Ask a Shiter

[Pete-M]

My Subaru does it a lot as well. I think it's because of the insane exhaust manifold setup on 'em.

[fiatdaft]

It's the metal contracting back after the heat has made it expand.

[Morgan84]

I was checking the timing belt interval for my sisters new golf and it says 90,000 miles. The car's 6 years old but only done 15k. The book makes no note of age of the car in the interval for timing belts. Do you recon it's worth getting it done or it should it be okay for another couple of years?

 

I look after a 2005 1.6 FSi and that is chain driven

[Pillock]

Double-check with the dealer on the belt interval.

Some 2.0 TDI VAGs were specified with a 80,000 mile cambelt change which was later changed to 80k or 4 years - obviously this wasn't in the book though, only on the dealer info software. It's very odd to have a mileage but no time specified so they may have later changed their minds on the pez engines too.

[M'coli]

Anyone able to enlighten me as to why my Faceache photo of Cats' BX estate, Krujoe's Lada, Benno's pick up and Samba S's frankly immense FSO is suddenly getting a lot of traffic tonight?

[Cavcraft]

I don't know but Dave 4dr appears to be playing pocket snooker in the background.

[wuvvum]

Clutch hydraulics.

 

Car had been standing for some time (> 6 months) - it'd been started up occasionally and moved back and forward a few feet to stop everything seizing, but that's about it.

 

Time has come to try and get it back on the road. The problem that has appeared is thus: When starting up from cold, the clutch works fine, albeit with a very low biting point. After a few manouevres, I lose the pedal completely, and it's as if the clutch is stuck on. Under hard acceleration, vigorous pumping of the pedal will get the clutch slipping slightly, but nowhere near enough to allow conventional gearchanges or pulling away from rest. Leave it overnight, and lo and behold in the morning the pedal has returned, but only for the first couple of manoeuvres again.

 

The fluid reservoir is full and it doesn't seem to be leaking anywhere.

 

Before I start taking things to bits, is there a way of diagnosing from the above symptoms what it's likely to be? Could it just need bleeding, or is one of the cylinders on its way out, and if the latter then which one? I'm hoping it's not the slave as that looks like an absolute cock to get to...

[Des]

I'd start with a bleed, if that doesn't work it could be the master partially siezed, so it's not returning fully when pedal released and pedal has its own return spring, is it possible to lever the clutch release arm back a few times, alternately pushing the pedal, that and fresh fluid from a bleed and maybe a squirt of wd up its chuff might free it off, as may hitting the master with a brick.

[nigel bickle]

I'd guess at a sticking cylinder. Odds on the slave- but it might be the master. If its accessible- giving it a couple of clouts might help -or squirting a little brake fluid in the 'wrong 'end to lubricate it -if poss.

 

Use -if possible, will help -as will engine warmth (eventually). Have you given the pedal box a cursory glance- in case the carpets caught up -or a leaking screen has rusted the pivot up?

 

Me? I'd stick with it -as is -and try to persuade it back; whilst carrying brake fluid- cos if its rusty bores- the seals are going to tear....Leastways then you'll know which cylinder it is!

[DSdriver]

Is the water pump over the clutch like on some Citroens. A slight drip from the pump whilst not affecting cars run frequently can cause a stationary car's clutch to rust and sieze.

[Guest]

Does hitting the bump stops cause lasting damage to subframes \ other assemblies?

 

I ask this not because I've turned the torsion bar down several clicks in my C4, I ask because it's spent the past three days bottoming out going to and from shooting locations on the appallingly surfaced roads around Salford and North Manchester. We were 5 up and fully loaded with camera kit. It was doing 32 MPG.

 

The only other car on the shoot was a Daewoo fucking Matiz that was useless for any kind of crew transportation. That it was fucked to start with didn't help matters.

 

After cleaning out all of the shit from the interior (the cast and crew more or less used it as a doss house) it feels seriously wayward. I think something has cried enough or I've blown one of the shocks.

[cobblers]

it doesn't do them any good, but I've spent the best part of ten years driving cars with stupid low suspension that hit the bump stops (which were already cut in half so 4 times as stiff) about every 100 yards and never really had any actual noticeable damage to anything. With the normal soft OE bumpstops and a reasonable profile tyre you'll be fine, perhaps bend a wheel worse but I've never even done that with like 35 profile tyres and stuff.

 

Theres a chance you've knocked the tracking out or something, but you'd probably really really bloody know about an impact that send the tracking pissed (cos it'd need to shift something in its mounts or bend something!)

[rml2345]

Excuse the crap photo but is this fron a Lada Riva;

 

 

It has what looks like TP-RTI-299 stamped on the back but Google doesn't help.

[Gompo]

I've noticed that on quite a lot of older cars (pre 1963(?) before suffix) they often contain 'X' in the registration, UXO329 or whatever for example. Seemingly too often to be just a coincidence. Seems to be more often than not some sort of 'rod too. Are these registrations that are given out on imports and cars that have been plate raped in the past, and supplied with a dateless registration by the DVLA?

[Pete-M]

Quite probably yup.

 

DVLC tend to use number series that were either previously not issued or ones from areas where the number of registrations were low. So often you'll see '50s stuff with North Wales plates, i.e. AFF 123 or similar, or ones from the uninhabitable lands north of Hadrians wall, which often contain an S in the last two letters.

 

London had a few plate series that died off around '61, they tend to use the remainder of those. They often contain an X. My '61 P5 was 491 UXR I think, that was an age related plate (one of the early ones that are still tranferable) from a sequence originally issued in London around '61.

[ashmicro]

Looks like a Lada mirror to me old chap. Here is one in an Riva.

 

[Tayne]

Is that an alarm fitted to the Lada?

[Lacquer Peel]

Is it a microphone?

[ashmicro]

It's a mike for a wired handsfree kit (if you get my meaning). There's a similar get-up in my Jaaaaag. The kits aren't cheap, and cost a bloody bomb to have professionally fitted. My car had it fitted when I bought it by the previous giffer owner.

 

These are the cat's cock, though

 

[trigger]

Anyone ever driven a Ford Consul Mk2 1703cc? What do they drive like and live with?, Are they a real gutless tank or a nice cool cruiser?.

 

I've seen one i like, made a offer that involves my Cortina and the amount i was going to spend on it's respray and the sellers shown an interest, I'm now wondering if it's such a good idea as i like my Cortina but always loved the Mk2 shape Consul/Zodiac./Zephyr styling.

[ashmicro]

60BHP, Trig? Your 'Tina must be pushing 100. I'm sure there'd be a fair old difference in the driving experience.

[Pete-M]

The Zephyr Mk2 I tried was a 2.6 and that wasn't quick. A 1.7 will be slower than continental drift.

 

I know a chap with a Mk2 Farnham with a 302 in, that is acceptable.

 

If it was my choice, I'd get your Mk3 bodywork done, fit a four branch manifold, get the carb jetted to suit and enjoy it. They go surprisingly well with a very mild bit of tweakery, the Mk3.

[trigger]

This is how I'm thinking now, the Consul is stunning, I've seen it in the flesh but I'm only 32 and I'm not a leisurely driver, I think once the cool novelty has worn off that i will get bored of pushbikes overtaking me in 30mph zones.

 

I've been looking at 4 branches as the studs in my manifold have worn making the exhaust spin round and hit the bodywork, I'd have to remove the manifold to weld in new studs so i may was well change it for a sportier one, also plan on a K&N for it soon and i need the carb setting up and it still splitters a bit and is a sod to start from cold even after fitting a non return valve.

 

I'm gonna get the bodywork tarted up this winter hopefully, been quoted £1500-£2000 to do it which is a lot of money but it will really brighten the old girl up.

[Albert Ross]

Whack a decent cam and exhaust manifold in it, and later, add a pair of DCOE's or Dellortos, and a big valve head. It'll go like fuck, and sound pretty fucking marvellous. The Pinto, whilst a heavy old lump, is very tunable with care, and the hardest part is setting cams and followers up, as the wrong combination will ruin idle speeds and pickup from low revs. You could piss 150 brake, and leave a number 11 wherever you decide to. Then call the AA to take you home, as you've killed your diff.

[whitevanman]

Anyone ever driven a Ford Consul Mk2 1703cc? What do they drive like and live with?, Are they a real gutless tank or a nice cool cruiser?.

 

I've seen one i like, made a offer that involves my Cortina and the amount i was going to spend on it's respray and the sellers shown an interest, I'm now wondering if it's such a good idea as i like my Cortina but always loved the Mk2 shape Consul/Zodiac./Zephyr styling.

 

[whitevanman]

Anyone ever driven a Ford Consul Mk2 1703cc? What do they drive like and live with?, Are they a real gutless tank or a nice cool cruiser?.

 

I've seen one i like, made a offer that involves my Cortina and the amount i was going to spend on it's respray and the sellers shown an interest, I'm now wondering if it's such a good idea as i like my Cortina but always loved the Mk2 shape Consul/Zodiac./Zephyr styling.

 

 

simply put...YES, they are slow, antiquated, but very cool........ I got bored and Put a 3.0 V6 in mine

[whitevanman]

I'd have to remove the manifold to weld in new studs so i may was well change it for a sportier one,

 

 

I can send you a standard manifold FOC if you want......I have way too many of them in my life

[dieselnutjob]

if a rear door handle doesn't work, is that an MOT failure ?

[Spiny Norman]

if a rear door handle doesn't work, is that an MOT failure ?

 

If you mean the exterior handle, yes.

 

From MOT manual...

 

 

Method of inspection

 

B.Doors

1.

Open and close the driver’s and passenger’s doors. Check that:

a.

each door latches securely in the closed position

b.

the driver’s and front passenger doors can be opened from both inside and outside the vehicle

c.

any other passenger doors can be opened from outside the vehicle.

 

 

Reason for rejection

1.

a.

A driver’s or any passenger’s door does not latch securely in the closed position

b.

a driver’s or front passenger’s door cannot be opened from both inside and outside the vehicle using the relevant control in each case

c.

a passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle using the relevant control.

[Ross_K]

if a rear door handle doesn't work, is that an MOT failure ?

 

http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/htdocs/m4s06000201.htm

Driver and front passenger door have to open from inside and outside.

Rear passenger doors have to open from outside "using the relevant control".

 

So if you took off the door handle the relevant control is no longer there, and you pass??