Old timer hymer

[bangernomics]

Last year we thought it would be a good idea if we bought a dog suitable old hymer. We found one at a sensible price that was a few hundred miles away from us. We drove down on the Saturday and Airbnb stayed in a little place an hour south of Bordeaux.
 
We eventually bought this lad. Even though it had no running water, heating or the basic elements working.
 

 
Although the pics were it turns out from when they bought it so paint at the front needs a polish or a fresh roller based coat. We’ll see that’s outside and not important this year.
 
Now they’d removed most of the water system for storage space as they just used it to drive down to their place in Spain?
 
The boiler was a box of bits and it was leaking too.
 

 
 
The unknown unknowns?

 
And the broken wires
 

 
The best guess!
 


Ohh and instead of unplugging they also just cut the controller cable?



Solder, heatshrink and a bit of tape later.


After all that fun it turns out the fuse on the board is dead but looks fine. Thanks to the excellent fluke meter I bought on here I could find that one quickly. Amazon to the rescue and hopefully they’ll land this week.
 

 
 

 
The offending fuse looks fine right.
 
 

 
They’d also taken the fire out because that didn’t work either? Jets cleaned and the gas valve freed off and it burst into life. Just a new exhaust silicone gasket to replace and we are good to go.
 
On the way back the fabric that had a small split in the base pretty much dissolved so whilst waiting for the fuse I thought I’d take the seats apart and unpick for the sewing dept to add a section into each base.



The helpers.



ISRI seats are very modular, this top sections just unbolt.



Apparently it was dinner time at this point.



Mess will continue.

Oh the clutch seized on too great, I didn’t know that and pushed the pedal and have bent the cable retaining bracket. I’ll be straightening and strengthening that next and hopefully freeing the clutch off without pulling the box.

I guess that’s what happens when you leave old stuff for 5 months. Reckon the brake bias will have died too and half the lights.

[bangernomics]

In between seemingly constant teams calls Madame La Poste dropped a packet of fuses in so I’ve just popped one on the boiler board and it’s fired up. The green light of success is shining upon me.

[sheffcortinacentre]

When you said old I thought it was going to be one of the Bedford CF versions.

[stuboy]

thats a big ass dog kennel

[cobblers]

these are amazing! I really can't get enough of looking at overhangs off the side of the dashboard in these which really show how much they extended the things,

[MJK 24]

How does it propel itself?  Mercedes?

[robinmasters]

Parquet flooring in a van. Amazing. 

[jonathan_dyane]

10 hours ago, MJK 24 said:

How does it propel itself?  Mercedes?

Peugeot J5 (Talbot Express).

An excellent vehicle!

[bangernomics]

Parquet flooring in a van. Amazing. 

Sadly just lino but also don’t give Betty any ideas.

[bangernomics]

these are amazing! I really can't get enough of looking at overhangs off the side of the dashboard in these which really show how much they extended the things,

Yes it’s odd driving as you know where the wheels are but can’t see them in the mirrors.

[Zelandeth]

How do these actually drive?  Always felt like they'd handle very oddly with such huge overhangs, and I always questioned if what little of the van underneath it would be up to the task of lugging around such a big coach-built body.

[artdjones]

They're basically a first model Ducato. I suppose the GVW wouldn't be more than 3.5t, so as long as the springs etc are the same as the heaviest Ducato it should be ok. A lot of them have supplementary air springs as well. I've got a coach built J5 outside at the moment, with a normal cab , and the rear body is just as wide, but obviously, the front is about a foot narrower.

[bangernomics]

A little more heating based fun today, it has a blown air system that was in bits. Great.



Crash course in German colours for the wiring.




All the hot air pipes were in a pile. Like a jigsaw. I like puzzles so it went back together, eventually.




You need needle nose fingers for some of this stuff.




And all back together.



That heater front could do with a coat of paint but another one for the list.

[busmansholiday]

Good luck with this, I'm currently looking at the North sea and as I'm "off grid", if I run out of gas it's going to be fucking freezing tonight in mine.

[bangernomics]

I bet you will be too.

[bangernomics]

How do these actually drive?  Always felt like they'd handle very oddly with such huge overhangs, and I always questioned if what little of the van underneath it would be up to the task of lugging around such a big coach-built body.

Actually they drive ok, my first J5 was a turbo and had new springs all round so drove as good as it could. They’re also usually plated at 3100 max rather than 3500 unless up plated. My last one weighed in at 2800 so not dragging its bum.

This one is a none turbo and it’s a bit more work to maintain momentum but they’re a much more reliable unit and that was more important this time around.

I still need to rewire the temp sensor into the fans as the prev owner put them on switches rather than drop relays between the standard wiring and the fuses. They’re famous for the fans getting old and melting the wiring.

[Zelandeth]

16 minutes ago, bangernomics said:

Actually they drive ok, my first J5 was a turbo and had new springs all round so drove as good as it could. They’re also usually plated at 3100 max rather than 3500 unless up plated. My last one weighed in at 2800 so not dragging its bum.

This one is a none turbo and it’s a bit more work to maintain momentum but they’re a much more reliable unit and that was more important this time around.

I still need to rewire the temp sensor into the fans as the prev owner put them on switches rather than drop relays between the standard wiring and the fuses. They’re famous for the fans getting old and melting the wiring.

Interesting.  Just curious to know what the driving experience is like compared to this 2.8 tonne brick.

Think the only electrical things in the engine bay in this is a 12V feed to the fuel cutoff relay, the glow plugs and the starter motor, and a thermistor to feed the temperature gauge.

No turbos or anything here, 2.3 litres and 78bhp.  Though does better once wound up to speed than you'd think really.

[bangernomics]

Is that a chief or Cherokee etc? I looked a few and they’re a decent steer but the steering is a bit slow. The J5 is a modern van in comparison but those old mercs have aged well.

[artdjones]

That's the J5 I've been working on for my brother in law. Plated at 3.1t and non turbo 73hp so around 75-80 kph is the comfortable sustained speed. It's a Bürstner, who are owned by Hymer now.

[bangernomics]

Today escalated somewhat. Tried to free the clutch off and starter died. It had been intermittently clicky but the last couple of clutch freeing attempts have killed it.

Looking also at the seized clutch I think it’s actually the arm rather than the clutch but hope the bearings not welded itself to the input shaft.

I’ll try and squirt some stuff not on the clutch and pop a bar on the end of the arm next.

€120 lighter for a starter. Box may have to come out. Joy.

[bangernomics]

Lots of bashing and lube and the clutch arm has freed off. TFFT.

Now just need to strengthen the cable bracket with the sparkly stick and await the arrival of the starter motor.

Obviously when pulling the clutch arm off the circlip gave up the ghost so had to order a million of them.

Amazon has made a few euro this week as the onboard charger has also died.








As I’ve not enough to do I pulled the grille panels off so I can cut the front end and either paint it if it doesn’t cut nicely or polish it.

The grilles are going silver or whatever rattle cans we have in the shed.

[bangernomics]

Shameful mig minus gas eyes closed chicken blobs has resolved the clutch cable bracket.






Just a circlip next.

Where’s that starter?

[bangernomics]

Starter landed and went back together easily as I’d cleaned everything up so threads were a joy.

I also removed the porous fuel heater out of the loop and it started almost instantly.

I’ve adjusted the wax cold start device up but it’s still very diesel Smokey. Anyone familiar with the Lucas cav rotodiesel pumps? Which is the more/less fuel screw and do I rotate it towards me or away to advance/retard it? It’s smelling like a paraffin heater so running rich.

[bangernomics]

Betty misappropriated the freshly prepped grille sections and painted them in not the silver I had dug out.

Well she likes it.



This is waiting for it’s paint at this point.



The shower tap landed so we now have washing facilities restored.

The before.



The new one



Need to sort that bodge panel out.



Ahh no leaky.



Beige.



Must get those front seats back in.

[bangernomics]

Seats back together in almost invisible match of a fabric.

Brrrzzz

Brrrzzzz


Brrrzzzzzz



Hmm foamy



They sort of fit.



A twofer



The top fits.



Bizarre quality of match eh.



Best to test everything before we do a couple of weeks in her/him/they.



Rupert enjoying Erquy



Saint Caste Le Guido



Pleuneuf val Andre



Top of the hill parking spot.



Very shiny for one of these near the sea.

[Rocket88]

46 minutes ago, bangernomics said:

Pleuneuf val Andre

 

Played golf there……

[bangernomics]

Played golf there……

At the old chateau course? We passed it today I was trying to figure out what it was called. Chim or Chin something or other?

[bangernomics]

Been reading lots re the radiator fan wiring and cooked up a diagram for my own sanity. Other than it being solely black and which does that look reasonable? The wrong symbol in the centre is the fan switch which as it reaches temp completes the circuit to earth for both fan inputs but at different temperatures. Now I just need to figure out why it keeps melting the fuses. 

 

 

Assumption is the fan is 120w, thats 10A or so at 12v yes? Yet it melts a 25A fuse. Physics types does that translate to a 1.2ohm resistance on the motor or is that me getting my V's, I's and R's in the wrong order?

I have ordered a new one from a nice chinese man that is 80w and being new should draw 80w and I hope be ok on a 10A fuse? 

[bangernomics]

This is the shite wiring bodgefest that was under the dash. Just look at how many scotch locks on the one piece of wire.



Update these fans are 250w so 20A or so. No wonder with a duff connection they melt the fuse holder.

Tonight I melted all the bodges back together and heatshrink coated the repairs.



Cheap but melty



Stripped and ready



The other end



Melty




All back together and works!

Now to revisit the engine bay end for crap joints that are causing high resistance and melted load side.



I’m going to fit a modern small fusebox and do away with this shite one for the fan wiring.

Underbonnet shite next.



Anyone want a bag of scotch locks?

[bangernomics]

New bodgy cheap fan landed. I cleaned the fuse box up and all the terminals on the relays too.

New fan on and fuses no longer melting themselves to death when switching on manually.



Replacement lower wattage fan that I could get quick inserted. Good airflow but much quieter than standard one. Hoping it’s efficient enough to cool the engine down.

Now sat revving the engine to get it hot and make sure the fan kicks in.

New cheapo fan fitted in the old ones frame.












Update it’s kicking in and out happily. Sat just under 90. Phew.