Pan’s Engine Bay Refresh

Not sure how brutal you want me to go but scratching around it seems pretty solid. None of it is pretty. There is a welded repair here:


The other side, at the end of the torsion tube near the end cap looks like it might have been welded. There is a groove (hard to see in the photo but I circled a bit of wire at the end of it - don’t know if that is a remnant from welding):


The parts that attach, going backwards towards the wheels, look very solid. Sorry, bad description.

Along the underneath:





I’ve been tipped off that on the farm where my parents rent there are unused car lifts - I might ask to put the van there for a few weeks and go to town underneath.


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Good idea. It really helps to do a good job of stripping off all the old underseal and rust, right back to bare metal. Then you can see which bits can be patched or if there are larger corroded sections that need to be fully replaced. Given what you have found so far, I'm afraid it looks like a standard rusty UK van and you will unearth a lot more rust before you finish your investigations. Its all fixable though.

 

Your chassis rails have previously been welded up in those areas
There not pretty repairs but as far as I can tell they look quite old and still solid so there’s no worries there

So it’s looking like it’s the end of the chassis rails at the back of the bus and your d pillar are the worst areas so far

 

...so far ha ha
The front end of the chassis was welded up soon after I bought it - when we discovered that a condition of purchase (a welding repair promised to be undertaken by the seller), was just a plate glued in place and covered up in underseal

I don’t really trust anything about this Bay really, so seeing it in more bits than I ever imagined isn’t necessarily a bad thing - provided I can put it back together again

The rails that attach directly to the cabin floor look brand new. Other bits, hmmm


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Ha ha
Think i’m owed a bonus by the universe. But since I just broke not only the back door handle and the toilet handle off this rented house, I might save asking until October Can sneakily change the loo one myself but I know the manager will want to do the door one - because that’s what he did a few months back when I broke the original
Don’t ask how, i’m not the door slammy type. Just snapped off clean both times


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Indeed. Usual mix of Good, Bad and the Ugly

I might propose to the guys who majorly contributed to my engine seizing that they fix all the ugly bits for me.


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Nothing says “manly” like a pair of pink gloves and a can of Mr Muscle. Worked well though.

I’ve not abandoned the engine bay this past week. Turned attention back to the roof for a while. Thought it would be sensible to have it fitted before going to the welder for a day or so.

On top of that, so it’s back to doing the removable bits (perforated ceiling, paint tin lid, firewall etc.).

For the fuel tank I am contemplating fibreglassing the underneath. Where the hole in the van is for the fuel pipe it seems particularly susceptible to rust. Might also put seam sealer around the floor-to-tank lip


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Closed cell foam? I wouldn't glue it with seam sealer.

 

So this is why [mention]paradox [/mention] suggested changing my rubber couplings...


Thanks for the tip.
If i’d ever thought to inspect it, this crack was visible from outside the van. Quite a heavy, unsupported, metal tube hanging off it, so not surprising really.

What can be used to swap these strap/rubbing etc protectors?


Some didn’t survive removal. Also rather ancient.
Read on Ratwell to reuse original jubilee style clips - if mine are original.

At least with the engine out this is all somewhat easier than reports i’ve read.


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So it seems, according to Samba, instead of the original felt I can use anything from flip flops to the soft side of velcro.
Think i’ll go for the more popular suggestion of floor mat strips.

Fuel tank and filler neck all painted up externally.


Internally it seems there isn’t much I can do about the few random rust splodges. I’ll get the tank blown through with air then rinse it out with Brake Cleaner (mechanic suggestion).

Managed to gently rub down excessive paint at the top of the Fuel Filler neck inside. No more paint entering the tank.


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Test fitting new clamps.
Seem to go on tight, round and not cutting in to the rubber.
Should be easy to do in situ too.




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Equal parts inspiration and distraction!
Slightly less intimidation, as i’ve learned a little more about the engine and it’s associated parts.

Welding booked in for next week, so a few extra days stay-of-execution to get the roof on.


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Well it’s finally going in for welding on Monday.
Weather has changed somewhat since the originally scheduled end of October.

So a fresh concern...the cold!
Rustoleum is good for use down to 5•. It’s already 7• in the garage I assume that the metal is even colder though.

Don’t want to have come this far and then botch the durability with rubbish painting.

Do I need a heater?
If so, would an Eberspacher do the job? If I buy a heater it might as well be one i’ll use moving forward.
Does it matter if the temperature then drops below 5• over night whilst i’m not working on it?
The garage is cavernous, with no chance of bringing (or sustaining) a room temperature above what it is outside, so i’m just looking at targeted heat.

Oh dear, always so much to consider and learn - though it leaves me pondering how Nordic folk manage to get anything done!


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A bit of research suggests that temperature has to be within the manufacturers stated data throughout the drying process - so that’s overnight too.
Also says that the temperature means the material and not just surrounding area.
So I reckon that is a big fat no to bothering painting.

Think i’ll just put primer on asap over the repairs and leave it until I can trust the temperature for a prolonged period of time.

It’s not like I don’t have plenty to get on with Unfortunately though, much of it does involve paint at some point


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I really like the black crinkly paint on the tin - what is that?

 

Cool isn’t it. Has a nice feel to it.
The engine builder chose that. It’s called Cracked Black.
Think he said the effect can be done in a few different colours though.


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I’m not a fan of this massive gap between the LHS Rear Wheel Arch and the outer panel.
Once sanded, rust treated and painted, i’m thinking to fill it with expanding foam, shape off then cover in seam sealer.

Stupid idea?
Can’t even use it for smuggling ham sandwiches in to Europe.


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Nooooo!
Expanding foam is notorious for holding water (the corners on beetles always go where VW filled them with foam).
Do you know if you've had that arch repaired in the past? If this is the section I think it is then that line of seam sealer there should fill the gap but it looks a bit loose to me?
I think the bit you're showing here is this right?

 

I’ll take that as a no then!
Thought adding seam sealer to cover it would prevent water ingress.

Yep, that’s the area in your pic, but the left side on mine.
Looks like it’s had the bottom part of that outer panel replaced...and it’s a good few mm from flush on the inside so creates this gap I can get my fingers in - right down to the flare above the wheel.



On putting my fingers in there the soft rubber trim (in the recess visible on your pic) just falls off.

I can live with the gap, but judging from evidence, rust & spiders also quite happily inhabit it...and a mystery bolt I fished out with a magnet.


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