Andy's awful autos: Vanden-blah

[Andyrew]

Yes, yes it is.  

?

[Andyrew]

So with new tyres on the Astra and the old rims taken to the tip I decide to make a start on getting so other bits in the workshop fitted to stuff rather than tripping over them. So on with the new suspension I had previously bought for the disco. Only the rears done today I'll have a look at the fronts at the weekend i think

[Andyrew]

New drop links and ARB bushes to go on aswell. May knock up a new brake pipe as the one currently on there looks a bit suspect . 

The shock bushes didn't really do much 

 

[Andyrew]

Washing Bottle seems to be doing it's thing. So crank seals bollocksed for sure.

Diff still getting oil on it and the oil cooler lines seem to be very oily further up. So I think these two are the main oil leak. There's some seepage on other items. But no dripping. 

[Andyrew]

[catsinthewelder]

Urgh rear crankseal on a Disco is a shit of a job, I changed mine while doing the clutch as the bellhousing was oily.  Unfortunately it wasn't oil but brake fluid from a previously leaking clutch slave so I didn't need to bother and worse I cocked it up several times.  Worst of the lot was not spotting that the second attempt leaked and refitting the gearbox.  I drove it pissing oil for a couple of weeks before starting again.

Top tips

Use the solid rubber seal rather than the thin rubber in ally housing one, Its a third of the price and 100x easier to fit.  I should still have one here somewhere as I bought 2 after ruining several of the ally ones.  If a 200tdi example would fit and I can find it you can have it.

If you remove the box rather than the engine to get to it you can test it without refitting the box as the starter is bolted to the engine rather than the bellhousing.  If it leaks you only need to pull the flywheel back off to try again.

If you lack a 2nd trolleyjack to refit the box just substitute 6 Autoshitters.

If you do this watch out for adjustable spanners on the crank pulley nut that will fall on you the next day scaring the shit out of you.

[Andyrew]

Comedy hot rod stance was addressed today. Didn't get any during photos as I just wanted it done.  Mr angry was involved chopping springs, shocks, bolts pretty much everything got a cutting. 

Looks good and handles fantastic now. 

 

[Andyrew]

400 miles in on the way to Edinburgh via the lake district. Managed 70mpg.

Kirstone pass was lovely.  My better half hates going along country lanes so hooning was limited.

 

[Dan302]

70mpg! I need a diesel in my life again ?

[Tadhg Tiogar]

2 hours ago, Andyrew said:

400 miles in on the way to Edinburgh via the lake district. Managed 70mpg......

 

7 minutes ago, Dan302 said:

70mpg! I need a diesel in my life again ?

My diesel Borat can also do 70+mpg long distance, with care. Best indicated run with it was about 86, but haven't got near that since.

[Dan302]

I was unlucky with my last couple of diesels so went for a petrol focus, I'm sure I'll be beck to diesel again before long

[Andyrew]

When in Rome etc etc 

 

[Dan302]

Irn-Bru is the bestest pop

[Andyrew]

This morning Square sausage and coffee was consumed and homeward bound we headed. 

The little holiday away with my good lady ended up as an 830 mile round trip  and The Astra performed it perfectly, whilst also clocking over the 149k mark on the way home. 

Next up 

MOT, oil and filter, and some rust repair on the rear. 

[Andyrew]

Nothing interesting really, Astra is just being a reliable car. Still some rust to address. I Will order rear arch repair panels at some point as the previously tarted up arch is bubbling through again.  

After the trip away the car was coated in general grime. The road dirt had left lines showing the aerodynamics of the bonnet. 

 

[Andyrew]

Whilst cleaning the car I noticed some fairly large scratches have appeared on the rear door and quarer . Some previously know about some new. So I got the mop out and addressed some of the worst ones. I didn't go over the top just wanted to get the worst out. The spoiler also appears to have been used as a shelf. I've already mopped this once before.  And I'm certain I haven't propped anything on there, 

[Andyrew]

After a quick mop and a blob of g3. Was given a coat of colonite wax after.

 

 

[Dan302]

It's so good to see such attention paid to an Astra, I have a real soft spot for them.

[Andyrew]

With the toasty weather I decided to tackle the other side of the the front bumper. 

Again like the other side a fairly rushed job it was. The finished item is very meh as i only did one skim with the filler and there a hundreds of marks and chips. But from 10ft away it's good enough and with the way people park and drive round here I'm sure it will get bashed again (like the other side has been) atsome point so no point going OTT. 

I also forgot to clip the towing eye cover in when I sprayed the base so it's come out a different finish. 

I'm looking to fit the fog lights that came on these so the bumper will be off again at some point and I may Address the shit bits then. 

[Andyrew]

Whipped over with 240 on the da, bit harsh maybe but all i had, Splat on some plastic filler, sand, prime , way too much guide coat, sand, single pass of primer, crap goes in it, can't be added to sort it. Base coat. Then 4  heavy coats of clear. 

 

[Andyrew]

 

[Dan302]

Looks good. I brushed on some touch up on a few little marks and blemishes on my Focus, rush job and looks shite so didn't take photos!

[Andyrew]

Probably mentioned on here before but I'm also a Suzuki sj/samurai botherer, have owned/broken/sold a few over the years, and made some good friends through them to. But more on that another time. 

So, the £10 engine. 

Jap Suzuki alternators are stupid prices for some reason so when a engine came up on eBay complete with ALT and a twin bottom crank pulley I wanted for a PAS conversion  and local to a mates workshop I chucked in a cheeky bid and figured it would be a good opportunity to visit my mate in the area. 

Dropped my mate a message and found out he knew the guy selling it as he had been helping him with a 1.6 16v conversion (hence why the sump pan is missing from the engine)  my mate helped me hugely and collected the engine for me and took it to his place. Legend. 

When i went to collect the engine it Turned out The engine itself is a SPI jap import engine and had apparently only done 14k. I had told my mate who also had a spi engine to take Any bits spi related for himself as they was of no use to me. 

So what did my £10 engine look like under the rocker cover ?

 

[Andyrew]

The engine sat on the floor for a while and I've got sick of moving bits around that should be bolted to the engine so it was time to dig out the engine stand. And get the engine up and stripped down so I can change the head gasket. It hadn't failed but the head had been removed when the engine was taken out. 

Being jap the bellhousing bolts are metric fine and not having anything long enough I had to resort to using an old sj spring shackle, knock the studs out and file too flats on them.worked a treat. 

With the engine hoist at the back of the workshop and buried I man handled the engine up onto the stand. Thankfully these are an all ally engine. 

[Andyrew]

Stripped down and head off, everything cleaned up ready to go back together. Lots of crusty dried out coolant was blown out and a quick degrease on the outside was done. 

[Andyrew]

Kwality maruti headset pulled out the cupboard, my rather tired factory manual was found for head bolt torque specs. 

 

Cam belt was reused, it looked fine and as these are non interference it's of no concerned.  Fan dug out the pile and cleaned, Cover cleaned up aswell. Pulleys received a quick wire wheel and a splash of gloss black. 

[spartacus]

This thread rolls along nicely, keep it up!

[Andyrew]

55 minutes ago, spartacus said:

This thread rolls along nicely, keep it up!

Thanks, I own a few wrecks in various states of disrepair so expect it to bounce between vehicles. 

Dailys/working 

Disco 300tdi and Astra eco4 

Projects, wrecks. Half done 

Another disco,

Suzuki samurai lwb, 

samurai tin top

Sj413 kja (a lwb dropside pick up) 

Citroen dyane

 

[Andyrew]

The peppermint green dream machine!

About two years ago I picked this up of a friend for £100, fixed it up and got it looking lovely. Then sold it to the other halfs mum for what it owed me when I no longer needed it (£300) 

Every so often I nip it up the workshop for a once over. The other halfs family are like most and don't check on a car and just fix it when it breaks.  Don't think they have ever paid to have a service done on a car. 

Today I fix the heater, changed the handbrake cables, checked it over for the MOT and gave it a dam good wash. Poor thing was minging. But the colour hides it well. 

[Andyrew]

Body Scrubbed, wheels and lowers soaked in g101 and agitated, washed again and given a clay with a g3 mit for speed. Large marks and scratches compounded then a quick IPA wipe followed by two coats of g3 wax. 

If you want a simple to use wax I stand by this stuff, No white Marks on trim, no dusting, do the whole car not panel by panel, leave for ages or do it in the sun doesnt matter. Brilliant stuff.