Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

My 2003 T4 Camper Conversion

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • My 2003 T4 Camper Conversion

    Hi guys

    I was asked some time back to transfer my thread to here from the t4 forum by Dan. I will add the dates of the posts to show when and what work was carried out.

    To begin, from information i was given from the previous owner, the van began life as a showroom van which was registered to run parts from one vw dealers to another as they never had there own van. It was driven to the designated dealers and that's where it stayed with just 11 miles on the clock until the first public owner purchased the van. Him and his wife ,who are lovely people and good friends, then owned the van for 10 years until the day i purchased her as he wanted to upgrade to a t5 as the van had been involved in a incident which resulted in the n/s cab door, sill step, fuel filler cap and 1/4 of the slider below the fuel cap being crushed to within a inch of its life thanks to a bollard in London lol . I then purchased the van thanks to my dad (Superstitch from Mid England Retrims) securing the deal in 2013 with 265,000 miles on the clock and many spares and accessories.

    So less talking and more pics

    09/02/13

    Thanks to my dad superstitch and a very good friend ofhis i have been able to buy a 2003 vw t4 2.5tdi in red. It needs abit of bodywork and mechanical attention but thanks to the previousowner i dont need to worry as all the repair panels have been supplied within the cost of the van.

    Plans are for a full camper conversion and maybe a respray, once i can afford it. So here she is



    And then after a good wash



    T:

  • #2
    10/2/13

    Well itching to start working on it this morning before i go off to college this afternoon for a week i decided to clean the cab area and also remove the carpet lined panels out of the rear of the van.



    Comment


    • #3
      16/02/13

      Been a busy day today, removed cab mat, seats, and the rear floor ready for iinsulation and a raised floor. Also heated the bumpers up to bring them back to black and cleaned all the dash and glovebox.



      May be installing a sliding window and a solid window this month. T:

      Comment


      • #4
        08/03/13

        Windows arrived today thanks to leisure windows 10/10 for service and quality. Cant wait to get them fitted. And the van now has new steels aswell thanks to a very kind forum member who delivered them for me and it has a new set of heater controls waiting to be fitted. Josh T:

        09/03/13

        Windows came yesterday thanks to leisure windows, very impressed.


        20/03/13

        New bumpers came yesterday, they will now be stored until I am ready to put the van on the road, the van should be going to the mechanics soon to have the head gasket sorted and a few other bits and pieces as me and my dad haven't got the tine or space to do it ourselves, and then the bodywork will be sorted after that. We should see some progress soonT: H:

        05/04/13

        Been a while since I last posted but the van has now been booked in for head gasket etc either this weekend or next, I'm collecting a tailgate tomorrow for it of a 95 van which will need a little modification, got myself a few tailgate bits hinges strut mountings etc off a helpful forum member and then Il be able to start the bodywork.

        Comment


        • #5
          06/04/13

          Been to collect my tailgate this morning, was told it was removed from a 95 van but has the later hinges on it, could this be from the change over period? Anyway it has 1 crease in the lower panel and has no lock but no major issues apaet from that.


          20/04/13

          First i removed the grill and facier


          Then i removed and plugged/blanked off the power steering hoses that run in front and mount onto the radiator.


          Then i removed the front bumper


          Then removed the headlights and indicators as i have a electrical problem that i need to sort out.


          21/04/13

          Found a few break outs of rust on the front end so spent the morning putting 2 coats of black hammerite on to tidy it up abit and treat the rust.
          Before


          After

          ALSO doesanybody know how to remove the rear bumper, ive taken the torx screws out of both arches and the 4 underneath but there are a couple under the lip of the doors at the rear which i cant figure out how to get out. Any help would be grateful.

          Thanks for looking josh T:

          12/05/13

          Well bit of an update, been to see the mechanic and discuss a few things, he going to remove the engine and gearbox to sort the head gasket, cambelt glow plugs etc. Whilst the engi es out hes going to steam clean the engine for me and the engine bay and also once i have the corre t gears the 5th gear upgrade. Also the van is going to have new ball joints etc. So once this is complete the van should be mechanically sound and ready for the interior to beconverted and the bodyworkto be done.

          Comment


          • #6
            15/06/13

            Due to the mechanic being extremely busy and overbooked these last few weeks and un able to start work on my van, he offered me the use of his tools and the space outside his unit to start the removal of my drive shafts ready for the engine to and gearbox to come out to have the head gasket and cambelt done. so I took the offer and removed the 2 driveshafts. had an issue with the brake disc bolt so had to remove the hed and now have to drill the hubs and retapp them.

            parts I found I needed were
            2 top ball joints
            2 bottom ball joints
            2 drop links
            2 shocks
            2 wheel bearings
            2 tie rods
            2 track rod ends
            new discs all the way round

            and as a precaution and ease of work im going to replace the driveshafts whilst it is all apart and at ease of access.
            here are pics



            thanks for looking
            Josh

            24/06/13

            bit of an update, placed my wheels by the van today to see what they will look like and so far I like them. what do you think. they are hand painted at the minute but they will be powdercoated in the same colurs and design.





            thanks for looking
            josh

            28/06/13

            Well after my dad spoke to the mechanic about the work to be carried out on the van, he removed the engine. I only knew tonight as it was kept a secret.
            Here are pics



            01/07/13

            Been and had a little spend this morning bought everything to do a complete service such as power steering fluid, gearbox oil. Brake fluid engine oil air filter, cabin filter, oil filter fuel filter and whilst i was in there bought 2 5" FLI speakers for my door pockets and 2 6X9 FLI speakers.

            02/07/13

            Been to collect my filters today before my surgery so now have hem, which will aid the repair and rebuild of my engine. T:

            07/07/13
            Been nice and warm this weekend and quite unhappy as i couldnt work on my van because of my surgery.

            28/07/13

            Well thanks to a friend on friday my engine has now been stripped and ready for the head to be sent off the turbo to be rebuilt and the head gasket to be done. The mechanic was unavailable and was ill so had to get somebody else to strip it for me. Anyway with that strippe i degreased my engine bits etc and painted my brake pad carriers up. Glad somethings been done with it now. Shouldnt be long until i get her back on her wheels and then back to my dads unit to start the bodywork.


            30/07/13

            My head has just come back from the skimmers and look s mint well chuffed now.


            10/08/13

            More pics to show now, been tosee the mechanic today and had a look at my cylinder head. Its mint, its been, pressure tested, crack tested, de swarfed, skimmed, had the valves ground in, dipped, polished and then sprayed witha protective heat resistant aluminuim coating. Its also had to have new cylinderhead bolts and new hydraulic lifters as mine had began to crack. Time to let the pics talk now

            Comment


            • #7
              07/09/13

              Well a bit of an update, been to see the mechanic yesterday to see how my engine was coming along and this is what i found, a 75% rebuilt engine majority cleaned, all timed, all most ready to go back in the van. It is going to be steam cleaned have a new auxillary belt idler, and also have the dual mass flywheel changed to a single mass.


              25/09/13

              Quick update engine is nearly rebuilt, rocker cover gasket abd rocker cover are back on, bearings are done discs abd tie rods have been ordered, drive shafts have arrived abd are ready to fit. Shouldn't be long now

              29/09/13

              Engine is going in this week, suspension will be rebuilt including new drop links, tie rods, track rod ends, discs, pads, drifeshafts, so hopefully she will be back on her wheels ready for when i come home from college for the weekend next weekend. Cannot wait.T:H:

              20/10/13

              Bought some new seats for my van friday from a place in cheshire, land rover freelander 2 2011 paid 200 when i whent to collect them the guy who sold them to me told me i should have paid double that but he priced them up wrong and was in the managers bad books lol LOL:T:


              10/11/13

              Cheers sat in them when I went off roading with my previous college and they are really comfy. Also I wanted to be a little different with the choice of front seats. Whilst im here a bit of an update the engine has Bern put back in on Wednesday and the engine and engine bay have cleaned up really well. The mechanics just got to sort the wiring and the ensure the pump timing is correct and the van runs as it should and then I can have her back then. Can't wait.IIt's then going in my dads unit to have bodywork and mods done.


              Thanks for comments and looking

              30/11/13

              Time for and update, been over to the mechanic and i virtually rebuilt the drivers side suspension, fitted new drive shaft, new top and bottom ball joints, new bearings and all i have left to do is the bolt throught the shock to the drop links and the torsion bar then onto the otherside. She finally goes back together.


              14/12/13

              Been over to the mechanics today and fitted new brake discs and pads and put it back on its wheels finally. Here are some pics.


              29/12/13

              Finally got my van back after 10 months of it being sat outside the mechanics across the yard. She runs and sounds ace with no exhaust but needs a new starter and a few minor things but she runs all thanks to a good friend. Time to start the rebuild and conversion now.


              30/12/13

              Well i built most of my front end today like radiator re routed wiring etc with my dads mate, started it upmand found that it leaks from the camshaft at both ends and squirts oil out onto both timing belts due to the mechanic not changing the cam seals when the head was apart. Dont have a clue why he didnt change them. Not happy as a lot of u can understand but at least i know of a place to steer away from now especially considering aswell that the fuel pump was baggy and moving about on its mountings. Life lesson learned i think.

              31/12/13

              New starter motor came today and my dads mate removed the rocker cover and timing gears tofind that the cam seals are leaking and allowing oil to drip down the side of the head and onto the belt tensioners and belt. 2 new seals are on order so that should hopefully solve the issue. Also cleaed the back of the van out and made a hell of a lot of space.

              25/01/14
              After scraping and cleaning the van floor last weekend, i painted it this morning in aluminium chassis paint. Looks really tidy now, waiting for it to dry and then probably put another coat on next weekend.
              Heres the pics


              08/02/14

              Hi guys been very busy today, pulled the front of the van into my dads unit and replaced drivers side anti roll bar bush, droplink and tie rod assemblies, and then me and my dad started dismantling the engine to change the cam seals. A lot more work is involved than we thought but wgen the old seals came out, no retaining springs were present and they were a really loose fit on the cam. Put the new ones in and nice tight fit but they have the retaining springs. Got to tension the cambelt, re assemble the front end and then test, hopefully thats cured it.

              A big thank you to my dad superstitch, i couldnt have done it without all those cups of tea you made lolLOL:LOL:LOL:Rasp:Rasp:Rasp:I:I:

              Anyway heres pics



              09/02/14

              Finished rebuilding the engine tonight and the new cam seals have stopped the oil leak thank god, now onto the more fun things interior bodywork etc. A big thanks to my dad aswell superstitch.T:

              16/03/14

              Not a particularly a happy chap today, bought a new battery, fuel filter and 20 litres of fuel to try and get the van running. Now we set the pump timing last night using a dti gauge and the pump is spot on, along with the cam. Now i changed the fuel filter etc first, filled the new fuel filter before fitting and bled the system. Still no start.

              Things we have:

              we have compression as the van really wants to start.

              We have 12 volts where nessecary

              we have no air in the fuel system so and the fuel sprays out the injector pipes when cracked,

              we have fuel in the tank.

              But still no start. So i plugged a vw code reader in and a fault code came up saying " Coolant Temprature Sensor g62 short circuit or open". After looking on the internet at this faultit appears that the Coolant temprature sensor will cause difficult or non starting if faulty. Also relay 109 came up in discussion on the forums as a common fault to difficult or non starting.

              So i took relay 109 out and opened the casing up to check the condition of the windings and switch and it has a burn like smell. So i have ordered a new coolant temprature sensor and a new relay and will now go from there,

              but if this doesnt work does anybody with a 2.5tdi ajt have any idea or advice on where to go next, as the mechanic who rebuilt the van isnt interested in helping me and doesnt have a clue on how my van works. My mistake i know but i was told he knew what he was doing.

              Any help would be greatly appreciated as im struck for ideas.

              22/03/14

              Hi guys

              not been a good few weekends on the van just lately, i changed the fuel filters etc, changed the coolant temp sensor, and fuel relay and the van still wont start at all!!! I have cleaned all fuel pipes and injectors and she still wont fire.

              Does anybody have any ideas/ solutions as im struck for ideas and into a 1800 pound engine rebuild and still no gain.

              25/03/14

              Thanks to a very good friend of mine last night, my van now starts and runs straight off the key. Found out that the marks on my pump pulley are wrong and when we timed it , the timing was delayed by about 6 teeth. My mate then came and set it up and the timing was out by about 6 to 8 teeth. I've now got to mark the pump pulley for future reference but she starts OFF THE KEYT:



              that's all i have time to do tonight but will ensure to copy the updates shorlty from way back in 2014 lol

              thanks for looking guys.

              Josh

              Comment


              • #8
                Nice looking van... looking forward to reading the rest of the updates!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Didn't realise it was a 2003 model, going well mate


                  Comment


                  • #10
                    yeah buddy 53 reg, was registered septemeber 03.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      That was a bargain really then wasn't it lol


                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Thanks buddy, a lot more pics etc to be put up soon, it's virtually become a restoration lol 😀👍

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Dan View Post
                          That was a bargain really then wasn't it lol


                          Yh buddy only paid a grand for it as dad sorted a deal with Kieran for it lol he's too good to me,

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            30/03/14

                            Got the van up to temprature on saturday leaving it to run and all works as it should. New rear wheel bearings and trailing arm bushes ordered ready for easter weekend, got to get some black paint and schultz to tidy things up, havenew brake line ready to go with unions etc, got a bottle of gas for the mig welding on my side door, sidestep, and tailgate and also have to fix my power steering pipe on the back of the steering rack after the mechanic left it undine and i lost a whole tank of new powersteering fluid. So onwards and upwards from now. :T

                            01/04/14

                            New parts

                            New rear wheel bearings and New trailing arm bushes.


                            05/04/14

                            Also have new wheel bearings for the rear trailing arms, new trailing arm bushes, new brake line ready to make new brake lines, not thatit needs them but might aswell whilst its all apart, have new brakehoseclips and fittings and also have 2 new rear handbrake cables. Have the hammerite to paint the trailing arms up with and then got mycalipers to send away tobe refurbed and powdercoated in a dark blue.

                            Will be cutting the damaged step out during easter weekend, fitting the new passenger door, reskinning the side door and if theres enough time, hopefully start reskining my tailgate and fitting it to the van. Should keep me busy for a while.ixed power steering leak which was caused by the union being lose on the back of the braded hose which runs from the power steering pump to the steering rack. It now holds power steering fluid, refitted cambelt cover and fuel timing belt cover and then had my first drive of it down the farm track. Nice to drive and dont feel like a van, more like a car. Cant wait to get it done. A lot to do but should be worth it.

                            19/04/14

                            Plan of action for today was to get the old damaged sill off and replaced and get the new passenger door on.
                            All seemed to go to plan.

                            Damage to the old sill


                            Right as its been brought to my attention by a certain person lol Here is my dad cutting out the sill and doing all the work lol.

                            cutting the old sill out


                            what was left of the old sill and filler cap lower panel.
                            .

                            all seemed to go to plan UNTIL the replacement step was welded in and found to be bowed. We compared it with another and that is also bowed. So we have had to modify the step and then the fun began hen we tried the passenger door on to find the top window frame is bent out quite a bit and the lower right hand corner next to the filler cap is the same so i now have 2 scrap doors and no solution to my problem lol . These vans are really a test of patience T:

                            20/04/14

                            Well thanks to my dad adjusting the door and finishing beneath the filler cap . Put a coat of primer on the step and area until next weekend when we will flat the welds and smooth rough areas with small amount of filler. Door is fixed only slightly bent so we managed to straighten it out. Here's pics


                            28/04/14

                            Another update and more pics. The van went into the unit on saturday and was put in the air where it shall stay for the next few weeks whilst i sort the rear suspension out. Had a nightmare with the rear trailing arms as theydid not want to budge and found the rear passenger coil spring had snapped a few coils. The pistons fell out of both calipers. Good weekend though got a lot done and a lot warmer than outside. Heres pics


                            04/05/14
                            Managed to get the other side of the suspension done during the week and had to fiddle around with the rear trailing arm by cuttings the bolts out. They had seized and bound themselves to thr inner rubbers meaning all they were doing were spinninģ when i tried to undo them. All good fun though. Now to start the overhaul and rebuild. T:

                            05/05/14

                            Done some more work this afternoon with a bit of help from mh dad. Removed the old trailing arm bushes and cleaned both trailing arms with a wire brush and a bit of brake cleaner. Come up a treat really happy with how good they scrubbed up. Got new bearings to put in next and new bushes then onto brake pipes and calipers. Look at the difference between both trailing arms. T:


                            and finished the second one


                            once the bearings are in both arms are being paintedvto look tidy not that they will be noticed and then new handbrake cables.

                            10/05/14

                            Had a half descent afternoon today on the van. Made new brakes pipes from the load sensor forward and in the process of making the main front brake pipes. Also have the trailing arm pipes to make and then good to go. Didn't do too bad of a job after a bit of help from my dad being the first time I've ever made brake pipes. Here's pics.


                            What do you think

                            09/06/14

                            Not much of an update but as i await to be paid i thought i would do the small jobs such as painting the trailing arms, diesel tank straps, brake pad carriers in gloss black hammerite. All looks tidy now and awaiting parts to be refitted.

                            Also went for my interview for my 3rd year apprenticeship scheme in plant maintenance and repair on kit such as diggers, dumpers small garden equipment and got through, so more money to get my van finished. Well happy atm

                            anyway heres pics

                            State of the inside of the van, had to use it as a work bench as we have no other space.


                            Passenger side trailing arm looking tidy.


                            fuel tank straps


                            drivers side trailing arm


                            and last of all the brake pad carriers


                            14/06/14

                            More work done today, made new brake pipes for the trailing arms, painted a second coat of hammerite on the brake pad carriers,painted the wheel carrier and also the brake dust shields aswell. Also fixed a issue ive had with the van from day one which was the barn doors not closing correctly but also jamming shut. It turned out to be the fact that the plastic surround around the bottom locks on the van were caked to the eyeballs in junk, rust and string. Removed all junk and brushed down with the wire brush and all works like new. Anyway heres pics.



                            15/06/14

                            Lots more work done today, thanks to my dad for working on my van on fathers day i now have a 70% repaired tailgate. We had to remove the damaged panel at the bottom, straighten the bottom lip out, joggle and cut the repair panel to fit and then start the welding of the panel. Heres pics



                            21/06/14

                            Spent today masking the sides of the van off and making a sealed space for me to spray the underside of mh van in shutz without getting overspray in the workshop. Created a curtain all the way round the baase of the van for me to work. Heres pics.


                            23/06/14

                            Been busy this afternoon, got mucky and stonechipped the underside of the van. Really happy with how tidy it looks now , just got to leave it to dry . Here's pics .


                            24/06/14

                            Some goodies turned up today from vw heritage, thanks to my mom and dad for my 18th birthday, which consists of 2x new rear wheels hubs which i am awaiting for 1, new gear relay lever undeneath the gearstick as mine was too worn, new gear linkage replacement bush kit, which was a game to fit, and a new front to back handbrake cable. I also have new rear suspension bolts on order from vw and also have new calipers and shocks to order once payday arrives. Slowly but surely shes starting to come together again.



                            30/06/14

                            New bolts for the rear suspension came today from vw .


                            Just waiting for a new rear hub from vw heritage still and then it can go all back together.

                            02/07/14

                            New rear calipers came this week , New fronts also, New brake hoses , New shocks and shock rubbers.



                            06/07/14

                            Had a busy weekend, first built all my spares up over the last few weeks for my rear suspension intending to fit it this weekend. As usual the weekend didnt go to plan as it took 5 hours to install 2 rear wheel bearings and 2 hubs with the help of my dad. We tried using a table top press but that wouldnt work as it was always pressing the bearing in eyed. So it was a trip across the road to the mechanic for some specialist tools. Using a 2 end bearing insertion tool it took 3hours per side to install the bearing and hub.

                            So with the hubs and bearings installed, i then tried to install the trailing arm bushes using the press but this appeared to split the bush down the centre. So i tried another way using threaded bar and washers and slowly drawing the bush into the trailing arm but it would only compress the bush not draw it in. After unassembling the rig i found that the bush had split the outer ring whilst compressing so 2 bushes destroyed. So i left everything where it was andwent home. After researching further on the internet etc i found that vw have a specialist compression sleeve which is used whilst drawing the bush in using threaded bar, so trawled tbe internet and vw erwin online catalogue for specialist vag tools and could not find anything. So typed the code into google again and found the german translation for the tool. Result. Found a company in germany which sell the compression sleeve for 60 quid. So got that ordered.

                            Then this morning decided to build the rest of my trailing arms whilst waiting for new budhes to turn up and also thd specialist tool. So enough writing heres pics.

                            All spares ready for fitting.



                            New bearings and hubs installed and new hub bolts also installed, with new washer and tensioning washer which compresses the bearing and hub assembly together into the trailing arm



                            Then made new disc shield bolts and refiited my old dust shields which were previously painted.



                            then fitted new brake discs and new retaining screws.



                            then fitted thd new brake pad fitting kit to the brake pad carriers and fitted them along with new bolts th the trailing arm ready for the pads.



                            I then fitted the new brake caliper flexi hoses to the new calipers and then fitted the calipers along with the pads.



                            one trailing arm complete.



                            Then carried out the same procedure on the other side and placed both arms under the van ready for installation and also to protect the trailing arms.



                            All done apart from bushes and shocks.
                            Also a big thanks to my dad for all his help this weekend.
                            Thanks for looking guys, all comments welcome T: Cheers Josh

                            12/07/14

                            Been to collect the trailing arm tool today from the delivery company depot after a few mishaps and disagreements and fitted all 4 trailing arm bushes. Suprising how easy the bushes are installed with the tool. It took me about half an hour per bush as i was drawing them in by hand eg breaker bar one end and drawing in with a spanner. Anyway heres pics of the tool.

                            The groove in the face sits tight around the lip of the trailing arm bush sleeve, centralising the bush and also compresing and inserting the bush square. This was well worth the money and wait.


                            so with the tool now working correctly i copper slipped the bush, sleeve and tool and all 4 were done before i knew it.


                            i then fitted the trailing arms and also fitted the new shocks i had waiting.


                            so with all major work now done i put the lower spring seats in place ( grey plastic cup on the trailing arm) and also fitted the new handbrake assembly which cost all of a tenner withou p&p from brickwerks.


                            01/08/14

                            After being dropped to the unit tonight from work, i managed to get my new rear springs fitted, torqued the rear trailing arm bolts whilst in the air and alßo once on the ground as advised by vw, put the wheels back on and finally finished the rear suspension. Heres pics. Cheers for looking guys. T:



                            that's all for tonight again, will try and finish the last 12 pages of the build sometime in the week lol, look forward to hearing peoples views on the work carried out. Cheers for looking at the thread guys Josh

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              As I have already said earlier in your blog you and your dad are doing a grand job. Just keep pushing on.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X