Ask a Shiter

[spike60]

I been looking at diesel estates for the son who lives 60 miles away and a dealer has unwanted p/x Saab 9-5 1.9, 129k and good service history. It's farmyard fresh inside and out though straight but when I started it it surged up and down at idle, bringing the the EML on. No smoke. Dealer says if we want it after a deposit he will scan it while we're there,but not fix. Fair enough.

Anyone clued up on Saabs enough to name a likely fix? Google just provided usual DPF/EGR/name everything answers. Cheers.

[steveo3002]

This question has been popping up in my head a few times recently. What car with modifications in mind gives the best bang for buck speed wise? In other words you want to go fast for cheap--what do you buy? Bias towards acceleration for added sleeper-ness.

take some weight out the car ...spare wheel , tool kit, carpets and trim if you want to go mad 

[steveo3002]

Paint question.............just rattle-canned front wing of Volvo [metallic Blackcurrant, ftw...] got a reasonable finish, 3 coats of rattle can lacquer......no runs, looks ok, but not as shiny as rest of panels. Any suggestions... G3/fine sanding/more lacquer?

3 coats wont be alot to wet sand and polish , you could give it a gentle sand and then 3 more coats

 

then 1500 -2000 grit and polish it up , in all honesty being aerosol i doubt it will ever look as glossy as the original and will suffer in the weather badly so keep it waxed often

[sierraman]

Paint question.............just rattle-canned front wing of Volvo [metallic Blackcurrant, ftw...] got a reasonable finish, 3 coats of rattle can lacquer......no runs, looks ok, but not as shiny as rest of panels. Any suggestions... G3/fine sanding/more lacquer?

Not enough paint. Needs 2-3 cans of paint on a wing.

[dave21478]

What's the little clip for on the trigger of every petrol pump I've ever used? I thought it was a way of locking it on so you could sit in the car until it clicks off, but if it is I can't work it.

 

 

It is, but they usually remove the little wire that it clicks into. Hands-free filling is the norm in America but it's not really encouraged here.

 

 

Yup they are. Or take a modified thick paper clip with you on bulk buying sessions.

 

 

I used to keep a split pin on my keyring....one for a 3mm hole worked most pumps. There are a couple of holes in the pump triger guard, slide the pin through, pull the lever and flick the wee latch over and it will self fill and shut off when topped up.

I gave up after a while as I got really bored explaining it to curious people, also some folks would get unfeasably angry at me as they thought I wasnt actually filling the car because I wasnt standing there holding it, hence delaying their important lives.

 

I find queues at petrol stations bring out the absolute worst in motorists. I have seen way more road rage on forecourts than I have ever seen on the roads.

[spike60]

This question has been popping up in my head a few times recently. What car with modifications in mind gives the best bang for buck speed wise? In other words you want to go fast for cheap--what do you buy? Bias towards acceleration for added sleeper-ness.

Running a £400 naturally aspirated diesel Polo as a daily did it for me. The sporting toy felt like an uncontrollable beast after a week in that slug....

[omegod]

I'm selling a little citroen c1 for a mate as a favour, he has literally a couple of payments to finish it off and will settle this when it's sold( I completely trust him ). I've never sold summat with outstanding finance on it before so how does this normally work? The buyers may not HPI it so not an issue there , if they do whats the best way of dealing with it, written proof to them within 14 days of sale written on the receipt?   

[cort16]

That's dodgy ground as the car technically isn't yours to sell until the finance is settled . If he did default on it the finance company technically has a claim to the car so the person you sell it to could lose it. Anyone who buys a car with outstanding finance needs their head examined and it could land you in hot water.

Wait until it's paid off then sell it.

[Pillock]

I sold a car with outstanding finance by explaining the situation and getting the buyer to pay the finance off as part of my payment. But it could all end in tears so many won't do that.

[steveo3002]

let him sell it himself ...dodgy selling it when it belongs to the finance comp

[Sigmund Fraud]

This question has been popping up in my head a few times recently. What car with modifications in mind gives the best bang for buck speed wise? In other words you want to go fast for cheap--what do you buy? Bias towards acceleration for added sleeper-ness.

 

If all you want is straight-line performance, a scruffy Saab 9-3/9-5 tuned to circa 250HP shouldn't cost you more than £1K.

[skattrd]

or a remaped Volvo T5

[Lacquer Peel]

 

I find queues at petrol stations bring out the absolute worst in motorists. I have seen way more road rage on forecourts than I have ever seen on the roads.

My girlfriend works at a petrol station and twice yesterday I had passive aggressive fucks ruin my mood.I park by the vacuum cleaner when I'm dropping her off or picking her up (a few minutes at most).At the start of the shift a woman drove out of the automated car wash and just pointed at me. At the end of the shift a man pulled out of the car wash again, sat there and honked the horn at me. What happened to verbal communication??

[Bfg]

3 coats wont be alot to wet sand and polish , you could give it a gentle sand and then 3 more coats

 

then 1500 -2000 grit and polish it up , in all honesty being aerosol i doubt it will ever look as glossy as the original and will suffer in the weather badly so keep it waxed often

 

Agree in part. IMO three coats of base metallic colour is enough, but then I'd suggest you apply clear laquer..  If you rub down metallic paint then you'll change its look. The reflective particles being brought to the surface. However if you apply clear lacquer then you'll just be cuting that back and then polishing it. 

 

But again I'd have to say - to then leave the paint to harden for a few days, before its cut back and polished.  G3 is good without needing rubbing down with super-fine wet n dry,  as its rather abrasive.  Personally I tend to use 1000 - 1200 grit with soapy (washing up liquid) water and then ordinary colour restorer.  A build up of wax will give the shine and protect the paint. Good results can become great when a good wax is used.  NB most paints hate silicon, so do all painting before you use silicon waxes. 

 

Hope that helps

[Pillock]

Imagine it the other way.... If you bought a car, and it turned out to have outstanding finance..... Would you be happy? Would you be hitting some internet forum to rant about how you were misled?

 

If you trust him, settle the finance for him and then he can pay you back when it sells.

[dave21478]

Fuck everything to do with outstanding finance on a car.

 

There is nothing quite like the sinking feeling of opening a letter and finding out that "your" car is in fact "their" car and they want either the car or the money they are owed. Immediately.

[Lacquer Peel]

What are the basic things I need to separate gearbox and engine on my driveway?

Engine support brace? More than one trolley jack? Axle stands?

The dual mass flywheel isn't getting any less shuddery on my van, it's a pain at parking speeds and I'd like to replace it with a solid flywheel.

My girlfriend's "step uncle" is a mechanic, does homers and has offered to help but I don't want to get involved with family politics and owe favours.

[Rocket88]

Agree in part. IMO three coats of base metallic colour is enough, but then I'd suggest you apply clear laquer..  If you rub down metallic paint then you'll change its look. The reflective particles being brought to the surface. However if you apply clear lacquer then you'll just be cuting that back and then polishing it. 

 

But again I'd have to say - to then leave the paint to harden for a few days, before its cut back and polished.  G3 is good without needing rubbing down with super-fine wet n dry,  as its rather abrasive.  Personally I tend to use 1000 - 1200 grit with soapy (washing up liquid) water and then ordinary colour restorer.  A build up of wax will give the shine and protect the paint. Good results can become great when a good wax is used.  NB most paints hate silicon, so do all painting before you use silicon waxes. 

 

Hope that helps

 

 

It had three coats of base, and three coats of lacquer, good, even finish, just not as shiny as it could be. I'll try a good polish first.

[Lacquer Peel]

39.5 seconds to 62mph according to http://www.autowiki.fi/index.php/Morris_Marina

[Bfg]

What are the basic things I need to separate gearbox and engine on my driveway? Engine support brace? More than one trolley jack? Axle stands? The dual mass flywheel isn't getting any less shuddery on my van, it's a pain at parking speeds and I'd like to replace it with a solid flywheel. My girlfriend's "step uncle" is a mechanic, does homers and has offered to help but I don't want to get involved with family politics and owe favours.

 

I considered taking the gearbox out of my old Jag last year. As it happened I decided the risk was too great as I don't have a hard driveway, nor is it level, and if the thing slipped then I'd be out of action for too long..  not to mention a certain degree of PAIN    ....As it was I got f'kd over by Suffolk-Auto-Transmissions., who did take it out and only eventually put it (sort of) back in again.  So, if I knew then what I know now I would have done it myself !!

 

However, aside from getting the vehicle up in the air, wedged blocks under the wheels to stop it rolling, and supporting the engine mass itself - everything needs to be extra stable when your under it ..shoving and pulling the bast'd  ...I would have used a rolling motorcycle lift to take the weight of the gearbox, to slide it back, drop it down, and then trolley it out. 

 

In my inexperienced and certifiably unqualified opinion... trying to balance and manoeuvre a gearbox case on an ordinary trolley jack wouldn't have been much fun, neither would being under it and trying to take its weight.  Remembering of course - neither the bell-housing nor underside of that gearbox are flat not designed to have a stand under them.  I reasoned that the wider base of a motorcycle lift (with wooden blocks forming a V-support screwed to it ) and the wider base of its castors would be a very much safer bet.   

 

Hope that helps

 

p.s.  a clutch centreing tool for reassembly.?

[sierraman]

I just wouldn't do it. Access is tricky and you are bent double trying to take the weight of a gearbox. I'd be inclined to get a garage to do it as a cash job.

[Bfg]

I just wouldn't do it. Access is tricky and you are bent double trying to take the weight of a gearbox. I'd be inclined to get a garage to do it as a cash job.

 

I paid the aforementioned garage to do mine.   I witnessed their mechanic hammering the bellhousing (steel 6 lb hammer) because it wouldn't separate from the engine ...with a bolt still in it !  Bear in mind that 1966 S-type Jaguar cast alloy bellhousings are not easy to replace nor are they cheap.  It then took three months for them to put the thing back in again.!  ...in the meantime telling me to take the car and still unfitted gearbox away if I wasn't happy.  They also left the car (1966 Jaguar saloon)  out in all weathers for those three months ...despite having agreed to put the car away overnight and over weekends.  They also had me buy a new clutch assembly when one wasn't needed.  They also lost a bolt out of the bellhousing and had to order another.  They also fouled up the clutch mechanism, it was never as slick after they did it despite my taking it to another garage before I could use the car properly to get the clutch re-bled and re-adjusted.   They also left a bolt out of the bell housing.    Have I mentioned "they also"   well... they also tried to charged me more than quoted.  As it was - their bill was twice what I'd paid for the aforementioned bike lift (which I do use for my motorcycles, but is also a useful adjustble height bench).    In case you missed it - that company was Suffolk Auto Transmissions, near Sudbury, Suffolk.   With regret I cannot recommend them. 

[Richard]

I've done gearbox changes in the street with only scissor jacks in the past. Obviously that's not to be recommended but it's entirely possible to do it in a driveway as long as you can get the van supported securely enough. A few blocks of wood will help with supporting the engine.

[dave21478]

What are the basic things I need to separate gearbox and engine on my driveway? Engine support brace? More than one trolley jack? Axle stands? The dual mass flywheel isn't getting any less shuddery on my van, it's a pain at parking speeds and I'd like to replace it with a solid flywheel. My girlfriend's "step uncle" is a mechanic, does homers and has offered to help but I don't want to get involved with family politics and owe favours.

 

I have done a fair few FWD and transverse engine 4wd clutches on the ground. Good axle stands or blocks of wood to hold the shell up, a single trolley jack (cheap 2ton Halfrods job suffices) to hold the engine and lift it up and down as required, a few other bits of wood to wedge and support here and there and its possible. Add in the usual hand tools, sockets etc, a prybar and a mirror to see stuff down the back - there is always one bellhousing bolt you miss.

An old tyre helps to drop the box onto and slide out if needed. An engine crane to raise and lower the box is a massive help, but it depends on the car....Im no Arnold Schwarzenegger but can get an average box up and down just lifting it by hand; Having it hanging on a crane does help a lot with wiggling it onto the splines though, but the crane often gets in the way with the legs wanting to be where your axle stands are, its not always easy to get a strap round the box at the right point so it doesnt tip over and stuff like that.....depends. My Freelander box weighed a fooking ton, no way could I have lifted that without rupturing some internal boingy bits (me, not the box!) but the escort I held on my chest and slid under then bench-pressed it up into place.

 

But if its just a clutch and flywheel change you might not even need to lower the box right down, you can sometimes just shove it far enough over to one side and tie or strap it out of the way while you work on the clutch.

[Lacquer Peel]

Thanks Dave, that's really helpful.

I feel more confident about doing it myself now.

It's a mk2 Caddy TDI, I don't think the gearbox is very heavy.

[gordonbennet]

My girlfriend works at a petrol station and twice yesterday I had passive aggressive fucks ruin my mood. I park by the vacuum cleaner when I'm dropping her off or picking her up (a few minutes at most). At the start of the shift a woman drove out of the automated car wash and just pointed at me. At the end of the shift a man pulled out of the car wash again, sat there and honked the horn at me. What happened to verbal communication??

 

If you weren't in a modern eurobox thingy you probably didn't compute in their borg like programming.

[Pillock]

I did a gearbox on the drive by tying a length of rope around the box and then looping it around my neck. I then lent over the front of the car and as I lifted my head the box rose and by carefully adjusting the length of rope I got to a point where I could lift the box but still reach it to manhandle it onto the engine case.

 

Caution, I then spent three days in bed with a bad back. It may have been coincidental but you never know.

 

Here you can see the beginnings of this, with a rope around the gearbox ready.

 

[myglaren]

I've done gearbox changes in the street with only scissor jacks in the past. Obviously that's not to be recommended but it's entirely possible to do it in a driveway as long as you can get the van supported securely enough. A few blocks of wood will help with supporting the engine.

Same here but wouldn't recommend it.

Nearly lost a finger to a Cortina box.

[cros]

Yesterday I saw in the distance a 4 door Smart, new type. The windows in the rear doors appeared to be hinged rather than winding. If so is this poverty chic for idiots?

[Richard]

The 107/C1/Aygo is like that too.