1974 8-seater microbus mechanical rebuild

[KIWI]

I am currently doing a mechanical only rebuild on Wiz's 1974 8-seater microbus.
Pictures will be coming in due course.
PR

[Oldman]

Nice to be able to do the work yourself !
Certainly assists with quality control….
Looking forward to the pics. and details.

[KIWI]

Hreadlight wiring needed a bit of a tidy up.
       
New loom made using 6mm cable.
   
PR

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Aftermarket headlights did not have required cutout so out with the Dremel followed by a repaint.
       
   
PR

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Indicators needed replacing as bulb holders corroded, base flaking and lenses cracked.
Aftermarket indicators had incorrect terminals.
       
New terminals:
   
New amber LED globes and new lens fitted:
       
PR

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Driving light/Fog light wiring using:

• Mil Spec battery terminals,
  
• Heavy duty fuse at battery,
  
• 6mm twin sheathed wiring from the battery to the front,
  
• Accessory fuse box with enough circuits for auxiliary lights, audio and -ve bus,
  
• Standard lighting will still be through original wiring,
  
• Fog light signal from parking light circuit to fog light relay,
  
• Driving light signal from high beam circuit to driving light relay.
  

   
Mock up using donor bumper to get the look right.
Real bumper fitted with 6mm rivnuts for the number plate and 8mm rivnuts for the light bar.
Light bar necessary to spot Kangaroos but can be removed so Kombi can look like a Kombi.
   
I still have to figure out where to run the wiring to the auxiliary lights.
PR

[Mordred]

Just a heads up, the original headlight are wired via the ignition switch so all of the current goes through the contacts in there.  If you increase the headlight globe wattage or add extra load with auxiliary lights you will shorten the life of the ignition switch considerably.  Been a problem for a long while as everyone wants better lights.

The best way is to use the feed to the lights to control a relay (or 2) and then run a new fused cable from the starter motor battery connection to the relay and power the light from that.  That will take the load off the ignition switch.  The headlight relay itself switches between high beam and low beam so if you have 2 other relays you can just power the coils from each fuse for high and low beam. There are separate fuses for high beam and low beam, the top of Fuse 3&4 (linked) are the low beam relay output and the top of 5&6 (linked) are the high beam output.  You should be able to run a wire with a spade connector from the bottom of one of each pair and that will give you a fused feed for operating the relay.

You can also mount the relays in the spare sections under the fuse box and use spade connectors to connect to the relay which will hold it in l=place.  can be a bit fiddly but at least all the relays are together then.

Hope that helps.

Adrian

[KIWI]

Thanks for the write up.
The only additional load on the existing circuits will be to switch the relays. 
I've decided to run the 6mm cable from the battery rather than the starter motor to allow for an easily accesible 'master' fuse at the battery.
I may use the spare relay sockets or the Stedi looms I already have.
PR

[Mordred]

No worries, just remember to put a fuse at the battery end. Just a heads up, the main cable to the fuse box splits there and then goes via the ignition switch and to the coil without any fuses at all. It is rarely an issue but good to know when fiddling that you have a potential to melt parts of the loom if there is a short. I suppose they were happy with the risk of not having a fuse blow and stop the vehicle. 

Adrian

[KIWI]

No worries, just remember to put a fuse at the battery end. Just a heads up, the main cable to the fuse box splits there and then goes via the ignition switch and to the coil without any fuses at all. It is rarely an issue but good to know when fiddling that you have a potential to melt parts of the loom if there is a short. I suppose they were happy with the risk of not having a fuse blow and stop the vehicle. 

Adrian

The big black fuse in the picture a couple of posts back will be at the battery for the additional wiring.
I may also add a separate one for the ignition switch?
edit
Just noticed your post in another thread. Mine will be similar.
PR

[Mordred]

The big black fuse in the picture a couple of posts back will be at the battery for the additional wiring.
I may also add a separate one for the ignition switch?
PR

I like that design.  Much better than the cheap white plastic bayonet type inline fuses that aren't really good for much more than 10 amps that most people use.

If you want to protect the ignition switch you will need a fairly large fuse, something in the range of 15 amp and goes on the red 4mm wire off the top of fuse 8 (there will be another 1.5 wire to the light switch off the same point and if you want to protect that a 8 amp would be suitable). A better option may be to fit an inline fuse in the red and white wire rated at 30 amps near the starter motor stud before it heads to the fuse box. That will protect the ignition switch and the light switch from a direct short circuit.  There are links directly off the line side of fuses 8 and 9 to the light switch and the ignition switch before going back to the fuse box to pass through a fuse.

Adrian

[KIWI]

Gearbox is out so a few jobs to be done.
Started by giving the gearbox a decent clean to get rid of a few years of dirt, grease and oil.
          
Next job was to replace the main drive shaft oil seal (113-311-113/A).
Clutch release bearing guide removed and holes re-tapped/cleaned.
Oil seal removed, clutch housing cleaned with Prepsol.
Main drive shaft and oil seal lips got a light coating of oil, outer surface of oil seal got a light coating of sealant.
Oil seal drifted in and clutch release bearing guide refitted with bolts torqued to 15 Nm.

Clutch operating shaft bushes next on the to-do list using EMPI Clutch Shaft Fitting Kit from Just Kampers (J10350).
Operating shaft and bushes removed, cleaned up and painted.
LHS operating shaft bush lock screw hole re-tapped/cleaned.
All parts lined up in correct order.
   
Trial fit to make sure operating within specs. Paint removed from clutch lever end of operating shaft.
RHS bush drifted in then inner surface lightly coated with grease.
Inner circlip, washer, inner rubber bush fitted to operating shaft, then shaft refitted.
LHS bush fitted with securing hole lined up.
Outer rubber bush, return spring seat, return spring, clutch operating lever, outer circlip installed with light coating of grease on bushes.
Tested to ensure correct operation.
Spring washer and lock screw fitted and torqued to 15Nm.
          
PR

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Slight leakage from the output flange oil seal.
   
Oil seals and circlips replaced.
Contemplated replacing o-rings on the bearing ring but no sign of leakage so decided to leave well alone.
   
Gearshift housing was next.
New front and rear bushings, front oil seal, shift lever inner ball joint and gasket to be replaced.
Retrieved the bushings from the parts box only to find they were 17 mm not 16.6 mm as required.
Note the difference in wall thickness.
Ordered new ones, received 17 mm in error.
Arranged to swap for the correct 16.6 mm bushes and installed OK.
Unable to source a new gasket so out with the 0.15 mm gasket paper and ball pein hammer. Tap, tap, tap and new gasket appeared.
          

Finally a quick paint with engine enamel and into storage awaiting completion of other tasks.
   
PR

[onetrackwonder]

Great work Kiwi, loving the detail of it all, well done, cheers Greg