TrabbieRonnie

Hi all, I have been lurking and not posting for a wee while (new job keeping me busy), but further work on the jeep has happened... Once back on the road, some clicking from the rear wheels could be heard. This quickly developed into a rumble at speed... With all new rear brakes fitted recently, the wheel bearings were suspected, and yeah... our winter drifting shenanigans may have taken their toll...! VID-20221002-WA0005~2.mp4 Pretty fubarred. A mere 70 gbp's were required for a set of FAG's finest from Roughtrax, and this weekend saw the fitment commence. Phase one is the removal of the four nuts that hold the hub into the axle end, the damper needed to be disconnected at the bottom to allow access. These four 14mm nuts were now identifying as 13.3mm thanks to 30 years of rusty time, and so much hammering and swearing was required to free them. However, freed they were, and with the brake line and handbrake cable out the way, out comes the halfshaft/hub assembly... VID-20221002-WA0006.mp4 Good times. I do not have a press at home, and did not fancy the 'bush mechanic' method of swinging the whole thing around like Thor's hammer into a block of wood to shock the bearing out. I therefore employed the method I use at work, grinding a slot into the inner race, splitting this with a cold cut, and breaking the bearing up somehow. Not pretty, but it worked... VID-20221002-WA0004~2.mp4 We were videoing/photographing all this for my youngest's benefit btw, he is on his first year of a mechanical engineering course at college and wants to document all these missions now. Refitting was simply tapping in the new bearings and seals and putting it all back together. The brake lines were buggered in the disconnecting (they never just undo, do they?!), and so I broke out the flaring kit and made up some new ones... Included was a replacement Flexi and hard line to the bias valve at the top, VERY satisfying. To celebrate, we threw the bikes in the back and headed for the trails. Job jobbed. Hopefully we are now done for the winter (mot is in January), wanted all the underside work complete before the weather comes in. Cheers all.

Bit more work done on the jeep. New thermostat fitted (tested in kitchen first!), and after a bit of faff bleeding the system, running lovely. I'm going to run it for a week and then drop the coolant again. Parts of the system were a bit crusty for my liking, so I'm treating this as a flush. We then set to the re-oiling of the underside. Not a nice job, but kind of vital in this neck of the woods. My youngest and I spent the day blinking out/spitting out rust, but got the bottom wirebrushed nicely... It was nowhere near as bad a job as the big de-rust a couple of years ago (documented on this very thread), but still took the two of us a good few hours. Cooked up an oily brew this morning, and am just back in... Much better. It's a very oily mix this time, probably one litre of waxoyl to two of used engine and gearbox oil. It stinks, but creeps well if applied hot, and never dries out. I'll have to do it every summer from now on, not leave it too long. Interior still looking good on its years too... Just the sills/bumpers to paint up, then she can battle through another salty Moray winter.

All scrubbed, which has served to show the rampant corrosion quite well! Nothing chassis-wise, but the body is starting to show its age. This back door skin is the worst bit, so I have 'repaired' it whilst I start the search for a better door... Not good I know, but at least there's no jagged edges now. The white staining on the sills is from the ally chequerplate on the doors corroding. A rub down and repaint of the black bits is in order. Apart from that though, running great and the same comfy old thing it always was.

All buttoned up and running well... No leaks thus far, and real pulling power... it's been a while but I'm sure it's getting up to speed easier. Maybe the pump had been struggling for a while. We're running without a stat just now (old one fitted but non-functioning innards removed), eBay assures me the new one is on the way. No discernible difference in operation tbh... She's absolutely filthy, full of cobwebs, so tomorrow will see a good scrub, and a grease of all the various nipples. We couldn't resist a wee run out though... I just refitted the old radiator, it's a bit crusty but whole, and flushed out lovely. I'll acquire an ally one I think after payday, and maybe a separate gearbox oil cooler too. Feel a bit more ready for winter now, rain was pretty biblical yesterday too. Anyway, cheers all.

Couldn't upload the first start vid yesterday (too big...), so youtubed it up this morning... not too shabby Toyota. As Colin would say, 'tis a GD CONKA. I however, am very shabby today, so mechanicing is off the table. I'm off next week so will endeavour to complete the mission then. Cheers all.

Great success! Today saw the refit of the fuel pump, and changing of the cambelt... All marked up and 'bolted' in position. Fuel pump pulley went back on fine, and torqued up pretty tight with just the cambelt pulley held. Witness line on the nut will allow a final check following a good run. Roughtrax kit bought many moons ago, required retrieval from the loft (my'garage' stock is slowly spreading everywhere!)... The belt is a Gates item, the other bits are no brand I recognise, but the same as the last ones which show no discernible wear... Old gear... Belt looks new! Anyway, that's it for another 100kms hopefully, I've still to build up the cooling system (new thermostat on order, as I couldn't get the old one to open in a pan, she's never even got close to overheating afaik, perhaps it seized up with sitting? Anyway, close call!). I couldn't therefore run her for long, but she started and died, then started and ran as usual, with good throttle response and no leaks as yet! I pumped the filter primer for a minute before trying, but never actually bled the lines or anything, bloody great engines these. I've oiled the engine bay up so another session of spannering should see us back on 't road again. I'd carry on now, but am off to the pub! Cheers all.

Hi all... Got the jeep's fuel pump out and resealed today, what a handy, maintenance-friendly design that is! Pics... With the last of the umbilicals disconnected, I set about the pulley on the other side of the front cover... It actually came off pretty easy, I tightened some bolts through the pulley up against the engine (did the same on the cam pulley), which held everything enough to undo the above nut. Then, after an awful lot of wiggling/swearing out it popped... These are the plates (one each side) that are leaking... They are covers for some shaft/spring arrangement, the o-rings within were hard and well flattened... That's the old next to the new, not the best but after 30 years what can you expect?! Anyway, it's back under the bonnet for the night, I'm knackered. My plan is to refit the pump, replace the cambelt and then start oiling up the knooks and crannies of the bay while I can get to them. Tomorrow. Be good to have the old girl back, and in fine fettle for the winter. She's really getting on now I suppose, but we still love her! Been using the Coupe every day for work, so treated it to a spruce up... as shiny as it's gonna get! Cheers all.

This is hard... I have learned already that wherever you think the rust stops and good metal begins, it's actually another inch or so until the metal isn't porous/unable to take a weld. The boot floor edge (closest to camera) needs to be cut further back, what I thought was surface rust isn't. My plan is to liberate some more steel from work tomorrow, I'm basically out just now. I think I've got a Dremel thing in the garage somewhere, that'll let me get a neater finish in the hard to reach corners, as the welds aren't gonna be good enough to leave eau naturale for a while yet!!! What is welded is strong though, with decent penetration to the other side... Rome wasn't built in a day etc...

Progress...??? Back to good metal, scary though. My repair piece doesn't fit too badly, will take a bit of fettling as I start tacking in. I've cleaned up the edges a bit since taking the pics, but that'll do for today. My Mig seems to be working nicely, fresh gas acquired today. Always good to see fresh metal going into a car, and I'm learning as I go already. It's a bit hard getting the hole cut right to accept the 3d shapes I'd tacked up. Might try tacking them in separate bits on the other side, got a way to go yet... This is the bit I cut out... T'was only £400 remember!

Will the cat not eat the dog food, just for one night?! 🙀😅

I've had a few ftp's this last few years... Seems to me however, that the old stuff at least gives you a bit more warning, and/or retains at least some function once broken. Two of them were 'teething issues' too, there will always be something when putting an old car back into regular use after time off the road. Trabi blew an (ancient looking) coil halfway to work, turned for home and got there on the single remaining one... 300cc's of pure power! Audi Coupe blew the power steering/brake booster pump seals. Was getting cocky as it'd been going well (I got it with this as a known issue, but had only changed the easy to get to ones), and the red arrow-style trail of thick white smoke it left at 90mph was very dramatic! Limped to a stop, put new o-rings in again, topped her up and carried on home more sedately than before. The price of these pumps is truly outrageous btw, but it literally cost me a quid for the oil seal it actually needed, I pressed out the shaft and put it back together on the bench at work. Pump internals were absolutely spotless after 200k too... Jeep was the most recent, and tried a few things before realising that the fuel pump was leaking... Now, at last getting round to sorting it, but again, she limped home under her own power in the end. I have recently purchased a £400 RX8 however, so may yet see the back of a recovery truck!

Hi all, This weekend's car work has consisted of... Stripping down various components in the old jeep's engine bay, to access the leaky fuel pump and put in it's new cambelt... Funny to see my own marks from last time, doesn't seem that long ago! Bit more to come out on the nearside, and then I'll be at the pump. Radiator (replaced about five years ago by me), is in a terrible state... you could blow the fins out they're that brittle. £160 will be required for an all-aluminium eBay replacement. Coolant was ok though, and she didn't have any symptoms, so hopefully caught in time. Couldn't help myself then, and turned my attention to the RX8. I am at the cardboard-aided-design stage... I want to make up the pieces whole, and weld them in as a oner, avoiding any upside-down welding if I can! Also, I'd like them to look pretty much the same both sides, so might just make up another one of the above but opposite hand. Not much achieved I suppose, but it is baking hot, and being on-call for work doesn't help. Cheers all.

Smol update for smol Mazda... Toyo Celsius all-weathers on the freshly painted rimz... 323 Rallye? We likey, feels better on the road too. Cheers all.

Hi all, Finally got a decent, fully charged battery in the very tight RX8 engine bay today, for the first time since joining the 'Rotary Club'. Some modification required as pictured. In my vast collection of batteries, I have deduced that a few are past their best shall we say. In particular, of the available (and charge-uppable) ones, none had the terminals in the right places for this car. The one I really wanted to use, given its 700cca's, was also too big for the tray, which is now modified (neatly, I hasten to add). I have extended the positive terminal connection to reach, with a handy bit of bracketry... Yes, the bottom is about a gnat's cock away from the fan belt...! Full safety achieved with bungee. I do not intend to use this battery permanently, but until this point I hadn't actually heard the Mazda start with a decent one, it has always required a jump. The difference for a cold start was great, fired up instantly and settled into a very quiet Japanese idle, smooth as silk. Hot start, well... it started! Not so instantly, turned for maybe 5 seconds before gradually firing up. I resisted the urge to give it a bit of throttle, which is apparently the worst thing you can do in these. I will now mosey down the well-trod path, trudging forth towards rotary rebuild land, no doubt stopping to pick up new coils leads and plugs, and perhaps an uprated starter motor along the way... However, given the low mileage and urgency with which this thing pulls, I'm hopeful that I can enjoy the journey at the same time! Noises... VID_20220731_124345~3.mp4 The exhaust pops don't really come out on camera, but they are pretty anti-social tbh... When driving, you just get one to accompany every gearchange, which isn't too bad, and I am growing to love the general hooligan nature of this thing! Mid-life crisis mode activated. received_459693818996577~2.mp4

Good idea that, I've changed the fluid twice in ours over the years, but never the filter. The gearbox is genuinely the smoothest changing auto I've ever driven, same one in the Hiace camper. May well nick your tea tray idea too!

Kept poking didn't I...? She's been 'Weight reduced' as he says on Vice Grip Garage... The previous repairs seem to just be weld, no actual sheet metal added I don't think. I have some thin angle iron, which I'm planning to shape for the bottom edge, and just remake the hole above with a couple of bits bashed into shape. Be good to see it all cut out, I'll just oil it to death afterwards, hate that rubber stuff... Back end's looking better, buzzed off the rotten bits to be left with... The slit that extends two thirds of the boot width will be repaired (I think again I'll use the 1mm angle iron), with a wee piece to cover the gap on the nearside. There was another layer over all this, that extended onto the bottom half of the crash bar mounts. I've cut it off as it was just rusting up between the layers. Can't really see a need for it, so will just leave that as it now sits. It's removal has also exposed the wee holes that will allow access for my oil gun down the chassis rails. So, very much as expected really, for a 17-year old Mazda that has spent all of them in Scotland! The battery is confirmed as a goner, but it's replacement can wait till next year now. In other news, we finally pulled our finger out and painted the wheels we bought from DB a while back. Currently researching tyre deals, and these can be fitted to the other (much less rusty!) Mazda... Black circles has a good offer on the Firestone Multihawks currently fitted, but I'm considering a winter/all season set. The wee car's so light and slow (bit harsh... gentle we'll say!), that I don't think it'll wear them even if left on permanently. A change from the planned Ford Solar Gold, this is Audi Alpine White (paint I had mixed for touching in the Coupe). My eldest was swayed by a 323 rally car I think. Anyway, should stand out nicely against the Perky Blue, they stick out slightly further too, so should sporty it up a wee bit. Thing's running spot on, and getting good mpgs on the new-old engine. Partial fleet photoshoot... Still haven't touched the old jeep, will do a bit this weekend... probably. Cheers all.

Hi all, Not too well, so not much in the way of actual work on the RX8. However, have removed the rear bumper and crash bar as I will need access to the trailing edge of the rear wheelarch eventually. Anyway, prodding has produced holes... This is where the boot floor meets the wheel well, it has been repaired before (covered in that rubbery black stuff), but is no longer joined (other side more or less the same). Looking from inside the boot, you can see it's stared to creep up the way, but not too bad... Across the back of the car, there are multiple layers, the outermost of which has succumbed, although the chassis rail ends are fine... The hole you can see in the centre of the pic above leads into the boot, the sheet that's rotting isn't actually welded to the boot floor though, just seam-sealed. Safe to assume it's non structural then. The chalk lines are my initial thoughts on cutting out and replacing, but I'm tempted to just cut across the whole thing and replace it as a 1-er. The idea of starting here would be to get my eye in with the welding/get my machine set up nice, on a bit that's ultimately never going to be seen again. I've welded all my working life, but hardly at all on thin car stuff. Hopefully by the time I've welded everything out of sight, I can make a decent stab at the wheel arch lip on the nearside. At this point, I'm still really just assessing things, I've other more pressing work to be getting on with really (jeep needs it's leaky fuel pump sorting for winter etc), but it hard to keep your hands off a new project isn't it?! Been catching up with Soup Classic Motoring on YouTube again, which is good inspiring stuff too. Cheers all.

What lurks up your trouser leg that needs charging up Jim? 🤔😆

Hi all, Have been tinkering a wee bit, starting at the rear offside... Liner off has revealed nice solid steel, maybe it was waxoyled recently enough that it hasnt had chance to trap too much moisture. Quick brush of the loose stuff and a brush in with some fresh oil should see this corner ok at least... Brakes and springs look like new! Will have to acquire some bodywork skills to blend this back to smooth, it's solid behind though (other side is worse). There was a bit of hooliganism before all this of course... received_623712252326469.mp4 Great fun... received_840863563575674~2.mp4 Exhaust is noice... And this sill feels solid... Interior got a quick once over, and nothing seems broken/missing. It even has heated seats! So far so good then, I'm sure the front nearside is the worst, so I'll build up to that bit! Cheers just now.

They have an oil injection system to lubricate the tip seals of the rotors LP, taking oil (in minute quantities I presume) from the sump. Some owners convert this system to take two-stroke oil from a separate reservoir, as it burns off cleaner, saving a bit of carbon build-up. Others add it to the fuel, just to be safe. As this one had been sitting so long, and I needed to do a fair distance, I wanted to be on the safe side. After 13 years of Trabbi ownership it feels pretty natural tbh!

Excellent, enjoy!

My eldest is a lazy get, that's what! 😆 We started rubbing them down, two are in primer, two waiting for him to get off his arse and sort them... Could actually do with tyres before winter, so I've told him I'll buy them when he's got the gold wheels ready to fit 'em on. Well done with the new bikes btw man, they look great. Was nice to see the Skoda come back to you as well. I am trying to get down to one of your meets, turnout always looks great, and your fleet's something else at the minute!

No, although I do need to move a car out now, and the Coupe is probably the one... Will do a bit of prepping for sale and post it up on here first. Didn't get any bites last time, but you never know. I've had the Audi 4 or 5 years now I think, and I could with the time/money to put into the others. New test and recent work should help move it on.

Had a good old look at the car now we've washed it, and it isn't as bad up top as I thought. Every wheelarch needs something, but I think they could all be tidied up without having to weld anything in... Will see more tomorrow when we get the liners out but I'm not too worried. Underneath may hold more horrors though, I could see a hole developing behind the front nearside wheel during the viewing, and an awful lot of underseal slathered about. The sills have been replaced already, and feel solid, but as always, they may need tidying along the joint with the inners. Mechanically, I'm pretty impressed! The engine has good oil pressure, starts well hot or cold (with a decent battery!), and pulls well. The exhaust is a bit loud for my taste, and pops when you come off throttle, but when you're just cruising it is quiet. The coolant was at the right level, spotless looking, and even the oil was pretty clean. The boot held a half- empty bottle of engine oil, and a measuring pot for two-stroke oil. The guy I bought it from had two RX7's, he and his dad were rotary mad, and with its low mileage I'm starting to believe it might be alright... We've torn around the local lanes for an hour or so now, nothing has dropped off, levels and temps all good, and we all love it! It's a strange power delivery, like a two- stroke bike, but genuinely fast. The brakes are drilled and grooved discs, and it stops very well. Tyres aren't the best, so proper hooliganism will have to wait! These'll make a nice set once the 323 gets its new gold wheels on too... 😁

Definitely brings out the hooligan in you!