HANLON AMBULANCE 1985 MK2 V6 3.0L CONVERSION

[whitemice]

Critters on axle stands now as i wait for a new spring set for the brakes to be delivered, one of the forum members was kind enough to sell me a NOS set of ratchets which are the right ones for this vehicle.

Drums came off with 10 whacks of big hammer and chisel after brushing on plus-gas and having a coffee and a fag, that's from using copper grease on the hub interface.

I fitted new shoes/pistons/cables and brake pipes several years back but had to re-use the springs, washers etc. and the ratchets which have now frapped ie' one handbrake side went some time back and the o/s went the other week, pain in the neck to get bits for mk2's but i have located a UK supplier for new brake springs for this van.

Was thinking of whipping off the shoes while i wait and re-furbing the brake carrier plates a bit, what paint i wonder?

[bigjohnthomas]

nice i like the fabric you've used in the front very "cosmic" blakes 7 Federation Guard uniform if i am not mistaken

[whitemice]

nice i like the fabric you've used in the front very "cosmic" blakes 7 Federation Guard uniform if i am not mistaken

It's ok for disco chit-chat too.

Got a decent quality brake spring set here which included the shoe hold down kit advertised separately, ie. did not need to additionally buy it.

Highly recommended company from this experience. I dealt with a chap called Jason by email.

http://www.brakesint.co.uk/index.html

[JohnBF1]

Critters on axle stands now as i wait for a new spring set for the brakes to be delivered, one of the forum members was kind enough to sell me a NOS set of ratchets which are the right ones for this vehicle.

Drums came off with 10 whacks of big hammer and chisel after brushing on plus-gas and having a coffee and a fag, that's from using copper grease on the hub interface.

I fitted new shoes/pistons/cables and brake pipes several years back but had to re-use the springs, washers etc. and the ratchets which have now frapped ie' one handbrake side went some time back and the o/s went the other week, pain in the neck to get bits for mk2's but i have located a UK supplier for new brake springs for this van.

Was thinking of whipping off the shoes while i wait and re-furbing the brake carrier plates a bit, what paint i wonder?

Heat resistant!! or as I have in the past and it lasted is Hammerite

[whitemice]

I did actually go with the black Smoothrite from Finnegans after discussing with Muttley(aka Andy) John.
Found some old formula at the back of the shed.

Fitted a new brake cable too, the old one was maybe five years old but i had a new one as a spare kicking about and it saves hassle keeping the old freshly re-lubed one as the spare.

I really recommend using copper grease on the hub/drum/ interface and the lock-screw for ease of dismantling with Plusgas penetrating oil.

[whitemice]

I got a couple of new brake drums for the van for a tenner and one has the stud drilling's slightly out as pictured, they are centred fine but slightly offset on the raised facings, i can't see it being a problem do you?

[peter1975]

If i had a hat on i would take it of to you outstanding van you got there

[transitandy]

Only just seen this thread m8y and its a goodern,

[whitemice]

Thanks Peter and Andy, Andy i got your pm the other day and forgot to respond , you were lucky to get away with the 'no-anti-freeze' Essex pagan division school of modern motoring method . Had a few responses about the brake drum question in another thread i started from Jay and Luke and i think they know as much as i do so i am gong to fit these drums, hey at £5 a hub who wouldn't! Nice one folks. If i ever win the lottery i am going to re-house Muttley and his tribe next door in a gatekeepers house with sheds on my Country Estate. PS. I got a NOS set of ratchet adjusters from a very nice man here on the tranny forum. As well as an as new headlamp from Muttley and a NOS n/s indicator from another very nice man. I paid for it all by selling Timo one of my re-conditioned fuse franchise's.

[Bryandarragh]

Hi white mice

Lovely job! I bought a mark 5 ambulance and your pics have given me some great inspiration.

Going to my brothers this weekend to (finally) get started on getting the auld girl converted.

Hope to get pics online starting with the before pics this weekend.

Bryan

[whitemice]

Hi white mice

Lovely job! I bought a mark 5 ambulance and your pics have given me some great inspiration.

Going to my brothers this weekend to (finally) get started on getting the auld girl converted.

Hope to get pics online starting with the before pics this weekend.

Bryan

Cool,

Strip everything out and estabish where all the wood/metal framing is betwixt the fibreglass body panels in sides and roof for getting a fix. Use stainless screws/bolts for fixings to floor and do any welding to spring hangers/chassis etc. beforehand.

I fixed 2x1 wood full length to the sides internally for the main strength of seating/bed and pre-drilled 1x1 uprights in order to screw using selftappers and cupwashers 12mm ply formers shaped to van profiles onto them. The internal van lengthwise wood structure was at the perfect height of seating (2x1 longeron goes only as far as shower/fridge panel on offside.) i used 1x1 longerons let into the 12mm ply upright formers to fix overhead lockers in 7mm ply.

I used 1x1 screwed into original wood floor to get fixing for all formers and front panels.

Seat surfaces and fronts are 7mm ply and top-hinged at their rear for access, with two 12mm formers giving three compartments inside and seat support these are over wheel-arch and were planned so that the rear compartment each side can take a waste container with a 25l water container above each one for travelling these get bunged outside when camping.

1x1 is used to get fixing and strength to seats and a bit of work with a woodplane on front top/bottom lengths gives the important ergonomic angled recess for feet/sitting/walking clearance comfort.

Uprights and longerons are fixed to the van wood structure which was accurately found using 1mm drillings to locate and then positions were drawn on internal fibreglass with permanent marker

Gas copper pipe is run across van for cooker is outside underneath from gas locker and enters van again through floor on opposite side in wardrobe and runs through it and seating to cooker/oven, fridge and heater is similar only no run outside is needed.

Matt white laminate and Dulux satinwood yellow with clear satin varnish on 7mm birch keeps things light with a long lasting easy to clean and wipe interior.

I used lithoplate from a scrapyard to line the cooking area and rear of fridge with.

It took me 3 months more or less everyday but nothing has ever failed or needed painting or replacing in almost 20 years.

Main tools needed are a jigsaw, handsaw, circular saw and plane.

[whitemice]

Here's the result of degreasing and overnight in a couple of jamjars, one for each set, and a sprinkle of Bilt Hamber deoxC rust product crystals solution on the 26 year old rear wheel nuts, been using this stuff for years and it's brahma like their other products. Did the four rears and spare wheels today with their rust killing primer ready for ze diamond white polyurethane. You can bung whole doors into a container of this deoxC stuff (large plastic bag or a big bin!). I will do the nuts individually with black waxoyl after fitting wheels on the copper eased studs which is my system for maintenance of the cart.

BTW, Those new drums went on wikkid after the brake overhaul using new ratchets and springs and handbrake cable and plenty of copper ease on the hub interface for when they next come off, i find it best to whip them off at least every couple of years and use Plus Gas penetrating fluid for the job.




Solution is still acxtrive so i dunked some other parts in it after decanting both jars into a coffee jar.

[AeroNautiCal]

Gorgeous van and conversion.

Love that under bonnet gauge and the clean and tidy engine bay too.

[whitemice]

Cheers Aero,

passed it's MOT today no problemo Me mate wondered why i had a salad strainer on top of the engine though

Rear brakes were 220 and balanced perfect and 33% on h/brake. Sorted.

Thanks to the forum members for the hard to find parts involved and Muttley for the h/lamp.

I'll have to get a pic up for the pukka painted wheels now as i've took the naff rear wheel trims i had on temporary off, much better 'look' without trims on the twin wheelers, the 6 stud wheels with the circles are my fave's, i prefer them to the oval slots and more modern tat.

[madmark]

well 19 years that<s a record for a mk2 ambulance as most rotted badly indeed i have had a few this shape with the essex overdive