[WIP] Voltswagen T2 -76

[Cera]

Yup have already ordered replacement metals for the worst parts such as those floor crossbars and side sills.

I still don't have any experience in welding nor equipment but it's in professional hands now.

Pricewise sandblasting + base coat ended up totalling 800 Eur which wasn't too bad at all.

[Bratitude]

Long awaited time. Chassis is finally on its way to a professional workshop.


Also loaded motor and transaxle to be delivered to machining shop as well for the shaft coupler. Old clutch plate for template.

fyi I have leaf to vw kits now

[Cera]

have leaf to vw kits no

I checked! However I'm afraid Canada - EU import fees make them rather unavailable for me

Anyways! Slow progress again.

Floor is just about done and since the surface was pretty nice to begin with, it looks like I'll be getting the chassis back sooner than I expected! I've not really made much progress meanwhile to any of the other stuff, but maybe having the clean chassis to start building on helps with the motivation. In any case, I'll most likely be starting with the mechanical stuff; brakes, suspension, boring but easy.

I've also been contemplating and planning on the battery setup; currently I'm still leaning on all 4 modules side-by-side on the cargo floor, which'd raise the floor by 8cm. Other option would be to do some kind of "two modules side-by-side, then stack the other two on top of those" type of solution next to the wall - then hide it under some cupboard or other camping equipment like these used to have. That way getting in and out from the side door would be a bit easier as the floor wouldn't be that high, but I dunno.. We'll see!

Anyway here's the entirety of the floor sills and crossbeams replaced:

[Bratitude]

I checked! However I'm afraid Canada - EU import fees make them rather unavailable for me

how much are fees? I’ve shipped many parts to the eu over the past few years been no reported issues

If not cad files are on my github

[marcexec]

While not ratified, CETA is mostly in place already: https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-tr ... reement_en

[Cera]

New year, same old plans, some progress!

Rust repairs are 100% done finally and oh boi was there some after all. Even though compared to many of the other T2 restorations I've seen in different forums this was light, but still.

Both rear fenders from inside out:









Side sills:







Crossmembers:







Associated outriggers / jacking points (x4):









Hiding under the windscreen seal:







Phew.

Total cost ~ 4000eur with sandblastings, primer paints, welds, the whole ordeal. That I consider money well spent on the solid foundations on which to build upon.

For the next step it's already transported to a paint shop today. Forecast showed 2 days no snowfall so managed to get it there dry and clean. Tomorrow it's apparently going to be a snowstorm again.



Blasting the welded bits once again just to be sure, same primer on those as on the rest of the chassis, finishing off with epoxy paint onto the whole underside and interior for durability. Outside I thought long and hard and in the end I decided against letting them do the overpaint on the whole, mostly because I never wanted this to be "showroom shiny" restoration - my priorities are on the durability and character - so instead I'll be tackling that part on my own. I know it's not going to be nearly as pretty, but this is going to be a camper and I don't want to worry about every single scratch and ding on the expensive paint job.

And furthermore it's my dream van so darnit if it doesn't end up looking like I built it with my own hands too.

So when I'll be getting the chassis back to my garage, I'll most likely start tackling the suspension and brakes next. There's enough in those to keep me busy again for some months and once that's done, it'll most likely be spring and dry outside for the paint work in the driveway, we'll see!

For motor - transmission coupling I've yet to make decisions. I need to start looking to that more too finally!

Anyway. Slow and steady. That's been the working plan so far.

[Cera]

Looking at other things while waiting for the chassis. I ordered Zombieverter almost 6mo ago and haven't really done anything to it since it arrived. Today I checked on the BOM and schematics to list what I'm missing from the board and it seems:

1x MCP25625T-E_ML (IC10)
2x AD5160BRJZ10-RL7 (IC21, IC22)
1x NCV8461DR2G (IC12)
3x FAN3122TMX (IC27, IC28, IC29)

If anyone has info where to purchase these preferably within EU, I'd be glad. I'll research on my own meanwhile but posting this here just in case someone has a quick solution.

Would be nice to have the board soldered soon.

[royhen99]

LCSC ( China ) has MCP25625T-E_ML and NCV8461DR2G but no FAN3122.
If you are intending using the AD5160 to drive the original gauges, I don't think they will work. The voltage is limited to 5V and current 5mA, the wiper resistance is typically 50R which is not low enough. I am not fimiliar with the VW gauges but from what I've read the fuel sender resistance is 10R - 73R.

[Cera]

Thank you a lot! Will likely order those two from LCSC then.

Hm.. So what you're saying is that I wouldn't need AD5160 at all? I've no idea what I'll be running for the gauges yet.

I've not yet looked into Zombieverter's functions etc, and I just generally assumed I'll need all the missing chips.

[VWJoe]

Looking at other things while waiting for the chassis. I ordered Zombieverter almost 6mo ago and haven't really done anything to it since it arrived. Today I checked on the BOM and schematics to list what I'm missing from the board and it seems:

1x MCP25625T-E_ML (IC10)
2x AD5160BRJZ10-RL7 (IC21, IC22)
1x NCV8461DR2G (IC12)
3x FAN3122TMX (IC27, IC28, IC29)

If anyone has info where to purchase these preferably within EU, I'd be glad. I'll research on my own meanwhile but posting this here just in case someone has a quick solution.

Would be nice to have the board soldered soon.

Hi,

1x MCP25625T-E_ML (IC10) - Used with Can Bus 3, I think it would be needed if you are using Chademo charging.

2x AD5160BRJZ10-RL7 (IC21, IC22) - Yep Analog outputs, knowing old VW gauges they are not the most linear gauges, so maybe replace the gauge with a servo run by an Arduino and then you can have warning lights as well.

1x NCV8461DR2G (IC12) - Not used for the leaf Inv /Motor

3x FAN3122TMX (IC27, IC28, IC29) - PWM outputs, I don't think these are currently used in 1.10A, but things are afoot. To drive a water pump etc.

[johu]

Yes lots happening with the pwm outputs. PR pending

[Cera]

3/4 were available from LCSC so I ordered those even though I might not need all of them now.

The last missing one, FAN3122TMX, is available from Mouser so it looks like I'll be able to secure them all.

[Cera]

Currently poking at the Leaf gearbox again. I decided to crack mine open. I know I said I'd not be using this and instead bolting the motor to the VW box, but darn this just is so much more appealing option since this would enable me to get rid of the weight, restoration costs and unnecessary complexity of the VW transaxle + all the gear shaft linkages associated with it. So I can't seem to let this go before it's proven non-viable option. I have time and the chassis is still in the paint shop so I thought why not dig into this again for a bit.



Right off the bat we notice I do indeed have sealed bearings instead of the open ones visible in all the other teardown pictures/variations I've seen. This is a good start. Bearing labels reads 6306LA (middle shaft) and 6207LA (input shaft) for those interested.



So this much is clear already, in normal operation the splashy system works like so:



And when reversed, it looks like that mainly leaves the input shaft and possibly the diff gear bearings without proper lubrication.



I'm looking into the possibility of tapping a some sort of nozzle/hose/thing to this upper threaded hole which exists right at the edge of the oil splash channel, with an external pump and a sufficiently wide spray pattern some of the oil should land into the splash channel while rest would go 'round the largest gear and hopefully onto thrust bearings on that one. I'm not entirely sure what type of nozzle or fitting would work, but it just sounds there has to be something out there.





I'm trying to find some local hydraulics store and ask them if they can think of something.

External pump should otherwise be pretty easily fitted to this. Oil can be drawn from the bottom plug, fed through the pump and perhaps an cooler too if need be, and returned from the top. The only issue I currently have is how to direct the flow from the top so that it doesn't just spray downwards straight on that large gear, which'd probably be of no use.

The oil that came out from this when opened was naaaaastyyy. No wonder if that's caused bad performance in some units in regular operation too. Exchanging the oil to regular ATF should improve stuff a little too, and it might be that with the sealed bearings and ATF that could even be enough without the splash lubrication, but I still want to try out something more.

[Romale]

It is likely that if you apply atf slightly above the standard level and you have closed bearings, then there will be no lubrication problem. The problem may arise in another, will the oblique teeth of the gears be able to work adequately by applying axial displacement forces in the other direction? I wouldn't worry about lubrication at all, just pouring, for example, 1.5 liters of oil instead of the required 1.

[Cera]

It is likely that if you apply atf slightly above the standard level and you have closed bearings, then there will be no lubrication problem. The problem may arise in another, will the oblique teeth of the gears be able to work adequately by applying axial displacement forces in the other direction? I wouldn't worry about lubrication at all, just pouring, for example, 1.5 liters of oil instead of the required 1.

Sounds promising! Since the reported issues have been overheated bearings (like you mentioned too), I'm not too worried about the axial thrust.

Since you've had experience with broken bearings on these, do you remember which ones you had failing? The input/middle shaft ones or the conical bearings on the largest gear?

Something like this could also be a viable option if going with the external pump system, but would still require figuring out where to place the input feed line.

[Romale]

I have failed primary shaft bearings. but they were of an open type. I'm sure if I replaced them with closed ones with my own lubricant, everything would be ok.

[Pete9008]

If you do decide to put the oil feed in look up 'piston squirters'. They are quite common to spray oil into piston bores on ICE engines and readily available.

[Bratitude]

using the leaf gearbox is going to defiantly be more efficient ! the closed bearings defiantly change things for running in revers. as romale said, slightly over filling might be the simple trick.

theres also a few accounts of the gearbox running in revers with no problems. with over 4000 km on them. i wonder if these are the closed bearing types?

looks to be (on my gearbox at least) a few threaded ports that would work for an oil feed. thinking of making a screw in insert to spray onto the gears. at least leaf gearboxes are cheap, so if they blow up we can try again

looking a nozzles https://bete.com/application/lubrication/
but something as simple as a little tube might be sufficient

[Cera]

using the leaf gearbox is going to defiantly be more efficient ! the closed bearings defiantly change things for running in revers. as romale said, slightly over filling might be the simple trick.

theres also a few accounts of the gearbox running in revers with no problems. with over 4000 km on them. i wonder if these are the closed bearing types?

looks to be (on my gearbox at least) a few threaded ports that would work for an oil feed. thinking of making a screw in insert to spray onto the gears. at least leaf gearboxes are cheap, so if they blow up we can try again

Ha yes my thoughts exactly

Something tells me you might just have an order for the VW adapter shafts shortly

Nevertheless I'd still want to look into the possible external oil pump with some sort of spray/nozzle in the topmost screw hole just as an precaution because even though the closed bearings + quality ATF overfilled probably would do the trick, I kind of want to try that with an oil temp sensor installed in the feed line to see where the temps are and how much effect does the external oil circulation do to them. That way others who might be planning the same would have more data to base their decision on to.

[Zieg]

Hm, looks like the forum lost my reply. Trying it again.

Any chance you could tell us the brand of those bearings? I can't make it out in the photos. Trying to source some to retrofit, but it's hard finding sealed bearings that allow such high RPM. In particular, the one on the motor-side of the input shaft appears to be 32mm x 65mm x 17mm which isn't a common size. If you could even give us the numbers off that one, it would be greatly appreciated!

[Cera]

Any chance you could tell us the brand of those bearings?

Sadly I didn't find any manufacturer markings on them with a brief look, just the sizes 6306 and 6207, will post if I find some more about them later.

[Cera]

Today was a big day again, got the van home after some months



Finally all of it is sandblasted, rust repairs done, interior and underside fully painted. Exterior is left on primer since it was my plan to do the exterior paint on my own lateron.





Motor bay before / after:





It'll surely be nice to be building onto clean chassis.

[Zieg]

Sadly I didn't find any manufacturer markings on them with a brief look, just the sizes 6306 and 6207, will post if I find some more about them later.

Fair enough, thank you. If you could tell us the sizes of the bearings on the other side that would also be very helpful. It's possible they have changed from the open bearing size, would like to verify that.

[Bratitude]

WOW very nice. soo clean!

interesting to see the difference between my 67 split window and this bay window. my bus was originally swing axle and in the process of grafting on beetle arms, so we have frame horns, where yours dose not.

also the sheet metal air ducting is different here.

in order to fit the leaf motor, gearbox and inverter, ill need to cut away some of the air duct sheet metal. not a lot, but i was hopping to get away with a clean install. yours how ever looks like you can fit it in with out any cutting.

for reference, i have the diff centered, because there's no longer a jackshaft. so the motor sits to one side of the engine bay.

[Cera]

The story continues once again.









Pulled the front axle with the pleasant surprise of not too much rust at all hiding below the mounting points. The space where the bar mounts to the frame is apparently a known place for rust damage in these vans, so I was encouraged to check it to be sure. In addition this makes dealing with the front suspension/brakes much easier.

Removal went surprisingly smoothly considering I was again tackling the job all on my own. I used a ratchet strap to secure the top beam and prevent it from rolling rearwards while dropping the axle slowly and keeping jackstands at hand as a precaution. Then basically just hammered it down 1cm at a time until it came loose. Alas I did not have anything to put under it now, so I just dragged it out scratching the floor. Oh well



I foresee a shopping cart filled with shocks, brakes and ball joints

In other news I took a look at the dash:



Uh oh, bit in a sorry state















Much better.

Still the cracked soft middle piece with the handle to do. Then I can start assembling the dash and some of the 12V wiring.

Also got access to a sandblasting cabinet and gave it a try, very happy with the results.



Much thanks to a local hacker/makerspace for the community spirit, access to crazy tools and teaching me how to's