THE GUBBERMINT ALWAYS KNOWS BEST

[M'coli]

Re-gap the plugs too, that should help. And, oddly enough, make sure the edges are sharp - electrical fields are more intense on sharp edges.

[dollywobbler]

Now I actually have time on my hands, I'm lightly overhauling my spare 2CV engine as I'm fed up of being killed by the one that's currently fitted (burns oil, exhaust manifold leak straight into heater. Nice). Just awaiting some parts so I can carry on with that and see if my fettling has had any effect at all. Hoping I can do the engine swap within a day this time (took two last time).

 

The BX has had a new windscreen. Having replaced wiper blades and arms, I decided the screen was the only remaining reason why I couldn't see when it rained. A new chip in the swept area was enough for me to phone National Windscreens (via my insurance) and get the thing replaced. Screen surround wasn't as rotten as I thought it might be...

 

I can now see. It's great.

 

CX continues to baffle. Took it to Oxford last week. Heater motor would occasionally fail, as it does, but then the passenger door refused to open. Went for a drive, and then it was fine. Got to love old Citroens...

 

Also developed an odd ticking noise, but this turned out to be a stuck electric window switch trying to make the window close even though it already was. That's why they fit cut-outs! Have also discovered that the CX is not the tool for Welsh mountain roads. It threatens to bottom out on some sections, and actually takes off over hump backs. The 2CV and BX are far better.

[HillmanImp]

Scirocco broke down.

 

Nearside driveshaft bolts all fell out!

 

Oh shit. I had that off a few weeks ago to replace the CV boot..... Sorry.

 

Do you have the replacement bolts? I swear I remember doing them up as they were a pig to tighten. Obviously did not tighten them well enough though.

 

Volksy did the other side and did not take off the driveshaft so they should be intact.

[seth]

Wow, toughest MOT ever. I don't mind if the bloke finds a rust hole he can fit his fist through as that's pretty cut and dried. But the Hillman's brakes were a bit of a palava today. Car's a bit low for the rollers really so out on the road it went with the Tapley meter. The guy was gone for ages,eventually coming back as he'd had trouble getting enough grip anywhere (really damp/slippy roads) as the wheels were just locking up without slowing the car down enough. Apparently you used to be able to pass a car that locked its wheels up but there's no option for that any more.

 

SO I suggest we try putting it on the rollers. This now throws up an imbalance on the front that was not really noticeable on the road and then when doing the rear one locks solid. And I mean solid. Managed to get the drum round so that we could loosen off the auto adjuster and get the drum off. I've had no issue with a sticking brake on the back at all so its a bit of a mystery. After having it apart and back together a couple of times (including another lock up on the rollers) it transpires that the wheel cylinder is sticking but some exercise back and forth gets it all moving again. Because I drive like a grandpa and very rarely brake hard I'd not managed to get it do do this on the road. Neither had the tester when he went out with the Tapley and was locking it all up.

 

Back on the rollers and it was clear that the front crossmember was sitting on the floor so after winding the spring adjusters up we managed to get all the readings to an acceptable level. So, an eventual pass but I now need to decide whether to fit a new wheel cylinder or rubbers to that one or swap on the whole later Hunter axle. This has different brakes but I have already got new cylinders and shoes for it but there's a couple of small buts missing that may be awkward to find. And if I do swap it over towing the trailer will become more of a struggle (3.7 instead of 4.1) and I've no guarantee that it won't whine as much as the existing one.

[Lord Sterling]

Decided to get up off my arse and sort the Micra out. Since about a year the lights behind the heater panel have not been working. Poking around in a few scrap Micras saw me with some bulbs. Peeled off the heater facia, and replaced said bulbs, nice to have lights again behind panel.

 

Whilst there I decided to see what the problem with the weak fan was, apparently there is some sort of filter behind the dash in an airbox. After an half an hour of trying to find out what I'm supposed to be doing, swearing and using brute force I finally managed to yank out this air box along with a few bits of broken plastic, took the filter out which was clearly covered with about 10 years worth of dust and crap.

 

I thought I'd try and hoover some of the crap out, no, hoover decides to throw the towel in. So I resort to the old brush and brush out the dust, got as much out as I could and it looked alot cleaner, no doubt that theres still crap in it, but until I get a new filter, that'll have to do.

 

Bashed the box back in behind the glovebox, heater seemed a little more powerful than before, and certainly heated up the car a little faster than before.

[MrDuke]

This week, I shall mostly be... figuring out why the Riva starts choking itself every time I 'use' the throttle. Normally I'd put it down to a dirty carb, but I can't see that being a problem at less than 10k from new (no, really ). I'd also like to find the source of the very rhythmic drumming noise from the rear axle, hopefully it won't be anything that requires me to lay in a puddle for 2 hours to sort out.

[garethj]

I've been working my way around the Volvo replacing the bulbs that were out, seeing as most of my commute is now in the dark. New headlight switch bulb changed in 2 minutes, new seat switch bulb changed in 5 minutes, all door lights changed in 5 minutes. I love cars that are easy to work on

 

Flushed with success I tried the electric sunroof. Wound it back and it groaned a bit but went back ok so I gave all the moving parts a bath in Plusgas. It just clips the wind deflector going forwards again but I can live without a sunroof for the moment.

[barefoot]

Scirocco broke down.

 

Nearside driveshaft bolts all fell out!

 

Oh shit. I had that off a few weeks ago to replace the CV boot..... Sorry.

 

Do you have the replacement bolts? I swear I remember doing them up as they were a pig to tighten. Obviously did not tighten them well enough though.

 

Volksy did the other side and did not take off the driveshaft so they should be intact.

 

I say fell out,

actually remained held in place (in the driveshaft) by the spreader plate things,

but no longer attached to the gearbox.

Towed home by a friend in a VW T5 - horrible, all you can see is the T5.

All original bolts re-used and loc-tited in place.

 

As they say in the heart of the potato farming industry - 'the job's a caret!'

[HillmanImp]

Thats not so bad then. At least the bolts are still there. Sorry again.

 

Been towed in a GT6 behind a van once by a lunatic who was doing about 70 down the dual carriageway. I was thinking if he brakes hard I will stand no chance. But what could I do? I was just praying for the rope to snap, but he got me there incident free (as I am able to write this).

[barefoot]

Do not worry about it,

 

I have lurked on this forum for a long time and have

always been impressed with the apparent honesty of the people here.

I bought the Scirocco from you based purely on your description of it

and am not disappointed.

 

It's 23 years old and it's a nice little car that suits my purposes.

 

It's complete lack of drive in the pitch black, pouring rain was just part of

the rich tapestry that is Auto-Shite...

[M'coli]

In view of the coming weather, I've spent an hour or so sticking antifreeze in the Cavalier and the Imp.

[Rusty Pelican]

In view of the coming weather, I've spent an hour or so sticking antifreeze in .

Just done both my Imps and the Beemer , 7 litres of the stuff used in total to get the required mix in all three

[M'coli]

I wouldn't say that they each have the right proportion of antifreeze, as they could probably do with about a litre each more - it was all I had in the garage, and a 20-25% mix is better than none!

[Pillock]

Golf has today done a 52 mile round trip to work and back without issue so....... I think I might have actually fixed it!

[Polystratus]

Golf has today done a 52 mile round trip to work and back without issue so....... I think I might have actually fixed it!

Thats good, bet you saved quite a bit in garage labour costs.

[Guest]

Today I took the 480 for a drive.

 

Mark still hasn't sold that cunting van.

[Pillock]

Golf has today done a 52 mile round trip to work and back without issue so....... I think I might have actually fixed it!

Thats good, bet you saved quite a bit in garage labour costs.

 

I was quoted £120 to fit the box so not a massive massive amount but, well, enough. At times that figure seemed good, especially when I had a rope around my neck and under the gearbox trying to lift it and have hands free to wiggle it onto the shaft but I have a nice smug grin on my face now

[Mike D]

I drove the 928 to the garage round the corner earlier to have the gearbox flushed and the fluid changed... Not really in the autoshite spirit, but i'll be damned if i'm ruining my drive with milky ATF in the freezing cold, and it was only a tenner more than getting the car transported to my mates to do it on his ramp!

 

In other news, I think i'm going to have to replace the brake lines / pipes, as the unions have corroded to fuck.... Don't fancy 300 bhp with dodgy brakes! haha

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I've had the cylinder head off my Cavalier tonight. I am gonna clean it all up tomorrow hopefully and start putting it all back together at the weekend. Does anyone know if i need to replace the head bolts? (I'd rather not as I am skint). its a 1993 2.0 8v.

[M'coli]

Probably, I think they're stretch bolts. Is it the NE engine? I can look in the mk2 Haynes manual in the supplementary chapter tomorrow if you like.

[maxpower]

 

See it does come out of the garage sometimes, last time out the brakes were sticking so it's going in to have them sorted out and have the oil changed and anti-freeze changed before winter sets in. By tomorrow the Volvo will have finished on ebay, I assume most of the 170 watchers are off here.

 

just had to say.... that is a nice looking motor

[HillmanImp]

I am moving in a few weeks to a smaller house with a much smaller garage. Is going to take some getting used to. Thankfully i have 2 months where i am going to have both houses so am going to utilise the space as much as i can whilst i have it.

 

Currently stripping the Imp back to bare metal to find any nasties such as these:

 

 

....welding it, treating it and filling where necesarry (there are a few dents which i can put up with) ready to move it to its new home. Will then pop the GT6 in to get it welded up solid and ready for sale. It does not need much (I hope, I wont be looking too hard).

[Cheggers]

New wood dash for the Triumph arrived today...£5 in the Rimmer Bros winter sale

[Angrydicky]

Took the A35 down to my local tyre/exhuast centre today for them to fit the new exhaust I had to go to Norfolk for. That should be done this afternoon, then it will be up for sale as I need to make room for a new (shite) car, does anyone want it? Tax exempt

[CreepingJesus]

I've had the cylinder head off my Cavalier tonight. I am gonna clean it all up tomorrow hopefully and start putting it all back together at the weekend. Does anyone know if i need to replace the head bolts? (I'd rather not as I am skint). its a 1993 2.0 8v.

 

Yes, they're stretch bolts. Last time I changed one of those, I was also unpleasantly surprised to find that Vauxhall had changed the old hex-head bolts, for Torx. I'm not sure if the pattern ones are hex or Torx. Either way, the stretch was measurable on my used bolts, against the new ones; so probly not a great idea to chance it.

[michiel]

Took the A35 down to my local tyre/exhuast centre today for them to fit the new exhaust I had to go to Norfolk for. That should be done this afternoon, then it will be up for sale as I need to make room for a new (shite) car, does anyone want it? Tax exempt

 

Ooh... tempting. Is it pre-1960?

[Angrydicky]

Took the A35 down to my local tyre/exhuast centre today for them to fit the new exhaust I had to go to Norfolk for. That should be done this afternoon, then it will be up for sale as I need to make room for a new (shite) car, does anyone want it? Tax exempt

 

Ooh... tempting. Is it pre-1960?

 

1957

[seth]

Took the A35 down to my local tyre/exhuast centre today for them to fit the new exhaust I had to go to Norfolk for. That should be done this afternoon, then it will be up for sale as I need to make room for a new (shite) car, does anyone want it? Tax exempt

 

Ooh... tempting. Is it pre-1960?

 

Will be unless its a van.

 

Tempted here too!

[michiel]

MoT-exempt as well over here! Is it the black four door? Gawd, I really wish I could make you an offer.

[Angrydicky]

Haha that's quite alright Michiel, it is the black four-door saloon, there are some pictures of it in the Stondon thread I think. It's in proper Autoshite condition, plenty of rust, filler, faded paint and gaffer tape, the engine smokes like a tractor and the shock absorbers are pretty much non-existant. Apart from that it's not too bad at all, to be fair it's one of the best A35's I've ever driven. MOT is June 2011 I think.

 

Special shiters price, £1000?

 

Edit: It's in Southend, Essex.