Matts new Mk7 Limited

[MinorMatt]

A little bit more done now

The cab is fully complete now, with passenger seat installed. The whole van (except SLD which needs replacing) has had a machine cut, and it looks 1000x better.

I bypassed the EGR cooler (and put an EGR blank in) - and its still using water. It turned out the hose that runs above the water pump outlet was rubbing on the clip - and made a hole. Quick cut there, a bit of copper put in and jobs a goodun. The pipe was degraded, so its not going to last long and a new one was ordered.

I used it over the weekend to tow my 1928 van around (about 2000kg) and it handled that job quite well. Until last night when my copper pipe repair came apart on the motorway. Put it back together and ran with the coolant cap off and it was fine again. The new pipe had arrived at my destination already

I started to look at the rear brakes, then I realised the new discs didn't have the ABS rings on them, and the disc was properly rusted to the hub - so put it all back together. I think the handbrake issues (only works on 1 wheel) is the cable - so those have been ordered too.

Other than the chronic lack of power (I think it has between 70 and 80PS) - only relevant code (which doesn't come up all the time) is low manifold pressure, so I think I either have a turbo issue, MAP issue or a not at all obvious (I have looked) boost host/intercooler issue. I also think its quite overgeared - I barely get in to 5th or 6th. I can't really look for oily/claggy deposits because everything is covered from various leaks. I am going to wash it all down at some point to make it more acceptable.

The ply lining kit I ordered also hasn't arrived which is VERY annoying.

Its getting there. It might be a reasonable van soon.

[MinorMatt]

What more...

Oh yes injector learns failed. More messing around required!

Matt

[MinorMatt]

A bit has happened, but no interesting photos

The MAP,MAF,SCV and PRV have all been changed. Pump learns go through fine, but injectors still won't learn. The leak offs have 2 injectors in spec, and 2 outside - but not by a lot. I will take the injectors I need from the donor at some point and do another leak off test before trying to code them again. Its still as flat as a fart. My current thought is to swap the VNT actuator from my 130PS and see if that makes any difference, if not I suspect the nozzles in the turbo may be sticky - I don't know how hard that is to deal with?)

I have also ripped out all the old ply lining... (not entirely the easiest task with an engine sat in the back) the floor was made of OSB (sat on a bubble wrap insulation) and was really wet (probably not surprising after being pressure washed). Generally the floor is solid - there is some surface rust, there are 2 patches on the floor in the rear section above the chassis required and a couple around the rear arch liners. On the whole I am happy with it.

I have wire brushed the front section and covered it in fertan (rust converter) - and will repeat for the rear section later. I will then paint the whole floor with a cold galvanising paint before the ply goes back in. I then need to make a liner for the roof. Once thats all done it should look pretty uptogether (except for the SLD and a few other cosmetic bits).

I will need to do some welding around the sills and passenger step before its MOT needs doing again though!

[loot]

Getting there. The lines on the arch tubs are wafer thin and rot through really easily you may feel they're solid but don't tap them they'll hole. But if you do feel the need to patch them and are keeping the van I would consider new tubs they're surprisingly easy to replace. 8mm dormer spot weld drill. Plastic adjustable g clamp for 3.99 from pound land 12" vs if you have a variable speed grinder with flap disk to clean it up you're golden.

Might be worth checking the timing. If careful and spend time you can even take the timing cover off and get away with it. Check the chain etc too( i forget if you've done that?)

[MinorMatt]

Getting there. The lines on the arch tubs are wafer thin and rot through really easily you may feel they're solid but don't tap them they'll hole. But if you do feel the need to patch them and are keeping the van I would consider new tubs they're surprisingly easy to replace. 8mm dormer spot weld drill. Plastic adjustable g clamp for 3.99 from pound land 12" vs if you have a variable speed grinder with flap disk to clean it up you're golden.

Might be worth checking the timing. If careful and spend time you can even take the timing cover off and get away with it. Check the chain etc too( i forget if you've done that?)

Last night I was thinking it would be easier to replace the one tub - but I need to have the Job done, the van lined out etc by the end of tomorrow so I don't have the time to wait for one to arrive.

The N/S one only needed a little patch at the front, the O/S one I have cut most of the bottom out - there is only a 4" strip thats solid.

I bought the van thinking its not that rusty, and to be honest I think I have, on the whole, been pretty lucky. I have had to replace a rubbish patch on top of the N/S rear tub, and the patch at the front, 3 patches in the rear floor (biggest is about 8" x 2") and the bottom of the O/S rear arch. Before the MOT I will have to do some work on the passenger side front step, the back of the SLD sill and a bit on the drivers side sill (I think that may grow quite a bit).

If I get time before I head off to the Transit Van Club bash on Thurs eve I will try swapping the turbo actuator too.

(BBC Breakfast has scheduled to do a piece (pieces) about the transit 60th birthday on Friday morning....

[MinorMatt]

Welding in the load area is complete - bottom of the OS tub reconstructed, front corner, and the flat part on the top of the NS one done, and the 3 patches in the floor.

The whole floor has been tickled up with a wire brush on an angle grinder and given a good coat of fertan (rust converter) which will hopefully slow the spread. Tonight I will also give it a coat of Zingagalv (very good cold galv paint) and then get the new ply lining in. There are a couple of old screw holes etc in the floor, I have welded some of them up - but most are going to get a quick splurge of PU adhesive sealant.

I have got some photos, not many, but they arn't that interesting really

[MinorMatt]

Oh yes

Forgot to say - I did the rear brakes. That ended up being fun and I learnt that there are 2 rear axles, and stub axles and bearings on the FWDs....

Drivers side wheel bearing ended up being absolutely f****d. It wasn't noisy but the outer, outer race had broken up and there were bits of it missing. It came apart as I pulled the hub off. So I decided to take the one off the donor van (a 260/280 can't remember which) and the wheel bearing was smaller (35mm ID as opposed to 45mm), so I decided to swap the stub axle too... And that wouldn't bolt to the axle as the hole pattern is different. Pants. Emergency call to the motor factor and a new complete hub duly arrived.

The disc was badly worn, and 1/2 of the friction face on one side was rusty - but the pads looked okay. This side didn't work on the handbrake - and although I couldn't see anything wrong with it I believe the cable was at fault. Passenger side the disc was in a similar state - but I think this is where my problems were - the handbrake worked on this side (but changed the cable anyway). One of the slider pins was bent - locking the caliper up and stopping it from sliding. The combination of the worn disc, and worn pad meant the pad had slipped and wedged itself between the caliper carrier and the disc! Once its was all apart I had a bit of fun seperating the disc and hub. My press decided to break (before I applied any pressure) so borrowed the one in the unit next door. I got to 8 tonnes and it started leaking fixed that and the disc finally parted ways at about 14T with a massive bang. The technique was a bit sketchy though. A tow ball drop plate spanned the C sections on the Press, on which I put one of the rings for wheel bearing changes to support the hub (not pressing on the bearing). 4 M10 bolts (I couldn't find a 5th) were then put in to the disc threaded holes. A morris minor flywheel sat on top of that, with another piece of steel to spread the load... it wasn't the most stable arrangement - but it got it. The writing from the bolt heads is now impressed in to the flywheel.

The handbrake now works (prehaps not the best but it does the job), sits fully down and doesn't make nasty noises

[MinorMatt]

Oh, and another thing I meant to mention...

The powertrain "cog and exclaimation" warning light doesn't illuminate on first turn of the key, but the engine management lamp (engine pic) does - is that correct?

[MinorMatt]

Stupidly I forgot the before...

The floor is loose atm - I forgot to put sealant on the welds and need to paint around the load restraints. I don't know whether to go black or body colour
..

[MinorMatt]

More

[MinorMatt]

Well enough of this works to be useful

[MinorMatt]

Still having a lack of power issue, but otherwise (touch wood!) the van is now doing what it should. It was even on BBC Breakfast on Friday, along with me, in the background!

I'm not planning to do anything too it for the next few weeks (except fit a better radio) - but its going to be leant to the Imperial College motor clubs in just over a week so they can use it to take all their kit to the isle of wight steam rally.

I am considering fitting the turbo from the other van too it once it gets back to see if that helps the low power issue

[MinorMatt]

Well I lent the van to some students I know for them to go to a steam rally...

The shiny new ply floor now has oil stains but otherwise its come back intact - except I had to recover it and tow it back to base. Fortunately it had done all the work by that point and it was just being returned.

Lots of chuffing from the oil filler, the breather had blown off the rocker cover and the little plastic adaptor between the turbo and inlet had gone missing .

It had to be pulled back becuase it was running like a pig, engine shaking all over the place, making interesting noises etc and hugely underpowered. It turned out the plug for injector 3 had come loose. Plugged that back in and its back to smooth running.

The injector seals still need doing. The rocker gasket I bought got lost in the post, so I am still waiting for that. I will probably get on with it next week. I also have a new CHRA and nozzle/vane assembly for the turbo to go on. Thats not a job I am looking forward too!

[MinorMatt]

Well... I now have coded injectors - the injectors themselves were fine.

It failed as injectors 2 and 4 needed new copper washers. Obviously I recut the seats and put new washers on all.of them. There was no really obvious damage to anything - but the clamp bolts wern't as tight as I thought they should be...

And it passed the injector learns passed first time

I haven't driven it to see if the power is back up yet - or if the new rocker cover gasket, and the reduction in crank case pressure has stopped the oil leaks

[loot]

Sounds good