1975 Daf 66

[munceyboyjoe]

Thanks Stefan, when would be a good time to pop over, weekends?

[munceyboyjoe]

Went for a little drive this evening. Not ideal with the fog etc. but I'm needed as a taxi service. First drive since replacing the coolant, top hose and clips. There was little to no brakes for a while - gingerly moved back and forth in the car park and finally the pressure built up under the pedal.

Apart from that everything seemed well enough, apart from after getting back from the garage (having picked up some motion lotion) - there was the familiar hiss from the top coolant hose! Grr. I'll tighten the new jubilee clip slightly and see if that does the trick.

*Edit* tightened said clip before my first taxi run of the night and that seems to have done the trick. Nothing to complain about at present!

[munceyboyjoe]

Not much activity from me. Took the Daf up and down the road in early Jan. It seems to have developed some brake gremlins. Handbrake is working A-ok but the handbrake warning light doesn't go out when it is released.

Added to this, the rear brakes sound and feel as if they are dragging. The car rapidly decelerates with no throttle. I used to put this down to the nature of the vario, but surely they should coast a little bit? This is why I suspect the brakes are dragging.

And finally, the brake pedal seems to have no effect on the brakes anymore. Pedal full to the floor results in no added braking power. Not really sure what's going on here.

[Richard DAF Webmeister]

Have you seen the mention of this week's Classic Car Weekly - which could be very interesting for you?!

[munceyboyjoe]

Daf's have got a mention in this week? I'll track down a copy!

[Nick the man with a daf....]

hi JOe.. I would give it a fluid change before you go pulling brakes to bits.. sometimes some clean fluid through works wonders, the wifes pug 405 had no brakes all of a sudden, found the fluid full of little globules....

easy bleeder from halfords 14 quid...
5 litres dot 4 fluid 18 quid (I think)
2 litres put through in total... clean at all wheels compared to black gunky before..

look on OH's face as she drives off and stomps on brakes and almost catapults through windscreen....... PRICELESS

[pauldaf44]

1st check is there fluid in the reservior. If there isn't you have a leak and need to find it! Look for wetness on the wheels. Pull off the drums and look for fluid. Then pull back the wheel cylinder dustcaps. If they are damp inside or fluid comes out the cylinders will need resealing or replacing.

If there is a lot of fluid you need to replace the shoes or pads as the linings will be contaminated. For discs. remove the pads and inspect for weaping around the pistons. If in doubt replace!! Brakes are the one system on a car that you must not cut corner on.

[33grinder]

It could simply be a case of the back drums binding slightly due to infrequent use. In which case it will probably ease after a few good miles under her belt (or a just a couple of decent brown trouser moments ;D). Or you could try slackening the adjusters.

Also when she's parked up do you leave the handbreak off? I got a little telling off from Matt the other weekend as I pulled Snowdrop's handbreak whilst we were moving her around. I took the handbreak straight off again but the difference when pushing her about after that was quite apparent! .

[Richard DAF Webmeister]

Yes, a "mention" in 26th January issue. Page 66 - very appropriate. And a very interesting couple of pictures...

[munceyboyjoe]

Brilliant thanks for the help guys. Oh and I picked up a copy of Classic Weekly, very flattering indeed to see the little blue Daf in print again! My girlfriend is excited we drive a famous car!

[munceyboyjoe]

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's ever had to ask this...how on earth do you get the rubber bumper ends back onto the bumper?!

[munceyboyjoe]

Greetings Daf lovers, a fairly somber update from me...

Having gone through a period of unemployment the Daf has had to take a back seat and thus still no brakes. I have however been able to make use of the lovely British weather this last couple of days to take on the engine bay - previously coated in black gunk. I could see rust around the edges of the wings under the bonnet, so I decided to take a look.

Unfortunately it looks like rot is setting in. I managed to poke a hole in the top right side wing. I suppose I could call it a speed hole but that doesn't really cheer me up! There is rot on the inner and outer wing panels around the top on the right side - if I tried I could poke a hole straight through the racing stripe

Currently removing what rust I can with Bilt Hambers Deox Gel - though after that I am not sure where to go in light of the holey bits. Not a person with metalwork skills but I am assuming this is a tricky area to patch with new metal?? Especially due to the two skins of metal, both seemingly with rot problems. Pics...

You can see the hole here and just below the caves of rust!



Here is how the left side wing looks with a second coating of Deox Gel & cling film to keep it moist



And the right side wing with Deox again applied

[spunkymonkey]

Hi Joe. Sorry to hear about the employment hiccup but, on the plus side, the Daf news doesn't look all that bad.

Not being familiar with the 66 shell, I'm struggling a little to work out where that hole is from the first photo but I'm guessing it's not round the top of the suspension turret anywhere? Obviously you'll want to sort it sooner rather than later but, as long as it's more than 30cm away from that mount, you should be ok in terms of MOT for something like that so the priority should be to treat it (as you are) to prevent, or at least slow down, any spread.

That should buy you more than enough time to (for example) get down to the Essex meet near the end of July in it where I've heard there are various welding facilities including a really nice, if a little scary, 3-phase arc welder that would be perfect for getting some metal in there

[33grinder]

Hi Joe,

Sorry to see that but it's not in an uncommon place. Well, pretty much anywhere on a DAF is, sadly, game for rust.

Probably the best bet for those holes is to cut a square around then back to good sound metal and have a plate welded in, the welds ground and some etch primer which should give a key for further paint.

As for the welders (other Joe this time), Ken's mig is still playing up but as far as I know the industrial ship plater of an arc welder is still in rude health awaiting to feel some Angelsey loving.

So come down to Essex (both Joes) and get it sorted!

Our event will be 30th/31st July with details to follow in the near future.

[pauldaf44]

If your unsure of the metalwork this is how I would do it.

Cut out any remaining rot and make a rough patch that fits underneath the original. Weld this in and then grind the welds flush. Then make up the profile with body filler

[spunkymonkey]

Jun 2, 2011 20:47:23 GMT 33grinder said:

.... as far as I know the industrial ship plater of an arc welder is still in rude health awaiting to feel some Angelsey loving.

So come down to Essex (both Joes) and get it sorted!

Our event will be 30th/31st July with details to follow in the near future.

Good to hear, Pete. Funnily enough, I've just been looking at getting some carbon pencils for my old carbon-arc attachment that I unearthed a couple of months back. If you've never seen one of those in action you could be in for a treat - probably the most versatile bit of welding kit ever apart from oxy. In fact, even including oxy because oxy won't give you a suntan like these things will ;D

[33grinder]

Cool! Do you have a spare welding mask you could bring down? I've always wanted to watch Martin weld but he's only got the one mask and I am paranoid of getting arc eye.

[spunkymonkey]

Half a dozen carbons on their way (for the same price as a box of 50 in the States, but there ya go ) I'm sure I can come up with a mask, and some Factor 50 for any exposed bits - I'm not joking about the sunburn


edited to add: 60 assorted filler rods also on their way now. Need to decide if I should get some brazing ones as well for things like rusty exhausts and non-structural patching......

[munceyboyjoe]

Thanks for the heads up...I think the Mot is due soon so assuming the local garage can get it through that I will start planning a trip to sunny Essex! The hole is actually in the lip right at the top of the wing that the bonnet lays over, so hopefully not too close to the suspension turret. The only other worry is how far the rot has spread though.

[spunkymonkey]

It's probably not spread all that far looking at the photos, Joe. It'll look a lot nastier as it's cut out (always does) but I wouldn't think you'll be going more than an inch or two beyond what's already exposed looking at that. Reasonably easy area to shape to as well - simple snips, pliers and hammer job

[spunkymonkey]

Jun 3, 2011 8:12:31 GMT pauldaf44 said:

[...]my new oxyacetalene rig [...] so [...] worries.

Selective quote of the day? ;D

[pauldaf44]

I had similar rust on Gladys when I got her and she passed her MOT with it there.
Tis about halfway along the front wing and right above the wheel. However the suspension top mount is far enough away for it to not be a fail.

[munceyboyjoe]

The rust has been tamed as much as chemical products allow around the engine bay, but in the race to get Mot'd in time for the Essex meet I have dropped a clanger.

Trying to get the rubber end back onto the front bumper has proved difficult, and I ultimately sheared the bolt which the rubber end and metal clip is clamped onto whilst trying to prise the metal clip from the bumper.

I'm not convinced the rubber end can be re-attached to the metal clip if it has popped off in an accident.



Somehow the metal clip if meant to attach to the rubber end? The bolt is now sheared, making the whole process even more annoying!



I was slightly more successful making a Giant Jaffa cake for my bro's birthday.

[dafdaffer]

nice jaffa cake ;D

we may have a spare one knocking around, rubber end cap that is.

[33grinder]

Those end caps more often than not look wonky and I've a horrible feeling that the only way to fit then correctly is to remove the whole bumper. Hopefully a 66 owner will chip in with a handy tip to work around that...

Nice giant Jaffa cake by the way...

[munceyboyjoe]

Thanks! Yeah I had to remove the bumper and in the process repeatedly nearly snapped the indicator wires. If the bolt wasn't so rusted in place it would have been easier. My main problem now is how to mate up the end cap and the metal clip again.

[munceyboyjoe]

Just to update - bumper bit back on fairly solidly. Been sitting in the local garage awaiting an mot for a couple of weeks - burst brake pipe, exhaust mount needed welding and need to source a master cylinder..to the parts wanted or for sale section I go!!

[munceyboyjoe]

Cheers! The solution for the master cyclinder appears to be refurbing it - the garage are sending it over to a local company to get it sorted. Other than that, an exhuast bracket needed attention also. Fingers crossed that in a week or so it should be back on the road.

Jobs situation is not so bad btw - lucky enough to have been part of small company starting up, which is going well enough to pay ourselves wages. I'm even going to wangle a mention of the Daf museum in Eindhoven on our website (as a place to visit should you happen to be in the Netherlands!).

[munceyboyjoe]

Yes!! Back on the road. new mot - though too broke for petrol now!

[33grinder]

That's superb news, well done Alex. Now save some fuel money and pay ED a visit, would be great to see that nice 66 in the metal.