Club 80-90 Forums

I did have a go at the VW dealer at the first service some 31 years ago but their attitude was 'it's only a van' and 'they are never accurate anyway'. This VW dealership still exists and they sell a large number of cars and very few vans. I got the feeling that they considered they were doing me a g...

I have a 1985 1.9 DG which I have owned from new. The speedo has always read about +10mph. It is still using the original speedo cable and has always been fitted with the standard commercial tyres 185 14C on the original steel wheels. I have had it too long to fiddle with it now!

Hi, Changing the oil and filter doesn't always make it go away. It is a fairly random thing that can happen almost any time (after starting from cold) but is more likely after a very short previous run. I've had my 1.9 DG since new in !985 and it first did it within the first year of ownership at le...

Hi, Try Camskill at Whitehaven. They are amongst the cheapest online and will fit and balance them at a low price if you visit them. I got four Hankook RA08 185R14C which are OEM tyres at an all in price of £180 when I visited them. I paid £98 for one Goodyear commercial of the same size and spec so...

The gauge has suddenly stopped working but the flashing red light in the middle still works as normal. I suppose it could be the sensor or the gauge itself. Are there easy checks to tell where the problem is? It's a 1985 1.9 DG and it has never happened before.
Cheers Gordon

Hi, Just done mine and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Was able to do all of the job from outside the drivers door after taking off the lower steering column cover. I left the flexible pipe on until I had got the whole cylinder loose and free because It was then much easier to remove from...

Hi Dave, Did the job of replacing the clutch master cylinder as you suggested (bleeding at the master cylinder only) and it worked fine. I did buy a new slave in case something went wrong but have not needed to use it. I suppose it is there if I need it but I bet it is a so-and-so to replace. Thanks...

Hi Dave I am interested in your comment that you were able to bleed the system at the master cylinder without bleeding the slave. I had wondered myself if this would be possible by taking care when fitting the new master ( I too have sheared the screw on top of the slave ) I know you said your slave...

A cheaper method of getting the exact weight on each axle is to ask the guy who is doing the MOT. There is a weighbridge built into the latest rolling roads used for the brake testing bit of the test. Last time I had mine done it showed (with just me on board) a front axle weight of 892 kg and a rea...

Hi Your 1987 1.9 water engine will certainly have hydraulic tappets. I've had my 1985 1.9 waterboxer since new and over the years heard the clattering noise many many times. It first happened still under warranty and scared me no end! It doesn't seem to follow any particular routine and perhaps may ...

I can recommend Hankook RA08 which are starting to be fitted on many vans now as OEM equipment. I got four 185 14C fitted and balanced for £188 by Camskill at Whitehaven. They also supply direct for your own fitter at £40 each I understand. (They are on the internet if you google) Having had them no...

Wasn't to bad to remove and replace after all .... thanks to the advice given. The rear side (that goes across the cab) had a cardboard stiffener sewn to it which helped considerably when replacing it in the bent back cut-outs. The only disappointment was that the added sound deadening bitumen pads ...

Thanks for the info garyd. As my intention is to put sound-deadening bitumen pads above the headlining I may be able to manage without loosening the front and doing all the windscreen hassle. How exactly does the metal strip across the back fit at each end? Do you think the original lining will go b...

How easy is it to remove and replace the fairly small front grey headlining that was originally fitted in the basic tintop van? It doesn't seem obvious where to start.

Hi, I've just had 4 Hankook RA08 tyres fitted for £188 all in (balanced,new valves, old tyre disposal etc) at Camskill, Whitehaven. These tyres are OEM quality and seem to be highly rated on the wiki. Whilst it is too early to give a worthwhile opinion it was obvious on the 35 mile drive home that t...