Welcome to "Pooh", my 33

[33grinder]

Well, no barbed wire and patrol dogs here...yet. ;D

PM sent Andrew and look forward to your visit!

Pete.

[Kenr]

Hi Andrew, Essex Daf Central is ALWAYS worth a day out. No guard dogs but the chickens can be a bit scary.

I too have just joined the ranks of 33 ownership and am not that far away from you. I'm in Edmonton.

Yellow lights? Tres cool!

Ken

[33grinder]

Hi Andrew,

Are you going to Duxford for the DOC's last meet of the year?

Matt and I will be going and would be happy to meet you en-route if you'd like to join our convoy.

Do let me know!

It was a pleasure speaking with you on Monday and hope you're feeling better.

[andrewthe33]

An update on Pooh's movements (?) since last she visited Essex Daf's H.Q. I'm grateful for your comments re: my lack of brake lights, but having checked, I can assure you they are working O.K.

Now then, as to Pooh's vacuum problems, I've worked out the following (and the next bit is a bit complicated, to bear with me...) When the low hold switch is off (not lit) the connections in the switch allow the live line from the brake light switch that's activated when the brakes are applied (the white wire) to do two things:
1/ Illuminate the brake lights.
2/ Activate the low hold solenoid; a "click" is audible when it becomes live.

When the low hold switch IS on (lit) the feed from the ignition + to the low hold switch is switched to the solenoid regardless of the brake lights being on. Again, a "click is audible when it becomes live. The switch is needed, since if it were not there, activating the low hold switch would also put the brake lights on!

What's happening with Pooh? The solenoid works when the button's lit but depressing the brake doesn't make the solenoid work, but DOES light the brake lights.... Conclusion? The wiring in the low hold switch is faulty. It's a new switch, courtesy of Essex Daf, so investigations will continue. Watch this space!

Another problem I'm mentally resolving is the lack of change up vacuum. I'm buying a vacuum gauge soon, to help, but I wondered if the pipes feeding vacuum to the pulleys could somehow have been reversed. It would explain the strange noises on change up and down. That said, over 220 miles on a tankful means that there's not that much wrong, so again, I'll keep you all informed.

The important thing is to only change one thing at a time, or you don't know what you did that cured the problem!

[Kenr]

I'm sure you will sort it Andrew, you are being thourough in your approach. My approach is if it doesn't work ignore it for a while, then hit it, glare at it really hard then ignore it some more.

Then mostly what I do after that is ask someone else to have a look in the hope the will take pity on me and resolve it.

Interiors? Not a problem. Mechanicals/electrics - arrghh!

Ken

[33grinder]

I agree with Ken - electrics is a dark art.

Sorry that you're still experiencing problems Andrew. We have other units if needs be otherwise for total piece of mind then DAFHobby sell a repair kit.

[Kenr]

Andrew, pop over on the 22nd and we can compare 33's. Then I can glare at any malfunctioning components for you. Always happy to help!

[thebear54]

Does this help any Andrew ??

I would check and/or replace all the old vacuum lines first before making an attempt to re-build the Vacuum valve (shown on the diagram as "EHV").
If it comes to a valve re-build "Born Built Beauties" as well as "DAFHOBBY" have the kits.

John

[andrewthe33]

Thanks for the diagram-really helpful in working out where the vacuum goes at different stages of driving a Daf!

An extra day off work today, so time to do some Daffing.... I've bought a vacuum gauge, which is practically essential if you want to sort out a Daf's problems. I've already had some success in finding why "Pooh" doesn't change up or down properly...

Attaching the vacuum gauge to the rubber pipe from the inlet manifold (the point that produces all the vacuum the car uses) revealed a vacuum of 180mm Hg, which didin't alter throughout the rev range. More importantly, it didn't fall off when the engine was switched off (well, it did, but it took AGES!) So far so good....

I then replaced this hose onto the low ratio solenoid, and took the rubber hose that joins it to the change up valve. When the low hold switch is off (unlit) the engine vacuum at this point is the same, which is as it should be, but switching the low hold solenoid on should lower this vacuum to zero, and it didn't, so that need investigating. Also when I put the hose carrying the vacuum from the low hold to the change up valve back in place & then measured the vacuum that would be sent to the belts, to assist change up, the vacuum was negligible, suggesting that the pipe seals are not too good, although what vacuum there was registered as the throttle was opened, not on tick-over, which is correct. As the hoses slide on the pipes without any effort that might well be the cause of the loss of vacuum and poor running on tick-over.

I also need to buy a new brake light switch. Mine DOES work, but has a resistance in it; it puts the brake lights on but the low hold is not properly energised. It should click in the same way as when the low hold switch is operated, and it doesn't!

I've also noticed that the 2 metal pipes that connect the valves with the Variomatic units are of different sizes; I'm working on the premise that the larger of the 2 is for the change up vacuum than the smaller for the change down; does anyone know if this is correct?

I hope this helps any other 33ers out there! Sorry if this has gone on a bit, but I'm having great fun sorting this out & wish to share the knowledge around! More tomorrow, when I have a proper day off, as opposed to an extra one...

[Kenr]

Andrew you have really taken to this haven't you!

Do you want to pop over at the weekend for a couple of hours, we can talk Dafs/Triumphs/Hyundai Amica's. Well, maybe not Hyundai Amica's to be honest.

Ken