Timewaster Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 The plan for this weekend was to do the MOT repairs on the 405.No big deal really, leaky rear cylinders, handbrake efficiency, no stop lights and split steering rack boot.Stop lights appear to have fixed themselves, all I did was wiggle the switch!Ordered rear shoes and cylinders on Thursday, Picked them up Friday lunchtime and went home to start stripping.Problem 1.Wrong stuff! In fairness to the place I got them (where I used to work) they are a pain as Peugeot seemed to build these things from whatever happened to be lying around at the time. Bugger. Correct stuff ordered.Armed with new stuff Sat AM, 1st job was to ring off the brake pipe nut in the cylinder. Problem 2!Good job the spares place is only a 10 minute walk away as I had very cleverly dismantled the 405 infront of the Sierra. Thinking ahead I got 2 pipes, cos sure as shit I'm gonna ring the other one off later.The old pipe is a **** to get off as there is only room to move the spanner 1/8 of a turn each time. Same with getting the new one on.Nearside all done, time to tackle the other side, You guessed it - rung the ******* pipe nut off the cylinder. Glad I got the other pipe, saved me another 20 minute walk.Gets underneath, acessability a bit better this side, Rung the ******* nut off the other end!! At least now I can cut the pipe and hammer a socket on to it. Finally got the brakes finished and discover my eezi bleed has sprung a leak. Nevermind, I'll get the Mrs. to push the pedal when she gets home.That just leaves a rack boot to do today - how hard can that be?Well apart from being totally burried behind cross members and heat sheilds, having a hydraulic ram bolted between the boot and the end of the rack - which I cant shift - it looks possible.If only I hadn't given away my Haynes manual with the last 405!After much swearing and head scratching - I admit defeat and head back the the spares place for a manual, lucky I still get staff discount!They dont have one - Arse! A quick trawl of the charity shops that are open and a wander around the library prove equaly fruitless.So back home, google it and discover that someone has put an entire haynes manual on line - at last, some good news."On power steering models it is only possible to replace the boot nearest the pinion""The steering gear must be dismantled and removed from its housing""This job should be entrusted to a Peugeot dealer"F*** S*** A*** B******s W***!And now its started raining, so I've come inside for a rant! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I know they're shit, but can you buy a split rack boot kit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Split_Pin Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Know the feeling.Spent all day yesterday and this morning replacing 2 drop links on the Vectra. Rusted to buggery, had to grind them off.Took it for a drive only to discover that the rattle is STILL there! Think the tip of one of the front springs must have broken off or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dukestar25 Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I completely feel for you tontops. I'm about to embark on a frog-tin journey of my own very soon and, given I've never previously worked on any thing french before, it's going to be 'educational' to say the least...Hope it all works out for you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
55bloke Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 This is pretty much why I gave up on home-mechanicing years ago!! It's just not fun any more!! Pay some other poor sod to get cold, wet, filthy and angry. I know it's much cheaper and more satisfying (allegedly) to do it yourself, but I just can't be arsed fighting with ancient, rusty, oily bits any more! My 25 is having new drop links fitted next week in the hope of silencing the front suspension. All bushes and joints have been thoroughly inspected and declared ok, so really hoping it works! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timewaster Posted March 8, 2009 Author Share Posted March 8, 2009 I found a forum online where they claim it IS possible to do. http://forums.preloved.co.uk/fuseaction ... afbfe.html Looks like a handy site! Following the instructions, I found the bolt at the other end of the hydraulic ram, loosened it (eventualy - following another trip to the shop for a TX55 socket!) and HURRAH! I got the ram off. Got the boot off with the help of a big pair pf scissors..... Then it started raining AGAIN! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OwdChina Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Ooohhh yes,very often a simple job turns into a major strip down, my heart goes out to you brother.............sit down........a brew (ciggy if needed) then get back there and strip the fugga down. You know you'll end up doin it at some point anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlo Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I remember when the garage had to replace both my 405 steering rack gaitors they said it was an absolute swine of a job which took far longer than the time quoted. I'm not even sure if they put proper ones on or just wrapped round some all purpose ones either. Just glad I got a quotation first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r.welfare Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Quoted time in Autodata for the "impossible" rack gaiter is only one hour, so I let the garage struggle myself... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timewaster Posted March 8, 2009 Author Share Posted March 8, 2009 Quoted time in Autodata for the "impossible" rack gaiter is only one hour, so I let the garage struggle myself...Make that 1 DAY and you wont be far wrong.I got the bastard bloody boot on in the end, Im just hoping and praying that i didn't put the screwdriver through it while I was trying to stretch it to 3 times its intended size. I even had to take the battery out so I could cable tie the inner end.Can't get the hydraulic ram back on the rack now. Balls to this - I'm having a shower and going down the pub.Tommorow is another shite fetling day.Thanks for the sympathies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike D Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Yep, I do. What a well timed thread! I started stripping down the fastback I bought the other week so I could weld the few patches it needed and get it on the road, i've just come in from the garage after pulling the entire sill off by hand and most of the floor  Bollocks to it, it's getting stripped and weighed in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OwdChina Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 LOLs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HillmanImp Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Took the Imp off the road in 2004 as the gearbox had gone. Whilst i was at it i thought i would sort out the rust in the engine bay. Turns out it had been heavily rear ended in 1991 (the date on the newspapers used to pad out the filler).Still in the garage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
55bloke Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 This is pretty much why I gave up on home-mechanicing years ago!! It's just not fun any more!! Pay some other poor sod to get cold, wet, filthy and angry. I know it's much cheaper and more satisfying (allegedly) to do it yourself, but I just can't be arsed fighting with ancient, rusty, oily bits any more! My 25 is having new drop links fitted next week in the hope of silencing the front suspension. All bushes and joints have been thoroughly inspected and declared ok, so really hoping it works! Just got the 25 back, with new drop links. And, it's quiet, at last!! Mechanic said to me, "That was a bastard of a job, had to cut the old ones off." Sooo glad I'm not doing these things myself anymore! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r.welfare Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 Thanks for the sympathies! :lol:This is one of the jobs on a 405 that I just hand over to the professionals for the sake of the price of an hour's labour...there's not many of them, thankfully. Hell, I've even cracked how to do the 4th glowplug (behind the fuel pump) now...Brakes are a problem (i.e. you need to know - by physically checking - which parts you actually have on the car of the 2 or 3 they quote in the book), I agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AXrescuer Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 I know they're shit, but can you buy a split rack boot kit?I know you can get split cv boots, not sure about rack ones though.http://www.carparts-direct.co.uk/splitd ... gaiter.cfm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timewaster Posted March 10, 2009 Author Share Posted March 10, 2009 Well I finally got it all back together yesterday, and its currently waiting outside the test centre for the MOT guy to come back from his day off.Fingers crossed!Anybody need a shite shifter with a years ticket? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now