LDV-sherpa forum - The Revival

Since the previous one went off line and much LDV van owners asked where it went and why, I set up the new ldvsherpauk forum.
Hopefully that'll be as helpful as the previous has been to me...

Vehicles exempt from vehicle tax (on vehicles made before 1 January 1973)

Might be of interst for some of us...

From gov.uk

You don’t have to pay vehicle tax on the following types of vehicle.

You still need to apply for a tax disc and display the ‘nil value disc’ on your vehicle, even if you don’t need to pay vehicle tax.

Vehicles used by a disabled person

Claim disability exemption when you get your vehicle tax disc. Find out if you’re eligible and how to claim.

Disabled passenger vehicles

Vehicles (apart from ambulances) used by organisations providing transport for the disabled.

Mobility scooters, powered wheel chairs and invalid carriages

They must have a maximum speed of 8mph on the road, and be fitted with a device limiting them to 4mph on footways.

Historic vehicles

You don’t have to pay vehicle tax on vehicles made before 1 January 1973 (known as ‘historic vehicles’).

Electric vehicles

The electricity must come from an external source or an electric storage battery not connected to any source of power when the vehicle is moving.

Mowing machines

The mower must be designed, constructed and used just for cutting grass. It does not include tractors used to tow gang mowers.

Steam vehicles

You don’t have to pay vehicle tax on any steam-powered vehicle.

Vehicles used just for agriculture, horticulture and forestry

This includes tractors, agricultural engines and light agricultural vehicles used off-road. It also includes ‘limited use’ vehicles used for short journeys (not more than 1.5 kilometres) on the public road between land that’s occupied by the same person.

LDV van camper conversion

http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=502 http://www.knaufinsulation.co.uk/en-gb/insulation-news-archive/motorhome-insulation-shows-demand-for-efficiency.aspx#axzz2j3N7OjvE

Which Jack to lift your vehicle?

A while ago after buying my van, it had its first puncture and I realised that the only jack I had was the one from my previous car - a butterfly jack - which would hardly reach the body of the van even in its fullest stretch...

I could go straight out and in a half*rd shop but me being me I am going to look for an alternative. Although I know there a big chance that my buy (unless a second-hand) will also be made in China or somewhere in Asia. I read about the consequences of our buying habits in China - dreadful thoughts. One physical and ecological example here and all the recent reports about workers committing suicide.

Back to our practical topic:

• We need  a jack with a high jacking point (I'm going to take measurements).
• reasonably priced.
• 2 x axle stands (it's not enough to lift the vehicle and get under it. We need safety don't we?)
• The Pilot calls for a 2.5T or 3T
• A long enough bar to make it easier

 Links on the topic:
Forum talk
A comparison article (2T though)

And if you really need...

 

... available here. 

And of course our DIY youtube videos for visual help.



More advices and discussions here: http://www.lets-getaway.com/caravan-jacks.htm http://forum.club8090.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=114839

LDV van camper conversion - Generator inverters

Just examples of products I found (I don't specially recommend them):

Clarke 720W Petrol Generator - G720

Clarke IG1000 1kW Inverter Generator

DW8 engines - images

Other blogs on LDV Pilot vans and more

http://www.campervanlife.com/building/choosing-a-base-vehicle

Wiki history of LDV group

Internet movie cars database

http://mycamperplan.wordpress.com/

http://www.pimpmysherpa.co.uk/

Loads of pic on this flikr group

Teapotcircus Flikr group

http://sundownpilot.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.campervanproject.co.uk/ldv-pilot-campervan-project-1-stage-1/

How car engines work! Diesel engine.

Diesel engine

Diesel Fuel Injection

source

One big difference between a diesel engine and a gas engine is in the injection process. Most car engines use port injection or a carburetor. A port injection system injects fuel just prior to the intake stroke (outside the cylinder). A carburetor mixes air and fuel long before the air enters the cylinder. In a car engine, therefore, all of the fuel is loaded into the cylinder during the intake stroke and then compressed. The compression of the fuel/air mixture limits the compression ratio of the engine -- if it compresses the air too much, the fuel/air mixture spontaneously ignites and causes knocking. Because it causes excessive heat, knocking can damage the engine.
Read more
The diesel engine uses a four-stroke combustion cycle just like a gasoline engine. The four strokes are:

• Intake stroke -- The intake valve opens up, letting in air and moving the piston down. ­
• Compression stroke -- The piston moves back up and compresses the air.
• Combustion stroke -- As the piston reaches the top, fuel is injected at just the right moment and ignited, forcing the piston back down.
• Exhaust stroke -- The piston moves back to the top, pushing out the exhaust created from the combustion out of the exhaust valve.

Remember that the diesel engine has no spark plug, that it intakes air and compresses it, and that it then injects the fuel directly into the combustion chamber (direct injection). It is the heat of the compressed air that lights the fuel in a diesel engine.



#####

More on diesel

Diesel fuel has a higher energy density than gasoline. On average, 1 gallon (3.8 L) of diesel fuel contains approximately 155x10⁶ joules (147,000 BTU), while 1 gallon of gasoline contains 132x10⁶ joules (125,000 BTU). This, combined with the improved efficiency of diesel engines, explains why diesel engines get better mileage than equivalent gasoline engines.
Diesel fuel is used to power a wide variety of vehicles and operations. It of course fuels the diesel trucks you see lumbering down the highway, but it also helps move boats, school buses, city buses, trains, cranes, farming equipment and various emergency response vehicles and power generators. Think about how important diesel is to the economy -- without its high efficiency, both the construction industry and farming businesses would suffer immensely from investments in fuels with low power and efficiency. About 94 percent of freight -- whether it's shipped in trucks, trains or boats -- relys on diesel.
In terms of the environment, diesel has some pros and cons. The pros -- diesel emits very small amounts of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide, emissions that lead to global warming. The cons -- high amounts of nitrogen compounds and particulate matter (soot) are released from burning diesel fuel, which lead to acid rain, smog and poor health conditions.
You may have also heard of something called biodiesel. Is it the same as diesel? Biodiesel is an alternative or additive to diesel fuel that can be used in diesel engines with little to no modifications to the engines themselves. It's not made from petroleum -- instead it comes from plant oils or animal fats that have been chemically altered. (Interesting fact: Rudolf Diesel had originally considered vegetable seed oil as fuel for his invention.) Biodiesel can either be combined with regular diesel or used completely by itself.

How car engine works - parts

glow plug
Some diesel engines contain a glow plug. When a diesel engine is cold, the compression process may not raise the air to a high enough temperature to ignite the fuel. The glow plug is an electrically heated wire (think of the hot wires you see in a toaster) that heats the combustion chambers and raises the air temperature when the engine is cold so that the engine can start.
source: howstuffworks.com
Glow plugs are used to heat the combustion chambers of some diesel engines in cold conditions to help ignition at coldstart. In the tip of the glow plug is a coil of a resistive wire or a filament which heats up when electricity is connected.
source: 4engines.blogspot.co.uk

the “one-minute of silence.” 

 Fuel pump
A fuel pump is a frequently (but not always) essential component on a car or other internal combustion engined device. Many engines (older motorcycle engines in particular) do not require any fuel pump at all, requiring only gravity to feed fuel from the fuel tank through a line or hose to the engine. But in non-gravity feed designs, fuel has to be pumped from the fuel tank to the engine and delivered under low pressure to the carburetor or under high pressure to the fuel injection system.
source: wikipedia


Distributor
A distributor is a device in the ignition system of an internal combustion engine that routes high voltage from the ignition coil to the spark plugs in the correct firing order.
source: Wikipedia

Carburator
a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine.
source: Wikipedia 

 Read more from howstuffworks.com

Read about classic cars carbs

What does a carburetor do? The carburetor has several functions: 1) it combines gasoline and air creating a highly combustible mixture, 2) it regulates the ratio of air and fuel, and 3) it controls the engine's speed. How a carburetor mixes fuel and air When the piston moves down the cylinder on the intake stroke it draws air from the cylinder and intake manifold. A vacuum is created that draws air from the carburetor. The airflow through the carburetor causes fuel to be drawn from the carburetor through the intake manifold past the intake valves and into the cylinder. The amount of fuel mixed into the air to obtain the required air to fuel ratio is controlled by the venturi or choke. When air flows through the venturi its speed increases and the pressure drops. This causes the fuel to be sucked into the air stream from a hole or jet. When the engine is at idle or at rapid acceleration there is not enough air passing through the venturi to draw fuel. To overcome these problems other systems are used. Delivering gasoline to the carburetor Gasoline is delivered to the carburetor by the fuel pump and is stored in the fuel bowl. To keep this level of fuel stored in the bowl constant under all conditions a float system is used. A float operated needle valve and seat at the fuel inlet is used to control the fuel level in the bowl. If the fuel level drops below a certain level the float lowers and opens the valve letting more fuel in. When the float rises it pushes the inlet valve against the seat and shuts off the flow of fuel into the bowl.		Controlling the speed of the engine The throttle controls the speed of the engine by controlling the amount of air fuel allowed in the engine. The throttle is a butterfly valve located after the venturi and is opened by pressing on the gas pedal. The farther the valve is opened the more air/fuel mixture is let into the engine and the faster the engine runs. At low engine speeds when the throttle is only open a little there is not enough air flow to pull in fuel. Ports Two ports are used to solve this problem. One port located in the low pressure area and the idle port located below. At low engine speeds both ports draw fuel to keep the engine running. As engine speed increases fuel from the 2 ports decreases until it stops completely. Handling low speeds When the engine is idle there is very little air flowing through the venturi because the throttle valve is closed. The idle port allows the engine to operate under this condition. Fuel is forced through the idle port because of a pressure differential between air in the fuel bowl and vacuum below the throttle valve. Idle fuel mixture is controlled by an adjustable needle valve. Handling high speeds At higher engine speeds more fuel is drawn from the main nozzle. Fuel comes from the fuel bowl through the fuel nozzle and into the throat of the carburetor where it mixes with air.
Types of carburetors There are 3 basic types of carburetors in use today. They are the one barrel, two barrel, and four barrel. Typically, the type of engine and its use will dictate which carburetor is used. In high performance engines multiple carburetors may be used to deliver the amount of fuel required. No matter what type of carburetor your engine uses, National Carburetors is your source for high quality carburetors. source: nationalcarburetors.com

How car engines work!

Internal Combustion

The ­principle behind any reciprocating internal combustion engine: If you put a tiny amount of high-energy fuel (like gasoline) in a small, enclosed space and ignite it, an incredible amount of energy is released in the form of expanding gas. You can use that energy to propel a potato 500 feet. In this case, the energy is translated into potato motion. You can also use it for more interesting purposes. For example, if you can create a cycle that allows you to set off explosions like this hundreds of times per minute, and if you can harness that energy in a useful way, what you have is the core of a car engine! Almost all cars currently use what is called a four-stroke combustion cycle to convert gasoline into motion.
The four-stroke approach is also known as the Otto cycle, in honor of Nikolaus Otto, who invented it in 1867. The four strokes are illustrated in Figure 1.
 read more

They are:
Intake stroke
Compression stroke Combustion stroke
Exhaust stroke

Figure 1
You can see in the figure that a device called a piston replaces the potato in the potato cannon. The piston is connected to the crankshaft by a connecting rod. As the crankshaft revolves, it has the effect of "resetting the cannon." Here's what happens as the engine goes through its cycle:

1. The piston starts at the top, the intake valve opens, and the piston moves down to let the engine take in a cylinder-full of air and gasoline. This is the intake stroke. Only the tiniest drop of gasoline needs to be mixed into the air for this to work. (Part 1 of the figure)
2. Then the piston moves back up to compress this fuel/air mixture. Compression makes the explosion more powerful. (Part 2 of the figure)
3. When the piston reaches the top of its stroke, the spark plug emits a spark to ignite the gasoline. The gasoline charge in the cylinder explodes, driving the piston down. (Part 3 of the figure)
4. Once the piston hits the bottom of its stroke, the exhaust valve opens and the exhaust leaves the cylinder to go out the tailpipe. (Part 4 of the figure)

Now the engine is ready for the next cycle, so it intakes another charge of air and gas.
Notice that the motion that comes out of an internal combustion engine is rotational, while the motion produced by a potato cannon is linear (straight line). In an engine the linear motion of the pistons is converted into rotational motion by the crankshaft. The rotational motion is nice because we plan to turn (rotate) the car's wheels with it anyway.
Now let's look at all the parts that work together to make this happen, starting with the cylinders.
source

How car engine work - subsystems and parts

Click on the links below to read
(source: Howstuffworks.com)

• Camshaft
• Crankshaft (wikipedia)
• Cooling, air-intake and Starting Systems
• system
• Ignition system
• Gear 
• Manual transmission
• Fuel injection
• Exhaust system (wikipedia)
• Turbocharger
• Torque
• 
  
• Towing capacity
• Horsepower

What horsepower means is this: In Watt's judgement, one horse can do 33,000 foot-pounds of work every minute. So, imagine a horse raising coal out of a coal mine as shown above. A horse exerting 1 horsepower can raise 330 pounds of coal 100 feet in a minute, or 33 pounds of coal 1,000 feet in one minute, or 1,000 pounds 33 feet in one minute. You can make up whatever combination of feet and pounds you like. As long as the product is 33,000 foot-pounds in one minute, you have a horsepower.What horsepower means is this: In Watt's judgement, one horse can do 33,000 foot-pounds of work every minute. So, imagine a horse raising coal out of a coal mine as shown above. A horse exerting 1 horsepower can raise 330 pounds of coal 100 feet in a minute, or 33 pounds of coal 1,000 feet in one minute, or 1,000 pounds 33 feet in one minute. You can make up whatever combination of feet and pounds you like. As long as the product is 33,000 foot-pounds in one minute, you have a horsepower. read more.

windscreen and doors window replacement

rubber seal insert tool pull-in cord for stringing windscreens

Comments from LDV vans group

"Fit the rubber to the screen when the new screen is away from the van.The small rubber filler is what helps hold the screen to the van.The tool you need is a screwdriver type thing that has a triangle end.You can refit it with a flat headed screwdriver,but it takes a lot longer. (...) instead of using a screwdriver,as that could damage the rubber,try using something like a plastic knife."

"You can use a plastic nozzle off a tube of silicone with the cord running through it to get it into the rubber. . That's what I used to do and it works well and cheap!"

"Door windows are easy enough to replace. Just prise off door cards and I think there's 2 star bolts in the top moulded door puller, handle type things. Pop off top and bottom plastic trims off the door opener handle. . Windows drop onto the rail I believe. .. Good luck!"

 

LDV Pilot workshop manual

I've ordered one and I'm going to make it digitally sharable.
Also I've  LDV workshop manual for older vans than mine <2002/2003.
It's got files about the convoys, the XUD9 engine.

Testing a relay correctly

relay basics Moore on relays and 5 pins ones

Legal Information, Requirements and Rules for Camper Vans DVLA

Read here

LDV Pilot van - Evolution overview

source: wikipedia

 

1999 LDV Pilot
Manufacturer	LDV Limited
Production	1997–2006
Predecessor	Leyland DAF 200 Series
Successor	LDV Maxus

###

LDV Pilot (1993–2006) ### Leyland DAF 200 Series (1989–1993) ###  Freight Rover 200 Series (1984–1989) ### Sherpa K2 Series (1982–1987) Manufacturer Leyland DAF Also called DAF 200 Series Production 1989–1997 Predecessor Freight Rover 200 Series Successor LDV Pilot ### Sherpa (1974–1982)  Manufacturer Freight Rover Production 1982–1984 Predecessor Leyland Sherpa Successor Freight Rover 200 Series

Manufacturer British Leyland (Austin Morris) Also called Morris Sherpa Production 1974–1982 Predecessor Morris J4 Successor Freight Rover Sherpa

LDV Pilot van - Fixing the starter motor

Today I took it down.
Here are a few pics of the necessary tools and how it look slike + cable connections...

BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING, DON'T FORGET TO UNPLUG THE CABLES FROM YOUR BATTERY (at least the Positive one +, red).
Also when working with electric parts some use glasses and gloves. Gloves are good when they fit just to protect skin from cuts and dirt.
Lastly if you need to work under the van like me, glasses are useful to avoid dirt in the eyes but also remember to hold parts as you unscrew them so they don't fall on your face in these enjoyable awkward positions we have to get into.

Tools you need

8 and 13 is all you need but in different shapes.

These are good once you are going to open the motor up.

Check your connection before you take them off and find a way to remember what they were.

 

There is only these 3 bolts to take off but they aren't all easy to get to.

That's when the extension comes in handy.

 Solenoid

D7 R26 is the part number if you need to order a new/used one

 

I opened the motor today and the brushes are worn (+ one spring sprang out and it'd take me hours to find it back) out so I'm just gonna replace the whole part cause i've no time and no gear to solder new ones on.
Although this mechano shows how to do it and I'll have to do it later so I can fix the motor and sell it or replace the used one I got and sell it.

Then I tested and mounted the motor I purchased. The engine cranked up and off I went for 10 min. I parked and again, back to nothing but the click of the happy egoist solenoid. Unmounted and tested and remounted the motor, cleaned motor connections. The engine goes and stop and refuses to go again. nothing but solenoid. (30£ and time spent for nothing).

I started to think it's due to the ignition or some relay.

I took down the dashboard (I'm very curious).

I learned how to test 4 pins relays (testing relays post here) and did it to all since I couldn't find online which relay was the ignition switch one. I bought a new 5 pins relay thinking it was the defectuous one (and ignition one) cause there was water in it but wrong again and minus 15£ and time running around (Pilot parts aren't easy to find!) and time running out for the little moving job I needed to do.

Next day with a quieter mind. I wrote down all the stuff I knew worked, the stuff I knew didn't work, the stuff I needed to check to keep things clear and methodical.

1. The click noise means a healthy solenoid and enough current through the ignition and relay is working

2. Looked online and managed to read the wiring diagram of the van from a video advertising online (also bought the pilot workshop manual but it takes a few days to be delivered).

3.Ignition relay is the second one on the lower level on the passenger's side. It worked.

4. The main fuses (50Amp) are all fine.

5. went through this good video tutorial again to check if current is going through

6. Found that current wasn't going from battery positive knob to battery positive cable when plugged.

7. cleaned the cable proper, pushed in the bits that were sticking out.

The starter motor went spinning and the engine started!

Only one thing to say:

If you hear the solenoid click noise,

check your connections well with a voltmeter and a friend turning the key in the order shown in the video.

I'm thinking of putting that info in images and writing here in case that video goes down the utube plughole sometime.

LDV Pilot van Parts

starter motor

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raframecatalog.php?make=LDV&year=2003&model=PILOT&a=Ad%2BCode%2Bwww.google.co.uk%2B

used ebai

ebai used

UK ebai

Starter motor - in french... demarreur

http://www.oscaro.com/redactionnel/demarreur/demarreur.asp

http://fr.spikiz.com/redir?rd=s&z=c&w=BA42AD5054DF8786&o=4B90386F19CC5782CD44015C217C50D4949CAF14F4B10FD9BE577B715935EA9CF8D685EBD70570569FD16AB8E3A17DA04974EF79166E242424275AAB6903EC96D4DBEC3517A39DB6&rq=65C27FCB607491F86B18C6B630B56ED2C26F2B093509595B5ADA7136AFDEE667

Courroie de distribution - in french

http://fr.spikiz.com/redir?rd=s&z=c&w=BA42AD5054DF8786&o=4B90386F19CC5782CD44015C217C50D4949CAF14F4B10FD9BE577B715935EA9CF8D685EBD70570569FD16AB8E3A17DA04974EF79166E24242AD732F151E84616D4DBEC3517A39DB6&rq=65C27FCB607491F86B18C6B630B56ED2C26F2B093509595B5ADA7136AFDEE667