N19's fleet- fuel pump fault sorted? plus unnecessary oil change

[IronStar]

43 minutes ago, N19 said:

The cyanoacrylate and baking soda tip sounds potentially viable. It's down on the inside of the skirt so won't be visible!

Do the metal clips from the backside first, they’re the actual reinforcement.
FWIW welding plastic properly with proper gear isn’t really complicated.

[N19]

Thatd be wonderful! Let me know how much you want and postage and ill send it over!

[N19]

1 hour ago, IronStar said:

Do the metal clips from the backside first, they’re the actual reinforcement.
FWIW welding plastic properly with proper gear isn’t really complicated.

Will have a look into it before getting stuck in. May practice on some scrap bits of plastic first.

[danthecapriman]

10 minutes ago, N19 said:

Thatd be wonderful! Let me know how much you want and postage and ill send it over!

PM’d you!

[N19]

The engine's been running ok on the old pump sans spring, with the same caveats about weakness as before. So I decided to take the Capri for a trip to meet a friend in High Wycombe - in all an 80 mile jaunt.

The only casualty was a nut off the K&N, so far as I could see.

Nice to be out in a little village.

The Capri is definitely an A/B roads car - great to drive along some of these winding roads. On the way back I went via the M25 which was fine, but not as fun!

Back at my lockup I unboxed the most recent parcel. Exhaust mounts, mainly.

Will fit these tomorrow and that'll *hopefully* be the exhaust nice and secure (it did scrape a couple of times when going over bumpy roads). The bits in the centre are bonnet spacers which I need to re-fit.

Current snag list :-

• re fit a new fuel pump
• once fuel pump is all good - replace all fuel hose with fresh, and new clips too
• OS headlamp only working on full beam
• OS rev lamp inop
• rear numberplate lamps inop
• re-fit bumper corner brackets (front)
• re-fit footwell kick plates (driver & passenger footwells)
• re-fit 1x bit of side trim
• connect up HRW and park function for rear wiper
• re-fit cam belt cover

More photos because why not

[uk_senator]

Look what I just tripped over, while going through my old spotted folders to post something else! Was taken 20/07/2019 in Colney Hatch Lane (& that long term owned Volvo 240 Torslanda, K137KGP, parked behind you has been scrapped fairly recently, a suspected ULEZ victim..)

[tooSavvy]

K&N Dome nuts coming adrift .... 🤔

Go '30's Le Mans'... Drill a hole across the upper of the dome [above stud end] and then wizz some stiff wire through.

Twin & earth copper good enough 👍

🚙💨

[N19]

3 hours ago, uk_senator said:

Look what I just tripped over, while going through my old spotted folders to post something else! Was taken 20/07/2019 in Colney Hatch Lane (& that long term owned Volvo 240 Torslanda, K137KGP, parked behind you has been scrapped fairly recently, a suspected ULEZ victim..)

My first thought "ooft, the os bumper front cap is out of line". Happy summer evenings. I think that evening I was heading to Screwfix in North Finchley to pick up some crimps to repair the radio speaker connection. At the time I lived in Archway but any excuse for a trip out.

[N19]

I've been quiet the last couple of weeks. I spent nearly a week away over last weekend, and other than that I've mainly been working. 

The Capri hasn't moved in almost 2 weeks, since the trip out to High Wycombe. 

The exhaust hanger rear and rubbers had arrived, I warmed up one of the rubbers and used a vice to ease it on.

The remainder of the jobs from the "snagging list" above haven't been touched, but I hope I'll be able to get it out on Sunday and change the fuel pump and oil (thanks @danthecapriman for posting a spacer!).  Other bits and pieces can then be sorted in evenings, and as the weather gets better I might actually be able to start just enjoying driving it!

The Mondeo performed mostly faultlessly on a round trip to the north, ticking over 190,000 miles which takes it to 30,000 miles in my ownership (almost 5 years). Not too shabby at all - spot the road grime. It'll need two new rear tyres soon, and will probably be due an oil change actually. The heated seats and drivers electric seat adjustment have also stopped working which hopefully is just a blown fuse.

The Focus continues mostly on around-town trips to the shops and the station and so on. Both electric windows have stopped working and the rear tailgate release is still disconnected after the issues I had a while ago. Probably in need of some attention!

[N19]

I didn't get a chance to look at the fuel pump today, but I did change the oil and adjust the fanbelt. And covered 5 miles.

I hope to get the rest of the snagging jobs above sorted this week - more will come, of that I'm sure! Most of them at the moment are I'll then most likely see if I can get the car back on the ramp at the garage to check the exhaust alignment, get the fuel pump changed (I want to have everything out and test it methodically), replace the fuel hoses, and do a couple of final bits of trim fitting.

[N19]

The day started by just Going Out For A Drive, which was lovely. St Albans is a beautiful city and just on my doorstep.

Back at the garage and the first job was oil & filter on the Mondeo, which I'd last done in June last year so I thought. So dropped the oil, changed the filter, refilled. Went to write it in the book and discovered I'd actually changed it at the start of December - it's the Focus which was in June! Focus only does short mileages most of the time, and I think once a year is the recommendation (I do the Mondeo and Capri 6 monthly because old ford & reasonable mileage). Mondeo has done about 8,000 miles in the last year which aint bad for a vehicle of its age and which has to pay to drive around home! 

I did the every-couple-of-years grinding, kurusting and touching up of the rear arches. Yet to be any major issues but I tend to have to tidy it up every couple of years.

That done, the Capri was up on the axle stands and the new fuel pump and spacer assembly (thanks @danthecapriman) was put on.

I wanted to test that the pump was working fine and giving a good movement of fuel, before connecting it to the engine. A couple of spare hoses and bottles, made the place look like the specimens department at Barnet General!

and sure enough

with all the fuel pumped into the measuring jug, I then connected the pump out to the carb and then ran the engine off the jug (gaffer tape tower for height)

Happy that everything's now working well in the fuel pump department, I connected it to the tank line and then ran the car for a while. The true acid test will of course be if it can start from cold without difficulty! 

Old pump boxed up and to go under the rear seat with the other I-really-hope-I-never-need-this-at-the-side-of-the-road,-but-if-something-fails-in-the-middle-of-Aberdeenshire-it's-better-to-have-it-to-hand.