Mk3 Astra. Back from the paintshop

[lisbon_road]

Grabbed the chance to do the shopping, as the only essential travel I can think of.  It didn't initally run very happily but whatever the problem was seemed to clear.  It does still tap a little.  I really need to run this around a bit but that will have to wait.  No sign of leaks, which is good.  

The queue for Asda was miles long, but given the spacing of people, it moved quickly.  Once inside it all seemed rather normal other than someone has taken a lot of time to put arrows everywhere which seemed to be universally ignored.  

[lisbon_road]

A few more jobs yet.  I have a dashboard to replace the damaged one, which is a bit of a labour but the replacement is taking a lot of space.  There's rust in the bottom of one front wing so I can either repair it or replace it - tempted to replace but would cost more to paint and all the matching issues.  Haven't decided that yet.  

And there is a couple of these.  Not the easiest job but needs doing.

[paulplom]

Wynns to a hydraulic valve lifter oil treatment. I used it on a t-5 with a tappy tappet and it quietened it down.

[paulplom]

Here it is

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wynns-76864-Hydraulic-Lifter-Treatment/dp/B0064M6ENK/ref=sr_1_2?crid=RB0ATZLJRVE9&dchild=1&keywords=wynns+hydraulic+valve+lifter+treatment&qid=1587017224&sprefix=wynns+hydr%2Caps%2C142&sr=8-2

[bunglebus]

I've had the head off one of these SOHC Astras twice, and done cambelts on the two my mum's had. Nice engine to work on really, only things that bug me are the thermostats always seem to fail and are behind the cambelt, and if oil leaks from under the cam carrier you have to undo the head bolts to fix it. They often seem to leak oil from the distributor or coil pack area too (both mum's did/do).

Mate has a MK4 Astra with a noisy tappet, worth trying the Wynn's treatment?

[lisbon_road]

If the noise is a tappet, I will swap it. Not too difficult. 

[lisbon_road]

I've been out today with the car delivering food parcels to the vulnerable and self isolating.  

For this website, good that all noises have gone and it is running smoothly.  It'll never be a fireball but it is easy to drive and the gearbox is definitely better after an oil change.  There just a suggestion of drip from the plate at the coil pack end of the camshaft, which needs to be fixed immediately.  Perhaps that was where it was doing its Exxon Valdeez impression before.  Crazy as even if I don't get a new O ring, that'd be an easy fix with silicon instant gasket.  

Probably be doing some more of this next week.  Also tidying my garage , which is such a relief to get it straight again.  

[lisbon_road]

I looked up the O Ring on line and was close to buying one when I realised that I have a box of gasket sets. Sure enough, one in there. The old one had a flat side. Hopefully that won't leak now. 

[lisbon_road]

For my next madness, I've decided to replace the dashboard.  Rob may remember that there was a small area of damage in it, but I tried to take a picture and it doesn't really come out.  The great benefit of doing this is that I can get the space my spare dashboard is taking up and it is a big job so if I don't do it now, I never will.

I actually destroyed the old dash taking it out.  It seemed easier that way, as some parts aren't that obvious as to how they come apart.  

If anyone is mad enough to do this, when putting it back together I recommend:

First, get the wiring harness back in place.  If you've damaged the clips that hold it to the dash, you can extend them with cable ties.

Second, get the ducting in.

Then everything else working from right to left.  

Changing the VIN number which is on the corner of the dash is very easy.  The plate just lifts out with a minimum of effort.

 

 

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Insane level of dedication here. I have to confess I quite liked the mk3

Sent from my TA-1012 using Tapatalk

[lisbon_road]

I will take 'Insane level of dedication' as the ultimate compliment (though I know there are cars that get a lot more time lavished on them).

On the subject of insane, I wouldn't mind replacing the bulbs in the heater control.  There are four tiny ones, no idea what part number they are.  Does anyone know?

Thanks

[Burnside]

+1 On the Astra admiration, the link below reckons capless 1.2W bulbs are what you need. 

https://www.migweb.co.uk/threads/astra-mk3-heater-control-lights.75469/

Although I've never owned one, I've driven a few MK3 Astra's from a 1.7 D Van up to a 2.0 Ecotec Sport. An I've always found them to be decent cars like the Cavalier. 

 

[lisbon_road]

Now the engine and the dashboard are done, time to turn to the bodywork.  The worst area is the rear arches, as declared by Rob at purchase.  But time for a surprise.

This is a new one for me, in many years of owning rubbish old cars.  Rust is always worse than it looks - right?  Not this time.  The arches looked rough and the bottom is indeed rough (or absent) but the rest is only surface.  The inner arch has the original paint once all the mud is cleaned off.  They really aren't that bad at all.

I plan grinding the worst away and sticking in the new repair sections.  I have some loctite panel adhesive and am giving this a go.  After that, I hope to get it sprayed by the paint shop I use.  I know they are working and plan reading the advice to judge if I am currently allowed to take it to them - I'm a key worker as I deliver food now but take the lockdown seriously and won't take the P.

Picture of arch attached.

[lisbon_road]

Are people going to come back to these posts in years to come and read them and think: 'key worker?  Can I take it to them?'  What is all this about?

I don't know.  But to get it in the garage and do this, this beast had to come out and is ready for sale.  Er, no takers just now.  Wonder how long I will wait?

[lisbon_road]

I've cut the arch area out ready to put the new section in.  I got some DP410 panel adhesive which is highly rated.  It doesn't seem to be going off which I think is either because it is too cold or because I am finding it difficult to judge the quantities when mixing only a little.

[spartacus]

Is this adhesive instead of a welded repair?

(Initially my autocorrect typed 'weldfest' instead of welded, which says something about my phone use I think.)

[lisbon_road]

Yes.  I've always thought that rear arches were a good candidate for glue repair.  If you weld, it is so hard to rust proof afterwards.  As to strength, I think that the glue will probably be stronger than poor welding and it has been through MOTs as it is rusty with no strength, so worth a go.

If that is, I can get the stuff to go off.  Getting frustrating.

This isn't going to be without problems but I'm interested to see how I get on.

[spartacus]

I never cease to be amazed at what people get up to on their cars. Keep us updated please.

[lisbon_road]

Right it hasn't gone off overnight. At all. 

Maybe too cold. 

Not mixed right. 

Dodgy ebay purchase but it looks OK and is not out of date. 

[Andyrew]

Sounds like its not mixed right.  Although it's not critical.

I used some I had the other day actually and  that had been kicking around in a draw for at least 5 years.  Scooped out of the tube and mixed on a bit of card. As I didn't have the correct tool. 

When Using the correct gun and nozzles at a previous job  It used to go off reasonably quickly, 30-45 mins or so. Depends on the thickness applied. 

[lisbon_road]

I stirred it for a long enough time I thought.  In their instructions, they suggest stir for 15 seconds after the colour has unified if not using the correct gun - something they seem to accept as ok.  The tube is in date but it was an ebay purchase for a bargain price, might have had something strange done to it.  

Andyrew, did it go off ok if the weather was a bit cold?  It was 12 degrees c in my garage in the morning.  I'd have thought it would go off in that.

Thanks

[Stanky]

What sort of consistency is the adhesive? Sort of like araldite or thicker? Do you just butt the old and new bits up against one another, or do they need to overlap? How do you keep them in place while it cures (if it ever cures)?

Could you use this stuff to 'plate' over a hole in a sill for example?

[lisbon_road]

It is like araldite.  I think they need to overlap, using glue is all about surface area and if the surface area is large enough, it can be very strong.  I used clamps to hold the part in place and get a good join.  I have previously used araldite to repair a wing.  It was done on a rough car but it worked very well indeed.  They are all just epoxy resin glues, though I appreciate there may be some variation.  Can you guess what I am thinking next?

I don't know about plating a sill.  I am tempted to say 'yes' because poor quality welding can be so weak and awful and if you get a decent surface area, it should be ok.  I am sure 'the Ministry' would take a poor view of it and you'd want the wretched stuff to go off!  You'd also need the area to be clinically clean and really bare metal.  

I'm now looking for the arms of my spot welder and can't find them!  And 'hi' to Stanky.

[Mr Pastry]

What's wrong with pop rivets for a wheelarch?  If done properly they are strong and permanent, and since the overlapping panels are going to need "a thin skim of filler" anyway, no-one will ever know.

[lisbon_road]

This won't need much filler.  I have an excellent old pop rivet gun but I still don't fancy it really, I think they'd not be as strong and might move.  

[Andyrew]

1 hour ago, lisbon_road said:

Andyrew, did it go off ok if the weather was a bit cold?  It was 12 degrees c in my garage in the morning.  I'd have thought it would go off in that.

Thanks

Id expect it to have gone off by now.

Have you tried hitting it with a bit of low ish heat? 

Heat cool heat cool heat cool, don't just heat it full on as it will soften again if warmed too much. 

I used to use it working with carbon fibre (horribly stuff) bonding in supports or repairing damaged antennas that had been shot at/dropped/ ran into roof beams etc etc at a sat coms company, the material being bonded would usually fail before the adhesive on removal unless heated to a fairly high temp.

Its surprisingly good stuff, sticks to even very Smooth glossy finishes.  Myself and two other friends built half a dozen of these and We used dp410 to bond in wood battons in the top corners between the roof supports and once dried they weren't coming out again in one piece.

 

 

[cort16]

Did you clamp it? Does it not need to be squeezed together to aid adhesion?

If it’s thick then it may take forever to go off .

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Yeah i think these things 'lock in' whatever clamping force is present during the cure time, if its not clamped you're likely to get a thick slow-drying gloop of glue with little force holding it all together

[lisbon_road]

Progress: have fitted the offside arch section with glue along the top edge but spot welded to the sill.  Will add further spot welds, a closing panel for the end of the sill and also join to the inner arch.  I was planning to glue to the inner arch but am thinking of using the spot welder now as it is out and I made some special arms many years ago for jobs like this.  Then do the other side, which isn't as bad and get it painted.  Got to get it to the paint shop quick as they seem to have not a lot to do at the moment and might give me a good price.  We live in hope.  

[lisbon_road]

This is the spot welder with special arms for welding inner to outer arch. Made those arms a few years back, still work well. The lump of copper for the inner arch was a soldering iron.