rusty nail to sow's ear

We set off for the Bank Holiday weekend to Dorset, less than 200 miles on the new engine and 395kg attached to the towbar.
All was well until the fuel gauge packed up, so erring on the side of caution due to already having run out of fuel twice in the last two weeks, stopped for fuel at Shaftesbury and then the engine wouldn't re-start.
After unhitching the Rapido, the attempted bumpstart didn't succeed due to a right twat cutting me up on the exit slope. So there I was, stuck right across the A350 at lunchtime on Wednesday.



Luckily a removals van and a couple of builders stopped, and after asking if we'd run out of fuel, got us going, so back into the petrol station to hook up the Rapido and head off for the last 20 miles to our destination.

Met some friends at the entrance as we arrived and set up camp before starting on the cider.




Had a wander round the site later. Nice quiet place with good clean facilities, allows fire pits and has no mobile phone or wi-fi signal, heaven.
There's a gert lush pub about quarter of a mile away, although it is quite a dodgy road with no pavements, a blind bend and a National Speed limit.

http://www.meadowviewcaravanpark.co.uk/

http://www.drusillasinn.co.uk/









Thought I may need this to get home.....



And the original 1960's plywood fuselage mock-up for Concorde was sitting in the field next door.
I remember having a trip around this with my Grandad around 1969/70 at BAC Filton. Sad to see part of our aviation history rot away like this.






A few more turned up on Friday.




So apart from the fuel gauge and starter solenoid issues, a good weekend, the bed was comfy, and a few more miles on the engine.
Which went exceedingly well, being able to accelerate up hills in fourth with the Rapido attached was wonderful.
Although I did get a bit overconfident on the way home and push on back down the M4 until the oil temperature dipstick flickered.
Oh well, back to 55mph for a while then....

I wasn't happy with where the previous repairs had blown just under the slider track, a consequence of working outside in rain and freezing temperatures.



So I attacked the side panel with a DA sander, etch and high build primer and a few top coats.
And then it rained before I could finish.



I then spent an hour or so removing wet masking tape residue. I still need to deal with a couple of runs when the paint has hardened fully, and then give it a polish. It makes the rest of the paintwork look tired, really ought to get it fully painted.



So after starting an internet debate on aerial positions, I've fitted mine.
Maybe should've sorted the stone chips on the front panel first, but couldn't be bothered.



I think I've cured my triple speed flashing indicators now though, the earth tag had broken off the indicator body.





Just need to wind the rear back down a couple of inches now I'm not towing the Rapido for a while.

And after everybody else went to bed tonight I decided it was the perfect time to strip my cab door handles and sort the barrel wafers to suit my new keys.

That's better.





Westfakia interior almost complete, just need some decent handles.







I knew there would be a use for a broken windbreak pole.
Buddy seat comes out to be replaced by fridge when flying solo, and I think I'll adapt a spare cooker box liner as a splashguard.

So, VanWest. Wet, wild and very very windy.
Probably my last one after all these years, not much to look at unless you like T4/5s.





Interior works fine though.

This was shoved under the wiper at the weekend.



I'd have to take all the running gear off it though and put it back to stock.

Friday afternoon, finished work early, a bit of cash in my pocket and some mates have text me to say they're in the beer garden.
What do I do, I come home and attack the bus' roof with the grinder and DA.....


5 hours later after finishing with a bit of 400 grit wet and dry.



Never been happy with the paint finish since I did it in the bad weather, and after fitting the ply headliner some of the previous owners filler work had popped out.
Primer coats tomorrow.

2 days later and I've reached the stage where I'm completely and utterly fucked off with this roof.
Too hot to paint Saturday and yesterday, too windy to paint today, and now it's pissing down.
And the rattlecans just spits gobs of paint out as well.....

I either need an nice enclosed space to carry on spraying, or I'm going to roller it.

I has a "new" daily.











I only bought it because it has a black roof.
Apparently I'm supposed to drink Monster/Relentless and wear a cap with a flat peak now.

Funnily enough I got pulled for a driver and vehicle check the other evening, and the plod asked if it was my son's van.
Cheeky fucker.

So I spent most of the day sanding back the roof yet again.
It's not dent free, but smoother than a pair of silk knickers and ready for paint. Haven't decided whether it'll be spray or roller applied yet though.





The remainder of the day was taken up cleaning and polishing the daily.



Rear axle flip and coil overs anyone?

The chap that stuck the note on the screen sent some pics through.
To be fair to him, I don't think he was the bodger, I think he rescued it from a hedge near Dartmouth a few years before I bought it from somebody else. It was his trusty, rusty bus.
The "magic bus"
I think he liked skateboards....

Right then.
Fucked right off with the roof, and as it wouldn't be any worse than before out came the satin black Rustoleum, white spirit and a 4" roller this morning.







Fairly successful 1st coat, although it's just started to rain....

Well, that was another brilliant weekend at Bristol Volksfest. Even the few light showers ( ) didn't dampen our spirits.
Thanks to all that came and camped with the early bay and associated VW's.





We had an interloper on Sunday, a Covin replica, but it was more than welcome.






What a handsome fucker.

So after waiting 5 weeks for Creative Engineering to actually send something after taking my money, this turned up.



Let the braking fun begin.



Off-side rear brakes removed and hub assembly bared.



First job is to remove the upper back plate mount.
This is the moment of no return, once you've cut this off it's not possible to fit drum brakes again.









Quick coat of paint.



And start on t'other side.















Next job is to attach the calliper carrier mount. This uses the two front hub mounting bolts and the lower back plate mount.





And then slip on the disc assembly.









I must admit that it was at this point a number of issues started to arise.
Firstly the instructions supplied are shite, and secondly CE customer service is shite.

Calliper carriers not in correct position.



This is due to the disc assembly not sitting far enough onto the hub shaft.

As we weren't getting anywhere with the brakes I decided to remedy some small clearance issues I've been having.
Not with the driveshaft or shocks, but the trailing arm catching the chassis.
So out came the grinder and the lip along the bottom edge of the chassis rails was removed.





While I was there a smallish repair was done around the torsion tube for the MOT.



I think some small notches will be required soon.

We're now into day 3, and I'm getting pissed off.
The issues have been sorted, but could've been avoided with better instructions as you will see.

It appears that the 12mm spacer that sits on top of the outer hub bearing needs to be removed to allow the disc assembly to sit further onto the half shaft.
So out they came, just need to be gently pried out with a small screwdriver.



The disc assembly now sits further onto the splines, but the internal bolts now foul on the hub.



So out comes the grinder again and the hubs are clearanced and repainted.





Success.





On with the assembly, calliper carriers next.





This didn't go quite to plan either. For some reason the carrier fouls the disc slightly on one side.
This was cured by the addition of a 10mm penny washer on the front edge of each carrier.





Calliper fitting.





Can you see a problem?



Yet again it's resolved with the grinder. Both callipers need clearancing to stop fouling the disc assembly.



Handbrake cables now.
I needed to trim the handbrake cable tube back about 70mm each side to get the outers to fit properly so there is enough cable to attach to the callipers.









Don't attach the cables to the callipers, or operate the handbrake levers until the brakes have been bled and set up.

And now the brake pipes. CE don't supply any brake pipes so you need to source your own.
I went for Mk 4 Golf Estate rears to suit the calipers, but they need modifying to fit as well.





What a pain in the ass, definitely wouldn't do it again and not worth the money.
Still need to sort a pair of spacers to allow the hub nuts to tighten fully.
But they do look good.

So Saturday morning was spent taking the wife to have her eyes sorted and ringing round suppliers trying to find a '68/'69 master cylinder while I was waiting for her.
Finally found one at a GSF branch and got to the yard about 11. Dropped the old master cylinder out, got covered in brake fluid and installed the slightly modified new one.
Although I left a copper washer off a blanking plug and had to remove the master cylinder to refit it as it was drawing air into the system.
Less haste and all that nonsense......
Ozziedog appeared just before 12 and pointed out that the rear wheel bolts were fouling the brake callipers. Something else to sort out.

Just after bleeding the front brakes everybody else went home, so still have the rears to do.
I did chop 5mm off the wheel bolts and got that problem sorted before locking up and coming home.
Just the rear brakes to bleed, set the handbrake and sort the rear hub spacers. Perhaps then I can drive the bloody thing home.
Still waiting on the front disc adaptor plates before I can run Porsche fitment wheels, so have got time to clean the brake dust off and decide how to detail them.

Anyway, new master cylinder fitted and I still have no brakes. It did need changing though as it was leaking though the seals.
Spent most of today bleeding the brakes, changing pipes around on the master cylinder and then bleeding them again. Still no pedal and rear brakes.....
Until about 4.30, when the thought occurred of undoing the callipers from the carrier, packing the piston and then bleeding them with the bleed nipple as high as the flexible pipe would allow.

Bingo, loads of air removed and I can stop.
Handbrake connected and now just waiting for a pair of hub nut spacers to be machined, and then I can drive home.

Looks like I won't be running centre caps unless I fit shortened half shafts, and that won't be happening. At least not in the foreseeable future.
Hub nut spacers fitted today and the bus is back home, at last.







Next jobs, oil cooler, oil and filter change, and valve clearances.
What could possibly go wrong.....?

Love reading the updates on this Bus Dude!