Prrdys Thread, Restoration of a slightly rusty '81 A/C

[benlawlor85]

Thanks for the replies guys, Trip to a couple local places on Thursday to check out welders etc. Will probs get the angle grinder and Big Tarp(what size do i need?) and some red oxide paint and weld through primer. The list of needed items just grows. also need clamps etc etc. ah well one step at a time eh!

[benlawlor85]

Spent pretty much all last night reading reviews and looking up welders. It seems SIP are not a very trusted brand on the welding forum and clarke or Sealey are the way to go. My sockets and loads of other mechanics tools are Sealey and of great quality so i think ill go for them. 30amp-150amp Gas/No gas. for about £200 they do a gas only version but i don't think i can stretch to the extra money plus space is an issue. Link to the Sealey welder.
http://www.justoffbase.co.uk/Gas-No-Gas ... GHTYMIG150" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
What do you weldering pros think? good basic starter machine?

Now to cycle to work... damn it about -10 outside with windchill
please please please be a tail wind!!!

Ben

[benlawlor85]

Me again,
spend more time looking at welders and have taken on board the gas thing after reading stuff on welding forum too. Wellington Weld do the SWP Redline 150 for £228 and they also sell hobbyweld gas which seems like a nice compromise between the disposable ones and the big gas cylinders.
Linke to the welder
http://www.wellyweld.com/products/redli ... 72559.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
gas is also on their site.
Sorry for going on and on about welders but i dont wanna spend £200 on a dog.
cheers
Ben

[Dazco]

Look into the cost of those hobby weld cylinders and delivery etc. you know I was on about using gas yesterday, the only place I think it would really have benefitted from it was round the windows. What are yours like ?

[benlawlor85]

Around the windows have been done in the past but wont know for sure untill i get them out, they nearly all need new seals. The hobbyweld cylinders are £60 one off fee and £36 for the gas but apparently its equ to 23x 600g disposable ones which are about £11. Welding seems to be a minefield!
Sealey, Clarke, SWP. Gas no gas, what type of gas. etc etc. lol
Ben

[benlawlor85]

Minor update, The girlfriends father is a mechanic. He has been really busy with stuff so didn't expect any help but he said drop it down and he will take a look. So i finished stripped out the interior today and THE van is now at his garage awaiting inspection.

photo from below up the dodgy drivers side B-post.

[benlawlor85]

Heard back from the mechanic last night, mostly only the points i know about although he did say several were not MOT failures so they dont need to be done urgently. However couple other issues were found. Brake back plate on the LH side is excessively rusted. So needs a new one. and a couple ball joints ideally needs replacing. Looks like the backing plate is simple enough to do. Will check all the brakes at the same time and put fresh fluid in. and lastly one of the trailing arms has a small hole i it. easy job to weld up apparently. Hoping to get the bus back on sunday and i might take a couple days off next week so i can get started on the CVs and the brakes.
Ben

[benlawlor85]

Well some good news and some bad. Bad news was that couple tyres were abit crap and the spare wheel was rusted out.. Good news is i just picked up 4 wheels 3 with great tread on them for £30! bargain! very happy with that.
LH trailing arm needs to come off for welding luckly its the same side that needs the backing plate so thats my mission tomorrow. going to get a 46mm socket and some other bits. Then the bus will be up on stands for awhile.
Ill do an update tomorrow with lots of photos too.

Cheers all.
Ben

[Dazco]

Yeah don't forget the photos , good to hear there isn't anything to seriously wrong with it

[benlawlor85]

I'm up bright and early!
The sun in shining well its always sunny in St Ives!
and even have some help arriving later.
So off to swap the wheels over then tidy the drive up before collecting the help and a trip to the shop to get paint, angle grinder etc etc.
Updates later.

[benlawlor85]

Oh well that was a day from hell!!
Bought most of THE stuff i needed but couldnt find anywhere with a 46mm socket apart from impact ones at about £20 and breaker bar at £80 not about to spend £100 on those items.

So i got home, got the van on an axle stand and using my new angle grinder and wire brush tried to take all the crap off from the wheel inner archs about 1/2 inch of seam sealer with under seal and paint and ontop. took forever. and still not 100% done.
SO thought fine ill just slap some of THE red oxide i bought earlier on and jobs a good en. nope coz i left that in the shop as i put it down while looking at axle stands! FFS So i just gave it a coat of tough black stone chip paint. all i had really.

Well not to worry weather changes tomorrow heavy rain so cant do much else till sunday.
Any ideas where to get 46mm socket and breaker bar at a reasonable price?
Cheers
Ben

[Plasticman]

down your end of the world its a dark and lonely place till the hoards of grockles comes a visiting ! but get a slitting disc (1mm thick) for the angle grinder and cut the nut of,sort of half past one to four thirty and 10.30 - 7.30 on the other side, dont try to get too clever and cut too close the threads of the stub else you will then need to go get a thread file..... and after this "idiot" it of either side with a cold chisel. buy a new n ut for £4,
on the socket front then 3/4 drive socket and an adaptor to go 3/4 to hole for a tommy bar,then stick a heel bar in an d a length of scaffold over it.
mm

[benlawlor85]

HI MM,
not sure i need to cut it off just need a 46mm socket and breaker bar as i have nothing that big at the moment. cheapest i can find one is about £55 for socket and breaker.
Thanks for info tho.
Ben

[Plasticman]

what im saying is a disc whicjh you should have a few of anyway for body cutting and 5 minutes costs £zero
a nice new nut £4, beg borrow a socket etc to refit, just gets you going quicker is all
mm

[mm289]

If your father in law is a mechanic check to see of he has a 46mm. Most workshops have a hub nut set as most modern cars have stupid sized nuts. If not just google on line for one from Toolzone or similar.

I would invest in a 3/4" T bar to go with the socket and whilst your at it get a 3/4" socket to fit the wheel nuts (17mm??) - not kidding I snapped two 1/2" T bars trying to get wheel nuts of Gunther when the impact hammer wouldn't touch them! Once you have this get a 3/4 to 1/2 adapter and you are sorted for most every stubborn bolt on the van.

Also, getting your trailing arm off may be a trial, the bolts tend to seize in the arm where it is bolted to the sill/jacking point. The 1mm slitting disc will come into play again, cut through the bolt at each end and the arm will drop out.

Cheers,

MM