a bit off the flywheel as well. It seems to have taken me ages to build it back up, I didn't touch it for a while as I was writing up a project for university and now I finally got round to it it took me a couple of attempts to get the bearings in and the cases together, I was being cautious as I didn't want to wreck the new crank.

It all seems to go round nicely now so I guess the next thing is to nail on the top end, set the squish and the timing and get it back in the frame.

Done nothing with anything else but weather is picking up a bit so there is some danger of me trying to take the TMax for an MOT.

[Dave_Q]

Current situation:

I am waiting for a timing light to turn up so I can do the timing, the cylinder kit apparently needs 15 degrees BTDC.

Exhaust was a bit of a faff as it had been previously modified for a stroked cylinder, it's hidden in that pic but I had to cut the mount off, bend it, and extend it with a bit of flat bar to make it all fit nicely and not foul on the brake drum. Apparently they are always a bit of a rubbish fit and need some fettling even from new.

Getting close now.

[Dave_Q]

Vespa status: flywheel doesn't fit as the cylinder is designed for a super small race flywheel with a separate fan. Flywheel gone back to lathe friend for further corrections.

In a fit of productivity I decided to take the TMax for a test. Whenever I last moved it it was clear that the brakes were sticking on after a winter stood outside. The fork seals were also leaking and I had had the bits queued up for ages. 

Seems like I didn't really take any pictures but I stripped and cleaned all 3 calipers and did the fork seals. I took this picture to show the appalling state of the brake fluid:

And these of a nice tool I 3D printed to fit the seals.

The forks were minging as well, there was about one gobful of grey looking oil in each fork.

Tested today, scores on the doors:

I knew the rear tyre was borderline but thought the front was OK. MOT man sez the rear is worn in the middle and the front on the outsides? New pair on order anyway and the advisories aren't getting anything done about them as the brakes seem fine to me.

In 4 wheeled news, Volvo is up for roffle as you may have seen and it's being replaced with a van.

The van was actually delivered up here on Sunday by top shiter @Rave.

No pics yet as its dark outside and its blocked in on the drive but for clues, its got hallmarks of build quality on the sills and arches and a disco light setup of ABS, traction control, and SRS lights on the dash included free of charge.

[Dave_Q]

GERMAN BUILD QUALITY

SUCH GRANITE

FREE LIGHT SHOW

[Fabergé Greggs]

11 hours ago, Dave_Q said:

GERMAN BUILD QUALITY

SUCH GRANITE

FREE LIGHT SHOW

I think that dash is doing me the remind of my brief spell with a Black Death Vito 

[Dave_Q]

Don't worry I've got a robust plan for the black death, if I don't take the airbox off to check for it, it can't have it

[Dave_Q]

Here she is, in all her glory*

It's a Vito 109cdi, XTRALONGBOI. And long it is:

Although it's only 10-15cm longer than my former Scudo according to t'internet.

It was used by a bricklayer to cart his crew around and it looked like it inside. We spent much of last weekend cleaning the inside to get to this stage:

One thing that attracted me to it, other than the price, was the fact it has the Viano seat rails in the back. You can adjust the rear seats backwards and forwards, one thing I found a little restricting about the scudo was you could only fit the rear seats in 2 fixed positions. It came with 2 rows of rear seats but I'll bin one off as we only really need 5 seats.

Condition wise it's like a 2004 van with nearly 250k up made from 2004 Mercedes steel.

Has these lovely alloys which I gather are off an SL or SLK, one tyre goes down very quickly as the wheel has been cracked and welded together and re-cracked again.

Also: now paying out on all bets on YES to black death.

I am still pleased with the van overall. The bits of rust are just cosmetic, sills etc are still present and it drives fine so should get through an MOT. 

Plans are, to fix the black death (possibly via paying a man), further clean up the inside, and if it's still proving reliable in a few months do a mostly removable camper conversion including pop top roof.

I've watched some YouTube videos on fixing black death that make it look super easy, so for starters I'm gonna fire some oven cleaner, brake cleaner and any other potions I think of at the clag to get the area cleaned up and if this goes well I'll tackle it myself.

[bangernomics]

Looks like as good a Vito as you can expect at that age. If you have access to one of those steamer things (think a kettle/womble lovechild) then that’ll make it easier to dissolve the death.

[Fabergé Greggs]

On 5/8/2022 at 5:36 PM, Dave_Q said:

Here she is, in all her glory*

It's a Vito 109cdi, XTRALONGBOI. And long it is:

Although it's only 10-15cm longer than my former Scudo according to t'internet.

It was used by a bricklayer to cart his crew around and it looked like it inside. We spent much of last weekend cleaning the inside to get to this stage:

One thing that attracted me to it, other than the price, was the fact it has the Viano seat rails in the back. You can adjust the rear seats backwards and forwards, one thing I found a little restricting about the scudo was you could only fit the rear seats in 2 fixed positions. It came with 2 rows of rear seats but I'll bin one off as we only really need 5 seats.

Condition wise it's like a 2004 van with nearly 250k up made from 2004 Mercedes steel.

Has these lovely alloys which I gather are off an SL or SLK, one tyre goes down very quickly as the wheel has been cracked and welded together and re-cracked again.

Also: now paying out on all bets on YES to black death.

I am still pleased with the van overall. The bits of rust are just cosmetic, sills etc are still present and it drives fine so should get through an MOT. 

Plans are, to fix the black death (possibly via paying a man), further clean up the inside, and if it's still proving reliable in a few months do a mostly removable camper conversion including pop top roof.

I've watched some YouTube videos on fixing black death that make it look super easy, so for starters I'm gonna fire some oven cleaner, brake cleaner and any other potions I think of at the clag to get the area cleaned up and if this goes well I'll tackle it myself.

From when I investigated sorting my black death, it certainly sounded like the demoralising task of cleaning up was most of the battle. I'm gonna say that doesn't look too bad though compared to some, crack on! 

[Dave_Q]

Cheers both, yeah I think it's relatively early. I am gonna spend a few hours this week on the clean up and if that goes OK might as well crack on.

£9 for bolts and seals from Merc, £35 on some tools, got brake cleaner and a little steamer so WCPGW? All the YouTube videos make it look pretty straightforward.

[Bren]

Carb cleaner is great for dissolving black death. I used engine compression to loosen the stubborn one on other half's vectra.

[Supernaut]

On 03/05/2022 at 22:29, Dave_Q said:

GERMAN BUILD QUALITY

SUCH GRANITE

FREE LIGHT SHOW

For a second, I thought the PARK light actually said PANIC.

[Dave_Q]

11 hours ago, Supernaut said:

For a second, I thought the PARK light actually said PANIC.

To be fair, either is probably accurate considering the state of the van

[Dave_Q]

Had an hour or so on the van today.

Wing first. Here is how it came:

Under the tape is just a big hole in the wing. Presumably a crash or summat and only the bumper was replaced?

I managed to score a sh wing in the same colour, it arrived excellently* well wrapped.

Pretty easy job to swap over. Panel gaps are a bit wonky but they probably were before.

Also had a go at some of the black death crud, with a warm engine and a squizz of brake cleaner it came off pretty easily.

Before:

After:

One of the biggest problems is access, I can't get my head under there to see what's what, gonna have to order a little mirror I think.

It's deffo number 2 that's chuffing, but unless it all goes wrong I'll put new seals on all 4.

[horriblemercedes]

Black death on these is pretty easy. Carb cleaner dissolves and cleans the gunk easily and a bit of heat means the injector will pull straight out when the bolt is loosened.

 

Make sure you clean out the threads (I found cotton buds do it really well) and also that you clean out the bore that the injector sits in or it won't want to go back. Try not to drop any chunks of carbon into the cylinder!

 

Honestly, it's really not a bad job. Tedious but not terrible.

[Dave_Q]

Thanks, I have ordered a long M6 tap to clean the threads out, the stuff I can get to seems to be coming off pretty easy with carb cleaner and a warm engine.

[Dave_Q]

Bit of progress today. Went to Merc in Bradford to pick up my bits, splashed out on a service kit while I was there. 

£42 or so for air/oil/fuel filters which seemed OK. 

The air filter was deffo ready for it.

The OEM filter is just a Mann with extra writing on.

Also: victory

Number 2, the chuffer, must have had a bolt snapped in the hole at some point as it's been retapped to M8 and a shorter bolt. 
Luckily I can actually use my engineering degree to work out that I need 16.9Nm on the M8 to get the same preload as the M6 at yield.
Do wonder if the wrong bolt has contributed to the chuffing somehow.

Not sure if I will bother taking 3 and 4 out at this stage as they are further under and my back doesn't like it.

[Dave_Q]

It's fixed. 

Doesn't look like I took many pictures. I did take the other 2 injectors out, thought I'd see if they would come out easily and they did. 

I used the injector seat cutting tool to clean up the holes a bit, combined with lots of waving my phone about under there to see down the holes as I had no chance with my actual head. The grease/oil/etc was further cleaned out of the holes with a rag on a stick before it all went together. 

I also made this precision injector face cleaning rig from a bit of scotchbrite and a bit of wood.

I'm not afraid to admit I was shitting it when doing the bolts back up. I had to have several attempts to tap out the holes, I thought I had done it alright but when I put number 1 bolt in it clicked for 7Nm when it was several mm above the clamp. I was especially shitting it when putting the 17Nm on number 2 the M8, but maths turned out to be right this time and it was all fine.

I further clenched as the bastard did not want to start after reassembly. Flattened the battery attempting but a charged battery, a squizz of brake cleaner and a foot on the floor got it going with a big cloud of smoke. Seems to be running fine and I might be imagining it but it seems slightly smoother/quieter on idle and may even start a bit faster.

This evening I started giving it an electronic talking to. @strangeangel who is similarly afflicted with a Vito brought round his diagnostic multiplexer job. There are assorted lights on the dash and I couldn't get much sense out of the Wurth WOW software. 

The main issue was something to do with Variant coding on the ESP leading to ABS and traction control lights permanently on.

Ah of course, the old wheelbase implausibility fault. For reasons known only to Mercedes, almost every module needs to be coded with relevant information about the vehicle and it throws a wobbler if they don't all agree. 

This fault was telling me the ignition switch was not coded to the right van length or wheelbase. Its a replacement for some reason, there is another in the glovebox. All this shite lives in developer settings, in German only.

Telling the ignition switch it is fitted to an XLWB version made the ESP happy.

I still have an SRS/airbag fault for similar reasons, which I'll look at another time. Going through the coding is painful as all the words are in German so I have to google translate them all to find out what to change.

[Tepper]

If you haven't clocked it already, the Google translate app has a camera mode that changes the text in (almost) realtime - would probably make that easier. Nice work on the black death and the coding!

[Dave_Q]

1 hour ago, Tepper said:

If you haven't clocked it already, the Google translate app has a camera mode that changes the text in (almost) realtime - would probably make that easier. Nice work on the black death and the coding!

Yes I realized when I was writing up the post that I had made it much harder for myself by typing one word at a time into my phone 🤦‍♂️ I do have the app as well as used it on holiday.

[Dave_Q]

Right been a week or two, managed a few bits. 

TMax is MOTd, the tyres turned up from Demon Tweeks 1 day outside the retest period, cheers cunts. I spent ages trawling through their site and the best I could find was 1 tyre in stock that day and another that was coming into stock the next day. Ordered and they emailed the day after with a stock update that the next day tyre was now a week away and it still wasn't sent till a day or 3 after that. From the state of the stock on their website (order now - in stock in 60 days) I reckon this is more supply chain kaos than them being shit. Still annoying. 

I did the tyres myself which called for my DIY compressed air tank setup:

In van news, I finally managed to do enough digital interfering to get all the warning lights off the dash.

As such I celebrated by treating the rust fitting cruise control and a new stereo.

I also fixed the front windows as neither worked on purchase. 

The drivers was weird as the fault was traced to the fuse for the drivers door module being missing? I found that one of the bolts holding the door handle on had been replaced with one that was far too long and would have stuck right into the door. Maybe it was deactivated to prevent damage?

The passenger was more involved as the mech had a few bits missing and shredded cables, it was held up by a regulation bit of broom handle. I was able to bodge it back together with a combination of two repair kits for about £11 total. This picture is how I found it, there is meant to be a little gearbox and some cables attached to the motor.

I nearly bought yet another rank moped tonight but was saved from myself by the seller flaking out on me. Instead I spend an hour finishing putting the Vespa engine back together, it's now ready to go back in the frame.

[bangernomics]

That window motor setup looks just like the kit on a vw fox. 17/12 for the lights going off. Also give the DeepL app a go as it translates into readable format as opposed to Google’s word translation method.


Could it get any worse?

[Dave_Q]

40 minutes ago, bangernomics said:

That window motor setup looks just like the kit on a vw fox. 17/12 for the lights going off. Also give the DeepL app a go as it translates into readable format as opposed to Google’s word translation method.


Could it get any worse?

Yeah you just know there is some German version of the West Midlands full of tier 1 suppliers like Helmut's Automotive Pressings GmBh knocking these things out in the millions and selling near identical versions of the same shit to all the German OEMs.

Come to think of it I did a regulator on an A3 once and I recall it was much like this, the fault on that one was the plastic lifter/slider thing breaking which I believe these are also a bit prone to as well.

[Dave_Q]

Van stuff:

Fitted an android double DIN jobber with a reverse camera hidden in the boot handle. Pretty chuffed with the installation, that bezel between the stereo and the DIN surround I designed and 3D printed. Also fitted a gearknob and gaiter and a sew on leather wheel cover. While I was faffing with the gearknob I replaced a plastic bush on the lever that was a bit floppy and reset the cables. When I got it 5th and 6th were barely achievable, and when I first put the bush in 1st and second weren't where they should be, there is a stop for 1/2 that's part of the lever. Adjusting the side to side cable to put 1/2 back in the right place made 5th and 6th much better, I assume it was adjusted to get 1st with the play in the lever. Very satisfying fix for the £4.something the bush cost.

The headlights were translucent at best so I tried some cutting compound + autosol. Its made an improvement but there is still some clouding, having watched some videos I think I need to go back and start with 1500 grit and work my way back up.

B4:

After:

Changed the oil today, I bought the oil from Merc as they do it for a reasonable price. Was a bit annoyed as I wanted 2x 5L bottles, they said they would get me some but when I went back for it they only had one. Ended up buying this 20L "lube cube", was a bit dubious about how I would get it into the engine but they've thought about that and it's got a tap like a box'o'wine. Between this and the Lidl drain pump this was about the cleanest oil change I've ever done. It takes 9L so my 20L cube will cover the next one as well. Filter looked pretty due, it's been telling me the service is overdue on the dash.

I also bought a pair of Audi TT seats and swivel plates for the front so that is the next job.

I also managed to get the engine back in the Vespa and successfully fire it up and set the timing, so its a few cables away from re-hitting the road.

[Dave_Q]

I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY RIDDEN ABOUT A MILE ON THE VESPA!

Getting it back together wasn't too bad, had some faffing with cables to fit the new carb. Like I said in my last post I had set the timing and it seemed to run fine.
However, when I went to ride off up the road on it it just cut out and would only restart with the throttle wide open, and it sounded like shit.

I was a bit baffled as it had sounded bob on when setting the timing, and obviously was pretty demoralised. Nothing had changed except filling the tank back up with 4% oil mix as that's what some online instructions for the kit said. Didn't know what to think so asked on the fb group and got some sensible suggestions. One that it might be electrical, and to be fair all the stator wiring was crispy as fuck and I had been planning to replace it anyway.

So between meetings today I soldered all new wires onto the stator, tested resistance etc and all seemed OK. I drained half the tank and made it back to about 2% as this was recommended on the group for a case inlet engine.

Fired up again - nope still about the same. Another suggestion was jetting, whipped the carb off and found that the main jet had fallen out into the float bowl? FFS this must have literally happened when I went to  ride off and explains the sudden change in workingness.

With that discovery, and changing down on the main jet I was off up the road. Great success, the scoot is a little ripper. Not quite a wheelie machine but has a definite kick in higher revs.

Naturally, because I am a total idiot I rode off with the petrol cap not quite on securely and petrol went everywhere. Clearly the paint I used on the tank was not petrol proof and I ended up with melted black petrolly mess all over the shop. Frickin brilliant. Most of it cleaned off with brake cleaner and I guess cutting compound or something might help with the rest. No pics as was busy trying to clean it off before it set.

[Fabergé Greggs]

14 minutes ago, Dave_Q said:

I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY RIDDEN ABOUT A MILE ON THE VESPA!

Getting it back together wasn't too bad, had some faffing with cables to fit the new carb. Like I said in my last post I had set the timing and it seemed to run fine.
However, when I went to ride off up the road on it it just cut out and would only restart with the throttle wide open, and it sounded like shit.

I was a bit baffled as it had sounded bob on when setting the timing, and obviously was pretty demoralised. Nothing had changed except filling the tank back up with 4% oil mix as that's what some online instructions for the kit said. Didn't know what to think so asked on the fb group and got some sensible suggestions. One that it might be electrical, and to be fair all the stator wiring was crispy as fuck and I had been planning to replace it anyway.

So between meetings today I soldered all new wires onto the stator, tested resistance etc and all seemed OK. I drained half the tank and made it back to about 2% as this was recommended on the group for a case inlet engine.

Fired up again - nope still about the same. Another suggestion was jetting, whipped the carb off and found that the main jet had fallen out into the float bowl? FFS this must have literally happened when I went to  ride off and explains the sudden change in workingness.

With that discovery, and changing down on the main jet I was off up the road. Great success, the scoot is a little ripper. Not quite a wheelie machine but has a definite kick in higher revs.

Naturally, because I am a total idiot I rode off with the petrol cap not quite on securely and petrol went everywhere. Clearly the paint I used on the tank was not petrol proof and I ended up with melted black petrolly mess all over the shop. Frickin brilliant. Most of it cleaned off with brake cleaner and I guess cutting compound or something might help with the rest. No pics as was busy trying to clean it off before it set.

Yaaas! 
 

Don’t worry about pics M9, it’s VIDEOS we need 

[Dave_Q]

Hmm I do have a helmet cam I got for xmas, leave it with me

[Dave_Q]

@Fabergé Greggs

 

 

 

Production values are not going to have any of our resident youtubers worrying about their ad income any time soon.
The camera ended up pointing kinda down throughout, I do look at the road when riding, honest.
The engine noise and wind combo sound like someone blasting gabba into a biffa bin through a blown speaker at some points, but there, VIDEO ENOUGH FOR YA?

Fun fact: the ANC sign at the start of the second vid points to the entrance of the Ashdene Naturist Club.

[Matty]

I hated that Servetta I built for my dad. Loved how it looked hated riding a scooter (coming from bikes that actually handled). Now you've posted them videos I just caught myself saying "you know dad, I'd have another. Probably a vespa this time though." Damn you Dave, damn you 😁

[Dave_Q]

If you're thinking about it a PK could be a good option, they are about the only remaining Vespa that aren't mega coin. 

You can get more or less complete projects for under a grand fairly often. PXs, V range smallframes and even flipping LMLs are strong money nowadays.

This looks good to me for a running and MOTd 125: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1140181676551443