Jump to content

Cobbler's's Talbot Express - Time to move it on?


cobblers

Recommended Posts

Is the ignitor clicking when you press it?

Sure, of it's not getting could and it hasn't been used for a good while then taking it out and inverting it for 24 hours sorted it.

ETA, I found that fridge quite frustrating in the early days when it wouldn't work, but realistically it's got no moving parts, so as long as there's gas in it then it can only be a worst case of having to replace a thermocouple or something.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now, when I turn the switch on it reliably clicks until it's lit. At one point it did nothing but seemed to fix itself. 

There's a decent blue flame through the little window when lit which gets bigger and smaller depending on the setting, but it's just not really getting cool.

 

From memory it was a bit pants last time I used it, and it's been stood for a while. I'll tip it up and perhaps have a look at the flame sensor thingy while I'm in there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's very rarely parked completely on the flat, one of my main frustrations is that I don't have access to any kind of flat level ground.

I'd got it pretty well levelled on chocks, but it was definitely tipped over to one side, maybe 4" lower on the drivers side. It's never seemed to mind that before, but from memory it has slowly performed worse and worse over the time I've had it - I remember being astounded by the power of it a few years ago.

 

I took the fridge out today, tipped it upside down and it made some fantastic glugging noises for a bit. I left it upside down for about 8 hours, refitted it and left it running on gas for an hour - Nothing.

 

 

However, I've got a feeling the problem might be with the gas jet bit. For a few reasons:

First, when I had the thing running on 12v, it did get a little bit cold. It's never very good on 12v, but they never are

Second, there's really not a lot of heat coming out of the external gas vent or from above the fridge either.

Third - it's not getting "warm" inside. Most people seem to report that when the refridgerant has settled, they get warm inside rather than cool.

 

I reckon I'll try and run it off 240v - I've never done this before, but if it works on 240 then the fault has to be with the gas jet.

If that's the case I'll see if I can take the jet out, maybe stick it in the ultrasonic cleaner at work.

Running it off 240V will be a bit of a mare, I need to try and get it parked on the street outside the house and then run the inverter in the shed to get me a 240v socket near enough to the van. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's very rarely parked completely on the flat, one of my main frustrations is that I don't have access to any kind of flat level ground.

I'd got it pretty well levelled on chocks, but it was definitely tipped over to one side, maybe 4" lower on the drivers side. It's never seemed to mind that before, but from memory it has slowly performed worse and worse over the time I've had it - I remember being astounded by the power of it a few years ago.

 

I took the fridge out today, tipped it upside down and it made some fantastic glugging noises for a bit. I left it upside down for about 8 hours, refitted it and left it running on gas for an hour - Nothing.

 

 

However, I've got a feeling the problem might be with the gas jet bit. For a few reasons:

First, when I had the thing running on 12v, it did get a little bit cold. It's never very good on 12v, but they never are

Second, there's really not a lot of heat coming out of the external gas vent or from above the fridge either.

Third - it's not getting "warm" inside. Most people seem to report that when the refridgerant has settled, they get warm inside rather than cool.

 

I reckon I'll try and run it off 240v - I've never done this before, but if it works on 240 then the fault has to be with the gas jet.

If that's the case I'll see if I can take the jet out, maybe stick it in the ultrasonic cleaner at work.

Running it off 240V will be a bit of a mare, I need to try and get it parked on the street outside the house and then run the inverter in the shed to get me a 240v socket near enough to the van. 

 

Mine will freeze up the ice box on 12 volt as it just runs at full on 12V. On 240 the thermostat works and will regulate as it should. On gas I will die as the flue is compromised :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

post-3886-0-36461000-1549051016_thumb.jpg

 

Still doing the business! I finally bit the bullet and got some bottles of propane, the butane was useless.

 

I think I've knackered the water heater though, I don't think I drained it thoroughly enough before the freeze and it didn't work when I came to use it. Took the side off and found the pcb was sitting in a puddle. I got it going again after some field repairs:

post-3886-0-50154200-1549051389_thumb.jpg

 

 

I think I might have a crack in the main heater bit. It must only be a small one because it's working fine now and provided plenty of water scalding hot water for a pretty leisurely shower to warm me up after ten miles walking in the snow. I need to have a proper investigate when I get home.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 years ago my mum moved, briefly to a house out in the sticks. She didn't like it so moved back after a few months.

Nearby, there was a massive field with a load of old vehicles in it, owned by a decent but very eccentric and very suspicious bloke.

 

I took some pictures and I think I put them on here, here's one of them:

 

WtGpe7Z.jpg

 

Now, just last week she moved back there and was talking to him again - she mentioned his name and my mind started churning, then it clicked as the bloke with the talbots.

 

She's quite friendly with him but I've not spoken to him and he's very very cagey and doesn't really want to sell owt after being stung by people robbing him.

 

But, there's at least two talbot expresses there, and I need some good doors and loads of bits of trim and the red one looks to have good back doors atleast. 

 

I need to somehow let him know I want to buy them but without him knowing I was nosying through the hedge like an absolute weirdo. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

So every time I came to use the water heater, nothing would happen. I'd take it apart and find the PCB would be wet, so I'd mop it dry and then put it in the little oven for half an hour on low and it'd work like a charm, until the next time I came to use it.

First of all I thought it was just damp getting in from outside, and then I thought I'd knackered the heater by not draining it properly when we had freezing temps - the PCB sits underneath the water chamber thing, so I thought I'd split it.

I put up with it for a while, thinking I'd have to buy a new heater tank thingy, but the other week I actually looked into it, and found there's a number of seals that can fail. A kit for 3 seals was 6 quid off ebay, I could probably have measured the O rings and ordered them individually, but honestly it's not worth the effort and I'd rather support some dude who makes £3 a time selling these kits.

 

Now I've got a business unit, I don't have to work on the street. I still have to work outside in the car park, but it's private so I don't have to pack all my tools away every time I turn my back and dodge passing cars. That said some maniac had the engine out of his fabia at the side of the road yesterday. Fuck that! I digress.

 

First off I had to get the heater out of the van. It comes out from the outside, and was siliconed on pretty well and put up a fight. Once it's free, you pull it out a few inches then disconnect the water and gas.

 

post-3886-0-89212400-1554583682_thumb.jpg

post-3886-0-49951200-1554583726_thumb.jpg

post-3886-0-74344700-1554583747_thumb.jpg

 

With it out on the bench, I got the rattle gun on the nut on the end to split the end off. It's held together by a bar that runs through the center, and unfortunately the whole bar came out rather than just the nut off the end. The bar is aluminium.

 

Inside there was a lot less schmutz than I was expecting, but you can see where it's been leaking from.

 

post-3886-0-77054800-1554583849_thumb.jpg

post-3886-0-12747300-1554583910_thumb.jpg

 

Then on to trying to get that nut off the end - there's a seal underneath it that I need to change.

The nut turned about half a turn, but that's all. I tried a bit of heat which didn't work, neither did penetrating oil, so I just slit down the sides of it with a grinder and picked it off.

 

post-3886-0-61344500-1554584137_thumb.jpg

 

It had galled onto the aluminium bar like an absolute MOTHERFUCKER but there's enough threads left to take a new nut, and it doesn't need to be very tight (it's just pinching a couple of O rings)

Plus, I've shaved the spacer down so that I get a couple more turns on the healthier threads.

 

I'm thinking about putting some copper anti-seize on all these threads to hopefully stop them galling again.

 

The (cast magnesium?) casing was looking rough and crusty round the bottom, so I gave it a load of aggro with a wire wheel in a die grinder, then some acid primer and a few thick coats of some black paint.

 

post-3886-0-71386300-1554584211_thumb.jpg

 

I left it there for the paint to dry, I'll build it all back up and bench test it to make sure it's all sealed, then fit it back in the van next week when I can get some more sealant - I need some to fit a new roof vent in the toilet anyway.

 

So what do we think about copper grease on the aly-steel threads?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep, that's what I thought had happened!

Luckily it's fine, I tested it at 15psi full of air with gas leak detector spray around all the seals, then at 25psi full of water for an hour or so and it's dry as a bone everywhere.

 

Once everyone goes home and the car park clears out I'll refit it and give it a test in the van, but I'm confident that it'll be OK now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Pleased to confirm the heater works bang on! I've had been away in the van for about a week on and off, no problems other than nearly getting stuck on a damp campsite.

 

So here's what I've just picked up off facebook marketplace:

 

Right tyres, wrong wheels. Remoulds and everything!

 

post-3886-0-98009500-1556454555_thumb.jpg

 

 

Wrong (ish) wheels, but they will go on, no tyres. 16x8 Discovery 2 Modular wheels:

 

post-3886-0-84665400-1556454616_thumb.jpg

 

 

I'll get the tyres swapped over tomorrow. Does anyone want a set of 16" Xtrail wheels for £scrap? 5x114 PCD.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It looks flipping amazing! Just need some proper wheel bolts to turn up before I can drive it anywhere (They're on with 1 bolt each).

I'm glad I didn't go any bigger, these look like they will just about fit.

 

And yes I knocked the front bumper off it's mount while trying to manhandle the wheel on, they're fucking heavy.

 

post-3886-0-71503100-1556555834_thumb.jpg

 

 post-3886-0-48421200-1556556027_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know yet, I'll find out when the wobble bolts and drill bits turn up so I can bolt them on properly, hopefully by this weekend.

I presume they'll make a bit of a row, I'm not really sure how bad it'll be, I've never driven owt with even winter tyres let alone these bastards!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Still remember when I got tyres not unlike that on my Niva years ago - took me several days to realise it in fact wasn't a wheel bearing being on its last legs...

 

Do be careful the first time you're out on a wet road - definitely do a few emergency stops to see what happens. Not sure why but some off road tyres like that can be lethal on wet tarmac.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, they're all on!

805911001_2019-05-0216_48_31.thumb.jpg.bba8e391dba3b8cc648b51d4894aecf9.jpg

The bloke that fitted the tyres said "Oh there's no fucking point balancing them cunts mate" so he didn't, and it was horrible. 45mph and the van got some mega death wobble, the bog door popped open, all the beer in the fridge fizzed up and the lids popped off. I was genuinely terrified to go any faster.

So today I went to a more professional tyre place and they balanced them up for me, they were obviously all flipping miles out (one wheel needed 130g on the inside, 110g on the outside). £20 later, it drives like a dream!

The noise I don't mind. What I wasn't expecting was how much power they sap! It's like driving with the handbrake left on a click! My MPG will be down to single figures and the van is even slower than before.

 It looks flipping cool though so they're staying for a while at least, I might just put some slightly less aggressive Insa-Turbo ones on next.

Somehow they don't catch the arches, not even on full lock, and the sliding door just clears too. Success!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All joking aside, Insa Turbos are actually pretty decent remoulds. Used them on a Defender for years and they gave no trouble and unlike yours didn't require lumps of pig iron welding on the rims to bring them into balance. Having also driven a few 4x4s on mud terrains I can confirm that your arse will be biting chunks out of the seat base the first time you tackle a roundabout in the wet. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They feel nice and "bitey" on tarmac in the dry, certainly seem a soft compound. I'll make sure to go very steady in the wet, You're far from the first person to say this. I wonder why they're so crap?

I think there's 4 wheel weights in a row on the worst one, It only seems a lot to me cos I'm comparing them to low profile car tyres where there's 25g on each wheel. Still can't work out why the first bloke didn't want to balance them, he was leaning on a flipping balancing machine while saying it, the second place had them all sorted out in no time at all.

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...