..'76 Baywindow...briefly EJ20T now going superfly Tdi

Good luck with the France trip
Drive it a lot before you go

Looks like a nice install dude

It's official ....... this bus really hates me...

Picked up the bus the morning of the holiday and it threw out a code 24, everything was running fine so i just ignored it and carried on.
Cruised down the M11 at a cool 65 with a good vibe, although the water temp was on the low side ( around 60degrees) .
We got caught up in traffic on the M25 round by the darford tunnel and that's were the story comes to an end..
Coming over the bridge a guy pulls up and shouts out were dumping loads of fluid , so i coast down to the bottom of the bridge and take a look..
An oil pipe for the cooler has split on the AN fitting and dumped the lot. I tried to re-do the pipe and cross threaded the fitting, so end up using a jubilee clip, top up the oil and try again.. ( Obviously it was a lot more dramatic than that at the time, being as we were at the toll, i was covered in hot oil and the wife and kids were losing the plot.. and the traffic guy's wanted me out of the way)..

So i start her up, everything looks good and away we go... less than a mile later and a small pop and she's dead... Not sure what happened as we got relayed back, borrowed the father in laws estate and carried on with the holiday so i'll have to investigate at the weekend....

Oh, her in doors is really really really not happy with me this time

Gutting dude :( Hope it's nothing to bad

Damn! Hope you can sort it and it's not too bad... Breakdowns suck anytime but even worse when other persons are involved

Well i have been spectacularly unlucky with this that's for sure, if i cant this lump fixed or get a cheap one then i might change again and go for a TDI..

Im also going to look for a cheap A4/6 tdi estate as a back up for next year ....just incase

Noticed this last weekend... six teeth missing and the timing is way out




Completely lost track of what i was doing today and started stripping it down. Dont know why cos i wanted to do was put a new belt on too see if it was ok

Just came here from VZi and thought my dream van was just a stones throw from me...

Do you have any idea how salvageable the engine is, or more economic to look for a replacement lump minus ancillaries?

You've put an incredible amount of work in and gutted for you that you've put so much into it and it rewards you by dumping as many fluids as it can and shredding timing belts :(

What was the cruising revs like with the new gearbox? Do you have any more info about your new gearbox that as I was alway pretty unsure how the standard boxes would cope with 3x more power than standard.

Hello mate, I forgot to add on VZi that the van was running although a bit lumpier than before, i think i maybe a tooth out on one cam but will check in the new year.

Wasn't supersticious until i noticed im the 13 owner of the beast, maybe it's not just my spacky hands then

The box is as strong as you can get for the cash (all together set me back nearly 2k) and in fourth doing just under 70 she was sitting at 3krpm


Like i said i don't want to part with her just yet ( which is why ive only put her up fore sale on one forum ), I want her up and running sweet and with at least one outing under her belt . But she who must be obeyed is laying the law down and unfortunately i don't like living with out her.. And she wan't a T4

Great news about the engine running again! Let us know how you get on with figuring out timing problems - and if you do a compression check.

I'm not in a huge rush to buy one - and to be honest do really want a early bay - but a big turbo can fix a lot of wants! I do have a '99 Impreza turbo already - but doesn't sound half as exciting as this van!

Do keep me updated with any progress.

So it's been a while, didn't help that at the end of Jan the wife severed her achillies tendon so i had to give up work and look after the tribe..

Anyway..




First outing since August, all didn't go, well she through up codes 22 24 and 33 (wished i had printed out Joels thread (vwkd) with all the codes on like i was going to some time ago..) had next to no power and to top it off there was oil leaking out from between the engine and gearbox


Shouldn't got the cheapo's off ebay..

Oh well, looks like im taking it back out monday then ..

Poxy plastic cover....



And i'm hoping this was the power problem..

Damn! All sorted now then?

Not yet dude, the plastic cover is an oil separator and is cracked so gotta wait for the metal replacement.

Hopefully back together this weekend.......... and then it's going to be my daily..

Still need to sort that exhaust out, just looks so wrong ..

Sooooooooo..... Many months have past ,and after a few more trial and errors i've thrown in the towel..

With no cash and the constant expense the of the scooby ive stripped the engine, sold the block and decided to follow the heard..

Lets get diiiirrryy.

T25 diesel bell housing




Back to square one




Just need to source a cheap tdi now and a few other odds and sods

We have a new heart..

Good choice for a daily mate. You can tune them up pretty nice too

I got the car off this very forum ..now lets see if i can bugger this one up

Was allowed a few hours today and the engine and dash are now out..

Dirty diesels are the way forward!!!

So. the audi is now completely stripped out ......and today i made a start on the bus.

Changed the subaru bell housing for the t25 one..... and bolted it up to a bare block i had in garage to work out the engine mounts..

.. So.. i could have done it the easy way and saved a load of time,but that's not in my nature :smt017

After some head scratching, coffee drinking and a sarnie or two i did a bit of cutting and sticking...



Hopefully they will stay together and the incredible weight of the deep fat fryer won't just push and bend chassis rails..

Only i didn't get a chance to test it today as i found out the holes on the block for the top mount are different from the block i used for mock up.


But i have a cunning plan....

... Of course, my path never runs smoothly ...

So, id brought the wrong tdi ( how me). Had to source golf alternator and bracket plus flywheel and clutch and various bits and pieces... dramas

but after a lot of flouncing about i had this



subaru chargecooler kept..





And now it's all coming out again.... after a some head scratching and just vaguely staring at the wall i think it's best to sell on the gearbox and go the flip audi box route.... the one touch this donor had..

To keep me busy in the mean time..



Thought it would be a lot easier just to use the whole loom from the audi, newer wires plus easy plug and play, sweet.. Only i dont like the way the indicator/wiper stalks sit so in the process of using mk3 golf... onwards and onwards...

Saturday saw the installation of a mk4 handbrake, of course like everything else it doesn't work, brake cables are too long ..Thinking due to it's position t25 ones should be ok..



Like a typical me bodge i just held it where it looked right, marked three holes and just drilled.. Amazingly, i only just skimmed the brake res cap on the servo ..twice.. the two fixings on the hand brake snuggly cup the cap, so snug i had to ground down the sides of the bolts ...

.. Then it was back to the wiring.. now what i didn't mention before was that this audi was in the few year bracket haynes nor anyone else seemed to do a manual ( that's handy).. so while scratching my head with a passat and a golf manual the old man leans over and pipes up..
" so you've got the audi loom "...
" yes dad" ...
" you havnt got a proper wiring diagram?"
"No dad"
" but you want the golf stalks and headlight switch?
" yes dad, and your point is?
" well Rodney, being as you've barely wired anything in get a bloody golf tdi wiring loom".. " jesus, you take after your mother"
" Genius.."

So ive taken it all out ..and im going to modify/insulate the radiator surround housing while im at it...

Anyone want to mill 15mm off me audi gearbox?..

I tried to do it properly and called into a couple of engineering companies, but to no avail..

So i went the table/jig router way..



Did five passes and got the desired 15mm..

You have been busy  

Not as busy as id have liked dude,but with no transport i have to bike nearly six mile down the A1 before i can do any work on her..

Oh well, the adaptors are in the post, roll on next week