Newbee seeking mechanical servicing advice for old Hymer (1 Viewer)

[shepc]

Hello folks.

I’m new to mo-homing and have recently bought a 1997 2.5 Fiat Ducato based Hymer B544 …and am loving it!

Any advice appreciated please for the best way to go about getting it mechanically serviced, MOT’d, etc.

I don’t mind getting my hands dirty myself (for simple stuff like oil & filter change), but it seems quite hard to even find a workshop manual for this kind of age vehicle.

I live in Leicestershire… so can you perhaps recommend a decent, reasonable value / indy van mechanic in the region that will be confident on older vehicles like mine?

All advice appreciated, with thanks,
Chris

 

[Manic]

Simple mechanics on them so not difficult to work on
I recently had my cam belt replaced cheaply at a garage near Peterborough
work shop manuals search for Peter Russek ones or Haynes or this

 

[shepc]

Thanks for taking the time to respond all - appreciated, and reassuring to know that I should be able to do a fair amount myself. Yes, it’s a 2.5 and supposed to be a Tdi version, though not sure how to identify this, TBH. Will try and track down a workshop manual, and the Amazon pointer seems as good a place to start as any. Cheers!

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[Manic]

Another on amazon

 

[Silver-Fox]

Generally older base vehicles need you to have a bit of common sense.
Along with google you can sort most basic stuff out.

Would it be worth looking to see if there is a forum for the base vehicle.
Might be a good starting point for any info you might need.

Good luck with your new purchase

 

[gus-lopez]

Yes, it’s a 2.5 and supposed to be a Tdi version, though not sure how to identify this,

Open bonnet & look for the exhaust manifold. A turbo would be attached to it if present. On the air intake side it will go through the air filter then a pipe on to one side of the turbo ,out of the bottom towards the front, if it has an intecooler which will be around or under the radiator usually, then out of the intercooler back in to the intake manifold
No , not quite correct. If a diesel only, mine was, also known as normally aspirated it has no turbo or ,obviously, intercooler.
if it is a turbo it can be shown as 'Td'= turbo diesel . The 'I' on the end represents it having an intercooler.
the 2,5 early on was only sold as normally aspirated .then it got a turbo followed by an intercooler. same with the 1900cc.

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[mitzimad]

All deisels are injected ,as said oil change regular air filter and diesel filter is about as much servicing the engine needs personally i wouldnt use flushing oil on such an old engine make sure you find the correct oil for the vehicle i would contact an oil supplier to find out if theres a synthetic or semi synthetic equivalent
Before changing the diesel filter find out the correct bleeding method generally there will be a bleed on the pump and you probably need to crack injector nuts .Buy a can of aerostart as it can be handy to get them running after a filter change.If you want to get it done by a garage look for a mechanic over 40 or they will be wandering round trying to find the obd port

 

[mitzimad]

As it sounds like a turbo get under neath and check the waste gate is free to move probably need to remove the actuator or arm to do that check gearbox level and if its 5 speed over fill a bit

 

[jockaneezer]

I too am not a fan of flushing oil, especially on an engine that you don't know it's use/history. Let sleeping sludge lie I say !

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[shepc]

What a great forum… plenty there for me to take on board and lots of good pointers. Cheers guys.

 

[Itsmcb]

I have a 1996 Peugeot Boxer 2.5 TD which I have had about 6 years now. As mentioned above, fairly simple by today's standards but I am happy about that. Being front wheel drive everything is fairly crammed in and lots of bits are not particularly easy to get at. I have the manual suggested above but it's really not very good, yes better than nothing (maybe) but certainly not up to Haynes manual standards. Getting parts has not been a problem so far although it's not needed much. A starter, a battery and a diesel cut off solenoid recently. The 5speed gearbox tends to be more problematic on these.

 

[shepc]

I got a fair pile of past invoices with the van, including an invoice for an expensive gearbox rebuild a few years ago, due to the dodgy 5th speed. The previous owner has advised me that the gearbox oil has recently been overfilled, as per advice above, so fingers crossed on that count (plus I’m waiting for the engine to warm up before selecting 5th, which I read somewhere can help things)… it’s like having a new, very old baby… learning curve, etc. Cheers for sharing your experiences.

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[Kev and Christa]

We use ARC motors in Sileby Leics for Servicing, MOT and repairs and seem to be knowledgeable and well priced.

 

[Kev and Christa]

Sorry ARK Motors

 

[mitzimad]

I got a fair pile of past invoices with the van, including an invoice for an expensive gearbox rebuild a few years ago, due to the dodgy 5th speed. The previous owner has advised me that the gearbox oil has recently been overfilled, as per advice above, so fingers crossed on that count (plus I’m waiting for the engine to warm up before selecting 5th, which I read somewhere can help things)… it’s like having a new, very old baby… learning curve, etc. Cheers for sharing your experiences.

yes wait before using 5th is good advice gives it time for the oil to splash 5th gear failiure isnt that hard to fix if you can find the right gears can be done in situ

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[Clipgate]

One item worthy of note is the oil used in the gearbox, a subtle difference but vital is that it's a GL4 specification not GL5.
The earlier gearboxes used Bronze bearings and GL 5 causes them to pick up and wear badly. As previously stated slightly over fill, the reason is that the fifth speed is splash lubricated and the gallery is not well fed, on this point I ran a fleet of these vans and never had any gearbox issue's of any great note, in my view due to the drivers always were training for F1 qualifying !
Motorhomes are often driven far to low a speed in each gear and the load (torque) is high.
I would suggest not engaging fifth gear in under 2or3 miles in order to allow sufficient lubricant to reach the fifth speed gear housing
Another area worthy of service is the front hub bearings, they are taper bearings, with an end float achieved by a spacer between the bearings
The grease dries out over time and they are ignored due to the challenge of dismantling, a big mistake as a hub bearing on this range breakdown as the roadside is a real challenge. I would strip them and at the very least repack and fit new seals, probably fit new bearings as a matter of course.
Pressing out the bearings, removing the hub and setting the end float is possibly better done by a knowledgeable engineer, ideally one with Ducato experience
A schedule of work is a good place to start, as stated from Cam belt to oil changes, them brake fluid flush and change etc, working through a planned program.
A good chassis and reliable, however it is not a car and maintenance is required in order to keep you in good spirits.
Nice motorhome do enjoy.

 

[shepc]

Thanks for all the great advice and the time this has taken to provide

 

[JockandRita]

shepc. We had a Fiat Ducato based MH for 14 x years. It was 20 x years old when we sold it.
Fortunately my HGV mechanic pal did (and still does), most of the work for me, including complete suspension replacement front and rear.
Parts are easy to get, but the 5th gear assembly is becoming rare to obtain apparently. Glad to see that yours has already been done.

If you need any diesel specialist work done, these people at Hawarden Ave are excellent. https://www.welhamgroup.co.uk/

They repaired my leaky diesel pump at the kerb outside their workshops, rather than have me remove it and send it over to them. Seals on the actuator arm had perished, causing a fuel leak from the pump, which if detected at the time of the test, is an MOT failure. Great service from them, and very knowledgeable.

Good luck with it all. If you need some one to do work you are not confident of doing yourself, ie, cambelt kit and water pump replacement, I know a man that can, so give me a shout. I'm just north of Peterborough.

Cheers,

Jock.

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[PP Bear]

As an indication, I won’t change up into 5th, until my engine temp gauge tells me too. Silly ole ways, but keeps me in check with the pesky wear and tear issue.

 

[Itsmcb]

One item worthy of note is the oil used in the gearbox, a subtle difference but vital is that it's a GL4 specification not GL5.
The earlier gearboxes used Bronze bearings and GL 5 causes them to pick up and wear badly. As previously stated slightly over fill, the reason is that the fifth speed is splash lubricated and the gallery is not well fed, on this point I ran a fleet of these vans and never had any gearbox issue's of any great note, in my view due to the drivers always were training for F1 qualifying !
Motorhomes are often driven far to low a speed in each gear and the load (torque) is high.
I would suggest not engaging fifth gear in under 2or3 miles in order to allow sufficient lubricant to reach the fifth speed gear housing
Another area worthy of service is the front hub bearings, they are taper bearings, with an end float achieved by a spacer between the bearings
The grease dries out over time and they are ignored due to the challenge of dismantling, a big mistake as a hub bearing on this range breakdown as the roadside is a real challenge. I would strip them and at the very least repack and fit new seals, probably fit new bearings as a matter of course.
Pressing out the bearings, removing the hub and setting the end float is possibly better done by a knowledgeable engineer, ideally one with Ducato experience
A schedule of work is a good place to start, as stated from Cam belt to oil changes, them brake fluid flush and change etc, working through a planned program.
A good chassis and reliable, however it is not a car and maintenance is required in order to keep you in good spirits.
Nice motorhome do enjoy.

Any other tips gratefully received! as I mentioned above mine is a 1996 and I have no intention of changing it if I can help it. How would I draw up a realistic maintenance schedule? Any help in keeping the old girl on the road is appreciated

 

[busbuddy]

Hello folks.

I’m new to mo-homing and have recently bought a 1997 2.5 Fiat Ducato based Hymer B544 …and am loving it!

Any advice appreciated please for the best way to go about getting it mechanically serviced, MOT’d, etc.

I don’t mind getting my hands dirty myself (for simple stuff like oil & filter change), but it seems quite hard to even find a workshop manual for this kind of age vehicle.

I live in Leicestershire… so can you perhaps recommend a decent, reasonable value / indy van mechanic in the region that will be confident on older vehicles like mine?

All advice appreciated, with thanks,
Chris

As has been suggested..ark motors in sileby and there is also sh autos just outside of sileby, if you are over that side of leicestershire
The garage having the room and ramp for the van is the limiting factor

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[Itsmcb]

To be honest I used to do all my own car maintenance for many years so I do have a reasonable understanding over how everything works but since I now don't have a garage at home it's become impractical for most things. I take the camper to a local semi commercial garage for servicing and repairs. They do mostly vans and a few the guys there are in their fifties and sixties so have a good understanding of the older vehicles but it would be nice to have a checklist of things like the wheel bearings mentioned above which are maybe specific to Boxer/Ducatos of that age which probably aren't on the standard service checklist.

 

[stevewagner]

Never been carburettors on diesel engines only injectors. The diesel ignites once the piston compresses the diesel and air mixture together which creates enough heat to ignite it. The sequence of events on a four stroke engine is induction, compression, ignition, exhaust or as some like to say suck, squeeze, bang, blow.

 

[mitzimad]

i always thought tdi was turbo direct injection

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