After The Great Computer Crash of December 2002 20/12/02

Well I managed to lose all my emails, web files and other stuff that wasn't backed up, what a bloody nightmare. Even this page lost ramblings written during December, but all is fixed now.

I have started putting the workshop manual up on the site, but I won't be putting at all up as its about 600 pages long. If you need a certain section please contact me and I will see what I can do. I will be putting up something from every section.

Oh what a palava xmas is, the wifes going all decorations and tinsel, the kids are toy mad and I just want to fix my Dodge.

I started working on it today, just adding anti-freeze, charging battery, fitting new battery terminal connection and lighting the wood burner to dry it out a bit, it's damp up north.

 

Workshop Manual 27/11/02

I have in my hand a copy of the Dodge50 series Workshop Manual. It comes in two parts, Sections A to G which cover all aspects of engine, gearbox, electrics, clutch etc and sections H to V which cover Brakes, Steering, Axle's,etc.

It is all thanks to Greg Taylor from Leeds, who has managed to send me both parts and another couple of gems, two training manuals which do contain stuff from the workshop manual but also contain some other stuff like Dodge50 Series performance predictions for all dodge50's with all axle, wheel, gearbox, engine configertions catered for, in other words, what speed your vehicle should be able to go.

For Example

Dodge50 S56, FX1 5 SPEED GEARBOX, AX6 AXLE, 8R X 17.5C TYRES, 4.236 ENGINE.

CHASSIS CAB= 63.8 MPH

VAN=60.4 MPH

HIGH VAN / BOX=54.4 MPH

So there you go

I have started to scan in some pages and the first example is here

More Next Time

 

Why Oh Why 10/11/02

I started this site because after 4½ years with a dodge50 I could find bugger all about them on the net, Renault didn't want to know and parts were getting harder to find. I had finished my circus website and wasn't sure what to do next?

So I started by getting a copy of Dreamweaver MX (free thanks to Kazza) and making some pages to add to my circus site that were dedicated to Dodge50's, just some pictures and technical stuff and got a bit carried away, you can still see some of the original pages at www.circusbox.co.uk/dodge2.htm and use the menue to look at the other pages.

Thats when I decided to get the dodge50.co.uk domain and put the site up proper (Oct. 3rd 2002), On the 9th November my wife went away for two weeks and I managed to add about 30 pages to the site. It's not that she minds me spending ½ my life at the computer but that I spend ¾'s of my life at the computer.

I am waiting to receive a copy of the workshop manual on wednesday and I can only guess that I will be scanning for the next couple of months getting the thing on to cdrom in html format and some up on the site.

MY Dodge

It's a B75 is my dodge, 1984 Mk 1 with air brakes and power steering, He is called Big Vern (B910 VRN) he had done 35,347 miles when I got him and he used to belong to Norweb. He has now done in excess of 130,000 miles

I guess I class Big Vern as one of the family because we bought him so we could get out of the shit hole we were living in, he helped us get our lives back on track, it must sound silly but it's true.

We bought Vern from Dodge City which was in Todmordin, for £1,000 with no mot or tax and hadn't seen him, we just had a feeling it was right, so I got on a bus with a heavy toolbox in Brighton and went up North with some cash.

I met Mark from Dodge City and we went to his yard, as soon as I saw Vern I just knew it was right to buy him, the body work was a little tatty but with six brand new Michelin Tyres, low mileage and the fact that he had been an Oil Tanker with an internal tanc which ment the entire van part of the van was covered in oil, so No Rust at all anywhere. The floor had a couple of holes for oil to drain away which ment the underside of the truck was covered as well, so No Rust There Either.

We took a test run and the only problem was the brakes were pulling to the right and when we stopped a small hole appeared in the radiator, not so good I thought, we pached the hole up no problem and it was only a matter of adjusting the brakes I thought. I thought wrong as soon as I paid for the vehicle and Mark left all the rear lights and their fuses blew! Stuck up north with a unroadworthy vehicle with 300 miles to go, what to do?

I got new bulbs and fuses from a couple of other dodges he had for sale, rewired the back lights and set off, When I got to the motorway (M62) at 9pm it was quite quiet and I was driving at 75 to 80 miles per hour, it was great, the only concern I had was the brakes pulling to the right and being pulled up by the police and neither caused a problem.

I arrived home (in Sussex at the time) at about 2 am and had some much needed sleep.

We cleaned out the back of the van the next day and used ecover washing up liquid in hot water and just washed the oil and crap on to a big tarp outside the van, the sun dried it up and we put the residue in the bin. The rear of the van looked new, the floor and walls were shiny and there wasn't a sign of rust.

I had a look at the brakes and found that one of the front brake shoes on the drivers side had come apart and every time I applied the brakes a bit of shoe jammed between the attached shoe and the drum thus locking up the brake. Fixed it, problem solved.

I put Vern in for a test Five Days after We got him, I had fitted a wood burner, a sheet of wood for a bed and stuck in a cupboard, and got it tested as a campervan. He passed with just a brake adjustment and a bulb, to say I was happy is an understatement. We then kitted him out properly with cooker, sink etc and moved out of our shithole flat and into a Very mobile home. A friend took on the bookings for the business an we went on permenant tour for a couple of years.

After five seasons with Vern we are very happy and will keep him for as long as we can, he has been seen all over the country at many events and he has done us proud.

List Of Things Fixed/ Replaced on Big Vern.

Clutch, which I did by myself, and I'll tell you it would be much eairer with an extra pair of hands. (when performing this task make sure you have a 19 mm rachet Spanner as it will help loads)

Rear wheel cylinder seal kits, brake shoes, rear axel hub seals, Handbrake actuator (spring Break) . Brake pipes.

Front Brake shoes, cylinder kits. Front nearside Drum

Starter Motor, which I had Rebuilt by Lucas, Alternator

Track rod ends, All Tyres, Exhaust system, Fuel filter, air filter,

Power Steering Box, Propshaft U.J. (rear)

Off-side Rear Light, Fog Light, Battery

Wiper motor plus mounting plate, wiper swivels, rods and replace/repair actual vehicle mounting points.

I guess it all sounds a lot but over five seasons and The 100,000 miles that we have covered, compaired to the cost of running a leyland daff 400 series van for 3 years it's been cheeper, I tend to work my vehicles hard.

Oh Blah blah blah thats enough for now I'm gona put this page up now, it's 0045 hours.

© Dodge50.co.uk™ 2002