Bongo 4wd refurb *DO NOT DELETE*

[ade33]

Leave in the swearage; we're all big boys (and girls) now.

[Bongolia]

Leave in the swearage; we're all big boys (and girls) now.

My thoughts too but there are those who may be offended so rather than upset those I have PMd the mods to see if a Parental Discretion Advised sticker should go on the front of it.
Tried a few editors but cant get me ed round them so its as is or nowt!
I can do another when I lead up the screen pillars ,with all on best behavior, so no big deal.

[Doone]

A monumental post, reminiscent of Steve's cooling system mammoth task! Added to FAQ so it's easy to find. http://igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/view ... 43&t=73064

[Bongolia]

NS front sill section.
You can see from the first shot that the sill at this point looks to be a repairable proposition. It had sustained accident damage at some time and had been filled with polyester filler,not a good idea in an area like this. So the plan was to clean it up and schutz it as it will be covered by the sill skirt.
On closer inspection I could see the filler extended into the a A pillar base. I decided to hook it all out and lead the area. There were several holes left by the nails from the previous pull out and whilst MIGing them up it was obvious that there had been so much material removed in the previous repair that the sill at this point was ground very thin and needed replacing.

https://goo.gl/photos/mUYXsT6X9JVgqUV87

You are familiar with the drill by now cut out the old one and weld in the new, overlap at the front and under the sill at the back
https://goo.gl/photos/6CUGMHiFdJatvgFf7

Now the panel is in place you can see that there is a difference in the edge level. The temptation is make this right with filler but as it is on the edge and vulnerable to knocks and chips it should be leaded.
https://goo.gl/photos/USgme5m8tMJshUbz6

This is it loaded.
https://goo.gl/photos/USgme5m8tMJshUbz6


I have a video of this but I have decided not to post it as it has some remarks others may find offensive.So I have shelved it, unless my nephew who understands these things can edit it, I will put one up when I lead up the roof or screen pillars.

[mikeonb4c]

Ye Gods. The end may at least now be nearer than the beginning. Can't wait to see the final finished job

[Bongolia]

The Hunt
All the obvious stuff is out of the way now rust wise so the hunt was on to see if there was anything lurking that I had missed and tie up a few loose ends before starting on the roof panel.
I had noted a hole in the NS chassis leg and like the rear NS trumpet I thought I would get away with a patch.
Not so.
In this image you can see above the axle a hole about 30mm in diameter this was not the problem it was the smaller one to the left.
https://goo.gl/photos/uxNnrfKZ2HmLvHcC9

Running inside the box section that you see when you stick your head under the wheel arch is a U section channel that gives extra support for all the suspension stuff that is going on in this area this is spot welded to the outer section that you can see.
The problem was I needed to get the outer skin off to get at the inner U channel to make repair. I had thought I could cut through the outer and keep the cuts tight but it was obvious that this wasn't going to happen because of the amount of spot welds sticking the two sections together.
I couldn't shift the spot welds with an air chisel and they where to many to drill out so I cut the section out and remade the inner that way.

Here is the outer panel removed and the new section before and after welding into place. The material is all 16SWG. The cut in the floor panel is to check penetration and also to allow painting and sealing up afterwards.
https://goo.gl/photos/aHVckLEY2jqsXGtT6
Now the outer repair panel is welded into place and MIG plugged to the inner U section. The outer panel is also 16SWG and formed as a right angle. This is continuously welded and then zinced and Fertanned.

The turkey baster is attached to a small length of windscreen washer tubing and can be used for injecting paint or waxes into very tight areas. Here I am using it to get zinc in between the plug welded U channel and the outer plate.
https://goo.gl/photos/FT9rLenS1V5UPG7u8
The hunt continues

[Bongolia]

Ye Gods. The end may at least now be nearer than the beginning. Can't wait to see the final finished job

Welding and patching wise yes if you dont count the roof.
But that still leaves the waxing, sealing,filling, leveling and body dings to sort not to mention the fitting out of the interior and the prepping for paint and then the painting itself..
Oh and the mechanical work is due to start end of next week so engine and box out for overhaul pipe work replaced etc etc etc....
So it wont be done much before Christmas.

Just not sure what Christmas

[Gasy]

Very nice job mate
Just out of interest
Which way does the engine come out
Through the door
Do you have to split the box off it

[mikeonb4c]

Ye Gods. The end may at least now be nearer than the beginning. Can't wait to see the final finished job

Welding and patching wise yes if you dont count the roof.
But that still leaves the waxing, sealing,filling, leveling and body dings to sort not to mention the fitting out of the interior and the prepping for paint and then the painting itself..
Oh and the mechanical work is due to start end of next week so engine and box out for overhaul pipe work replaced etc etc etc....
So it wont be done much before Christmas.

Just not sure what Christmas

I'm reminded of Churchill's words after the victory at El Alamein:

"Now, this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is perhaps the end of the beginning."

So, having hauled the Bongo off the beaches of Dunkirk, and having beaten Rusty Rommel in the Middle East, D-Day should be a mere 18 months away.

[Bongolia]

[Bongolia]

Very nice job mate
Just out of interest
Which way does the engine come out
Through the door
Do you have to split the box off it

Hi Gasy
It depends if you have a vehicle lift or not.
If you have then the box and engine will come out as one lump by lifting the body off it.
Else it would have to be split in situ and the lump pulled out through the top.
Dave, who is enthused by the whole thing, will do the overhaul and thought it an idea to do another post covering that and the gearbox work.
Thank heavens for digital photography.

[Bongolia]

The last bit of the "downstairs" I hope.
Well I have been over the Wasps lower area and only turned up three additional areas of hidden rust, one on the chassis rail covered in the previous post another on the NSR wheel arch where the fold down seat post is welded and the other being the large hole that housed the EHU socket.
I had hoped to get away with tinning this area but when I had finished the sand blasting it was to far gone so... cut it out and weld another bit in!

First the EHU hole. I ended up cutting out quite a large area in order to get all the rusted panel out. I traced around the opening and cut a patch about a quarter inch oversize and joddled the edges to bring the repair panel flush to the surface of the existing panel when the patch was fitted from behind.
I welded the panel continuously around the edge and then leaded up the repair.
At the same time I leaded the swaged section on the Merc wheel arch that took almost half a stick of lead on its own. I should have dressed it out a bit as I later ran out of lead when loading the EHU patch.
The first image shows the EHU hole and then through the repair ending up with the Fertanning at the end.

https://goo.gl/photos/hypz9XhGA5PCLMxA8

Next was the seat turret. This was an easy one once all the rust had been cut away. Being under the wheel arch meant I didn't have to be too particular about looks.
So I cut an overlay patch and stitch welded it in place sealing it after with PU sealant before schutzing the underside and waxing through the turret inside the van.
https://goo.gl/photos/vmK6BDvwV3yTuUdY6

And that,as far as I am aware, is all the rust sorted on the "downstairs".
.
I still have to check out and seal up the chassis once the engine and box are removed but I have been over them with the USB camera and all appears sound.
Finally I was able to schutz the sill lowers and wheel arches paying particular attention to the wheel arch flanges. Although I still have the main underside to clean down and wax it was a nice feeling to wrap that lot up in underseal and wax knowing that I have completed the bulk of the rust repair.
https://goo.gl/photos/41cPEhi1CjT55Knh6

Next up is the roof rusting and awning mounts.

[Bongolia]

Engine and box removed
Having spent the weekend and Monday nursing a head cold picked up in all places at the hospital and broadcast to all by an infected female who felt it best to not use a handkerchief!!!
My "Snot Extravaganza" weekend wasn't wasted though,I read through all the posts on BF relating to independent heating of the van and have opted for a Webasto Thermo Top C+ instead of the Propex, I will fit the Propex in the Aero instead hopefully in time for our NF Xmas break!
For those who are not familiar with this type of Webasto it splices into the existing cooling system and will allow for water heating too.
So I will give some time to laying out the additional pipe work for that when the unit arrives Thursday, the roof can wait for now.

Today we dropped out the engine and transmission.
Time taken from start to finish 3.50 hours there are a lot of pipes and clips and plugs and stuff attached to this lump.
I intend to weigh the van tomorrow and calculate the weight of this piece of kit.
I would hate to try and lift this thing out through the top!
We used our two post to lift the body off the unit and then four of us manhandled it to a bench where we will separate the box and fuel pump to be sent out for overhaul and a freshen up.
Engine wise the plan is to crack test the head and overhaul it, drop the sump pan to check mains/ ends and pull the pistons for servicing fit a new water pump cam belt/ rollers several coolant hoses and pipes and the three way turret thingy sensors etc.
While Dave is doing that (it will have to fit in between paying work) I shall finish off the underside rust search, underseal & wax it.


Heres some pixs of the "lump"
The grey bottle will be the hot water tank 23ltrs.
https://goo.gl/photos/JmsCZSHaPzD8MWLi7

[Bongolia]

The roof
I have been pushing this to the back of the repairs schedule as I was not sure of the best approach but now I am running out of rust to weld up it been creeping further up the To Do list.

The plan.
The front section sub assembly and screen pillar needs to be repaired first and then the cap put back on. The cap will likely be in three sections made up on the bench then welded into position.
As you will see from this image there is not a lot left at the screen edge to weld too!
I need to get the screen out so I can remake the flange properly.
That is not as easy as it sounds as it is bonded in so rather than try and saw my way round it I will get our windscreen chap to remove it and then I will bond it back when I have finished the reps.
That is of course providing it doesn't get damaged on the way out and that is not unlikely.
https://goo.gl/photos/7Dtarg7uaBzWsuSj9


The rusty bits.
The image here shows what I had thought initially was a patch to the roof but it was nail gun marks I could see inside from a rather rough repair. Once all the paint had been removed it was obvious.
https://goo.gl/photos/eTphbSpNiG1rgEey5

In these images you can see small pin holes of rust a various points along the length of the roof skin adjacent to the gutter rail. I could see the sealant had broken down in these areas allowing water to enter I can also see evidence of an awnings fixing marks. So I suspect that this has been a contributing factor in the failure of the sealant especially now I know how heavy they are!
Easy stitch in time is to drench your Bongo gutters in thinned waxoyl and let it find any breaches then reseal with PU sealant
https://goo.gl/photos/S4iwH76VAahPB8Ns7

In this image you can see the areas of rust marked in blue I dont know if they quite match Geoffs rust but they look close and they fall in front of the inner support beams where the three panels meet.
https://goo.gl/photos/aq3NQiLbFmVZA96g6

This image is of the rear D pillar top and shows the rust holes found under the paint and covered with filler, I dug this out having seen Geoffs images. You can see a thin bronze line , this is where the quarter panel meets the roof skin or vice versa and below this is a joddled panel that will collect condensation, that combined with the brazing would promote corrosion here.
https://goo.gl/photos/vBxDe3oMqNiLUL686


So the front section I have described but the rest is a bit different.
I had considered various methods of repair from sectioning it like Geoffs to making up a fiberglass cap but instead , now I can see the extent of the rust, I have decided to unpick the flange from the gutter and slice below the upper roof swage line so as to leave a slight flange, using structural adhesive, insert a repair panel along its length bonding it to the old swage. Once this has cured I will spot weld the flange back to the gutter.
This means I will avoid the inevitable distortion from the weld but there will be no lower swage.
I don`t think it will make much difference looks wise as there will be an awning there and short houses wont see up there anyway.
Doing it like this will allow good access to the remaining roof panel to treat the rust and I may be able to get a body spoon up behind the old repair and tidy that up a bit too.
As to the holes at the back I will open them up with a die grinder and slip up a bit up from behind, as you do, and lead over the top.
Sorted.

Well that`s the plan

On the Webasto front, I have found a lovely little spot to tuck that away in and I have solved the rear heater problem with a passenger heater unit from a TX1 cab, the box with transfer box is at the repairers, engine is mounted on the stand just waiting for my partner to get it stripped down, my cold has gone and the gratuities are arriving from the suppliers.
All is right with the world.

[mikeonb4c]

Excellent update. I guess it must be Christmas