Debs
Forum Member
listerdiesel
The chassis came out of the powder coaters on the 15th April.
We were on the Harwich to Hook of Holland Ferry on the 10th June.
55 days?
Peter
listerdiesel
Lousy weather day, but managed a couple of jobs in the Mercedes.
First was making up the adapter for the second roof vent (kitchen extractor) and then I had to position the cupboard lining through which the extraction fan duct runs to mark out and cut the 4" hole.
I was a wee bit out, but not by anything significant, so after a bit of a struggle with the two lining sheets it all popped into place, complete with top and bottom trims.
The liner sheets are not fixed in place, they are held by their own tension under bending, so no need for screws or glue.
The vent pipe will have a standard bit of convoluted air duct hose to take the air from the extraction fan.
I'll probably have a go at the main cupboard panels next.
Peter
First was making up the adapter for the second roof vent (kitchen extractor) and then I had to position the cupboard lining through which the extraction fan duct runs to mark out and cut the 4" hole.
I was a wee bit out, but not by anything significant, so after a bit of a struggle with the two lining sheets it all popped into place, complete with top and bottom trims.
The liner sheets are not fixed in place, they are held by their own tension under bending, so no need for screws or glue.
The vent pipe will have a standard bit of convoluted air duct hose to take the air from the extraction fan.
I'll probably have a go at the main cupboard panels next.
Peter
Byronic
FWIW Whilst you're still in the mood for removing windows
Take a look at the windscreen pillars, these are notorious for rotting out. If you are unlucky and have to remove the windscreen at least it's just a rubber seal. Condensation in cab area tends to drain down the pillar, hence rust. More problematical is removal of the external decorative trim.
Make sure you retain reasonable internal access to the fuel filler pipework in the van wall. Van leaves the factory with protective steel plate, the tank breather pipe has a tendency to rot and having a shower/cassette or similar covering it, well you can guess the potential.
Take a look at the windscreen pillars, these are notorious for rotting out. If you are unlucky and have to remove the windscreen at least it's just a rubber seal. Condensation in cab area tends to drain down the pillar, hence rust. More problematical is removal of the external decorative trim. Make sure you retain reasonable internal access to the fuel filler pipework in the van wall. Van leaves the factory with protective steel plate, the tank breather pipe has a tendency to rot and having a shower/cassette or similar covering it, well you can guess the potential.
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listerdiesel
Thanks for those points, much appreciated!
The floor has to come out as it is above the wheel arches and we are losing 4" on headroom.
The three layers of subframe add up to 200+kgs as well, all for a flat floor for wheelchairs.
The filler and breather are below floor level right now, but when the floor is lowered they will be at the standard position, and I have new pipes on the list for renewing them.
Peter
The floor has to come out as it is above the wheel arches and we are losing 4" on headroom.
The three layers of subframe add up to 200+kgs as well, all for a flat floor for wheelchairs.
The filler and breather are below floor level right now, but when the floor is lowered they will be at the standard position, and I have new pipes on the list for renewing them.
Peter
Byronic
I have come across leaking rubber sections of the fuel filler breather pipe in various incarnations of the MB T2.
I put this down to the said pipe being quite convoluted which induces stress/weakness in the tight bends formed during manufacture?
Until I carried out a mod, I have had to replacethis bloody pipe 3 times, the last time it only lasted 3 years and by now you'd think MB or it's supplier would have used a better quality material and/or manuf. process. I have also replaced this pipe for a friend,access to the pipe was behind the cassette/shower wall!!
It's the topmost connections which are the problem not those below floor level.
I put this down to the said pipe being quite convoluted which induces stress/weakness in the tight bends formed during manufacture?
Until I carried out a mod, I have had to replacethis bloody pipe 3 times, the last time it only lasted 3 years and by now you'd think MB or it's supplier would have used a better quality material and/or manuf. process. I have also replaced this pipe for a friend,access to the pipe was behind the cassette/shower wall!!
It's the topmost connections which are the problem not those below floor level.
listerdiesel
Hoping to get the skylight frame off and resealed today.
Had a drunk come crashing through our back yard list night just before midnight, bit of a scuffle with our son and me involved.
Police were excellent, under 6 minutes from call to arriving at the scene.
Got to fix the back gate now
Peter
Had a drunk come crashing through our back yard list night just before midnight, bit of a scuffle with our son and me involved.
Police were excellent, under 6 minutes from call to arriving at the scene.
Got to fix the back gate now
Peter
listerdiesel
Happy hour or so outside in the warm, hacking out miles of wiring behind the dashboard.
Loads of missing screws and Spire nuts behind there, plus one of the tachograph knurled retaining screws had fallen off.
I can't leave it like it was as there were some pretty unsafe bits of wiring in there, some on live wiring, so out it all comes.
Finally got it all out last evening and everything else still worked OK. The final pile of cable, switches anf fuse carrier block is here:
All of that is purely for the bus functions, interior lights, taillift and electric door.
Peter
Loads of missing screws and Spire nuts behind there, plus one of the tachograph knurled retaining screws had fallen off.
I can't leave it like it was as there were some pretty unsafe bits of wiring in there, some on live wiring, so out it all comes.
Finally got it all out last evening and everything else still worked OK. The final pile of cable, switches anf fuse carrier block is here:
All of that is purely for the bus functions, interior lights, taillift and electric door.
Peter
Jamist
Hi Listerdiesel,
I am considering purchasing the same type of base vehicle for my own self-build, hope to look at a couple next weekend. Do you think there would be enough room to get a second seat in the front? I need minimum 6 seats all told and only having 1 in the front is a bit of a disadvantage. It would be great if I could pick your brains sometime before I part with my cash!
Many thanks, Jamist
I am considering purchasing the same type of base vehicle for my own self-build, hope to look at a couple next weekend. Do you think there would be enough room to get a second seat in the front? I need minimum 6 seats all told and only having 1 in the front is a bit of a disadvantage. It would be great if I could pick your brains sometime before I part with my cash!
Many thanks, Jamist
listerdiesel
Hi Jamist:
It depends on the build of the one you buy.
Standard panel van build is two pax seats and a sliding side door.
Buses have just the driver's seat and a wide entrance like ours.
If you see one you really like, send me the details.
Peter
It depends on the build of the one you buy.
Standard panel van build is two pax seats and a sliding side door.
Buses have just the driver's seat and a wide entrance like ours.
If you see one you really like, send me the details.
Peter
Byronic
Mine (709D) left the factory with double passenger seat and drivers seat. The driver seat and outer passenger have standard 3 point seatbelts but the inner passenger only a 2 point lap belt (3 point would be impractical).
There were the options of single passenger seat and driver seat, or just a driver seat.
The actual fixing points for all seat frame position options are as far as I know present in all the panel vans.
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Stu709d
Nice work
Coming on nicely there, makes me wish I'd taken more pics of my 709 seeing yours progress, it's real interesting seeing the things you've done that are similar to what I've done but a different approach. Those air canister things you found underneath are on my van, but my handbrake is a cable and I haven't got the air pots on the brakes, so I don't know what they're for but I don't think it's brakes, I've broken one of mine and no air comes out of it when it's running either and it's split in two. Far as I can tell I've got nowt on my van that's air assisted but it's got a compressor and air tank
Keep up the good work, looking forward to seeing it progress
Coming on nicely there, makes me wish I'd taken more pics of my 709 seeing yours progress, it's real interesting seeing the things you've done that are similar to what I've done but a different approach. Those air canister things you found underneath are on my van, but my handbrake is a cable and I haven't got the air pots on the brakes, so I don't know what they're for but I don't think it's brakes, I've broken one of mine and no air comes out of it when it's running either and it's split in two. Far as I can tell I've got nowt on my van that's air assisted but it's got a compressor and air tank
Keep up the good work, looking forward to seeing it progress
Stu709d
FWIW Whilst you're still in the mood for removing windows
Make sure you retain reasonable internal access to the fuel filler pipework in the van wall. Van leaves the factory with protective steel plate, the tank breather pipe has a tendency to rot and having a shower/cassette or similar covering it, well you can guess the potential.
Oh dear, I've paneled over my filler pipe
Do all the passenger seats fit on a folding frame? The one in mine was a double passenger but was bodged onto a folding frame that tips the full chair forwards, but the frame don't look wide enough for double seat so I'm converting it to single
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Byronic
If your 709d has a cable operated handbrake, then it doesn't have air assistance, one thing less to go wrong. The 2 tanks are vacuum chambers they just supplement the vacuum supplied by the vacuum chamber at the bulkhead (brake pedal). Just a modified conventional basic car system in reality. The vacuum is supplied by an exhauster pump on the right hand side of the engine block, looks like an air cooled m/bike cylinder head!. The later Vario brake system versions may vary from that of vans of the 709d era. More electronic components were introduced along with the 4250cc engine.
The double seat is a bit narrow for 2 but if used as a single, the spare area can be a useful space. I know the single seat could be tipping, but I've never seen an OEM folding double, possibly why your one is a bodge.
Filler pipe access.....looks like a bit of panel chopping coming up!!
The double seat is a bit narrow for 2 but if used as a single, the spare area can be a useful space. I know the single seat could be tipping, but I've never seen an OEM folding double, possibly why your one is a bodge.
Filler pipe access.....looks like a bit of panel chopping coming up!!
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Stu709d
That explains that then, any idea why I've got an air tank? Not the two plastic canisters, this is a proper metal air tank, been baffling me as I can't find anything that uses it, it doesn't seem to be part of the vac system, which I've had to work on as the van didn't switch off when I got it, eventually traced as a vac leak from the pipe that goes from ignition to stop solenoid
Byronic
The 2 vacuum tanks are mounted inboard on the RH side chassis rail inboard side just rear of the drivers seat. They're made of steel. Couldn't say what the plastic tank is that you mention, where is its position, you could be looking at the windscreen washer bottle as far as I know
My comments are based on ancient incarnations ie '86 t0 '91 I must add, so anything since may well have differing spec./components. The T2 vans have and had many options, they had to be saleable as ambulances, fire engines busses etc etc they were built to order, which is why I ended up getting a used van, with it being over a 4 months wait for a new, I even went Germany to the biggest dealers in Stuttgart area! I gave up when they advised me to go to Italy and chase down a cancelled order!
My comments are based on ancient incarnations ie '86 t0 '91 I must add, so anything since may well have differing spec./components. The T2 vans have and had many options, they had to be saleable as ambulances, fire engines busses etc etc they were built to order, which is why I ended up getting a used van, with it being over a 4 months wait for a new, I even went Germany to the biggest dealers in Stuttgart area! I gave up when they advised me to go to Italy and chase down a cancelled order!
Stu709d
The 2 vacuum tanks are mounted inboard on the RH side chassis rail inboard side just rear of the drivers seat. They're made of steel. Couldn't say what the plastic tank is that you mention, where is its position, you could be looking at the windscreen washer bottle as far as I know
My comments are based on ancient incarnations ie '86 t0 '91 I must add, so anything since may well have differing spec./components. The T2 vans have and had many options, they had to be saleable as ambulances, fire engines busses etc etc they were built to order, which is why I ended up getting a used van, with it being over a 4 months wait for a new, I even went Germany to the biggest dealers in Stuttgart area! I gave up when they advised me to go to Italy and chase down a cancelled order!
Must be a different set up, i have the same airship shaped plastic ones as listerdiesel, hes got pics of them somewhere ive seen, one ieither side under the cab floor behind the step panel, i then have a metal air tank mounted in the position you mentioned, but it seems a bit extreme for a vac tank, the pressure on the vac system is minimal, this tank would take 80 psi
listerdiesel
There are a couple of brake options for the 7XX series. If you have the 24V compressor then you will have the air spring brakes.
Drop me a PM with your VIN number and I'll check the parts on my laptop.
Peter
Drop me a PM with your VIN number and I'll check the parts on my laptop.
Peter
Stu709d
Thatd be great thanks, at work now until morning so il dig logbook out tomorrow and pm you
listerdiesel
I checked the VIN and it brought up your 709D.
No sign of an electric compressor, but it did have additional tankage for brake vacuum.
If you have an air-operated door, it night have a compressor for that.
Brakes are vacuum with drum brakes, with one model having front discs, mine has discs all round.
If you haven't got anything obviously air operated and the handbrake is cables to the rear drum brakes, the compressor may be redundant. If that is indeed the case I would be interested in it for a spare.
Peter
No sign of an electric compressor, but it did have additional tankage for brake vacuum.
If you have an air-operated door, it night have a compressor for that.
Brakes are vacuum with drum brakes, with one model having front discs, mine has discs all round.
If you haven't got anything obviously air operated and the handbrake is cables to the rear drum brakes, the compressor may be redundant. If that is indeed the case I would be interested in it for a spare.
Peter