[P @ F]

Not sure which i am lately , 18 months ago the clutch on my T4 gave signs of giving up , not bad considering i got 12 years out of it from van purchase , took it to garage and was told dual mass so £1200 sir 
No chance so traded it in for my little Fiorino , should be good for a few years , wrong !
Started it up and it gave an almighty pop , opened the bonnet to find a tar substance all over the place  , drove to garage to get told the injector seals had gone £200 should sort that mate he said , you can drive it but it needs sorting soon .
Went home and watched youtube , i will have a go at that then , £9.20 spent at GSF and 4 hours later im sorted 

Then on Friday the bloody clutch goes !!!

See my garage , £450 is the damage this time , so of course being bank holiday im thinking , i can do that , it will be hard doing it on the deck , but i can do it right ?

So i get the clutch and gear oil from Europarts for £112 and get to work , it wasnt a walk in the park , but im ready to roll in the morning ......Even though i do have arms like corned beef , and cant seem to move my head it was worth it 

Cant see me going back on the spanners anytime soon though !

Rich     

[EandM]

That's impressive. Well Done !

[Stoots]

Like you say biggest problem is doing it without a ramp, makes most jobs such a pain in the arse and time consuming its easier to take to the garage. Former mechanic myself but wouldnt attempt a clutch on the driveway far too much hassle

[P @ F]

Thanks guys , i have always tinkered with motors but was not actually a trained mechanic , i was a fitter for a gearbox rebuilding firm , i will have a crack at most things though , i would have killed for a ramp and transmission lift this weekend , as it was i ended up laying under the gearbox cracking off the last bellhousing bolt and catching the thing with my legs , ok with a little box but thats why i chose not to take the chance with the T4 monster 

Every job is different though , i used to run a 16 valve clio , but they had naff diff bearings , i went through 4 boxes in 2 years , now this is a job i found easier on the floor with engine crane , on a ramp everything had to come off , full subframe , wishbones and all , i used to whip off the bonnet and pull the whole engine and box out , i got it down to 6 hours out and back in and running come the end , i was proud of that , my neigbours used to watch in disbelief  !!!

Rich   

[Rob.Hall]

Top job!
Great work.
Could have been a nightmare if it had gone wrong though...

[duncan h]

This is why I stopped being a mechanic. Donkey work

[dazmond]

are wishbone arms,bushes and dog bone mount bushes easy for a garage to do?my local garage dont fancy doing mine on my golf(which in my mind seems ridiculous)so im gonna go elsewhere.

[EandM]

Thanks guys , i have always tinkered with motors but was not actually a trained mechanic , i was a fitter for a gearbox rebuilding firm , i will have a crack at most things though , i would have killed for a ramp and transmission lift this weekend , as it was i ended up laying under the gearbox cracking off the last bellhousing bolt and catching the thing with my legs , ok with a little box but thats why i chose not to take the chance with the T4 monster 

Every job is different though , i used to run a 16 valve clio , but they had naff diff bearings , i went through 4 boxes in 2 years , now this is a job i found easier on the floor with engine crane , on a ramp everything had to come off , full subframe , wishbones and all , i used to whip off the bonnet and pull the whole engine and box out , i got it down to 6 hours out and back in and running come the end , i was proud of that , my neigbours used to watch in disbelief  !!!

Rich

We've always done our own maintenance through necessity rather than anything else and through the seventies my dad was always doing diesel conversions on a variety of stuff so he built a fixed ramp by the garage. It's brilliant for oil changes and waxoyling and the like but if you need to take a prop shaft off I'd rather visit my tame mechanic.

Respect to you though - getting any gearbox out on the floor is an absolute pain. Brave indeed !

My dads personal best was his Citroen CX 2.5 turbo diesel with an engine that had casting issues from the time of manufacture. The result was that a head gasket only lasted around six months but the car was so unbelievably awesome that he was prepared to put up with it.  After removing the studs and replacing them with bolts he could eventually do a head gasket swap in less than 90 minutes.

[k.diver]

after youve been in the biz ten years theres no good reason to have an old van/truck unless youre serious underpricing  the work .    it only takes a £1 increase across your round to easily pay for something new or near new

[P @ F]

after youve been in the biz ten years theres no good reason to have an old van/truck unless youre serious underpricing  the work .    it only takes a £1 increase across your round to easily pay for something new or near new

I dont see your point there , a clutch is a consumable , it was not a case of the van being old or knackered , you could drive a new van from dealer and have the dual mass go in 50 miles , luck of the draw with modern .
I wont ever buy a new new van because i do see it as a work item and wont mother it like a sweet car , as long as its reliable and looks respectable thats good for me !

If it makes you feel any better i did have an epic fail today , it came to light that the motor factor supplied the wrong oil for the box , i kicked up in the shop and he decided best to refund me without getting the oil back , i then went to fiat and got the right oil .
Then i went and drove the van straight off the end of the ramp putting 2 big dents in my sill 

Rich

[k.diver]

 if youv been going donkeys yrs  ask yourself why  youre messing around doing a clutch yourself on a tired van  surely im worth more  or  are your prices still too low  .   im not being nasty but sometimes you need to take a long hard look at reality

  this year iv jacked up my prices  after holding them down far too long truth be told but now im quite able to get that brand new van  overnight IF  i wanted / or when the current van lets me down   

[P @ F]

if youv been going donkeys yrs  ask yourself why  youre messing around doing a clutch yourself on a tired van  surely im worth more  or  are your prices still too low  .   im not being nasty but sometimes you need to take a long hard look at reality

  this year iv jacked up my prices  after holding them down far too long truth be told but now im quite able to get that brand new van  overnight IF  i wanted / or when the current van lets me down

But you are off again , the clutch went for cryin out loud , it happens mate , but i suppose as you are totally minted you just lob your van in the bin if you get a puncture 

The fact is that the van is not old or tired , 2012 with 75K on it , i dont do brand new , (why)  cos i dont like throwing money away that is not coming out of my ears anyway , its nothing to do with the way i run the biz either , i get 30/35 an hour most hours but only do 4 hours a day due to health issues , im just the kind of guy that is of the reasoning that if i am able to utilise my know how in other areas to save me £338 in one hit i will , now that is good business sense to me !

Rich

[P @ F]

Yes i should have scrapped it really , its unusable for a work van in all fairness 

[k.diver]

how many miles ?   if its under 50k id write to the makers,  i know of 2 folk who did just that [one for a  gearbox on a ten yr old low miles car  and one for a failed cylinder head  on a 5yr old Mazda  ] and each got the repair bill paid  , course its down to the makers discretion. 

[Stoots]

after youve been in the biz ten years theres no good reason to have an old van/truck unless youre serious underpricing  the work .    it only takes a £1 increase across your round to easily pay for something new or near new

Theres a very good reason

Depreciation

A new van is not a good investment, nor is any vehicle.

How much would you lose on say a 15k van in 10 years? about 10 grand or more.

Probably a grand a year in depreciation

[k.diver]

after youve been in the biz ten years theres no good reason to have an old van/truck unless youre serious underpricing  the work .    it only takes a £1 increase across your round to easily pay for something new or near new

Theres a very good reason

Depreciation

A new van is not a good investment, nor is any vehicle.

How much would you lose on say a 15k van in 10 years? about 10 grand or more.

Probably a grand a year in depreciation

once properly established ,if you cant afford to factor in a grand over a year on vehicle costs youre doing something wrong.   the truth is your van /truck is the  main  lynch pin of the business its not something to pennypinch on  . if youre not spending  a grand each year on  vehicle expense  it means youre one of those who have a tiddly arsed round 

[k.diver]

if youv been going donkeys yrs  ask yourself why  youre messing around doing a clutch yourself on a tired van  surely im worth more  or  are your prices still too low  .   im not being nasty but sometimes you need to take a long hard look at reality

  this year iv jacked up my prices  after holding them down far too long truth be told but now im quite able to get that brand new van  overnight IF  i wanted / or when the current van lets me down

But you are off again , the clutch went for cryin out loud , it happens mate , but i suppose as you are totally minted you just lob your van in the bin if you get a puncture 

The fact is that the van is not old or tired , 2012 with 75K on it , i dont do brand new , (why)  cos i dont like throwing money away that is not coming out of my ears anyway , its nothing to do with the way i run the biz either , i get 30/35 an hour most hours but only do 4 hours a day due to health issues , im just the kind of guy that is of the reasoning that if i am able to utilise my know how in other areas to save me £338 in one hit i will , now that is good business sense to me !

Rich

whats your health issues?  the way i see it is you cant be much wrong with you if you did a clutch job  on the deck

[P @ F]

how many miles ?   if its under 50k id write to the makers,  i know of 2 folk who did just that [one for a  gearbox on a ten yr old low miles car  and one for a failed cylinder head  on a 5yr old Mazda  ] and each got the repair bill paid  , course its down to the makers discretion.

You get better with every post mate , i would love to get one of those letters from you cryin that the clutch plate had worn out after only 50,000 miles of dragging half a tonne of water around every day , i would simply laugh in your face !
That only leads me to assume that you are not in the least mechanically minded .
Which reminds me , i must drop into kwik fit in the morning , those darn tyres they put on my Golf 2 year ago have worn out 

[Stoots]

after youve been in the biz ten years theres no good reason to have an old van/truck unless youre serious underpricing  the work .    it only takes a £1 increase across your round to easily pay for something new or near new

Theres a very good reason

Depreciation

A new van is not a good investment, nor is any vehicle.

How much would you lose on say a 15k van in 10 years? about 10 grand or more.

Probably a grand a year in depreciation

once properly established ,if you cant afford to factor in a grand over a year on vehicle costs youre doing something wrong.   the truth is your van /truck is the  main  lynch pin of the business its not something to pennypinch on  . if youre not spending  a grand each year on  vehicle expense  it means youre one of those who have a tiddly arsed round

Just because you can afford to spens a grand a year on vehicle expenses doesnt mean its a wise investment. Its a waste of a grand a year.

No it really doesnt mean anything if you are not spending a grand a year on expenses, other than your van hasnt needed any work doing that year.

[S.A.J]

Not sure which i am lately , 18 months ago the clutch on my T4 gave signs of giving up , not bad considering i got 12 years out of it from van purchase , took it to garage and was told dual mass so £1200 sir 
No chance so traded it in for my little Fiorino , should be good for a few years , wrong !
Started it up and it gave an almighty pop , opened the bonnet to find a tar substance all over the place  , drove to garage to get told the injector seals had gone £200 should sort that mate he said , you can drive it but it needs sorting soon .
Went home and watched youtube , i will have a go at that then , £9.20 spent at GSF and 4 hours later im sorted 

Then on Friday the bloody clutch goes !!!

See my garage , £450 is the damage this time , so of course being bank holiday im thinking , i can do that , it will be hard doing it on the deck , but i can do it right ?

So i get the clutch and gear oil from Europarts for £112 and get to work , it wasnt a walk in the park , but im ready to roll in the morning ......Even though i do have arms like corned beef , and cant seem to move my head it was worth it 

Cant see me going back on the spanners anytime soon though !

Rich     

Might start brining my vans to you to be fixed!!