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

These days 36k miles is a good low mileage. it could easily be 136k...Or set to zero on a resto after a long time off road.

Like mine says 17k but I know its at least 117k miles as I bought it with 48k miles in 2010.

The likelihood is that an EMPI shift coupler was fitted on the gearbox nose as the OG coupler was 'old'. You need to weld up the collar to cage joint on EMPI couplers as a matter of course as they can rapidly go sloppier than a worn old original coupler.
A couple of tack welds and its fixed though.

 

And on Saturday I spent time pushing moly grease into a really annoying squeaky lower near side fron suspension ball joint. Pulled down the boot and spooned grease in. Refitted boot amd massaged the grease in.

Took about 40 miles driving for the grease to work round the ball.

And yesterday fixed some electrical noise problems on my CHT thermocouples which read zero while the engine was running. Added some capacitors in series with cable shields. And changed the software to ignore tenperature readings taken just as the ignition fires.
Worked well today but never went fast enough to see more than 90 degrees at the bosses on the Autolinea heads on the new engine.

 

Well..... The garage reckons it's 136,000 (found out this week) but a family member bought it without viewing it and it got dumped on us, so hey ho, ha

 

The mileage really does not matter. Its old now and parts will either wear out though use, or die because they are suddenly used after sitting and drying out on a bus that has just sat for years. Or die because the plastic blister on the EMPI blister pack is better quality than the contents..
It is what it is.

 

One side and half the middle done. Ever onwards...

 

Final push on poptop refurb Take 2. Battens to be re-glued in with SikaFlex, these next if I can find my ratchet straps. Tired of opening roof with my head .

 

Stuck my roof battens on (again). They won't come off this time...

 

Silly boy. Just holding them on while the Mighty Sikaflex cures...

 

Had a call from the garage, found out the pink vans carburettor is goosed, but we thought/knew that, alternator is goosed, didn't know that, and the battery is goosed, didn't know that, but suspected it.

On the positive the fuel gauge issue was only the sender, so that works now, as well as they do anyway! And 2nd gear works, apparently.

I think it's going to be mid December until we have a usable pink or blue van realistically, and these dry sunny but cold days are making me want to take a van out for a spin before winter, which isn't going to happen

 

In what way is the carburettor "goosed". Did they tell you?
Ditto for alternator.

 

The person we bought the van from had said the carb was goosed and it was running really fast. The garage said it was running to rich in fuel no matter what they did.
Alternator... I don't know the craic with that,


I need to learn some mechanical skills, asap

 

If the garage cannot properly diagnose a VW aircooled carburettor, go elsewhere as it sounds like they havent much of a clue. They will spend lots of your money with not too much chance of success.

I would guess that petrol is leaking past a dirty float chamber metering needle valve making it run very rich.

This valve is a part of the servicing kit for the 34PICT-3 carburettor but it can be got separately for about a tenner

As an excercise the other day I managed to clean up a grubby 34PICT-3 in a Lidl cheapo ultrasonic cleaner. It takes a few goes to get it all under water as it is too big .

I wouldnt buy new, but spend similar on a properly refurbished original Solex if you do want to splash the cash. Too many metal filings and mistakes in Chinese copies


Mostly alternators need new brushes and bearings. Including an eBay bearing puller kit thats maybe £60 DIY...

 

Today I drove the bus to Kingston Lacey and went on a guided tour of part of the house. Then drove down to Swanage where we will be camping in it for two nights.
Maybe sleeping in it for one night if the weather gets bad..and lying awake in it tonight...
Hopefully be spending a day on the Swanage Railway tomorrow, going up to Corfe Castle and back a few times...

My wife Shirley took these pictures en route from Kingston Lacy to Blandford Forum.

 

^this. Not a lot that can go wrong with a carb, if there are no other issues elsewhere. They respond well to a good scrubbing. If they fit a replacement, it’s going to be worse than the original Solex.

Most unlikely the alt’s dead - changing the regulator/brushes will normally bring them back to life.

Does your “garage” really know what they’re doing? I suspect not.

 

They were recommended by "Proud to pop" which is on the same street and they are replacing the roof.

I've took on board what you're saying though, going up to LVH next time,

 

Found out it's really poor on fuel. From full to run out 180ml miles.

 

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