Berlingo battles and DRKpers

citronut · Unread post by **citronut** » 24 Jan 2014, 08:58

demag wrote:
Err is that a brolly tucked behind the spare wheel?

its for prodding cyclists that get toooooooo close

it couldnt be for it original purpose as Mike is a hardened soft topper

lexi · Unread post by **lexi** » 26 Jan 2014, 21:48

That is excellent. You need something like that now and again for fun. Far better than bowls and an allotment

Unread post by **Hell Razor5543** » 26 Jan 2014, 22:10

I got my Great Aunt one of these as a joke present one Christmas (the one on the left). She loves it, and it is on her bureau in the living room. It explains the umbrella!

http://www.bearonlinestore.com/ibtbdb/i ... usabbr.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Unread post by **Northern_Mike** » 26 Jan 2014, 22:19

Bowls and an allotment?

Pah.

DickieG · Unread post by **DickieG** » 07 Feb 2014, 21:29

Looks like the water temperature needle has gone off the scale!

Unread post by **Northern_Mike** » 07 Feb 2014, 21:31

DickieG wrote:Looks like the water temperature needle has gone off the scale!

No, it wasn't working at all. You can just about see the top of the needle on the far left of the gauge. The cable had come off the back of it, but we weren't about to look at that speed.

demag · Unread post by **demag** » 08 Feb 2014, 06:37

Just out of interest what were the revs at that speed?

Unread post by **Northern_Mike** » 08 Feb 2014, 07:22

Around 7000! It was slightly downhill and I just kept my foot down. To our surprise the speed just kept creeping up. It didn't accelerate really over 100, rather just gained momentum.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

Unread post by **Northern_Mike** » 08 Feb 2014, 19:25

Well, due to the C5's impending demise, and the numerous punctures and iffy tyres the Berlingo is wearing, today I decided it was time I finally got round to swapping the wheels from the C5 to the Berlingo, as they have good tyres on it.

I got two done, and then it lashed down, so I just carried on. Then I gave the wheels a quick wash, as they were grotty from at least 8 months without a clean!

The result

I think they suit the Berlingo, and I don't think it looks over-tyred. It drives better with slightly fatter, quality rubber.

The C5 by comparison looks a bit daft on the Berlingo steels. I've kept the trims in the shed, they're not going with the C5 when it goes!

Rooting round the C5 as I took the wheels off, I noticed the rear discs. Don't look like they've been too busy..

and the fronts are just a bit of a state really, though for anyone interested, the calipers are free, and the handbrake works perfectly.

Think they've done about 4000 miles, if that, since I got it.

Hopefully, it'll be gone by Weds or Thurs, then something can be bought to replace it.

Unread post by **Northern_Mike** » 12 May 2014, 17:48

Well, to put this DRK stuff back where it belongs, in the DRK "blog" thing I created would be a good idea.

Anyway, today it rained. Someone (Simon?) said he was playing hide and seek with the rain too. I just stood under the brolly and watched it..

I have rang around and managed to find somewhere that could ID the shoes and cylinders. They are apparently Bendix items from a Renault 4 van, early 70s. They can get them, but it'll be a while and I need to get the car mobile and safe. I have managed to source 1 correct cylinder, so lets hope it's the right one. I needed to remove the old flexi from the knackered cylinder. I'd fought with it yesterday, soaked it in penetrating oil, heated up the cylinder with the propane torch - all to no avail.

I tried again today, decided to get the dremel on it and cut some chunks out of the side of the cylinder to allow the heat to get right into it. It worked!

The reason for the lack of brake on one side (yet enough to pass an MOT) is apparent here. One piston seized completely solid in the bore. The edges are broken where I was gripping the cylinder with the mole grips for a while.

Nasty.

So, then I thought I'd clean up the old flexi-hose and fittings so they can be reused until the new items turn up. Wire brush attachment on the dremel, breathing mask on, and a good seeing-to. Came up a treat, I flushed it through with brake cleaner a few times and even found a new copper washer for it.

In the unlikely event of the item advertised on eBay as a R4 front brake cylinder last week being the correct item (it looked like it was, was new, and cost me £1.78 + post) then hopefully I can get a brake working on that side and use the old girl on Wednesday. Time will tell....

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 13 May 2014, 04:31

Excellent stuff Mike, well done

That was a pretty serious storm of rain!

citronut · Unread post by **citronut** » 13 May 2014, 08:44

Mike if you are still stuck for the parts try if you havent already

http://www.biggred.co.uk/index.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

they are very good and prompt with there replies and postage

also they sourced and supplied front caliper repair kits for Chris Salters Visa, were other companies we tried failed

Unread post by **Northern_Mike** » 13 May 2014, 19:25

Well, the cylinder I'd ordered off eBay just to get it mobile again before I bothered to order more parts arrived. I fitted, put the shoes back in place....

I adjusted the manual adjusters up bit by bit so the drum was just free. Got the missus in the car to give it a good pumping. For some reason the shoes popped out of position, not once, but twice, culminating in the piston popping out of one side of the shoe. I am damned if I know why, and I popped off the drum on the other side to check I wasn't going mad. I wasn't, but the "working" brake on that side is in a worse state than the "broken" one I was trying to fix!

Fluid and gunk had actually collected in the bottom of the drum over the four days it's been stood there.... unbelievable. I know they don't do a visual inspection of the brakes at MOT time, but this is a lesson that just because they work enough to pass a test, it doesn't mean they aren't actually nearly completely (-expletive removed-). Fluid and goo everywhere.

I've gone right off this car now, I really have. I don't really understand this ancient technology, and I'm damned if I can work out why it popped the shoes off - as you can see, they were assembled exactly the same way as the other side (a mirror image, trailing and leading shoes on the right side etc).

Unread post by **Hell Razor5543** » 13 May 2014, 19:34

I wonder how difficult it would be to convert it to disk brakes on the front. IIRC Pug 106 are 3 stud wheels.

Unread post by **Northern_Mike** » 13 May 2014, 19:37

Hell Razor5543 wrote:I wonder how difficult it would be to convert it to disk brakes on the front. IIRC Pug 106 are 3 stud wheels.

Late R4s were discs, I have hubs, calipers and discs to do such a thing, but I have absolutely no interest (nor, it appears, the skills) to do such a thing.

Hell, I've got a spare race-tuned engine for it with a newly rebuilt gearbox up North in the cellar!

Want it? Google "DRK for sale" and make me an offer

Mine's number 2 out of 59, was built as a demonstrator and is the only one with historic tax

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