Andy's awful autos: vegetarian able vehicle incoming (not mine honest!)

[Tadhg Tiogar]

  On 02/04/2021 at 12:01, Andyrew said:

..... Being next to luton.... 

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My condolences. 

[Six-cylinder]

  On 02/04/2021 at 12:28, Andyrew said:

FTFY

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Mrs6C showed me the yellow card for such behaviour, but it seems perfectly normal to me!

[Andyrew]

Yesterday i cleaned up the front discs,  fitted new pads, cleaned up the carriers and greased the sliders.

A pic says a thousand words so ill let this pic explain how pushing the pistons back went.

[Andyrew]

*finishes putting everything back in the engine bay and topped up coolant to bleed up tomorow*

 

 

[Andyrew]

[Andyrew]

The schfifty five is ready to rock. 

[Andyrew]

Always felt the rear plate looks wrong on these. Its a bit too snug. 

Id Previously done this for a funeral companys mercury limo that used odd size plates. 

Printing the number plate with a " flag " offsets the digits this then allows around 30mm to be chopped off. The makers name needs a shimmy over aswell as the system auto centres it. 

Much better, retains the bs marking aswell. 

Yes that is indeed a shiney New plate on a knackered bumper. Meh. 

[Andyrew]

"WHATS IN THE BOX?????!!!!"

 

[Andyrew]

Sometimes. . .

Mentioned previously on here ive had the occasional back twinge issue. Last time it was simply washing the car and it just went.

I also suffer a bit with my knees, a previous job i would be kneeling alot and i think it took its toll.

With the workshop i have now having a nice flat floor i decided to stop laying on my back a get a lift.  I weighed up the many options and decided to go for a mid rise scissor lift. The abilty to stand or sit on a stool should make life more pleasant. 

I went for a clifton lift from strongman tools.

Plans were made and very kindly @Six-cylinder was able to trailer for me to save on the rather expensive postage. 

We collected the lift friday which involved loading and unloading, large tractors with digger buckets, straps and dollies and it was in the workshop. 

When chris returned from collecting the carlton head we hitched up the trailer and at that point my back went. 

Thats right my back went whilst getting to tool to help save my back. 

We returned to the FOD collected the wee mazda and i went home to rest up. 

Later that night i was in agony. I couldnt stand let alone walk. 

 

[Andyrew]

After a day of rest im alot better, still walking with a bit of a hunch and shuffle. If it doesnt clear soon ill book in with a specialist. 

Today a friend was free to come and wire in the 16amp plug and check that the existing wiring was suitable (it was)  With the Astra parked at the workshop i had the mazda to drive ohh ... yay.  I lobbed the roof back and lowered myself in and headed to the workshop to meet my friend. I offered that i can make a drink and thats about as much use as id be today. 

So i shuffled around making tea. 

 

[Andyrew]

Another friend popped by to say hello and together they both decided to get the heavy bastard thing assembled. 

Whilst i felt like a right plum unable to help. But i guess thats friends for you, willing to help out even without being asked and for that i am very greatful.

Still need to get it filled with hydraulic fluid that ive got at work, i didnt expect it put together today so i hadnt picked it up.

 

[Andyrew]

Fly my pretty! Fly!

[Tadhg Tiogar]

  On 18/04/2021 at 12:01, Andyrew said:

"WHATS IN THE BOX?????!!!!"

 

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Looks perfect budget solution for AS funeral.

[Supernaut]

Your mates put it together because they want a go of it too!

[junkyarddog]

I like that lift.

Any link to where it was purchased?

[mitsisigma01]

  On 18/04/2021 at 12:27, Andyrew said:

clifton lift from strongman tools

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[Bitzer]

  On 19/04/2021 at 11:37, Andyrew said:

Fly my pretty! Fly!

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Does it come complete with bricks or tinderblocks to be placed under the car body, metal pins to jam into the scissors or any other non-hydraulic saftey feechure?

[junkyarddog]

  On 19/04/2021 at 13:38, mitsisigma01 said:

 

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https://strongmanlifts.co.uk/product/clifton/

Looks a nice bit of kit.

[Andyrew]

  On 19/04/2021 at 13:52, Bitzer said:

Does it come complete with bricks or tinderblocks to be placed under the car body, metal pins to jam into the scissors or any other non-hydraulic saftey feechure?

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Yes, theres some teeth on the baseplate, as the lift goes up the pins ride over the teeth and drop in place. Theres two pins both side, you raise to the height you want then press the lock button and lift drops down to nearest lock point. So the rams are only really for lifting and would be a back up should all 4 pins happen to fail. 

To lower the lift the down button is depressed. This triggers to solenoida that lift up the lock mechanisms. The lift raises a bit then lowers down to the floor. You can adjust the pressure release to slow the lowering speed. 

 

[Andyrew]

  On 19/04/2021 at 13:53, junkyarddog said:

https://strongmanlifts.co.uk/product/clifton/

Looks a nice bit of kit.

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Its fairly decent from what i can see, these things are all the same chinese made stuff and the seller just pics the colour and any other features. 

I liked this one as the strongman version had checker plated tops that are a tad thicker. And the large tie in plate between the scissor arms. This pulls the two inwards. Others hava a tube that ties in at the lower lever which i feel is marginally weaker but also hinders the abilty for a troller just or dolly to be wheeled underneath. 

So far the only dissapointment had been the packaging it came in, and the instructions are shit, poor chinglish shite.

Also it was blooming expensive!

 

[Andyrew]

Out of alignment.

With my spine checked over, and a after a young lass stretched, bent, pulled and stuck some needles in , my back is getting better.

With the MOT looming  i decided to have to go at freeing off all the camber bolts and tie rods as the tyres are wearing a bit odd and the handling is a bit all over the place so a 4 wheel alignment with fricken lazer beams will be done at the same time as the test. 

Up we go

2 bolts need replacing so i ordered some good used ones because they are very expensive. 

Everything cleaned up and copperslipped. 

 

[Andyrew]

Rear discs and pads changed out, i also put two new calipers on the rear as one handbrake mech wouldnt retract. Oddly it was a recon unit that had failed.

Discs and pads went on aswell

Old discs are old

[Andyrew]

I had decided to takle what sounded like a noisey wheel bearing on the rear.

Top bolt fine, driveshaft pushed out fine.

1 bolt seized and two snapped.  50 50 then. 

 

[Andyrew]

A Familiar face

The peppermint green dream machine then, previously owned by myself,  my other halfs parents and recently sold to my friend and work collegue who gave me the maroon Astra that i gave to a friend. 

Its safe to say my friend doesnt have much luck with cars and the first time she drove the car after her partner had drove it for about a week. It went into limp mode! Something it had done once previously on a seriously cold morning but never again (seems to be a common thing) ignition off and on and its fine. 

It was then backed into and they fucked off

And now the other day it started to develop a slight rattle from the top end on idle and low revs.  So was parked up asap

Even tho its really nowt to do with me, as i was the one that put her onto the car i feel a bit bad, as its always been a decent little steer so thought it would do her well, so said id take a look to decide its fate.

Oddly enough she recently put a deposit down on a car she had previously sold (a low miles Astra that she paid alot for and it shat the ecu a few months later so was sold off as spares as no one could find the fault) 

The corsa then, simple fix or scrap?

 

[Andyrew]

Cold start it and the timing chain does its intial rattle untill the the oils up and about, but its seems to take a smidge longer than expected And theres a low volume clatter that dissapears with some revs.

When owned by my other halfs parents they forked out and had my mate do a chain kit and water pump around late 2018 and probably 10k ago. But that would also be the last time the oil was changed id expect. 

No oil pressure light on and as the chain does quieten there certainly some pressure. But is it just low enough to cause a lifter to rattle? 

A bit of google diagnostics reveals that the sump gasket leaking can cause issues. As the oil pick up is part of the sump and goes through the side and up a hole in the gasket. So a failed gasket would allow the pump to suck air in thus dropping the oil pump pressure. 

The sump was very oily so Sounds hopefull, but is the damage already done? 

Sump dropped and cleaned out. There was some definate sludge build up at the bottom but as the sump plug isnt flush inside theres going to be shite that just never drains out. 

Oil filter not too grand, some shite in the housing but it felt more like crusty old oil shite than metal swarf. 

Oil wasnt as bad as id expected. A wizz round with a finger doesnt bring up any sparkles.  The gasket also has a split around the seal for the oil pump sealing part aswell.

Sump back on and torqued up, new sump plug and gasket. 

 I only really want to spend an evening looking at this so With some time left i popped the rocker off and checked out the cams and followers. Seemed okay in there. Bit of wear in the came lobes but im told thats fairly common for these. All of the condensation mayo cleaned out and for now the gasket was re used untill its fate is decided.  

With that all put back together i went home, ill fire it up tomorow, 

So was it just a split gasket combined with old oil and filter causing a drop in pressure?

DID IT SURVIVE?

Tune in tomorow to find out. 

[garethj]

That’s impressive detective work 👍

[Andyrew]

And the results are in. 

NOPE.  Sad times. 

Its better, but im guessing an item has worn causing the tap or the oil pump has seen better days. Rev it and its perfect. Idle it sounds like a corsa with stretched chain.  

 

 

[beko1987]

  On 24/04/2021 at 16:46, Andyrew said:

And the results are in. 

NOPE.  Sad times. 

Its better, but im guessing an item has worn causing the tap or the oil pump has seen better days. Rev it and its perfect. Idle it sounds like a corsa with stretched chain.  

 

 

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Going by the average corsa c I see nowadays it'll be good to go for another decade even with the noise... 

[Andyrew]

Dropping the Corsa back at work left me in a situation of my Astra being at the workshop and me lacking wheels. So i borrowed our emergency car from work for a few days and and offered to address the weeping waterpump.  Might be a bit silly as the gearbox is noisey but given how cheap the pump is it just means it doesnt have to have the coolant levels checked or forgotten. 

Up we go then, lowering the car down a bit the lift then threw a wobbly and got itself stuck, with the car on it.  Gr8. 

Some time was wasted buggering around to re-sync the lift.

Anyway, arch liner thing off

Tensioners undone, w.p pulley off

Old pump off and bolts in order

Some cleaning and on it went. Torqued up to what felt right. Belts back on and tensioned up. 

So far so good. Cant see any leaks and it bleed up okay. 

Job jobbed.

 

 

[Andyrew]

A wee update for the wee mazda. 

With the eml light refusing to stay off a code for bank 1 sensor ment a new sensor was on the card.  My word they are expensive even at cost price seem to be nudging a ton from work. I banged the part number into ebay and bagged a new  one listed badly for 17.95 delivered. Fitted and so far so good. 

With the short MOT looming and the handling feeling a bit on the skew i decided to free up all the camber bolts and tie rods first rather that the geometrey guy saying in cant be adjusted.  2 bolts need to be replaced so some used ones got purchased. I also replaced a top bush that was shagged. Madza dealer came through again with some top notch service. 

With that done i decided to address the arches. 

I started with the bad side and made a new arch lip, tacked in slowly slowly to reduce warpage. 

That took hours and hours to make and get right.  Really i need two quarter panels and to chop the arch off and repair the inner arch lip. Thats 300+ in parts alone. So thats not happening. 

 Guess ill have to spend a week or two doing this shit on a mazda thats already taken a hit to the rear its ass isnt exactly factory shaped. 

With a sill that appears to have been dented in and filled with bog at some point and the opposite side with some horrific looking welding repairs done in the past. Id be wasting my time. 

I welded a plate over the sill end grot. Pretty it was not ,  i could have left the gaffa tape on the sharp edges but as id made a start on the n.s arch lips i had to do some sort of repair And then by some sort of miracle* the archs all got repaired in less that 12 hours.  Some rattle cans and large amounts of primer as i didnt have any sanding discs less than 240 grit.  Many layers of clear to give room to flat back and hide the issues.

Rear light panel hammered out so the light bolts up properly* bumper brackets bodged up and exhaust bent back so its not holding the bumper up anymore.

MOT and full geometry booked yesterday morning. Hat and coat on, roof down 

Result 

Roof didnt go up untill about 10 last night.  Mucho hoono ensued.