Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again...

[ermie571]

From another thread....sarran sent douglas on his way!!

XX

[sarran1955]

Hello,

I've been rather waiting for Douglas and Sarah to update this thread....

They are well on their way now, ringing me from Carcassone, where they are having the head re-torqued before going on into Europe towards Turkey.

The work had been correctly done, with a nice shiney head.

However there were still some issues:

The exhaust cross cylinder mounting plates were in a bad way with stress cracking all over




This was duly welded up taking care to de-stress the plates.


As one of the driveshaft gaiters was looking very tired, (no clips on anywhere), we dropped the driveshaft and found heavy wear in the roll cage and dead grease. As the bus had to go on, we cleaned and reassembled.

Fingercrossed.

One important point, the bus had been running on under inflated tryes, so much so that the fronts had to be scrapped, and a set of summer c rated tyres fitted. I suspect the confusion came about by 2.8 bar being read as 28psi.

So thats it up to the moment.

This weekend and next we are working on Adrian and Ellie's 2.1 wasserboxer....

but you'll have to look at their thread......


Cordialement,





PS. I did get something done at home, refitting the dropped valve seat on my Briggs+Stratton mower engine, and getting about half the meadow done before the rain

[R0B]

You would think they might of taken the time to update the thread.

[HarryMann]

Thanks Sarran. for the update.. good work there

[82JEW75]

You would think they might of taken the time to update the thread.

Probably not got any internet access.

Hope they're remembering to check oil, coolant and tyre pressure daily, bare minimum when covering that sort of distance.

[douglas]

Hello to All,
No longer Stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again…

It's nice to finally have internet access and be able to update.
Internet access has been much more difficult than I imagined on this trip. Our breakdown in a remote rural village where summer storms wreaked havoc on communications had us (without vehicle) bicycling to nearby villages for internet access at libraries and Maire.
Thanks Edoh and Hacksaw Bob, we tried to call and did locate Bruno Servouze, as you posted and suggested ,and although my wife is fluent, no one there seemed slightly interested in repair. Bruno's wife hardly knew why we inquired. Perhaps a changed mandate?
Our search for a replacement head for the 1.7, was long and difficult. Thanks to members who offered support, and pieces off shelf. The answer to the big question "will a 1.6d head fit on a 1.7d block" is no, not without serious and costly issues; please chime up and give details if experience dictates differently.
Our mechanic did a very good job installing a replacement recon head from Faral SA. in Laval, France
http://www.faral.fr/fr/index.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
This companies website, makes clear their competency in recon parts and engines, their service over the phone rocked!
Unfortunately at quite a price, all 'pieces' in France seem to be costly.
Our mec's work in the Sarthe seems top notch,( Les Sarranais approve)! although pricey: it got that way when alternatives didn't arise quickly. Our Mechanic also uncovered a broken brake pump- cracked at the top waiting to pop, and a shabby, doubtful coolant pump was also replaced.
His documents show that the previous owners must have experienced coolant loss; an indication of an incipient problem, as the surface of the head was pitted and etched by leaking coolant acidifying,caused by static build-up. He also uncovered other proofs and seems adamant that we should pursue the previous owners in small claims court. They had given their word the vehicle was fit on all levels, confident we could head out on our 12000 km. odyssey…and 860 km.after purchase, our unlucky break. As well we heard, and he found, the problem with the exhaust bolting plates,cracked to pieces, that was restored by the VWiseman of Sarran.

10 to12 days after breakdown, our Sarthe mechanics work was finally finished; after a long wait for the ordered 'culasse'.
I posted questions concerning post-surgery driving, indicating the complete lack of confidence I felt, driving away from a tiny village mechanic, to re-stitch the tour our kids have been hearing about for so long.
Thanks to those who responded,especially Harry Mann; I took every issue he raised, to the Bentley book, and in terribly translated
French I held our vigilant mechanic to task, insuring shields were replaced, torques realized and fittings fitted. Thanks so much to the Mann for that post.
It was Pistachio's post( read of his epic visit) that urged me to connect with Sarran. Sarran's note and follow up phone call got me into that village a few days later.
All members of this forum should know how high Les Sarronais set the bar, in terms of support.
They cast a spell in their town that has everyone, everyone, smiling.
Despite mechanical woes, and crippled budget redux, our lost schedule, thoughts of my failing father, my wife leaving her sister in the north of France with a flatlined marriage, my kids wondering what the h…. we meant by the trip of a lifetime, they cast that spell on us. They got us smiing, and helped us immeasurably. Not just with bits and pieces, but their experience and craft and Art of Multivan Maintenance. I got a real taste of 'joie de vivre' in their town, under their roof. I'm more confident now that the Elder and the Younger have driven and inspected and laid hands on "Red Oktober".
Hats off to the VWiseman of Sarran.

So now we are on our way, by Carcassonne, through Spain, right now in Barcelona with a ferry tomorrow to Livorno, and on to Turkey, returning to France in mid October.
R.O. is running well, no oil loss at all, coolant levels spot, on new tires full pressure, great milage, decent on hills .Oil stick never too hot.
Our only remaining evident issue is the shape of the bearing races under those rubber boots on the rear drive shafts. The four are going to need replacing.

Oh yes, and, given our mechanic's insistence, and our lovely Sarthe neighbour who is a notaire. We are deciding whether to go small claims court on this issue. It is not my preference for sure, but our adventure, for which we saved 7 years,took a serious dent,fiscally and emotionally. There are many pre-sale emails from the previous owner(a self-ordained competent mechanic ), answering my many questions, assuring us of the van being totally competent and ready for a long trip. Assurances from them that it was 100%. Since the problem, they've conveniently disappeared, erasing their ad in the Hertz forum, and telling us there was never anything wrong when they had their Rubybus. Despite their contradictory statements that coolant was/wasn't topped up,depending, on which day you asked them.
I recognize this is a different forum topic, but it relates directly to why many people have to come to this mechanical forum. Unscrupulous sellers. I would like to hear what members feel about this. After all, we were prepared for honesty and could have dealt with these issues easily beforehand. There were just too many things wrong…I'll make a list if you wish to comment on this…
In any case,
will keep you all posted on our voyage East in Red Oktober.
Internet access is the only limiting factor as you can tell from the length of this post.
Douglas
Red Oktober
1990 Westfalia conversion. 1.7D

[HarryMann]

Red Oktober, message received and understood, thanks

Only question from here, not having seen the history behind the trip and planning, is of course.. why a 1.7D (being so rare)

But nevertheless, have heard good things of them by those who know

well done, keep trucking, keep smiling and good luck...

[AdrianC]

All members of this forum should know how high Les Sarronais set the bar, in terms of support.

Seconded! Top chaps, and I'm not just saying that because I'm currently sat at their living room table, with a couple of deliveries of van bits due to arrive to John's workplace today... <grin>

Oh yes, and, given our mechanic's insistence, and our lovely Sarthe neighbour who is a notaire. We are deciding whether to go small claims court on this issue. It is not my preference for sure, but our adventure, for which we saved 7 years,took a serious dent,fiscally and emotionally. There are many pre-sale emails from the previous owner(a self-ordained competent mechanic ), answering my many questions, assuring us of the van being totally competent and ready for a long trip. Assurances from them that it was 100%. Since the problem, they've conveniently disappeared, erasing their ad in the Hertz forum, and telling us there was never anything wrong when they had their Rubybus. Despite their contradictory statements that coolant was/wasn't topped up,depending, on which day you asked them.
I recognize this is a different forum topic, but it relates directly to why many people have to come to this mechanical forum. Unscrupulous sellers. I would like to hear what members feel about this. After all, we were prepared for honesty and could have dealt with these issues easily beforehand. There were just too many things wrong…I'll make a list if you wish to comment on this…

At the end of the day, the most relevant factor is that you purchased a complex mechanical device that's been in use for about twice as long as it was designed to be in service for. Is it realistic to expect "100%"? I'm also presuming that it was a sale from a private individual rather than a trader - even harder for any come-back. Caveat emptor - the only real way is to satisfy yourself on condition before purchase, and if there's any doubt then pay a competent mechanic to go over the vehicle carefully before purchase. Sure, it won't pick everything up - but it'll pick up a lot of clues.

I'd lean towards "swallow hard, grin, and just look forward to the good times ahead".

[douglas]

Hello,
We've ferried to Livorno from beautiful Barcelona, and did some miles to get to Venice. Now heading out of the Schengen Zone after Trieste, we'll be in Croatia for awhile on the coast.
HarryMann, our choice was based primarily on the previous owners' repeatedly assuring us, in reply to our many questions, that the 1.7 was not hard to find parts for. Being from Canada, we have zero experience with this engine, hence the multitude of questions and lots of research. Surprisingly, there wasn't much noise on the web either in 80-90 or in Wiki or other places about staying away from it.
For my part, I knew it was slightly rarefied air, but in fact, most other parts are compatible. Just the damn head. Other reasons; slightly more power, and fuel economy. The utilitarian use of the 1.7 for company fleets, shows it to be a hearty block. Now that my "head is on right" it does feel good, and I'll report fuel economy asap.
To Adrian, that's pretty much the road we take on things like this. It is swallowing hard for sure.
Let it be a lesson for all, appearances are deceiving. Americans have a joke about 'the little ole lady from Pasadena'.
I didn't expect 100% at all, but this kind, retirement couple, knew they were sending us off to Turkey in a Turkey. We got took.
In terms of the mechanic, we didn't want to use a local, their village mechanic is the Controle Technique guy, he passed the vehicle with flying colours, and no problems noted. That should have been a warning. We wanted to take it to my bro-in-law's to inspect it. But it didn't make the 860 km.
By the way, unless a mechanic checking, removes the head, there is very little to do to catch this problem.
Bonne route,
Red Oktober and crew

[HarryMann]

They turbo the 1.7 in Germany and like it a lot I was told last year at the 25Year Syncro event at Mammut Park

C'est la vie

bon route...

cordialement

and anything else appropriate