MTB Weekend Camper

[sewi]

Well I had maxidot included so I didn't do any proper research on that but I think you can swap the whole instrument cluster and maybe a new gateway will be needed to support it. Lot of coding too. Definitely not a straight swap but should be possible

[MTBPhil]

I didn't want to re-use my head as all the valves need replacing and the pitting worries me.

After debating for a few days whether to pay £400+ for a fully reconditioned head (but skimmed, which might cause issues not knowing how much they've skimmed), or get a 2nd hand one and hope for the best... I decided I'd rather try a 2nd hand one.

Quick trip to the breakers got this



Checked flatness to within 0.03 with feeler gauges and a mechanics straight edge. The valves and general head condition seem much better than mine. Casting numbers match.

Sadly upon further inspection it's been turned over with a bolt sat on a cam, which scored the cam badly and wrecked a hydraulic bucket. I don't think it ran like it as no metal in the head, likely when they were taking it off they turned it over with a bolt sat in it.

So I turned my spare room into a makeshift engine workshop and swapped the hydraulic buckets and cam from my old head. Also swapped my diesel injectors over to the new head, just waiting for new stretch bolts.



That's as far as I can go at the moment as I've got a new headgasket, PD150 bolts, head set (seals etc..), gates water pump (metal) and cambelt kit but I'm waiting on a repair loom for the glow plugs and a load of other bits including a cambelt inner cover (as mine had snapped) from Germany. Ordered at the weekend but I suspect I won't get them till next week at the earliest thanks to Covid and all the brexit shite.

Whilst I'm waiting I got my reverse camera all wired in and fitted a little 12v panel in the back and ran the wiring down to behind the passenger seat. This will be wired into a leisure battery and split charger when I save some pennies back up after the engine disaster!

[Humphs]

Nice build some good ideas for my project

[Trackrat]

Gutted for you mate, hope you get it back on the road soon

[MTBPhil]

Big update! It's been a while

I got the block all cleaned up and checked over. It's not in the nicest condition ever, some pitting on the pistons, but then at 136k miles it is what it is...



Then cracked on with fitting the "new to me" head



While waiting for other bits to turn up I got a bit carried away....
Replaced the heater controls that were broken





Replaced the broken part of the glow plug wiring loom



Ordered a split charger kit and leisure battery... got 3d printing some mounts for the isolator switches





Got a ross-tech can cable and cleared all the airbag fault codes (from starting engine with no dash in it DOH) and cleared all the previous glow plug faults



Finished off my Touran dashboard conversion



Installed my split charger system and leisure battery - I'm running my subwoofer, roof lights and the rear 12v panel off of this so I can have the lights on and charge my phone while camping without worrying about flattening the main battery. Longer term I'll get an inverter so I can charge my e-bike over night





Finally got all the engine back together, ran a hose through the coolant channels for ages to make sure they were all clear. Did a full oil change as I'm pretty sure there was water in the oil from cleaning the channels out with the head off.

Went for a very nervous drive and pleased to say it sat constantly at 90-92c, heater is hot literally a few minutes into driving. It's tons quieter (due to the manifolds not having bolts missing) and generally I'm chuffed to bits!!



So to celebrate I did a touran center console conversion with arm rest



*phew* I think that's all caught up now.

[C Chis]

Brilliant!

Must be a great feeling to have it back on the road and with a few nice mods as well!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[ljones1510]

Phil,

What length wiring did you use to reach the starter battery from the leisure battery?

I'm looking to put a leisure battery in the passenger rear footwell myself, but unsure on the length of wiring required.

Cheers

L.

[MTBPhil]

I believe I ordered a 5m kit from WiredCampers but this got me from starter to leisure battery via a cut off and then out of leisure battery to the inverter via another cut off

3m would probably do it

Just FYI you can actually connect the cable to a bus bar on the engine bay fuse box - it has the alternator connected to it and all the 12v pickups for battery and fuses/relays. Takes an m8 nut I believe and there's spare space...
If you remove the battery and then the battery tray you can run the cable nicely under it all and into the existing rubber seal for the main wiring loom.
I just poked a screwdriver through then covered the tip of the cable in a bit of washing up liquid and pushed it through - comes out under the glove box

Let me get a pic!



There ya go

[MTBPhil]

Done a load more to the van since I remembered to update this.

Chopped the rear bench/bed down to 2/3rds in length so I can open it without having to put the drivers seat forward.
Fitted the subwoofer and amp out of my other car.





Upgraded front speakers







Long overdue! haha
I also 3d printed some custom tweeter mounts







I hadn't realised at the time but the guys who sold me the Touran dashboard had taken the tweeters out so this was a MASSIVE improvement

Fitted a 2k front and rear dashcam too with the wiring running up behind the roof lining.



Fitted 375amp Victron Energy inverter



Absolutely love that thing, charges my EMTB battery no problems at all



I then fitted a W8 interior light with the nice red LED dashboard lighting, much nicer at night now as I can see the cupholders



I also swapped to an automatic headlight switch and retrofitted a rain/light sensor - so have fully working auto headlights and auto wipers now

[MTBPhil]

I also fitted some Van-X curtains so I can keep the back a bit warmer when camping and keep the light out



Bit OCD but I hated the fact that the undertray was missing, so grabbed one off an Audi A3



I 3d printed some more hooks/mounts. 3d printed some better cup holders for the touran center console. Ordered some cheap nets off amazon. Got the interior all sorted!











With how nice the weather was last week I finally got to take it out too. Went for a play at Dalby Forest

[ljones1510]

I believe I ordered a 5m kit from WiredCampers but this got me from starter to leisure battery via a cut off and then out of leisure battery to the inverter via another cut off

3m would probably do it

Just FYI you can actually connect the cable to a bus bar on the engine bay fuse box - it has the alternator connected to it and all the 12v pickups for battery and fuses/relays. Takes an m8 nut I believe and there's spare space...
If you remove the battery and then the battery tray you can run the cable nicely under it all and into the existing rubber seal for the main wiring loom.
I just poked a screwdriver through then covered the tip of the cable in a bit of washing up liquid and pushed it through - comes out under the glove box

This is really helpful, thank you

[MurtMTB]

im planning on something similar as im wanted a daily MTB/camper conversion. thanks for the inspiration

[RY_VW]

As if I've just stumbled across this,i used to see it all the time but then it disappeared...obviously because it lives in the posher parts of hull now

[MTBPhil]

Haha I don't live in Hull, not far out though.
It does tend to get recognised a lot, a few lads at Leeds bike park recognised it first time I went.

Previous owner did a lot of travelling sales around bike parks in it

[V21cet]

Looks good going to be stealing a few ideas off you

Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk