PrinceRupert's Cars - MG4 and TVR Tuscan

[PrinceRupert]

Frustratingly there seems to be arms out there that are actually possible to fit e.g. 

https://jaguarspares-northeast.co.uk/product/jaguar-xj-x350-rear-suspension-stabiliser-link-arm/

is designed to have a socket on the end, which is how this bloke fits them 

 

[Wgl2019]

Would a crows foot socket fit?

https://www.ffx.co.uk/product/Get/Siegen-S01043-5051747788367-Flexible-Crow-S-Foot-Open-End-Spanner-Set-10Pc-3-8In-Sq-Drive-Metric

[PrinceRupert]

12 minutes ago, Wgl2019 said:

Would a crows foot socket fit?

https://www.ffx.co.uk/product/Get/Siegen-S01043-5051747788367-Flexible-Crow-S-Foot-Open-End-Spanner-Set-10Pc-3-8In-Sq-Drive-Metric

Quite possibly good idea

In the meantime ive ordered this from amazon for a fiver to see if it will work

 

[DirtyDaily]

I had a similar problem on the rear tow arms. I got a reciprocating saw on them and cut them both off. Much easier than faffing about doing it properly

[PrinceRupert]

So spoke to the part supplier and they supply three versions - aftermarket, OEM and Jaguar - in increasing cost (32/45/120).  The latter two have the hexagonal section to hold it, and the former does not. Though apparently they have sold 48 of the aftermarket vs 8 of the OEM in 2021 and had no complaints about them being impossible to fit ...

Will probably give it a go with my thin spanner failing which swap them for the proper part.

[anonymous user]

17 hours ago, PrinceRupert said:

Quite possibly good idea

In the meantime ive ordered this from amazon for a fiver to see if it will work

 

Can you only adjust it in metric?

[wesacosa]

I still wonder if your idea of a dremmel slot for a screwdriver would be worth trying after that small spanner.  assume you can do so and still get the nut on

[PrinceRupert]

Just now, wesacosa said:

I still wonder if your idea of a dremmel slot for a screwdriver would be worth trying after that small spanner.  assume you can do so and still get the nut on

Cant return them if i grind a slot into it is the thing...

[wesacosa]

9 minutes ago, PrinceRupert said:

Cant return them if i grind a slot into it is the thing...

yeah but if they are correct for everything else and you have screwdriver access you hopefully won't need to...but fingers crossed the spanner works and you won't have to

[PrinceRupert]

On 2/13/2022 at 6:41 PM, PrinceRupert said:

Quite possibly good idea

In the meantime ive ordered this from amazon for a fiver to see if it will work

 

So this was absolutely useless, it might be short but it is bloody enormous!  Trouble with buying things online...

 

Anyway, I managed to get it back together, with a bit more pain.   I undid the outer end, put a spanner on it (as it was some way away from the bracket then, so could get an angle straight up from below), and tightened it onto it.  The spanner was then lodged firm so I had to hammer it out, and so I have doubts whether it is tight enough - I used a torque wrench, but did the spanner stop it tightening properly...

Other problem is the boot slipped out of the retaining ring and away from where it should be, and couldn't get it back on ... see pic.  Should be okay...?

Then I couldn't get the bloody outer bolt in, and got it stuck several times, but then realised if I jacked the hub up it lined up better and with a bit of grease got it slotted in. 

 

So what should have been an easy hour job was a total pain in the arse.  Going to give it to the garage to do the other side, and gonna ask them to try and work out what is causing the terrible ride quality and squeak at the front. And get them to do the rusty brake pipes. 

Forgot how frustrating and annoying working on old rusty cars can be ...

[PrinceRupert]

So cheating and putting it into a local Jag specialist.  At 90 quid an hour + VAT he isn't cheap, but my local garage is 70 odd quid + VAT and I figure the specialist is more likely to get to the right answer more quickly, and can fit the stabilising link on the other side.  Definitely better than me spending another two days on my back wrestling with rusty fecking bolts ...

 

Expensive month with the Rover in for a new backbox tomorrow and the TVR in for a service and whatever else it might need next week...

[wesacosa]

good call. £90 an hour for someone who knows what they are doing should be cheaper than £70 an hour for someone who doesn't when trying to diagnose an unknown faulty. And no doubt he will have that tie rod done in no time at all

[PrinceRupert]

So had days of annual leave to burn so took today off and am doing something even i cant mess up - cleaning the interiors of the car.  The Jag was superficially clean but definitely benefitted from a deep clean.

 

As Richard had mentioned, someone had decided to spray paint the steering wheel green. But obviously did it on the car and didn't mask off.   Speckles of green paint all over seats and centre console...

 

 

 

 

[PrinceRupert]

Non Jag related, but after a sunny morning thought I'd use the break in the weather to take the TVR for a spin. Of course it started raining 5 minutes after i left the house and didn't stop.  Only one accidental sideways moment ...

 

 

[straightSix]

27 minutes ago, PrinceRupert said:

Non Jag related, but after a sunny morning thought I'd use the break in the weather to take the TVR for a spin. Of course it started raining 5 minutes after i left the house and didn't stop.  Only one accidental sideways moment ...

 

 

Green Jag XJ and a Trev, snap! Mines only a 4.0 Chim, didn't have the stones for a speed six. What engine have you got in your Tuscan?

[straightSix]

The other day I saw a Tamora out in absolutely torrential rain, dread to think how sideways he was getting ,😂

[PrinceRupert]

21 minutes ago, straightSix said:

Green Jag XJ and a Trev, snap! Mines only a 4.0 Chim, didn't have the stones for a speed six. What engine have you got in your Tuscan?

It has the standard 4.0l, 360bhp  but it says 380bhp in the manual and was rebuilt by Str8Six in 2018 so who knows 🤣

To complete the trio, the Rover lives on with a new backbox.

209 quid - they charged me one hours labour at 64 + VAT and the exhaust at cost price at cheaper than i was going to spend online.   Thats very reasonable for London and honest and fair of them  top marks.  They said it was welded on and so glad i didnt attempt it on axle stands in the wet. In fact at that price not sure why i do any work myself...

Tempted to cancel the booking at the specialist and stick the Jag in with them...

[PrinceRupert]

29 minutes ago, straightSix said:

Green Jag XJ and a Trev, snap! Mines only a 4.0 Chim, didn't have the stones for a speed six. What engine have you got in your Tuscan?

Oh and I have had it for almost exactly a year and it has been flawlessly reliable in that time over approx 5k miles, dicky door electrics aside!

[straightSix]

35 minutes ago, PrinceRupert said:

Oh and I have had it for almost exactly a year and it has been flawlessly reliable in that time over approx 5k miles, dicky door electrics aside!

The more you use them the more reliable they are! I'm so upset with mine, because I have to keep it outside, I think there was some moisture under the paint which has frozen so it now looks like a spotty 17 year old and blistered all over 

[PrinceRupert]

2 hours ago, straightSix said:

The more you use them the more reliable they are! I'm so upset with mine, because I have to keep it outside, I think there was some moisture under the paint which has frozen so it now looks like a spotty 17 year old and blistered all over 

Did you use a car cover? I know they can cause blistering on a fibreglass car.

Mine is kept outside but under a car port.

[PrinceRupert]

So it is in with SE Jags

Andrew reckons the vibration is a buckled alloy or potentially a wheel bearing, and also noted that the alignment is miles out (which may be due to me only having done one side of the rear stabilising link).  He is going to do the stabilising links,  the alignment, investigate the alloy, and has also noted that the heating is rubbish and is going to do back flush the matrix to sort it.  

On the oil leak, he suggested it is probably sump gasket (without having looked at it) but that is apparently 5 hours labour so won't be getting done ...

He said he was very impressed with how it drove however, issues aside, particularly given the mileage - "seems a really good, honest car". So that's good. 

 

 

[wesacosa]

sounds promising.  Did he mention if the ride seemed unusually fidgety or hard? or what the creak noise was?

 

[Bear]

If he's backflushing the matrix (we have crap water pressure here so I am not surprised my efforts failed) heads up to replace the O rings with correct parts - I had a devil of a time tracking down the right component and ended up cutting 2mm out of the nearest fit, which sealed okay but is worth improving if someone with the knowledge of where to get the right bits quickly...

I am still suspicious of the tyres -the car sat for ages and they're not fresh.  Never noticed any wheelbearing noise, but hot caliper could accelerate failure.

Glad it's getting sorted!

[PrinceRupert]

On 2/27/2022 at 8:31 AM, wesacosa said:

sounds promising.  Did he mention if the ride seemed unusually fidgety or hard? or what the creak noise was?

 

He reckons the ride is due to the buckled alloy, and suggested there was a suspension knock possible due to a bush. He didn't comment on the squeak, though I did flag it to him.  Let's see what he uncovers when he gets it up on a ramp. 

I don't think it was wheel bearing tbh, but let's see. 

[wesacosa]

37 minutes ago, PrinceRupert said:

He reckons the ride is due to the buckled alloy, and suggested there was a suspension knock possible due to a bush. He didn't comment on the squeak, though I did flag it to him.  Let's see what he uncovers when he gets it up on a ramp. 

I don't think it was wheel bearing tbh, but let's see. 

yeah, I have to say I didn't hear anything that sounded like a wheel bearing, plus assume Mr MOT man would have checked it too

[PrinceRupert]

So it has been nine days since it was dropped off and spoke to the garage this morning (been unable to get through last few days) - work hasn't yet begun. All rather annoying. 

My local non-specialist turns things same day ...

[PrinceRupert]

Still not started, due to problems getting parts for other peoples cars apparently. Frustrating. 

In positive news, the Tuscan is getting a service and MOT this week and it only needs an engine mount which the specialist is going halves on as it is just at the end of its warranty.  Cheap motoring  

[NorthernMonkey]

A guy I used to work for in Coventry about 16 years ago had a TVR in that exact colour. He got rid of it after scuffing the front bumper and being somewhat alarmed as to the cost of having it resprayed!

Wonder if it’s the same car? Can’t see there being too many around like that!

[PrinceRupert]

8 minutes ago, NorthernMonkey said:

A guy I used to work for in Coventry about 16 years ago had a TVR in that exact colour. He got rid of it after scuffing the front bumper and being somewhat alarmed as to the cost of having it resprayed!

Wonder if it’s the same car? Can’t see there being too many around like that!

Don't say that, someone managed to put a few scuffs next to my passenger door (by someone it must be my better half but she denies it) and I have a couple of chips caused by the roof into the boot that ideally could be resolved ......

[PrinceRupert]

So the specialist rung me back with not very good news - apparently it needs 1200-1500 quid worth of work. I'm not sure I caught everything, but he said: 

• two seized brake calipers
• brake lines 
• discs and pads all round (imho pads are fine, discs are a bit crusty but didn't look terrible)
• totally collapsed caster arm, apparently at a 45 degree angle to where it should be (I never noticed...), to the point he would not recommend driving it - so two caster arms
• potentially the subframe is gone, would need to take undertray off to confirm, but might be cause of collapsed caster arm
• the rear stabilising links
• alignment miles out
• some other bits i missed, trying to get him to write it all down 

Plus an engine oil leak and transmission sump oil leak, and four tyres (not included in the 1200 to 1500 rough estimate above). 

This is despite passing an mot with no advisories a week before I dropped it off with him, and him telling me after a couple of days with him that he had taken it for a spin and that it drives well...

To top it off, he ended the conversation with offering to buy it off me to fix and use as a courtesy car if I didn't want to spend money on it. 

I'm not minded to spend that sort of money sorting it (noting that things like calipers/discs/pads i could do myself but the rest sounds like a reasonable amount of work plus over 500 quid for tyres all round), but I also don't really trust him after his secretary had a go at me yesterday for harassing him (two phone calls when he had the car for over three weeks without an update ...) and the fact he then offered to buy it and the fact it got no advisories on its mot just a month ago. 

Thoughts? 

I am minded to get it picked up and taken to my normal garage who I trust and asking for a second opinion.