205Td Diesel Power

[bicyclerepairman 3]

Hi all,

 

I've only posted a few times to ask questions, so thought I'd show what I've been doing to my car. This is copied from several posts on another forum, so it's kinda long.

 

 

The car is a 205 1.8TD. I call it the "Dream Machine", quite a few other people have laughed at me.

It does all I want, and is even practical for cycling trips (just)

First off. The bonnet hinge is missing a bolt, and it was annoying me.

Fixed.

Then I started doing some experiments with the existing water temperature sender, and a nice gauge I got really cheap off Ebay. They didn't go well....

So I gave up and ordered a real VDO sender. It works now, but there's some more to do before I fit it all.

So I did some other stuff..

The rear wiper didn't work, so I removed it and filled the hole. This removes a potential MOT failure point, and also saves weight.

The rear washer didn't work either, so I removed that as well, for the same reasons.

I removed the stereo, as I'm putting gauges where it currently sits. I also removed the rear speakers ("240W Music Power" Bangin!). I'll be replacing it all with a suitably lightweight system.

It left some odd holes in my parcel shelf, but it does save weight.

I also picked up a very cheap Racetech dual oil temperature/pressure gauge. The capillary tube for the temperature gauge was snapped off at the case, so I took it apart to see if there's anything I can do.

Looks awesomely clockwork inside...

Not really much I can do.

However, after carefully cutting off part of the case, I revealed the remaining stub of copper capillary tube. I've come this far, I think I'll be attempting a brave repair. But another time.

That'll do for today.

Total weight saved - 6.5KG.

The plastic grip of both keys had broken. I have had to carry the little stub of a key in my wallet for a few months, which has become mildly irritating. Time to sort this out.

Cut this bit of box off an old trolly

I got an angle grinder for my birthday over a year ago, and haven't yet tried it out. I took some brave pills, donned the approriate PPE, and set to work.

Stripped the remaining plastic off the key.

Heated up the cut piece

Got a bit of wood wedged in the remaining box I used as a makeshift former to hammer the hot metal. Decided to burn it out...

Looks...promising?

Back to tools of a size I'm more used to.... Enlarge the countersunk holes...

Done, and looking beasty.

Ground off the bolts at the back.

After banging on about them for months, I finally fitted my gauges today. What an epic it's been....

After finally getting the right combo of pipes and adapters, I set about making a dash panel.

Take 1: Old baking tray.

This didn't go so well, so I turned my attention to a piece of old floorboard. Genius, or madness? Time will tell.

After two attempts, I was forced to concede it was madness.

Take 4 was made of oak, kindly donated to the cause by my housemate's dad. Here it is, after a lot of rasping and sanding, compared to takes 1, 2, and 3:

I gave it a coat of linseed oil, and started fitting the electrics.

They work!

The time and effort gap between these two photos is enormous, but here they are, all fitted:

Will need to get out on a test drive and see how they work, but one problem is already apparent: the water temperature gauge only works when the headlights are turned on. Ah well. I'll fix it another time.....

I'm going to give a little preview of what I've got planned for the car stereo.

I said it would be light, so I decided to make my own with a bare minimum of features.

I've started the design, but it's turning out to be quite a lot of work....

I've finished the front panel

Test fitted. In fact, when it's done (if all goes to plan), this is all you will see of the stereo.

Still got quite a lot to do with the electronic design and layout....

 

[GLPoomobile 958]

Dude, you are certifiably insane

 

Kudos on the Linseed oil though. Definitely makes all the difference

[Strictly_Derv 34]

What are your plans for this? Chronic boost?

[bicyclerepairman 3]

I have a number of ideas for this car, ranging from definitely doable to very silly. We'll see how far I get...but yes, more boost is the plan now I have gauges. Sadly the engine has the Lucas pump, which'll make it a bit of a pain.

[calvinhorse 870]

Dude you're my hero! This tread is so different and fun!

 

Oak, linseed oil.. not the usual 205 stuff but I'm enjoying reading it

[bicyclerepairman 3]

I have been slowly getting on with the stereo for the car.

I got that sinking feeling quite a long time ago when I realized just how much work I'd made for myself, however slowly but surely I'm getting it done.

This stereo has only two functions - USB charging, and line input.

After quite a lot of design work, I got some PCBs made, and after an internetz buying session, this arrived in the post:

Some time later, I had this:

Looks pretty pro, but no idea if any of it will work!

Took out the ash tray from the car:

Added the USB charging gubbins:

Very bravely plugged in my phone (previous projects involving phones and USB charging have not gone well for my phone), and it worked!!

How it looks in the car:

And today's progress:

Audio input board wired up to front panel.

Just have to get the main amplifier board working now.....

[Uberderv 6]

Great work :-) There are good guides on the net for Lucas pump jiggery so all is not lost.

[bicyclerepairman 3]

I finally finished something!!

It fought me every step of the way, and involved several late-night epics complete with headtorch, but I have a working stereo that I built (and weighs next to nothing).

So my original design, using a class D amplifier chip, didn't work so well. In fact, all it did was make horrible squealing noises. I assumed I'd made some mistake in the design, and had probably fried the chip, so re-designed with a class AB amplifier chip. It was a much simpler design, and I think it's more in keeping with the theme of the car.

It's not very clear here, but I fitted it into the back of the original stereo cage, along with the gauges. Looks messy, but I did tidy the wiring afterwards.

There's almost nothing to it, apart from this chip and a few input capacitors

Finally, I don't have holes all over my dashboard

I was so happy with how it looked, I took another picture

After yet more faffing with the speakers (the person who fitted them had done some bodge with spade connectors and tape. I bodged them a bit more until they worked, but I'll be replacing them soon.

Plugged in my mp3 player, and it all worked! Sounds great, goes nice and loud, and charges the mp3 player. It didn't blow up, even when I started the engine. In fact, it sounded so good, I sat in the car for a bit after taking it for a test drive and had a bit of a rave to myself. Must have looked a bit of a nutjob with my headtorch and cup of tea, but ah well.

Just have to see how it stands up to wear and tear in use.

Next, on to something more essential, such as suspension/engine work.

[ORB 227 1 Cars]

Love it.

[Tandoh 17]

I genuinely think this has got to be the best project thread I have ever read.

Every decision you made, I was thinking along the lines of 'why' and 'that won't work'...only to be proved wrong!

I love that stereo!!!!

[bicyclerepairman 3]

Been using the stereo every day on my commute, and it's been ace. It's holding up just fine so far! It's also been improved with the addition of an ultralight universal phone/sat-nav mount:

I was looking forward to being done with fiddly electronics and getting on with some manly stuff with spanners and hammers, but this next job was my first real experience with a major job on an old car and nearly broke me.

I'm slowly trying to track down the cause(s) of the shoddy steering on the car. I've already disconnected the power steering belt, to see if the PAS was the cause of any problems, and also to see what it was like without power steering (I might be removing it, to save weight......). The jury is still out on the unassisted steering experience, but the steering issues were still there. I then decided to change the strut bushes/bearings.

I borrowed some spring compressors, took some brave pills, and set to work.

5 hours later, one side had been done. I was already deeply suspicious of the Haynes description of removing the hub carrier: "...then slide the carrier down from the strut...", but that part in particular took quite a long time.

I then had the other side off, stripped, re-built, and fitted in record time (about an hour), but then the last top mount stud sheared off when I was tightening it up. Arse. I immediately gave up and went to the pub, spent a while thinking about it, and re-attacked it today.

My top mount now looks like this:

Old busted bits:

As an unexpected and unplanned bonus, I also got the gearbox oil changed.

Next up: get the car through its first MOT in my care, and then new wishbone bushes. Also, deal with inevitable paranoia at every bump and squeak for the next 100 miles, worrying that I've done something wrong and something very bad will happen.

ps. Many thanks to the supportive and helpful members on this forum who got me through this!

Edited March 15, 2013 by bicyclerepairman

[GLPoomobile 958]

 

It's also been improved with the addition of an ultralight universal phone/sat-nav mount:

 

Can you tell me where you got that? I've been searching for ages for a good mount but all the ones on eBay are too chunky, too plasticy and too expensive

[bicyclerepairman 3]

All good stationers. Maybe it's not obvious in the pictures, but it's actually a lump of blu-tack.

[welshpug 1,657]

PMSL!!!

[GLPoomobile 958]

All good stationers. Maybe it's not obvious in the pictures, but it's actually a lump of blu-tack.

 

My humour was perhaps too subtle, or perhaps you just chose to go along with the joke, but either way, thanks

[Robbiedundy 58 4 Cars]

Brilliant, did you go any further with this?