The new news 24 thread

[wuvvum]

I drove the "new" Espace to work today.  It isn't a bad old crate to commute in - the climate control is fully working, which is a major bonus in this weather and an improvement over my last Mk3 Espace, it's got a decent radio and with the rear seats removed and the middle ones folded forward I can sling my bike in the back without a second thought.

 

It does have a few issues though.  I've decided that my previous conclusion was wrong and that it is in fact going to need a clutch in the relatively near future - it's not desperately urgent though as during normal driving it's fine and nailing it through the gears also doesn't seem to cause any problems - it's flooring it in the higher gears after driving at a steady speed which seems to make it slip.  I think it's got a few thousand miles left in it yet before I need to fork out, which should be enough to tell if it's going to be reliable enough to be worth spending money on or not.

 

I still don't like the DCi engine as much as the old DT which my last Espace had.  The DCi is nominally more powerful but it's not really noticeable on the road, and I found the DT to be smoother and more pleasant to listen to.  This particular DCi also seems to suffer from a lack of power for the first couple of minutes after a cold start, although as soon as it gets a bit of warmth into it it's fine.  Only other niggles so far are a clicky offside CV joint on full lock, and a tendency for the car to pull to one side for a while after making a tight turn - from the noises from the front end I suspect that the front spring seats need greasing as the springs currently aren't turning properly.

 

Anyone know how much of an arse of a job it is to do a clutch on one of these?

[cort16]

I recon it's time to move the XJR on. I like it a lot but I've had my fun and the truth is I'm too tight to drive it anywhere exciting.

If decided to take it to my Dads will cost 80 quid aposed to the 30 quid it'd cost in my Merc. On the plus side it'd get there quicker. I also fancy a mk1 vertical grilled Range Rover if I can find a decent one.

 

Just the small matter of getting it through it's mot and tidying up a bit of the bodywork first though.

[The Moog]

Fleet now up to two with Xantia. Been down in london town for a few days so stuck it into my old mot place because it is free if it fails. It failed but only on front brake efficency.

 

I think new set of discs will see it right. Advisories were flexi hoses both sides shoulder tyre wear on nsf and suspension bushes at front.

Other bits include Clutch needs adjusting, pass central locking needs looking at, blower motor only does full power and today drivers door lock decided to just spin rather than lock.

 

Aside from that a lovely wafty ride and about 40mpg whilst lugging most of my possessions up norf. Bunging new batteries in key fob has meant now haz remote central locking

 

Jumped in 306 and aside front smokey start up, performed faultlessly after sitting for a week. Great to have clock working, funny how simple things are the most pleasing.

 

Will do pics this week.

[wuvvum]

The LNA failed its MoT today.  CV boot, two steering rack boots, and a 5"x5" area of weldage required in the nearside rear inner arch.  Not too bad for a 30-year-old Citroën, although obv. it would've been better if it had passed.

 

Also had a bash at bleeding the clutch on the Range Rover today.  That was a weird one - the bleed nipple was jammed almost solid but there was loads of thread showing behind it.  I evnetually got it to turn and had a bash at bleeding it, only for it to start piddling out brake fluid as I was tightening it up again - as far as I can tell, the piddling started when I got the nipple past where it had been on the threads before.  Once I got it fully tightened home, the flow of brake fluid stopped.  So Lord knows why it was parked halfway up the threads before, and why no fluid was leaking out while it was there. 

 

Anyway, I think I've got it about as good as I can for now given the limitations of my bleeding kit (a length of Skoda Rapid radiator overflow pipe pushed over the nipple, with the other end in an old mug full of brake fluid) - the pedal is now a lot lighter near the top of its travel (like there's no resistance at all), but firms up about halfway down and disengages the clutch enough that I can engage all gears including reverse with no crunching.

 

I took the Innocenti for a quick buzz round the block as it hadn't been moved for ages.  It's missfiring like an arse now - any kind of enthusiastic throttle pressage has it running on 2.  I'm going to treat it to a new set of plugs and leads and possibly a new dizzy cap and see if that cures it.

 

I also managed to more or less wangle the original air cleaner assembly back onto the Spacy.  I'd ordered a cheapo universal cone filter from eBay, as I thought that'd be easier to fit than trying to persuade the rather convoluted pipework of the original back into place.  When it arrived, the internal diameter was 3mm smaller than it said, and there was no way that thick neoprene rubber was going to stretch an extra 3mm without the use of more substantial tools than could be squeezed into the rather cramped confines of the area round the Spacy's engine.  So I washed the original air filter out as best I could in white spirit (which is now black spirit so must have got at least some of the crud out), and I'm hoping for the best.  Got to be better than running unfiltered anyway.

[stuboy]

found this in a cupboard of a house im renting

[HillmanImp]

Took a last second punt on a e34 520 tonight. Only had a minute to go and was as £345 so stuck in a cheeky bid of £360 but was outbid in the last 2 seconds and it went for £370.

 

However, am glad. I then drove my Audi to get some fuel and was looking at it and thought, it really is one of the nicest looking cars on the road. Okay, its slow, has a ludicrously short first gear, does single figures mpg, needs 4 new tyres, has a rumbling wheel bearing so bad that it drowns out the engine, needs a fan switch, has rusty wheel arches and needs a water pump as when changing the cambelt, i snapped a bolt so could not get it off, so instead of sorting it then and there when i had access did not bother changing it and went to the pub instead, but it IS a really good looking car.

[vulgalour]

I may be imagining more issues with the Princess again.  This time, I think the exhaust might be blowing, but it might just be my paranoia.  At normal and high idle you cannot hear or find the blow.  During normal driving you cannot hear or find the blow.  Put your foot down going up a hill and it sounds for all the world like there's a tiny little blow at the manifold where it was a bastard of a thing to seal before.

 

In happier news, my brother located a thermostat housing!  Steve Tolkien of Tinworm, where I bought the Ledbury Maestro from, has a complete 1.7 O series engine from a Sherpa, I think it was, and the housing is somewhere in the region of £25.  If it weren't for trying to sort out Princess number two, Shitefest and the recent bill from HMRC (gee, thanks for taking until now to give me a bill from last November) I'd already have it bought and paid for.  Really, I want to head over and see Steve with the Princess since I promised I would and just haven't got around to doing so yet for various reasons.

[Shep Shepherd]

Having exhausted my stock of cheapo H7 headlamp bulbs, which TV2 has gotten through like nobody's business, I bought four Osram 'Night Breaker' bulbs off eBay for a bargainous £22:

 

 

If they are any good, I might get a pair for The Volvo

[beko1987]

Took the hydraflush out of the XM and put LHM in. Hydraflush was like treacle! Car is now softer than it was, although goes hard occasionally. Goes up and down easier too now

[Mr Livered]

Sounds a bit like me in the mornings.

[beko1987]

fnarr fnarr

[dollywobbler]

I may be imagining more issues with the Princess again.  This time, I think the exhaust might be blowing, but it might just be my paranoia.  At normal and high idle you cannot hear or find the blow.  During normal driving you cannot hear or find the blow.  Put your foot down going up a hill and it sounds for all the world like there's a tiny little blow at the manifold where it was a bastard of a thing to seal before.

 

In happier news, my brother located a thermostat housing!  Steve Tolkien of Tinworm, where I bought the Ledbury Maestro from, has a complete 1.7 O series engine from a Sherpa, I think it was, and the housing is somewhere in the region of £25.  If it weren't for trying to sort out Princess number two, Shitefest and the recent bill from HMRC (gee, thanks for taking until now to give me a bill from last November) I'd already have it bought and paid for.  Really, I want to head over and see Steve with the Princess since I promised I would and just haven't got around to doing so yet for various reasons.

 

An easy way to check for exhaust leaks is to get a handy (literally) assistant to put their hand over the exhaust (or shove a rag over it) which'll force fumes out more noticeably where there's a leak. Point out that you cannot be held responsible for any burns generated, nor the stink of a rich, carburettor engine that may leave residue on a hand. Or get us to have a look at Shitefest.

[M'coli]

Another way to hunt for leaks is to use a hose (vacuums cleaner hose works well) with one end held to your ear and the other end close to the exhaust itself - very good for finding the exact location of pinholes.

[vulgalour]

Providing it's still intact, one thing I am doing is taking the gearbox-to-downpipe bracket off the second Princess and getting a copy made.  I'm actually surprised the copper bodge we did is holding up... or not if the blow has started to appear again.  Might be worth mentioning that the blow is more obvious when the weather is decidedly wet and that it's not loud enough to be heard over the blowers.

[Angrydicky]

I have no idea if it's the same on the Princess, but on the RWD Austins there is a small bracket fixed to one of the bellhousing bolts which clamps around the exhaust and helps prevent the joint being shaken apart. Without it the manifold to downpipe joint will only last a few months at best, and they're often missing. A useful modification you can make is to fit a four-piece clamp, if you can find one. 

[Bobthebeard]

Another way to hunt for leaks is to use a hose (vacuums cleaner hose works well) with one end held to your ear and the other end close to the exhaust itself - very good for finding the exact location of pinholes.

Also very good for melting the hose from the vacuum cleaner and getting your ear severely bent by the Domestic Manager

[vulgalour]

I have no idea if it's the same on the Princess, but on the RWD Austins there is a small bracket fixed to one of the bellhousing bolts which clamps around the exhaust and helps prevent the joint being shaken apart.

 

The original is missing so something like 1000 miles ago I replaced it with some copper piping that was squished to shape as a bodge (was all I had to hand at the time) until I could get it sorted properly... which obviously I never did because the bodge has worked fine thus far and like many people I forget about a temporary repair needing a permanent replacement if the temporary fix works fine for any length of time. I'm hoping Princess #2 has one intact so I can copy that and make a proper bracket because apparently nobody has a replacement bracket I can buy.

[Micrashed]

Bridge or Fix?

A month on the MOT and the bad points are:

 

Fresh air and crust where the crossmember should be

Brake binding - calliper be fucked.

Something making the car judder like fucked driveshafts when setting off ( but isnt the driveshafts or the wheels)

 

Good points

Giffer owned

Low miles

New driveshafts and wheels (tyres & balancing)

Nice stereo.

[Sigmund Fraud]

Fresh air and crust where the crossmember should be

Brake binding - calliper be fucked.

Something making the car judder like fucked driveshafts when setting off ( but isnt the driveshafts or the wheels)

 

A massive hole in the front crossmember could well be the cause of the juddering. Is the crossmember bolt-on ? If so, can you get a decent one from a scrappy ?

 

Don't condemn calipers before you've dismantled them. You'd be surprised what one can achieve with lube and gentle persuasion

[vulgalour]

^hey, that's my line!

[Micrashed]

The front crossmember is in fact in two pieces now a left side and a right side - the right side being slightly longer than the left - poking with the keys, then screwdriver, then twatteration with a hammer produced a nice pile of rust and a gap which is probably beyond the usual cold welding techniques of Sikkaflex, lead flashing nicked from the church roof* and black underseal.

Crossmember is welded on.

[Sigmund Fraud]

The front crossmember is in fact in two pieces now a left side and a right side - the right side being slightly longer than the left - poking with the keys, then screwdriver, then twatteration with a hammer produced a nice pile of rust and a gap which is probably beyond the usual cold welding techniques of Sikkaflex, lead flashing nicked from the church roof* and black underseal.

Crossmember is welded on.

 

Ouch... Unless you're good with a grinder and a MIG torch, the weighbridge beholds the poor Micra

[cort16]

You can buy the cross member panel pretty cheap. its quite a common mot failure on these Micra's. Ive seen it done a couples of times recently.

[cobblers]

Currently sat at the end of my mates garden with the daily golf in bits, and I'm stranded because he's gone out.

Bought a caliper off a lupo to replace the one that was knackered, they are exactly the same caliper or so I thought. Turns out the thread pitch is different where the flexy bolts on. So I bought a flexy off a lupo, but that's not bloody long enough and I'm still missing the middle of a banjo fitting.

 

To top it all off I actually rang gsf and they do an exchange caliper that will bolt straight on for £35, it just isn't listed on their website. Had I known that I'd have had the car fixed last week!

 

The van which mysteriously wouldn't start turned out to have a slightly buggered wire going to the ecu from the crank sensor. It was ok when I tested it but when the engine moved as it turned over, it lost connection, so the new crank sensor I bought was a waste of money. I snapped one of the ht leads while checking it the other day so had to buy a new full set which leaves my weekly spend for car parts that I didn't need to £140. FFS!

[vulgalour]

Ouch, doesn't sound like you're having any luck just lately, Mr Cobblers.  Wouldn't happen if you'd bought something reliable like a Volkswa--aah.

[cobblers]

Sigh...

It gets better - After waiting for 3 hours my pal came back and ran me up to GSF, but it turned out the £35 caliper was the wrong one. They do sell the "correct" one but they are £60 and I'll have to wait while tuesday.

Back home empty handed, and much trawling of brake parts selling websites later shows the front brake hose off a 2000 fabia has the correct ends and is 53cm long, vs the 48cm of the golf hose so it should work to fit the caliper I've got. But I bet they are impossible to buy or something.

[cort16]

Cobblers this episode sounds like a right nightmare probably not helped by your alternate transport also being kyboshed.

[trigger]

I've been told my Acclaim is in at my tamed mechanics (my dad dropped it off for me whilst i'm on holiday) and has already had the head stripped off and sent away for skimming and pressure testing, at £80+ vat it's a bit extreme but hopeful it should be much better once I get It home, it's another £100 for all the labour too which is bringing a tear to my eye.

 

To say my first taste of British Leyland ownership has been a negative experience so far is a bit of a understatement!

[chaseracer]

To say my first taste of British Leyland ownership has been a negative experience so far is a bit of a understatement!

Said a taxpayer in the 1970s...

[hairnet]

I've been told my Acclaim is in at my tamed mechanics (my dad dropped it off for me whilst i'm on holiday) and has already had the head stripped off and sent away for skimming and pressure testing, at £80+ vat it's a bit extreme but hopeful it should be much better once I get It home, it's another £100 for all the labour too which is bringing a tear to my eye.

 

 

 

bargain - hope it sorts it