Club 80-90 Forums

Would like to scream blue murder from the hilltops! Owning a T25 has been nothing but a nightmare and still things go wrong!

Just had my 2.0l a/c engine rebuilt with new pistons, barrels, cylinder heads (valve seat had gone causing loss of compression and backfiring etc), push rods, exhaust system, heat exchangers. Had electrics sorted, carbs re-jetted and clutch slave cylinder replaced. All tuned up on a rolling road then driven back without from Notts to Brum without incident and back to normal (for a 2.0l a/c) levels of performance. A week later, I took it out today on the motorway, the cab filled with smoke and I pulled onto the hard shoulder smoke pouring out of the right air intake. Looks like oil is leaking onto the heat exchangers on both sides.

Rocker cover gaskets gone? Pushrods look OK at each end. Both rocker covers are wet with oil at the bottom edge.

This van is driving me mental. Could the gaskets give up so soon? I gather they are easily changed.

Thoughts please (and bear in mind I am a mechanical dunce - very, very basic knowledge)

tootingblue wrote: Looks like oil is leaking onto the heat exchangers on both sides.

Rocker cover gaskets gone? Pushrods look OK at each end. Both rocker covers are wet with oil at the bottom edge.

This van is driving me mental. Could the gaskets give up so soon? I gather they are easily changed.

Thoughts please (and bear in mind I am a mechanical dunce - very, very basic knowledge)

Hi Tootingblue, I think you have answered your own question really.

I think you should replace the rocker cover gaskets a.s.a.p.. Sounds like whoever did your engine didn't replace the old gaskets with new when they rebuilt your engine.

Less than £2 from GSF

Thought about buying something new ? ... Then you'd know what real money is £400 to change a cambelt on a T4

Ian

Not sure the garage will have put dud gaskets in but then again, I don't know who to trust in this game!

Fingers crossed it is the rocker cover gaskets - both side seems a bit odd though.

One thing's for sure , I won't be buying a T4! The van's getting sold and I'm going back to the trusty tent and the wife's company car!

Change the clips as well, these are only a couple of quid.

I changed both clips, gaskets and the covers themselves for around £12.

shepster wrote:Change the clips as well, these are only a couple of quid.

I changed both clips, gaskets and the covers themselves for around £12.

Dunna bother Paul ... he's selling the van and going back to The Green Room

Ian.

Unfortunatly buying owning and running a 25 year old vehicle will always give grief... if you can at least do most your self and work hard at the last few years of neglect then its all worth it.. but getting to that piont can be frustrating...

A lot of people just go "oh I want a vw camper" without realising the reality..

The caravelle needed a lot silly stuff doing, then an engine but once I had rebiult all the brakes, suspension etc and all the niggles, she did about 3 years of hard labour with only servicing.. I have covered about 200k miles in the old girl and she has been in semi retirement for the last 18 months, but soon will be back in normal service... The sysnro on the other hand has been nursed for the last 18 months and is now saying enough is enough, so lots of parts will be replaced.......

You must be a great chap, sort all the problems out on a van and then sell it for someone else to enjoy

The 2.0l air cooled springs for the rocker covers aren't available anymore..? At least I haven't found any.

It's probably the gaskets or could be the pushrod tubes, start with the gaskets and then see how it goes...

Does seem odd to suddnly give up on both side though

Thanks for replies. It's a love/hate relationship with our van. Some reliable running and a perfect camping weekend and we'll probably change our minds. Such is the seductive nature of these things

I did consider the inevitable problems buying a second hand vehicle, but never expected quite such trauma. A friend of mine has a T25 that has barely played up! Perhaps his fun is to come...

tootingblue wrote:A friend of mine has a T25 that has barely played up! Perhaps his fun is to come...

It all depends who's looked after it and how well, you'll always get Friday afternoon and Monday morning vans BUT they're not generally bad especially when you bear in mind similar vans from other makers ... you find a 1989 Transit or $hitroen and compare them at the side of one of ours They were FAR more disposable than the 25s are/were.

Ian.