Consolidated fleet thread - Leaking Kia no longer leaky.

[dozeydustman]

Jobs still to do:

Adjust Handbrake so it drags at around 5 clicks instead of the current 8
Remove both struts and hub carriers one side done.
replace wheel bearings and N/S driveshaft.
replace driver’s seat belt
remove driver’s seat and weld up broken mounting point.
Bleed brakes. They have started to go spongy.
Check and replace any bad rubber fuel lines

Bleeding the O/S calliper removed a lot of the sponginess, lots of air came out which is not reassuring. No sogns of leakage anywhere.

I will be taking stepdaughter and baby to be registered tomorrow in the afternoon, but aside from that I should get nearside strut, hub, bottom arm and driveshaft done.

 

[dozeydustman]

After many fittings, nuts and bolts etc which were happy to stay where they have been since whenever, I finally have the second strut changed.

It was made a lot worse by everything and the world being covered in CV grease.

N/S Calliper is also seized, but I have a recon one somewhere, which will be whacked on after lunch and my afternoon errand.

[dozeydustman]

For £40 I've ordered a pair of discs and pads from ECP to collect this afternoon or in the morning. On closer inspection the n/s pad set is covered in CV grease and the discs, while they have plenty of meat on them, I think have a tiny bit of warp as there was always a bit of pulsing.

I also think the n/s handbrake cable is too far gone or the auto adjuster is knackered. Handbrake has been weak since I picked the car up, on maximum level pulling upperage, a burly ex-rugby player such as myself can just about push the car along.

As my stepdaughter isn't able to drive until end of April/beginning of May due to having a baby extracted surgically, I can use her car if I don't get a pass on Friday. But I do need to sort out the seized rear calliper on that as well!

[dozeydustman]

Back together minus the brake discs.

Surprisingly quick to get back together given how stubborn it was to dismantle.

 

Tomorrow I shall fit both discs, sets of pads and both of the recon callipers I have. Sliders on N/S are completely seized so I’ll look at getting a refurb kit for that so I have a pair of good spares.

Jobs still to do:

Adjust Handbrake so it drags at around 5 clicks instead of the current 8
Remove both struts and hub carriers
replace wheel bearings and N/S driveshaft.

replace driver’s seat belt
remove driver’s seat and weld up broken mounting point.
Bleed brakes. They have started to go spongy.
Check and replace any bad rubber fuel lines.

Fit and bleed new front brakes

[dozeydustman]

Righto.

This calliper has a stuck piston, with the other one having a stuck slider I changed both along with discs and pads. Then I ran out of brake cleaner.

A friend popped over to help me bleed the brakes, although gravity bleeding them first helped expel a lot of the air. Rinse and repeat for the other side.

A test drive reveals no more grumbling, even up to the dizzy heights of 50mph. Steering lighter and road holding far more compliant with no more knocks or bangs on taking up drive or on poor surfaces (read: any road in Sussex). Unfortunately I was unable to get a video on test as I left my phone on the dining table!

I was unable to get the little bit of welding done, if I get up in time and don’t need to do any ferrying of people or emergency shopping I’ll have a go in the morning. Whether it passes or fails is another thing, it’s a rolling project car so a couple of weeks off the road won’t do it any harm.

[dozeydustman]

Woot!

No advisories either!

[Tickman]

That's a well deserved result 

[dozeydustman]

My next plans for the 205, aside from just driving it and enjoying it, is to make the interior a more welcoming place to be. There is something in keeping it as original as possible, but a smashed up glovebox and a ripped driver’s seat need improving on. I may try and find all the broken shards of plastic for the glovebox but I have a feeling there is a bit missing.

[CaptainBoom]

Congratulations, not just on the MOT result, but also the addition to the family.

[dozeydustman]

Renewed the Peugeot’s insurance after some Meerkating and Lancaster wouldn’t insure it as a daily driver. £160 for 10k miles and all the bells & whistles including EU breakdown cover isn’t to be sniffed at.

Meanwhile, as Madam still is unable to drive I’ve used the Kia every other day. Particularly chilly yesterday morning and there was no heater. Before I left work I discovered most of the coolant was missing. Put about 5 litres of water in, no apparent leaks so drove home via a petrol station for a splash and dash. Then I noticed a puddle from under the front valance.

Got home and the radiator is leaking. Didn’t notice any leaks previously because my driveway is shingle.

Having relieved my stepdaughter of £120 for a new radiator and some concentrated coolant it should be arriving either today or tomorrow at my local ECP. It also looks fun* to change.

[dozeydustman]

After many swears this morning, and actually having to remove just about everything between the engine and the rad, I managed to get this out of the Kia.

It had 2-3 pinholes in the bottom tank and it also looks like it’s got struck by something in the lower N/S corner on the other side. Which is weird as it sits on top of the subframe which is protected by an undershield.

At least ECP’s supplied rad is exactly the same. So I thought. Pipe stubs same places, filler same place and size.

Fan mounts 3mm wider apart on new one.

Looking inside the cavity the air con condenser has taken a right hammering. However as the aircon does sort of work I doubt it’s leaking, just needs a recharge.

Refitting is blah blah. I spent more time with hose clips that hoiking the old one out and the new one in. I need to get some new mounting bobbins for the top as one is so badly perished it allows the rad to slop.

Filled up with Prestone’s universal stuff. I have no idea what colour was in it before as what came out was pretty much water.

A 20 minute blat around Bognor and all seems good. Heater is toasty hot, and no apparent leaks after the drive so I threw a bucket of water over it. And also the Hyundai.

It is due a service and the serpentine belt is looking a bit past it, so that will be the next job for this car. I’ll probably service all 4 over a weekend in the not too distant future.