Bongo Fury

To a certain degree i think all bongo owners are we all love them but if it was anything else we would get rid such a versatile vehicle to be honest i find it abit intimedating to repair, i have been fixing my b18 Honda vtec aerodeck for years never felt lost on it but i have learnt fast with bongo's theres something about it i just dont want to break anything suppose its all learning.

i was getting help from my step dad who i have now fallen out with due to his narrow mindedness and attitude towards getting advice on this subject thinks he knows it all
then questions where i got my advice from hates the fact i use bongo fury for advice. no one knows everything do they looks like i better start brushing up fast.

i have definitely got the bongo bug AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! i love it but seems a pain in the aris !

Hi Dave
Tony hates working on cars...BUT, I do enlist his help, and he does help with muscle...and whenever I need something cross-threading, he's always there ...seriously, if it's something i can show him what to do , he's allright, but no patience...Also, he's darn' helpful with bleeding....I work the throttle / fill the header, and he has suitable fingers for burning We're hoping to finish entirely rebuilding worn parts before we can't work on cars any more, so all the major bits are getting re-furbed!. We have the same problem as you...only one other Bongo in the country full-time
Cheers
Helen

Jimbob738 wrote:To a certain degree i think all bongo owners are we all love them but if it was anything else we would get rid such a versatile vehicle to be honest i find it abit intimedating to repair, i have been fixing my b18 Honda vtec aerodeck for years never felt lost on it but i have learnt fast with bongo's theres something about it i just dont want to break anything suppose its all learning.

i was getting help from my step dad who i have now fallen out with due to his narrow mindedness and attitude towards getting advice on this subject thinks he knows it all
then questions where i got my advice from hates the fact i use bongo fury for advice. no one knows everything do they looks like i better start brushing up fast.

i have definitely got the bongo bug AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! i love it but seems a pain in the aris !

Interesting outlook stemming from your papa's slant on the Bongo Fury!
Had it NOT been for the overwhelming support and factual and useful advice; I would never have bought the Bongo. Without this website, and the knowledge of UK based suppliers, part availability, etc, it would be foolish to buy one.

In a heart beat I can own a new car/truck of my choosing. I have owned 4x brand new vehicles in 20 years. If you were to compare them and merge most of the features and utility value into one, the Bongo was the answer. My handicap here in Canada is the fact that RH drive is a pain in a country which drives LH. For example, it would be like trying to compose a letter using your other hand!

Contrary to what a lot of people say herein this forum; as a mechanic, the Bongo is very easy to work on 'generally speaking' There are a few gottchas, but far less IMO than most other vehicles despite the powertrain location.

You can tell your dad from me that he is error for sure about this forum. A plathora (sp?) of info directly targeted to the Bongo enthusiast despite our acute mental issues for buying one in the first place.... Of course I'm kidding... say no more...

Could really of said it better myself i aint telling him nothing no more the mans a P*ick simple minded fool, im not a mechanic i grew up around two so know most things petrol but diesels are new to me just learning.

i replaced head gasket and serviced it myself last september but took my time found it a little scary.

bongo fury has saved me a fortune all round insurance, parts, camping gear, knowledge so yes i agree its by far the best site i have been on.

step dads hay who needs em. my dad always said he was an ass

I have been following Progroup's posts with interest, not least because of his dedication to the Bongo, but also his location.

I've been to B.C. a couple of times and rapidly formed the opinion that if I hadn't already got my home in Jersey tugging at my heartstrings, B.C. would be a great place to live. Same thing happened when I went to New Zealand.

Amongst other things I like the civilised driving behaviour and the generally improved amount of parking space compared with the U.K. I look at quite a few vans here and think " If I lived in Canada there would be no problem parking that and it would be infinitely better for camping with than the Bongo".

It must be a true labour of love to drive a wrong handed vehicle, probably the only one of its type around, in a country where parking on the correct side of the road for the direction of travel is de riguer (and quite rightly so, in my opinion). The only sliding door on the Bongo will always be on the wrong side in Canada. For the same reason I could not live with an 'American Van' in the U.K., much though I like some of them and assuming that I could afford their thirst.

I am sure that having a unique vehicle brimming with character is the main reason for Progroup's continued enjoyment and the same goes for Helen and Tony in Bulgaria.

The greatest thing about Bongo stewardship is the support available on this website.


Frank

Thank you Diplomat for the kind comments!

I agree with your appraisal of the situation here in Canada and for Bulgaria as well.
There exist many pros & cons to Bongo ownership. If the Federal Government permitted; I would have all Bongo years upto 2005 to choose from. That said; I would have wanted a newer one [i.e. 2005!] w/air bags, cruise control, low mileage, 17" aluminum wheels, diesel, tinted glass, etc.

If Toledo, Ohio, USA would market the Diesel version of the JEEP Wrangler [I had the underprowered V6 Petrol ]; I would NOT consider anything else.

For popular naming purposes, the name 'Ford Freda' would be a better bet as a Canadian import! My own brother said that despite the utility aspects of the Bongo Friendee; he could not own a vehicle with a name like that!

30 years ago I had the Western Distribution of a French product of automotive accessories. The Canadian name for the TWO products I marketed were called the 'Crick' air bag lift, and the 'Croc' lug wrench. I setup the typical automotive supply stores with demos and consignment stock. Every customer and supply store employee commented negatively towards the 'CROC'. " a CROCk of sh*t" they said...

However, have you ever heard of the German Daimler/Chrysler Sprinter Van? Like the VW Campervans and the Bongo, they too look very Euro to us here in NA. Although a lot of us appreciate their respective designs in many ways, a very small audiance here for Diesel RV Vans. Diesel Fuel, the scum at the top of the crude so to speak is actually higher cost per litre than petrol [gas].

I usually fill up in the USA which is only a few kilometers south of our home. I save over $15,00 per tank or about 20% of my fill up. Still, USA diesel costs $1.15 per litre right now!

Gotta go for now...
Cheers all
Dave

Hi
Canada's a whole different ball-game...we get no import duty in Bulgaria, as it's paid in the country of origin in the EU. We also get the benefit of the trans-Europe postal service, which is pretty good . Even without a Bongo, i'd order outside the country, as cars and spares are expensive . There are quite a few Delicas over here in comparison, but once they realise that the AFT Bongo has a roof tent, they'd sell like hot cakes at the right price...Ideal fishing vehicle...and fishing is tremendously popular...the local town (pop. less than 10,000), has 3 shops crammed with all the latest fishing gear.
Regards Canada, it must be a nightmare for spares....It makes me wonder with all the engineering shops , whether another engine could be grafted in?
Cheers
Helen

helen&tony wrote:Hi
Canada's a whole different ball-game...we get no import duty in Bulgaria, as it's paid in the country of origin in the EU. We also get the benefit of the trans-Europe postal service, which is pretty good . Even without a Bongo, i'd order outside the country, as cars and spares are expensive . There are quite a few Delicas over here in comparison, but once they realise that the AFT Bongo has a roof tent, they'd sell like hot cakes at the right price...Ideal fishing vehicle...and fishing is tremendously popular...the local town (pop. less than 10,000), has 3 shops crammed with all the latest fishing gear.
Regards Canada, it must be a nightmare for spares....It makes me wonder with all the engineering shops , whether another engine could be grafted in?
Cheers
Helen

Certainly I could graft in a completely different powertrain but it would cost too much time & energy and I have done these kinds of jobs in the past. I used to cut VW's in half and make one good one when it was allowable. Our insurance monopoly here in BC does not permit this sherade anymore.

I have no real quams with the Bongo engineering except for the goofy cooling system. If it were not for the possible negative cavitation most especially in the head I would have either left out the stat or cut out the center to provide a little backpressure but improve the flow or circulation. The tiny little water pump is obviously under designed to push enough velocity in and out of the radiator. I have engineered a simple Hastings Gauge thermal probe into the return line [coming out the head on driver's side] by cutting the stock Mazda hose and inserting a galvanized 35mm or 2" steel pipe with a custom threaded spigot for the probe. The probe is immersed in the coolant and provides me TWO possible warnings plus a comparative to the stock temp sending unit on the top/front of the head. Distance between stock sensor and Hasting's probe is about 6 to 8" downline. I hasen to add that my Hastings set of gauges [Volt/Oil Pressure/Temp] are a worthwhile addition. The temp gauge reads 190 degrees farenheight or about 92~95 degrees celcious when travelling down the highway at 100kph. This normal range equals the stock gauges 11 o'clock position. Adding these items and flushing the rad ecetera have avoided any further overheating problems. My next idea was to engineer a simple inline helper electric pump to cause more flow through the rad. However, I still haven't finished my new 1,400 square foot steel building [including a hoist!] yet.

I have driven 6 months w/o even an ounce of coolant loss. Albeit, Hadyn's LCA system is a better way [proven] than my suggestion, but I like to tinker a bit too!

On another note; anything I purchase from the UK for the Bongo is say 40 cents on the dollar. But shipping, currency exchange, import duty, VAT, HST, brokerage fees, and the list goes on... turn 40 cents into a dollar or 2-1/2 times the cost.

That said, the only pallatable sense I can make for this perdicament is the fact I am querky like the Bongo is! My own wife reminds me of this fact every day sometimes more than once!

We were out today in the thing hobbiling along with this HOLD light flashing and a deteriating auto gearbox because I haven't addressed the most obvious defective part... namely the TPS or Throttle Position Sensor. Until someone from the UK can ship me one soon, I may also be needing an overhaul of the trany too!

Please accept my ongoing spelling mistakes and misuse of grammer! Is there a spell checker on this forum I could turn on?

I think the waterpump does it's job perfectly well - it is after all, a thermo syphon, pump ASSISTED cooling system. If the radiator and associated plumbing was a lot higher than the engine it wouldn't need a waterpump........................................

dandywarhol wrote:I think the waterpump does it's job perfectly well - it is after all, a thermo syphon, pump ASSISTED cooling system. If the radiator and associated plumbing was a lot higher than the engine it wouldn't need a waterpump........................................

I would buy that, but can we agree that circulation is the main fault when additional cooling is required by heavier loads? I notice this while towing up a particularly long [8% grade I believe] hill between Hope BC and Merritt BC. It is a 17km hill! Towing my 3,000 lb load of ATV's on a trailer behind the Bongo, I could only reach speeds of 50kmph in 2nd to 3rd gear and an indicated temp of 225 degrees. The stock temp gauge would point about 12:00 or so during this climb. But it did not overheat!

So, wouldn't another inline pump help cool it better under these conditions?

Well, if it didn't overheat under these conditions and if these conditions are not the norm I'd be inclined to fit an override switch to the fans if you feel the need for extra cooling rather than add another complication into the already complex system - or maybe adapt the windscren washer bottle to spray cold water onto the radiator matrix!

OK back to subject i managed to redoo the pump seal took my time followed guide on here made sure all was clean now is not leaking more expressing at high revs not pissin out like it was but still concerning me a little any ideas anyone?

Is it coming out of the lower screw holes at the back of the pump?

If so, this is symptomatic of an internal leak which may have been masked by previous leakage from the more accessible seals at the sides which you have now stopped.


Frank

i replaced the front seal as it was leaking out the bottom of the housing now the leak seems to have stopped but is expressing as i said when reving high.

i put a mirror under the pump to check all when i finsished and seemed fine left running for like ten mins gave it some revs and could just see it seeping out a tiny bit
no other parts leaking i have checked should this seal alone fix it or could the machined face be worn?

they were green bosch seals just to add.