Club 80-90 Forums

Well, we collect the van this weekend...

It's got a lovely shiny new MOT as of Monday (driveshaft gaiters, 'screen washers but nothing else needed) but I've deliberately requested it not be serviced. I want to get it up on a ramp and go over it myself - as ever with a new arrival, a very thorough service helps familiarise me and helps prevent problems. It's an '88 2.1i, manual, power-steering, 240k km. That'd make it a DJ lump, right?

So - there's a shopping list being built up from a certain online supplier. The rough plan includes...
Plugs, leads, cap, rotor
Oil & filter (I've got a lot of 5w30 full synth in stock - too thin?)
Air filter
Fuel filter
Coolant & thermostat
Brake fluid (hydraulic clutch, pressure bleed only?)
Gearbox oil (FOUR litres of 80w90? Wow...)

The exhaust's going to get a very good prod - it looks... crusty.

Anything else I should be having a good look at? What's the score on points to grease? (Sliding door?) Anything specific in the injection that's likely to benefit from a can of carb cleaner? (Idle valve, AMM, throttle body?)

Body's very good - it's had a lot of paint, and the seams were definitely not perfect beforehand, but there doesn't seem to be anything much hiding. The service book is more-or-less stamped up from new until it left Germany, and it's since had "the brakes done" - what that involves precisely, I know not, hence fluid anyway. It's apparently had a fuel tank at some stage in the not too-far-distant. A set of matched near-new Maxxis van tyres on it - not my first choice of brand, but...

You've covered most things in your list I think, but don't use that oill you've got. Use 15W40 Mineral oil. Have a read up on recommended coolants too.
Have a good look at the front discs and pads and the rear drums & linings, if they've "been done" you might as well check they've been done properly.

Main bit of advice is simply to be careful where you get your parts from; some online suppliers have a far better standard of parts and more idea of what you need than others do.

Maxxis tyres are pretty good, I've had them on my old Disco and on the Syncro, you get a lot of mileage out of them.

And don't prod that exhaust too hard unless you've got a full wallet and a bit of time on your hands, the studs can be a right pain.

andisnewsyncro wrote:You've covered most things in your list I think, but don't use that oill you've got. Use 15W40 Mineral oil.

Viscosity - furry muff. But any particular reason why dino not synth?

Main bit of advice is simply to be careful where you get your parts from; some online suppliers have a far better standard of parts and more idea of what you need than others do.

I'm always happy to receive that kind of info via PM...

And don't prod that exhaust too hard unless you've got a full wallet and a bit of time on your hands, the studs can be a right pain.

I'd rather have it go before we leave home than in the back end of nowhere...

AdrianC wrote:

And don't prod that exhaust too hard unless you've got a full wallet and a bit of time on your hands, the studs can be a right pain.

I'd rather have it go before we leave home than in the back end of nowhere...

Stainless steel system from Mr Baxter's emporium it is then

should be worth changing all the fuel lines on an old injection engine. theres a lot of sections, and old perishing rubber hose at 35psi is not very safe, when right over the exhaust too (short injector sections). thesamba.com will clue you in there! (US vanagon forum)

its a fiddle but you learn a lot..

If you change the exhaust its well worth investing in a stainless steel studs, washers and nuts kit