Bongo Fury

I recently had a new radiator fitted and all seemed well until the temp. gauge needle started misbehaving. I've been constantly checking the coolant level, some days it's fine, others it's gone down, and the last three days I've had coolant pi$$ing out from underneath the Bongo. Friday-last I managed a round trip to Chichester {14 miles} and again on Sunday with no needle movement. This week I can just about manage to get to town and back.
I've had a look at page 31 in the handbook to try and remove the engine cover / centre console but I must be missing something cos it looks dead simple....... Any tips on removal and what to look for when I'm in there ? Has anyone tried that k-seal stuff ? Does it go straight in the radiator or in the white placcy tank where the coolant goes ? Sorry to be a bit thick but I'm rather new to Bongo-World, and I'd rather have a go myself {with help from on here !!} than just take it down the garage. Cheers.

Hi Fiery jack, remove the centre console by removing the ashtray, you will see a medievil thumbscrew tortur attachment that will need to be unscrewed... You will find another inside the cubby box/tray. Lift from the rear at an angle, then slide it slightly backwards, then clear of the gear/auto shifter.

Pull back the carpet below the centre console, unclip the "kilner jar" clamps with a swift flick.

You'll find another cunningly place clip below the front of the seat,again you'll need to fold back the carpet to reveal it. So that's 3 clips,and two thumbscrews altogether. (per seat)

Fold back the footrest seats,and angle the front seats forwards, then slowly lift the entire seat towards the rear, it should suspend there if you adjusted the footrest/seat position correctly.

Whilst there, look (passenger side) down for a narrowish gauge coolant hose that's folded in on itself, clamped to the body, this should have a black plastic bung on the end of it, check it for security, (as this will/should have been disturbed during the bleeding process). Whilst there, follow the hose along towards the engine, is the hose in contact with the alternator? This can chafe and cause a leak, mine is sleeved with some old hosepipe for protection.

Do you have a Mason alarm/Temp gauge modifier fitted?

If not movement of the temp gauge needle is misleading as it usually only moves off the 11 o'clock position after overheating has occurred.

You urgently - before doing any more journeys - need to check everything DBC mentions and make sure the system has been bled PROPERLY and fully.

If it hasn't continued use could lead to seriously expensive problems.

Does whoever replaced the rad know the routine necessary to properly bleed the system afterwards?

Also why was the rad replaced so soon - if you have only just got the Bongo?

Thanks for that bigdaddycain. I'm now fully conversant with getting to the engine. The bleed pipe is securely bunged and cable-tied with no evidence of chaffing. The leak is coming from somewhere I can't get to. If a line were to be drawn straight down from the mid-point-ish of the handbrake to the ground, then that's where the drips are a-dripping. I've checked from both sides with a torch but cannot locate from whence it cometh.

Hello Fieryjack, If you find bigdaddy's instructions a tad hard to follow then watch this video which will take you through most of what he had to say.

http://bongooogle.ning.com/video/1971700:Video:25

I've had it for just over a month, bought off ebay from a trader {with a 3 month warranty}. Drove back from Birmingham - Bognor fine. Day after, set off to Southampton and after 10 miles the gauge went up, so pulled over, phoned RAC, got trailered back, didn't get to see The Fall. Ordered new radiator, my mechanic fitted it {unfamiliar with the intricacies of Bongo-bleeding} and when he returned it, overheating occurred. Got him back round and showed him the fact-sheet, after which Bongo ran fine. Now behaving erratically. The trader has re-imbursed me for the new rad + fitting, but I'm wondering if he knew about this before he sold it to me.....

Slike it could be the water pump leaking or perhaps the big hose under the drivers seat at the top front of engine.
If your temp gauge went up then I suspect the worst (head or head gasket)
Most importantly..don't drive it again till you have had it taken to a garage that is Bongo friendly.
Can you get it down the road and get the rac to recover back to the seller?
Why does this keep happening ??

fieryjack wrote:I've had it for just over a month, bought off ebay from a trader {with a 3 month warranty}. Drove back from Birmingham - Bognor fine. Day after, set off to Southampton and after 10 miles the gauge went up, so pulled over, phoned RAC, got trailered back, didn't get to see The Fall. Ordered new radiator, my mechanic fitted it {unfamiliar with the intricacies of Bongo-bleeding} and when he returned it, overheating occurred. Got him back round and showed him the fact-sheet, after which Bongo ran fine. Now behaving erratically. The trader has re-imbursed me for the new rad + fitting, but I'm wondering if he knew about this before he sold it to me.....

What led you (or your mechie) to think it was the radiator? And just fitting a new one without bleeding the system properly could have led to even more problems - I'd be tempted to send it back.

Trouble is as your mechie has bu99ered about with it (without knowing what he was doing) the trader probably won't want to know.

Should have sent it back straight off.

Just a quick up-date on my recent Bongo issues. Had her pressure tested at my local 'bongo-friendly' garage last week and they couldn't find any leaks at all. They checked the head gasket and other bits and even fitted the pair of front link-bars I'd bought off ebay {£23.00 just read the other thread......hmmmm } and all is now going swimmingly. Treated her to a set of window screens as she's now behaving beautifully........Cheers for the advice on here, have y'all a fine Christmas now.

So all is now all well fieryjack? Front and rear heaters good and hot? No gurgling or other funny sounds? Anti-freeze in?

Got my fingers crossed for ya...

Fingers crossed its sorted fieryjack but come back to us if problems, and good luck.