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Korean Cortina - MOT day


mat_the_cat

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Possibly and thanks for the compliment!), but I'd still have to drive the cruise control somehow...

Anyway, the sensor is on its way to me now, so should be a plug and play solution.

 

In the meantime I've been securing the new oil hoses, with something more rigid than P clips. First I had to install a few nut inserts, and as I don't have the proper tool, had to improvise with a nut, bolt and washer.

 

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Just tighten the nut whilst holding the bolt stationary, and the insert expands to grip the hole.

 

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I could then attach a number of clips to hold the hoses securely.

 

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The new air filter housing was painted in black, but this was incredibly thin and would have likely started to rust very quickly. So I decided to give it a few extra coats of paint.

 

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Bit of a strange choice perhaps, rather than black?

 

Well, earlier in the thread I had half an idea:

 

I think if I was going to paint it, I'd probably do it in grey as a nod to the original filter housing:

 

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Looks a reasonable match don't you think  :-)

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I've secured all the oil hoses now, although under the radiator I'm less happy with.

 

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I managed to drill for the nut insert on the right of the photo by using a right-angled drill, but not enough space on the other side. So I've had to improvise by welding a nut to a length of DIN rail, and bolting that in place using the existing radiator fixings. Not very neat but functional I suppose...

 

But more importantly I had a package arrive today, from Kangaroo Valley!

 

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In it was the speed sensor I've been after for a while.

 

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It was then a very simple job to just swap out the old...

 

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...for the new.

 

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And while it was still jacked up, I started the engine and popped in in 4th. Success :-)

 

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Lastly, there was something else in the package...many thanks to MorrisItalSLX!

 

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We had a day of little rain today, and no salt on the roads! So I figured it would be a good chance for a brief test drive, to see how the new carb performed before any kind of tuning (apart from the idle mixture, which I started to adjust). It was a revelation! I was happy with the way it pulled from low revs before, but it felt breathless above about 4k rpm.  Now it feels so willing, and just wants to rev - I still haven't taken it to the red line!

 

 

I was actually quite surprised, not that it's super quick, but I was actually expecting it to be worse than the old carbs, before tuning. You do have to mash the pedal into the floor to get (almost) full throttle, which I only discovered in the second half of the video. You can tell when the second set of chokes open up though :-) There's a few mm more travel on the cable, so I may have to make some modifications to get full WOT.

 

But very happy with that! Only minor problem is that the brake fluid warning light is dimly illuminated all the time, so suspect the float switch my be stuck (level is fine)

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The DIN rail was bugging me, so I had to find a way that I could get rid of it, and drill a hole for the nut insert! This was the best I could come up with, turning a hex drive drill bit with a ratchet spanner :-( (the irony that it would have been an easy job with the front cover off was not lost on me...)

 

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But it didn't take too long to break through, and I could fasten the hoses into place for good. It wasn't just for aesthetics, as the hose now has a slightly smoother curve around the corner.

 

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So that's the oil hoses complete...

 

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...but it struck me how manky the screenwash bottle was! I've never actually taken this off, as when I first got it back on the road I was just concentrating on the basics - and the fixings looked like they would shear off rather than loosen. I did later replace them with stainless bolts (after drilling out the originals), but left the bottle in position. This was what lurked behind:

 

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But this was only surface rust, so a once over with a wire brush made it look less of a worry.

 

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And tonight I've been cleaning out the bottle and getting rid of the discolouration.

 

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We had a day of little rain today, and no salt on the roads! So I figured it would be a good chance for a brief test drive, to see how the new carb performed before any kind of tuning (apart from the idle mixture, which I started to adjust). It was a revelation! I was happy with the way it pulled from low revs before, but it felt breathless above about 4k rpm.  Now it feels so willing, and just wants to rev - I still haven't taken it to the red line!

 

 

I was actually quite surprised, not that it's super quick, but I was actually expecting it to be worse than the old carbs, before tuning. You do have to mash the pedal into the floor to get (almost) full throttle, which I only discovered in the second half of the video. You can tell when the second set of chokes open up though :-) There's a few mm more travel on the cable, so I may have to make some modifications to get full WOT.

 

But very happy with that! Only minor problem is that the brake fluid warning light is dimly illuminated all the time, so suspect the float switch my be stuck (level is fine)

 

Love the way that little red car about to pull out at the start of the vid thinks better of it and reverses back!

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Behind the screenwash bottle I ground away the rust, although there was some pitting remaining.

 

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I'm not too worried, as this is just a rough tidy-up job until I consider the engine install truly finished (AC yet to be fitted). At which point I'll probably respray the bay, but until then I'm bound to drop the odd spanner!

 

I used BH Hydrate 80 to (hopefully) deal with the pitting:

 

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Then (brush) painted with smooth Hammerite - easy to touch up when I chip it!

 

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Looks a lot better now, even if a long way from perfect:

 

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Only minor problem is that the brake fluid warning light is dimly illuminated all the time, so suspect the float switch my be stuck (level is fine)

Bugger. It's not the float - that's moving freely and even disconnecting it the light still stays on. There's a permanent 25 ohm path to earth, so suspect part of the loom is shorting out *somewhere*. Off with the trim to trace the wiring!

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After removing lots of bits, I've established that the loom is fine, but there is a problem with the dashboard.

 

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It's had a few repairs over the years, but the benefit of being a hoarder is that I have a spare!

 

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I've brought it into the (warm) house so I can try and find the actual fault, as I'd prefer to rectify that rather than just taking the easy option and swapping the whole PCB foil.

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Bloody hell that sounds great……. Having a 'leccy for a dad I'm sad to say it still gives me the fears. He always explained for 10secs then just took over and did it - I never bloody learned. Kicking myself if I had het same issue you have - it'd be swapped out - I'll fix that one later - and of course never would!

 

If you do any fault finding or tracing - I'd be interested in a (simple for dummies dummies) how to……..

 

The work and wait to fit the carb has proven worth it. I'd be a very happy man listening to that when out and about.

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I can explain my thought process with something like this if that is useful. I'd first made the incorrect assumption that the problem lay with the brake fluid level switch, so checked that the float moved (yes), then disconnected the switch to see if the fault remained (yes). So I've very quickly ruled out a possible cause without even picking up a meter. OK, I've not actually proved it works, but I know for certain that a fault lies elsewhere)

 

The wiring diagram showed an ignition switched supply to the bulb (obviously OK) and a switched earth from the bulb at both the float switch (likely OK) and handbrake switch. It was only 3 screws to easily remove the centre console, and unplugging that switch proved there was no partial short inside when it was in the off position. Checking with a meter showed around 25 ohms resistance to earth at all times, dropping close to zero when the handbrake lever is up.

 

I then looked under the dash to see where the wire from the instrument cluster split to the fluid reservoir and handbrake. I could easily unplug the connector to the reservoir which made no difference, so the problem must be in the loom between handbrake and instrument cluster, or in the cluster itself.

 

I could quickly pull the sill trim off and visually check the loom for damage but seeing as that was all OK I wanted to pinpoint the problem further before stripping the loom covering. I snipped the wire between handbrake and cluster, and the 25 ohms to earth was measured on the section of the loom to the cluster. Disconnecting the cluster connector gave infinite resistance (as it should) so I then knew all the wiring was actually OK

 

Bit of a puzzle then, as I couldn't imagine what could cause a problem at the instrument end! The wiring diagram showed nothing but a straight link between the connector and bulb, but looking at it there was a diode between the brake and charge warning lights.

 

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There is a diode test on most multimeters, showing the voltage across it in one direction (0.5V or so) and (should be) open circuit in the other direction. This one was showing a low voltage in both directions, indicating it was faulty, so I swapped it with a spare.

 

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Repeat the test and what's this? Voltage across it in both directions! I then realised I'd left all the bulbs in circuit, so I was testing a current path in addition to that through the diode :oops:

Fortunately I had found the problem (although my diagnosis was at fault) and happily all works OK now :-)

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This explains it better than I can:

https://www.fluke.com/en-us/learn/best-practices/test-tools-basics/digital-multimeters/how-to-test-diodes-using-a-digital-multimeter

 

But in a nutshell you can test in resistance mode, just that it's a more informative test using the diode function. As an aside, you can also use it to test transistors by treating them as two diodes back to back. That is around the limit of my electronics diagnostic skills, unless something has visibly failed (such as the FETs on my 1kW inverter, which had certainly lived up to their nickname of Fire Emitting Transistors!)

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Guest georgexs

In the meantime I've been securing the new oil hoses, with something more rigid than P clips. First I had to install a few nut inserts, and as I don't have the proper tool, had to improvise with a nut, bolt and washer.

 

attachicon.gif20190128_215818.jpg

 

attachicon.gif20190128_220015.jpg

 

Just tighten the nut whilst holding the bolt stationary, and the insert expands to grip the hole.

 

attachicon.gif20190128_220139crop.jpg

 

Excellent improv without the proper tool, top bodgery.

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I do like a good gremlin hunt like this. Especially if it's a car you know inside out so really has to work the grey matter.

 

The phantom earth fault I had in the Lada's dash was a good one for me. The moment you turned the headlights on the indicator tell tale would start blinking rapidly (as if you had the indicators on and a bulb was blown), but it would stop if you turned the dash lighting dimmer all the way down. Usually.

 

The only other symptom was that it would always blink once when you turned the ignition on.

 

I must have dismantled about three quarters of the car trying to work out what was going on there before trying a NOS original type flasher unit (the one in there was a later replacement). Only totally solved the problem didn't it...I never did quite get to the bottom of *why* it did that, but was quite glad to have my faultfinding that repeatedly came back with a diagnosis of "no fault" proven correct at the end of the day.

 

Diode faults like this do seem to be getting more common nowadays.

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Excellent improv without the proper tool, top bodgery.

 

You do have to make sure the nut and washer are lubricated, as otherwise the insert tends to spin. But works well if you are only installing a handful, as it's obviously slower than riveting them in.

 

I'm going to need a set of tyres fairly soon, so am deliberating which to go for. I've been thinking of Uniroyal Rainexpert 3s, as they have good reviews and a B wet rating.

https://www.camskill.co.uk/m73b0s367p127242/Uniroyal_Tyres_Car_Uniroyal_RainExpert3_Uniroyal_Rain_Expert_3_-_185_70_R13_86T_TL_Fuel_Eff_%3A_E_Wet_Grip%3A_B_NoiseClass%3A_2_Noise%3A_70dB

 

But we've used a couple of sets of Vredestein Quatrac 5s on my wifes car, which are a fantastic tyre. Never reached the limits in 45k miles of driving (often very wet!), almost as good as a proper winter tyre in the snow, and lasted longer than the original set of summer tyres on the car!

https://www.tyres-outlet.co.uk/product/vredestein/quatrac-5/185-70-r13/r-281238

 

It just seems counterintuitive to fit a set of all-seasons to a car never used in winter though! On paper the Uniroyals should be slightly better in the wet, but is this assessed just with standing water? I.e. may not necessarily be as good on a damp, greasy road surface. And will they wear out faster? I'm now slightly more inclined to stick with what I know, unless anyone has a direct comparison of *both* tyres...

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There is a diode test on most multimeters, showing the voltage across it in one direction (0.5V or so) and (should be) open circuit in the other direction. This one was showing a low voltage in both directions, indicating it was faulty, so I swapped it with a spare.

 

attachicon.gif20190218_2157171.jpg

 

Repeat the test and what's this? Voltage across it in both directions! I then realised I'd left all the bulbs in circuit, so I was testing a current path in addition to that through the diode :oops:

Fortunately I had found the problem (although my diagnosis was at fault) and happily all works OK now

 

Well, until you pull the handbrake on at least! At which point the charge warning light comes on too.

 

A quick look at the new diode shows I've only gone and soldered it in the opposite way round to the original :oops: Not yet rectified that but should be an easy fix!

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Someone I use to know fitted four Uniroyal Tyres about 6/7 years ago to a Astra 2.0 pez. Pretty sure they were all weather too.

 

Admittedly he likes to drive his cars hard but always keep the tyres pressures / tracking on point. The grip levels he reckoned were great in the wet and snow but 6 months after fitting them. He noticed the front pair were starting to scrub out on the outside edges. So he had to swap them over to the rear. They lasted about 18 months till he sold the car on but they were quite low on tread by then.

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Hmmm. I remember fitting the original Rainexperts to the BX several years ago. Whilst I was happy with the grip, interestingly I didn't replace them like for like so there must have been something which put me off. I wonder if it was the wear rate? Although the Rainexpert 3s may be different.

 

I've re-soldered the replacement diode in the correct orientation, only to find the original fault has restored. This one has the makings of a head scratcher!

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I do like a good gremlin hunt like this. Especially if it's a car you know inside out so really has to work the grey matter.

 

I am a compete idiot!

 

The 'fault' I had is actually a feature, and one the car has had since new, and I just haven't noticed for the last 115k miles... :oops:

 

I established that current was definitely flowing through the diode (when soldered in the correct direction) but I just couldn't figure out WHY! In desperation I removed the diode completely, and all behaved as I'd expect. So I had to work out the function of putting it in the circuit, and whether removal was likely to cause problems.

 

So I then traced that the negative side of the bulb was connected via the diode to the charge warning light wire from the alternator, and the penny finally dropped. With the ignition off and the engine not running, the brake warning light is earthed through the alternator and hence illuminates as a test before the engine is started. Once the engine is running, one side of the diode is at ~12V, so the brake warning light can't be earthed in this way - only if the handbrake is on or the fluid level is low. As I almost always have the handbrake on until I start the engine, I'd never noticed that the warning light stayed on even if I'd released the handbrake! Until recently, when I assumed it was a fault. Never tried releasing the handbrake with the engine running to see whether it functioned normally!

 

Anyway, I've left the diode out now and all is well :-)

 

 

In other news, I've booked it in for a carb tune. I'd found a place mentioned on several forums as being experienced with Edelbrock carbs, which is within a couple of hours drive so not unreasonable. But all were old posts from 10 years or so ago, so I was worried they may have moved on to only deal with fuel injection, but phoned them up and they were still happy to work on it. There's a month waiting list, which I assume is a good sign that they're busy!

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I'm happy with the audio set up I've installed, with one exception! That is the brightness of the display. It's deteriorated so much that I can't read it in daylight, let alone sunlight. Problem is, I've yet to find a replacement that I'd want to fit.

 

So I've been collecting spare head units, and even more front panels - but have come to the conclusion that it's not just a usage-related failure, but age as well.

 

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Even NOS units (which I guess may have still been lightly used) are no better :-( So I've been researching into the type of display, and I'm going to have a go at fixing it! It's fallen out of favour now LEDs are everywhere, as it requires a high voltage to run it, and fades over time and also with exposure to humidity. So a damp garage isn't going to do it any favours...

 

http://edisontechcenter.org/electroluminescent.html

 

I've ordered what should be a suitable sheet of EL material from SIngapore, so once that arrives I'll have to disassemble the LCD display and try to replace the backlight. Wish me luck!

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