T4 Caravelle 2.4D

Discussion in 'Show Us Your Bit On The Side' started by Spacecowboyuk, Apr 9, 2021.

  1. Hi all

    Follwing my post in the Wanted section there seemed to be more than just a passing interest in my Caravelle engine rebuild so thought I'd start a seperate thread. Here she is:

    20210409_101853.jpg

    At 73k miles it's a very original van. It was bought as a non-runner so I purchased a 2nd engine to do a swap. Fortunately, though I have still yet to run it, the damage seems to be top end only with an incredibly phooked cylinder head:

    20210409_102228.jpg

    In my search for other parts a few weeks prior I came across an image of an engine with just the wiring loom being advertised. I thought no more of it until I was out searching for a head and decided to ask if the one with the loom was ok. He'd written off the bottom end so hadn't investigated himself. Long story short, it was a decent AMC head produced in Spain and wasn't in bad shape by all accounts. At £200 delivered it arrived but had some additional problems that needed sorting so the seller refunded me £60. I sent it away to be pressure tested and skimmed and built her back up:

    20210409_102942.jpg

    The install was relatively straight forward if not heavy!

    20210409_103214.jpg

    And that's where I'm up. I'm waiting on a few other parts to arrive so should be in a position to fire her up for the first time this weekend. In the meantime, I've been perfoming coolant flushes and sorting out other bits in and around the bay.

    Big thanks to @Rich83 for helping me get the supidly tight crank pulley bolt off and @davidoft in sharing his knowledge and time on these lumps:thumbsup:
     
  2. More cylinder head fun:
    20210409_104237.jpg
     
    art b, Rich83, Lasty and 4 others like this.
  3. Razzyh

    Razzyh Supporter

    Following with interest!
     
    davidoft and Spacecowboyuk like this.
  4. Table full of final parts have arrived:

    20210411_120345.jpg

    10l oil
    Cambelt
    Diesel pump belt
    Cam pulley
    2x diamond washer
    Crank stretch bolt
    Oil drain plug and washer (just in case)
    Air filter
    Fuel filter
    Oil filter
    CV boot kit
    Alternator v belt
    Power steering v belt
    Thermostat and O ring
    Windscreen wipers

    The eagle eyed among you will spot one or two items that are destined for the T2.

    Still waiting on 2 parts (crank sprocket and O ring for water pump). Come on ECP!
     
  5. Jean-François

    Jean-François Supporter

    You also can turbo it using oem parts, just saying :D
     
    Lasty likes this.
  6. Yep if everything goes well that is my intention:thumbsup:
     
  7. Jean-François

    Jean-François Supporter

    I just bought a nice '95 T4 panel with a 1.9l normaly apsirated diesel lump, but had to buy a 1987 Renault express with, which look mint :). While searching what is involved to make a TDI swap, I saw the 2.4l was quite easy to boost using oem parts.
    Yours looks very nice!
     
    Merlin Cat likes this.
  8. Cheers chap - it looks better in the pics than real life but hasn't faired too badly all things considered. I think someone took a disliking to the sliding door so that panel needs a bit of work.

    The 2.5TD conversion looks very tried and tested. There's some good write ups on the T4 Forum too :thumbsup:. Are you on that? If so let me know (I go by the same handle).

    "Had" to buy the Renault?
     
  9. Jean-François

    Jean-François Supporter

    I saw lot's of posts about swaps on t4forum, looks really doable :).
    On the other hand, I already have too much iron on fire and I will leave it like that. I just wanted a cheap van with 3 seats.
    About the Renault, I make an offer on the T4 last year. The elderly woman who own it wasn't ready to sold as it was their delivery van for their lawn movers and bicycles shop, that just have closed.
    She contacted me last month, telling me she would agree on a higher price and if I took the Express with.
    I wasn't interested by one more vehicle, but when I checked it, it was so fresh that I buy the lot. When was the last time you saw a 1987 Renault Express van, without any rust, 105.000 originals KM and one owner? ;)
     
    Merlin Cat likes this.
  10. Ah sounds like a great 2 for 1 deal there! Nice work.

    My final 2 parts arrived this afternoon so it's on now:

    20210412_174743.jpg

    Just a shame I'm back at work for a week now:mad:.

    To be continued...
     
  11. To finish up on this one:

    Where was I? Oh yes. Cylinder head back on. Then I had a bike accident which caused me to stop and recover for 5 weeks.

    Final set of bones healing and after waiting on final parts I finished up putting the whole thing back together again and, after performing some final checks, went for a first start up.

    Ok it started but it ran like a dog. Hmm. Try again. Choke fully out, foot burried on the accelerator and it would just about run but spit out tonnes of white smoke and diesel out the back. Neighbours not happy, nor am I.

    So back to basics I went over my work:

    Glow plugs removed and tested ok
    All wiring checks out
    Timing is still spot on

    After several weeks testing everything I decided it had to be the diesel injection pump. Specialists were quick to tell me it needed a rebuild but as it looked so new still with no signs leakage I wasn't convinced.

    Following @davidoft advice I went through injectors and satisfied myself that I had connected the hard lines in the correct order. All that was left was injector pump timing.

    £7 later for an adaptor to connect into the pump and plug in the DTI I set to putting the pump back to VW spec of 1mm lift.

    She fired right up first time and runs like a dream. Very happy. Next in line is the conversion to camper but, as Mr China would say, that's a job for another day:hattip:

    Screenshot_20210621-180356_Gallery.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jun 21, 2021
    Valveandy, Lasty, Dubs and 4 others like this.
  12. Forgot to add thanks again to @Rich83 guiding me through and my local MAN truck service centre who kindly popped down to do up the crank shaft sprocket bolt to an insane 460nm. Cheers chaps.

    Now I can back to my T2 Bay and pull the Type 4 engine for a refresh!
     
  13. Razzyh

    Razzyh Supporter

    £7 later for an adaptor to connect into the pump and plug in the DTI I set to putting the pump back to VW spec of 1mm lift.

    Why did you need to do this, what happened? What’s a DTI
     
  14. The fuel injection pump needs very precise timing for the engine to run properly. The DTI (dial test indicator - I think) is used to measure 1mm of lift when set at TDC. Basically, that's when it has to fire diesel to hit the compression stroke. As I say, it has to be precise so whilst I had the timing pin to lock it in place you really need a DTI or a good ear and patience.

    You also need three hands ideally as the pump is spring loaded so you have to hold it still whilst tightening up the cam sprocket whilst all the time watching the DTI so it doesn't move.

    Oh, and you have to give it a bit more than 1mm in order to account for the slack in the belt when you tighten the cam bolt 100nm. When you've done it once it's a 20 min job with setting up.
     
    Razzyh likes this.
  15. Jean-François

    Jean-François Supporter

    It is so much rewarding to hear them roaring back to life after lot's of head scratching :)
    I still have to go get my panel too.
     
    Spacecowboyuk likes this.
  16. Razzyh

    Razzyh Supporter

    Sounds very complicated.
     
    davidoft likes this.
  17. It seems complicated until you actually get in there. It's then very logical. Dunno why I put it off for so long :D

    Burning in the cam was more scary since my temp gauge wasn't working. But then all of a sudden it sprung into life so I knew I wasn't cooking the entire engine!
     
    Last edited: Jun 21, 2021
  18. Totally agree. Just nice to call this one done. I'm bosun (exterior) the missus is chief stew (interior) so over to her now :thumbsup:
     
    Valveandy, Jean-François and Razzyh like this.

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