Tuesday 27 May 2014

Fun With Dubs - Bastard Electrics

My Bay is a bit of `special' - Audi 80 watercooled engine shoe horned into the engine bay. Of course, cooling this needs a radiator, so theres a huge BMW radiator and two cooling fans, one on each side of the rad.

In case you've forgotten what it looks like:-



Now as the electrics were put together by a colour blind fuck wit, some of them don't work, and tracing the wires is a pain where red turns to blue turns to brown within the first metre of wiring.

So I'm gradually working my way through the systems and fixing connections and making things work. Recent successes include reversing lights which had a lot more chance of working once the switch was actually connected to the battery and the lights themselves.

This afternoon I was looking at radiator fans. The one behind the rad works off a manual switch in the cab and also a thermo switch. After figuring out what does what it seems to be OK. But the rad on the engine side was kaput. 12V made their presence known but no turny fan.

Nothing left to do but take it to bits:-


Of course the first thing I did was lose one of the tiny nuts that hold the motor case together. I still haven't found it. Stripping the motor revealed no damage so I gave it a good hose out with electrical cleaner, reassembled and put 12V on it from a spare battery. Success. I now have a working fan (with only three casing screws...).

Next its find out why one of the relays under the dashboard is consuming power, and then its time to weld the chassis (and probably burn the fucker to the ground).

Keep tuning in for more fun.

Saturday 17 May 2014

Sunny Saturday

Usual activities for a sunny Saturday.

Bought a set of these beauties in the week:-
And bought a set of horns for the VW -  the Type R horn for snails it would seem. Fortunately I'm fitting it to a vehicle which isn't that fast...:-

Fitted the new horn and then found that the battery was flat. Hmmm...I suspected that I had a parasitic drain but thought that the battery was just shagged so changed it. More investigation needed.

While charging the battery....:-
...I got on and serviced the Velocette. Changed the gearbox oil, lubed the cables and chains, greased the swingarm pivot and pumped up the tyres. Ready for action now.

Monday 5 May 2014

Vans and Motocross

Been doing the usual shite.

Fettling continues on the VW camper. The brakes now work thanks to the new servo and master cylinder. Bleeding them was the usual chore.

The steering box now has new seals and no leaks.


There seems to be some of the electrical bits not working now though. Investigation revealed a shagged horn:-


In other news I managed to get a surf in at Porthcawl. Nice waves til I realised I had drifted down the beach and had to climb out on the rocks. Was well knackered by the time I dragged myself out.


Rode over to Yatton Keynell on the 1930 Ariel to watch a vintage motocross. Loads of nice bikes, the latest being air cooled monos:-

Bultaco Pursang


A family of Maicos

The line up for practice:-

Great to see old bikes being thrashed.