Dont know whether I ask more tech questions or answer more but Ive had a bus for a good few years now and whilst Im no mechanic and certainly no restorer I know my way around most of my bus or indeed ones Ive had in the past. Some newer owners might think they arent awfully knowledgeable or confident but this is my recent experience. Got bus back from shop after repairs to front and started putting all the trim back in that Id removed from the cab. Had speakers in my doors which werent wired up so did them. Got a clock that wasnt fitted so fitted it. Got a handbrake warning switch that wasnt wired up so decided to do it. Thats where it goes wrong. Managed to short out a feed up from the back which blew the alternator or regulator (Ouch). Changed the reg which is easy and it was still wrong so alternator needed swapping out. Fortunately as Im a horder I had a spare so decided to put that one on but not chcecked. Bit the bullet and put it on (needed an air hose so didnt finish it off). Noticed oil leak was getting worse so decided to sort that at the same time so over the weekend decided to go for it - do the alternator, oil cooler and fit my new shiny exhaust. Got it all back together yesterday and following a little non-starting issue which led me to believe for a while that Id blown my electronic ignition up shes up an running - just need to put all my dash back together now which was the original job I started doing 3 weeks ago! All in all, and the jobs did need doing but ive put around £700 quidsworth of parts on. All I wanted to do was wire a light up!
And the moral is-- not sure but however long you think it will take then add a couple of weeks on and times by 2.
Well done for persevering. I've just bought a very cheap second engine to have a tinker with. Scares me to death playing with the van, incase I break something!
:yeah that: Me too, I live by the 'If it ain't broke don't fix it' rule but sometimes you have just got to bite the bullet...
Done that for tooo long tbh. Its money pit time again for my bus! Need to do a few jobs but they tend to generate more. I could look at each expanding job as a value added excercise. Glad I dont do rstos as uncovering a lots of work you didnt think was there is endemic!
Well done that man I'd agree with the "leaving it for a while" philosophy, or your bus'll forever be off the road. Made a vow never to do anything to mine that means it's undrivable for more than a couple of weeks. And for newbies...taking your bus to bits is the best way of learning!
I'm from the club of "if it's easy but needed" fix it, if it may cause more work that i can't afford then wait for it to explode...... hence my noisy gearbox and rattly engine i just can't be arsed anymore, years of making landrovers start just so you can go to work or summat, going outside and never quite knowing if summat will go..... god knows why i had a van.... maybe that's why i can't ditch the car - even though i know i don't need it, 'cos i can't totally trust the van.
