Don't tempt providence.

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

Probably suffering from a little " commentator's curse" here. Having in conversation been extolling the virtue's of our 120, telling everyone how good and reliable it was, providing every day transport for Maria, comfortable etc about a month ago I had by chance a drive in it.
Now i'm not saying Maria should have told me, or even known what to tell me but it was apparent something wasn't right.
There was a noise like an electric motor was attached to the driveline somewhere. Checked Diff oil, like honey, minimal backlash, no movement in the pinion to suggest anything wrong. No play in the rear wheel bearings but they did sound like the noise was coming from the O/S/R bearing. Had it on stands up to 50 mph with the CC on and it did sound wheel bearing.
Changed O/S wheel bearing, still same. N/S bearing changed still same. Diff removed and then one could feel there was a rough bearing in there.

Took it to a diff specialist who examined it, said it's pinion bearings and rebuilt it with all new bearings, seal crush washer etc. Crown wheel and pinion were fine so didn't replace.

Re assembled Sat/Sun also replacing both handbrake cables as I didn't quite like how they felt.

Test driven and silence and a great handbrake.

Not a cheap exercise as I probably changed the rear wheel bearings unnecessarily, still it's good for a long time now.

 

[toolsplus]

Hi Andy,just arrived in Portugal and it's cold and pissing down. How's things up north?
Cheers

 

[toolsplus]

You should have been surgeon

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

How's things up north?

Cold, been windy and dry, now raining.

 

[HGW088]

Looks like you've been busy Andy!

I had the diff whining on the Sprinter when we first got it. Took me a good while and a bit of trail and error to narrow it down to that tho!

 

[Lancashire Cruiser]

Probably suffering from a little " commentator's curse" here. Having in conversation been extolling the virtue's of our 120, telling everyone how good and reliable it was, providing every day transport for Maria, comfortable etc about a month ago I had by chance a drive in it.
Now i'm not saying Maria should have told me, or even known what to tell me but it was apparent something wasn't right.
There was a noise like an electric motor was attached to the driveline somewhere. Checked Diff oil, like honey, minimal backlash, no movement in the pinion to suggest anything wrong. No play in the rear wheel bearings but they did sound like the noise was coming from the O/S/R bearing. Had it on stands up to 50 mph with the CC on and it did sound wheel bearing.
Changed O/S wheel bearing, still same. N/S bearing changed still same. Diff removed and then one could feel there was a rough bearing in there.

Took it to a diff specialist who examined it, said it's pinion bearings and rebuilt it with all new bearings, seal crush washer etc. Crown wheel and pinion were fine so didn't replace.

Re assembled Sat/Sun also replacing both handbrake cables as I didn't quite like how they felt.

Test driven and silence and a great handbrake.

Not a cheap exercise as I probably changed the rear wheel bearings unnecessarily, still it's good for a long time now.

View attachment 340716
View attachment 340715View attachment 340714

A 120 with no rust? where does one find such a rare Beast?

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

where does one find such a rare Beast?

It was quite a quest 6 years ago. Looked at numerous 120's but this was really in great nick. Larupped the underneath several times in WD motorbike chain lube it really has preserved it.

 

[Lancashire Cruiser]

I’m struggling to find one with a good chassis, all the ones I have seen look great from the outside and the inside but once you get underneath them they are very crusty. Luckily my Collie is great underneath so I, reluctant to part with it.

 

[GeekOKent]

£80k will buy you one with a good chassis

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

I’m struggling to find one with a good chassis,

You will do, to the first and second owners they were just a disposable item, why would they be concerned with rust prevention? By which time it's too late for rust preservation.

 

[Juddian]

Finding ours was pure luck.
I wasn't looking to change the Collie for any particular reason but happened to be browsing one weekday morning whilst off shift, as you do, and the present 120 appeared at a motorhome sales centre, having just be traded in for a new motorhome by someone upgrading from caravanning, my well heeled previous owner antenna went up and we shot straight up to Wolverhampton area, i got underneath and was pleasantly surprised, a quick test drive and we bought it on the spot, ad had only been live about 4 hours.
Checking the folder of receipts it had a new towbar fitted at Toyota two years previously so not been dragging plant about, other than that a decent service history and it obviously had an easy life apart from dragging a caravan about.
The only downside was a brand new set of budget tyres were on it, first year these seemed ok but second year it didn't feel solid and planted on wet roads, so stuck a set of Yoko GO15s on, which i'll happily buy again.

On the rust preventyion front i'm finding marine grease hand painted on the chassis inner sills and other exposed parts is proving as good as anything tried previously, Bilt Hambers cavity waxes inside the chassis and body cavities, i still have some ACF50 in stock and have been spraying liberally over the whole undersides twice a year, yes it gets washed off but it seeps really well into the nooks, i might try chain lube when the ACF 50 runs out.
Downside of that sort of rust prevention is its filthy to work on underneath.

Lancashire Cruiser, don't be disheartened if you see a rusty OE sump guard on a 120, they're made of cheese and rot away, some of us have bought the steel sump guards from Romainia, they're good value and cover far more underneath than the original thing, plus a handy little removeable section for oil changes.
My tip in the search is don't bother with anything thats lived in Scotland, too much salt damage, and be quick because good ones sell fast.

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

so stuck a set of Yoko GO15s on

Yep my "go to" tyre of the moment, have them on the Collie and the Hilux. Will have them on the 120 when the GG AT2s ever get near the legal limit. I've had them on 9 years ( 50K) and been impressed but can't wait to change them for the YOKO'S.