Project Domes shonky autos - Car that lived by the sea in Scotland in rust shocker*

[cort16]

If you put a big screw driver or metal extension next to were the injector goes into the manifold can you hear the injectors clicking ?

if it was something like an immobiliser issue the injectors won’t fire .

 

[big_al_granvia]

aye a mechanics stethoscope, i would spray easystart in, i know its shit but if it gets it running then sod it... electronics on a car thats been standing can be a pain

[the judge]

Keep cranking!!! Little bit of ether too.

When I were a lad and a mechanic, we had a customer who went away for 3 weeks every year, and when he came back, first start was always a fecking flood. (Which that sounds like, and obviously lazy sealing on valves etc).  That'll go with some ether methinks...

Thoroughly enjoying the tale thus far!!! Thanks!!! 

[dome]

Ok. Today started off badly. 

Tried to remove the fuel filter only for a very rusty fuel line to develop a leak. Fuck.

Ignored it for a while and tested continuity on the fuel pump wiring. Positive terminal checked ok but negative was dead. 

The internet suggests there's no fuse for the fuel pump-this was checked previously. I followed the wire from the fuel pump relay under the bonnet into the cabin, just beside a fuse box. And what did I find in there? Yep, a fuel pump fuse! Blown, of course.

A new fuse was fitted and by this time my mate who lives next door had turned up and was keen to see it live...

A pipe cutter was employed on the fuel pipe and the rusty section was cut out. I had some fuel hose the correct size in my box of tricks so I temporarily bypassed the filter to see if we could get it to fire. 

Turning over and it was coughing a bit but didn't fire. 

I pulled the plugs Working from the front back back 1 through 5 were dry as a bone. 6 was wet though so at least one injector was firing. 

I gave each injector a tap thinking, why not, and turned it over again. It fired and ran like a champion. Smooth as silk?

I checked and it engaged gears so I reversed it out of the garage and it saw daylight for the first time in 19 years. We let it get up to temp and it seemed fine with no leaks and hot air out the vents. 

I then switched it off while we gave it a wash. Sadly no pics as I'd forgot to take my phone. My mate took some though so I'll bet them up when he sends me them.

I then went to restart it and it ran like a bag of shite? Misfiring, not responding to the throttle and it gave me a code for Fuel Fail 48. This is apparently the ISCV. We also got the car on the exhaust manifold glowing red hot?

At this point we gave up and stuck it back into the garage. Good progress though at least! The battle continues....

 

 

[cort16]

Big step getting it running , well done !

[Broadsword]

Fantastic work!

[dome]

Here she is, blinking nervously in daylight for the first time in 19 years...

And proof that she runs, with a rare appearance from ME IN REAL LIFE. I'm the handsome one. 

 

?

[SiC]

Isn't the V12 equivalent where if a bank of plugs go dead, it'll dump fuel into the catalyst and then catch fire. Maybe you've got a few cylinders not firing?

[busmansholiday]

That sound brings back fond memories of my F reg Daimler Sovereign version that's now a luxury fridge.

Injectors would flood it quite often if you tried restarting it hot. Had to pull the plugs and disconnect the injectors then crank it for a bit before replacing and starting. Got quite good and quick at it.

Never got to the bottom of the abs warning light problems, but fortunately, Maplins did a neat little timer kit that was designed* to replace the abs relay and put the warning light on for just the correct length of time when you started it so it flew* through a few tests.

 

[dome]

15 minutes ago, SiC said:

Isn't the V12 equivalent where if a bank of plugs go dead, it'll dump fuel into the catalyst and then catch fire. Maybe you've got a few cylinders not firing?

Possibly, this has a dizzy though?

[jonathan_dyane]

I’m quite jealous, that’s going to be a lovely car 

[SiC]

28 minutes ago, dome said:

Possibly, this has a dizzy though?

So does the V12. Can loose a cylinder if the cap is a bit duff. 

[big_al_granvia]

nice work mate

[jaypee]

Excellent work dude, ?

[captain_70s]

Looks hard as nails on the black steelies, well done on getting it running! 

[dome]

I went back to this tonight armed with a couple of gallons of petrol. My thinking was the reason it was running shit was because it was low on fuel. 

It had been given a clean so it looked a bit more respectable and refitted the wheel trims. The Mad Max look is cool and all but I didn't want to attract undue attention...

Fuelled up and tried to start it and it was fine. So, I risked driving it home. Only half a mile but I was pretty nervous. At first it felt like it was running rough but I soon realized it was the tyres that were no longer round?

And she's home.

Loving these lights, shame no picnic tables.

The back seat was just chucked in for the journey home. I'll clean and condition it before I put it back in properly.

Have a startup video, after a couple more gallons of fuel have been added.

 

 

The lightning bolt symbol indicates a blown fuse, hopefully this is because I nicked the one for the sunroof to replace the blown one for the fuel pump. 

The last time it was on the road...

 

[320touring]

Great work!

[big_al_granvia]

fukin outstanding mate, got her home now the real graft starts

[Split_Pin]

Sounds as sweet as a nut!

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Result! Looks to have been decent dry storage too, which can have only helped keep the majority of the tinworm at bay? 

How the the PO react when the old girl finally left his place purring under her own steam?

[blackboilersuit]

Smooooooth, that sounds fantastic considering the length of time it's been asleep in the garage. A jag that needed more petrol putting in, no great surprise there. If it'd been a V12 I'm not sure you'd have got home with just the two gallons ?

[Spiny Norman]

Superb work, I loved the old XJ I got off you  a few years back. It was a wee bit untidy here & there but it was a lovely old thing to drive. This one looks like it's in far better nick and should be a real stunner once you get it all sorted.

[Jim Bell]

Absolutely fantastic. 

John Prescott would be proud of you man. 

It looks grade A golf club car park CLASS on those wheel trims. 10 stars. 

[SRi05]

Top darts getting this thing home, great work. Need to get a Poshoshite photoshoot once I get the X300 back from the painters

[dome]

Giffer level: Exceptional

 

[cort16]

Looks good, I like the rear seats dogging spotlights. ?

[stuboy]

well done

[purplebargeken]

Utterly fantastic to hear that you got it running mate.

[320touring]

Had a shot of @dome's Accord today. Pleasantly surprised!

 

An hardly tell it's running, it goes well and all the controls seem precise. Not a bad tub at all;)

[dome]

I gave this thing a proper wash during the week. It comes up well but there's a few rust bubbles. The paintwork actually beads not too bad, it must've been waxed before it was put in the garage.

So far everything works! I replaced the sunroof fuse and the fuse warning light on the dash went out. It definitely wants to live again ?

First order of business-the brakes. The rear pistons were seized and it's still on its original steel lines. The plan is to replace the lot.

I started at the master cylinder/abs unit end. 3 lines come out of here, one to each front wheel and one to the rear. 

I'd made these little sections of closed line up previously to block the system of the cougar when changing lines.

 

They were employed again to stop the system draining itself while it's in bits.

Now I could crack on with removing the old lines. Amazingly only one union gave me trouble-the hacksaw was employed for this. Even the torx bolts on the clamps for the lines came undone?

I stripped off the discs and pads at both ends. Wheel bearings seem fine and the handbrake mechanisms look good. 

New pads and discs will be ordered up of course.

I tried to get some grease onto the ujs on the rear driveshaft but struggled, I'll come back to this before it hits the road though. Bonus rusty exhaust in this pic. It's a 1991 registered car with cats. An earlier cat free system may get ordered up for it just because I can. 

And here, with only a couple of cuts other than the ones Jaguar intended, is the full hard lines from the car. There was a fair bit of corrosion on some but I've definitely taxed worse...

Calipers off and the plan was to strip them down with a view to returning them myself. There was nothing to lose, if it needs calipers it'll get them.

I found part of the aforementioned grease gun which had the same threads as the union on the calipers and also the nozzle on my compressor. Get in!

Pistons out and inspected. Not bad but I might as well replace them while I'm here. I've reassembled them for the moment, partly to get practice pressing pistons in and partly so I can give them a wire brush and a paint.

I managed to get the bleed nipples out too with one shearing. It left enough that I could get mole grips onto so with some careful application not heat it came out.

Next up is ordering parts and a brake pipe flaring tool. Any recommendations for a tool?