Unimog 404 bus conversion

[joeblack5]

More deconstructing. The door frame ,bus body and van body are tied together here. So it takes some effort to separate it without to much damage.
The body to frame mounts did not want to budge with the impact. Tomorrow I will try with a breaker bar and otherwise slice the but.

[Frochevy]

This is a very cool project you have going! I can't wait to keep reading as you progress! Very Cool build!!

[Native]

It will be interesting to see where you end up making the final separation. Looking forward to that picture.

[joeblack5]

Frochevy and Native, thanks, and yes , it will be very exciting to see the separation. Hope i do not forget to take a picture .

[joeblack5]

A little more work today... Cut a section of the skirt of the bus. Could have been an inch more but the rubrail would have to be taken off. So first this way... Could not get the body mounts to cooperate so tomorrow I am going to drill holes in the floor from the inside so that I can attack them from both sides.

[joeblack5]

After all the rain this was a good day to work on the body mounts.

Since the wooden floor was out and I was working on bare aluminum it was easy to use a hole saw to get access to the bolt head from the body mounts.

To be honest this is piss poor engineering practise from bluebird / girardin. The bolt head is not locked and not accessible so there is no way to take the nut of. Anyhow no problem drilling the holes for me and locking the nut under the bus. One was rotted and broke off.

Two of the body mount brackets above the rear axle have to be cut..then I went on and cut the skirt on the driver side of the bus.

My last battery gave up on the last cut.
Tomorrow further.

[plfking]

I often think that if MacGyver and Albert Einstein had a love-child, they would name if Johan.

[joeblack5]

eeehhhh, who of the two would perform the birth


I think more in the direction of Frankenstein.. Both of these parts come from the, dare I say graveyard or maybe it was more on the way to the graveyard..hmmm. this almost could imply necroph....


Johan

[joeblack5]

A little more work today.. The rear 4 body mounts came loose. And also took the bumper of. Turned the bus around and parked it next to the mog so that it is easier to transfer the shell.

Now another 4 mounts and some sawing and cutting before I need the crane to move it over for a first assessment.

[Native]

I am getting excited at seeing the transfer apparatus.

[joeblack5]

Wow, about a year ago and still little to show for.
Another mog joint and that is now first converted from the original m180 gas with 70-80hp to 120hp diesel.

There are some cab fitment issue with a om617 . conversion. The m180 is very skinny and the diesel have the IP hanging on the side.

I figured that a VW TDI would fit if it would be in the front. That means that the bellhousing and transmission shaft has to be made longer to fill the space
of the missing two cylinders. I decided to use the original 5 spd VW transmission for that. Gutted the gears and made an adapter plate to made it fit the unimog bellhousing..first try with a plywood mockup..

Johan

[Frochevy]

Good progress! Will your adapter plate be machined from plate steel, aluminium? It's pretty nice you have a mill at the ready. I bet it will come in handy during your conversion. I have to head to my Dad's house if I need a mill or lathe...

[plfking]

Originally Posted by Frochevy

Good progress! Will your adapter plate be machined from plate steel, aluminium?

J's so talented he'll make the plywood work.

[Frochevy]

Originally Posted by plfking

J's so talented he'll make the plywood work.

I'd believe it!

[joeblack5]

No Don, for the wood talent I will be looking at you.

The actual adapter plate is made out of aluminum with steel angle reinforcements..the angle pieces can be seen at the milling machine pic.. the aluminum plate is visible in the middle pic.
Here i was cutting it out of a plate with a plasma cutter.

This a the oldest AHU version of the VW TDI motor. It has a vacuum pump on the side of the block, oil pump in the rear of a steel oil pan. At least there will be oil during a steep climb.

Today I messed with the alternator and conversion of the v belt water pump pulley to serpentine.

[joeblack5]

Got a little further with the passenger side motor mount with integrated alternator and idler bracket.
All the components for the motor mount are ready now and the next step is putting the cab back on and making the brackets and pipes for the intercooler and radiator.
Then the remote oil filter and clutch stuff.

[Rucker]

Omigod this is a serious project. I'm dying just with a shuttle bus.

[joeblack5]

It has been quiet for a while but still some progress..

The tranny shaft adapter got made, the motor mount, a pilot bearing adapter. Even got some painting done.

[joeblack5]

Two more pics before the motor can be mounted. One how the pilot bearing adapter is locked and one thru an I spection hole in the 404 belhousing.. this clutch spline is not sliding anymore because that function is taken by the VW TDI clutch and mechanisn. Nevertheless thought it would be better to grease it.. in retrospect I regret not putting a grease nipple on it. You are looking at the rear end of the VW transmission case that is partially mounted inside the belhousing of the unimog

[joeblack5]

Mounted the TDI motor and started to test the wiring harness.