PapaNicole Vegtable Insertion Merde

[Split_Pin]

I'm having a bit if a notion for the Clio MK1 at the moment. I remember the Prima model too. I'm liking this motor a lot.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

 I even peanut buttered half the black trim before getting bored and going inside for a bottle of doom bar.

 

 

I've got  bottle of this stuff (it was on spesh offer in Morrisons), its flipping excellent

[wackywacerwill]

Morrisons have Butcombe (might be double T, can't be arsed to check) too, another fine proper brown beer. They do know how to brew them out west.

 

 

Started to chuck the little Renault about a bit over the last few days now I've done a few miles without (major) bits falling off. I am yet to have the opportunity to find the limits of it's handling though would say it's better than a feista mk2/3 though some way off a 205/309. It is however on skinny 13 inch wheels with good tread so should be awesome in the snow if we get some.

[wackywacerwill]

RLOD followed by steam from under bonnet followed by getting stuck behind a broken bus on the way home tonight. Bugger.

 

Top hose off the rad, guess that will be the build up of pressure I'd detected and not released for a few days. I wonder if gasket saving snake oil is worth a try? Never had luck with it before though happy to live in hope that it may work this time. It's either that or some home brew bleed off system what with the way cash flow is currently running.

[wackywacerwill]

Y'all may have seen the OMG HGF thread and if you didn't please be informed that K seal is shit and a waste of my last tenner.

 

Feb wage went into the bank so a gasket was purchased and the mofo was stripped down for inspection. This was last week and much decorating has got in the way since but...

 

Some progress was made today.

Pamela and her 4 fit sisters (+1 chubber/bbw) was put to good non decorating or idle hands use.

 

Started the job looking like this with bits everywhere

Cleaned up the threads with the home made tap in the above pic and spent a very looonnnng time cleaning the mating surfaces too.

 

Chucked the new gasket in place

Then realized that I needed a new torque wrench as my old one was was half inch and the star fangled bit for doing the bolts was three eighth. Found on arrival that all they had in Halfords (only place open) was a 'pro' 75 quid jobbie not the 'bro' 14 quid one I was looking for so bought an adapter and some coolant and came back home.

Photo fail from this point on though I worked till it got dark and I couldn't see the marks for the cam belt so called it a day. Looking far more complete now and I seem to not have too many bolts left over:d

Back to work tomorrow so will need to rig up some lights to get it all sorted in the week. At least it's at a point where the rest can be done in the rain now if needs be.

[Split_Pin]

Good stuff for getting this sorted

[wackywacerwill]

Another exciting* update for y'all.

 

I finished off reattachment of oily bits in the mild though chilly drizzle on Friday with no real dramas to speak of. A good flush of the water ways and then bleed it up on London tap water before seeing if it was worthy of the fancy pink water. Of course the battery was flat and hadn't taken enough charge from the trickle charger whilst I was finishing up so the van kindly donated a goodun and I was most pleased to hear it clatter into life on the first turn of the key. It sounds a bit quieter than before which I think is down to the exhaust/intake bolts previously being a tad loose though pleasingly it still sounds like an old tractor.

I celebrated by heading out and hitting up the 5 litres of veg 'two for a tenner' deal at my local supermarket which combined with the 5 litres I had in the boot has half filled the tank from the red and has it happily running on 100% renewable fuel. It's a bit lumpy from the off on a cold day but I can live with that or thin it a tad if it becomes a pain.

 

The good feelings that a (fingers crossed) successful job had been done lulled me into a false sense of security so I was most pissed when the clutch pedal dropped straight to the floor the other night. Sadly it was dark and chucking it down though gladly I was just outside the flat so headed indoors for a single malt or two.

I used the benefit of daylight when I got out of work early today to look at the suspected clutch ratchet doda and quickly surmised that it was going to be as much of a PITA as I thought it might be. Whilst cramped upside down holding a torch in my teeth and getting bum raped by the gear stick I found the cable to be slack as though not pulling through like it would if snapped. The air box had to removed to trace it back to the gear bag were it was obvious the cable had just fallen off, it's probably the dodgy ratchet that's at fault as it looks a nasty piece of work though I'm always happy with a free fix. In light of it maybe happening again and just for the sake of experiment I left the air box off a chucked on a foam filter from a moto guzzi which has added a nice bit of induction roar to compliment the diesel knock.

 

Happy days. 

[wackywacerwill]

A month later I am more than a little pleased to report, BAPBABAPBABAAARRRRR, It still runs.

 

100% veg had it dying on it's arse when asked to rev but a litre of pez/white spirit/whatevers to hand seems to see it right. It's doing about 45mpg though this is mostly all start stop around town with a heavy foot driving.

 

It does go fairly well when given the hoof despite the NA van donkey out front, short shift 1st (if needed) and 2nd then ride the wave of torque in 3rd. Will sit at 80 4 up nay bother and although I've yet to get it on the test track for a high speed run it won't surprise me if it did even crack a ton should my bottle allow it.

 

In a move that may rattle some here it's lost some legs since my last post too. About a 2 inch drop all round which endears it to me more aesthetically and enables less slowing down on bendy bits whilst still keeping it usable on the sleeping policeman infested roads of South East London.

 

Gaz coilovers it did not get, free lowering was applied and after some trial and error with the torsion bar and a week dragging it's saggy arse around with some reverse rake sits about right now with a enough stiffness back in the rear beam and no danger of dislocation on the front bouncers.

 

Cleaned off the winter filth and the Saharan sand this weekend and took a pic under a pretty tree.

 

 

It's at this point I normally get bored and sell up for the next old snotter though this time I really can't see that it would be anything other than a bad move. Next job is to reinforce the tow bar a bit and then find and attach my bike rack so I can head out on covert after work trials bike missions on the TY250 Yam.

 

[forddeliveryboy]

Good 'big engine, small car' feel to these - I ran a K plate one a few years back, it went everywhere at 85-90 and would sit at 95 flat out, running 95% waste veg. Good solid feeling car, I killed it after about 10,000 miles when an un-noticed rad leak drained the thing of coolant and it seized, no effing warning level light or temp gauge. The high temp light didn't even come on, presumably a lack of water. Only thing I wished for was bigger brakes.

[phil_lihp]

That looks alright being that it's only a gentle lowering, good to hear it's mended!  Looks proper tidy on the bodywork too.  

 

I reckon these are one of the better small cars from this era, I had a bid on a local one going very cheap as it was out of MOT and needed some minor fettling but it was a 1.4 petrol, went for £1 more than my top bid sadly.

[wackywacerwill]

Good 'big engine, small car' feel to these - I ran a K plate one a few years back, it went everywhere at 85-90 and would sit at 95 flat out, running 95% waste veg. Good solid feeling car, I killed it after about 10,000 miles when an un-noticed rad leak drained the thing of coolant and it seized, no effing warning level light or temp gauge. The high temp light didn't even come on, presumably a lack of water. Only thing I wished for was bigger brakes.

I holey agree with all of this and sit in fear of the lack of instrumentation as the amalgamating tape holds together my top rad hose.

 

That looks alright being that it's only a gentle lowering, good to hear it's mended!  Looks proper tidy on the bodywork too.  

Ahthankyouverymuch. Up close the nearside has had some body work trauma in the past including the regular TWOCTWAT induced door top bendage. It has been treated to a kick from the inside and giffer spec touch up and wears it well to be fair.

 

Today's jollies were finally fighting the ARB bushes into place and trying to sort the woeful stoppers. I took the roll bar off during a quick brake at work figuring it would be a quick job to refresh the rubbers, WRONG!!!. The ARB has lived in the boot for the last few weeks whilst I have sulked and adjusted my driving style for the wobbly handling. However, slowing down is bad for MPG's so today with much cursing we have this.

 

 

New cheapo link rubbers and polys on the inside because they were only couple of quid more than the rubber ones. I paid for my sins with the flash bushes as they were the wrong size and had to be bored out with a 22mm spade bit!

The new discs came with the car when I bought it and so did some pads which don't fit!

The old discs didn't look to bad on the outside though were pitted to buggery on the inside so I'm hoping after the old but meaty pads have bedded in to fresh discs the braking situation will be less buttock clenching.