Bongo receiving some love - advice appreciated

[roosmith]

The Bongo is getting some love next week following various posts on here. It is definitely having the chuffing brake/wheel investigated, a compression test, new glow plugs and cam belt.

My question is is there anything that I should get done at the same time as a precaution? e.g. water pump? There aren't any specific issues apart from a bit of lumpy cold starting, hence glow plugs and compression test as a start off. The cooling certainly seems to be working, as sat in holiday traffic in Norfolk last night the temperature went down, not up, to 94.

It's the diesel with 86000 miles.

[wonkanoby]

unless done before i would do the 4 main hoses between rad and engine

and the one comes of block drivers side and goes over starter motor

and get him to look at others

as these are most prone to going pop

water pump might not be a bad idea

but most important get them to flush it,inc back flushing the 2 heater rads and main one

[roosmith]

Hoses isn't a bad shout. I know the previous owner spent a fortune on pipework, as I have the receipts but I think it was all aircon related. Mike Gough has also looked over it and couldn't see any hoses looking old but that was a year ago. Perhaps worth another check.

The flush, again isn't a bad shout but apart from running slightly hotter than some others (subjective) I'm a little apprehensive to mess with a Bongo cooling system that is working correctly!

[wonkanoby]

then you have a choice to make do it or not

but either way get one of haydens alarms

[roosmith]

Well indeed!

Haydn combined alarm fitted many happy months ago

[wonkanoby]

they are brilliant

radiator developed a pin hole some time back

but alarm kicked of evan before gauge evan though mines been modified

if i knew back when i got bongo many years ago now i would have ripped out all the cooling pipes inc metal ones

instead of doing them one by one

as they burst

[mikeonb4c]

Hoses isn't a bad shout. I know the previous owner spent a fortune on pipework, as I have the receipts but I think it was all aircon related. Mike Gough has also looked over it and couldn't see any hoses looking old but that was a year ago. Perhaps worth another check.

The flush, again isn't a bad shout but apart from running slightly hotter than some others (subjective) I'm a little apprehensive to mess with a Bongo cooling system that is working correctly!

If hoses ok I'd consider treating it instead to a new radiator as I'm not sure how effective backflushing is and some owners have reported cooler running after fitting one where there was evidence of poor system maintenance. Did Mike give a view in that?

[mikexgough]

The brake problem could be the caliper guide pins....a bit dry so not allowing the pad(s) to properly clear the disc....
Hoses...worth the usual check on the usual suspects....but they were fine last year as you say...
I bet a new set of glowies will sort the lumpy starting...
I'd consider a preventative radiator change at your next coolant change...if the hoses are found to be fine...
No point in "breaking" a system down unless you need to....

[roosmith]

Thanks for the replies. All great feedback.

I think as I do run a couple of degrees higher perhaps next year a hose and radiator replacement will be the way forward. Just have to get the arches done before then!

Hopefully it is just the caliper pins, Mike. That would be handy rather than new discs.

On the subject of discs has anyone tried an aftermarket upgrade? Things like the black diamond discs, drilled and grooved etc? I'm just interested as if I have to change them I might consider it. Towing a caravan the brakes on the caravan put the brakes on the Bongo to shame! Crazy when you can stop quicker with a caravan than without!

[wonkanoby]

ive never seen a post were any one found them

[roosmith]

ive never seen a post were any one found them

Found them, or fitted them? If you go on ebay there are plenty of different versions of black diamond ones at least.

[mikeonb4c]

Thanks for the replies. All great feedback.

I think as I do run a couple of degrees higher perhaps next year a hose and radiator replacement will be the way forward. Just have to get the arches done before then!

Hopefully it is just the caliper pins, Mike. That would be handy rather than new discs.

On the subject of discs has anyone tried an aftermarket upgrade? Things like the black diamond discs, drilled and grooved etc? I'm just interested as if I have to change them I might consider it. Towing a caravan the brakes on the caravan put the brakes on the Bongo to shame! Crazy when you can stop quicker with a caravan than without!

Interesting. I do recall getting brake fade on the Bongo after an hour up and the the Yorkshire Dales heavily loaded. I use the d/s/l/HOLD combinations as much as possible since then to keep brakes as rested/cool as possible in hilly country.

If you're caravan towing then extra cooling for the autobox might be good - bf gearbox specialist Alacrity always advocated that.

[roosmith]

The brakes don't fade, they're always half ar**d! Not quite fair, but my everyday driver is a modern car with "on/off" brakes. No feel and no effort required, so getting into the Bongo where you really have to put some effort in, I notice it!!

Again the caravan is a lot newer than the Bongo and the brakes work very well on it. I don't think there is a problem with the Bongo (the garage who MOTed it said it performed exactly the same as every other Bongo they had tested).

I'd just be interested before I spent double on a set of "upgrades" whether it was worth it.

With regards to autobox cooling, it is performing just fine at the moment, with no overheating and while there are more pressing things I've got to prioritise spending money on them. I should get round to additional box cooling by 2016 for the Bongo's 20th birthday!

[wonkanoby]

have to say mine seem fine

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mazda-Bongo-2 ... _757wt_952

but they seem cheap enough to give a try


http://www.dcperformance.co.uk/uprated/ ... bongo.html

they are a lot more

[mikeonb4c]

The brakes don't fade, they're always half ar**d! Not quite fair, but my everyday driver is a modern car with "on/off" brakes. No feel and no effort required, so getting into the Bongo where you really have to put some effort in, I notice it!!

Again the caravan is a lot newer than the Bongo and the brakes work very well on it. I don't think there is a problem with the Bongo (the garage who MOTed it said it performed exactly the same as every other Bongo they had tested).

I'd just be interested before I spent double on a set of "upgrades" whether it was worth it.

With regards to autobox cooling, it is performing just fine at the moment, with no overheating and while there are more pressing things I've got to prioritise spending money on them. I should get round to additional box cooling by 2016 for the Bongo's 20th birthday!

It's all relative I guess. Having started out with Morris 1000 brakes I find the Bongo as good as the Cavaliers I had in the 1990s as a firm's car. I think we maybe rely too much on brakes these days instead of thinking ahead. Mind you, we often don't have much choice on the overcrowded impatient roads of today

How do you know the autobox is at normal temp?