The All New, New "What have you done to your Bay today" thread.

Dredged up some enthusiasm for adjusting my Dellortos. Got as far as removing the air filters, then got bored. More tomorrow (maybe).

 

Anyone seen my snail gauge? It was in the garage.

 

Box of bits had arrived so I got on with fitting in the hope it sorts the oil leak, luckily it did! Suspect it was the bails but the old covers were starting to look a little rusty so went with doing the lot.

Also fitted some new rear tyres, noticed the old ones had hit 13 years so it felt like luck was being pushed a little.

Last job of the day was to swap the springs on the front coilovers to something a bit stiffer for some extra lift and a firmer ride



Ideally I'd like to swap the dropped spindles and move back to stock height but I'm not sure I have the garage clearance. Don't suppose anyone with a stock van and tyres knows the floor to bottom of the arch measurement?

Just the oil change left now and that's all the pressing mechanical jobs done for now

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OK, two days later the 5 minute job is done and the engine purring

 

Checked the oil , kicked the tyres and went for a little drive - rude not to really ...

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I did something dumb today.oil change.
Undid the wrong one - loosened the one that snaps the case when you over tighten it. Realised straight away because it was so easy to loosen.
10ft/lbs IIRC. My smallest torque wrench goes down to about 15 and I wouldn't trust it at that end of the scale even if it went to 10.
Now I have to wait until Tuesday when a fellow moorer brings a small accurate one home from work, he's an HGV mechanic. Still, I bet it will leak after. Bugger!

Better luck than another moorer who has just 30 hours on a spanking new engine that was fitted with exhaust such that water running down the side went through the exhaust and filled the cylinders. Hydro locked. He's got the head off and every cylinder and the head is coated in masses of rusty grunge. Probably why it wouldn't start even when he'd got the water out, it had sat all winter filling up. The sump was full. He bought it as an empty shell with and engine so it's not his fault someone fitted the exhaust like that, but too late to get recompense from the engine fitter as he's spent a few years fitting out the interior.

 

Oops, finger tight? Or as @snotty would say extension tube on your biggest wrench and heave!

 

I could guess but as it's "that" bolt I think I'll wait.

 

I have a cheapo one I used for doing up some M6 bolts on the timing cover of my boat engine. Needed to be about 6ft/lbs. It was a tempramental object. Sometimes wouldnt click or clicked instead of taking tension.. I have learned a lesson and I think I will be spending a bit more than £15 next time. The bolts did tighten OK, the timing cover doesnt leak.

I had a smaller moment like that... rebored engine, new piston, gasket set, completed rebuild, come to fit the head and theres a rusty hole between the exhaust port and the pushrod gallery- not hydro locked but 40 years of spray back from a cooling water mixing elbow with salt water..

 

Help, my hole is in the wrong place!

I've now got the engine purring, but to achieve this I've had to move the accelerator cable far to the left and so is pressing against the side (as you look at it). This is so it is attached to the crap empi hex bar near the middle and activates both carbs at the same time. My engine was originally a fuel injection and I was wondering if the cable comes out the 'hole' in the same place as other bays?


I know I can buy better hex bars and I have a long term idea to go back to FI, but do other suffer the same hole ignominy or is it just me

 

Doesn't the fitting on the hex bar slide sideways?
Yes, I'm pretty sure carbs, FI and autos are are in different positions through the fire wall. It doesn't need to be central, the original carb cable is way off to the left for example and auto's off near the right.

 

Thanks. Yes the fitting does slide and it used to be directly in line with the exit point out of the firewall...very logical, but that puts the fitting about 75% along the bendy Al hex bar and makes the balancing a bit of a pig. I will probably put it back to that point, as I don't want the cable to rub and break even if it is in a rubber sleeve.

 

Did some work on it. Shouldn't of left it so long.

1d post only needed the outer doing so just made a patch.
The other side needed inner and outer but the part ordered was about 4mm to deep so would never of lined up with the other panels so it was modified....they say made to original spec....yeah right

I'll do a bit more tomorrow and not leave it for so long...oooops

 

Stick some lettuce under a plant pot they’ll be back by morning

 

I should probably get the bay out and wash it and make sure it runs

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Fitted a new solar controller and replaced the rubbish horn with Ring twin shell ones - much better.

 

In the service manual, they recommend a 6ft scaffold pole. Keep tightening until you hear a "tink" sound from inside the crankcase, then you know it's tight enough

 

That back end is a nightmare, with all the box sections. Could VW have made it any more complicated? I drilled extra holes in the rear valence to squirt some Dynax in.

 

So it’s been another busy week with Molly the campervan:

Started off with a bit of a ‘service’- adjusted points, fitted new condenser and distributor cap, and tried to set timing unsuccessfully.
Realised I had put the HT leads back on wrong.
Set Timing.
Colour coded HT leads as to not make that mistake again.
Got the van ready for the MOT.
In the process of filling up the windscreen washer bottle, I discovered it had a leak which caused me to bang my head on the steering wheel and snap the windscreen wiper lever off.
Postponed the MOT.
Took steering wheel off and fitted new lever and it worked first time!! (Horn and indicators still work too - phew)
Washed it for the first time in ages.
Took it on a good run, as the Mrs had a sudden urge for a McChicken sandwich.
Smugly used the new windscreen wiper as we got caught in a biblical downpour on the way. Feeling less smug when thinking about the fact that I had just washed it for first time in ages.
Got home and took Steering wheel off again, turned it 90 degrees and refitted it so I can see the speedo.

Next week the plan is to:
Work out why the passenger side windscreen wiper is doing it’s own thing!
Fit new water bottle.
Rebook MOT.
Try not to break anything else!

The joys of van ownership!