Massive master

[legasoil96]

 

Didn't get a 'pez shot' my old man later told me I hit the pump number sign and folded it back anyway.

 

Bought this old thing in Bristol t'other day never want to see that place again. 

Drove it back to Sussex with one wing mirror that kept blowing out of view and the other was an old pug 206 one sellataped on so I couldn't take it on the M4. Poxy back roads. Busy bits of Bristol and that Bath hellhole.

 

Especially bad when the gear linkage is broken, sounding quite metallic as I try and define neutral so I don't have to hold down the extremely stiff clutch with all those west country traffic jams. 'Go west' said the wurzel's I think too many people listened. 

 

 

It was also a case of timing belt roulette but I've found a sticker for that. Only 40k miles back but 2008 I will chance it.

The gear linkage was an easy fix knackered rubber ring round the bottom of stick. It was metal on metal.

The handbrake is very stiff and it will fail when I get an MOT.

 

The worst thing is the clutch , the cable was changed recently after the previous snapped. Adjustment on the cable doesn't do much. Could it be because it's a cheap aftermarket cable ? Or is the problem more likely to be the clutch itself ?

 

I can put up with the clutch but it won't do when I take it over to the continent. Could snap again. ??

 

If i get bored of the luton I could always put a little recovery body on it being a LWB.

 

 

[Lankytim]

That looks brill. I'd deffo go down the recovery body route.

[anonymous user]

That looks brill. I'd deffo go down the recovery body route.

If you do remove the body, I'd convert it into a compact and bijou glamping retreat which you can let to trendy people

[Junkman]

This.

Is.

Fucking.

Epic.

[Junkman]

I can put up with the clutch but it won't do when I take it over to the continent. Could snap again. ??

If you want to break down, that Continent is the bloody best place for it.

Unless you are in France, that is.

[strangeangel]

The worst thing is the clutch 

 

Yeah, it was on the one I had too! Even replacing it did nothing.

[Mally]

More likely to be the clutch than the new cable, but if strangeangel changed one without improvement, why bother.

Buy a new cable, run some engine oil through it and fit it. Carry other one for spare.

Make sure clutch pedal is not binding.

[Asimo]

Is that RWD or FWD?

 

I hired a Master Panel Van once. Thought it was ace!

[legasoil96]

They're called T35 so Traction = FWD .RWD's do exist although v rare here called P35's. Then theres the 5 tonne versions they're RWD.

 

I also have a panel van

 

Unlike the luton everything works nicely except the rustproofing. Bodging it up slowly. Was going to use it for spares but it's just too good. I've been to France in it 9 times loaded it up to the roof with heavy furniture/engines/motorbikes.

 

 

Thanks for the many helpful replies I think I will do the clutch somewhen or more likely get someone else to.

Probably hold off a ferry trip in it.

[Skizzer]

Like the very high quality van purchases.

 

Also like the very high quality bad-tempered collection thread. Good work.

[garethj]

Very impressive!  I'm loving the bleu van too

[trigger]

Great for driving over bridges in on windy days.

[legasoil96]

Very impressive!  I'm loving the bleu van too

Every vehicle I buy is usually blue . Aged patina like a peasants Renault 4 .

[Cavcraft]

If you get bored of it, raffle it. I'll be well up for a couple of tickets.

[wuvvum]

Umm, Billy, you do know these have an Iveco engine don't you?

[twosmoke300]

Sofim? One of the best diesels ever made

[Cavcraft]

Umm, Billy, you do know these have an Iveco engine don't you?

 

Make that one ticket.

[legasoil96]

Sofim 2.5 lovely lump engine noise is one of the best i've ever heard pergle pergle pergle.

[legasoil96]

Of course it's in the cab with an engine cover. Just lay a few blankets for soundproofing.

[legasoil96]

The clutch on this was getting on my wick so I thought I'd investigate.

 

I've never done a clutch before but it's actually quite easy with this. The box sticks out the front.

 

Chock her up, roll pins out of d-shafts well one anyway the other is still stuck.

 

unbolt everything else and pull ... 

 

 

 

 

Now I can get a good swing at that d-shaft roll pin.

 

I'm a bit lost because I expected to see some part somewhere worn out, a cause for the clutch stiff-ness

 

 

It all looks alright though, I don't have much of a clue though.

 

 

Even the clutch pivot my main suspect 

 

 

All I can do is replace it all . Put it all back together and test it.

 

It's a shame but I think I knackered a few ball joints in the process too.

 

 

[strangeangel]

Yeah, the one that came out of mine was pretty much as yours, albeit that the friction plate was nearly at the end of its life. Replaced everything, and it was exactly the same!

 

I had a lot of good times with that van, but it drove like something from the stone age and the clutch/gearchange was one of its worst features. No power steering on mine either

[legasoil96]

Putain Merde I reckon this will be the same and if it is that luton is coming off. I will have to save it for local jobs whereby a dropside or recovery body is more suitable.

 

For a recovery body I'd just run a few lengths of the ww2 steel plating up the sides. 

[dollywobbler]

Tired springs cause a heavy clutch, and French stuff seems particularly prone to it in my experience, perhaps because the clutch plates themselves seem to last quite a long time (100k miles considered well within reach of stuff like 2CVs, XUD diesels etc). Will be interesting to see how it feels once all back together again.

[legasoil96]

More master melancholic misfortunes

 

 

Well I changed the clutch on this and the pivot thing.. The van was blocked up for about a month in the process. I took it slow made a few mistakes like using a tapered punch on a driveshaft roll pin. As vehicles go I think the job was quite easy with alright access. I've never changed one before.

 

I then had to change all the bjoints and track rod ends which I had well erm ripped with caveman fork tool.

 

The CV gaiter was a bit fooked to boot but oh well.

 

Hardly any change with the clutch after all of this. bastard thing.

 

Changed the clutch cable and all was solved it took 1 and a half hrs.

 

Oh joy now for a MOT - Fail Handbrake and welding. I did the welding but it still cost 300 odd quid for the brakes.

 

Then a few days after the pass I take it out and it wont go into reverse. There I am outside a pizza factory like worzel gummidge dang ratted thing two hands on the stick trying to find it all the employees watching. Just about get it back home.

 

 

What was happening was I was putting it into the reverse slot but it was giving me second then me brother comes over has a go he rammed it so hard it ripped the linkage off !

 

The van vibrates like buggery after about 30 seconds of idling so perhaps the engine mounts are kaput could they have caused this gear issue ?

 

 

That morning reversing up a hill before the catastrophe there was lots of juddering.

 

 

The gearbox seemed to work very well in all other gears.

 

 

Anyway the poxy things got 12 months ticket and it's lunched out awaiting reparation. bastard thing I was off to France in it but now I shall take t'other in search of a new boite de vitesse and maybe some mounts.

 

 

 

 

[Asimo]

I think this gearbox is almost the same as the one in the Alpine / Renault GTA and that certainly gets problems with the rubber balls in the gearbox linkage. usually the fix is to replace them with nylon parts, locally made.

That car has the gear lever much nearer the gearbox than than your Master which must have a complicated gearbox linkage!

Engine / gearbox mounts are always going to be under suspicion when there are gearchange problems.

[Faker]

This one lives quite close to me RAZ**** N.I. reg so it's a 1997. The thing is utterly flawless! Not a blemish or mark. Proper mint!

[Volksy]

I've had a couple of variations of these, a Green camper which was a 'gift' from a friend. It recently showed up on EBAY so appears to be still on the road.

Other one was a RWD B35 flatbed truck I ran in the Ardeche as a boat hauler. It was a proper agricutural old truck, and I loved it.

[legasoil96]

^someone was living the dream there.

Problem with campers is all the windows . Makes them look so ugly I change the grilles on mine to make them less ugly. Adding gingercators also helps.

 

 

I used to look at these things with disgust. Knew someone with a petrol one and he couldn't even drive it to get weighed in without it breaking down.