Bedford CF Message Board > General Chat > PROP SHAFT FALLEN OFF ON A1

Sounds like a bad propshaft mod
The guy we bought it off had converted it with a transit 5 speed diesel engine and we thought had put it through its paces round where its kept.

I assume this is (WAS) a split two piece propshaft, as I have a spare single shaft if needed. Stick with the van if you can most faults spoke of on here can be rectified with time.

Hi

Possible cause, and this is just my humble opinion, when, whoever, did the engine change , I don't think they aligned the prop shaft up correctly and the stress caused the flange to finally give up.

Hope you decide to get her back on the road.

Hello Caro,
If I remember correctly, this one was converted in the London area. The man contacted me with regards to the Transit conversion. We spoke for some length of time and I sent him some photos down of my front axle conversion and the one that was on the van I was using at the time.
I do remember he favoured a one piece prop, though I don't know if that ever came to fruition. From what he said, he had converted the whole van to run on Ford wheels and yes, Phil, you are right, it is a Transit axle.

Rae & Ann

Author	Message
Caro Card Holder Posts : 92 Location : Addlestone Status : Offline	PROP SHAFT FALLEN OFF ON A1 Hey you lot, havnt been here for a while. Jut thought Id fill you in about the second van we own. We had literally just finished doing it up the doormobile landcruiser inside, he was propper pimped up inside with child friendly rubber floor and Ł500 worth of vinyl seat covers, new sterio, handpainted curtains, fairy lights the lot! The guy we bought it off had converted it with a transit 5 speed diesel engine and we thought had put it through its paces round where its kept. This was his first long trip though as we had only taken him on a 1 hour round trip on the A3 before. We were on our way to a festival on Thursday, Mark was driving, we were going about 65ish and suddenly there was a massive explosion in the back just behind us. Mark pulled over with no gears but still had brakes. We didnt know what had happened till I got in the back and moved the Gazebo which was on top of a very thick rubber door mat which both saved our skin because it was on top of the table base with was smashed into bits and there is a massive hole in the floor. There was diesel everywhere because the prop shaft smashed into the fuel tank and luckily didnt hit the gas bottle which was in a silly place hanging under the van...the AA man thought we where complete idiots for driving with it there and he is right! We are so lucky because...a) we had no one in the back sitting where it happened and b) we didnt kill anyone in a car behind us and c) we had our trusty CF2 waiting patiently at home feeling very unloved because of all the attention we had lavished on the tax exempt van. Hey Ho...the insurance company will hopefully pay out and we can then buy it back and use it as a wendy house for my niece on my sisters farm where its kept. IMO this van should never be driven again. lots of love Caro xx ----------------------
Tue 27 Jul 2010 @ 14:22
Caro Card Holder Posts : 92 Location : Addlestone Status : Offline	we will take some pics later for you
Tue 27 Jul 2010 @ 14:38
Andy Capp Card Holder Posts : 246 Location : Gillingham, Dorset Status : Offline	Sorry to read of your misfortunes Caro - glad that there were no injuries or worse!!! However, dont blame the van for the problem - or the design. The propshaft failing (the bolts?) is a VERY rare occurrance.... As for the siting of the gas bottle - this is normal (especially on older vans) as the bottle has to be able to vent to fresh air. Bunging it inside the van in a cupboard is even MORE dangerous as any leaking gas cannot escape. Even my modern Autotrail has the gas bottles suspended from the chassis.... I am not surprised that the propshaft punched a hole in the floor - it is spinning at a hell of a rate and if it is only fixed at one end, its going to flail around like mad - destroying everything it comes into contact with. Sounds like the bolts on the propshaft were not tourqued up and locked with tab-washers.... Carl ---------------------- Learnin.......the hard and painful way!!!!!
Tue 27 Jul 2010 @ 14:41
Caro Card Holder Posts : 92 Location : Addlestone Status : Offline	Thanks Carl, your advice about the gas bottle is re-assuring. Im not really blaming the van even though he was a bit of a mongrel. We may think about selling him but when we have done so much work to him it seems a shame not to keep him as an expensive pretty shed. Caro
Tue 27 Jul 2010 @ 14:59
waynjac Card Holder Posts : 288 Location : West midlands u.k Status : Offline	I assume this is (WAS) a split two piece propshaft, as I have a spare single shaft if needed. Stick with the van if you can most faults spoke of on here can be rectified with time. ---------------------- Keeping it going, fingers crossed ! (me and the van that is)
Tue 27 Jul 2010 @ 19:04
peillone Card Holder Posts : 11 Location : s/w France Status : Offline	Sounds like a bad propshaft mod The guy we bought it off had converted it with a transit 5 speed diesel engine and we thought had put it through its paces round where its kept. ---------------------- A thousand mile journey starts with the first step.
Tue 27 Jul 2010 @ 20:27
Caro Card Holder Posts : 92 Location : Addlestone Status : Offline	peillone wrote: Sounds like a bad propshaft mod The guy we bought it off had converted it with a transit 5 speed diesel engine and we thought had put it through its paces round where its kept. ^ we agree My sister doesnt really want to keep it at her yard so lets see what the insurance person says when they come and see the damage.
Tue 27 Jul 2010 @ 22:43
Caro Card Holder Posts : 92 Location : Addlestone Status : Offline	happier times...the only camping trip we have had with vincent van go AKA vincent van stop! pics of damage coming soon...
Wed 28 Jul 2010 @ 12:13
Caro Card Holder Posts : 92 Location : Addlestone Status : Offline	waynjac wrote: I assume this is (WAS) a split two piece propshaft, as I have a spare single shaft if needed. Stick with the van if you can most faults spoke of on here can be rectified with time. really dont know...the highways comission cleared it away from where it was on the hard shoulder a mile or so away so we never even saw it.
Wed 28 Jul 2010 @ 12:44
Caro Card Holder Posts : 92 Location : Addlestone Status : Offline
Thu 29 Jul 2010 @ 01:06
philbradshaw Card Holder Posts : 2328 Location : Haslingden Status : Offline	The remains of the propellor shaft flange still bolted to the axle flange looks like it's suffered a fatigue failure. Not seen that before now but I'm not surprised it failed without warning: if it had been a wear related failure you would have noticed vibration long before the shaft came off. Incidentally, that looks like a Transit rear axle, possibly mk 2, so I'd guess that the van had a complete Transit drive line rather than a hybrid. Best of luck with your insurers. ---------------------- What is real is not the external form but the essence of things. Constantin Brâncuşi
Thu 29 Jul 2010 @ 01:19
Greg Card Holder Posts : 337 Location : Shropshire Status : Offline	propshaft I wonder if that broken flange is the cause or result of another component failure. Such as poor welding if propshaft has been altered. Inspection of fallen pieces could solve it. Good luck with it
Thu 29 Jul 2010 @ 08:59
spence Card Holder Posts : 183 Location : Blackpool Status : Offline	Hi This could have been so much worse, thank god you had all your gear piled up over the back end. The way the fuel tank has been ripped open, lucky you weren't in an horrendous fire ball. On the plus side though, you are all here to tell the tale, and by the looks of the damage shouldn't take to much to get your van back on the road. Possible cause, and this is just my humble opinion, when, whoever, did the engine change , I don't think they aligned the prop shaft up correctly and the stress caused the flange to finally give up. Hope you decide to get her back on the road. ---------------------- If it's not one thing, it's your bedford. Spence and Jules.
Thu 29 Jul 2010 @ 10:33
Andy Capp Card Holder Posts : 246 Location : Gillingham, Dorset Status : Offline	spence wrote: Hi Possible cause, and this is just my humble opinion, when, whoever, did the engine change , I don't think they aligned the prop shaft up correctly and the stress caused the flange to finally give up. Hope you decide to get her back on the road. That - and a lack of lubrication on the UJ spider? The remains look very dry........ Carl ---------------------- Learnin.......the hard and painful way!!!!!
Thu 29 Jul 2010 @ 10:38
Mikeyboy Card Holder Posts : 529 Location : Stamford Status : Offline	Fixing the floor can be done by getting a piece of marine ply the correct thickness, slightly larger than the extent of the damaged floor. Remove old lino.Using a jigsaw or router canted over to a carefully calculated angle- ie, width of blade (or router cutter) should allow the edges of the cut to line up perfectly when dovetailed,- Tan= opposite/ adjacent (total width / length of blade), or simply use easycalculation.com/trigonometry/triangle-angles.php If using a jigsaw, use a good chunky kitchen countertop one. Cut following the same direction around the perimeter- it can be irregularly shaped as long as the bottom of the blade always tilts in towards the centre of the hole. If youve done the sums right, the new piece should fit perfectly into the hole without gaps. After test fitting, screw some treated wooden battens across the underside of the hole then line edges and bettens with a flexible or waterproof sealant- sikaflex or even plumbers putty and screw down the new piece of ply and clear up excess. NOTE: check that the line of cut is not going to pass through brake pipes, chassis or cables! [img]http://[/img] ---------------------- If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all..
Thu 29 Jul 2010 @ 11:00
Caro Card Holder Posts : 92 Location : Addlestone Status : Offline	Thank you so much for all your comments.. yes we could have both died and we were extremely lucky.....we are also very lucky to own Denise our trusty CF2..my first love. We dont have the prop shaft to take a look at because the Highways Authority cleared it away. AND we have not yet spoken to the bloke who did the conversion and told him the news... The insurance guy came to see it yesterday....we are thinking of getting it back on the road but we are feeling that we will not be the ones camping in it. We will be happy to sell it on with the knowledge that the work is done properly but the experience has shaken us up and probably sleeping over the place the floor came up will give me nightmares. we will most defo be back for your invaluable help and support. you bed heads are the best xx
Thu 29 Jul 2010 @ 12:14
raewaters Moderator Posts : 568 Location : Fife Status : Offline	Hello Caro, If I remember correctly, this one was converted in the London area. The man contacted me with regards to the Transit conversion. We spoke for some length of time and I sent him some photos down of my front axle conversion and the one that was on the van I was using at the time. I do remember he favoured a one piece prop, though I don't know if that ever came to fruition. From what he said, he had converted the whole van to run on Ford wheels and yes, Phil, you are right, it is a Transit axle. Rae & Ann ---------------------- Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And-which is more-you'll be a Van, my son.
Thu 29 Jul 2010 @ 20:39
Caro Card Holder Posts : 92 Location : Addlestone Status : Offline	raewaters wrote: Hello Caro, If I remember correctly, this one was converted in the London area. The man contacted me with regards to the Transit conversion. We spoke for some length of time and I sent him some photos down of my front axle conversion and the one that was on the van I was using at the time. I do remember he favoured a one piece prop, though I don't know if that ever came to fruition. From what he said, he had converted the whole van to run on Ford wheels and yes, Phil, you are right, it is a Transit axle. Rae & Ann yes thats right, transit 5 speed gear box, engine and running gear. The engine had about 105k on the clock. We will give the guy a call once we know whats going on with the insurance.
Sat 31 Jul 2010 @ 11:58
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