Parts gathering. xantia gone.

[garbaldy]

Had a good look at the pug today and nothing really useful for my van,  I was mainly after a rear bumper and gear knob but both are no good, 

Starting to look like foads joint although he's got more 305s

[garbaldy]

The night was cold and i set off with a double heat of the plugs in the pug, I left on a full on red glow, shame the heater wasn't as good as the warm glow suggests.

Arrived at the shop just about 3 mins before foad.

After a good couple of hours blethering with foad and Mrs foad in what was a ruddy cold evening the deal was completed and I set off on the return journey all green.

This morning I awake to this view.

Now appart from the gaping mouth none existent grill and the slightly rough low speed running she's not a bad car.

It was a pleasure doing business with Mr and Mrs foad and i would have chatted even longer if I could have felt my feet, God it was cold.

So to recap I've got rid of the pug which none of the parts where any good for my van for another vehicle which also has no parts that are any good for my van, at least this one is a one on one out afair.

A+ Recomended swapper.

[garbaldy]

So i dont suppose anyone knows where there are some acclaims in a scrappy as i  want to fit a new grill as the gaping mouth look really doesn't suit the car at all.

And Mrs postie delivered some goodies to make a start on the tubby build.

 

[Tickman]

1 hour ago, garbaldy said:

So i dont suppose anyone knows where there are some acclaims in a scrappy as i  want to fit a new grill as the gaping mouth look really doesn't suit the car at all.

 

@captain_70s to gaping mouth courtesy phone.

 

 

[captain_70s]

5 minutes ago, Tickman said:

@captain_70s to gaping mouth courtesy phone.

Hello, welcome to Captain_70's gaping mouth solution emporium, for all your gob filling needs.

One good used Acclaim grille available, two of the little mounting lug things are missing but I believe your Acclaim still has the outer surround intact anyway. 

[garbaldy]

10 hours ago, captain_70s said:

Hello, welcome to Captain_70's gaping mouth solution emporium, for all your gob filling needs.

One good used Acclaim grille available, two of the little mounting lug things are missing but I believe your Acclaim still has the outer surround intact anyway. 

Excellent. Hit me up with a price and where you are 

[garbaldy]

A month or so ago I was heading out and heard a bang and the steering went all funny, wtf was that.

Aha ruddy potholes.

 

Fook whats happened to the tyre

So looks like the springs took it out.

So abort mission turn around and drive slowly home again.

[garbaldy]

So i get a mile or so and the tyre starts making funny noises as if starting to catch on something, fucksticks best pit and check.

So had to call the misses and tell her to bring me a Stanley knife, 20 questions later she arrives with a handful of knives none of which are Stanley's, not one to complain I set to the tyre with a kitchen knife and did this.

Shame as it wasn't an old tyre either.

Managed to drive it home on the rim well a tiny bit tyre that is and arrived home looking a tad sorry for itself

[loserone]

Bloody hell, I always wondered who it was who drove home on wheel rims! That must be shagged now surely?

[garbaldy]

So yesterday I decided I've had enough of looking at the sorry Beemer so knocked up a breakfast butty.

While wolfing down breakfast I'm pretty sure the table was mocking me, the cheeky sod.

Spring has arrived woppee.

How the fookin ell am I gonna get jack to lift that ruddy thing I canny even get two fingers in.

[garbaldy]

10 minutes ago, loserone said:

Bloody hell, I always wondered who it was who drove home on wheel rims! That must be shagged now surely?

Amazing that it isn't even marked apart from a slight score from the spring in the inside,  there was enough rubber left to protect the rim and even if I had to buy a new wheel it would work out far cheaper than getting it recovered.  

That's the risk I suppose with running cars intended to use runflats with normal tyres.

[garbaldy]

With much faffing around I got the jack in and raised and thought best check the wheel, luckily it's only scored the coating and not taken the wheel out so i suppose that's one consolation.

[garbaldy]

The spring had dropped right down making it impossible to strip down the bits attached to the strut so a plasma disc on the grinder and start cutting the coils off one by one.

Wonder if that's enough lowering for the now. 

I'm not sure if anyone has ever taken tyres off themselves but it's hard enough when it's a complete tyre, with just a band that seats with the rim well let's just say it's very nearly impossible so grinder it is again and nibble away at it bit by bit so as not to touch the wheel.

And final bit an old screw driver to push the wire reinforced ring up and a quick sneck with the disc and she's off ready for new tyre without any damage.

[garbaldy]

So back to removing the strut and I had never ever heard of strut spreaders until I saw some being offered up here by a member,  I pmd and a few days later they arrived, well all I can say is my old caveman method of using a blunt chisel and hammer is definatly the wrong way,  so after removing the pinch bolt I stuck the strut spreader in.

A quarter turn with the ratchet and the hub dropped off the shock, these spreaders are bloody ace I tell yah.

A big thanks to tobyd making life easier since 2020.

[garbaldy]

The offending pigtail still on the strut to see where it snapped.

First set of spring compressors wouldn't open enough to catch all the coils so it was a case of nip them right up and loosely bolt the spring seat on.

add another set which just hooked the spring seat itself then tighten them up enough to fit the strut top mount on,  once the top nut was removed again it was a quick job as nothing to hold the spring at all if the compressors where to let go. 

Then it was a simple job to refit the strut again so now all I need is to sort the tyre now.

[garbaldy]

Well the posty brought me this a few weeks ago and I've only decided to fit it today. Slack arse.

Nice .

Not so nice 

Spot the difference 

Tada finished

Big thanks to @captain_70s for raiding his stash and selling me the gorilla what a difference, must have added a good £4.72 in value to the trump.

[garbaldy]

Remember this well it's the second pothole victim,  if you look in the background of the pic you can see the big pool of oil where it was parked.

On the lift and the sumps still weeping a bit oil.

Aha a hole. Now its either a rust bleb knocked of after being hit or a sharp stone stabbed it as the dent is not very big.

Still new sump was only £40 quid and a gallon of oil so cheep fix, no point trying to claim from the council before anyone thinks of recommending that route as I never claimed for the Beemer so won't be for this.

[garbaldy]

As I sit and polish these off I thought I would give an update.

First remove bonnet for max room.

Ah this doesn't look right at all hmm.

Yes it's ment to look like this under there.

But it actually looks like this Bollocks.

Fixing that is gonna be fun as it's right under here, dirty finger pointing expert unlocked.

Think the last person in here gave up fixing it and tried to slit their wrists I think.

Hmm I know what to do here forget it and carry on as if I'd never noticed it.

[garbaldy]

Forgetting about the bonnet hinge mounting rust issue I let the van have a pish, once the rad was empty I set to pulling the engine to bits and boxed the lot as I'm not sure what I will need between the two motors.

Once the engine was stripped enough I thought it was best to drain the oils but it's only one of those bloody square sump plugs which are between 1/4 and  3/8 So another Allen key sacrificed.

While the gearbox and engine where draining I stripped the front hubs bother sides and popped the driveshaft out.

Here we go all tied up and ready for the big lift.

[Jim Bell]

I'd put that Allen key in the glove box so you always know where it is. 

[garbaldy]

10 hours ago, Jim Bell said:

I'd put that Allen key in the glove box so you always know where it is. 

I've probably still got the last one I made but God knows where it is and it's quicker to make a new one than hunt in my cluttered  garage.

[loserone]

4 minutes ago, garbaldy said:

I've probably still got the last one I made but from now on it's quicker to hunt in the glovebox.

?

[garbaldy]

I didn't get round to finishing this as ended up going shopping,

After hitching up the engine crane and taking the weight all that was left was the two top mounts and once undone it was a simple lower the crane and she's on the floor.

Easily enough to slide the whole unit out from under the car on a piece of wood as don't want to damage the sump on this engine too.

Big hole now just need to full it.

Gearbox off and needs cleaned up as it's manky but I cannot find the oil fill level thingy on it anywhere,  anyone know where it is.

[garbaldy]

17 minutes ago, loserone said:

?

Yes but then when I clean the interior I would put it away again haha.

Maybe I should fix it to the engine with a chain like those pens in banks you know the ones that just dont quite reach.

[garbaldy]

I am having to change a fair few bits as this newer engine is a lot different to the older xud,  I'm removing all this thermostat housing with the filter set up and using the original van set up, I was never a fan of this set up anyway as i prefer the big filter system.

And this is a prime example of why I haven't ran veg oil for over 20 years now as the stuff is proper messy,  I don't say that lightly either as I've done 10s of thousands of miles on the stuff in the past,    it's set like chewing gum all down the front of this engine even the droplets have set and need pealed off and the rest  has to be removed with a scraper, it's bloody awful stuff which has also removed the paint.

[garbaldy]

The rocker cover gasket is mullered too so off with the cover,

Yup split all over.

Looks really good under here very clean.

And no wear at all so should be a good one.

[garbaldy]

And this is the sump as previously mentioned and a quick scrape revealed holes,    so removed the Sump from the vans engine and turned the new one upside down and removed that one too.

Engine stands are excellent and make life so much easier.

Very clean under here too and looks factory fresh.

Van engine for comparison 

Even the sumps look show the difference.

After plenty thinners and elbow grease the vans sump was cleaned and looks good now.

[garbaldy]

After sump refit I turned the engine back over and fitted all the front covers so now we're getting somewhere.

This newer engine has an egr and I'm not a fan of them that's for sure, 

Up in the rafters is my little pug stash which has been in this crate for coming up to 30 years, see it does pay not to throw anything away.

And after removing the inlet manifold I shall be fitting the earlier pre egr one instead.

[garbaldy]

Removing the manifold was off course fun as you can only get to one Allen bolt as the other is stuck under the manifold and unreachable, if the manifold is pulled back as far as you can get it the Allen key still won't undo it.

The only way to remove them is to take of the exhaust manifold/turbo first and I canny be fashed with that hastle so the old two nut method and the studs could be removed which allowed the manifold to flip round and bingo.

An egr blank was fashioned out of flat bar and the plasma disc on the grinder and after a couple of holes drilled jobs a goodun.

[garbaldy]

Since gaskets are not ment to be reused I cracked out the gasket paper to knock some up, first cut to shape then with the small ball hammer tap out the bolt holes,

Drop a couple of bolts through to keep the gasket on place and with some gentle tappy tap we get the ports shaped out,

Rinse and repeat and all fine just need to clean off the finger prints and some gasket sealer and refit.