Syncro 4&4 Discussion and Q&A last answered over 2 years ago.
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Having driven a van at CF with front lockers working and finding they were really quite useful I would like to get mine working.
I am hoping that Snowdrop will be out from his heart operation in the garage in the next few weeks (cross fingers) and now that my spare front diff box has ended up in someone else's vehicle I will have to work with what I have got to get it back to running wellness.
Is there anyone in the south who is willing to give/sell me a bit of their time, skill and patience to get the lockers sorted? I can travel to you.
If you can make as far North as Berkhamsted, we can have a try Cate, but the fronts are always a bit of pain if they've been neglected for years.. if they've worked in recent history then think we can get them going.
Thank you Clive, they haven't been used since October 2004, I don't know about before then. It's possible this is a waste of time but it would be worth trying.
I'm sure Berkhamstead is not too far away......
Cate, so you have a duff front diff still in the vehicle ? An it's OK apart from the lock ? Has the lock ever worked, and if not under what circumstances did it stop ? Has it been narrowed down to a faulty servo, vac prob. or stuck shaft yet ?
Andy
Syncrosport (taking a break as of summer 2024)
Volkswagen Transporter, reloaded.
I have three non functioning lockers (on two vans) cant say id ever need them on the Camper though I might regret saying that; it would be nice to get them functioning though.
I used the front lock on Sam's to get up a slippy hill, no rushing at it, we just walked up nice and easy like, it was superb, yes does affect the steering but it was a straight line, off at the top and all hunky dory.
I know these ideas can grow arms and legs and turn into horrible monsters but can i just throw this idea on the table?
How about a syncro related techy weekend a few weeks before sp2 so people who have problems and need guidance can get them sorted before, rather than folks spending half the weekend under their, or others, vans?
Hi Cate I'm in Southampton for the week I'd be happy to pass on what I learned at coney from Aiden. however most sane people wouldn't let me within 10 feet of their van with a spanner! It would be handy to have clives 'suck tester ' but a quick check would be all the vacuum hoses aren't split, otherwise get some plus gas and a syringe!
The locker on the front of this van was last used in 2003 at a trial in Knighton sandpit. It jammed in at this event and I had to work it out using molegrips to hold the alloy collar in and pliers to pull the pin out, hence the pin and collar are probably slightly mis-shapen and the collar may need replacing to get the locker functioning properly.
The locker actuator had been pulled off prior to my ownership of the van by a clown who didn't remove the roll pin and this unit needs replacing. This factor would have contributed to the ease with which the locker stuck in when I used it previously. All of the remaining locker actuator parts were left in a plastic bag in the glovebox and Cate was fully aware of the non-functioning locker when she bought the vehicle.
Given the age and mileage of the vehicle before the locker is attended to a VC test needs to be completed on it to ascertain whether the VC needs replacing, as it would be a waste of people's time to sort the locker while the diff was under the van if the VC needed replacing as the work will be much easier if the diff is out.
The vacuum supply on the van is healthy - it actuates the rear locker fine, or did when I replaced the gearbox earlier this year.
Sam runs on AT tyres, which is why the front locker will make such a difference off road. Cate has Machos for the doka, this will vastly reduce the need for the front locker which will also ensure there is less stress exerted on the drivetrain as a locked diff can deliver twice the torque through the (expensive) outer CVs than an unlocked diff.
There was a diff at my parent's farm that was offered to Cate around a year ago and wasn't picked up. My parent's farm is not free long-term storage, which is why the 'spare' diff is now at my house in Bristol, so I could exchange the VC from it. By doing this we have saved the combination of people who had VCs from Syncronutz at Coney the shipping charges for three VCs and ensured the VCs were delivered to vans safely. As another member from this forum has a suspected broken front diff rather than just a non-working locker it makes more sense for the diff to go to them. If their diff turns out to be OK then it will still be potentially available to other members of the Syncronauts.
