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

[Pillock]

Wake 'em up at 4am on BH Monday asking for a 20p seal

[cobblers]

Aye, BH is the problem. 

I'm aware of cityseals - I know a bloke who works there and I daren't ring the 24H number......

 

Looks as though it'll have to wait, It'd be nice to get it all buttoned up tomorrow, but in reality I'm sure there'll be other snagging items and thankfully I don't need the van to get to work in so there's no real hardship.
Probably going to try and pry the old seal out and swap it over - I'm sure it'll leak but it'll be OK just to start the engine up and make sure it's ok - I'll order the right part and fit it one night during the week. Atleast it's the pulley side rather than the gearbox side.

[Pillock]

This one?

[cobblers]

Yeah, but their website is wrong if it reckons syncro should be 48mm inner. However, 48mm inner is what I need.

But they don't keep it in stock in any stores.

[Pillock]

Everything seems to suggest it's shared with a Ford (no idea which one) but also Mazda B2000, and Mistubishi Shogun/L200 which might make things easier.

 

GSF list two totally different sizes for a Syncro, ECP just list the 64/48*10 one

[cobblers]

Nil desperandum, I sorted the seal (for now)

I drilled a self tapper into the seal that was the right size, pulled it out of the engine and then fitted it into the new engine with the hole at the top, and a little dab of schmoo covering the hole.

I will order a seal and fit it one night in the week.

 

 

I took a LOAD of "interesting" pictures today, but my phone has only saved approximately 10% of what I took. It does that some days. I'd like to be able to blame it on my phone being old and shit, but it's not. Just shit.

 

I was greeted with this:

 

Continued building stuff onto the new engine, helicoiled a few more threads, fitted the flexplate and set the endfloat to 0.1mm (cheers Des), then winched the bugger back in with a ratchet strap.

 

 

It actually went in dead easily.

 

Once it was bolted in I lashed all the coolant pipes back on, glugged the old coolant back in after filtering all the leaves and flies out of it with an old sock (I will change the coolant when I do the coolant pipes and rad) and turned it over with just the exhaust manifolds on.

Surprisingly, it started straight away, sending my mums 3 legged cat (who was asleep on the roof of the van) into a low earth orbit, after he bounced off the side of the house. It took him 3 hours to come back.

 

After all that I lashed the backbox on somewhat, and ran it up to temperature. I'm pleased to say that it seems to be a goodun.

Here's a video, bear in mind the exhaust is blowing from every orifice imaginable, and more. The engine itself sounds healthy!

 

 

 

I will put all the rest of it back together properly after I fit the new crank seal one night this week, then as soon as my other van sells I will buy a full stainless exhaust to replace the mess that's on there.

But most importantly, she's back in the land of the living.

 

 

 

 

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Stupendous work Kobblars. I'm only down the road from you now (Alfreton) so I may attempt to blag a shot in this to assuage my curiosity at some point

[cobblers]

You're most welcome to have a razz in it bollox, it will blow your tiny mind!

[dollywobbler]

Excellent! Poor cat.

[mercrocker]

Hugely impressed at the turn of events, here.....Nice work.

[SiC]

Top marks. Engine swaps are at the highest level of shitter skills and status. Very impressed, especially with the speed you've managed it.

 

Fingers crossed it'll all be well behaved from now on.

[Pillock]

Hooray! Top work, and I love the chilled way you describe an engine swap.

I seem to remember when I swapped an engine there were several weeks of swearing, injuries, problems, having to buy new tools that I've never used since, etc etc.

[KruJoe]

That is great news Cobblers. Except for the kitty. I pity the kitty. 

[Liggle]

Nice quick swap! Glad its running again

[Felly Magic]

This came so close to being stuffed on the back burner but you didn't let it beat you. Kudos Mr Cobblers

[cobblers]

I've just looked in my bank balance and after shitting myself I realised I've spent deep into 4 figures on this already, on top of buying it!

I think the stainless exhaust will have to wait quite a while - I'll just have to weld all the holes up in this one (admittedly I did cause some of them when being cavalier with a slitting disk).

Looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of it though.

[cobblers]

Hey I'm just about to order a new radiator for this, the one that's on isn't blocked or owt but it's a cheapo replacement and it's best years are well behind it.

I was dead pleased to find a "no name" one for £50 on the ebay, brand new, but looking at it, it seems to be the same as the crappy one that's on.

 

Turns out I can get a "Hella" one from Eurocarparts4less for £48.99 posted which I reckon might be slightly better.

 

Has anyone used a Hella radiator? have Hella just sold the brand out like Lucas and Polaroid allowing any old garbage to be turfed out under their name?

[andy18s]

Do Amazon still do the "garage",where you can enter your vee-hickle details and they pump out loads of cheap but decent stuff?

Maybe an option?

[cobblers]

Yeah, I bagged a few bargains off there a while ago but there's only a couple of radiators listed and they're no good.

 

I can buy a "definitely good" one for £100 or a "Probably not very good" one for £48.

 

I think I'll just drag this one out while payday and go for the known good one, save pissing about.

[mercrocker]

I had to change the rad on my T25 last year, it was still on the original....I have kept that for eventual re-coring.   I was put off Hella by reports of seized bleed screws resulting in them being pulled out.   Got mine from VW Heritage - £117.   8000 miles on still all OK and no coolant added....  

[cobblers]

Hmm, the one that's in has a shitty plastic bleed screw that's impossible to use without either dropping the rad 6" or mangling it with pliers. Guess which I did? I bet the one thats in there is a Hella then.

 

Sod it, I'll wait and buy this:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volkswagen-T3-T25-Transporter-Caravelle-Camper-Van-Radiator-1-6-1-7-1-9-2-0-2-1-/201687233967?hash=item2ef57ef5af:g:NboAAOSwdpxUWP1u

 

It's got a proper brass bleed nipple and a 44mm core for EXTRA SOUTH AFRICAN SPEC cooling (They're normally 34mm)

[mercrocker]

Aye, I looked at that one but I think at the time I was buying a load of other stuff from VWH anyway.    

[cobblers]

Finished this sucker off today, it runs like a dream - I got all the tinware bolted back on, set up all the timing and idle and whatever

The new engine seems to be in good health, and I seem to have solved the knackered exhaust port flange with a combination of angle grinder, 240 grit DA paper wrapped round a small bit of wood and some silicon sealant. Without a mega leaky exhaust, this engine is running nice and smooth, no clattery lifters etc. 

One of the head gaskets seems to have left a slight drip, but I'm sure* this will sort itself out once the (rubber) gasket swells back up a bit in use.

If not it's no major hardship. I might get on to the bloke that flogged me the engine and see if he'll do me a gasket kit nice and cheap. It's dripping a bit of oil from the rocker cover gaskets too, but they're only £3 a pair so I'll change them next week.

 

I did about 30 miles in it today, then drove it back home. I've left the Abarth at my mums house, I'm SO CONFIDENT that the van will be fine.

I think I'll fit the new stereo tomorrow and give the insides a good cleanup after I've been lugging engines about in the back of it. Oh and redo the dodgy starter terminal.

 

Here's a bonus picture just to prove it's left the garage.

 

 

My mate has tried to talk me into buying a set of 16" Merc Penta wheels for it. I've resisted for now, but if a cheap set come up I reckon I'll cave.

[Asimo]

 

16" Merc Penta wheels 

 

Don't.

[cobblers]

I know I know

[SiC]

This thread wants me to buy a van. Ideally an old one.

[Des]

Fucksake don't ever put car wheels on a van. You really want to keep everything cooling system as near perfect and clean as you can, the weiner chompers who built your vehicle only had a few years experience of liquid cooling, copied it off a Fiat or something, they don't have the tolerance of most old things, get in the habit of looking at the level behind that Hitler moustache shape flap at the back as often as possible, and that main tank with a pressure cap hidden out of sight until you take the engine cover off, shouldn't be any air in it, unplug the sensor on the top to check the level LED on the dash flashes and you should be fairly safe.

[cobblers]

Yeah, the coolant level light works fine - I've never put much faith in the overflow bottle so I always check and keep the main header topped up 100% full.

You're relying on the system being airtight enough to actually suck the water back in when it cools which is a bit of a swizz, cos if you have a leak you're obviously just going to pull air back in via the same hole, the overflow tank is only going to really work if the system is 100% perfectly sealed, in which case noting the level of it doesn't really tell you anything other than "I've just been on a long motorway journey" or "I haven't just been on a long motorway journey"

 

 

I'll see how I go with this HG, it was only the slightest evidence of wetness and TBH the old engine was the same. In the meantime I'm going to whip the heads off the other engine anyway and see what the job's like, from youtube vids and haynes it looks a fairly straightforward job apart from if the head studs are stuck in the block.

Quite a few people have told me to not bother removing the barrels to change the seals at the base of them cos the're a swine to get back over the piston rings with the engine in the van. Two mates who worked at VW when these were in their prime claim to have done hundreds of gasket jobs and not once changed those seals with no ill effect.

[Pillock]

That looks bloody ace, glad to hear it's running well now. Much as I like decent wheels on a T3, that does have a certain charm with hubcaps and steels.

[cobblers]

Got round to fitting the stereo today. It's modified for AUX in and bluetooth etc, but looks stock. There was a £12 bag of shite in the there that claimed to do USB and bluetooth and such but wouldn't even pair with my phone, along with looking offensive.

Anyway.

 

Usual lot of shit to sort out:

 

That's better:

 

DAGS