Cure to the frustration of rounded bolts and nuts!

Yet another life-changing tip from Scotty Kilmer (his website) in one of his videos.
Personally I never had many good tools to work on mechanic "projects" and when I started to get a handful of decent ones I still couldn't get my head around this frustrating situation of a rounded nut or bolt, whether on bicycles, cars, vans or whatever that's held with nuts & bolts.
This is like an epiphany to me! That tool's inventor I want to hug!
Check out the video below to know the full story.

Thanks a bunch for that one Scotty Kilmer. Here is Scotty's video channel. Some people comment that they can't take the way he speaks. I only see a lot of life, positivity and no nonsense in his tone (which I like it if you asked me but you didn't) and it also comes from the video editing that is fast and furious. He also does Live talk as mechanic online.
As a film-making enthusiast I ought to ask him who is the videographer behind the youtube content and how they work together on the script!

How to deal with rusty stuck bolts - Tips from a mechanic

Almighty ever energetic Scotty Kilmer gives out a great tip for LDV vans DIY owners in his video!
He uses heat from a torch!
Check it out!
Are you asking yourself why I am using so many of those these marks !!! at the end of my sentences!!!?
WELL THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU WATCH A FEW VIDEOS OF Scotty Kilmer's videos!!!

I am a fan!!!

(I couldn't resist drawing that one for my cartoon and caricature blog.)

New LDV files website and forum online

Here the link to the new LDV Files website that also have a forum announced by Michael Mc Donald who runs the LDV Files group of fb. The new website front page reads as follows:

"Welcome to Ldv Files - We have workshop manuals for the Pilot / Convoy & Maxus as well as a forum where you can discuss , the sherpa , 200 , 300 , 350 & 400 , Pilot and Convoy & Maxus.

As well as all this you can browse videos , your vans , self builds , selling page and a lot more ( even camping recipes ) 

Click here to go to the FORUM"

Long live to this new forum.

The LDV Sherpa II forum remains available.

Conversion tool for your mileage and more motoring conversions UK, US

Look no further and try this converter site. It works well for me (found one eventually).
Plain and simple mpgtokpl.com.
Handy to figure out your fuel consumption if you are going on a journey.

LDV Pilot van - Squeaking serpentine belt

Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!
My current unresolved problem probably caused by (me)splacement and probably misalignment too which happened I presume when I replaced the belt.
This video from the Dayco videos serie is helping me out.

So far, I took the belt out and re-placed it but to no avail. I noticed a wear on one side, edge of the multi grove belt (referred to as sidewall wear in the video). Some of the worn out rubber seems to have accumulated in and around the alternator too. I cleared it out.
I check manually that all pulleys, discs were sound and to the right tightness. It feels steady but probably needs better checking but no wobble.
I also noticed that on the tensioner roller I can see misalignment of the belt and can't do a thing about it.
My next step will be to take the belt of and listen and I will need to take the brake vacuum pump (shorter) belt to do that.
My guess is that my tensioner is worn someone. Let's see.

Review your belt and pulley basics with Eric the car guy's video and understand why, although it doesn't stop you from using your vehicle, it's not a good thing to use it with a noisy belt for too long as it directly can affect the timing of your engine resulting in more consequent and costly damages to essential parts of the engine like the camshaft itself.

and this is from Chris Fix which I will need in case my "diagnosis" (guess) is correct. That's another belt and tensioner replacement cost.

(Let me transcript this last video bit as it's too fast spoken for me to get it clear)

Diagnosing with water bottle spray

• Run engine (keeps your fingers, limbs, hair, loose clothing away!)
• Spray a little water on the inside rib of the belt (direct to pulley's groves)

If noise stops - the belt is still moving, the pulleys are still moving:

• NOT a bearing problem.

If the noise does NOT change:

• A bad bearing in a pulley

If the noise gets LOUDER:

• Belt tension is too tight or too lose
• which could be due to a bad tensioner pulley
• or could be due to a worn/stretched belt

LDV Pilot with a DW8 pug - A silent video on changing a head gasket

It is not the best tutorial (also because it's subtitled in french) but it gives you a good idea of the amount of work involved to change a head gasket on a DW8 peugeot engine.

LDV Pilot van - Engine oil leaks? Viscosity, Honey and Water on the menu

I finally managed to get enough little coins to do an oil change to my dear LDV Pilot van.
And since I'm getting bigger oil leaks. One around the head gasket, two around the gearbox...
Here's a video from Eric the car guy that explains what's happened.

He speaks about the difference between liquid flow rate and viscosity; and about the mix of oil and combustion gases that wear the gaskets, rubber joints and metal parts. Those are the main culprits!

His very articulate way of sharing his knowledge and experience through talk and video works very well for me, it might as well for you.

Looks like there a gaskets replacement session ahead!

Engine epihany and anatomy with a very instructive video on the basic of engines parts

Recently I'm having an epiphany. I am starting to understand how engines works (it's about time).

That's thanks to a lot of hours reading, listening and watching as well as keeping my nails dirty.
It's not like I have a choice; I got two engines (diesel and petrol) and no money to pay for a mechanic and do my Qigong routine each morning to nurture my self-confidence and solution finding mindset as opposed to giving in to despair and disproportionate amount of colourful language.
This formula seems to work with lots of advice and guidance from anywhere I can get.

Now I am re-watching the video below from Eric the car guy (who's on that big online social network) and it's making sense (!). I can feel the shifts in my brains when I hear camshaft and timing belt. Enough about my godly revelation, here is the video:

(Thanks for all the work you put in doing these videos Eric.)

Gearbox - How does a manual transmission clutch work?

What is a manual transmission clutch and how does it work?

If you are like me you can drive for years and have a 'feel' or a basic understanding of that is a clutch
but you still don't understand what it really is on a vehicle and how it operates.
I'm done with daily use of things I don't understand so I looked on the net for readings and among others, I found this article and very straight to the point video from Howstuffwork.
It tells and shows the various parts flywheel, crankshaft, input shaft, pressure plate, clutch disc and explains how friction is used to connect elements and get power to your wheels for spinning.

So now you should know what is really happening when you hear a horrible grinding noise:
it's the sound of the friction between the flywheel and the clutch disc which is made of ceramic based materials in today's cars (asbestos in some older cars).

If you still don't get it, have a read of this article about transmission on Howstuffwork
and watch more videos.

If you prefer real images to animations, watch Ericthecarguy's very articulate take on the topic

What is the difference between a Petrol and Diesel Engine? - Just a reminder

Just a reminder to self:

"What is the difference between a Petrol and Diesel Engine?

Petrol engine:

• In petrol engines fuel is mixed with air
• then forced into the cylinders
• where the fuel-air mix is compressed by the pistons
• and ignited by spark plugs.

Diesel engine:

• In a diesel engine the air is compressed before the fuel is added to it.
• When air is compressed it heats up. This means that when the fuel is added to the compressed air it is very hot and the fuel-air mix ignites automatically. (So there are no spark plugs in a diesel engine as pressure is used to ignite the fuel-air mix.")

source

Brilliant animated demonstration of the working of a diesel engine on Thomas Schwenke online channel

Nothing to do with a LDV van? Baddie the Pirate talks LED lighting for your motorhome too.

This is the simplest and clearest explanation I found on the net about electricity.
How does it relate to LDV vans? Pilots and Convoys are often purchased for camper conversion!
Having been at the school of "nothing hands-on" I've struggled for so long at understanding what Volt, Watt, Amps etc relate to and how they work together. Thanks to the school of "nothing hands-on" I can read and write well enough so I'm gonna share what I found with you with no further adue!

Source: Baddiethepirate

"MATHS

The units that are used to measure electricity are:

• Volts:  Electrical force of pressure behind the electrons in a circuit. Like water pressure or PSI for air. (Usually 12v on a narrowboat). 
• Amps:  The number of electrons flowing past in a second. Like litres per second in a pipe, it defines the electrical current in a wire. 
• Watts:  Total amount of electrical energy, per second.

The formulae to work them out are: 

• Watts = Volts x Amps 
• Volts = Watts divided by Amps 
• Amps = Watts divided by Volts 

For example: a 20 Watt light bulb in a 12 Volt system:
20 Watts divided by 12 Volts = 1.66 Amps"

Baddie The Pirate is a small website/business that sells "LED lighting for boats. motorhomes, caravans and chicken sheds."

LDV Pilot van - Hardknott Pass video!

Watch this for a nervous laugh but a good one!

LDV Pilot and Convoy vans - Basic advice on replacing the kin pins

How and what tools do you need to replace the king pins on a Pilot or a Convoy LDV van?
In 2 posts, quoting from auto banter:

Paul[_5_] external usenet poster Posts: 70

LDV pilot - convoy Whats the going rate for a king pin change - mine needs doing and I swore blind never to do another myself ;-) Also, is front axle same off convoy, can get a complete one with new pins for £100.. seems like a much nicer option!

#4 (permalink)    October 12th 09, 10:32 PM posted to uk.rec.cars.maintenance

Paul[_4_] external usenet poster Posts: 41

LDV pilot - convoy Pins are only £29.. which makes up for the fact you either take the axle off and take it somewhere with a press, or spend three days with a sledge hammer beating the fcuk out of it...

(3 days? Some say a week)

#5 (permalink)    October 14th 09, 11:53 AM posted to uk.rec.cars.maintenance

Mrcheerful external usenet poster Posts: 1,691

LDV pilot - convoy a big air hammer takes them out in seconds.

(Don't forget to grease them well)

LDV vans forum - Alive and quicking!

About 3 years ago when I got my Pilot I used to look up two forums set up by LDV vans, sherpas etc owners and lovers. These were the only forums available online and were very useful.
Unfortunately soon after I joined they all disappeared. I took up the task to set them back up and archive some of the best tips and most useful conversations on the then newly set up fb LDV groups.
My archiving was slow as it takes a lot of time to search on the fb group page for posts that keep disappearing in the scrolling down system (*#@%$?!!!).
However few admins from the ex-sites took over and slowly but surely new members registered.

I was delighted today to see that it's well alive and quicking!

LDV lovers, Join up our forum!
http://ldvsherpauk.prophpbb.com

The advantages over fb is that you can look up the infos without having to scroll down for ghost-posts (I'm gonna call them that), it's always there for you. The search option is much easier to use than fbook.

Thanks again to the admins who are taking care of the forum.

Why driving on the left? or on the right?

That is ze question.
I always wondered the reason why different countries would have a different system on the road.
Apart from the usual frog/rosbeef jokes no one ever could tell me.
Thank to the instructor in the bicycle mechanic course I undertook this month,
I now know and thanks to internet I now can tell and share.
In this article, it explains why do the British drive on the left?

in brief this is why:
"In the Middle Ages you kept to the left for the simple reason that you never knew who you'd meet on the road in those days. You wanted to make sure that a stranger passed on the right so you could go for your sword in case he proved unfriendly."

In France Napoleon's successful attack strategies and his massive ego are responsible for France and its colonies to have kept the driving on right system.

LDV vans Sherpa Pilot Convoy - No MOT etc - Don't scrap them!

Yet another post on our dear Club LDV social network group from Matt who writes:
"Going to the scrap yard in the sky on Saturday its a shame other than the rust not much else wrong with it but cant afford to keep it on the road any more 😢 "

Please! Dont scrap!

Save the parts for us! We ll make them last another half century!!

And surely you'll make more than this ridiculous amount of money due to the crash of metal s worth itself due to speculative (capitalist) fuckers in power all around the world. Scrapping means sending this good steel to China so it comes back in the form of utterly useless items of miserable quality (otherwise called shite).
Come on! Make a few quids, bypass "supporting already rich fuckers" and recycle the good things for the people who take care of it, make it last and therefore make our planet and life sustainable! (uff I needed to say that).

Come join the Club LDV group and get recycling!

Diagnosing head gasket symptoms - Head gasket failure types

Someone I know was worried the head gasket in their car had blown.
That's usually a right reason to worry as this gasket plays a major role in the running of the engine and usually entails costly repairs.
I look for some informations as to how to understand why it happens and how it happens.
This link explains the various head gasket failure types and this one gives infos about blown head gasket symptoms.

Hope that helps!

How a car works guide!

Here is a good guide on how a car works with 24 articles on the basics of car mechanic, body work and everything you need to know about your vehicle if you want to learn or try a little or a lot of DIY repairing!

There is also many more articles (288 in total) accessible for free from the front page of the howacarworks website.

You can see them all at a glance on this page.

Enjoy!

Gypsy Roma Traveller Police Association

An initiative to fight against discrimination of travellers I found online:

"The GRTPA is a support network for Police Personnel who are from a GRT background. We are a National organisation but our reach is international as we aim to link in with our Police colleagues from around the world.

The GRTPA’s main aim is to unite and support all Police Officers and Staff who are from GRT background. We will do this by promoting equality and fairness and by providing a support forum where members can share and discuss the issues which affect their working life.
Intrinsically linked to our main aim is the desire to foster good relationships between the Police and GRT Communities. We aim to do this by facilitating discussion, negotiation and co–operation between UK Police Forces, GRT communities and organisations. In doing so, we will establish a platform for sharing good practice in working with GRT Communities."

Testimonials

A 10-Story Former Shoe Factory Transformed into the Ultimate Urban Playground

source



"Housed in the former home of the 10-story International Shoe Company, the sprawling 600,000 square-foot City Museum in St. Louis is quite possibly the ultimate urban playground ever constructed. The museum is the brainchild of artist and sculptor Bob Cassilly who opened the space in 1997 after years of renovation and construction. Although Cassilly passed away in 2011, the museum is perpetually under construction as new features are added or improved thanks to a ragtag group of 20 artists known affectionately as the Cassilly Crew."

read more

on native americans 20th century education

I can't resist archiving some posts here that have nothing to do with LDV vans but hey there's more than this to life.
Starting with this terrifying one on
TWENTIETH-CENTURY EDUCATION FOR NATIVE AMERICANS RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS

source

“I want to get rid of the Indian problem. I do not think as a matter of fact, that the country ought to continuously protect a class of people who are able to stand alone… Our objective is to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been absorbed into the body politic and there is no Indian question, and no Indian Department, that is the whole object of this Bill.” Dr. Duncan Campbell Scott - 1920

read more

Posts and comments for advices on LDV vehicles

Dear readers!

Many thanks for your praises and comments. I have to apologise for not being able to answer all your questions. I'd love to be able to keep up with them but I have neither time nor expertise for it.

I direct you once more to the excellent and ultra friendly social network groups I turn to for advice. I recommend these two for the best advice, banter and learning together:

Club LDV
and
Club LDV/Freight Rover Convoy/Sherpa/Maxus/Pilot/Cub, Van/Camper/Day van 

You take care
Enjoy the LDV beast,

Yours faithfully.

World's fastest Pat the Postie LDV van

Get out of me fookin way I gotta a letta to deliva!!

LDV Pilot van love :)

This is what I found cruising randomly on the web.

A sweet few nicely done webpages about a LDV Pilot from 2002 with good images

where the van seems to be the star of a movie!

I had to feature it here.

Thank you Timothy Birt.

It also has a wealth of information about sustainable energy (campervanners!boaters!) and much more.

(All credits for images and website to Timothy Birt)

A guide to changing your diesel vehicle's engine oil

This very well illustrated article will show you how to replace the oil in your diesel engine.
Read it on the brilliant enginebasics.com website
along with this article explaining the importance of clean oil in your engine.

Learn the basics of diesel engine maintenance

I found this very clear article which lists and explains what minimum basic maintenance should be done on a diesel engine, read below or read the full article here on fourthgen.net.

"Changing the lubricating oil - This is usually necessary on a more frequent basis than gasoline engines - generally every 3000 miles

Changing the air filter - Since diesel engines experience high intake pressures, the air filtering system is important to not only filter media but also to cool the air.

Changing the oil filter - while a gasoline engine may give less mileage or performance with a dirty fuel filter, this can be more serious in the case of a diesel engine where dirty fuel can damage a diesel engine's fuel injection system. The filter should meet or exceed the standards suggested by manufacturer so that sulphur and carbon residue are removed. Synthetic oil is also recommended.

Early warning system - The early warning system that warns of engine overheating should be checked for functionality. A gasoline engine if overheated can be shut off, cooled down and restarted. However if a diesel engine gets overheated, it will be damaged.

Changing the fuel filter - It is important the change the fuel filter as recommended by the manufacturer in order to prevent condensation from building up and getting into the fuel injectors. The fuel tank should also be kept full to avoid moisture forming.

Gaskets should be checked and replaced on all critical areas especially in the combustion mounting areas and coolant hoses.

Bleeding the fuel system - While some diesel engines have self bleeding systems, others which do not, need to have the fuel system bled to get a steady air free flow of fuel. This becomes necessary after any of the following situations have occured. Running out of fuel.

2. If fuel shut off valve is left closed and engine runs out of fuel.

3. Replacing fuel filter.

4. Fuel injector nozzle or injector pump repair.

5. After repairing or replacing any fuel line.

6. Before putting engine back into service in the spring, if fuel system has been drained.

7. Replacement of electric or mechanical fuel pump.

8. Any time air is permitted to enter the fuel system.

Draining the water separators - Since diesel fuel absorbs water more than gasoline, it can get contaminated very easily. Therefoer most diesel engine vehicles have a water separator that collects water from fuel. This water needs to be drained regularly from the separator using a drain valve called a petcock. Some water separators are self-draining.

Glow plugs - Glow plugs enable a diesel engine to get heated for combustion to take place. After prolonged use, these can wear out and may need to be replaced.

Installing an engine heating kit for diesel engines are especially useful in winter when diesel engines are hard to start. This saves fuel and prolongs the life of the diesel engine while cutting down on exhaust emissions. It also eliminates the need for idling which cause wear and tear on the internal parts of a diesel engine not to mention unnecessary fuel consumption."

I collected a few more links on the topic: http://www.carsdirect.com/car-repair/9-top-diesel-engine-maintenance-tips http://www.automotivetroubleshootingsecrets.com/diesel_maintenance.html http://answers.practicalaction.org/our-resources/item/diesel-engine-repair-maintenance (This website looks amazing) and finally if you are into boating, there is a course in Brighton: http://www.lagoon.co.uk/shore-based-courses/course/diesel-engine-maintenance-course/135

 

How the biggest diesel marine engine in the world works!

Another post about how engines work, diesel engines with a short documentary about the most powerful diesel marine engine in the world.

 

 Skip forward to about 2:05 to see the piston in action of this 2000 tonnes marine engine
and understand how internal combustion engines function.

How an internal combustion engine works - Old Ford engine example

I really enjoy learning and understanding how these old internal combustion engines work. This video presents a Ford motor that has been opened up for people to see how it works. Enjoy!

Replacing the accelerator cable tutorial

The mystery of the slowest van is finally solved.

The cable of my LDV Pilot van snapped off the other night while I was driving.

I rang Channels Commercials but they didn't have it in stock and offered to order it for early next week.

I needed the van operational for Saturday morning so it wasn't good enough. I rang KSL garage services who didn't have it either but directed to LDV Parts. They had it and could deliver on friday morning.

When I bought the van 2 years ago I was told its only downside was that it had been fitted with a speed-limiter and sometimes would run slow. It didn't do it when I test drove it.

Then it was getting slower and slower. Driving was harder and harder too as I had to press the gas pedal hard t get the van to pull its own weight only. I tried changing the oil filter but nothing much happened. It was getting slower. I heard about some of these vans had been fited with long rear axles to protect the gearbox (exRM van) which requires double work from the engine.

When I changed the cable today I tried it out and to my surprise the van is very responsive and fast... as should be I guess... It's like having a new van! No more gym work for my right leg.

Here is a tutorial on how to replace the accelerator cable. It's an easy enough task.
First I unscrewed this part to let the cable loose with spanner 9 or 10 (metric system. Correct me if I'm wrong on this.)

It's a bit tricky to take off and fit back the cable end from the (beige) plastic part

(which is not supplied with the new cable = breaking it is not an option).

What worked for me is to hold back the spring and push down the end. This released the cable.  

I removed the accordeon pipe (2 philips head screws)

to access the nuts seen on the next blurry pics.

It also has a rubber ring (LDV S&M).

Inside the cabin,

I unmounted the nuts holding the gas pedal to release the cable from it.

Never mind the spring. Just replace it as is when mounting back.

Have a good look at how the cable end fits in the slots on top of the head of the pedal.

The cable end looks like a bicycle one.

Can't recall the nuts size but i reckon was between12 and 15.

I used these (cheapest I could get) tools but it'd be better to use shorter deep sockets.

This is the old cable's rubber housing. It was well bent and snapped.

Let's admire both beautiful ends of the rubber housing.

Here is where the cable clips in and goes from boot to cabin.

I filed the hole in the body to make it go through the body.

Perhaps a better idea is to slighlty file the cable end as it seems it had been done on the old cable

but I chose no to take the risk to overdo it and to not be able to fit it correclty afterward.

Hope that helps.

If you have any question please post it in the comment.

I can't always reply as I'm a busy bee but take a look at this page for suggestions to get support from the international online LDV community.

Enjoy your LDV Pilot van ride!