Y Plate Blingo - Back

[BigVtwin996]

Joined here a while back, as I was sorting my oldY reg Berlingo......

not done any updates but have been a few interesting moments....
stripped most of the front off to sort minor issues plus give everything a clean out...

Pain in the A getting one of the disks off.. (will poost a great how to... at some point as the disk was hit with sledge hammers, heated with bottles you name it and a simple 10 minute technioque was all it needed)

removed the interior to dry the soggy floor and allow a small bit of welding underneath,,,,
Will end up cutting out a bit of rail and making a new section and welding in so you can't see... just can't stand over plating or boxing in...

fixed som eminor elec issues that actually saved £20 which is a huge amount given the budget!!!

Have cleaned up the calliper mounts and given them a nice few coats of paint...

Debating wether to put stainless hoses on the front or rubber (Any opinions?)

Fount a strut top bearing seized.. got that out now waiting for new one to swap....

have a leak suspect Power Steering fluid.... place not far rebuilds the pumps for £60ish

but really for a 20+ year old van that has strood for 8 years ... it ain't that bad!!

Still trying to work out why the gear linkage is so stiff....

[ian432]

Great work. We have a W reg multispace that I keep resurrecting on a budget

[BigVtwin996]

I brought my Berlingo years ago from a Printer so was well looked after and clean....
It was laid up due to an engine fault and after 7-8 years I decided to sort everything...

Biggest expense so far was a new set of callipers £42 the pair delivered...
(I had stuff like  anew exhaust and disks in stock as I ran it as a company car so brought stuff as spares)
other things like Horn and washer pump I have actually been able to repair... simply seized up so air line and a bit of release fluid....
couple of front brake flexi pipes are needed...
As I have said a top strut bearing....
trouble is I have found my self doing more than needed...
The top strut Spring top was heavily coirroded... so a few days in vinegar and then a bit of electrolytic rust removal it is almost totaly clean.....
then I think .. should I do the other side.....
Should I take the brearing housings off derust and paint them.....

I will make sure the underneath is clean and as rust free as possible....
then it will be used as part of my new business..... but kept clean as I have a roof tent and hope to press it into action as a mini camper...

My brother has a 2.0HDI Partner that has been in 3 accidents each time the other party has paid out and he has kept it going...
They are the last of what I would call the Simple modern cars.....
Regular Oil and filters and the engines will run for ever I think...

[Kieron G]

Good move changing the brake calipers. I had a tight one which I freed off ok, lent the car to my sister and it started binding again. In the end it melted the grease in the wheel bearing and that failed. Never again will I try and free off sticking brake calipers

[BigVtwin996]

Brakes are something I never skimp on....
Luckily "Big Red" had some shelf soiled ones for £42 the pair so not worth messing...
I took teh mounting brackets and soaked them in white vinegar for a week....
taking them out and giving them a wash every day or so....
I will try to post up some pics....
Easiest way if you don't have blasting kit to remove rust...
Also did teh mounting bolts and a few brackets
Also zinc plated some bits using vinegar and epson salts...

A local hydraulics place do stainless hoses made to measure...
they can't doi the spline end fitting but a std nut and threaded end should suffice, and they may work out not much ££ different to rubber brake pipes...

If I do bit camping I am looking at the space under the roof bars to see if I can mount a big Pull out solar panel.....

[BigVtwin996]

Brakes are something I never skimp on....
Luckily "Big Red" had some shelf soiled ones for £42 the pair so not worth messing...
I took teh mounting brackets and soaked them in white vinegar for a week....
taking them out and giving them a wash every day or so....
I will try to post up some pics....
Easiest way if you don't have blasting kit to remove rust...
Also did teh mounting bolts and a few brackets
Also zinc plated some bits using vinegar and epson salts...

A local hydraulics place do stainless hoses made to measure...
they can't doi the spline end fitting but a std nut and threaded end should suffice, and they may work out not much ££ different to rubber brake pipes...

If I do bit camping I am looking at the space under the roof bars to see if I can mount a big Pull out solar panel.....

[BigVtwin996]

Well decided to do a temp fix on the chassis rail damage caused by my mate lifting the Berlingo on one side with his fork lift...

as a quick bodge I decided to over plate a small section of chassis rail....
in the future when i can get it up higher I will cut out the section of rail and make up and invisible repair section...
but anyway back to the 8cm section....
about to weld in place and realised "no gas"
wait a few days... more gas...

well I had lapped it over the sides of the chassis rail and one side up to the floor...
tacked in ok....
then started to seal it... going well...
then phutt phutt the part of the rail had blown through... a few dabs and I decided to add another rpatch...
start again... going well... and... phut phut...
ohhh dear... so another patch....
Ahh finally able to finish the job without any blow through....

some zinc primer a coat of Hammerite and finally a good spray of stone chip.....

Hopefully next year do it the way I want......

I stripped out a lot of the Interior to give it a good clean...
I was shocked by how wet the sponge was under the front carpets....
luckily no damage other than some paint bubbles....
waiting for a top strut bearing and the brake pads and I will start reassembly....

[BigVtwin996]

Right a bit of a lay off other priotities.....

Van now going back together....
I have aquired a set of alloys (citeron Blingo ones)
few scratches from curbing.... but a bit oif sanding - they seem to have a few tjhick layers soe may primer filler out anu left and finally respray them....

I am hoping when I get it all back together it will start and be ok.... it did before I dismantled everything...

Just discovered the Brake master cylinder looks like it has had it... couldn't get any poressure bleeding the brakes...
Now I can't find my Haynes manual.....

Think all I need is some wiper blades then it's off to MOT if all is well...

If not I will be back here....
and hopefully also be able to contribite as much as I recieve....

I really would like to build one of those 6 wheeler prototypes they did....

Ohh as a pay back for help.. I am setting up a Blasting business ner walsall (west mids)
anyone need anything doing, packet of hobnobs and a few ££ let me know and bring it down....
can't do really big stuff yet but one day...

Well in the absence of my Haynes...
Any quick tips for changine the brake master cylinder?