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Post by spunkymonkey on Aug 29, 2011 16:38:46 GMT
I thought I'd start Tilly's thread here with news of the cause of the mysterious brake failure she suffered on the way to the last Essex meet. I finally got her top vario cover off today while at a local show and the reason for the failure is now clear. The good side is that it's not a problem with the copper pipe itself, but it was a mistake by me in fitting. I'm feeling a little embarrassed right now - it's a mistake I shouldn't have made - but I'm going to publicly admit to it anyway because it might save someone else doing similar! When I fitted the pipe I made sure that there was plenty of clearance to things it might chafe on, which is standard practice, but I didn't allow for the fact that the vario primary moves forward when you tension the belts!!!. The result was this: The bar in the bottom / left of the photo is the front vario mounting bar. Where there had been lots of clearance to it when I fitted the pipe, there was none after a couple of belt tightenings. In fact, it looks like I'd actually crushed the pipe slightly on the last tightening. Won't be making that mistake again ;D
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Post by 33grinder on Aug 29, 2011 20:30:43 GMT
That's a bummer Joe but at least you now know what's caused it and make corrections to prevent it reoccurring. It would never have crossed my mind to make such an allowance, that's for sure.
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Post by spunkymonkey on Jan 8, 2012 13:00:20 GMT
Seems I've been even more lax updating here than on the Daf Owners Club and Derbyshire-wide forum! Must be because I've been being a bad, bad Daf owner and ignoring her all this time. Yes, up until today she still had no engine braking - despite getting the seals from Danny at the last year's Essex Dafs weekend - she still had a rear brake pipe lovingly tie-wrapped to the underneath of her vario cover, and she still had the belts that I was a little concerned wouldn't get us back from the Essex weekend. If I was her I'd fire me! Anyway, all that's changed now after a frantic 5 hours or so today: The diagnosis of the locking wheel when braking turned out to be spot on. Replaced the seals in the drivers side vario input pipes and she's now engine braking like she's meant to and without any brown trouser swerves. I'm afraid I didn't get any photos on the way because I was trying hard not to be underneath her till dawn but I can confirm that it's possible to change those seals without removing the primary transmission. It certainly helps having the removable panel under the rear seats but I suspect it would be possible from underneath if needed. The brake pipe was a straightforward, if typically messy, case of cutting the "temporary" pipe I'd fitted just forward of where it's meant to go up over the vario and splicing in a new piece to follow round the correct route. Definitely easier than trying to fit / shape that front - rear pipe as a single length so I'll probably be putting a joint in there as a matter of routine if I ever have to do another! The belts are still only a temporary measure as I've fitted the part-used pair that ED kindly let us have when we were down there. Not sure if they're off 2 differet cars, or if the car they were on has a badly damaged pulley, but there's a huge difference in the tension on them. Not to worry, though, they're still better than ones that can't be tensioned at all any more I also took the chance to have a bit of a dig-round at the experimental underbody protection (wire brush and Kurust followed by several cans of Dinitrol cavity wax). It seems like it's doing the job brilliantly, and is SO much cleaner looking, and easier to inspect, than underseal! Will check again in the Spring but I think it may be my default approach from now on. So, next stop for the old girl is a trip to Devon at the start of February to visit my parents - just doesn't seem right that Betty gets all the fun trips
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Post by spunkymonkey on Jan 29, 2012 18:08:14 GMT
Bahh! Tilly is (was??) due to go to Devon next weekend so today she threw a belt No time or money to get one before we go, so it looks like Betty may be going instead. Which means I have to sort her exhaust blow out
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Post by 33grinder on Jan 29, 2012 19:06:15 GMT
Sorry to hear that Joe, it never rains but it pours.
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thebear54
DAF Nut
Those who say it can't be done, should not interupt the people doing it !
Posts: 1,426
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Post by thebear54 on Jan 29, 2012 22:54:24 GMT
Ah yes, The "fun" of owning and using a Classic as a Daily. Sorry to hear of the mishap with 'Tilly but nothing too serious, luckily. This too shall pass. John
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Post by spunkymonkey on Jan 30, 2012 10:57:25 GMT
Think I may have thought of a way round it. We can probably get some delivered to Mum's house while we're down there and a certain red pile of rust has a fairly new set that's been sitting doing nothing for the past year or so. The question is, do I feel lucky? ;D
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Post by spunkymonkey on Jan 30, 2012 22:11:55 GMT
Think we might take a chance and Tilly SHALL go to the ball Borrowed Isabel's belts tihis afternoon, only to find they were a lot more worn than I expected. Still, they were about 29mm wide at the top compared to 27mm for the ones I'd taken off Tilly before Christmas. So they should have a bit more wear left in them. Also have 3 more with similar wear to change on the way if needed Will order a set to be sent to Mum's house and fit new for the trip back up I think - it's not a bad job with that removable panel under the seat!
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thebear54
DAF Nut
Those who say it can't be done, should not interupt the people doing it !
Posts: 1,426
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Post by thebear54 on Jan 31, 2012 11:37:39 GMT
Good work. I still had not quite fugured out why DAF did away with the access panel on the 33 models. It does make life so much easier to change belts. John
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Post by macplaxton on Jan 31, 2012 12:58:10 GMT
Bean counters John, bean counters.
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