1971 Daf 55 Marathon

[Onne]

Would I :-)

My 44 is actually very tail happy, might be something to do with the 23 year old tyres...

Fingers crossed it'll be easy enough to do. Knowing my luck it will an utter pain in the rear...

[spunkymonkey]

To be honest, Onne, I've been doing some research and you'd probably be better cubing it seeing as it's a bogus small ancestors car.

On the other hand, it might be worth preserving for its Variomatic continually capricious transmission

[Patrick]

I want the "Alehouse version"!!

Wonder what licence you'd need for that!

[Onne]

Long time, and no see of this peice of automotive horror.

Finally got her back after a long 11 weeks at a garage to get a replacement drive shaft, after I suspected a breakage.
Got her back earlier in the week, with the old unit in the boot as requested.
Turns out the halfshaft is as good as new, nothing wrong with it.
If only the same could be said about the reduction gears...

I'll let the photos do the talking shall i





Fingers crossed we'll get an mot on the old thing next week or so, so it can be driven again!

So all people with early cars (Well evryone really)

What is the last time you changed or checked the oil in your Vario? (Primary AND Secondary units)

[Richard DAF Webmeister]

Fingers crossed Onne.

And you ask a very good question re checking the oil in the tranmission... I never have. What a confession (of course that's mainly because it'd be beyond me to do that). But it's something I've often wondered about.

[spunkymonkey]

Didn't the standard models have a gear where that weird sort of spiral spline thing is in the first and 3rd photos? So how does the spline version work then? ;D

[Onne]

Can't you see the gears Joe? Check again on the photos, you'll find that they are smeared on the inside of the casing.

Interesting fact is that we didn't find any teeth in the remains of the oil, just shavings and (no doubt) original DAF oil...
Hopefully the vario should be a bit quieter now then!

[dafdaffer]

of course you have now changed the oil in the other unit haven't you?

[spunkymonkey]

Aug 14, 2010 at 9:14pm Onne said:

Check again on the photos, you'll find that they are smeared on the inside of the casing.

I assumed that was some super-high-tech metal based lubricant they'd used

[Onne]

Yes Pal, oil has been changed both sides by Weightmans. I will double check with them though....

[Onne]

Changed the wheels from the 46 to the 55 where they belong, drives a lot better with these on!.

Still haven't sorted the oil leak on the fuel pump, according to the garage it's the diaphragm in the pump, but surely it wouldn't work at all if that is dead?

Any ideas>?

[dafdaffer]

they do have a tendency to leak, check that the crankcase breather is not blocked.

the pump is lubricated by the oil in the sump and the seals can get weak, may have a new one somewhere,

[Onne]

I know I can find the things on Ebay, but are those any good.
Whereabouts is the engine breather on these diamond of doom engines?

[Onne]

Another update on the 55.

Removed as many bodges from the car as I could yesterday, under dash wiring was realy quite interesting....
Also changed the rear lights, removed the hammered in radio (why would someone use a hammer if they can't make a radio fit, and thus a &*$*$ mess of the dash!)

Next will be an MOT hopefully, and then some carpet, the seats etc.

[Onne]

It's passed the MOT, just in time for this weekebds Frolic.

Now to sort out all the stupid little problems it has acculumated over the last two decades...

[dafdaffer]

Well done that foreigner ;D im looking forward to the weekebds to ;D

[marathon55]

Hi,

I am now the owner of this car, I have it 5 years now and have decided to sell it as I have other commitments, the car is in Co Meath Ireland and needs a good home to bring it back to its former glory, its still on uk plates with v5 so will be easy to bring back to the UK, will do a good cash deal with any member of the daf owners club as I do want it to go to a good home, running well but needs the usual daf body work to the floors and body.Attachment Deleted