I appreciate Im not really using this as a guide for other people...but I used all the advice already to be found on the forum ...pretty much anyway.
If I remember something that I did that might help others in some way I will obviously mention it.
Anyway...after a late start the next day....we finished up the rear brakes...fitted new handbrake cables ...still need to sort that out a bit better...not quite adjusted up properly but its fine for now...went round and finished up little things here and there and then started reading the guide by mega miles t4 on how to do remove the heater matrix...I was a little worried about this as I thought it might get to the point where I had it all out and couldnt get it back properly again or something ...but as I said ..the guide is spot on..and the job..although a bit awkward and uncomfortable to do...is not as bad as it sounds....the hardest part was getting to top metal clips back on...one in particular...top most one I believe...was an absolute txxt.
It opens up a lot once you remove the lower dash panels and the glove box ...I'd probably suggest removing the passenger seat though...it was a bit tight moving about....lots of calling things names...and I had a magic screwdriver that kept hiding behind me...he had a special name too.
After struggling for a while...it was all out...I fitted new seal around the housing as it was knackered...I just used draft excluder from BNQ ..£1.99 I think it was...lovely Jubbly.
A bit dusty init ...90 percent human skin is it not ?
Like new

Unlike the heater matrix.... thats fooked
I didnt want to waste any time putting in the new matrix cos I was worried I was going to forget how It all came apart lol...so I just cracked on at this point so no more pictures....but it wasnt very exciting ...all went back fine.."twist and wiggle up it like this" ...thats what I said in the video I made for myself when I pulled the main heater box part out...it came out that way...so I wanted to rember to reverse that motion when It went back in lol...worked for me

Anyway the job I thought was going to take all day only took a couple of hours... so I pushed the van back under cover and got started under the bonnet.
I couldnt put the van under cover when I was doing the other work because the ground was rocky as fxxk and no matter where I needed the jack to go there was never lvel ground..tried it for a day...but soon pulled it out on to the grass....but for the engine work it was nice to be out of the rain.
Ive had the front of this van off so many times Im suprised it doesnt just fall off when I look at it....
But Ive never done any of the stuff I was about to do over the next couple of days...all this was going to be new to me...and I was a little bit nervous...didnt know what I was going to come across that would need sorting out...but the van had so many things bodged on it by the previous owner that there was bound to be something.
I was determined to not fxxk anything up under here...if I could help it anyway lol...so I didnt take many pics...and I cant honestly remember what I did first..but I had a list of things to do....cam belt... and every other belt...change oil...filters...fluids...oil seals...new oil pressure switches...thermostat...new water pump...and that was about it I think.
Ended up needing a new starter motor...the old one had its cable held on with a jubilee clip as the bolt was snapped or melted off...couldnt have that obviously.
Thought I needed a new Alternator as there were some issues with that also ...but it turned out the wires had snapped and were just wedged in to the plug
So I cut the plug off and fitted a plug that I stole off my mk4 Golf donor car at home....that I got for £150 ...for the TDi conversion I plan on doing at some point

As I said before.. I sort of appolgise for this not being a more helpful thread...but its not meant to be a guide... although Im happy to try and answer any questions about anything Ive mentioned on here....
This is just supposed to be an encouraging story showing that you can get all these jobs done yourself...if you dont mind giving up some time to do so.
The real guides for all this stuff have already been done on the forum by people much more knowledgable than me...and THEY are the guides I used to do this....so ...a big thank you to all the people that put in the time to make those guides to help people like me...I honestly do appreciate it ...so thank you.
Also...many of the things on the list above I would have never even thought about if it wasnt for my mate Rich...just in conversation he mentioned loads of things I should do If I was going to do it properly ...my original list was much shorter lol.
Anyway...lack of pictures aside...all the work was eventually done...took much longer than I wanted it to...but there were so many little things to do...and parts I had to keep going off for that I wasnt expecting to need

Stuff like the cambelt and timing were fine...all the things I was worried about went ok...it was the little things..like snaped wires...bodged electrics...rounded bolts...or no bolts in some cases...they changed a straight forward ish job in to a stressful annoying job...but hey ho....eventually under the bonnet looked much better for all the struggles....
From this kind of thing...
to this kind of thing...
It was nice to close the bonnet....even though I had a feeling it wouldn't be staying closed
