My Mk7 v2

[dantranvan]

Went to fit the driver recaro today. Once again stung by believing what I'd read that they are a straight swap.
Need to get the grinder out tomorrow

[dantranvan]

One of those "why the duck do I bother" weekends

Day started well. Air Filter swapped in a doddle and about time too



Changed the fuel filter, which I've never done on a Diesel before and now I know what I know, will never do again as I managed to let air in the system

Whilst waiting for a mate round to come and help, drained the oil which again was easy, but the filter wouldn't budge. Again, a normal filter I would've just been able to smash with a screw driver to lever off but of course can't do that. So I ended up putting fresh oil in with a filter thats done about 12k miles so might as well not have bothered.

Couldn't get the air out the system either so ended up having to push it onto the other side of the drive, up a slope so now my back aches.

[Cider Andy]

The oil filter can be really tight. I cobbled up a strap wrench with a small ratchet strap and a piece of wood. You could also use a jubilee clip around the housing and tap it with a hammer.

Fuel filter is normally not so bad as long as you fill the new filter with fresh fuel and stick to a genuine Ford one: some of the aftermarket ones can be difficult to engage properly.

[Scooby doo]

So take it you didn’t get the recaro in then..
I have days like that, think that’s only a 10 minute job, before you know it the suns gone to bed and you just created another two things to add to the todo list..
Took me 9mths to get a working speedo, can’t wire up my 5000w subs till Iv done the rear seat, only to buy more speakers which need another amp shipping from Uncle Sam in the USA..
I said when I brought the van, that looks nice I won’t touch it, damn Iv brought a project again, still, ain’t changed the paint, but, as luck would have it, I need a respray as my paints cracking in places and there’s quite a few runs in it..

[dantranvan]

The oil filter can be really tight. I cobbled up a strap wrench with a small ratchet strap and a piece of wood. You could also use a jubilee clip around the housing and tap it with a hammer.

Fuel filter is normally not so bad as long as you fill the new filter with fresh fuel and stick to a genuine Ford one: some of the aftermarket ones can be difficult to engage properly.

Might have to try the jubilee clip trick.
Fuel filter is a motorfactor part but fits ok, I just didnt fill it with fuel so need to try that tomorrow.

[dantranvan]

So take it you didn’t get the recaro in then..
I have days like that, think that’s only a 10 minute job, before you know it the suns gone to bed and you just created another two things to add to the todo list..
Took me 9mths to get a working speedo, can’t wire up my 5000w subs till Iv done the rear seat, only to buy more speakers which need another amp shipping from Uncle Sam in the USA..
I said when I brought the van, that looks nice I won’t touch it, damn Iv brought a project again, still, ain’t changed the paint, but, as luck would have it, I need a respray as my paints cracking in places and there’s quite a few runs in it..

Hopefully get the recaro fitted in the next week when ive got everything I need. Hindsight says I shouldve kept it clean and standard but itll look good when "finished"

[dantranvan]

Brimmed my fuel filter with diesel and gave the air intake a few sprays of poundland easy start and she's running sweet.
It was very satisfying

[Scooby doo]

Brimmed my fuel filter with diesel and gave the air intake a few sprays of poundland easy start and she's running sweet.
It was very satisfying

It’s the lil things in life that makes us happy, the simple jobs that we tackled head on with a bull with a toothache approach and they are the simplest off jobs..
Every vehicle I’ve owned I always said il leave that alone and won’t touch it, even my loading shovel at work has had a new stereo, speakers sub and painted the wheels black, I just can’t help myself sometimes lol

[dantranvan]

Brimmed my fuel filter with diesel and gave the air intake a few sprays of poundland easy start and she's running sweet.
It was very satisfying

It’s the lil things in life that makes us happy, the simple jobs that we tackled head on with a bull with a toothache approach and they are the simplest off jobs..
Every vehicle I’ve owned I always said il leave that alone and won’t touch it, even my loading shovel at work has had a new stereo, speakers sub and painted the wheels black, I just can’t help myself sometimes lol

When youve improved it it feels good, even better when its cost buttons or nothing. My aux in mod is one of the best things I reckon ive done and was less than a fiver

[dantranvan]

Finally got around to swapping the seat over today at I think the 3rd attempt



I had been told by a few people "straight swap mate, bolts right in"

It doesn't.

First thing was to get rid of the feet for fitting it in a focus. You'll need a grinder to trim these off and then tap out the rivets to give you the holes you'll use to mount it on the transit seat frame.
Secondly, if you have a bulkhead fitted like I do, that'll need to come out to give you the space to fit the seat. Thankfully an easy job (or at least mine was as none of the torx heads had rounded on the bolts) and gives you the chance to give the parts usually hidden by the seats a good clean, as well as clear out any crap on the floor that again would usually be unreachable.
Then fit your seat and you will need to drill one hole. Then put the bulkhead back in.

Only sat in it to move it back off the driveway again but it does feel a lot comfier and more supportive, however, the seating position is noticeably different. At this moment in time I quite like the feel of it but we'll see if that changes actually living with it.
You definitely can't slide in and out the van like you can do with a standard seat, a bit more of a climb in and out due to the raised bolsters. I'm young, skinny and nimble so this isn't a problem. If I was double my age and or tubbier, it might be a nightmare after a week or two

[dantranvan]

Decided as ive got new rear leafs and new front lowering springs to go, I might as well get new front shocks and top mounts for the sake of 100 or so quid. Then its something else that ill likely neve ned to replace.

Hoping to get it all on this week

[Uber_Beluga]

Is that a WR out the window? 450?

[dantranvan]

Is that a WR out the window? 450?

maybe? not that into bikes tbh

[dantranvan]

Improvement in ride with the new springs in genuinely impressive. Should be racking up some miles this weekend to help them settle.

[dantranvan]

and what a weekend it was!


Luckily someone spotted my alternator belt hanging down on the Saturday morning.

I'd heard a funny grinding noise during the drive down in the night but when it stopped and I heard a bang, the only thing I could see in the road was a mangled, oily travel mug so assumed I'd picked that up and it'd rattled around for a bit.
Was going to just replace the pulley but thankfully the guy in the motorfactors told me it was a bitch of a job and required a special tool so I ended up just buying a new one.

Imagine the fun I had learning to fit an alternator, without any jack or ramps on a lowered van. Oh and the Recaro doesnt slide forward far enough so getting the battery terminal off is a bitch too.

Bloody vans