Ask a Shiter

[mercrocker]

It will fry an aftermarket leccy box don't know about standard ones....

[Jimcit]

I'm selling a car for the first time via eBay.  I've never actually sold a car before - only ever done trade ins / company cars or just plain kept them (which is why I find myself with 6...).

 

It's finally had a bid, the buyer seems to have good feedback, but hasn't asked any questions / to view the car - is this normal behaviour? Should I ask him if he wants anymore info / pics?

[mat_the_cat]

Would I be right in thinking that one old fashioned 12v ignition coil is much the same as another?

 

For a relatively low power 4 cylinder engine, all you have to really worry about is whether one was designed for a ballast resistor or not, and even if so you'd likely get away with it as a 'get you home' measure - I've even used a 6 volt motorbike coil for a week or two!

 

I'm willing to be corrected, but I can't see why an aftermarket electronic ignition (which is designed to fit a wide variety of ignition systems) would be more likely to be damaged. All it has to do is switch a current to earth, and it doesn't know whether the coil has 9 or 12 volts across it.

[HillmanImp]

The front filament is for the dip beam and should point upwards, so that it reflects off the top of the headlight and shines down onto the road.  Take a look at the orientation of an H4 bulb to get it correct.

 

Sorry for the late reply on this, I decided to 'service' my computer as it was slow and a bit like when I do anything to my cars I royally fooked it and its not worked since. I got it running roughly last night and will hopefully be back online properly tonight once I have wanged some Redex in it. If its still not going I might chuck some K seal in it just in case.

 

Anyhow thanks for the replies, I think I was being REALLY stupid with this. The bulbs were in the right way, I just needed to adjust it so that the beam is facing the right way. For some reason I thought that the reflector bit was for stopping the light shining towards oncoming traffic and you would rotate it depending on what country you were in.

 

Hey, in my defence most of my old cars have had sealed units.*

 

 

* Although fuck knows how I thought you adjusted them for overseas driving. I don't think I am drinking enough.

[DeeJay]

What/where do you measure to find out which wheels will fit on a car?

PCD?

Dave.

[cort16]

Hillmanimp have you swirled your PC's porn filter out with petrol? It's common problem.

[Sloth in a bowl]

I'm selling a car for the first time via eBay. I've never actually sold a car before - only ever done trade ins / company cars or just plain kept them (which is why I find myself with 6...).

 

It's finally had a bid, the buyer seems to have good feedback, but hasn't asked any questions / to view the car - is this normal behaviour? Should I ask him if he wants anymore info / pics?

He was probably drunk when bidding and will be wondering on Saturday night why he is now the owner of a green Peugot. In reality if the car is cheap people will put in a low bid and worry about condition afterwards.

[Junkman]

What/where do you measure to find out which wheels will fit on a car?

PCD?

Dave.

PCD, hole in centre, backspacing, width, diameter, clearance for brakes and pipes, steering rods, wishbones, uprights, springs, struts, shockers, etc.

It must clear everything on full steering lock and springs fully deflected and rebound.

[Mr Lobster]

It's finally had a bid, the buyer seems to have good feedback, but hasn't asked any questions / to view the car - is this normal behaviour? Should I ask him if he wants anymore info / pics?

 

If his feedback is reasonably high and the feedback itself is decent enough then I wouldn't worry too much personally.

[Junkman]

It has always happened when I listed a car. Once a few people have bid in it, one will contact you and ask to see the car, but never show up.

It works the other way 'round, too.

I pride myself in never having bought a car off the internet, that I actually saw in the flesh beforehand.

Since I do it this way, I consider it normal behaviour.

[saucedoctor]

What/where do you measure to find out which wheels will fit on a car?

PCD?

Dave.

This may be of use also

 

http://www.wheelfitment.eu/

[willswitchengage]

***Massively off topic question***

 

On facebook...

 

How can I make photos I'm tagged in private, but allow posts that I'm tagged in visible on my timeline?

 

If you click the little gear and arrow next to "activity log" on your profile, timeline settings, the second section, "who can see posts you've been tagged in on your timeline". Playing with that switches everything I'm tagged in blanket on and off, I can't seem to find a way of being more specific with out editing every single picture of post I'm tagged in.

 

FFS when they tried to make it "simpler"

[MrDuke]

PCD, hole in centre, backspacing, width, diameter, clearance for brakes and pipes, steering rods, wishbones, uprights, springs, struts, shockers, etc.

It must clear everything on full steering lock and springs fully deflected and rebound.

 

If in doubt, go for plenty of offset and some wobble bolts, and do without full lock. I R SAFTY CONSHUS.

[Sudsprint]

That'll be the Sao Penza.

Thanks all for the replies. I can sleep easy now knowing that I am not barking.

[wackywacerwill]

Angle tightening, what's that all about then?

 

I'm just off to the factors to procure a head gasket and bolts for the lame Renault and the procedure seems to be to tighten to some torques, then angle tighten some more, back off again in sequence then re torque and angle the bad boys back down.

I can see the benefit of bedding down the head then backing off and doing the final clamp down, I can even see the benefit of using a torque wrench (though haven't bothered before). What's all this angle shenanigans, can't I just twiddle them down a bit more?

 

My torque wrench is a big old half inch bugger used for wheel nuts and generally doing/undoing things that be FT. I'm feeling to do things a bit proper here and borrow the wrench from work, should I get an angle whatsit from the factors too, use my lads school protractor or just lodge it all off and wing it?

 

Have no manual also and have brought up many different torque settings and angles too! PITA this doing things the right way.

 

Cars a mk1 Clio 1.9D on an L reg.

[mat_the_cat]

The point of the angle tightening is to take the bolts into stretch, and needs to be more precise than a torque figure (which can be influenced by crap on the threads, lube etc.) So long as all the bolts have identical heat treatment, once they've started to stretch they can't exert any more force so that way you know you have a uniform clamping pressure all over the head.

[willswitchengage]

The point of the angle tightening is to take the bolts into stretch, and needs to be more precise than a torque figure (which can be influenced by crap on the threads, lube etc.) So long as all the bolts have identical heat treatment, once they've started to stretch they can't exert any more force so that way you know you have a uniform clamping pressure all over the head.

 

Bit academic (as usual) but you'll probably also be work hardening the bolts. By making them slightly deform plastically (i.e. permanently) you increase the material's yield strength.

[mat_the_cat]

Splitting hairs I know, but I *thought* the idea wasn't to take them into the region of plastic deformation, just elastic? And that the reason you measure their length before reusing (if you have to) was to make sure they hadn't permanently stretched, or suffered from creep. Don't want to sound anal about it, but it does interest me a bit seeing as my background was metallurgy/heat treatment.

[alf892]

I never do the backing off bit but do let it rest between stages. You can get cheap angle gauge jobbie but with some you need someone to hold the outside.

 

I have also added the total angular bit up and then divided into 90 degree chunks.......easy to estimate if no gauge. Might be how the last bloke did it......

 

If you get stuck/have time I could bung mine in the post

[hairnet]

What/where do you measure to find out which wheels will fit on a car?

PCD?

Dave.

 

http://www.wheelfitment.eu/

[wackywacerwill]

Thanks, I get that now. Thanks for the offer of the loan alf892 but I should be able to source one local as kids I've worked with in the past have gone into the trade and purchased loads of tools, like they do.

 

New gasket is in the kitchen and even includes instructions which is nice since the net gives many different answers;

 

30Nm

80 degrees +-4

Leave for approx one cigarette

Loosen

25Nm

213 degrees +-7

 

Guess I'll get the gear and give it a bash.

[face]

Headlight lenses on the Puma are fairly dulled.

 

I have heard a hearty going-over with toothpaste is a possible method of re-brightening them.

 

Anybody tried this?

[alf892]

No but had excellent result with auto glym metal polish on daughter's Civic and they had gone practically opague.

 

Suspect original T Cut or Brasso would do the same.

 

Does require effort........about 20 mins per side

[saucedoctor]

REALLY cheap toothpaste works to an extent. And by really cheap, I mean the 20P Tesco stuff. However, I recommend Meguiars PlastX. The taxi boys running Mercs tell me it is the quare stuff.

 

[face]

Good advice - thanks chaps.

[willswitchengage]

Splitting hairs I know, but I *thought* the idea wasn't to take them into the region of plastic deformation, just elastic? And that the reason you measure their length before reusing (if you have to) was to make sure they hadn't permanently stretched, or suffered from creep. Don't want to sound anal about it, but it does interest me a bit seeing as my background was metallurgy/heat treatment.

 

I have no idea if what I said is what the bolts' are meant to do - but by stressing a metal (steels for simplicity - not aluminium!) past its yield point by say ~20%, and then remove the stress, its new elastic region will be greater with the new yield point where the work hardening stress was relieved. Obviously the new shape will be deformed, so it's be typically done before machining or working. Not sure how annealing/ageing work in conjunction with work hardening, though; bit over my head!

 

[Pillock]

I just tighten head bolts until I can't shift the ratchet any more, and sell the car quick.

[mat_the_cat]

I have no idea if what I said is what the bolts' are meant to do - but by stressing a metal (steels for simplicity - not aluminium!) past its yield point by say ~20%, and then remove the stress, its new elastic region will be greater with the new yield point where the work hardening stress was relieved. Obviously the new shape will be deformed, so it's be typically done before machining or working. Not sure how annealing/ageing work in conjunction with work hardening, though; bit over my head!

 

The graphs bring back memories! You won't (shouldn't!) see temperatures in an engine capable of annealing the bolts, and I doubt they're made from an age hardening material. Dunno what they do use though. I was actually wrong in my understanding though - it seems they are designed to be stretched into the plastic region. Makes me even more reluctant to reuse them, although I have done once with no problems 50k miles later...

[drum]

Drum's dumbass question #452 -

 

Why does a cold engine start and run better when it is 'choked'?

 

This is the opposite to what I do when I light the wood burning stove.

 

Is it because cold air is dense and therefore the mixture isn't actually rich or something ?

 

I should know this by now.

 

#453 - how does an automatic choke work?

[Sudsprint]

I have started seeing recent (and pricey) moderns with new style reg plates obviously older than the car. For example a new shape jag XF on a 55 plate.

 

Can't see anything personalised about the letters.

 

Anyone seen this too?