PrinceRupert's Cars - MG4 and TVR Tuscan

[PrinceRupert]

 

Well that was a surprise ...

[High Jetter]

Excellent news!

[DirtyDaily]

Proper good news. Now you have 12 months motoring in a seriously nice motor. Hope you enjoy it and glad it's passed and lives on!

[DirtyDaily]

If the water pump hasn't been replaced already that could be the source of your noise. I had to do mine on with similar age and miles. The old one was very past it. Pretty easy job with plenty of access. Cheap parts too.

[Bear]

5 hours ago, PrinceRupert said:

 

Well that was a surprise ...

Honestly, I wasn't concerned about it passing, just too damn busy. I suspect people doubted this and I am delighted it has passed for you - it will love being used!

[PrinceRupert]

1 minute ago, RichardK said:

Honestly, I wasn't concerned about it passing, just too damn busy. I suspect people doubted this and I am delighted it has passed for you - ir will love being used!

I didn't doubt you but i did expect it to fail on the brake pipes and split tie rod boots - but obviously chuffed!

 

Now can justify spending some more money on it...ordered a condensor and o rings to see if i can fix the air con

 

[Bear]

2 hours ago, DirtyDaily said:

If the water pump hasn't been replaced already that could be the source of your noise. I had to do mine on with similar age and miles. The old one was very past it. Pretty easy job with plenty of access. Cheap parts too.

The chirping started during the time of disuse and went away after about 20 minutes the last couple of times - could be early warning of a dry bearing somewhere.

[Broadsword]

Congrats on the MOT!!!

[brownnova]

Great news on the test pass! 
 

Enjoy happy Jaaaaaag motoring! 

[PrinceRupert]

Got it out on a longer drive today.  Noticeable drivetrain vibration, very noticeable at motorway speeds, and significant when braking at motorway speeds (but not so at lower speeds).  Front right disc is too hot to touch when front left is fine  so suspect binding caliper.

[Bear]

That's the bit I meant about the brakes needing a service. Up here I'd get about 20-30 miles then vibration - and it's been stood. Sliders off, clean up and grease (or new slider kit) should deal with it. I'm guessing that around busier areas with more braking needed it doesn't go as far before binding?

[horriblemercedes]

I don't know if these have the same brake calipers as a 52 plate 3.0 litre S-Type (seems quite possible) but if so, I have a set of front brake pads that you can have. I bought them, forgot, got rid of the car and they turned up in a garage tidy up recently

[PrinceRupert]

Calipers and discs definitely a bit crispy.  Might get a set of sliders etc only six quid a side on ebay.  

A 10mm bolt from the shed and two cable ties got the undertray not hanging down quite as badly though which is good.

[Urko]

I got a front caliper for my 2003 X350 from Rockauto for a decent price - some brake and suspension parts are shared with Lincoln LS so can be had at decent prices from US suppliers.

I have an X350 workshop manual saved as a pdf if you want it - just send me PM. 

[DirtyDaily]

I think I have a caliper and disc in my shed...

[PrinceRupert]

Newbie question: how do I know if the pistons are seized in the caliper?  Have the carrier off and pads out and have cleaned and greased the pins and greased the rubber bits but there is no obvious way to move the pistons in and out to see if they are seized.

[wesacosa]

not sure you can easily.  Its much more likely that the sliders will be the problem rather than the pistons, especially it the dust covers look in tact and no obvious signs of rust etc.  You could try pushing them back with a piece of wood and a G cramp 

don't be tempted to push the pedal to see if they move out !!! 

maybe easier just to assume its the sliders and put it back together and give it a drive

[DirtyDaily]

not sure you can easily.  Its much more likely that the sliders will be the problem rather than the pistons, especially it the dust covers look in tact and no obvious signs of rust etc.  You could try pushing them back with a piece of wood and a G cramp 
don't be tempted to push the pedal to see if they move out !!! 
maybe easier just to assume its the sliders and put it back together and give it a drive

I would concur. If you need a good caliper let me know.

[Bear]

If you want to check the pistons, clamp a block of wood in the caliper between the pistons and the caliper iself, that leaves just a few mm for them to move. Think "pad thickness + disc". Then you can give the pedal a gentle push. But there will be pad wear reflected in their current position, so get a clamp or a piston wind back tool and they should retract.

When cold the car would drive and pull up straight and then drive off, so I don't think the pistons are a problem. It felt like reluctant sliders and grabbing/binding.

[PrinceRupert]

Seems a bit better but not fixed.@DirtyDaily might take you up on that offer of a caliper

[PrinceRupert]

@RichardK did you have any problems with the key?  It was pretty temperamental and i changed the battery and now the buttons dont seem to do anything 

[wesacosa]

some old Fords of that era you had to do some sequence with keys and buttons to make the remote locking buttons talk to the car after a battery charger. maybe worth a Google

as for the brakes, might just need to bed in a bit. few drives and some stamping on the pedal might help ?

[Bear]

29 minutes ago, PrinceRupert said:

@RichardK did you have any problems with the key?  It was pretty temperamental and i changed the battery and now the buttons dont seem to do anything 

No, the key always worked - sometimes the central locking wouldn't but that was because of the NSR door not being recognised as locked/unlocked, or the driver's door tension spring.

Looking at the calipers I'd have gone at those with a needle scaler if I still had all the tools I used to - but that's why I hadn't done anything with them, no longer having workshop or tools at that scale!

[Timewaster]

On 28/01/2022 at 14:12, PrinceRupert said:

 

Well that was a surprise ...

D'oh! Now I'm even more jel that I didn't win the roffle. 

The impending mot disaster and subsequent wallet emptying was the only consolation I had. 

🙂 Enjoy! 

[PrinceRupert]

Turns out tyre pressures are all far too low and imbalanced across the front axle - 19 front right and 25 front left.  Pumped them up to their proper levels (32/34) and will take it for another spin next weekend to see if it might have contributed to some of the vibration/fidgetiness.  The brakes are definitely improved but is still some vibration and get hotter on right front than left front, but they don't get absolutely cooking. Might as wes says just need a bit of exercise.

Replaced the rear left door actuator today and now have four locking doors, result.  Not too difficult a task, lots of screws and a little fiddly but only took an hour or so.  

Key fob is now doing absolutely nothing though. Ive replaced the battery and followed the instructions to progam it to no effect.  Got quoted 144 quid for a new key ...

 

 

[DirtyDaily]

Turns out tyre pressures are all far too low and imbalanced across the front axle - 19 front right and 25 front left.  Pumped them up to their proper levels (32/34) and will take it for another spin next weekend to see if it might have contributed to some of the vibration/fidgetiness.  The brakes are definitely improved but is still some vibration and get hotter on right front than left front, but they don't get absolutely cooking. Might as wes says just need a bit of exercise.
Replaced the rear left door actuator today and now have four locking doors, result.  Not too difficult a task, lots of screws and a little fiddly but only took an hour or so.  
Key fob is now doing absolutely nothing though. Ive replaced the battery and followed the instructions to progam it to no effect.  Got quoted 144 quid for a new key and ideally need two...
 
 

May or May not be related. When I purchased my xj it had a VERY strange thing with the door locks. It would work once unlocking and locking but it would need like 10 minutes for it to work again unless you put the key in the ignition. If you locked the car and forgot something in it you wouldn't be able to use the key you had to put it in the door. I had no idea how to fix this so I just put up with it. One day after working on it I left the ignition on and killed the battery. Jumped it and from then on it worked fine. I'd be tempted to remove the battery again.

ETA- I think ultimately it was either an alarm/immobiliser issue or a drivers door module issue

[Bear]

The remote is really confusing me (top work on getting that rear door sorted. TBF the door cards are one of the bits on the X350 I was impressed with the way they've been done). It worked all the time. It seems unlikely that I wouldn't have put a new battery in the fob, too - that's one of those things I just do as a routine when I get a car, and the missing keyring loop annoyed me so I'd looked into the new keys but put them on the 'when I am actually using the car' priority list (i.e. never because I got the BMW/Mazda/MX-5).

The fobs were £34 and could be programmed if you already had a fob paired to the car. The transponder you needed two keys paired to the car, or the Jag software. I'd leave the car on the battery conditioner for a while and locked and see what happens once it's had some time to think about what it's done.

That time spent sitting from the end of October/getting covid (me, not the car) really did it no favours. Again, another reason why it was stressful having too many cars, I'm loving seeing all the bits I wanted to do get done.

[Timewaster]

1 hour ago, PrinceRupert said:

Replaced the rear left door actuator today and now have four locking doors, result.  Not too difficult a task, lots of screws and a little fiddly but only took an hour or so.  

20 odd years ago I had a mate who drove a shabby xj40 Sovereign. Not bad for a 23 Yr old!

We stripped the rh rear door to sort non functioning central locking.

We got the actuator out and took it down to the local scrappy to find a replacement.

The scrappy pulled out a big box of assorted actuators for us to hunt through. 

We found one identical to the original,  turned it over and in traditional scrap yard yellow paint was scrawled the word "Montego".

I did not take the piss, for weeks.  Honest.

[PrinceRupert]

Selection of goodies arrived this morning to give it a good service. 

I do have the workshop manual (thanks for the offer @Urko) but it is so dense and difficult to navigate (the powertrain section alone is 3594 pages...) - it is no HBOL!  

I just read the power steering system flushing section and apparently I need four litres of power steering fluid ... so will need to order another 2l.  It seems easy enough, though lots of warnings about damaging the system if you do it wrong and seems I will need to enlist a helper.  

I read on a forum that 50ml of "friction modifier" should be added - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/163427204458 - essential? 26 quid for 50ml is extortionate ... and it doesn't seem to be mentioned in the workshop manual. 

 

[wesacosa]

if the helper just needs to be willing but not skilled or knowledgeable just give me a shout