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Ducato etc scuttle drain modification

6K views 31 replies 8 participants last post by  powerplus 
#1 ·
Simple enough drill a hole roughly the same size as the one on the right side of the scuttle panel, and let it drain via a hose.

I bought a 1 meter length of 28.5 convoluted hose, and B&Q sell a larger size caulking gun nozzle separately, square of the end of the hose and cut off the nozzle to its widest internal part, it's a tight fit so shouldn't need any mechanical fixing such as a Jubilee although that would stop it being forced upwards out of the hole if anyone is working below it.

The OD of the pipe is 34.58mm ish so care is needed in drilling the hole, as the nozzle is only fractionally larger in diameter, although I think I may grind off the first section of the convolution bit right at the top of the hose to make the difference to the nozzle greater and push it up from below using the nozzle to secure it once in place, just checked I didn't look first but it isn't smooth bore as I though.

I have to add I have not actually fitted it yet as the ECU is away for repair and I only want to fit this once, I'm hoping that SuperGlue will hold it in place as it will be more rigid than sealant.

And I need to find something to drill the hole with, I have a 35mm spade but I reckon it'd grab and ruin the job.

Comments invited as I can't figure out anything better.







 
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#2 ·
So thinking laterally I'll see if I have or can get a small piece of thin plastic and make a large washer to fit twixt nozzle and pipe, needs to be thin as it will form a lip above the scuttle.

I wonder if a 4 pint plastic milk carton would be up to it?
 
#3 ·
Amazon do a step drill bit that’ll go to 35mm.

Terry
 

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#4 · (Edited)
Beginning to come together, I just hope the ECU IS the problem.

Beware SuperGlue does break down with water (it’s how to separate children who have stuck their fingers to the it face or elsewhere - keep flooding with water and SuperGlue gives way.

Would Araldite be a better choice as it sets hard in various times depending on the choice, 5 min, 30 min, 1 hour etc., and can be moulded well, it also is water resistant once hard (24h).

Was there evidence that it had flooded ? I may have missed that elsewhere.
 
#5 ·
Araldite would be fine, on a bit of useful advice from a sea going spark, I use it on any soldered cable joint that has had heat shrink sleeving added as it totally waterproofs any joint liable to be impacted by possible water ingress as heat shrink isn’t 100% watertight.

Terry
 
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#6 ·
Yes, I posted a picture a while ago of the air filter which had water on it, I should have taken action then but I think the damage was already done.

Thanks for the heads up on the superglue I didn't know that water affected it.

Araldite, not thought of using that as it's quite ugly, I was leaning towards a black silicone amongst other solutions.

Re fitting it, I may be able to use the top off one of the smaller water bottles like this, greater area for adhesives etc to adhere to, a little applied heat may flatten it, less lip as well, less lip is always better I find, not worked on Liz yet though, very lippy.

 
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#7 ·
Sticking plastics is always a problem as many glues will not adhere, try to do a test before, apply, leave it to harden and subject to force greater than ever likely to encounter. Plastic bottle material is notoriously difficult to glue, but silicone sealant over wide area may be the answer.
 
#8 ·
With the plastic bottle end I could use a couple of small self tappers to give a mechanical fixing too, a bit rough n ready but mostly out of sight.
 
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#10 ·
And baling wire.
 
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#11 ·
I've just been stood by the van waiting for a delivery, they can never find this place as the lazy Bs just put the post code in which takes them onto the wrong road, whilst there I had a proper look at the scuttle panel, it has two small holes at the bottom of slight depressions so I need to modify both, one is just behind the small coloured panel above the headlight, but this doesn't catch much but I'll use a normal silicone nozzle and garden hose, the other catches at least half of screens water so I'll just do as I planned already.
 
#12 ·
I thought in the middle of the night that it might be a good idea to do this smaller one whilst the headlight and associated gubbins was already out as it is a phaph to remove it.

So one nozzle and a bit of HI VIZ hose later all done, I used this hose as it will be in their way when they put the ECU etc back.

I used a splodge of Sika and some matt black paint to obscure the job, once the stuff is back in place and the bonnet shut it's hard to see anyway, but it'll blend in once the dust gets on it.

Someone had already drilled this hole, if they had used their one remaining brain cell and did what I did maybe the ECU would have survived as it is right above it.



Nozzle cut to shape and inserted, top and bottom pictured.





Warmed end of hose in hot water to help it slip onto the nozzle, once cooled it should stay put if not a jubilee clip will make sure it does.





Splodged



Painted, looks awful as it's reflecting the sky.



I had to stop as I could hardly breathe, not difficult so I must have been stressed about it.

I'm going to have a better look at doing the other one, I might wait until the ECU is back in place first, I need to see what if anything will get in the way or be affected by it.
 
#13 ·
That looks like a very sensible move, I have never looked at ours so must have a little inspection and see if the hole is bunged up with leaf bits as I might expect……

Thanks for the HeadsUp.

How long till your new ECU arrives so you can check everything works ?
 
#14 ·
I could possibly have made it a bit tidier, and would if it was a newer van, but my abilities are getting lesser day to day almost Dave.
 
#15 ·
Ok, I started fitting the more difficult central larger ID to the scuttle, I eventually used the top of a drinks bottle as it's a good fit for the pipe and the scuttle, liberal amounts of Sika as it's almost impossible to see where the van sits on our drive so a bit messier than the other one, so top pokes through and the lid with a big hole through is simply screws on, I'll put some sealant inside the threads to make it stay put, I will get the work done before I fit the pipe on so it doesn't get disturbed, I just need to check where to let the pipe run as I don't want to put water where water doesn't want to be.





 
#16 ·
I put the large pipe on yesterday as I realised it wouldn't be in the way of when they refit the ECU etc, it goes right down the back of the engine/gearbox and exits below so nothing to drip on, the smaller one had managed to move a bit so I'll put a bit more sealant around that to keep it in place, however, I found another water ingress point for our van as it is parked on a quite steep drive and where the air goes through the bonnet for the heater it sits on the bonnet part and holds quite a bit of water which empties all over the fuse and ECU when lifted, no idea how to cure that except maybe glue an old tea towel or something in there, I might be able to ad another drain, need to think about that one, but you can't really see into it.



you can see both pipes here.

 
#18 ·
It would dry out Jean due to the airflow when driving, not so much when parked though, normally it would pass to the other part where there is a large drain hole at the back.


I can't think of any other cure other than to park flat which is impossible here, I'd park the other way around but the wheels just spin.
 
#19 ·
I just had a look at the van from a different angle and the scuttle panel plastic cover is 12mm away from the screen on the drivers side so water is pissing in there too, the mechanic said he'll sort that out if he ever gets it running again.
 
#20 ·
The mechanic has just left. I got some rubber butyl stuff in a tube from B&Q the other day as it is more stable than silicone in the sun, he has put a fair bit behind the warped scuttle panel, I have half a tube left so I'll do a decent masking job and use up some of the rest, I'll also put some around the drains I put in as they got moved while they were looking to find the original problem, which I posted here>>> https://forums.motorhomefacts.com/3186097-post66.html
 
#22 ·
No you should not FIAT designers are really pants IMHO, the main design I think is actually really good, but then they let the whole van down with stupid mistakes with the scuttle only being LHD and in two pieces begging for trouble, the air intake for the heater is rubbish if you happen to park facing downhill it fills up with water, fine if you don't open the bonnet but a waterfall if you do, the location of the fuse box and ECU under the bonnet below the air intake makes the situation worse, the Canbus seems from what the sparky told me today is a rats nest with no rhyme or reason behind it, like why is any of the crash sensor wiring under the dash., other wiring is so badly arranged it is forced to chafe somewhere.
 
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#23 ·
Not a good add for Fiat then Kev.? Mine went very rusty and many had the 5th gear problem. But they keep selling thousands.

Ray.
 
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#24 ·
Delivery vans don't last long enough usually mohos do but sit a lot.
 
#25 ·
#26 ·
Kev, for the application you have in mind I'd suggest that is not a good choice!.

That one is an adhesive and is designed to be permanent, I take on board your mention that the one you have is staying sticky and allowing flies to attach themselves to your pride and joy, if you use the 521 whatever you fix will effectively be permanent, so if you need to get to say, the windscreen wiper mechanism you will have a lot of cutting and clean up.
I'd suggest Sikaflex 710TX in black it is a butyl based elastomer that whilst it does stay somewhat sticky for a short while it forms an external skin whilst remaining soft and manageable below.
I've used it on my screen / scuttle surround and it keeps the water where the original design wanted it to be, rather than over the engine when the plastic distorts with age.


.
 
#27 ·
Thanks John :) :), my thinking was this is a 14 year old van and cosmetically it leaves a bit to be desired, so I was going to leave most of the sticky stuff there and just use the Sika to lightly cover it so if needed a blade4 would cut through the hopefully thin film, and possible once cut it would still form a seal between them, but belt and braces I have used a half plastic shopping bag to help shield the vulnerable bits from any ingress too, it should work as this is no ordinary bodge, the is a M&S bodge, I used two lines of the sticky stuff to attach it and it's also under the bonnet release cable too, this was a backstop to shed any water which collects in the bonnet air scoopy thingybob, but will deflect any hopefully.
 
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