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Hedgehog Motors - The ̶L̶e̶x̶ Rex Files


davehedgehog31

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Had long been periodically experiencing a sticky caliper on the 405, usually after it sat for a while. 

 

Procured new disks and pads and set about changing them last night. 

 

Was coming apart reasonably easy until NSF caliper screw put up a fight;

 

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Moving onto the OSF, I was quite glad to be doing this job when I seen the state of the pads*, mortifying. Other side still had a fair bit of meat on them, so 

 

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One pin on each side was stuck solid, liberal cleaning and greasing of the pins and pad carriers followed. 

 

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Fitted the new discs, used a rewind tool and exercised the caliper somewhat. At this stage I was getting ready to fit the pads and be done.

 

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Only to discover I'd got the wrong fucking pads... Seems they decided to build the 405 of that year with one of three different caliper interchangeably, I'd of course guessed wrong. New pads ordered but job won't be completed til Saturday, still, got plenty done.

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The Saab also capably took me down to Girvan for a work outing this week

 

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The Saab, touch wood, has been exceptional in my tenure. I've just kept an eye on levels and enjoyed it. Will give it a service either this weekend or next and hopefully have many more miles of sensible driving ahead.

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That Saab is looking lovely but bloody hell on those brakes. I thought the rear pads that came off the Galaxy and the fronts on Imp's Jag were low but I've used thicker bits of stuff to shim my kitchen worktop level than that in your hand.

 

Just in time springs to mind.

I agree, I was mortified. The caliper had long been a bit sticky, but fine after a short run.

 

Braking performance did degrade suddenly on my last drive in it, almost as if it had jettisoned its friction material...

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Well, got the right pads. Suspect they weren't manufactured all that recently...

 

Finally invested in a caliper rewind tool... Certainly beats my old method of shoving it back in with a big crowbar.

 

Cleaning the guide pins and exercising the caliper seems to have done the trick, no longer sticking.

 

MGFs make excellent shelves.

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Been a while since I updated in here. 

As documented elsewhere, the 405 went in for its MOT and passed no bother. All that was required was a potentially carcinogenic bodging of the back box with fibreglass and gun gum... 

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Anyway, it's still there after another 450 miles. Calling that fixed. 

Today sees the MGF I purchased for 200 quid back in February go in for its test. Booked for half 1. It will absolutely fail on having no rear fog, but I just want a list to work through or someone to tell me to scrap the fucker. 

T917SKH for laughs circa 2pm.

It has been serving as the workshop shelf for the last four months. 

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100% frag the MG. Welding around sub-frame mounts could grow arms and legs very quickly. Add to that the odd caliper as well as discs and pads and your bill to get an MOT could easily exceed the value of the car. All of that is before you consider we're talking about an MGF that's an unknown motor has been off the road for some time. Even with an MOT it could turn into a money pit as soon as you start using it! Time to cut your losses and run.

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Think all those who have voiced the opinion it's best just fragged are correct.

Myself and Mr 320T had pre arranged car workings and dug into the MG. 

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Worked our way round the nearside. Started with the lights. I'd already done a bit of investigation into these and we didn't really get anywhere. There's a wiring issue somewhere in the depths. We promptly fucked that off and proceeded to the back brakes. 

Rear brakes came apart without too much hassle and the caliper seemed in decent health so probably just discs and pads there. 

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You'll notice from the photos this car seems to have lived under the sea, like a certain anthropomorphised sponge. 

Moving onto the front end, the welding to the subframe looks awkward. 

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But the real death knell came in the form of the front arms, both are obviously fucked, but replacing requires dropping the already shagged subframe and separating much of the front suspension as well as steering UJs. It would all add up very quickly. 

Had everything else looked particularly tidy, it may have been enough for me to help it live, but its obviously been a Scottish car all its days and everything is covered in a nice layer of corrosion, its not going to come apart nicely. 

I'm not into it for much, it would quickly be another several hundred quid in parts and a lot of work, to ultimately end up with a reasonably crusty example of the intrinsically flawed MGF. 

I'm still no further forward with its electrical issues, which may well be much trickier than it first appears. 

Anyone want anything off it before it goes? Half leather interior is in decent nick. Alternatively cartakeback says £130 if anyone is daft enough. 

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Tried to see if anyone on Facebook wanted any bits off the MG before it goes to the fragger...

Within 15 minutes of posting I'd promptly accepted the cartakeback offer of £130, I'll have the battery and spare wheel out it and the rest can get to fuck. 

 

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