I know this was a while back but where did you buy your Koni’s from James? Just looking at damper options. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Starting to feel like autumn down here with the track to the workshop covered in orange leaves now. Still relatively warm in the unit though. What’ve I been up to this week?! Main cab loom repairs finished and installed loosely back in the van. I’ve temporarily cable tied the cable groupings and will neaten it all up when everything else is attached: Rear gearbox mount back in. I kept the original rubber cotton reel mounts which were in good nick: A few bits ready to be blasted: And most of the above primed: Firewall, engine bay panels, fuel tank and cold air flaps into anthracite: Starting to clean up the steering box. There’s no leaks so I’m just fitting a new dust seal and giving it a clean up: And in a bid to tidy up the unit a bit, a guy from work gave me a load of shelving so I’ve started putting some of it up. Just need some scrap wood to put across it now:
Got a few bits bolted on over the last few days. Added a sheet of silent coat to the engine bay roof to add a bit of sound dampening: reinstated the original insulation and riveted the panels back in place: The original horsehair padding on the fuel tank straps and under the tank were pretty much non-existent so I’ve replaced them with 2mm neoprene sheeting and tape. You can also just about see where I’ve drenched the area above the wheel tubs with dynax S50: Fuel tank back in with fresh hoses connecting up all the breather pipes, a new fill neck and the fuel tank sender all wired up: I found a pic of this area when I stripped the van down 3 years ago looking slightly worn and tired! I opted to spray some Dynax UC in the fuel tank area to offer some protection whilst keeping it looking pretty clean (I’ll be using this on the wheel arches too): Added some more 2mm neoprene tape around the firewall: And all bolted in! The chickens are back seeking out the warmth of my spotlamps again too!
So nice to see it getting built back up Along with you taking steps to prolong the life of the van Did you put any sound deafening on the wheel tubs before you waxed them?
I didn’t think to tbh! Will put some on the tub bit in the cargo area though. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Shame That area above the arch tubs and the fuel tank area when the firewall is fitted Becomes a great big resonating chamber. Have you got the cavity wax probe pushed into the void between the outer rear panel and the rear inner panel?
Yeah I absolutely drenched both areas in it. You’re right about dynax creeping well. There was a tiny pin hole near to the battery tray where I’d welded in a repair. The dynax has crept through the hole creating a tablespoon sized puddle on the tray! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I am dead envious of your shiny paint and the heat shields from the engine bay, my 79 seems to have had fiberboard versions (now missing) judging by the small remains under one rivet. I am so glad you are ahead of me as particularly with the electrics, so do keep the photos coming I am learning a lot.
Just a few hours on the van this morning so painted the outsides of the cv joints with some black epoxy mastic I had left. Stripped down the brake calipers ready for rebuilding (I’m not splitting them as I don’t think they need that). And started cleaning up the luggage rack.
Luggage rack all cleaned up and carnauba waxed: Cab roof given a wipe over: and luggage roof pop riveted back into place. Making a start on cleaning up the starter motor.
A few more bits painted and reattached to the van over the last few days. Handbrake cable bar reassembled: And back on the van (apologies for the awful picture). Brake calipers all cleaned up. Unfortunately one of the pistons refused to budge under air pressure as it had completely seized so I’ve ordered a new one to replace it. The other one looked fine when I took it apart so I’ve replaced the seals and primed it. Gave a few random bits a coat of anthracite to neaten them up before I bolt them back on. Starter motor: CV joints: Steering box drop arm. I’ve got a new dust cover for this, it’s not leaking from any of the seals so I’m able to put it straight back in as is. And making a start on reassembling the drive shafts. What a messy job!
Confession time! In a bid to save me the job of having to clean the filth off the gearbox I sent it to the guy opposite to aqua blast. Unfortunately this was way more aggressive than I expected (the guy did mention that there was a chance of water and media ingress) and I now have a gearbox with glass beads in. I don't particularly have the time or energy at the moment to completely strip the damn thing to clean it all out so I'm buying Kruger's old gearbox to keep things moving. I'll keep this box as a side project. Trying to see the positive side, it'll give me a chance to have a noisy around a gearbox. @martinvention I seem to remember you built the tool necessary to remove the output shaft "cookie cutter" shaped jobbies?
Hi James, sounds like a good plan; better to strip yours completely and clean out the glass beads when you have plenty of time. You are more than welcome to the cookie cutter whenever its needed. Also a great opportunity to look at the synchro hubs and baulk rings, in my limited ownership of rear engined VW's I have had 2 failures of the 3/4 gear hub. Regarding the seized caliper piston, if there is enough protruding you might try taking off the dust boot and gripping the piston with a jubilee clip then rotate by levering the screw on the clip or using pump grips.
The stuck caliper piston will come out using a pump grease gun; compressed air will just compress, grease won’t. Clamp the piston that moves, fit a grease nipple and pump away.
