Trailing Arm Bushing Replacement

Join me on a journey tackling one of the T25’s notoriously difficult areas – the trailing arms. Sparks fly whilst I remove hub nuts, disconnect brake lines, snap bleed nipples and meet the tin worm. If your bolts are seized like mine, I recommend using a power saw to cut them off. I used anContinueContinue reading “Trailing Arm Bushing Replacement”

Truck Mirror Upgrade

I’ve always found the standard mirrors to have really poor visibility and tend to suffer from “floppy mirror syndrome” when on the motorway (there are ways to reduce this). I swapped the right side one to a convex mirror type on the drivers side which did improve visibility, however I have always liked the “SyncroContinueContinue reading “Truck Mirror Upgrade”

Lower Control Arm Bush Replacement

It’s time to look at the front suspension and replace my tired bushes! First on the list (thanks to a group buy discount) is the Lower Control Arm (also known as Track Control Arm). The diagram below shows the bush (pink) and the Lower Control Arm (orange). On earlier models (pre-1984) the Control Arm andContinueContinue reading “Lower Control Arm Bush Replacement”

Rust Treatment

There was no way the van was going to pass it’s next MOT with some of the rust areas so it was time to treat them accordingly. For small areas I removed as much flaking rust as possible, wire brushed, coated with Bilt Hamber Hydrate 80, filled and then painted. The major repair areas were welded by John atContinueContinue reading “Rust Treatment”

Powerflex Steering Rack Mount Kit

The steering in the van fees a little unresponsive and light at high speeds. I heard that replacing the steering rack bushes can make a huge difference so bought the Powerflex Steering Rack Mount Kit from Brickwerks. I asked for new nuts and bolts in case the originals get damaged and these were included forContinueContinue reading “Powerflex Steering Rack Mount Kit”

Pierburg 2E3 Rebuild and Adjustments

I wanted to do a complete rebuild of the Pierburg 2E3 carburettor on the van to make sure it’s running as it should. Coming at this as a complete novice (and worrying i’d damage my good carb) I decided to buy a second unit off eBay so I could learn how it all works. In the following videoContinueContinue reading “Pierburg 2E3 Rebuild and Adjustments”

Removing Autosleeper interior units

With an impending MOT due in September it was time to address the rust issues in the van. The worst area was the offside sill behind the fridge and the only way to access this area is to remove all the interior units. I followed JonathanR’s excellent thread on the Club 80-90 forum detailing how he removed theContinueContinue reading “Removing Autosleeper interior units”

Headlight Warning Buzzer

Something I really miss from modern cars is a beep telling me i’ve left the headlights on when I open the door. As we’ll be venturing further and further afield, anything to prevent a dead starter battery in the middle of nowhere is a definite bonus. Luckily, the T25 has everything ready for this easy lowContinueContinue reading “Headlight Warning Buzzer”

Switchable USB Socket

Now that the lighter socket runs off the leisure battery I wanted to swap it with a dual USB socket with a switch to turn it on and off. Neither of us smoke so a USB version would be far more useful than the original socket for powering our phones/sat nav. I went for a Blue Sea Dual USBContinueContinue reading “Switchable USB Socket”

Short Shift Kit

After sorting out the issues with the gear lever and linkage I wanted to install a Short Shift Kit (also know as a Quickshift kit). The kit reduces the gear lever throw by 30%, making gear changes feel much tighter. Several places sell the kit online but I went direct to Si Whitmore at T3volution who makesContinueContinue reading “Short Shift Kit”

Rewiring Stereo to Leisure Battery

My investigation into the Zig MC-2000 12V wiring found that the stereo, lighter socket, courtesy lights and clock run off the vehicle (starter) battery. This seems silly considering the van has a 90AH Leisure battery fitted. I want to use the stereo and socket (to charge devices) when camping without worrying whether the van will start the next day. Research AContinueContinue reading “Rewiring Stereo to Leisure Battery”

Zig MC-2000 Wiring

The task this week was to get a better understanding of the electrics installed in the van, some of the labels had rubbed off the Zig unit so it was impossible to know what did what. I downloaded the MC-2000 wiring diagram from the VW T25/T3 Autosleeper Info Site, which shows the following: Note: Sir Adventure isContinueContinue reading “Zig MC-2000 Wiring”

Replacing the Fuel Lines

Modern Petrol now includes Ethanol which can eat away at old fuel lines from the inside out. I was unsure of the age of the lines in the van so decided to do a complete overhaul. A fuel leak in the engine bay could lead to a serious fire and not something I want to take anyContinueContinue reading “Replacing the Fuel Lines”

Replacing the Fuel Tank

The task this week was to replace the Fuel Lines, however when inspecting the tank I found a lot of rust so a new one was purchased from Brickwerks. I followed the directions in the Club 80-90 Wiki entry Fuel System tank removal. Draining the Tank First I disconnected the battery by taking off the earth lead,ContinueContinue reading “Replacing the Fuel Tank”

Gearbox Oil Change

After refurbishing the Gear Lever and Linkage I thought i’d change the gearbox oil as I doubt it has been changed since 1991. Just like the other jobs i’ve completed I simply crawled under the van to do this, it’s a tight squeeze but manageable. Shopping list: Comma 80W90 GL-4 Gear Oil 5L (make sure it is GL-4) OilContinueContinue reading “Gearbox Oil Change”

Gear Linkage Refurbishment

Following on from my post on Gear Lever Refurbishment the intention was to make some slight adjustments to the rear linkage so the lever sits in neutral properly. However, when inspecting the rods it was quite clear that all of the bellows would need replacing as they had perished as well as rust and wear on otherContinueContinue reading “Gear Linkage Refurbishment”

Gear Lever Refurbishment

Finding the right gear in Sir Adventure is a bit of chore, there is a lot of play between gears and my knuckles keep hitting the dash. Getting across to 1st gear (left and down on 5 speed gearbox) also requires a good deal of force and it is scraping against something when moving upContinueContinue reading “Gear Lever Refurbishment”

Sheared Alternator Tension Bolt

On first start up this weekend there was a loud squealing coming from the engine bay. A bit of investigating (and Google) identified the alternator belt, it looked in good condition so the problem should be a loose belt which is slipping. It’s a simple job of loosening the adjustment bolt and re-positioning the alternatorContinueContinue reading “Sheared Alternator Tension Bolt”