Keep up the good work and don't give up. As a swede I'm kinda honored that you guys are here and have chosen this relic as a project. Please don't be to proud asking for help. This is the land of Volvo and I think there are one or two out there who can help you out and make your journey easier.
We have asked for help on the TGB Facebook group but unfortunately nobody in the area is able to assist. We got a lot of mixed advice which make things tricky but tried every options recommended with no luck...
I feel for you. Thanks for showing your struggles. TH-cam is full of people showing builds going without drama or struggles. But that is not reality especially when we aren’t all mechanics or fabricators with endless budgets. Thanks for a touch of reality that the rest of us can relate to. Keep going guys, your determination will get you there.
im an old volvo truck owner chris.. pressure bleeding the brakes instead of vacuum bleeding is the trick mate. i guess though that you will have it sorted by the time i view this.. keep up the awesome and determined work mate
I agree, the diy EEZIBleed pressure kit works very well so long as you don't use more than 20psi. Other than a full garage vacuum machine I have never found the smaller vacuum systems to work. The EEZIBleed kit is trail friendly as it uses the air pressure from the spare wheel and is small enough to put in the toolbag. I bet that one problem was the seal between the bleed nipple/wheel cylinder/bleed hose that too easily sucks air back in, hence why pressure works better than vacuum or one-man bleed kits.
@@jasros2551 The problem with pressurising from the bleed nipples is that the nipple doesn't seal well when open and if you have any contamination in the wheel cylinder it pushes it back up to the m/c, which you then have to suck out the excess. This method works for motorbikes and bicycles but in my experience the pressurised m/c is the way to go.
@@jasros2551 I understand what you say but pressure bleeding from the wheel cylinder has never worked for me on cars and trucks for two main reasons 1) I have always found that air leaks around the nipple threads that actually induces air into the system. It can be slightly alleviated by pushing the nipple against the threads but this goes against the simplicity of pressure bleeding. This air leakage shows up predominantly on vacuum systems. 2) Pressure bleeding from the wheel end means that for every cylinder most of the system has to have a complete flush through to get rid of the old fluid,and contaminants like rubber dust within the fluid, which is not that easy to do at the m/c end. That means that to bleed the system you will be using around 4 times (or 6 in the case of this truck) the amount of fluid to provide a clean system. Pressure bleeding from the m/c end will see 1m/c + reservoir, the system pipework and 4 (or 6) individual cylinders of fluid. On the first bleed the m/c and most of the system and a wheel cylinder will be flushed and thereafter its only the individual cylinders that need to be cleaned with new fluid. Even new systems need to be fully flushed through to ensure they are totally clean. The only downside of pressure bleeding from the m/c is that you need a pressure cap for each type of m/c. I have a small range of the common types, plus I have created a universal pressure plate that works on the rest. Pressure bleeding for me has worked on all systems including the notorious LR Series brakes and VW aircooled ones and is conveniently a one man operation.
I don’t mind saying it was hard watching you do the brakes sometimes it’s better to get some professional help and advice to save money and time hopefully you have bled the brakes now and you know how it all works
I feel your pain. Your quiet rant at (around) 45mins really moved me. Well done for keeping going, I am sure that I would have spat my dummy out long ago...
Far out Chris ,I could feel your frustration because of the brakes ,what a nightmare .i could offer some advice but you probably have it ready by now .the boosters were not helping you at all .Stay sane and continue on .Usually a few days away from a problem and the answer comes to you .cheers to Ange and oakley,hope she got everything sorted with the passport and you didnt miss each other to much( first time apart ).stay safe and sane cheers
Not sorted yet unfortunately but trying one more way today so fingers crossed! Thank you so much for your encouragement David! We really appreciate your support every single week. Ange
Bit disappointed you didnt rock the budgie smuggler's Chris... Ange, you 100% need to go for a swim because misery loves company LOL Chris, just remember to walk away when it gets too much. This truck is your home for the next few years and you are doing an awesome job on this.
Amazing work and effort. I'm sorry to see you didn't have a pressure bleeder like the ones from Motive. I got mine over 30 years ago and have used it on about a dozen Volvos and a hand full of (modern) Minis over the years. Just fill the pressure bleeder with at least a liter of the required brake fluid, attach to the brake reservoir. Pump up the bleeder to about 15 psi. Attach the drain bottle to the brake and let the old fluid and bubbles come out. I spent nearly 2 decades helping by dad doing the two person "pump the brake and hold." Switch over to the pressure bleeder was amazing. Best $50 (it costs a bit more 30 years later) I think I ever spent on a car related tool. I live in a wet snowy winter climate so every car my parents of I have owned needs bleeding every other year. It was something my dad and I always did together. Car maintenance was a great excuse to do something together. Best of luck with the remaining mechanical work!
That fiberboard is called masonite. It is made from saw dust, compressed at high pressure with no glue, as opposed to MDF wich contains glue. Pretty neat. Hardened masonite was impregnated with linseed oil and it was durable, cheap, lightweight and somewhat moisture resistant, however it tends to warp over time. The perforations are probably there for ventilation, so that moisture isn't caught between the inside panels and the metal body.
We love oakley !!!! we have watched since the begining and now bought our own unimog just starting conversion! really feeling the pain at the moment for you! We know you have entered the hole and no choice but to make your way through, wish we could help! Get you ginger fix from Ikea!! we really like watching both of you but have to admit we love oakley more!! keep on going we are behind you!
I just watched Leigh changing Bear's brakes, and for a moment I pictured you both building the 6x6. My mechanical abilities are as good as my dancing ones, both get improved massively after a couple of Scotch glasses though, but I truly enjoy watching your project coming to life. Oakley looks healthy and ready to run! ¡¡Pura Vida!!
Brakes are a pain in the arse at the best of times. I applaud your patience and dedication to the volvo. I would have gone postal after day 2 of brakes. 🤪 But you look like you really need a day off. Dont burn out before you get the build completed. Ange make sure Chris is not over doing it. Even though typing as watching, you look like you could have a day off too. Other wise i’m really enjoying the videos. Have gone back to the start and watching all the Jeep trips for the first time and now watching the Mog build again as well. You looked a lot more relaxed during the mog build.
Good stuff Chris, keep chipping away at it. This time next year, if not sooner, your frustrations will make your chuckle and it'll all be worth it. Really looking forward to what you have planned for the interior. Cheers Ian
@@TheOutFit Not at all, you keep on keeping on. It's great to see a young family doing their own thing, not conforming to the system and living life to the full.
Chris, like so many of the comments your pain and frustration regarding the brakes came across loud and clear. A great man once said. “Patience is the companion of wisdom” Sounds to me like your patience brought you the wisdom do figure it out. You’re working on a vehicle that every nut and bolt 🔩 is literally foreign to you and getting it done. You are doing great. That green monster is not going to beat you. We will be watching and sending lots of positive vibes all along this journey. Take care of your hands 🙌. All the best Lou🇺🇸
Got to love those "half day 2 week projects". I think that anyone who has every tinkered with an older vehicle has had at least one of these. Bitter sweet that you got it on the brake system and so early into your build, but what doesn't break you, only makes you stronger (and possibly a little bit more crazy). Right?
Oakley is the cutest, growing fast 💛 already getting his passport. I admire your great work and patience with the brakes Chris, you guys have been real troopers working on the Volvo. Hope you feel better Ange 🙌🥰
Our little man is already 14 months ❤ Yes he is now officially dual citizen! Thank you so much for your positivity and encouragement, it really helps right now! Ange
Sorry to hear you’re not feeling well Ange perhaps a dip in the water might actually make u feel better! Loving this build should be very proud of yourself Chris….
I wish I could help troubleshoot, but I am not a mechanic. Your consolation should be how impressive you look when you remain so calm. I don't think I would have such self-control. But you are in your playroom, which is what you have wanted and worked for. Best, :¬) Webhead USA
Keep up the good work, Ange should go for that swim. Now on to what I really wanted to say is take a step back from the brakes. The issue or issues may be very simple that your missing due to being both frustrated and tired. I would suggest having Beorn (hope I am spelling that right) take a look at or the retired army mechanics you consulted with before. Now have fun, stay sane and enjoy yourself and good building.
Come on Ange You have to support Chris with the cold swimming. All in or nothing. I feel ya pain Chris, I've had issues with hidden air pockets especially when ya have a that running low then goes up quite high n May have a junction in it. Keep up the great work
Great job Guys! If you're going to South America, you definitely need to have a good break system, there are a lot of bad dirt roads. I had a similar problem with a old work truck, no mechanic could fix it, drove me crazy, to the point that I sold it and bought a similar truck but with airbrakes, but it was a work truck, not a legendary vehicle like this Volvo. Really enjoying the build series!
Enjoying the new build, but think so many times that there is no way I could go into that detail with a rebuild. It must be comforting to know that you have throughly worked that truck every which way by the time your done with how much you will rely on it on your travels.
A brake system can reach up to 200 bars... rust in the main cylinder makes the gaskets fail, and brakefluid passes back to the fluid reservoir. It doesn't have to leak out of the cylinder. Try finding a hone tool to get the rust out before destroying a new set of seals. Volvos standard brakelines is a mix of steel and copper, they are very rust prevented that way.
@@TheOutFit I saw that after commenting, good, much better. Any progress bleeding it, would it be possible to push the air backwards through the whole system? I once changed both disks and the main cylinder, I started with the main and then pressed the pistons on the diskbrakes in to make space for both the pads and the new disks, this filled the main cylinder backwards and all air left it. Now I know drumbrakes has much smaller pistons and your system has been replaced so the amount of air is much larger, but maybe pushing fluid from the brakes to the much higher main cylinder would be possible? When you bleed with the pedal, don't lift the foot too fast or it might suck in air too?
Keep up the work brother, get your self some disposable nitrile gloves, protect your hands when playing with oils/chemicals. Then run the gloves when back on the tools. Also those cut safe gloves wash up good in with the washing.
Sorry about your brake problems. I guess the only bit of comfort is that you will learn this system really well, and practice under ideal conditions in the shop, rather than having to figure it out when you are out on the trail. I used to have a 903 "Valp" and never got the brakes to work properly. Same problem: the system would suck in air. Would bleed the brakes, and it sort of worked for a while, but the problem would come back. I never put in nearly as much effort as you do though. I am sure your hard work will pay off in the long term. Also, 800€ for bushings gotta hurt. Sometimes you just got to bite down hard and pay for the right part. 😢 You guys will have a monster of a veichle when you are done!
I found out that it's important that you adjust the brake shoes before you do the final bleeding. For the rust proofing on the bodywork I should keep it, your TGB has the "new" aluzink body, it has a thin coating that makes it rustproof, but if you sandblast it or you do any sanding you will ruin the coating.
If you're still having issues with the brakes, can you isolate sections of the brake system to check for leaks? Cap/plug the system to see if it maintains pressure at various intervals. Isolate the front brakes and then work your way back.
Hi Chris, I'm feeling so sorry for you and family going trough this difficult challenge with this old run-out baby Unimog, maybe taking you beloved UNIMOG with you could be better option, I know what you wish to do Unimog is proven beast and nothing could be compered with, could go anyway in no time trough Europe and Americas continents. Wishing you good luck to complete project soon as possible.🤞
good job on getting the brakes done, they sounded like a nightmare to bleed. well done on keeping your spirts high and not giving up, i would have lost it big time so well done
Just an idea: make sure that all the automatical brake shoe slack adjusters are working properly. Maybe if one wear corrector does not work, your brake shoes may return a little too much and cause a soft pedal until the clearance is taken up. Hold on friends 💪❤
Anneal your copper washers. Heat cherry red, drop in water. Done, soft again. Can do it again and again. Never need buy new copper washers again. Owatrol Öl then Brantho Korrux is awesome for stopping rust returning in those dark hidden areas, or anywhere really. Been doing that combo here in northern EU for decades now with great results.
Fantastic episode in what you must feel is so frustrating. Brave man taking a dip but I feel that Ange and Oak's should definitely have a crack, why should you have all the fun 😂😂. Looking forward to the next episode
Tip for reusing copper washers is to heat them up with a blow torch til they glow red and then leaving them to cool. That makes the copper soft again and you can use them again.
I wish you were in the USA. I would change that entire system over to Hydroboost and get rid of that vacuum junk. I do that on all the vehicles I build even the cars.
Very nice Chris, hammering through the sucky work parts, great swim👍 you are definitely a legend at only 4 degrees 🥶🥶🥶. Ange it’s time to shock your system in order to get well faster, time for a swim 👍🤗🤗🤗🤗 Great video as always 🤗
You said something about having re-used old copper washer gaskets. I am not a mechanic at all. But I have worked in automotive industry. Our workshop guys never re-used copper gaskets. They always replaced those after having disassembled them.
Copper gaskets... You can use the old ones, but anneal them first so they become soft again. Heat them up with a gas burner, cool in cold water Copper hardens from vibration and will not seal if reused without annealing.
Hola chicos. Los frenos se terminan de comprimir andando. Hay un detalle, primero tienes que purgar (sangrar) el cilindro maestro solamente. En el cilindro maestro la ultima cubeta o reten de goma debe quedar una milesima antes del ultimo orificio de descarga. sino el liquido vuelve al deposito y no se comprime. Es decir tienes que regular el vastago que empuja el piston dentro del cilindro maestro. Espero sea de ayuda. Saludos desde Cordoba Argentina.
Rather redoing the grease on the bearings now than later. Lee from Grizzly and Bear shows how it is done in his latest video. Push through, the build will get beter.
If you cannot get a conversation to more modern blade fuses, replace all the fuses and clean all the fuse spring connecters… these old fuses and their holders are very problematic! You are doing the right thing replacing all the relays 👍
G'day When replacing each wheel drum brake slave cylinders, then bleeding the brakes, this is when the rubber cups on the pistons in the master cylinder get damaged due to travelling into a new area of the master cylinder where there is often rust pitting from moisture that has been in the system This allows brake fluid to move past the rubber cups in the master cylinder There's no actual leak You're just not getting the correct pressure If a brake booster wasn't doing its job, you would just have a very hard pedal feel without the desired braking performance When replacing wheel brake cylinders, it's often a good idea to replace the master cylinder at the same time to avoid this issue
What you need to do in your videos is tell us what you will be doing so comments can go down to help you when you do that bit. You need tips before not after. 😜
What an awesome team you guys are....i am following your build with interest....both your enthusiasm, positivity, dedication and commitment is to be commended.....what a journey you are on and will look back with found memories...tough times dont last, just look forward to the amazing jounney which lies ahead for the 3 of you as a family.....god bless.
I'll put in my 2 cents. Clean the booster and reservoir right up put back on and then see if any leaks of fluid. Maybe a smidge of Vaseline where air is and see after use if air is forcing and Vaseline to move.
I had similar issues when I replaced all the soft lines & proportioning valve on my unimog, ended up going through 10L of fluid gravity bleeding & with a friend pumping the pedal but never got a firm pedal. After weeks of mucking around I bought the same pressure bleeder that i seen you have and that fixed it, must have been a bubble somewhere. I hope it will work out easy for you soon! Keep up the great work! Also love the synthwave music in your vids!
The perforated MDF like material used for the panels from the rear is called hardboard. As you say, it is like very hard cardboard or something in between cardboard and wood. It was used a lot in Europe, but I don't think it is as prevalent as it used to be. Clipboards are typically made of it still. It is good until it gets wet and then it just disintegrates.
They used to make it for bathrooms and workshops etc where it was moulded with some thing that made it water and oil resistant.. but left the face surface very hard and shiny..waxy ... So painting it can be a bit of a bugger.. but spray paint will seal it.
Chriss you can get🇬🇧 Urethane or polysport HD replacement bushes for the Transits .. they are tougher and longer lasting than rubber and usually have S.Steel bushings ..used them on all my kit cars and classic Ford restorations .. off roaders and race Rally vehicles. Remember most of those parts will be off the shelf brake parts ..engine belts , bushings from industry wide manufacturers... find the sizes and parts numbers and you will find all the other vehicles that used them that are not Volvo or Military loaded. Girling Lockheed are the the two main manufacturers .. you can even change to a multi cylinder master cylinder brake balance peddle box .. which gives you adjustable breaking balance and fail safe of two or three split circuits. The servo boost units if they are exposed to a lot of water the diaphragm pistons that push on the master cylinder pistons can corroded and stick.. if you can use some pink brake grease.. it's formulated to not damage brake seals.
If you cover the underside of the engine covers with dynamat you have a serious fire hazard. The glue wont hold it at 100-150°c and it will fall down or even drip down on the engine. There is a reason fore the fibre wool insulation on the inside. Stay safe!
@@TheOutFit it gets hot as hell under there. I would not trust the adhesive in those temperatures, knowing the results of it failing. Maybe put som steel wire across to secure it from falling, but you would have to put in some pop rivets or like m3 screws with nuts and large washers for the wire to fasten to. I would put the dynamat on the cabin side of the engine cover, and cover it with some 2mm upholstery foam and a nice vinyl, but thats me 😁
For anyone doing their own brakes here is how you can RESOFTEN your old Copper Washers. Put the washer in a vice grip or hang on a wire, then heat it with a propane torch till it glows red, let cool. You now have a soft original copper washer that will reseal when you install it on the brake system. This will get you out of a jam if you find they are not included with hou brake kit. CHEERS AND SAFE TRAVELS Steve h
I'm hoping you've got to the end of your brake troubles by the time this video has been put out. Not watched the whole of this clip. But having worked on a lot of relatively old drum braked landrovers & and trucks, etc, sometimes I've not managed to get a good hard pedal until the new brake shoes have bedded in fully. Which means driving around pumping the pedal and getting some heat into the drums really bedding the new shoes in. On the positive side, all this work is experience mate. Imagine if you wanted to attend a training course on the old volvo, you'd be paying through the nose, at least this way you're learning & improving your truck at the same time. All the best.
Now I haven't read all the comments. You sure know how to vent breaks. but on my c303 and m35 I strat on that wheel far from the reservoir. but when I've had problems, I've often been successful in squeezing brake fluid in from the bleeder screw and seeing that air comes up in the reservoir
The stretchers was to carry injured on, but sleeping on them might have happened also. They are not very comfy to sleep on if you are above 170 cm, and most swedish conscripts where. With a sleeping mat on the stretcher it still beats sleeping on the ground, even at 190 cm😁
Don't change to 12V, besides relays, you need to change starter motor and generator too and might run into trouble with the wiring. Keep 24V, it's better.
Drove a similar one in the service on Gotland -83 as a private. Fantastic renovation indeed! It makes me nostalgic, but at the same time saddened that you bought wreckage and have to renovate almost everything. Looking forward to your first field test, good luck..
Hey, love the videos youre making. Just finished swaping out the engine in a Tgb20 (very similar to this) during my internship. These old trucks are a bit cranky and leak everywhere but they get the job done and do it well.
I've had master cylinders suck air in but not leak fluid until they wore more rebuild the master cylinder and do the copper seals too while its apart it is thrustrating but stick too it best of luck love the new build
Hi Chris. I'm wondering if your brake issue is fluid leaking past the seals in the master cylinder? There doesn't need to be air getting in or fluid getting out. If it's passing the seals you're effectively not pushing a 'solid'. Keep up the good work and content. Oh, and as a regular North Sea swimmer, Ange definitely needs to swim in the sea. It's so refreshing for body and mind.
I used to own HG Premier with a healthy V8 and big cam. It never made enough vacuum so the without engine running pedal was spongy. With engine running it was a bit better. I ended up putting a electric pump in triggered by the brake light to add extra vacuum. Maybe try it with engine running adding vacuum.
Its important to pre adjust the drum brake pads so they are almost locking the wheel before start bleading the system. You will have a feel of air in the system if you so not have adjusted the brake before.... Its also so that normally the wheels need to ble bleeded in the right order, on the TG 13 I do not know the order, but surely you will find in the web...
Gees Chris, you have the patience of a saint if there is such a thing. Anyway keep going mate and at least you know this part is done. Sorry mate perhaps the master cylinder is rubbish and now needs fixing ???? 🥴🥴. I don’t really think you can do a part break bleeding if as I said you don’t repair that master cylinder IE your doing it back to front Jon🇦🇺
Keep up the good work and don't give up. As a swede I'm kinda honored that you guys are here and have chosen this relic as a project. Please don't be to proud asking for help. This is the land of Volvo and I think there are one or two out there who can help you out and make your journey easier.
We have asked for help on the TGB Facebook group but unfortunately nobody in the area is able to assist. We got a lot of mixed advice which make things tricky but tried every options recommended with no luck...
@@TheOutFit I’m sorry to hear that. I was hoping you were in the right place for help.
And... definitely Ange should go for that swim!😂
Add my vote for the swim🏊♀️
I feel for you. Thanks for showing your struggles. TH-cam is full of people showing builds going without drama or struggles. But that is not reality especially when we aren’t all mechanics or fabricators with endless budgets. Thanks for a touch of reality that the rest of us can relate to. Keep going guys, your determination will get you there.
Well said...
Thank you for taking the time to comment and for your positivity and encouragement, it means a lot right now! Ange
Hang in there Chris, with a big low comes a big high, you deserve some good news.
Marty from Perth
Thank you Marty for your positivity and encouragement, much appreciated right now! Ange
im an old volvo truck owner chris.. pressure bleeding the brakes instead of vacuum bleeding is the trick mate. i guess though that you will have it sorted by the time i view this.. keep up the awesome and determined work mate
I agree, the diy EEZIBleed pressure kit works very well so long as you don't use more than 20psi. Other than a full garage vacuum machine I have never found the smaller vacuum systems to work. The EEZIBleed kit is trail friendly as it uses the air pressure from the spare wheel and is small enough to put in the toolbag. I bet that one problem was the seal between the bleed nipple/wheel cylinder/bleed hose that too easily sucks air back in, hence why pressure works better than vacuum or one-man bleed kits.
@@jasros2551 The problem with pressurising from the bleed nipples is that the nipple doesn't seal well when open and if you have any contamination in the wheel cylinder it pushes it back up to the m/c, which you then have to suck out the excess. This method works for motorbikes and bicycles but in my experience the pressurised m/c is the way to go.
Was about to comment the same 🙂
@@jasros2551 I understand what you say but pressure bleeding from the wheel cylinder has never worked for me on cars and trucks for two main reasons
1) I have always found that air leaks around the nipple threads that actually induces air into the system. It can be slightly alleviated by pushing the nipple against the threads but this goes against the simplicity of pressure bleeding. This air leakage shows up predominantly on vacuum systems.
2) Pressure bleeding from the wheel end means that for every cylinder most of the system has to have a complete flush through to get rid of the old fluid,and contaminants like rubber dust within the fluid, which is not that easy to do at the m/c end. That means that to bleed the system you will be using around 4 times (or 6 in the case of this truck) the amount of fluid to provide a clean system. Pressure bleeding from the m/c end will see 1m/c + reservoir, the system pipework and 4 (or 6) individual cylinders of fluid. On the first bleed the m/c and most of the system and a wheel cylinder will be flushed and thereafter its only the individual cylinders that need to be cleaned with new fluid. Even new systems need to be fully flushed through to ensure they are totally clean.
The only downside of pressure bleeding from the m/c is that you need a pressure cap for each type of m/c. I have a small range of the common types, plus I have created a universal pressure plate that works on the rest.
Pressure bleeding for me has worked on all systems including the notorious LR Series brakes and VW aircooled ones and is conveniently a one man operation.
I don’t mind saying it was hard watching you do the brakes sometimes it’s better to get some professional help and advice to save money and time hopefully you have bled the brakes now and you know how it all works
I feel your pain. Your quiet rant at (around) 45mins really moved me. Well done for keeping going, I am sure that I would have spat my dummy out long ago...
Thank you for taking the time to comment and for your encouragement, it means a lot right now! Ange
At least you are honest about it. Good on you.
As a last rersort you can reuse a copper washer by annealing it. Heat it til it glows and then dunk in water.
Far out Chris ,I could feel your frustration because of the brakes ,what a nightmare .i could offer some advice but you probably have it ready by now .the boosters were not helping you at all .Stay sane and continue on .Usually a few days away from a problem and the answer comes to you .cheers to Ange and oakley,hope she got everything sorted with the passport and you didnt miss each other to much( first time apart ).stay safe and sane cheers
Not sorted yet unfortunately but trying one more way today so fingers crossed! Thank you so much for your encouragement David! We really appreciate your support every single week. Ange
Bit disappointed you didnt rock the budgie smuggler's Chris...
Ange, you 100% need to go for a swim because misery loves company LOL
Chris, just remember to walk away when it gets too much. This truck is your home for the next few years and you are doing an awesome job on this.
Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment. This was a much needed reminder! Ange
Brakes and electrical can be a pain for sure, you will get it, enjoying your build no matter the tasks.
Amazing work and effort. I'm sorry to see you didn't have a pressure bleeder like the ones from Motive. I got mine over 30 years ago and have used it on about a dozen Volvos and a hand full of (modern) Minis over the years. Just fill the pressure bleeder with at least a liter of the required brake fluid, attach to the brake reservoir. Pump up the bleeder to about 15 psi. Attach the drain bottle to the brake and let the old fluid and bubbles come out. I spent nearly 2 decades helping by dad doing the two person "pump the brake and hold." Switch over to the pressure bleeder was amazing. Best $50 (it costs a bit more 30 years later) I think I ever spent on a car related tool. I live in a wet snowy winter climate so every car my parents of I have owned needs bleeding every other year. It was something my dad and I always did together. Car maintenance was a great excuse to do something together. Best of luck with the remaining mechanical work!
That fiberboard is called masonite. It is made from saw dust, compressed at high pressure with no glue, as opposed to MDF wich contains glue. Pretty neat. Hardened masonite was impregnated with linseed oil and it was durable, cheap, lightweight and somewhat moisture resistant, however it tends to warp over time. The perforations are probably there for ventilation, so that moisture isn't caught between the inside panels and the metal body.
Bleed by in the master cylinder?
You have mega patience. Hang in there and keep pushing through. Can’t wait to see the end product.
I’ve gotta say mate it’s inspiring to see you persevere with the brake dramas. Loving the build so far keep up the great work and effort!
Thank you for taking the time to comment and for your positivity and encouragement, it means a lot right now! Ange
We love oakley !!!! we have watched since the begining and now bought our own unimog just starting conversion! really feeling the pain at the moment for you! We know you have entered the hole and no choice but to make your way through, wish we could help! Get you ginger fix from Ikea!! we really like watching both of you but have to admit we love oakley more!!
keep on going we are behind you!
I just watched Leigh changing Bear's brakes, and for a moment I pictured you both building the 6x6. My mechanical abilities are as good as my dancing ones, both get improved massively after a couple of Scotch glasses though, but I truly enjoy watching your project coming to life. Oakley looks healthy and ready to run! ¡¡Pura Vida!!
Brakes are a pain in the arse at the best of times. I applaud your patience and dedication to the volvo. I would have gone postal after day 2 of brakes. 🤪 But you look like you really need a day off. Dont burn out before you get the build completed. Ange make sure Chris is not over doing it. Even though typing as watching, you look like you could have a day off too.
Other wise i’m really enjoying the videos. Have gone back to the start and watching all the Jeep trips for the first time and now watching the Mog build again as well. You looked a lot more relaxed during the mog build.
I can’t believe your patience
Good stuff Chris, keep chipping away at it. This time next year, if not sooner, your frustrations will make your chuckle and it'll all be worth it.
Really looking forward to what you have planned for the interior.
Cheers
Ian
Thank you Ian for taking the time to comment and for your positivity and encouragement, it means a lot right now! Ange
@@TheOutFit Not at all, you keep on keeping on. It's great to see a young family doing their own thing, not conforming to the system and living life to the full.
Chris, like so many of the comments your pain and frustration regarding the brakes came across loud and clear.
A great man once said. “Patience is the companion of wisdom” Sounds to me like your patience brought you the wisdom do figure it out.
You’re working on a vehicle that every nut and bolt 🔩 is literally foreign to you and getting it done. You are doing great. That green monster is not going to beat you. We will be watching and sending lots of positive vibes all along this journey. Take care of your hands 🙌.
All the best
Lou🇺🇸
Thank you Lou for taking the time to comment and for your positivity and encouragement, it means a lot right now! Ange
Got to love those "half day 2 week projects". I think that anyone who has every tinkered with an older vehicle has had at least one of these. Bitter sweet that you got it on the brake system and so early into your build, but what doesn't break you, only makes you stronger (and possibly a little bit more crazy). Right?
Oakley is the cutest, growing fast 💛 already getting his passport.
I admire your great work and patience with the brakes Chris, you guys have been real troopers working on the Volvo. Hope you feel better Ange 🙌🥰
Our little man is already 14 months ❤ Yes he is now officially dual citizen! Thank you so much for your positivity and encouragement, it really helps right now! Ange
Sorry to hear you’re not feeling well Ange perhaps a dip in the water might actually make u feel better!
Loving this build should be very proud of yourself Chris….
Thank you for the nice words, it really means a lot right now! I'm so proud of Chris' perseverance and hard work too. Thanks for watching! Ange
Hang tough Chris you got this
WOW Chris you have more patients than me, good luck..😩
Buy some Hemp cream for your hands!! Thats from my wife Natalie, as it works for me when i use flux on my hands!
I wish I could help troubleshoot, but I am not a mechanic. Your consolation should be how impressive you look when you remain so calm. I don't think I would have such self-control. But you are in your playroom, which is what you have wanted and worked for. Best, :¬) Webhead USA
Keep up the good work, Ange should go for that swim. Now on to what I really wanted to say is take a step back from the brakes. The issue or issues may be very simple that your missing due to being both frustrated and tired. I would suggest having Beorn (hope I am spelling that right) take a look at or the retired army mechanics you consulted with before. Now have fun, stay sane and enjoy yourself and good building.
Come on Ange
You have to support Chris with the cold swimming.
All in or nothing.
I feel ya pain Chris, I've had issues with hidden air pockets especially when ya have a that running low then goes up quite high n May have a junction in it.
Keep up the great work
Great job Guys! If you're going to South America, you definitely need to have a good break system, there are a lot of bad dirt roads. I had a similar problem with a old work truck, no mechanic could fix it, drove me crazy, to the point that I sold it and bought a similar truck but with airbrakes, but it was a work truck, not a legendary vehicle like this Volvo. Really enjoying the build series!
Thanks
Enjoying the new build, but think so many times that there is no way I could go into that detail with a rebuild. It must be comforting to know that you have throughly worked that truck every which way by the time your done with how much you will rely on it on your travels.
fair play to your perserverence! Would be good to see more detailed videos of the rebuilding of components!
A brake system can reach up to 200 bars... rust in the main cylinder makes the gaskets fail, and brakefluid passes back to the fluid reservoir. It doesn't have to leak out of the cylinder. Try finding a hone tool to get the rust out before destroying a new set of seals. Volvos standard brakelines is a mix of steel and copper, they are very rust prevented that way.
Ange here - there wouldn't be rust though now as we bought a new master cylinder?
@@TheOutFit I saw that after commenting, good, much better. Any progress bleeding it, would it be possible to push the air backwards through the whole system? I once changed both disks and the main cylinder, I started with the main and then pressed the pistons on the diskbrakes in to make space for both the pads and the new disks, this filled the main cylinder backwards and all air left it. Now I know drumbrakes has much smaller pistons and your system has been replaced so the amount of air is much larger, but maybe pushing fluid from the brakes to the much higher main cylinder would be possible? When you bleed with the pedal, don't lift the foot too fast or it might suck in air too?
Keep up the work brother, get your self some disposable nitrile gloves, protect your hands when playing with oils/chemicals. Then run the gloves when back on the tools. Also those cut safe gloves wash up good in with the washing.
Sorry about your brake problems.
I guess the only bit of comfort is that you will learn this system really well, and practice under ideal conditions in the shop, rather than having to figure it out when you are out on the trail.
I used to have a 903 "Valp" and never got the brakes to work properly. Same problem: the system would suck in air. Would bleed the brakes, and it sort of worked for a while, but the problem would come back. I never put in nearly as much effort as you do though. I am sure your hard work will pay off in the long term.
Also, 800€ for bushings gotta hurt. Sometimes you just got to bite down hard and pay for the right part. 😢
You guys will have a monster of a veichle when you are done!
I found out that it's important that you adjust the brake shoes before you do the final bleeding. For the rust proofing on the bodywork I should keep it, your TGB has the "new" aluzink body, it has a thin coating that makes it rustproof, but if you sandblast it or you do any sanding you will ruin the coating.
You got it dude! I believe!
Love following this build! pepparkaka is thin ginger bread in Swedish. And go for that swim! 🥶🏊♀️👍😀👍
You guys are such a great team ❤❤❤
I quite like the camo exterior paint. Respect for your stamina and the way you show it all. Extremely interesting to follow each step.
That's great to hear you're enjoying the build, even the struggles. Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment!
First one, loving this rebuild so far :D Keep going and best of luck and all the strength you need.
That's great to hear you're enjoying the build, even the struggles. Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment!
If you're still having issues with the brakes, can you isolate sections of the brake system to check for leaks?
Cap/plug the system to see if it maintains pressure at various intervals.
Isolate the front brakes and then work your way back.
Just down right impressive! 😀👍 Looking forward to every episode.
That's great to hear you're enjoying the build, even the struggles. Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment!
@@TheOutFit ❤️
The interior wood mfd is peg board used in old shops to organize shop walls. Not very good back in the day but that’s what was available
I usually don't comment in videos, but I'll add my vote for Ange's swim challenge. 😁
We all feel your pain but are so with you! Keep at it never give up!
You can anneal your copper washers, just heat to red and let them cool naturally
Been through the same thing with a 66 passenger bus !!!
Pump pump use a stick to hold the brake down. Repeat repeat an repeat !!!
Hi Chris, I'm feeling so sorry for you and family going trough this difficult challenge with this old run-out baby Unimog, maybe taking you beloved UNIMOG with you could be better option, I know what you wish to do Unimog is proven beast and nothing could be compered with, could go anyway in no time trough Europe and Americas continents. Wishing you good luck to complete project soon as possible.🤞
Love the perseverance! Keep it up Chris!!
good job on getting the brakes done, they sounded like a nightmare to bleed. well done on keeping your spirts high and not giving up, i would have lost it big time so well done
Just an idea: make sure that all the automatical brake shoe slack adjusters are working properly. Maybe if one wear corrector does not work, your brake shoes may return a little too much and cause a soft pedal until the clearance is taken up.
Hold on friends 💪❤
Anneal your copper washers. Heat cherry red, drop in water. Done, soft again. Can do it again and again. Never need buy new copper washers again.
Owatrol Öl then Brantho Korrux is awesome for stopping rust returning in those dark hidden areas, or anywhere really. Been doing that combo here in northern EU for decades now with great results.
Fantastic episode in what you must feel is so frustrating. Brave man taking a dip but I feel that Ange and Oak's should definitely have a crack, why should you have all the fun 😂😂. Looking forward to the next episode
Well... After this shit show, no one can tell you anything about that brake system! Well done for pushing thru, Dr. Chris.
Tip for reusing copper washers is to heat them up with a blow torch til they glow red and then leaving them to cool. That makes the copper soft again and you can use them again.
I wish you were in the USA. I would change that entire system over to Hydroboost and get rid of that vacuum junk. I do that on all the vehicles I build even the cars.
Onto it with that master cylinder on a truck that age Chris
Very nice Chris, hammering through the sucky work parts, great swim👍 you are definitely a legend at only 4 degrees 🥶🥶🥶. Ange it’s time to shock your system in order to get well faster, time for a swim 👍🤗🤗🤗🤗
Great video as always 🤗
You said something about having re-used old copper washer gaskets.
I am not a mechanic at all.
But I have worked in automotive industry.
Our workshop guys never re-used copper gaskets.
They always replaced those after having disassembled them.
@TheOutFit Love your content 👍 You can find good Walkers Stem Ginger biscuits at Taste of Britain located in Malmö 🙂
Copper gaskets...
You can use the old ones, but anneal them first so they become soft again. Heat them up with a gas burner, cool in cold water
Copper hardens from vibration and will not seal if reused without annealing.
HOI You2
Great Stuff.
Look Forward.
Youll Win.
Silke❤Jo
Hola chicos. Los frenos se terminan de comprimir andando. Hay un detalle, primero tienes que purgar (sangrar) el cilindro maestro solamente. En el cilindro maestro la ultima cubeta o reten de goma debe quedar una milesima antes del ultimo orificio de descarga. sino el liquido vuelve al deposito y no se comprime. Es decir tienes que regular el vastago que empuja el piston dentro del cilindro maestro. Espero sea de ayuda. Saludos desde Cordoba Argentina.
Glad your repacking the bearings Chris!
Rather redoing the grease on the bearings now than later.
Lee from Grizzly and Bear shows how it is done in his latest video.
Push through, the build will get beter.
If you cannot get a conversation to more modern blade fuses, replace all the fuses and clean all the fuse spring connecters… these old fuses and their holders are very problematic!
You are doing the right thing replacing all the relays 👍
Try Skåne Pepparkakor, they are really thick gingerbread biscuit...😊
Whith butter and cheese on them🤟😃
I've just tried them... Chris likes them but I'm not a fan of the soft texture sorry 😄 I'm a picky gingernuts woman!
G'day
When replacing each wheel drum brake slave cylinders, then bleeding the brakes, this is when the rubber cups on the pistons in the master cylinder get damaged due to travelling into a new area of the master cylinder where there is often rust pitting from moisture that has been in the system
This allows brake fluid to move past the rubber cups in the master cylinder
There's no actual leak
You're just not getting the correct pressure
If a brake booster wasn't doing its job, you would just have a very hard pedal feel without the desired braking performance
When replacing wheel brake cylinders, it's often a good idea to replace the master cylinder at the same time to avoid this issue
Try lidl for ginger nuts
I haven't been to LIDL yet, I'll check it out thank you!
Not bored, very interested.
That's great to hear you're enjoying the build, even the struggles. Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment!
Enjoy every moment good or bad it's your project, and you'd mastered it; good videos thanks {fletch} from the good UK
Try a forced fluid set up, one that connects to a tyre to force fluid in when you undo a bleed screw
You got this mate, you're doing well n yes definitely go for that swim 😅...
What you need to do in your videos is tell us what you will be doing so comments can go down to help you when you do that bit. You need tips before not after. 😜
Alright so we have on the list some sound deadening, new shocks and new tyres 😄
@@TheOutFit well then I think you should have those things easily sorted on your own. Surely you don't need advice or help on them.
@@Danger_Mouse_00 yes at least those Chris has done it before :)
What an awesome team you guys are....i am following your build with interest....both your enthusiasm, positivity, dedication and commitment is to be commended.....what a journey you are on and will look back with found memories...tough times dont last, just look forward to the amazing jounney which lies ahead for the 3 of you as a family.....god bless.
I'll put in my 2 cents. Clean the booster and reservoir right up put back on and then see if any leaks of fluid. Maybe a smidge of Vaseline where air is and see after use if air is forcing and Vaseline to move.
I had similar issues when I replaced all the soft lines & proportioning valve on my unimog, ended up going through 10L of fluid gravity bleeding & with a friend pumping the pedal but never got a firm pedal. After weeks of mucking around I bought the same pressure bleeder that i seen you have and that fixed it, must have been a bubble somewhere. I hope it will work out easy for you soon! Keep up the great work! Also love the synthwave music in your vids!
The perforated MDF like material used for the panels from the rear is called hardboard. As you say, it is like very hard cardboard or something in between cardboard and wood. It was used a lot in Europe, but I don't think it is as prevalent as it used to be. Clipboards are typically made of it still. It is good until it gets wet and then it just disintegrates.
They used to make it for bathrooms and workshops etc where it was moulded with some thing that made it water and oil resistant.. but left the face surface very hard and shiny..waxy ... So painting it can be a bit of a bugger.. but spray paint will seal it.
Chriss you can get🇬🇧 Urethane or polysport HD replacement bushes for the Transits .. they are tougher and longer lasting than rubber and usually have S.Steel bushings ..used them on all my kit cars and classic Ford restorations .. off roaders and race Rally vehicles.
Remember most of those parts will be off the shelf brake parts ..engine belts , bushings from industry wide manufacturers... find the sizes and parts numbers and you will find all the other vehicles that used them that are not Volvo or Military loaded.
Girling Lockheed are the the two main manufacturers .. you can even change to a multi cylinder master cylinder brake balance peddle box .. which gives you adjustable breaking balance and fail safe of two or three split circuits.
The servo boost units if they are exposed to a lot of water the diaphragm pistons that push on the master cylinder pistons can corroded and stick.. if you can use some pink brake grease.. it's formulated to not damage brake seals.
It was strong to take a dip here in Sweden at this period of time 😁😁 👍
If you cover the underside of the engine covers with dynamat you have a serious fire hazard. The glue wont hold it at 100-150°c and it will fall down or even drip down on the engine. There is a reason fore the fibre wool insulation on the inside. Stay safe!
Dynamat Extreme is good for temps past 150degC. We will be putting a 2nd stage product over the top too 👍
@@TheOutFit it gets hot as hell under there. I would not trust the adhesive in those temperatures, knowing the results of it failing. Maybe put som steel wire across to secure it from falling, but you would have to put in some pop rivets or like m3 screws with nuts and large washers for the wire to fasten to.
I would put the dynamat on the cabin side of the engine cover, and cover it with some 2mm upholstery foam and a nice vinyl, but thats me 😁
@@petereriksson4405 we've had no issues doing that in our Unimog even after driving it for more than 2 years so it gives us confidence
Cold water swim is good for the body and muscles. 👍
For anyone doing their own brakes here is how you can RESOFTEN your old Copper Washers. Put the washer in a vice grip or hang on a wire, then heat it with a propane torch till it glows red, let cool. You now have a soft original copper washer that will reseal when you install it on the brake system. This will get you out of a jam if you find they are not included with hou brake kit. CHEERS AND SAFE TRAVELS Steve h
I'm hoping you've got to the end of your brake troubles by the time this video has been put out. Not watched the whole of this clip. But having worked on a lot of relatively old drum braked landrovers & and trucks, etc, sometimes I've not managed to get a good hard pedal until the new brake shoes have bedded in fully. Which means driving around pumping the pedal and getting some heat into the drums really bedding the new shoes in. On the positive side, all this work is experience mate. Imagine if you wanted to attend a training course on the old volvo, you'd be paying through the nose, at least this way you're learning & improving your truck at the same time. All the best.
In the old days, peppar was a catch-all word for spice. So there is no pepper in the pepparkakor, but lots of ginger and other spices.
Now I haven't read all the comments.
You sure know how to vent breaks.
but on my c303 and m35 I strat on that wheel far from the reservoir.
but when I've had problems, I've often been successful in squeezing brake fluid in from the bleeder screw and seeing that air comes up in the reservoir
The stretchers was to carry injured on, but sleeping on them might have happened also. They are not very comfy to sleep on if you are above 170 cm, and most swedish conscripts where. With a sleeping mat on the stretcher it still beats sleeping on the ground, even at 190 cm😁
Don't change to 12V, besides relays, you need to change starter motor and generator too and might run into trouble with the wiring. Keep 24V, it's better.
Drove a similar one in the service on Gotland -83 as a private. Fantastic renovation indeed! It makes me nostalgic, but at the same time saddened that you bought wreckage and have to renovate almost everything. Looking forward to your first field test, good luck..
Hey, love the videos youre making. Just finished swaping out the engine in a Tgb20 (very similar to this) during my internship. These old trucks are a bit cranky and leak everywhere but they get the job done and do it well.
I've had master cylinders suck air in but not leak fluid until they wore more rebuild the master cylinder and do the copper seals too while its apart it is thrustrating but stick too it best of luck love the new build
Hi Chris. I'm wondering if your brake issue is fluid leaking past the seals in the master cylinder? There doesn't need to be air getting in or fluid getting out. If it's passing the seals you're effectively not pushing a 'solid'. Keep up the good work and content. Oh, and as a regular North Sea swimmer, Ange definitely needs to swim in the sea. It's so refreshing for body and mind.
Yes u should...when yr feeling better
I used to own HG Premier with a healthy V8 and big cam. It never made enough vacuum so the without engine running pedal was spongy. With engine running it was a bit better. I ended up putting a electric pump in triggered by the brake light to add extra vacuum. Maybe try it with engine running adding vacuum.
Its important to pre adjust the drum brake pads so they are almost locking the wheel before start bleading the system. You will have a feel of air in the system if you so not have adjusted the brake before.... Its also so that normally the wheels need to ble bleeded in the right order, on the TG 13 I do not know the order, but surely you will find in the web...
30:06 Chris why not drill and thread grease nipples in the hub like the unimog
DO IT!
Gees Chris, you have the patience of a saint if there is such a thing. Anyway keep going mate and at least you know this part is done. Sorry mate perhaps the master cylinder is rubbish and now needs fixing ???? 🥴🥴. I don’t really think you can do a part break bleeding if as I said you don’t repair that master cylinder IE your doing it back to front Jon🇦🇺