VW V8 Project

[DentedDevon]

Thanks for your comments Kev and Bob

Ive now finished stripping my donor ABD box and have the 3rd & 4th gears I wanted.


Interestingly the 3rd/4th syncro hub has failed , fell to bits in me hands. (honest guv!)
A know weakness on these boxes I beleive, Hope Ive got a good one in the other box.



Well on to the next box , needs the oil draining then start stripping, again

[DentedDevon]

The van has been back on the road for the last month , still with crunchy 3rd gear.
Alternator packed up after a run to work in very heavy rain , its exposed location was something I had thought about.....
Turned out to be the voltage regulator that had died (new last year). Got another new one for under £10. working again and higher voltage than before , up from about 13.9 to 14.2 at the battery.
I have now go a cover for the altenator from an Audi 100 , not fitted yet.

On the gearbox front Ive fully stripped my DT box with the 4.57 diff.
Good news and bad news, everything in good order apart from 3rd/4th synchro hub

I was thinking I would have to get it crack tested before seeing it , but he cracks are highlighted by dirt(?) in the oil. And still just visible when the oil is cleaned off.
I dont think they are cheap , so may delay finishing the box.

Ive continued where I can , the pinion shaft is reaseembled with the stronger 3rd & 4th fixed gears. And Im now drilling and tapping the case for oiling plates.

[DentedDevon]

Fitted the cover for the alternator a few weels back, it seems to working ok as its been well tested with all the raine recently!

Not done any more on the gearbox , now hoping to have a 0.77 4th gear when funds allow.
Clocked up about 1100 miles in 2 weeks, starting with a trip to DevaDubs.
On the way home I thought the cooling system was running slightly warm.
Had to collect my daughter and all her gear from uni the next evening so thought I would check the water level before going.
Discovered one of the electric pumps had failed. Not good, but it proved my design for the pump manifolds worked. I had designed the pump manifolds so that the good pump would not feed back through the dead one.
Turned the speeds up on the pump controller and had an uneventful trip to Northampton and back.
New pump ordered and fitted ( just have to wait a bit longer before ordering the gearbox bits...) and of to Somerset for a weeks holiday.
The van was ace on Somersets roads , however the lowered suspension was a pain. It makes the back of the van very bumpy and the front tyres caught on the arches several times. So Ive added a set of multivan (-30mm) springs to my wish list.

[faggie]

richard just limit the suspension travel with urathane bumpstop shims available of ebay they you wont need the 30mm springs

[kevtherev]

Richard, would it be advantageous to have a temperature controlled pump speed?

[DentedDevon]

Thanks Duncan for the poly bump stop tip, Ive had a look and will have to do some measuring.
Kev, The pump speed is already controlled by a temperature switch (intermotor 50215, 92-87 / 97-92 deg) linked to a control box I made. It has two variable speed (PWM) controlers built into it for low and medium speed and direct power for maximum speed. I can pre set the low & med speed manually, normally at 35% and 70%.
Ive got an LED tell tale on the dash so I can see what its doing , this is what alerted me to the problem.
Once I knew one pump had failed, I turned the speed settings up to about 70% and 85% to compensate .

Inside the control box....

It also incorperates a timer so the pump will circulate the water if the engine is very hot after switching off (turbo timer?) and a manual switch so I can overide the thermostat for setting speeds or bleeding the system.

[DentedDevon]

Just a bit of an update , the vans off the road, sorned for the winter.

The gearbox rebuild has progressed slowly and is now ready for fitting when the weather warms up.
Eventually bought a new synchro hub and a second hand 0.82 4th gear set. (Thanks Aidan)
This makes the gearing the same as a DK box I think.
A couple of pictures of the oiling plates fitted.




Autumn saw a new set of Eibach springs bought from Brickwerks and fitted.
The van sits slightly higher and the ride is transformed, much better on our bumpy potholed roads.
It is sitting a bit lower at the back than the front so I will be making some spacers for the rear. Thinking of using 20mm HDPE sheet.
The rear springs are beautiful, a true box spring with a different rate taper at both ends. By comparison the old ones are cr@p , even before some one cut them down !


Other parts collected and waiting to be fitted include,
A fuel injection fuel tank (13mm feed for pump, currently on 8mm)
A pair of sliding centre windows.
A TVR fuel map chip (std range rover one limits fueling at top end)

Roll on spring and some nice warm weather !

[DentedDevon]

New gearbox is finally fitted and works a treat.
I have however decided to sell the van (ad in vehicles for sale)
I've thoroughly enjoyed working on it and driving it, but don't really have the resources to move the project on any further.
Thanks to everyone who has taken an interest in the project. Your comments and input have been much appreciated.
Richard

[silverbullet]

Very sorry to hear that you're selling up. The club needs talented people like you!

[faggie]

you cant sell it , just take some time of for a while and do other hobbies thats what i have done i am shure you will regain your enthusiasm , also if you sell it i will miss out on our technical van chats we had at the shows ,

[DentedDevon]

The deed is done !
The bus headed of south with its new owner a couple of days ago.
A smart new interior is planned to be started straight away and a respray over this coming winter.
I'm more than happy , good that there is some one really keen to carry on with the "VW V8 Project"
May even get some pictures posted up here in due time .....

[Ralf85]

The deed is done !
The bus headed of south with its new owner a couple of days ago.
A smart new interior is planned to be started straight away and a respray over this coming winter.
I'm more than happy , good that there is some one really keen to carry on with the "VW V8 Project"
May even get some pictures posted up here in due time .....

You are so philosophical about it after all the work you have put in. You fitted that engine in so neatly. Once it is finished it has to do the quarter mile at Santa Pod. Are you buying another van/project? Whatever happens it would be good to see you at another meet!

[Rogue Trooper]

Great project, sad to se it go, twin turbos would have been next!

Did you sell all the home made tools with it or did you keep those?

[kevtherev]

Out of interest Richard did you ever find it's top speed or acc. figures 0-60 ?

[DentedDevon]

You are so philosophical about it after all the work you have put in. You fitted that engine in so neatly. Once it is finished it has to do the quarter mile at Santa Pod. Are you buying another van/project? Whatever happens it would be good to see you at another meet!

Was sad to see it go but good that it has an enthusiastic new owner.
He is hoping to have the interior useable for Bug Jam , and was wondering about taking it up the strip !
I am quite sure I will have another van in the future but it will have to be a daily driver not a project.

Did you sell all the home made tools with it or did you keep those?

Ive kept all the tools , you never know .......

Out of interest Richard did you ever find it's top speed or acc. figures 0-60 ?

Old gearbox gave 18.9mph/1000rpm, pulled to 5.5k in top gear. New gearbox 21.4 mph/1000rpm.
No idea what the 0-60 was