The new news 24 thread

[beko1987]

Know that feeling

 

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What are you doing? Looks quite involved, spark plugs on a modern? Sidelight bulbs?

[SiC]

Well I think I can see the problem

 

IMAG0270.jpg

 

And all this was wrapped around the bottom cog

 

IMAG0269.jpg

 

All cleaned off, and ive just got the new cambelt on and called it a night. However now the locking pins are wedged in, the pulleys are pushing on them. Do I just get some more grips and twist them out? The engine needs a few rotations to get the belt sitting right, then I need to put everything back together again!

 

Packed up for tonight though, that can be tomorrow's job. Hope she runs...

You had a very lucky escape!

[SiC]

A softy southerner prepped and ready for winter!

[catsinthewelder]

Fucking Peugeots!

 

Joe has very kindly sent me a new sump for the 405.  As I'm still in the middle of moving house I didn't check it against the old one before fitting.  I did plan on filling the engine with oil and running it for a bit before reattaching everything to check it was ok.

 

This didn't happen as I couldn't fit the oil filter until the alternator was back in place and that couldn't go in until the air conditioning compressor was back in place so I just plodded away putting everything back in place until I got the the aux belt tensioner.  There were 3 bolts holding it on, oh yes they bolt onto the sump oh FFS there arn't any mounting holes on this one.

 

Does anyone have a clever idea about ways of rerouting the belt?  I'm not fussed about the air con working.  I spent a good while looking for an alloy sump so don't hold out too much hope of finding the correct one.  My other plan is to weld up a steel bashplate/sumpguard with a mounting on the side for the belt tensioner.

[Eddie Honda]

I realise that now

 

Last time I was timing a XUD was 2010. I initially could only get my hand on 90mm long bolts, which were too long and a complete arse to fit. Can't remember if I had to hacksaw them down or not. I also pinned the flywheel with a 7.5mm drill bit - I think - I'm only going by my notes on the BXC forum.

[Kiltox]

What are you doing? Looks quite involved, spark plugs on a modern? Sidelight bulbs?

Hahaha. Engine swap on the Panda is still less work than changing a sidelight on a Megane II

 

SiC - you do know they sell 20L tubs of that screen wash?

[wuvvum]

I've spent an enjoyable*, fun-packed* afternoon crawling around under the MGF.  Due to the unique way MGFs are designed, it took me quite a bit longer than I'd expected.  Not that anything went wrong as such (apart from running over my bucket and temporarily losing the heater bleed screw), it was just fugging awkward.  One of those jobs that would have been a lot easier over a pit or up on a proper ramp rather than my pissy little Wilco efforts.  Particular delights included removing all of the plastic clips that secure the wiring loom to the coolant pipes, none of which was particularly keen to come out, and having to remove the air intake pipe to get to the engine bleed screw.  Also someone had obviously had the pipes off before as one of the four spring clips had been replaced with a Jubilee clip, which is quite rusty - although it did eventually undo and, following a liberal spraying in 3 in 1 oil, tightened back up again too.

 

It's done now though, and initial indications after a quick drive are that all is as it should be - heater is toasty, temp gauge is steady and there doesn't appear to be any coolant escaping from anywhere.  All that's left is for me to finish refitting the umpteen bolts into the undertray / centre brace, which I didn't want to do before in case everything had to come off again for whatever reason - I'll get that done in the morning and then it should be good to go.

[SiC]

Hahaha. Engine swap on the Panda is still less work than changing a sidelight on a Megane II

SiC - you do know they sell 20L tubs of that screen wash?

They had 25l in premix, but the concentrate was about the same price. 6x5l containers was £17 with weekend30. 3x £5 -15c and 3x £3.65 "all weather". I usually pour them in neat.

 

As both the Civic and Laguna have headlight washers for their HIDs, if they pack up they're an MOT failure. Worse, they're not cheap to replace! ~£100 for washers and £50 for special high pressure pump. I ain't risking them freezing up.

[Kiltox]

Fair play, they do concentrate 25L too or did but it might not be on the website, I usually buy it when they have it on special which they ring me about most Thursdays

[beko1987]

Last time I was timing a XUD was 2010. I initially could only get my hand on 90mm long bolts, which were too long and a complete arse to fit. Can't remember if I had to hacksaw them down or not. I also pinned the flywheel with a 7.5mm drill bit - I think - I'm only going by my notes on the BXC forum.

I bought a length of rod a d cut it to 40mm x2 and 50mm x1, then fitted the 50mm to one of the fuel pump holes so it's been catching on the chassis all day! If I'd used bolts I can spanner them off, gonna have to get some grips out tomorrow to get them out

[Kiltox]

Put 2 nuts on the end and lock them together

[Cavcraft]

Started stripping the Tigra today to do the head gasket, quoted £110 for headset and water pump, eBay seems to make it a lot cheaper though. Had an offer on the Calibra of straight cash, or plus £300 for a tidy looking 2001 Merc C230E, or whatever those three door coupe type things (not CLK) are with the panoramic roof.

[DodgeRover]

Well, it's a black day in my neck of sunny Oldhamshire. My experiment to prove that not all vauxhalls are shite ended here:

 

 

The poor old gal succumbed to the twin horrors of knackered rings and some berk not bothering to replace the timing belt tensioner when the belt was changed 10 months back. (Prior to my ownership)

 

RIP Omega, you will be sorely missed!

 

Now the search begins for a cheap automatic, preferably in estate form to get the Basset in...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Still worth better than frag money from the banger lads....

[richardmorris]

Not sure if grump or antidote but got mistaken for Kenneth Branagh this morning in laithwaites at Virginia water ( wentworth for those not local). Apparently he has an old merc too although I fear this is where the similarity ends. She said he does come in regularly though.

 

In the film of my life I like to think I'd be played by Nathan Filian, but expect it would be Charlie brooker. Kenneth Branagh never entered my head! Perhaps I was having an off day-he's 12 years older according to IMDb.

[Eddie Honda]

but expect it would be Charlie brooker. 

 

Charlie is unavailabe. I hear Laurence "Don't call me Larry" Fishburne is available though.

[trigger]

Dad came over today to help me remove the head from my Dolomite to find out why it's running on 3 cylinders, we done the head gasket on it eariler this year so it all came apart ok.

 

Once off we poured some petrol on the valves, which quickly showed the problem.

 

 

The fuel poured straight threw so popped the valves out to have a look.

 

 

 

Fuck sake what a mess, the seats are basically corroded, I'm not sure whats caused it, we thought it was from years of unleaded fuel with no additive although others have said it could be water in the fuel? It's not something i know much about to be honest.

 

 

 

I'm hoping that it can be repaired? I'm guessing it's also best to get them refaced so that it unleaded converted too? Dads gonna take the head to a specialist near his and get a price, i haven't a clue what that will be.

 

The engines quite tappy, i thought it was tappets but I'm now wondering of it could be the worn exhaust valves smashing away, hopefully it will be a bit quicker and not running so rich all the time once it's fixed.

[cort16]

Is the camshaft in the block in these?

I'm guessing pressing hardened valve seats in with be the answer . At least you can run it safely ok unleaded then .

[Cavcraft]

Live from the VACC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vauxhall Apology Centre Chester

[Cavcraft]

It'd had a water pump not so long ago, have a look at the fan belt...

 

[DodgeRover]

Dad came over today to help me remove the head from my Dolomite to find out why it's running on 3 cylinders, we done the head gasket on it eariler this year so it all came apart ok.

 

Once off we poured some petrol on the valves, which quickly showed the problem.

 

 

The fuel poured straight threw so popped the valves out to have a look.

 

 

 

Fuck sake what a mess, the seats are basically corroded, I'm not sure whats caused it, we thought it was from years of unleaded fuel with no additive although others have said it could be water in the fuel? It's not something i know much about to be honest.

 

 

 

I'm hoping that it can be repaired? I'm guessing it's also best to get them refaced so that it unleaded converted too? Dads gonna take the head to a specialist near his and get a price, i haven't a clue what that will be.

 

The engines quite tappy, i thought it was tappets but I'm now wondering of it could be the worn exhaust valves smashing away, hopefully it will be a bit quicker and not running so rich all the time once it's fixed.

 

You can get the inlets recut then have the exhausts fitted with hardened seats - its not a dear process and any competant* machine shop should be able to handle it. FIt all new exhaust valves at the same time, they will all need grinding in. You can go all old school and do that with a stick and a rubber on it or you can show zero engineering competance and do it in minutes lapping them in using copious quanities of oil on the stems and a cordless drill to spin them slowly with...

 

If things are ultra tight moneywise for a little while and you are running leaded fuel or additive you might get away with new valves and recutting all the seats but last time I did that I managed the grand total of 6000 miles before loosing compression again. I have my own recutting tool so it cost me nothing* to try it except a headgasket, 4 new valves and a couple of days lost work....

[M'coli]

It seems that standing for two weeks is more than the ZX battery can cope with - photo taken after removal of jump leads from TUD to XUD.

[Tamworthbay]

Dad came over today to help me remove the head from my Dolomite to find out why it's running on 3 cylinders, we done the head gasket on it eariler this year so it all came apart ok.

Once off we poured some petrol on the valves, which quickly showed the problem.

The fuel poured straight threw so popped the valves out to have a look.

Fuck sake what a mess, the seats are basically corroded, I'm not sure whats caused it, we thought it was from years of unleaded fuel with no additive although others have said it could be water in the fuel? It's not something i know much about to be honest.

I'm hoping that it can be repaired? I'm guessing it's also best to get them refaced so that it unleaded converted too? Dads gonna take the head to a specialist near his and get a price, i haven't a clue what that will be.

The engines quite tappy, i thought it was tappets but I'm now wondering of it could be the worn exhaust valves smashing away, hopefully it will be a bit quicker and not running so rich all the time once it's fixed.

Hardened seats need material removed to fit them anyway so that should be saveable at sensible money.

[M'coli]

Or just get bigger valves and have the seats recut to suit.

[Kiltox]

Panda engine runs.... but it's fucked

 

Think the ECU has been knackered all along. Fuck.

[SiC]

Panda engine runs.... but it's fucked

 

Think the ECU has been knackered all along. Fuck.

I reckon we should remote control your Panda, and my Saab. Then crash them at speed, in a field, head-on and see which survives the most...

[catsinthewelder]

If either of them run for long enough.

[Kiltox]

Do I spend another £85 on an ECU set or do I just put it back together and ring the scrappers, that is the question

[tooSavvy]

I reckon we should remote control your Panda, and my Saab. Then crash them at speed, in a field, head-on and see which survives the most...

Like 5th Gear TV stunt....

 

 

 

TS

[SiC]

Like 5th Gear TV stunt....

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe3JpuVy4cA

 

 

TS

Just like that. Except maybe doing it in reserve to see the damage that would happen if two people were reversing along at high speed. Then make a public campaign to highlight the risks.

[trigger]

Hardened seats need material removed to fit them anyway so that should be saveable at sensible money.

Fingers crossed. The question is how did it get so bad in the first place? It looks like water but the oil is still perfect and it doesn't lose water?.