Boris

Blimey - scary about the boiler blowing up...........

Always a rats nest behind the cluster but new connections will help.

A grand Christmas to you too

Cupboard construction, cutting the 3mm ply with a Stanley knife :shock: :shock: ,all ended well.
Then glued the 3mm to the 15mm plain ply with 14" rims as weights with an occasional seat to assist. :lol: :lol:
All due to go in/on this winter hopefully.

This Covid thing is a weird one, unfortunately a close friend of ours contracted it in London, she self isolated but
her son who lives in the same house has tested negative (fortunately) 4 times. He is NHS and is tested often. :? :?

Hopefully back out to the garage tomorrow, bloody hell it's cold out there. :lol: :lol:

Keep well everyone and stay virus free.

J & P

Yes bud, it truly is cold out there. Wrap up as much as you can and get back inside fairly often I think is the best approach. I used to tough it out and just stay out there, not so easy now, maybe my blood is officially thinner nowadays :shock: :roll: :shock: . Stupid things now keep me warmer like a bobble hat and a snood and gloves. Yesterday I had to put my roof bars on to go out back and fetch the ladder back to around the front and get up to the eaves gutters to get them icicle thingies down and packed away :shock: Even with lightweight gloves on my hands were numb in a short space of time, just what you want when right up a ladder :roll: But ally (ladder) is thermally conductive and I should have known better

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,next time,,, leave till summer :mrgreen:

Hey Ozzie,
Don't know if I am luckier or not. I am not allowed to take down them flashy things till the end of January :lol: :lol:
They come on before we get home from work so Pippa likes to see them as a welcome home. :lol: :lol:
I am not averse to the idea so they stay up till Feb. Have a heater inside Boris to keep warm but not outside when working on
other bits and pieces. Constant cups of tea before 5 pm then a scotch helps ward off the cold. :lol: :lol:
Keep well and stay virus free everyone.

J & P

More presents, only because apparently I'm getting older. :? :? :?
I don't feel like it and certainly don't look it, do I ??????????? :lol: :lol:
Don't answer that ,especially you Ozzie :lol: :lol:

The history of VW, a bunch of T shirts some other odds and ends, and a metal plaque for the garage.
Then there is the matter of the big present New Engine for Boris possibly.

Have a great week all, and remember keep safe out there.

J & P

Hi Mike,
Very definitely air cooled, I don't do things like ECU's.... :lol: :lol:
My only problem is how far I will have to travel to get it installed. :lol: :lol:
I'm thinking of taking a week's leave to get there put it in and then comply with the guarantee condition's,
then travel home once the installer/builder is happy.

Fingers crossed, stay safe.

J & P

gas1man said:

Hi Mike,
Very definitely air cooled, I don't do things like ECU's.... :lol: :lol:
My only problem is how far I will have to travel to get it installed. :lol: :lol:
I'm thinking of taking a week's leave to get there put it in and then comply with the guarantee condition's,
then travel home once the installer/builder is happy.

Fingers crossed, stay safe.

J & P

Click to expand...

Nice one - letting slip what spec you are getting??

gas1man said:

Hi Mike,
Very definitely air cooled, I don't do things like ECU's.... :lol: :lol:
My only problem is how far I will have to travel to get it installed. :lol: :lol:
I'm thinking of taking a week's leave to get there put it in and then comply with the guarantee condition's,
then travel home once the installer/builder is happy.

Fingers crossed, stay safe.

J & P

Click to expand...

Glad you have decided to stay air-cooled, although of course it’s everyone’s individual choice as what’s best for them. I’m glad I did. I’m not sure what other engine builders requirements would be about installation as part of a guarantee, as the engine is a self contained unit once it’s built.
When Abel built mine using the ancillaries from my old engine I got my local mechanic, Paul, to remove and pallet up that engine to send off to Abel. When the new engine was built up complete with new exhaust Abel sent me a video of it running. It was then going to be put on a pallet and sent to me, but I decided to go and collect it so I could meet Abel in person, and also to guarantee it’s safe delivery.
Me and Paul then installed it. I may be wrong but I think that’s how most places would do it, ie they don’t necessarily need to see the engine installed in the bus to give a guarantee. [emoji3]


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Hi Andy,
Hope you are all well. It is going to be a 1776 and a gearbox alteration so we can get up the hill. :lol: :lol:

Mike , I'm hopefully using Abel as well and I have some common ground with him so also would like to meet him.
I am competent to install on my own etc., however the 100 mile drive and new oil change I would rather have done on site.
Engine builder happy, owner happy. I don't do over 55mph as a rule so need direction when it comes to the new one.
I listen to the engine more than use the gauges I have installed, but I do like them. :lol: :lol:

Here's hoping it all works out.
Keep safe everyone.

J & P

Abel is very knowlegeable and I am sure will build you a good engine. I used to stick to 55mph, but now I can go a little bit faster !
The main thing for me though is that I don't slow down on inclines now.

looking forward to your updates.

Yes the 1776 is a torquey motor, only the steep hills require a downshift. I can't imagine driving a bus with the original motor in again, it'd be way too slow! I kind of stick to about 65 - reads about 70 on the speedo, seems quite happy at that speed. It will do 80 but the revs are quite high! In fact there's a noisy band between 55 and about 60, so I tend to drive above that on a run.

I think it's fun to drive around with about 40HP

More winter work.

A mediocre day as far as I was concerned. Got Boris back on the ramp yesterday. Cut out the section for the new water container.
F...............ck it does not fit, after all the measuring and the special order, I forgot the in and out for water could not be horizontal.
So big hole cut in the belly pan for no reason. Will try again in the summer when I can do it at my leisure.
Wax oiled the sections that were cut out and now feel happier.

New shoes and rims put on and look great, also brings the bus up a few inches so hopefully not as many scrapes on the sway bar. :shock:
Back to 14" rims, so now I am going to get rid of the Fuch/Foosch replica's. They are in good condition with no curbing and only the
lacquer is starting to go from the centres.
The new storage box is taking shape , and will hopefully be able to go in soon.

Found out the near side rear brake is leaking fluid so guess what????????? Starting to wonder if the lift is a good or bad thing?? :lol: :lol:

Good but not so weekend,keep safe out there people.

J & P

Another weekend of working on the bus bits and pieces.
With the help of Pip we both managed to finish building the new cupboard.



The opening will face into the bus and the side will face the sliding door.(if you understand :lol: :lol: )
No door on the opening however it will be covered with the same material as the curtains etc. No door
allows for getting more in ,and not having to worry about where the open door will impede. It's quite a
large one. 500 x 500 x 1m tall. :shock: :shock:

Also managed to finish the wiring of the gauges in the dash ,and got it back together. New brake kit arrived from Heritage
on friday evening so I'm guessing next weekend is going to be spent doing rear brakes, hoping for dry weather.
Managed to get the brackets for front mudflaps from Butty's Bits and some large flaps have arrived so they also need doing.
They will only be going on the front to stop spray etc. getting into the now open belly pans.
That's it for now , have a safe week all.

J & P

Nice work, very smart. You'll be able to fit loads in there!

Saturday's decent weather meant I could do the leaking back brake cylinder on the passenger side.
Never done this before, and stupidly thought that the castle nut would be an easy job...... :lol: :lol: :shock: :shock:
Half a day later and the hub came off, major sigh of relief.







Cleaned everything up and replaced all bits with new parts, then forgot to take photo and after putting everything back
and packing up as it was so late, ROOKIE mistake, forgot to tighten up the bleed nut and proceeded to spray brake fluid
all over the just painted rim and everything else. :evil: :evil: :evil:
OH well lesson learned for the other side, hopefully next weekend. 253 ft/lbs of torque is quite something when putting
everything back together and trying to line up the split pin hole. Forward not Back. :lol: :lol:

Have a good week everyone and stay safe.

J & P

You had to take the castle nut off to get the drum off? When I had my rear drums off I didn't have to do that.

Having never checked the castle Nuts before I thought best to replace.
Found driver side spanner tight and had to re tighten. So a good thing in the end.

J & P

I see. It was good that you checked. Hopefully the split pin was intact and there was not much danger of the nut coming off.