There is an inconsistency here IMO. I don't have a diagram of the brake circuit for a PJK (or a VAS), but with no air the parking brake should be applied (by the springbrake), and with air available, operating the parking brake lever should release the parking brake. Operating the doors will exhaust the stored air down to a level that allows the service brakes (using the footbrake) to operate. With no pressure on the footbrake there should be no brakes applied (apart from the parking brake).

If things are as you describe then there is something wrong (which you already know of course). It is possible that someone has re-plumbed the the system to suit the static use, but it still doesn't make sense to me.

One possibility is that the footbrake is permanently applied (ie the pedal is jammed down or the internals have deteriorated and are allowing air through to apply the (service) brakes.

Have you ever driven this bus or did you acquire it as a static?

Under what conditions are the brakes free? :confused:

Curiouser and curiouser...

yes, I drove it when I bought it, and all was fine brakewise. so unless someone has doctored them in the meantime without my knowing (highly unlikely, but then it was pretty unlikely to find a pic of my van on the internet when it was buried deep in a Somerset farm!), then I must be remembering it wrongly or not describing the symptoms properly.
the van was certainly kangarooing around a fair bit, but I put that down to the juddery clutch.
hmmm...
I may have to tie everything down, hook up a battery and try again so I can be clearer about the symptoms.

thanks again for your knowledge and help.

Many thanks Mark, I'll go and look shortly.:)

I like your version of Wild Side of Life!!!

thanks Robert!
the speeding up at the end was entirely intentional of course, and nothing to do with tiredness at the end of a mammoth recording session ;)

12v or 24v?
 

Hello again.

I've packed the van down ready to try to start it, and then to get to the bottom of the brake problem. Last time I started it, I connected it to the two leisure batteries I was using, and it started first time. Since then, those batteries have died and I've replaced them with a single 12v leisure battery.

I can't remember what the original configuration was - were the main batteries hooked up to give 12v or 24v?
If I need more than one battery, does anyone have any advice as to what I should get and where would be a good place to get it or them please?

Thanks again for your help and sorry for my ignorance.

All the best
Mark

It depends on the GVW of the model.

Best clue is to remove a bulb and check the voltage inscribed on it.

Thanks for the super-speedy reply G-CPTN. :)

I'll do that next time I'm there. I'll report back, and then would appreciate any advice you can give on size of battery(ies) and where to get hold of them please.

I would try a truck breakers yard first (they remove the batteries from vehicles, and some of them will be much younger than the vehicle). You will also get the necessary link cable if you need two batteries.

The battery holder should give you a clue as to the size of battery needed.

Also try your local commercial vehicle factor.


See here:- http://www.ukhippy.com/stuff/showthr...JK-Library-Bus

That's really helpful. Thanks.

...and thanks too for the link. Great to see the interior as it would've been. And some very helpful links within the link too!