Well, as usual my life with the split has it's ups and downs.
Unfortunately the last few weeks have to rate as a large number of downs.
The Panel was running like complete rubbish and I knew at the Nats that it was well time for it to get a top end rebuild so when it really began to give up the ghost I wasn't surprised.
Marty kindly dropped through one morning on his way to Sydney to find out what the problem was.
Turned out No1 spark plug was fouling horribly and even just cleaning it a bit made the car run 100 times better.
The accelerator cable had also slipped so it was only at half throttle when I put my foot flat.
Marty recommended I change the plugs and then take it to Sydney as soon as I could so Steve to could do the top end rebuild.
I did so and the effect was staggering.
My brother was down from Sydney with his family and I took the bus to Sydney that night with my brother driving behind in case everything went wrong.
I sat on at least 115kmh most of the way and my brother was very surprised at how well the Panel drove.
So was I.....it was like old times.
I swapped Nathan for a borrowed Golf and took it home and Steve got underway with the top end rebuild.
Unfortunately 87mm piston & barrel kits were no where to be found so he fitted a set of standard 85.5mm piston, rings and barrels.
All 4 exhaust valves were also replaced and the valves seats sorted.
Steve also match ported the carbs and manifolds and spent many hours playing with the mix which had been way to rich before and contributed to the fouling on the plugs.
He also resolved all of the oil leaks both in the engine bay and under the motor that had caused a fine covering of oil over the back of the Panel and a thick layer inside the engine bay.
Basically everything apart from splitting case was done and thoroughly checked.
A new exhaust system was also fitted.
Steve retained the 4-into-1 collector of my extractors but fitted a new outlet that split into 2 small 12" mufflers that run along under the bumper on each side and then turn to stick out the back at each end.
It's a really cool look.
And finally he fitted the original speedo that VDO in Newcastle had rebuilt only a few weeks back.
Big cudos to Dion on that one.
Not only did he drop it in, he told the guys to use the parts for his OWN speedo while other parts from his were on back order.
Then he picked it up and even freighted it to Steve for installation.
I owe you a biggie, mate!
I'll post some pics of the exhaust and speedo as soon as I can.
So, when I picked up the Panel a week before the school hols I was really excited about having it running well again.
I do have to go and learn things the hard way.......
I'd like to introduce you to the meaning of a particular term in car circles.......idiot light.
Yup - that means if it's on even an idiot knows you stop the car IMMEDIATELY and call for help.
I knew that and even still I ventured on believing that the oil pressure idiot light in my split was an eletrical fault.......it wasn't.
So, 68km from home between Exeter and the Hume Hwy, with 3 kids, a baby, the missus and a car full of holiday clothes and paraphenalia, the Split suddenly lurched, made a noise like a box of hammers falling down stairs and I shoved the clutch in and pulled over......like I should've about 5kms before.
I have NRMA Gold Cover and that entitles you to be towed 50km free or, if you are 100km from home, to you choice of repairer.
I was 68km from home and that meant I had no choice - either it went home, cost extra money and didn't get looked at until I could get it to Kombi Rescue myself, or I just forked out the dosh and had the tilt tray guys do it.
I paid the significantly larger sum and it went straight to Steve.
He stripped the motor and pronounced the diagnosis.
For some reason which still has us all stumped oil stopped getting to the bottom end of the motor.
It had nothing to do with the relief valves or oil galleries and the pump and filter and cooler are fine.
But as a result No3 rod heated up, tried to weld itself to the crank, then bent and it's odd shape caused it to take bits out of the case ribs.
When Steve bolted the case together and torqued it up I watched him wiggle a large feeler gauge through the rear main and the 2nd journal.
Basically the case, crank and rods were buggered.
I'm going to state now that Steve is not responsible for any of these things and since we can't find the reason when the case is split it's a dead cert he wouldn't have been able to spot them with it together.
Nor was there any reason to believe it would die like this.
The truth was this was a 2nd hand motor that sat for 7 years on my garage floor and for 12 months did proud service as a daily driver in all applications.
At the end of the day that's more than you can hope for in any 2nd hand motor.
There is a silver lining to this story.
Despite the cataclysmic failure of the bottom end the cam, lifters pushrods, heads, valves and other components are fine.
More importantly the new pistons, rings and barrels that had only done about 500km are also fine.
Even the plugs are still good.
And when Steve pulled the heads the valves showed the right colouration that reflected his mix had been perfect.
At least that's a head start.
So now, with a replacement case, crank and rods, I'm getting a full rebuild.
In hindsight if we used the original case and done a full rebuild the same thing may well have happened and the cost would've ended up much more.
The only thing this situation has made us decide is that we need a more modern 6 seater as a 2nd car.
The sad truth is the Panel is 42 years old and even with all the mods it's had it wasn't really designed to do everything we do without paying a price and 1600cc motors, as great as they are, are getting older.
Now all I have to do is try and find a REALLY low mileage T3 Syncro....oh, and money to buy it!
On a closing note, a MASSIVE thanks has to go to Scott (kom123) for the use of his Golf.
Without it we would really be stranded.
