Getting ready to roll

[Sleedale]

We are very nearly back on the road time and there are a few things I'd like doing before we motor off into the sunshine. Being useless at DIY mechanics we will have to take it to a garage. Now, is it better for me to buy the bits from Brickwerks and take to the garage, or is it better to let the garage supply them? By bits I mean air/oil filters and oil, plugs, dizzy cap and leads and fan belt. It might not need the plugs, leads and belt changing but I want them as spares anyway. And do I risk taking it to our local garage, who owns and runs a classic car, or do I source someone who has worked on T25's before?
Getting quite giddy now, the horrid white stuff is going, the sun has come out at last and I can see light at the end of the tunnel, or rather strips of Tarmac stretching ahead of a motoring happiness. Just the small issue of taxing two vehicles and servicing one of them
Thanks in advance peeps

[ghost123uk]

I use a general purpose local garage (when it is too cold and wet for me to do it) who is a classic car nut. They are the best sort of garage unless you live near Brickwerks, Gasure or Campershack and a very few others.

Generally those sort of garages are more than happy for you to supply the parts as it saves them time sourcing them.
2 points though, obviously a quick phone call will confirm if they are ok with it. Also, make absolutely certain any bits you order from Brickwerks are going to be the right ones as the garage won't be chuffed if they take stuff off and then find the bits you supplied don't fit

[Mocki]

To be honest, if you can't trust the garage to supply the right bits for your engine service, should you really be taking it there?
Maybe you should be buying a Haynes manual and trying to do the simple stuff yourself, because it may well save your holiday if you know a bit of the easy stuff, rather than having to rely on the recovery truck. And the money you save will be helpfull I'm sure.

Frankly ignition parts are pretty much ok from GsF , just don't buy mechanical bits there.....

[jamesandtheopenroad]

Those things you mention really aren't hard to do yourself. Get a haynes manual, read the right bits, order the parts, do it one afternoon.

Oil needs changing twice a year and at, say £60 an hour for a mechanic, that's eating out the going away fund.

I knew nothing about cars when I got mine, I mean nothing, but there's no trickery to these general maintenance bits.

Good luck.

[Ian Hulley]

Our local garage is great, he's a general car mechanic but he loves VW/Audi vehicles and HATES French crap. Being on the younger side (mid 30's at a guess) he's not experienced with T25s so I leave a photocopy of the relevant section of the Haynes and the parts he needs to fit. Obviously I do the engine servicing and day to day bits but the rest of it I let him do in with the pre-MOT and pre-holiday inspections ... by happy 'coincidence' these are exactly 6 months apart.

Ian

[ghost123uk]

The guys above are quite right of course re DIY

As mentioned, non of what you plan is difficult (as long as it's not freezing and wet outside ).

Just don't cross thread or over tighten the spark plugs or sump drain plug. Don't mix up the HT lead firing order. The best filters for T25's are made by "Mann" (VW dealers = cheap for these). Make sure your fan belt tension is correct (too tight and it will wreck the water pump). Oh, and don't overfill the oil (very easy to do on the WBX engine by the way) etc.

What oil are you going to get ?

[Sleedale]

The guys above are quite right of course re DIY

As mentioned, non of what you plan is difficult (as long as it's not freezing and wet outside ).

Just don't cross thread or over tighten the spark plugs or sump drain plug. Don't mix up the HT lead firing order. The best filters for T25's are made by "Mann" (VW dealers = cheap for these). Make sure your fan belt tension is correct (too tight and it will wreck the water pump). Oh, and don't overfill the oil (very easy to do on the WBX engine by the way) etc.

What oil are you going to get ?

15W40 mineral multigrade? (So say Brickwerks anyway)

Right ho, will buy the dreaded Haynes, (last time I looked at one nothing in theictures seemed to match what I was looking at on my old Triumph Herald so i gave up), limber up the old bones and try some of this ourselves. OH kindly says he can do the oil. Filters should be dead easy. Plugs, carefully but we've got a plug socket somewhere, and the HT leads and hopefully fan belt keep as spares for if and when. And you are right, it will help to be able to find our way around simple stuff when out and about.

[Ian Hulley]

15W40 mineral multigrade? (So say Brickwerks anyway)

Is the right answer 4.5 litres with a filter change, 4 litres without.

[Sleedale]

15W40 mineral multigrade? (So say Brickwerks anyway)

Is the right answer 4.5 litres with a filter change, 4 litres without.

Yeah, in that case, once I check whether the air filter is round or square then I'll get on and order some stuff, the horrid white stuff is receding and the sun is shining a little. With your help and encouragement I am inspired although what I really want to do is put back the new cushions, curtains and faffy bits and make it look nice inside! Yes, I know it doesn't keep it on the road, but it's my little reward for hours of effort.

[Ian Hulley]

At '85 it will probably be square but any muppetry could have occurred in the past 28 years

[ghost123uk]

OH kindly says he can do the oil. Filters should be dead easy.

The oil filter can be a swine to get off if you do not have the right tools
Here is one =



The "bodge it" way is to get the very biggest screwdriver you have, decide on the best angle to unscrew it from, and then stab the filter right through both sides with the aid of a hammer. You can then use the screwdriver to twist it a little to get it moving. From then on it's easy. Get ready for a pint of dirty black oil to fall out though Makes a right mess on a concrete drive and takes a while to wash it out of your hair too

[Sleedale]

Thanks for the hints and tips, and Ian, plenty muppetry gone on, including a replacement new engine on 19th Nov 94. Van was then sold 5 days later! No hint as to what engine, but done by VAG dealer so assuming its a straight swap type thing

[Ian Hulley]

You shouldn't need the tool John shows there ... IF you (or the o.h. ) does then for God's sake don't use one for tightening the new one ... oil the filter seal with engine oil and it only needs to be hand tight plus a nip. Check for leaks once it's running and make sure it isn't seeping round the seal.

Ian

[kevtherev]

Doing it yourself takes you to a higher van love man.. far out..

[Sleedale]

Not sure about that but knowing a bit might help keep it going. Not sure about all that mucky grease stuff though. Only went to check the air filter, touched a few things and got covered in the stuff - ugh
Still at least it has had a very quick run, and I know I need a square filter. Small stuff but it's a start.