Club 80-90 Forums

HELP!!!!!, we are brand new to the vw camper world and apart from being fortunate enough to have got our T25 1900 petrol/Creg/ 1985 for an absolute steal, we have come unstuck big time, she, Kitty, had a possible blown head gasket when we got her, we put the feelers out and a recommended mechanic emerged, to whom we gave the job. She came back in full working order and we confidently set out for the august bank holiday to Blackpool, 170 mile journey there,she made it no problem but not the return journey, 40 mile into the return we had an appointment with the hard shoulder and the breakdown service, steam and smoke bellowing out, she was goosed, we were dismayed as the repair was £550 quid, our mechanic says he will put it right F.O.C. but i couldnt help but query that after the original repair and the subsequent breakdown there was no pressure cap fitted to the radiator water fill tank, just an aerosol cap with a pipe fitted, where do i stand, i should have have known better, i am a mechanical plant fitter, but not a mechanic however i feel as if i could do the job myself with a little guidance, ie, a workshop haynes manual and knowing where to get one of those caps from and also the correct gaskets etc, worst case scenario, cabbaged engine, are they easy enough to replace and where could i get one or where do they recondition them, any helpful advice would be gratefully appreciated

are you sure the cap wasn't right ? The darlek cap , usually blue, originally black is the correct one for our system with hose off to top up tank

Hi...and panic not!

Firstly, on the plus side, you still have each other, van and a mechanic that is offering to put the work right. A good place to be starting from.
Now...on the negative...its all new and you are scared of it going wrong again.

so....get some pictures up if you can....and the good folk on here will advise. Is the van at home or the garage? If the garage....remember you are the customer! So, you ring and make an appointment to chat over what went wrong...nicely obviously....ask mechanic to show you what and where....take notes, mental or otherwise....then hotfoot it back to this thread and tell all....again, more advise will be forthcoming.

Admittedly not what you would expect after a £550 repair, but caps have been known to fail, new ones from GSF are decidedly suspect (read keep clear and buy from brickwerks)...but this isn't stuff you would know unless you were doing this job regular like.

oh...and I had a similar experience.....big bang, steam, cracked radiator and a flat bed home. Replace rad, filled with water...and yep....some three years later the engine is still going! So all may not be lost. Depends how quickly you stopped I guess!

take care and fingers crossed for you.

Em
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Like Emm say's ^^^

It may be a wise move to put some of the money that you didn't spend on buying the van into a fighting fund to replace those parts that will inevitably be worn/neglected and to have the vehicle serviced properly with all the ignition items replaced. This gives you a known starting point from which to run your maintenance regime.

Cheers, Ian.

many thanks for your quick response, van is being collected tomorrow, mechanic is almost as scared as we are as he said the job had been overseen by the antichrist, doesnt exactly fill me with jubilation, but he has a reputation to uphold and as such is prepared to do the decent thing,as far as photos go, i am not up to speed with cyber space computer technology so will need to drag in a mate for to do that, looking forward to any other valid comments and also participating in this forum, once again thanks a bundle

No worries mate! There is nothing we like more on here than a Baptism of Fire!! Seriously, there is soooo much conbined knowledge on here, that someone is bound to be able to help. Get those photos taken of the engine bay before the van is collected....then google photobucket, and set yourself up an account.

The Antichrist, eh? He must of being taking a day off from down here....sorry, will keep a closer check and let folks know when he goes a wandering! He has written off a front spring, 2 rears, a couple of flexi hoses, pads, and he is having much fun with my exhaust! Oh well....its all part of ancient vehicle ownership!

Keep in with mechanic....and point him in the direction of this forum too if he is unsure. There is tons on material on overheating, pressurising and head gsakgets on here.

Regards...and hope to see you on the road soon.

Em
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