Lizzie Lu...

Discussion in 'Show Us Your Ride' started by docjohn, Jun 26, 2020.

  1. docjohn

    docjohn Supporter

    ... named by the grand daughters.

    5 years on from a pro-resto and still looking good. Bought from a lovely young lady who had it built and hardly used it. Colour scheme is Pastel White over Seagull Grey. Dormobile top with two bunks, full width RnR, 1776 engine with two FRD34B Dell'ortos. Mechanical details are a bit vague but it drives well, apart from some minor set up things, and there's a load of history on the restoration.

    Work done since getting her: new tyres; new batteries; rewired starter, ignition and fuel pump to put fused relays and take load off the ignition switch; reset carb linkage which was opening the o/s carb before the n/s; repaired a broken lever on the o/s carb; fitted fire suppression system; fitted a second inertia belt in the back and a fixed lap belt; fitted chrome hubcaps which look nicer than the painted ones it came with.

    Work to do: rebuild carbs and reset float level lower; install Malpassi pressure regulator and fuel cutoff solenoid; have a look at the starter solenoid which seems a bit sticky and reluctant to play sometimes; fix the headlining which is coming adrift at the back; fit some sort of oil breather system. The engine builder has machined off the timing marks on the aftermarket pulley; why? Irritating, so I'll have to find TDC to do the timing.

    Also had to remove the roof rack and trim the garage door to get her inside, so it would be nice to refit the rack.

    So, a few things to tinker with but nothing major, yet...

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  2. bernjb56

    bernjb56 Supporter

    That's a nice looking van. Nice straight sides :thumbsup:
     
  3. MorkC68

    MorkC68 Administrator

    Nice looking bus, love the name :D
     
  4. docjohn

    docjohn Supporter

    Thank you for the likes and positive comments
     
  5. Yep - as everyone, a very nice looking van :D:thumbsup::cool:
     
  6. CollyP

    CollyP Moderator

    It’s an early!! Stone him!!!!!!!!!!

    ps. Welcome along :)
     
    Jack Tatty and Gingerbus like this.
  7. docjohn

    docjohn Supporter

    :)
     
  8. docjohn

    docjohn Supporter

    Don't know if this is the right place to give updates on the van. Do let me know if not.
    Started to look at the flooding/Dell drip/running rich behaviour having got a couple of overhaul kits for the Dell'Orto FRD34B carbs. First thing, whoever put the van together obviously built it around the fuel pipe between the two carbs. I mean, why would you thread it around the back of the fan, under the throttle cable and bolted to the bellhousing with a T30 cap screw, and then use twin eared clips on all the pipes? Complete nightmare to disconnect.
    Found a couple of things: lots of red rusty silt in the filter, crumbly black dust in the pump outlet, junk in the float chamber, split pipe into the n/s carb - not started to look at the o/s one!
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    Then the float chamber needle valves are shot so the new viton tipped one on the top was essential...
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    ... and the float level was miles too high - something like 4.5mm gap to the cover.
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    Found what the jets and things are: 128 main, 27 venturi, 170 air correction, 50 pump jet, 45 idle. Opened up the float gap to 10mm, maybe a bit wide?
    Will update with progress as it happens, which may not be very fast.
     
    Last edited: Jun 29, 2020
    gninnam, F_Pantos and cunny44 like this.
  9. docjohn

    docjohn Supporter

    Progress, sorted the Dellortos eventually. Both needle valves completely shot, not a problem with the rebuild kit, but found something to look out for: on the right hand carb the tab on the float that connects to the needle valve was closed up and prevented the needle valve from sitting properly. It was holding the needle valve at a jaunty angle and never shutting off. Took ages to diagnose but the clue was the fountain of fuel out of the top of the carb...
    Found a scratch mark on the crank pulley that seems to be around TDC so the timing looks like it's 30BTDC by 3000 rpm, I guess that's OK as there's no pinking. Set the idle speed and mixture, perhaps a bit slow at 600 rpm and the mixture's a bit rich at 2.5% CO, equates to about 13.5 AFR. But a test run confirms that the whole thing is a lot perkier than before, sounds crisper and there's no off idle stumble so my adjustments to the accelerator pump linkage haven't been detrimental.
    Replumbed the fuel pump with a cut off solenoid and Malpassi regulator and new pipe work with crimp clips apart from a couple of places with fuel hose clamps so that I can take a carb off without major surgery.
    Went for a run in the Peak District, partly to get the dogs used to the van, but it was manically busy and George was sick in the back - but he had nicked some grapes before we went which is a complete no no for dogs, so it serves him right!:rolleyes:
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  10. docjohn

    docjohn Supporter

    A bit of an update on the last month or so, some pics are already in the 'What have you done...' thread but here goes, in no particular order.

    Still wasn't completely happy with the carbs and timing, so carried on twiddling. Ended up with the expected light throttle stumble with the 009 dizzy, so off it came and a new Accuspark SVDA distributor went on and more fiddling. You won't be surprised to hear that it runs and sounds better. I still think that leaning off the idles to 42 or even 40 would be interesting. Wondering about soldering them up and redrilling....
    20200821_173644.jpg
    On the bling front, put stainless wiper arms and blades on, the old painted ones didn't look great and she needed new blades anyway. Swapped the rusty rear bumper bolts for stainless ones and made a pair of stainless brackets for the bumper ends as it had a lovely torsional oscillation at idle.
    20200821_173143.jpg

    Sorted a dicky tail light, which went off when the brake light came on, with a bit of a clean of the contacts and a new bulb. Tried led bulbs but they were such a poor fit that it was a rather hit and miss whether the contacts made, er, contact.

    Swapped various tarnished or rusty self tappers and M4 screws with stainless ones.

    Installed a proper oil breather catch tank, with a pcv valve to the nearside air filter and made an alloy plate to cover the hole where the old pipe went through the tinware and dripped on the road.

    Did an oil and filter change.

    Took the granddaughters and dogs out into Derbyshire a few times; ran some errands as a change from the usual transport; popped round to see a couple of mates, one of whom liked it so much he and his wife thought about getting a T2 Bay but ended up with a nearly new T6 California.
     
    Merlin Cat and gninnam like this.
  11. Merlin Cat

    Merlin Cat Moderator

    Blimey @docjohn your mate must have some cash!! I shall look out for your van in the Peak District. Are you North or South? I’m on the Sheffield side.
     
    docjohn likes this.
  12. docjohn

    docjohn Supporter

    Well, we are both of an age when you realise that you can't take it with you...;)
    We're on the Sheffield side, about a mile from the border with the Peoples' Republic :)
     
    Merlin Cat likes this.
  13. Merlin Cat

    Merlin Cat Moderator

    I’m near Bradwayso not far away :)
     
  14. docjohn

    docjohn Supporter

    Drove down Mickley Lane in the van last night! :)
     

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