Ask a Shiter

[Stanky]

Is there any brands of clutches to avoid like the plague, for example borg and beck, valeo or national?

 

On a related note, how hard is a clutch change on a 1.4 k series metro likely to be and does anyone have a spare clutch for one hanging round that they might like to send to me in New Zealand?

 

Transmech clutches have a bad rep, but are only marginally cheaper than LUK who I have at least heard of. The TM ones use new friction material stuck onto an original plate and the internet consensus seems to be that they are crap.

 

I think a comparison would be that its like using remould tyres.

[Kiltox]

Fitted a National clutch before because it was dirt cheap and was fine

[twosmoke300]

Stick to Valeo and Luk clutches and you will be fine

[xtriple]

The dollop has an engine driven fan (viscous) and also two electric fans in front of the radiator. What I want to know is:

 

When do those two electric fans come on?

 

Just got home, air con is nice and cold, engine at its normal temperature but the fans are stationary and silent. Was tempted to stick my finger in there to see if they were free but feared dead/detached digits if they started running while poked.

[myglaren]

Poke them with a stick

[twosmoke300]

Prob an aux fan that will only come on at higher engine temps when the vicious fan can't cope .

Some cars have engine bay temp sensors and will bring the fans on when these get hot . Probably to stop fuel vaporisation I suppose

[philibusmo]

Has anyone got a Haynes book of lies or similar for the Rover Metro that they could scan the relevant pages of for a clutch change. It's a 1.4 GTI MPI and I need to see if it's likely I'll be able to change the clutch in a weekend using fairly limited tools.

[M'coli]

I could do so on Friday night when back in Yorkshire (I'm working in Brizzle during the week).

[saucedoctor]

I have an HBOL for the R6 Metro, but would the MG Rover workshop thing do?

 

EDIT: Scratch that, it's not in it!

 

Further edit: Attached PDF. Do you need the stuff about removing the gearbox as well?

Binder1.pdf

[xtriple]

Two smoke is pretty close apparently. Come on when the air con or engine temp request them. But I LIKE spinny things and want them on 'cos they would look cool (and obviously be cool!   )

 

Knowing this fucking car, they probably are seized or not connected or dead or something that means they do not work and never will without throwing thousands of pictures of the Queen at someone.

 

Fucking cars!

[philibusmo]

I have an HBOL for the R6 Metro, but would the MG Rover workshop thing do?

 

EDIT: Scratch that, it's not in it!

 

Further edit: Attached PDF. Do you need the stuff about removing the gearbox as well?

That's ideal, the section on removing the gearbox would be super useful as well thanks.

[twosmoke300]

Haynes manual you say

1. Disconnect battery ( even if you are just blowing up tyres)

2. Chock wheels

3. Take to dealer

[saucedoctor]

That's ideal, the section on removing the gearbox would be super useful as well thanks.

 

Attached.

Rover R6 Metro Manual Transmission Remova;.pdf

[philibusmo]

Sweet as, thanks so much for that.

Now to just find a company that has the clutch in stock in this country.

[panhard65]

Does anyone know if a 2.0hdi Peugeot 806 will run on clean new veg. It has no DPF to clog up. Only asking as It might give me an option when I go to France next month We were going in an 807 2.2hdi but that has dpf and that fluid shit so certain that won't run on it. We could end up having to do about 800 miles in total so would have to find some fuel in France at some point.

[Richard]

No, veg will bugger up any common rail diesel.

[Lacquer Peel]

I think it'll run okay as long as no cold starts are involved.

Many common rail diesels run 'twin tank' setups where they start on diesel, and switch over to veg when the engine is warm.

[Eddie Honda]

Yup, you don't get the short period surcharge back in any refund.

[sierraman]

Haynes manual you say

1. Disconnect battery ( even if you are just blowing up tyres)

2. Chock wheels

3. Take to dealer

You forgot 'step 1: Remove gearbox...' Or the old 'reassemble in reverse order'. What so I fill the engine full of oil at the end? Not before I put the Pistons in?

[320touring]

Scratch that, I've just figured out that they charged me £11.75 for the privilege of taxing it for 6months.

Monthly is the way forward so you can cancel the dd:)

[Pillock]

What happens if you mix 5W30 and 5W40 together? Do you get 5W35?

 

I've just decanted about a litre from an old can into another old can that had about a litre in, before realising they were different oils. Clearly last time I serviced the modern ECP recommended the long life oil, this time it's the regular service oil.

 

Do I need to bin the two litres of mixed stuff or will it be ok? I service to regular mileages anyway, never to long life schedule...20k!

[dave21478]

What happens if you mix 5W30 and 5W40 together? Do you get 5W35?

 

I've just decanted about a litre from an old can into another old can that had about a litre in, before realising they were different oils. Clearly last time I serviced the modern ECP recommended the long life oil, this time it's the regular service oil.

 

Do I need to bin the two litres of mixed stuff or will it be ok? I service to regular mileages anyway, never to long life schedule...20k!

It will be fine.

People worry too much about oil specs - unless you have some ultra rare beast of super high performance or very old vintage then pretty much any oil will do and oil of slightly the wrong grade is still 107% better than the old stuff already in the engine.

[Pillock]

It's going into a 2.0 PD VAG TDI so it's meant to be fussy about oil - except there's different standards (VW505.00, VW505.01, VW507.01 etc) depending on how long you go between services, and also they keep superseding standards..... but the older ones don't get worse, so they're not going to grenade the engine. It's like saying I'm allergic to the original KitKats because I've just seen they're making dark chocolate ones, which taste nicer.

 

It's only for top-up anyway as it tends to use a litre between services, I've just sucked between 3 and 3.5 litres out and put 4 in and I'm pretty sure Mrs_Pillock has been lobbing a bit in now and again as the litre tub in the boot is nearly empty.

[Negative Creep]

Noticed this dripping on the Rover, bit hard to make out but it's centre of the photo, a pipe in the middle right behind the engine. Is this just a drain point or something more serious?

 

 

[DeeJay]

Rover

 

 

HGF 

[scaryoldcortina]

Aircon drain

[Negative Creep]

That's what I like to hear. One of the main reasons I still have the car is that the aircon blows nice and cold (now watch it break on the hottest day so far)

[3VOM]

I've just swapped the rear springs on the Signum by undoing the bolt through the lower link / arm thing. However, all the instructions and guidance I can find is for Vectras, so does anyone know for certain if I should be using new bolts and what the torque settings are please? Bolt is 13mm 6pt star head with 18mm nut on other end.

[robinmasters]

Why do Xantia fog lights have a mechanical adjuster? What does it do?*

 

 

 

 

*(Adjusts the fog lights presumably, but why is the only car I've ever seen this on one which has self-levelling suspension?)

[Pillock]

I saw a new Seat with a little screw next to the foglamp yesterday, and my Golf had turny screws when I lobbed some scrappy foglamps in to adjust the direction.