Bongo Fury

My SGL5 is very sluggish up to 40mph (third gear?) before it changes up, especially on hills. I can put the foot down and it does accelerate a 'bit' quicker but this causes the engine to really rev quite high - 2500-3000 (don't want to push it too high) before it changes up.

Once it's going however, it's fine - can do 80mph on the motorway no-problem (purely for testing purposes of course).

I have changed the ATF by Pela pump and it was pretty black and treacle-like. Last time it was in the garage I asked if they could drop the auto box sump and clean the filter but they were reluctant to do this as 'an autobox specialist told them never to do this'. A bit loath to try doing this myself as I don't have ramps or axel stands and the thought of lying under the Bongo trying to undo 16 bolts isn't too appealing!!

Answers on a postcard please. I would like to be able to take on boy-racers at the lights!!!

its all a matter of perspective
a bongo is a 2 ton brick shaped diesel
boy racers drive small overpowered cars with only tiny brains in their heads to act as weight
bongos are not that fast especialy at under 2500 revs.

now have you driven any other bongos to compare?

Was being flippant about the boy racers.

My main concern is that application of the accelerator in third (I think it's third gear before it changes up at 40mph) give me a lot of revs but not much acceleration. If it was a manual I would think the clutch was slipping. This is most apparent on any kind of incline but the steeper it is the worse it is.

I would be interested to compare it with another Bongo - will be at the Scottish Bash so perhaps can do this.

Anyway, thoughts are appreciated!

I know what you mean it seams to hang around in 3rdish gear for a little too long before changing up sometimes on hills.

only by comparing can you say wether its normal worse or better than the average

I was being flippant too about boy racers, claiming they have any kind of brain

Last time it was in the garage I asked if they could drop the auto box sump and clean the filter but they were reluctant to do this as 'an autobox specialist told them never to do this'

Sounds like you should do it yourself as 'treacley' is not normal. If there's no actual gearbox problem then cleaning it can only help. Kirsty just did this recently and has put the details on this thread. It would be best to include cleaning the pan, the filter can be renewed although many have cleaned it.

Apart from the mess (and the Pela pump will prevent a lot of that). Is it worthwhile / possible trying to do this without axel stands or ramps? I'm not as sylph-like as I was twenty years ago when I could fit through the eye of a needle.

Axle stands and/or ramps don't cost much, check out your local freeads & papers, or put a shout out on freecycle for some, or even lend of some. Handy things to have so you can do your own maintenance Get on & get it done, not difficult at all & well worth it. Get some cardboard or old carpet underneath to catch the drips from the internals once the pan's off.

What's best, axel stands, ramps or a combination of both?

I see that Halfords have 3 ton axel stands at only £20/pair which seems like good value.

Being a mechanical noob, I'm quite happy to take off the sump and clean etc but a bit more reticent about lying under a two ton van balanced on stands so would need to know it is well supported!!!!

I just drove the front wheels onto ramps to do the ATF, but axle stands'd be just as good.

catzi wrote:Was being flippant about the boy racers.

My main concern is that application of the accelerator in third (I think it's third gear before it changes up at 40mph) give me a lot of revs but not much acceleration. If it was a manual I would think the clutch was slipping. This is most apparent on any kind of incline but the steeper it is the worse it is.

I would be interested to compare it with another Bongo - will be at the Scottish Bash so perhaps can do this.

Anyway, thoughts are appreciated!

From your earlier post and this one, it is possible your Bongo is just behaving normally. I was struck, when I first drove mine in urban traffic, by just how much it felt like a manual car with a slipping clutch. And putting your foot down does indeed cause it to rev even to over 3000+ rpm at times. There are two things it should do if behaving normally:

1) Behave in a fairly spritely manner (i.e. show healthy acceleration) when you put your foot down from a standing start

2) If you are driving on a level road, and provided you back off the throttle a bit it should - at around 40mph - move into top gear, with the revs dropping to around 1500rpm (I think - can't quite remember but something like that). We call it 'locking out' in top gear / direct drive. The car will be a bit sluggish until speed rises to 45+ mph when RPM is higher and the turbo becomes more effective. Thereafter it should accelerate quite well, and have plenty of torque, and only a firm prod of the accelerator should persuade it to drop a gear.

This is how mine behaves anyway. I must do my ATF sometime I suppose!

Description sounds about the same as mine.

A few tips here for dealing with sump plates if you are knew to the job:
Check that you have a replacement gasket if one is required
Spray some releasing oil on the bolts before you undo them.
Clean up the facing surfaces before re assembly
Don't over tighten the bolts when you replace it,they are known to shear.
Have fun

Just a thought, on the axle stands or ramps question.
Axle stands if you are doing work which requires the wheels to move around, ball joints, suspension etc.
Ramps if you are lying underneath, with the rear wheels chocked, the handbrake on the gearbox in park, and the keys out of the ignition .

Just a random pointer - check there is no excessive slack in the throttle cable

I keep meaning to get some low ramps suitable for leveling when camped on an incline. These may be enough for some maintenance too. In the past I have driven set of wheels onto the kerb and did the maintenance lieing in the gutter. Rain stops play though.

Cheers for all the replies guys! That's what I like about BongoFury, there's nothing new under the sun and there's always someone ready with a helpful reply!

Will investigate buying some ramps / stands and get round to doing this as soon as the weather is a bit better!