1987 Renault GTA :: Gone to a new home

[Eddie Honda]

The received wisdom is to start from the inside and work backwards - the reason being not that you can't take those joints apart, but it's a complete cock to do and also a complete cock to put back together again. Thus remove that headache by avoiding it.

 

However if you really want to try...this is what you are up against.

 

Exhibit 4 - étoile d'ancrage - the mighty claw clip.

 

étoile d'ancrage by E Honda, on Flickr

 

Also you don't actually get very far anyway if you succeed as you still have a hulking great bell-end to get the boot over.

 

Have a look at this man dealing with a similar joint on a Twingo. Fine if you want to re-con a whole shaft, madness to do just a boot.

 

https://m.forocoches.com/foro/showthread.php?t=1402737&page=28

 

Just detach the inner, removed the circlip, pull the inner joint (noting orientation by marking shaft - the tripods need to be 60 degrees out from the each other) and work from the thin(ner) end of the shaft.

[PhilA]

I see the top of the claw clip there.

 

I also see by the diagram that I'd probably do better taking up knee or shoulder surgery at a hospital.

 

Appreciate that. I'll pick the easy route to change the boots. Weather's looking to be pleasant tomorrow.

 

Phil

[Eddie Honda]

Never done one before, so it's been a lesson for me too.

[Asimo]

If ever there was a job to make me pay for "complete exchange unit" it is driveshafts.

There is just something vile about the combination of that grease, rubber and vicious springy clippy things.

[hauserplenty]

I've clamped them in a vise and used a wood block and a hammer to separate the joint from the shaft--but not on a Renault so soz for the chocolate teapot/tits on a bull advice.

[PhilA]

There is just something vile about the combination of that grease, rubber and vicious springy clippy things.

Some people pay a lot of money for that experience.

 

Phil

[PhilA]

So, started this morning where I left off.

 

 

This bit gotta come out, per instruction above.

 

 

Cracked the gaiter off... and immediately began to catch oil.

 

 

Glad I emptied it out and put fresh because the oil needed flushing out. I had changed the oil when I got the car but a few miles on and it's a bit twinkly.

 

 

Drained down enough and there's the driveshaft removed, that's the differential there.

 

 

Out and under inspection.

 

 

A bit of cardboard origami allowed a suitable catchment vessel to be employed.

 

 

Used a drift after undoing the circlip holding the differential tripod in place to remove the tripod.

 

 

Shaft all broken down as far as it was going to be.

 

 

Utilizing the unofficial paper roll holder to keep things clean.

 

 

Rinsed all the old oil and dirt out of the tripod.

 

 

Put the kettle on and put the rubber gaiter in water to heat it up so it'd stretch.

 

 

Managed to squeeze the gaiter over the bearing which was hard work.

 

 

Because I had the hot water on, decided to take a break with a cup of tea.

 

 

Managed to get the wide end on and all clamped down.

 

 

Managed to get the gearbox end on and clamped to the bearing. Drove the tripod back onto the splines and put the circlip back on.

 

 

Put the shaft in and got it tightened it down. Put the hub carrier on.

 

 

Got the strut in after a big fight with it. Tightened it all down with the torque wrench as per the manual.

 

 

Got it all set down and tightened the axle nut up (155 lb/ft!).

 

 

This is the access provided for the gearbox oil filler nut.

 

 

Filled the gearbox back up.

 

 

Took it for a quick drive and it's all good on that side. Gotta do the boot on the other side next.

 

 

--Phil

[Squire_Dawson]

Great stuff, looks a nice car.

[PhilA]

Went out this morning to check on things, make sure I got all the nuts and bolts done up.

 

Popped the hood to check the strut top bolts and joy. All my brake fluid is gone.

 

There's no leaks anywhere under the car but the booster servo looks a bit wet so I bet that's where all the fluid went and the slightly soggy pedal is a goosed master. FFS. That one's not that old.

 

Not gonna mess about, think I'll just grab a rebuilt one, they aren't expensive.

 

Also the power steering fluid has gone down to the same level it always does so I need to find where the leak is. I think the return pipe is the height of the fluid (where it drops to).

 

Yay fun. I'm glad I have a backup vehicle.

 

Phil

[PhilA]

Paycheck, check. New master cylinder on order? Check.

 

I'd ordered the 7/8" bore (22.2mm) one last time because that's the only one they had at RockAuto. It's not the right one for the car, but this time they have the correct (so-say) 20mm one in-stock which was fitted to the GTA to make the brakes feel a little more sharp.

 

Hopefully should be here Wednesday, Thursday.

 

If the weather holds I'll try see about changing the other driveshaft out also

 

 

--Phil

[PhilA]

I think I found the leak from the power steering.. a crappy crimp joint. Got it tightened up... shall see if it persists marking its' territory.

 

Got the cabin fan fixed, put a bunch of relays in.

 

Fitted air horn also. It's got a proper "1960's Rome" squeak to it

 

 

--Phil

[PhilA]

So far so good.. oil level has remained constant so that's seemingly got it fixed. Now the gearbox has developed a leak, most likely the gaiter boot as that was most recently disturbed.

 

Power steering seems to be an improvement because after a high speed run to go get pizza it's stopped squeaking at low RPM so the belt doesn't seem to be getting contaminated with oil any more.

 

We'll see tomorrow. Master cylinder arrived also. Weather this weekend promising to be foul.

 

 

--Phil

[PhilA]

Priorities. Fitted a new meccano bodge-it exhaust system.

 

 

Started out as a pile of bits from the auto parts store parts bin. Yes, that's 6 pipe clamps in about 3 feet of pipe. Yes, every joint leaks. I bought some jointing putty tonight, shall take it to bits tomorrow or Friday and seal it up.

 

 

Subtle. Gone is the chrome trim, replaced with a nice turn-down. Need to suspend it better but it's quieter now and has really improved low to mid-range torque. I guess we'll see if fuel economy improves. Mufflers are for losers. (Also, pipe was $6, muffler $85. Hence this design).

 

--Phil

[PhilA]

Been looking at mufflers on Amazon. Walker seem to do a good range, gonna get busy with a tape measure tonight.

 

--Phil

[PhilA]

No change on the car recently- just been driving it. Did put a new set of wiper blades on it though because it's started to get randomly rainy.

 

It's been going quite well. Adjusted the slack out of the handbrake but that's about it for news (too dull to post really).

 

Bought an air freshner for the vent. Car smells like a stick of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit.

 

Fuel economy is up a couple MPG also which is nice.

 

 

--Phil

[vulgalour]

The bit about the CV joint was very interesting reading, I've not seen anyone take one of those apart before, much less successfully put it back together and back in the car again.

[PhilA]

Well, it's more a case of not Not Having Much Choice because, being a Renault, it is made in such a fashion to be Bloody Awkward.

 

I am sure you can agree.

 

--Phil

[CaMIRO]

I'm glad I have a backup vehicle.

 

 

A bumper sticker, of sorts. All of us with '80s Renaults have felt this way at some time or other (perhaps even when they were newer).

 

Fantastic thread, I'm in awe of your mechanical prowess. I wish I could do some of this stuff, but I have such a hard time finding parts ('84 R18 Turbo) that I suspect it wouldn't make much difference.

[PhilA]

Well, we are close to the opposite of a FTP, as the brake pedal made a mechanical farting feeling and the pedal dropped nearly to the floor.

 

Brake bleeding one way valve and pump fashioned from a hand soap dispenser (scrupulously cleaned), new master cylinder here because this one has been questionable from new.

 

Car is parked up alongside the house for now. Overcast, 30C weather all hot and muggy... Not the easiest weather to try and employ SWMBO for a bit of hot middle pedal action.

 

Phil

[PhilA]

 

Mmmmm.

 

 

Weather today was nice enough and I had the day off so I set up on the ramps and pulled my brakes to bits.

 

 

Old stuff to come out wasn't horrible but I've certainly seen better.

 

 

New master cylinder.

 

 

New fluid. Certainly better than the old. Tried vacuum bleeding the system but ended up with an infinite supply of bubbles and not much fluid so called SWMBO in to shove on the pedal a bit.

 

Net result is brakes, but I did notice that the back section of the reservoir would never empty when bleeding, only the front. Pedal is better and the brakes are fairly sharp but now it feels like you hit the sliding shuttle inside the master cylinder about halfway through the travel- before it was right at the bottom- and it'll go no further. I think the bias valve is stuck one way and only working the system on half of the, er, system. The other half of the system then just making pressure against the valve and it going nowhere.

 

I'll have to get a split-O 12mm to try and get that undone- 6 pipes that have never been undone that are steel into aluminium. That bodes.

 

I might try and source a replacement first.. not sure if it's a Bendix part or Renault or none of the above.

 

Square one. I hate brakes.

 

 

--Phil

[hauserplenty]

...Some guys get all the brakes.

 

Have you tried opening all four bleed screws at once then (gently) pressing the pedal to see which circuit is restricted? If there is a restriction in the lines, maybe that is part of the problem? Or maybe stuck pistons?

[PhilA]

No restriction in the lines, it's like it would have shuttled over and is only using half the master cylinder. Rear shoes can be observed moving upon application of pedal, front pistons move freely also.

 

All 4 lines bleed up properly. With the bleeder points undone you can push the pedal to the floor.

 

 

--Phil

[hauserplenty]

Sounds like you're close to a brake-through.

 

I'll stop now...

[hauserplenty]

...Did you bench-bleed the new master cylinder?? It might just have some air in the rear circuit still...

[PhilA]

I did. I need to get on with the brakes but other things have gotten in the way.

 

One of them is the power steering fluid has all come out.

 

 

That is obviously no good. The pump isn't wet, possibly the pipe or reservoir is split. Investigation to follow.

[vulgalour]

It's weird, this Renault isn't giving you the usual Renault problems.  Are you sure it's not an old BLMC product in disguise?

[PhilA]

It's weird, this Renault isn't giving you the usual Renault problems.  Are you sure it's not an old BLMC product in disguise?

Very possibly. It started happily after a couple of weeks of me mowing around it, and I was greeted by the howl of the pump drawing air. It's all on the floor under the reservoir/pump so at least it doesn't look to be the rack.

 

Chompy, the exhaust is still excessively loud although it has that bigger engine burble at light throttle that develops into a purposeful racket when the loud pedal is depressed

[PhilA]

Okay, so the brake union nuts are tight as hell on the bias valve. I tried all the spanners I have and it's somewhere around 11.5mm (useful).

 

Therefore I went out and bought what is known here as a flare nut wrench. AKA open ring spanner. Tried experimentally undoing the things. Net result on the side apertures is the entire damn assembly started to undo. I didn't realise it was separate, but I guess that makes sense because there's a shuttle valve inside.

 

I also bought a can of PlusGas and have soaked the fittings. I shall continue to soak them also, as steel into alloy is always going to be fun to undo...

 

 

 

--Phil

[PhilA]

Welp, the nuts having soaked in PlusGas was a win.

 

 

In the large amount of space provided by removing some of the tubes and wires, I put my brand new flare nut wrench to work.

 

The brakes have different sized unions, which is a bit strange. 5 are 12mm, one is 14mm.

 

It's all loosened off awaiting a slightly less rainy day to proceed. Also, I'm going to lose all the brake fluid out of it when I undo things, which is gonna be messy, and I didn't change into my gladrags to do any of this.

 

Plus it's hot outside! Thunderstorm, overcast and 33C. Light rain.

 

--Phil

[3VOM]

I tried all the spanners I have and it's somewhere around 11.5mm (useful).

 

--Phil

7/16" AF maybe?