Kugelfischer Technical References
- Thread starter acf321
- Start date
Send me a PM. I have a bunch of stuff on Dropbox.
Dear Adam
Will be important to have it, as there is something of a shortage of people able to service KF in Oz, there is also difficulty with supply of new parts.
The firm in Germany who have the rights to parts and service are having difficulty at the moment servicing KF units. This may or may not be ongoing. They are not cheap, but could restore it to new, which would see most of us out.
They are robust if well set-up and if left alone, especially by the uninitiated. Pay careful attention to having a clean fuel supply ( clean tank, high grade filtration ).. L'Aventure Peugeot and Série04 have the drive belts, Der Franzose sometimes do as well.
I have been lubricating mine with ATF ( SAE 10 ), as advised in the instructions. Have recently had advice from an authoritative source that should be using SAE ~30, but am still digesting this.
A common message from those who know ( i.e. not me - I am a very amateur owner ) is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it "
Congratulations on the purchase. Very envious. I have a 404 with KF2 and have always wanted a 504TI
Andrew
Will be important to have it, as there is something of a shortage of people able to service KF in Oz, there is also difficulty with supply of new parts.
The firm in Germany who have the rights to parts and service are having difficulty at the moment servicing KF units. This may or may not be ongoing. They are not cheap, but could restore it to new, which would see most of us out.
They are robust if well set-up and if left alone, especially by the uninitiated. Pay careful attention to having a clean fuel supply ( clean tank, high grade filtration ).. L'Aventure Peugeot and Série04 have the drive belts, Der Franzose sometimes do as well.
I have been lubricating mine with ATF ( SAE 10 ), as advised in the instructions. Have recently had advice from an authoritative source that should be using SAE ~30, but am still digesting this.
A common message from those who know ( i.e. not me - I am a very amateur owner ) is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it "
Congratulations on the purchase. Very envious. I have a 404 with KF2 and have always wanted a 504TI
Andrew
Hi Andrew and Mike,
Your insights are excellent, and I appreciate them greatly. I have also been advised by a Pug High Priest, that "if you never touch it, it'll be fine... if you do, chances are it won't". Having said that, given this is my forever 504, I did write to Saxon Parts o/night and they said they can and do rebuild these units to 'as new' spec, albeit tuning it to my car could be problematic under this scenario. The other point to mention in this response was the cost of such ... at 2,000 Euros!
Having said this, my car has 155,000klms on it from new and runs VERY well, so it should not need touching. Judging by my old 1980 504GL (wth Solex), that I sold with 385,000klms on it (which was still mint), I suspect I'll be right. I should also point out this car will be a garage queen, and rarely see many kms.
Mike, i'll drop you a message now for those documents.
Genuinely appreciate your help fellas, I will of course keep y'all posted on the new Princess, as collection approaches.
Best,
Adam
Your insights are excellent, and I appreciate them greatly. I have also been advised by a Pug High Priest, that "if you never touch it, it'll be fine... if you do, chances are it won't". Having said that, given this is my forever 504, I did write to Saxon Parts o/night and they said they can and do rebuild these units to 'as new' spec, albeit tuning it to my car could be problematic under this scenario. The other point to mention in this response was the cost of such ... at 2,000 Euros!
Having said this, my car has 155,000klms on it from new and runs VERY well, so it should not need touching. Judging by my old 1980 504GL (wth Solex), that I sold with 385,000klms on it (which was still mint), I suspect I'll be right. I should also point out this car will be a garage queen, and rarely see many kms.
Mike, i'll drop you a message now for those documents.
Genuinely appreciate your help fellas, I will of course keep y'all posted on the new Princess, as collection approaches.
Best,
Adam
Early model mechanical injection diesels (of many kinds, not just Pug) are famous for being able to achieve ultra high mileages without major rebuilds. One thing you can check for is whether the fuel system is running rich. To do this, you will need an oil analysis. Worn and modified pumps "make oil", keeping your sump topped up with diesel! An oil analysis is also a good way to check the overall condition of the engine, as it provides evidence of wear from all moving components!
It's a good plan to change KF pump crankcase oil more frequently than recommended and certainly before it reeks of petrol.
Thanks Mike others,
When I get the car back to Sydney, I have it booked in for a once over with an expert mechanic to go over the whole thing. We'll obviously be assessing the KF to ensure all is right with it at that point. I presume (but don't know yet) if it does need a fluid change, but again, that will all be assessed when I am back. Of course, I'll post updates as I go, this car deserves to be seen.
Cheers,
Adam
When I get the car back to Sydney, I have it booked in for a once over with an expert mechanic to go over the whole thing. We'll obviously be assessing the KF to ensure all is right with it at that point. I presume (but don't know yet) if it does need a fluid change, but again, that will all be assessed when I am back. Of course, I'll post updates as I go, this car deserves to be seen.
Cheers,
Adam
Who is your expert Sydney Mechanic? 
Hi Big RR,
I have several, including PQAM that i've used since the dawn of time. I spoke to Goodwins at Cessnock, and they seem extremely good, albeit i've not taken a car there only due to the distance problem. The expert I am referring to is a largely retired private chap that would prefer not to be named on the forum. If you PM me, I can assist.
Best regards,
Adam
I have several, including PQAM that i've used since the dawn of time. I spoke to Goodwins at Cessnock, and they seem extremely good, albeit i've not taken a car there only due to the distance problem. The expert I am referring to is a largely retired private chap that would prefer not to be named on the forum. If you PM me, I can assist.
Best regards,
Adam