whitevanwoman
Thanks for the advice but I think you might be missing a link?
:lol-053:A thousand screws, eh? Now that would definitely test the vajazzle :scared::lol-053:
Thanks for the advice but I think you might be missing a link?
:lol-053:A thousand screws, eh? Now that would definitely test the vajazzle :scared::lol-053:
Scottish Bloke
Possible source of Transit leak
Transits have an issue with the PU sealer between the roof sections. There is a bead of sealer running from side to side accross the top of the roof about six inches from the rear and just beyond where the roof slopes at the front and meets the flat of the roof at the front.
There is sometimes a small gap between the panels where the sealer gets 'skipped' at the factory. This will cause a leak and in time if left, the seam corrodes.
This was quite a common issue, covered by warranty if all paperwork in tact, body and paint inspections carried out, FSH etc.
this may help some leak issues!
SB
Transits have an issue with the PU sealer between the roof sections. There is a bead of sealer running from side to side accross the top of the roof about six inches from the rear and just beyond where the roof slopes at the front and meets the flat of the roof at the front.
There is sometimes a small gap between the panels where the sealer gets 'skipped' at the factory. This will cause a leak and in time if left, the seam corrodes.
This was quite a common issue, covered by warranty if all paperwork in tact, body and paint inspections carried out, FSH etc.
this may help some leak issues!
SB
whitevanwoman
Thanks for this info, very useful to know. Someone else suggested that the leak might be from that seam joining the roof panel to the rear and last year I sealed it with Sikaflex but it didn't make any difference so I'm pretty certain that's not the source of the leak. However I was planning to go over that seam with Sikaflex again just to be on the safe side so I will make sure that the whole seam is well and truly sealed when I do it.
However that could explain the leak at the front where there is a damp patch coming through the cab roof near the drivers sun visor. I thought it was maybe the seal around the windscreen but will sikaflex along the front seam too and see if that solves that leak.
I have service history for the first 7 years (it's now 11 years old) but it's had another 2 owners since it was sold for the first time and I'm now finding out that one or both of the previous 2 owners haven't taken much care with it and I've uncovered a couple of bodge jobs, most recently the fact that it has only been running on 2 glow plugs since I bought it in Nov 2011, as someone had broken 2 glow plugs trying to get them out and then had just left them. So a change of glow plugs has just set me back £450 in specialist labour to remove the 2 broken ones. No wonder it's been running ragged for a while before refusing completely to start if left more than 12 hours for the past couple of months.
But with all the £££ I've spent on it recently I'm well on the way to almost having replaced all the replaceable parts although I'm pretty sure the clutch is not right but I'm just not thinking about that at the moment as I've run out of cash for any more major repairs :scared:
Scottish Bloke
whitevanwoman
Scottish Bloke
Sikaflex or similar is very good, but an absolute twat (impossible) to get back off. Try running a strip of tape along the top of the screen, that might eliminate the leak and be easy to remove when the screen comes out.
SB
SB
whitevanwoman
Good thinking Batman :cheers:
Scottish Bloke
Cool, mine's a Stella
whitevanwoman
How far north of the border are you? I'm only about 50 miles south of the border and you seem like a handy bloke to know :lol-053:
Scottish Bloke
Just looking at your pics on post #28, personally not sure it will be the light, I've managed a Ford Accident Repair Centre for 10 years and can't remember fixing a water leak round a light, + that's a box section so unlikely the water will enter the van.
It's not that easy to see from the pics but do you know if the 1/4 panel (rear side panel) and pillar are original? Could be a seam seal in the panel joints if not original? Hard to diagnose without seeing and also hard to pinpoint when you might get conflicting ideas of where it's coming from!
When trying to trace the leak start low down and work up, that way it's easier to see when the flood starts and you can rule out anything lower than you've already checked..it's a two person job really.
The other thing worth looking at is the plastic clips on the quarter where the end cap of the bumper attaches to the quarter panel, water can pass by them, they are not water tight clips but they are on every transit and again not been an issue in my experience.
Rear door seals used to be an issue....and make sure there's an additional seal on the roof/van body between the rear doors at the top, they used to drop off, it might have done so and been badly re-attached, or not there at all!
Wish I could see it, sure it would be an easy fix (he says)
SB
It's not that easy to see from the pics but do you know if the 1/4 panel (rear side panel) and pillar are original? Could be a seam seal in the panel joints if not original? Hard to diagnose without seeing and also hard to pinpoint when you might get conflicting ideas of where it's coming from!
When trying to trace the leak start low down and work up, that way it's easier to see when the flood starts and you can rule out anything lower than you've already checked..it's a two person job really.
The other thing worth looking at is the plastic clips on the quarter where the end cap of the bumper attaches to the quarter panel, water can pass by them, they are not water tight clips but they are on every transit and again not been an issue in my experience.
Rear door seals used to be an issue....and make sure there's an additional seal on the roof/van body between the rear doors at the top, they used to drop off, it might have done so and been badly re-attached, or not there at all!
Wish I could see it, sure it would be an easy fix (he says)
SB
whitevanwoman
Had too much Baileys to reply properly tonight :cheers:but will explain properly tomorrow but basically its not leaking from light cluster, its leaking from the black seal in the join between side panel and back panel about 6" above the bumper, to the left of the light cluster on the pic showing the outside of the van, you can't see very well cos photo is too small but I've drawn a square box around it in red pen on the van, you might see it if you zomm in
its definitely coming from there, i tested it several times, kept running back and forth round the door to check when it started coming through as I went down that black seal in the join 2with Capt tolleys, the rest of that black seal above that bottom bit seems ok but will sikaflex the whole seal/seam to be safe (not sure if i'm using the right technical words)
and yes, there's also a leak from one of the clips holding bumper on too
and the door seals do look a bit ropey and theres a hell of draught comes through them
damn I hate it when other people are right
I'll be at Knockengorroch world cayleigh (sorry but it's too late and im too baileyed up to even attempt to spell it right0 in dumfries in may, if you're not too far from there I could maybe buy that stella and you could have a quick look at the van whilst youre drinking it
whitevanwoman
Oooops. I think I had too much Baileys last night
I got this (see pics below) today from Wickes, £50, includes NiCd battery and 13 piece accessory set. (I think I'm going to be eating dog food for the rest of the week, got about a tenner left to last 10 days). I ummed and ahhed for a while but the alternative was a 14v driver without accessories and which was only a fiver cheaper. There were better models than this with lithium batteries and 3 year warranty but out of my price range, starting at £80 upwards.
Before I open it and charge the battery ready for use tomorrow, any comments?
Wickes said I can return it if it's not right, no quibble return policy up to 6 months. B&Q closed at 7 (I thought they closed at 8pm) so didn't get to look at what they had as I'd planned, and don't want to have to go back tomorrow (40 mile round trip and snow is forecast) as I want to get the ply back on and the van usable for next week.
Also with NiCd battery, does it have to be fully discharged before recharging (I've seen builders do this)?
I got this (see pics below) today from Wickes, £50, includes NiCd battery and 13 piece accessory set. (I think I'm going to be eating dog food for the rest of the week, got about a tenner left to last 10 days). I ummed and ahhed for a while but the alternative was a 14v driver without accessories and which was only a fiver cheaper. There were better models than this with lithium batteries and 3 year warranty but out of my price range, starting at £80 upwards.
Before I open it and charge the battery ready for use tomorrow, any comments?
Wickes said I can return it if it's not right, no quibble return policy up to 6 months. B&Q closed at 7 (I thought they closed at 8pm) so didn't get to look at what they had as I'd planned, and don't want to have to go back tomorrow (40 mile round trip and snow is forecast) as I want to get the ply back on and the van usable for next week.
Also with NiCd battery, does it have to be fully discharged before recharging (I've seen builders do this)?
Scottish Bloke
That drill be fine, just go canny with it!
SB
SB
ricc
ni cads are supposed to like being fully discharged before charging .... especially on a new battery....its alleged to keep them working at full capacity... the story is that if you recharge when half empty they end up not ever delivering that last half of the charge.
whitevanwoman
Big day today, the new drill driver battery is charged, insulation is in (except for the damp corner which is now drying out nicely but can't do the sikaflex as it's still too blooming cold so source of leak is taped up for the moment), and I'm about to go out and play with the new toy for the first time, to drill pilot holes through ply and inner frame for the self-tapping screws which should hopefully then just go in like a hot knife in butter (famous last words, surely it can't be that easy!!!).
The ply will have to come off again in a couple of weeks when the damp corner is dried out completely and I can paint it, seal everything with sikaflex and then add insulation in that corner, but hopefully by the end of today the van will be usable again, and tonight will be spent measuring and drawing scale diagrams for the widthways bed and possibly tomorrow I will be able to get away in it which I'm desperate to do.
Oh, and both batteries will be charged as, as I suspected, neither are holding their charge, but I have others lined up so long as I can get down to pick them up.
The ply will have to come off again in a couple of weeks when the damp corner is dried out completely and I can paint it, seal everything with sikaflex and then add insulation in that corner, but hopefully by the end of today the van will be usable again, and tonight will be spent measuring and drawing scale diagrams for the widthways bed and possibly tomorrow I will be able to get away in it which I'm desperate to do.
Oh, and both batteries will be charged as, as I suspected, neither are holding their charge, but I have others lined up so long as I can get down to pick them up.
miss jones
i haven't read all this but here's what I did..
1. unscrewed the original screws holding the ply on, he'd siliconed the rest to keep it in place, scraped this off.
2. used self tapping screws and countersunk them into the ply so the ply is smooth ready to carpet it,
some people use screw caps and screw the wood on after it's been lined, i decided i didn't need to get behind there again (maybe change my mind but there's nothing behind there any, so i'm just covering the screws with the carpet.
i've learnt about different screws this last week.
if i remember right - self tapping screws are the same width all the way down which means they cut their own thread through the wood
normal screws are narrower at one end meaning they aren't held all the way through and can fall out easier.
countersunk screws have a flat head so when you cut the wood lower its sunk into the wood and sits flush.
1. unscrewed the original screws holding the ply on, he'd siliconed the rest to keep it in place, scraped this off.
2. used self tapping screws and countersunk them into the ply so the ply is smooth ready to carpet it,
some people use screw caps and screw the wood on after it's been lined, i decided i didn't need to get behind there again (maybe change my mind but there's nothing behind there any, so i'm just covering the screws with the carpet.
i've learnt about different screws this last week.
if i remember right - self tapping screws are the same width all the way down which means they cut their own thread through the wood
normal screws are narrower at one end meaning they aren't held all the way through and can fall out easier.
countersunk screws have a flat head so when you cut the wood lower its sunk into the wood and sits flush.
whitevanwoman
i haven't read all this but here's what I did..
1. unscrewed the original screws holding the ply on, he'd siliconed the rest to keep it in place, scraped this off.
2. used self tapping screws and countersunk them into the ply so the ply is smooth ready to carpet it,
some people use screw caps and screw the wood on after it's been lined, i decided i didn't need to get behind there again (maybe change my mind but there's nothing behind there any, so i'm just covering the screws with the carpet.
i've learnt about different screws this last week.
if i remember right - self tapping screws are the same width all the way down which means they cut their own thread through the wood
normal screws are narrower at one end meaning they aren't held all the way through and can fall out easier.
countersunk screws have a flat head so when you cut the wood lower its sunk into the wood and sits flush.
:bow: Wow, I'm impressed, little Miss Fixit
To any fathers of daughters out there, one of the most useful things you can ever teach your daughter is how to use power tools and the basics of DIY and one of the most useful presents you can give her is a decent set of tools and instructions on how to look after them properly.
My dad never did this and I was allowed to watch but never to do, so my DIY skills are more bodge it than fix it, gained through trial and error and probably more trial. I've probably wasted loads of money on cheap rubbish tools over the years. But I do enjoy doing DIY, I've done alot in my house and used to do alot on my first 2 cars (2CVs - although I only needed a screwdriver, hammer, socket set, chewing gum and string to fix them) and it's very satisfying to get a job done.
Update on the ply lining - it's now back on, both pieces from the one side that I'd taken off and I've learned not to screw down one piece until the other piece is in position otherwise the other piece won't fit and you need to take the first piece off again to give the second piece a good bashing with the hammer till it slots properly into place :hammer:
I've only put a few screws in, just to hold it in place for now as it'll have to come off again in a couple of weeks to check that the damp patch is no longer damp. I don't need to counter sink my screws as there's going to be another layer of silver bubble wrap over the top and then eventually either carpet or some sort of fabric as a final layer once all the work is done in the van. I can live with the silver bubble wrap for the moment as it reflects the fairy lights and I like the effect.
But it'll do for now and it means the van is usable, once I've tidied away all the tools and mess. And I've learned quite a lot today so thanks to everyone for all the advice etc.
A quick brew and then back out into the van with the hoover ...