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Re: Not a restoration.

Posted: 18 Oct 2017, 21:12
by bigbadbob76
Good luck with the rust.
Hope you're up and running for next camping season and get to enjoy the results of your hard work. :ok

Re: Not a restoration.

Posted: 18 Oct 2017, 21:19
by mshaw1980
Cheers pal

Re: Not a restoration.

Posted: 22 Oct 2017, 18:56
by bigbadbob76
I fitted a pair of Mk5 escort rear seat catches to my bench seat today so it locks securely in place.
works well, must take some pics of them in place but here's what they look like.

I bolted these to the cupboard on one side and to the trim card on the other, using M8 roofing bolts so the heads don't protrude too much.
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and here's the pins that bolt to the back of the seat, i bolted them on the inside of the bed board so they don't prevent the bed going fully down but still stick out far enough to catch the latches.

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Re: Not a restoration.

Posted: 02 Nov 2017, 10:12
by bigbadbob76
What started out as a simple headlight replacement last night grew arms and legs.....
My drivers side headlamp had a lot of corrosion on the reflector, my friendly MOT man said get it sorted for next time :wink:
So I assumed both my headlamps were the same and took the part number from one of them, by chance this was the passengers side....
I got a 2nd hand replacement lamp and fitted it in the drivers side housing.
I then noticed the drivers side lamp I took out had an H4 bulb in it but wasn't marked as H4 on the lens, was marked E4, and had an H4 fitting.
The passengers side one had a halogen conversion bulb in it and was marked E1 and had the old style fitting.
The replacement drivers side one is the same as the passengers side one.
Luckily I had a spare conversion bulb so at least my headlights are the same now.
I then read several posts on here about headlamps and that cleared things up. :lol:
They're not the best so either a full H4 conversion will be on the cards at some point, or I'll fit spot lamps to make up for the pi$$-poor light. :idea

Re: Not a restoration.

Posted: 09 Nov 2017, 20:11
by bigbadbob76
I had about 3M of 35mm^2 flexible wire under the bench so thought I'd upgrade my battery-starter wire.
I pulled out the old wire with a pull-through string attached so I could pull the new one in without dropping the fuel tank.
All went pretty smoothly and I replaced the +ve battery terminal while I was at it and also ran an extra 6mm^2 wire to a spare terminal P on the fuse box.
Voltage at the fuse box has gone up by 0.5V so that's good.
I'll measure the voltage accross a headlight bulb next time I take the grill off.
I already have 4 "Tesco" relays in there (every little helps) :lol:

Still to do:
Upgrade battery earth strap to 35mm^2. Although it's pretty short so probably not essential.
Upgrade alternator to starter wires.
Possibly upgrade alternator from 45A to 65A or 90A if funds allow.

Re: Not a restoration.

Posted: 17 Nov 2017, 16:57
by bigbadbob76
Had a day off work today so replaced my quarter light bars and seals and fitted my spotlamps.
Wiring to follow, maybe tomorrow, then at least I'll be able to spot the deer before i hit 'em this winter.
Had a chat with my mate with the garage about sorting the rust around my two rear side windows, fingers crossed we'll get them done in a couple of weeks time.

Re: Not a restoration.

Posted: 18 Nov 2017, 16:48
by bigbadbob76
I wired in my spotlamps today.
I used a 5 pin relay with two outputs (87 and 87b) one to each lamp.
I took the power feed from one of the spare "P" terminals on the fuse box via an inline fuse to pin 30 of the relay.
Relay is energised by splicing a wire into the main beam warning light wire (blue/white in the dash binicle), this wire goes to a re-purposed heated rear window switch on the dash and then to pin 86 of the relay.
So the spotlamps only come on if the switch is on and the headlights are set to main beam. dipping the headlights turns them off.
The dash switch has an LED to warn you they're on so it needs an earth wire to it's pin 31.

Update: I did my first night run since fitting the spots tonight, WOW!!! what a difference, not just to brightness but more importantly light coverage.
I'm well impressed.
Voltage at fuse box is still over 13v with main beams, spots, wipers, cool box, stereo etc all running.

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Re: Not a restoration.

Posted: 23 Dec 2017, 15:37
by bigbadbob76
Another window out yesterday. Surround welded, primed and painted. Window back in by 6pm. Only one still to do. Happy days.
P.S.- the filler is there to smooth out the uneven joint where I've welded it, not to hide the rust. :lol:

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Re: Not a restoration.

Posted: 09 Feb 2018, 22:09
by bigbadbob76
Flip-up 150W Solar panel now installed.
Details here- http://forum.club8090.co.uk/viewtopic.p ... 1&start=15
Where I have the choice, I'll park with the panel facing south, both for maximum irradiation and so we can watch the sunset out of the sliding door. 8)

The panel isn't smashed... that's ice on it. :lol:
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Not a restoration.

Posted: 17 Feb 2018, 15:16
by bigbadbob76
A busy week for the old bus.
Tuesday- made and replaced the final window surround panel.

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Thursday- down to Firkin point, Loch Lomond. Had to take a detour cos the A87 was closed due to snow.

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Friday- in to Glasgow for SWMBO to get cast for a new peg leg. Then up to Glencoe for a night, we could have run for home but fancied just chillin in the bus.

Today- home, then i crawled under the bus to do an oil change while it was still warm from a good run. But noticed my oil filler tube is rusted and leaking. Best replace that before i change the oil. Just looked on Brickwerks, holy crap that tube is expensive. Anyone got a good used one they want to sell?
I just need the metal bit.

Now time to relax and watch Pegleg on catchup.

Re: Not a restoration.

Posted: 25 Feb 2018, 13:13
by bigbadbob76
Took this off today cos it was rusted through and full of pinholes. replaced it with one in good nick for a much more reasonable price from Rob. Cheers mate.

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Did an oil change and found that if you pull the upper bit of the oil filler out you can slide in a length of 36mm od waste pipe. A 2l irn-bru bottle neck fits snugly into the waste pipe and makes a good funnel.

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While i was under there i added an extra gearbox earth. This braid is 50mm^2.
I upgraded my battery earth to 35mm^2 with a new terminal too.

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Re: Not a restoration.

Posted: 25 Feb 2018, 13:55
by R0B
replaced it with one in good nick for a much more reasonable price from Rob. Cheers mate.

:ok

Re: Not a restoration.

Posted: 17 Mar 2018, 13:01
by bigbadbob76
I've been upgrading my leisure battery charging system this week.
Now when I'm parked up in the sunshine, my 150w solar charges two leisure batteries in parallel and once they're done, any extra power tops up the starter battery. (via a dual output pwm charge controller and a dpdt relay.)
When I'm on the move, the charge controller feed is switched from solar to alternator and the it's charge output to the starter battery is disconnected.
Switching is done by the relay driven from the D+ terminal on the fuse box.
The charge controller copes happily enough as I have a 45A alternator with a 14.5v regulator.
i'm not convinced this would be such a good idea with a 90A alternator. If both leisure batteries were pretty low they might draw more current than the controller can handle. I don't know how much current limiting the controller does in bulk charge mode. I've fused it for 20A just in case.
P.S. never try and do this with a mppt charge controller. :P

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Re: Not a restoration.

Posted: 20 Mar 2018, 12:40
by mshaw1980
[quote="bigbadbob76"]A busy week for the old bus.
Tuesday- made and replaced the final window surround panel.

[img]//uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201802 ... 616b5c.jpg[/img]

[img]//uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201802 ... 0bb20c.jpg[/img]

Thursday- down to Firkin point, Loch Lomond. Had to take a detour cos the A87 was closed due to snow.

[img]//uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201802 ... 9b1c75.jpg[/img]

Friday- in to Glasgow for SWMBO to get cast for a new peg leg. Then up to Glencoe for a night, we could have run for home but fancied just chillin in the bus.

Today- home, then i crawled under the bus to do an oil change while it was still warm from a good run. But noticed my oil filler tube is rusted and leaking. Best replace that before i change the oil. Just looked on Brickwerks, holy crap that tube is expensive. Anyone got a good used one they want to sell?
I just need the metal bit.

Now time to relax and watch Pegleg on catchup.[/quote]

Pegleg?? You aren't the guy that was on Amazing Spaces with the knackered pickup are you??

Re: Not a restoration.

Posted: 21 Mar 2018, 12:03
by bigbadbob76
Pegleg is that guy. I'm not him, haha.
I don't think he's on here but he does post on the t25 club facebook page.
I've never met him in person but have chatted online and he seems like a great guy with a great outlook on life.
My Mrs (SWMBO- She who must be obeyed) also has a prosthetic leg, hence our trip to Glasgow and maybe the cause of the confusion. :lol: