Chug Chug the 1977 Westfalia Helsinki

More tweaking & modifications to out plan & still no joy, sorry for my M8 Simons potty mouth again.

 

Some more pics I took of the ball joint removal process:-

 

Got my front beam today very happy the quality is top notch & the welding real neat its lighter than the original one & its better made.
I waxoyled the chasis where it fits & then with the aid of my M8 Steve (Bossy Buggy) I put it on. Just after steve went I realised it was on the wrong way around so another M8 Kevin (Mr Bluebell helped me take it off & fit it back on the right way around:-

 

Cut one set of torrosion leaves down both sides & fitted them in the top chanel of the beam, then I had to drill new dimples in the end started off with a 3 mm drill bit working my way up to a 12mm done one side its bloody hard work cos its tempered steel, when doing the otherside the drill bit snapped I stabed my left wrist with the broken bit & cut my 2 first fingers on my right hand the first finger wouldn't stop bleading so I went over my mothers for some simpathy & for her to clean it up (I had grease off the torosion leaves in it & the wife was shopping) Crap pictures but its all part of the fun. Funny thing is it didn't hurt at the time but its throbing like mad now.

 

Well my 8 year old nephew gave me a presant today a little model camper. My daughter is holding it in the pictue though not him:-


My missus & kids came back from shopping today & they bought me a presant too, must be feeling guilty about spending all of my money:-

 

Here is another Video of the Ball joint removal process:-

 

Since the crap drill bits were the cause of my horrific injury I decided to invest in some cobalt drills which are supposedly better:-







Managed to cut all the leaves down & drill the dimples for the grub screw back in. I found it much easyer to fit the leaves one at a time starting with a small one & keeping it flat. messy job with all that grease. Now the new beam has no grease nipples because its got urathane bushes instead of needle bearings should I fill the tubes with grease or will that deteriorae the urathane?



Anyway got my arms back on:-

 

In fact reading what it says on the box they are titanium coated the bloke in the shop lied:-

Did you spot the other deliberate mistake?



I didn't untill I went to fit my spindles. I'd put the bottom ball joints on the wrong way around Doh!







Later on I'll get a new caliper to match the otherside & I'll get some new back plates but these are OK for a bit.

 

Got my Goodridge brake lines on & my brake regulator valve, I got to rotate my servo cos I fitted it the wrong way around. I also fitted most of my new brake lines, I got to get myself a new brake fluid resevoir cos I boke mine taking it off Tomorrow I'm going to finish getting everything back together. Then when I'm off next Saturday I'll get it MOT'd & then its happy days again.

 

When I was up my M8 Darrens house pressing out the ball joints he showed me his next project a 1959 Splitty that he trailered home from Belgum. I know it looks dead but he has collected all of the new panels & will be started soon, he assures me it will be finished within 6 mths of him starting it:-

 

Bit more progress on the front end today, despite the wind howling in the garage. Cut the tie rods down & the trackrod ends, the first pictureis the comparison of the ones I cut & the ones I haven't


Got my brother Thomas to help me which is a rareity these days he's 16 & only wants to be out with his M 8's which is probably what I'd want to do if I was 16 again. Anyway this is him filing the dimple back into the track rod bar I made him wear the glasses while I was useing the grinder, safety first & all that besides my mother would kill me if anything happened to him.


Here is a comparison of the cut & the uncut one, since the photo I cut the grove back in the bar as per the original one.


I painted them satin black masked off the rubbers first though.


Got the track rods fitted together with my idler arm.
Got all of the front brake pipes finished but I'm missing a rubber grommet where the pipe goes through the body work so I'll have to get another, I also need to get a new brake fluid resevoir cos I broke mine.
Done loads of painting & detailing underneath but I still got a load to do, some parts I'll need to remove to paint properly but I don't want to take anything off yet untill its all back together.


Got my brake servo back on, I had to take it off cos I fitted it the wrong way around.


Still loads more tidying up to do but its looking much better already.


I can't seam to get the gear shift rod off, the nut is all the way out but it still won't budge. I may have to slit it with the grinder & hammer it off.

Fitted the old shocks for a minute as they will pass the MOT & I can't aford any new ones untill next month I'll get a set of Spax lowered ones.

 

Been working 12 hrs today was an hour late for work cos my lift didn't turn up (2 of us share lifts he drives days & I drive nights) When I got to work he was there, I didn't waste my time asking him why he didn't pick me up. I'll drive myself from now on, he's a missrable bull Marmiteting arse anyway.
To cheer myself up I took off my back bumper & fitted my reversing sensors.
The back bumper was only held on with 3 bolts (I threw it on for Big Bang) I'll fit it properly this time & while I'm wiring up my sensors I'll do the tow bar the same time.
The make I have used are Cobra, all other makes belong in the bin in my oppinion I tried them all. All rubbish Cobra are digital & I've fitted loads of sets & never been let down.
Digital means it will ignore my tow bar & only pick up things that move at a different speed to the vehicle, I could fit a trailer on & it would ignore that too unless I turned.










As you can see you'll only notice them up close & it should stop me crashing into something or someone.
Just got to fix the cables neatly now.

 

Decided to use this stuff called saBesto Bond & seal to secure my reversing sensor cables to the back bumper. I put a few tacks on & then secured the cable with Duck tape. I'll pull off the Duck tape tomorow & put a few more tacks of the stuff on.

 

Bonded my oven vent on as well as screwing it to give an extra seal. I also fitted one of the back Goodridge hoses. I need to relpace the last brake line now before the MOT & one more Goodridge hose:-

 

Got some more bits, got a nice pice of tinware off Mark :-


Got a replacement brake fluid resevoir off FBI:-


& put some more panel sealer over my cables on my bumper so now they won't fall off, the suff will peel off though if I ever get a problem:-

 

Got my brake fluid resevoir on & my gear shift rod. Still more detailing to do underneath but its getting better. Most of the gearbox is painted , I'll do it properly when I am lowering the rear.




I've filled my second photobucket album, thats 2000 pictures so I'll have to start a part 3.

 

Here are some more pics I think the front beam may be too narrow for my likeing I'm not sure yet:-
My plan is tomorrow to have it back on its wheels & booked in for the MOT on Wednesday.

 

I wouldn't mind buying a brake pipe flaring tool as I could then make them myself. I have been taking the old ones to K&J Brakes & Hoses who do a good job of making up replacements the same shape as the old ones. I'm not sure why they look such a mess around the resevoir but thats how they were from new & I have only replicated it. They will all soon be hidden from view when I fit my belly pans.

 

Right then folks, are you there? Good then this is what I've done today, painted more black stuff underneath, decided to fit a new drag link as one of the rubbers looks a bit crap & as all the other ball joints are new I might as well, only snag was GSF didn't have one in stock even though they said they did when I phoned up so wasted an hour driving there & back Doh!


Fitted the last Goodrige hose & picked up a new brake pipe from K&J Brakes & hoses, only trouble is its too short (my fault not theirs so I'll have to get another one made tomorrow the right length. Dam shame as I was hoping to finish the brakes tonight.
Painted the top of the gearbox, as much as I could see anyway I'll have to get it up on ramps to finish the detailing & get a smaller brush.
Fitted my back bumper back on, now it’s fitted on permanently with 4 bolts nice & tight.
Covered the inside of it with waxoyl to stop any rust issues developing. As you can see the reversing sensors can't be seen unless you look really closely.

Got myself a new steering damper & fitted it on & fitted the top of the passenger side shock.


Tidied all the rest of the wiring underneath to the horn & the brake light switch so the wiring under the front is now finished.

Lowered the bus off the axle stands & I nearly had a disaster I hadn't tightened the bottom adjuster properly & it popped out. I need to jack it back up tomorrow, refit it & adjust it right. At the moment the bus is so low the wheels actually touch the top of the wheel arches & I can sit on the seat without claming in. It’s too low for my liking so I'll raise it tomorrow.




I'm dropping the bus up for an MOT on Wednesday night & having it back Thursday night hopefully with a 12mth ticket on it. It’s still taxed & insured so that’s all I need to worry about for a minute.

Jobs tomorrow:-
1.) Fit the new drag link & set it to the same length as the old one.
2.) Get new brake pipe from K&J & fit it.
3.) Fill with brake fluid DOT3 & bleed the whole system through.
4.) Fit a new split pin to my brake pedal leaver where it joins the servo.
5.) Check all the nuts are tight on the front suspension & brakes.
6.) Torque the wheels to the correct value.
7) Take it to ATS to get the tracking checked.
8.) Call in Swansea Truck Centre to get my rear hub nuts torques properly.
9.) Fit new split pins on the rear hub nuts.
10.) Wire up my reversing sensors.
11.) Wire up my tow bar.
12.) Wire up my ignition light on the dash (I found out what the blue & white wire I got spare in the engine bay is for).
13.) Investigate & fix why my oil light on the dash doesn't work.
14.) Temporally fit my old seatbelts for the MOT until I get paid then I'll get new ones.
If things don't go to plan I got Wednesday off work to finish off so fingers crossed.

 

1.) Fit the new drag link & set it to the same length as the old one. Done
2.) Get new brake pipe from K&J & fit it. Done
3.) Fill with brake fluid DOT3 & bleed the whole system through. Done
4.) Fit a new split pin to my brake pedal leaver where it joins the servo. Done
5.) Check all the nuts are tight on the front suspension & brakes. Done
6.) Torque the wheels to the correct value. Done
7) Take it to ATS to get the tracking checked. Disaster!!!!
8.) Call in Swansea Truck Centre to get my rear hub nuts torques properly.
9.) Fit new split pins on the rear hub nuts.
10.) Wire up my reversing sensors.
11.) Wire up my tow bar.
12.) Wire up my ignition light on the dash (I found out what the blue & white wire I got spare in the engine bay is for).
13.) Investigate & fix why my oil light on the dash doesn't work.
14.) Temporally fit my old seatbelts for the MOT until I get paid then I'll get new ones.
If things don't go to plan I got Wednesday off work to finish off so fingers crossed.

Things were going nicely to plan but when I lowered the front there was a big bang & a fiw bits shot out, basically I've stripped the thread on the bottom adjuster. I rang dave in Creative Engineering & he's sending me out a new one for tomorrow so then I got to strip out the bottom torosion leaves, trailing arms off & replace the insert. What a nightmare.

I feel a bit gutted now & just feel like giving up for the day but I can't I'm going away Friday for the weekend in it so it has to be done.
I did try tapping it out with a 1.5 pitch 14mm tap I got of the very nice Mr Gotwood, but its no good I'll have to fit a new one.
Painted my new tinware piece too.
Anyway more pics:-