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

[cobblers]

Well, I'm a fucking fanny. They changed the PCD of vivaros in 2014, so these wheels won't fit.

 

I'm thinking of getting a set of these:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F302829010485

 

As I like camping in winter and I've nearly been stuck a few times. Or should I just get a set of cheapo normal tyres and stop fannying about?

[spartacus]

I'd say they're a bit extreme, they'll be really noisy and possibly not very nice to drive on. What pcd and offset are the wheels?

[cobblers]

5x118 et 55, same as most iveco and French /Italian vans.

[spartacus]

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F332720718689

So something like this would make tyre shopping easier?

[DodgeRover]

  On 13/08/2018 at 11:32, cobblers said:

Well, I'm a fucking fanny. They changed the PCD of vivaros in 2014, so these wheels won't fit.

 

I'm thinking of getting a set of these:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F302829010485

 

As I like camping in winter and I've nearly been stuck a few times. Or should I just get a set of cheapo normal tyres and stop fannying about?

At the price I may have a set of 6 for the winter! They'll be ok I would think.

[DodgeRover]

Actually how many do you need I have a part worn 185 14C in Chesterfield you can have if it will help out, may be very old but still round.

[cobblers]

My tyres have all got plenty of tread, but they're all just so old and hard they're deadly. I've been meaning to get some for ages but a near head-on with a HGV (his fault) on Friday has really kicked my arse into gear!

 

He'd got no stock of them Event ML698s in the end, apparently theyre a knockoff of a BFG or something and drive pretty well.

In the end I just ordered a set of budget 185/14s, they'll be alright.

[spartacus]

They've got to be better than the ones that are currently fitted, they do have a certain 'adventurous charm'*.

[Asimo]

  On 13/08/2018 at 19:18, cobblers said:

In the end I just ordered a set of budget 185/14s, they'll be alright.

 

Are they up to taking the weight?

[cobblers]

Yeah, I got commercial ones, 102/100 rated

[cobblers]

Got the tyres fitted today, it feels smoother and nicer to drive but I'm 100% sure that's all in my head. The true test will come when I try and stop in the wet. If you never hear from me again then these are about the same as the old ones.

 

I put two new belts on it - one for the waterpump and one for the alternator. The waterpump belt was flapping around - there's no tensioner for it. The new belt was just as bad as the old one - turns out some people reckon a 925 fits, but really you need an 895.

 

The alternator has repaid me for this by starting to whine and grumble like a bastard, despite the belt being fairly loose still.

 

It's always been on the cards for replacement - even with dead good wiring it's never topped 35A charging current, and it really gets incredibly hot doing that.

 

But what is it from? I could take it off and refurb it at work, but I've not got the time and I'd rather just spend £70 on a good one, ideally an upgrade to 90A/110A  if possible (I think this is supposed to be 50A) I've not had a lot of luck finding a decent part number for what's actually on the van to allow me to trawl through catalogues and HC cargos website to make any sense of it.

 

 

Anyone recognise it? The engine has Peugeot roots, 505 etc.

 

 

Also the wiper motor has decided to just make clonking noises whenever the ignition is turned on. I think the park switch could be smegged up, I'll have a go at repairing that. New ones are only £35 but I'm not sure they'll be any good.

[cobblers]

After 65 miles, this alternator really is grumbling, I must have dislodged some schmutz when braying it the other day.

 

I did some googling and a ~2000 ish Ducato alternator will fit with a few washers and is 70-90A. 

The wiper motor off the same van will fit.

(As would the wheels and tyres.)

 

Gears start turning in my head - My mates dad had one of these and he's just bought a new van.

 

 "Alex, has your dad still got that old van?"

"No, scrapped it yesterday"

 

FFS!

[holbeck]

The alternator is a valeo nee Motorola one. As used on lots of French stuff at the time. But there are also a myriad of different bracket / pulley options.

[cobblers]

Yeah, it seems this particular one is shared with the 504 and 505 etc, but other than that, nothing. I suppose I might be able to make a bitsa from one, but there's so many different variations and manufacturers I reckon I'd have to be pretty lucky to find stuff that fits together.

 

I'm going to try and find a higher amperage Ducato one, seeing as they're all roughly the same price to buy I might as well have 140A as 70A.

That said I'm a little bit worried about a single V belt being up to the task, so I might settle for 70A if one comes up cheap.

[holbeck]

Yes, 70A would be a good max for the single v belt, more and you'd be risking belt slip.

[cobblers]

Have you got form with these holbeck? Reckon I could push it to 90A? 

 

 

 

This afternoon I went to try and take the alt off and sure enough the main bolt is 100% stuck solid in the housing, which is the water pump/engine mount. I really griefed it with a long bar and it wasn't even thinking about moving. I'm not in a rush but I really don't fancy changing the £90 water pump as well, so I drilled a few holes and lashed some 3-in-1 penetrating fluid in, which really is horrible stuff. Everything 3-in-1 make stinks foul and this is really no exception. Get even a tiny bit on your hands and that's that - stinky hands all day. 

 

 

I'll give it a dose every day until I've found an alternator worth fitting.

 

[Guest Hooli]

  On 19/08/2018 at 17:17, cobblers said:

I'm going to try and find a higher amperage Ducato one, seeing as they're all roughly the same price to buy I might as well have 140A as 70A.

That said I'm a little bit worried about a single V belt being up to the task, so I might settle for 70A if one comes up cheap.

 

I put a 130A alternator on a Disco with a single V-belt years ago, as soon as I used the winch the belt slipped like buggery (unless the engine was at about 2.5k rpm) & it'd destroy a belt in less than 5mins while slipping.

 

I'd go for 70A unless you can get the pulleys to do the multiVee belt conversion.

[cobblers]

I've looked on canal boat forums and stuff and people seem to agree with this 70ish max for a single belt. I've got a spare slot on the crank pulley (that would have been for PAS) so I might see if I can find a double belt pulley off a land rover that'll fit on an alternator to try and run 100+

 

Most of my camping is done roughly an hour away, and I've got 220AH of batteries to take care of. Granted they aren't often anywhere near completely flat, but 70A isn't exactly overkill. 

[Guest Hooli]

Double belt would do it aye.

[cobblers]

Three days later and about 1/4 a tub of penetrating oil, the head of the bolt moves with a 2' breaker bar just a tiny bit and feels exactly like a very very soft m10 bolt stuck absolutely 100% solid in an alloy casting.

 

It's going to need lots of heat, but I'm loath to buy another £20 shit blowtorch (lent my other one out to someone and never saw it again) and even more loath to spend £60 on a good one. 

 

I could just drill it out, I have a right angled drill and everything but access is really shit and let's face it, drilling a stud out with a normal drill and perfect access never works out.

 

Pffffff, it's going to be fucking November by the time I get this sorted and all the campsites will have closed.

[Guest]

Will the bracket unbolt off the other end so tou could slide the alternator off the bolt?

[cobblers]

It's buried under the rear cover but it probably would. I'd be stuck with rebuilding this alternator, but it'll get me out of the shit. Good call!

[Guest]

If the alternator comes off this way, lock 2 nuts on the threads and use a spanner on each end to give even leverage on the bolt, back and forth a little at a time.

[mat_the_cat]

FWIW I have a 90A unit on the LT which is still on a single V belt - it was the maximum OE fitment so not something I've bodged up. Not 100% certain if I've ever had it under full load but it charges a 400Ah battery bank, plus 55A for the AC so would imagine I'm pushing it.

[spartacus]

You can borrow my blow torch if it'll help Cobblers?

[Richard]

Can you remove the entire casting that the bolt is stuck in?

[DodgeRover]

If you unbolted all the others will the alternator wriggle on that bolt? A bit of movement might help work penetration in.

[cobblers]

  On 23/08/2018 at 21:13, spartacus said:

You can borrow my blow torch if it'll help Cobblers?

Thanks for the offer! Too late now though.

 

 

  On 24/08/2018 at 09:50, DodgeRover said:

If you unbolted all the others will the alternator wriggle on that bolt? A bit of movement might help work penetration in.

The alternator will move if I clout it with a fence post, just enough to get the belt on and off.

 

 

  On 24/08/2018 at 09:03, Richard said:

Can you remove the entire casting that the bolt is stuck in?

I can, but it's a combined waterpump/stat housing/engine mount so I'm keen to avoid taking it off if possible.

 

 

When I got home from work I decided to have a little fiddle with this again - See if I had any luck double teaming it with two nuts on one side etc.

But of course the fucking bolt head snapped straight off with just medium power on a 17mm spanner.

 

 

10.9? Fuck off!

 

 

Obviously a mega soft bolt turned IMMEDIATELY into an incredibly hard bolt as soon as I got near it with a drill.

 

 

 

Four batteries, two drill bits and mild smell of melted plastic I've managed to drill about 20mm into the bolt. It's on the piss slightly but not as bad as it could have been and the entry hole is in the right place so it's all usable. It's a good job I've got the angle drill otherwise I'd have no chance at all.

 

I'd ran out of batteries and was getting really frustrated so I gave it up for the day, I reckon I'm going to try and pull whats left of the stud through the housing by tightening a nut on the end very tight, and then try and help it through with a hammer and a drift while keeping tension on the nut.

But what will most likely happen is I'll snap the other end of the bolt off too. 

[Guest Hooli]

Looks easy* to get to it to sort the issue.

[Richard]

I think what's happened there is somebody had a go before, felt the bolt starting to yield and decided to leave it alone.