"Who will rid me of this turbulent flippin 306 brake pain!?"

[scooters]

This year I am GOING to make sure that the cars are properly prepped for the winter.

 

The 2 tools - 306 and Legacy will be getting underbody treatment. As they are tools then the work will be functional rather than beautiful.

 

So today I ordered:

 

2 lts Vactan

5lts Zinc Primer

5 lts Holts underseal

5lts Waxoyl

 

wire brushes, paint brushes, a new angle grinder and discs

 

now HOPEFULLY I will actually get round to applying these to the car!

 

considering getting a set of winter tyres for the Scoob now depending on price....

[RedSparrow]

Sounds good.

It will be an old tarp and some housebricks for me.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I'm going to buy a tin of POR15 and go over the underside again, and put the passenger side window into 'winter mode' with some black duct tape. Then it's done.

[Father Ted]

Already been under the arse end of the C8 with some Dynax s90 and the font end of the Micra.

Got to chain wax all the hinges yet.

[dollywobbler]

Wouldn't worry about winter tyres really. I found my Scoob was very competent on the white stuff. Mind you, Scotland does get a fair bit more of the stuff...

 

My main winter chore is to buy something to replace Saab/Rangie (if they sell...) that can take the winter punishment so my older cars don't have to. 2CV and Mini can cosy up in the garage. The BX will have to take its chances outside.

[scooters]

The 850 was an Awd and it didn't cope last year ...Edinburgh ..lots of snow which compacted and hills ...steep ones...I can winter tyre the scooby for 150 quid so I probably will .... won't bother with 306 i have some chains that will fit it if it gets really bad

 

I think you need a Lwb MK 1 shogun V6 Ian

[Pete-M]

I think you need a Lwb MK 1 shogun V6 Ian

 

Don't be daft, he's already got a Range Rover. Why replace it with something 20% as capable?

[scooters]

I think you need a Lwb MK 1 shogun V6 Ian

 

Don't be daft, he's already got a Range Rover. Why replace it with something 20% as capable?

 

 

I was using the criteria of 'shite' obviously not serious as we know he will be using the Saab!

[Pete-M]

I think you need a Lwb MK 1 shogun V6 Ian

 

Don't be daft, he's already got a Range Rover. Why replace it with something 20% as capable?

 

 

I was using the criteria of 'shite' obviously not serious as we know he will be using the Saab!

 

Heh, indeed.

[ashmicro]

Waxoyl to the max on the Rover - floor, inside chassis legs, inside sills, doors and tailgate. I've got steelies and winter tyres coming for the Jaaaag.

[Guest Len H]

Wouldn't worry about winter tyres really. I found my Scoob was very competent on the white stuff. Mind you, Scotland does get a fair bit more of the stuff...

 

4-wheel drive doesn't help you stop though. Edinburgh is normally pretty mild...

 

Where are you getting a set of winter tyres for £150 (fitted?) scooters? I can't find cheap winter tyres for the 405 which has one of the commonest tyre sizes.

[dollywobbler]

I hope the Range Rover is gone long before Winter. I'd prefer something with a working heater blower!

[scooters]

mytyres.co.uk have got a deal on Sailuns at the moment - web price is £43.00 - I called them up and got them for £38 each - rather cheap - OK they're not Hankooks but perfectly adequate for our reqirements - not sure if that includes fitting though...probably not...dependi9ng on how much that will be I will either fit them with leavers and take them for balancing ...or - and this is more likely - bite the bullet and get National to bung em on for me...

 

Edinburgh usually escapes but g 5 miles inland and it is fun and games. Haing said that - last winter we had it very very bad worse I've seen, even when I lived in Huntly 20 years back...3-4 weeks of compacted ice and snow on top - the council who have spent all the dosh on trams were pisspoor at keeping it clear

[oldford]

Winter plans for the Sierra are under way. I have purchased a set of these http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Kleber/Quadraxer.htm in 185/65 X14 for a little under £154 to fit to my spare set of steel rims. I have got a nice slim washer bottle from a Toyota Surf that will fit in behind the radiator close to the hoses and a new e-bay pump, made up a wiring loom to extend to the pump and will be able to route the washer pipes along the heater hose.

 

It seems like heated Sierra washer jets are attracting a lot of Cosworth tax, the last set I bought cost £25 and have recently expired. I took an £11 gamble on a pair of MK3 Mondeo ones which fit unexpectedly well, only requiring a plug change. Presently the heated mirrors, front and rear screens, washer jets, seats and new heater matrix are working, the underside has been recently treated with some ex MOD wax fluid and the bodywork given a hard coat of wax polish, the only other item that may require attention is a replacement set of wiper blades.

 

Now given all this preparation, what's the betting that we'll have the mildest winter on record this year?

[scooters]

Well, been a hell of a busy day.

 

Spent about 12 hours from nine till nine working on the pug...

 

so today I have:

 

cleaned rear brakes

changed rear brake shoes

changed handbrake cables

adjusted brakes

Slapped Vactan on the brake components

Wire Brushed and sandpaperd rear half of underside

Vactan on all rust underneath the rear half of the car

replaced the heat shield bolts

removed the spare - brand new tyre on it but the wheel was very rusty so I have sanded it down, cup brushed it and painted it with Vactan toorrow I will cover it in zinc priper and a layre of Hammerite

Sanded down and Vactan on the badly corroded spare cradle

So we now have working handbrake and the rear brakes are much better

 

It was a pig of a job - the shoes came from unipart and although the correct code were (as usual) ever so slightly different so I had to reassemble differently and used C clamps to hold everything in place. Springs had to be slightly re-routed eventually got it sorted

 

Handbrake cables were very easy apart from the slightly tricky access to an over tight adjuster. I have it activating on 5 clicks - I may tighten this for the MOT.

 

I gave the underside a good once over...

 

good points:

 

pretty new exhaust

corrosion isn't too bad

 

Bad points:

 

brake pipes were looking quite bad where they run under the spare...I had a prod and light prodding caused one of them to burst and leak brake fluid...a pain in the arse but just as well I found it as there is no way it would have passed the MOT test as was.

 

So, I need to make some new pipes - I've not done this before and it will be a chance to practice - I have a few questions:

 

1/ is copper brake pipe generic - or will there be a specific diameter for the car?

 

2/ what is the best/most affordable faring tool

 

3/ do I have to replace the whole system or just the corroded pipes?

 

4/ has anyone any tips?

 

Apart from the brake pipes and needing new wiper blades I think we are nearly there for the MOT.

 

To do list after the brake pipes:

 

Finish treating the underside -

Zinc Galvanising primer across the bottom and wheel arches

Car Plan Underseal on top of that

Waxoyl into the seams and box sections

 

 

 

I did notice that the auto adjuster on the offside is missing a part and not engaging

[dieselnutjob]

3/ do I have to replace the whole system or just the corroded pipes?

just the corroded ones, though if you change more then you might save future effort bleeding air out as you only do it once

 

4/ has anyone any tips?

if you haven't got a proper brake pipe spanner (11mm for pugs) then buy one. an open ended spanner will just round the corners of the fittings instead of undoing them

[scooters]

ta....

 

given that I have to buy a spanner, fairing tool, pipe, fluid, joints I am considering getting the lengths made up with conectors attached and bending them myself - could be more cost effective

[catsinthewelder]

I was asking all this on the VW forum last week. Armed with answers I headed down the motor factors to buy a foot of generic copper brake pipe. They only sold it in 25' rolls for 17 quid so he advised me to ask a garage for some.

 

The fairly respectable garage (I'm not a regular) made it up for me complete with fittings matching what I supplied for a couple of quid in the tip jar

 

It was going to cost me at least £50 to buy the bits to do it myself.

[alf892]

Probably the worst bit will be getting the old pipes undone. Save youself some time by cutting the old pipes just behind the pipes nut (big sharp chisel is good) and then just undo the nut with a six sided socket (you can even hammer it on........). Once you get the nut off you can remove what remains of the pipe with a drift........this saves you buying the wrong thread pipe nuts as you just reuse. I would avoid getting pipes made to length though and just get a hand held (Sykes Pickavant) pipe flaring tool and one of those pipe cutters. Then you just make one end and fit, bend the pipe in situ and do the other flare. Check whether ends are single or double flare though.

 

And finally..........

 

Put the pipe nut on before flaring. I has failed to do this loads............really adds time and phuck to the job.

[nigel bickle]

Duplicate everything Alf says -thats exactly how I do it.

I buy copper pipe on Ebay -rolls seem to be pretty cheap - but you may not have time to wait.

 

A good flaring tool -pref handheld is useful to repair front/rear pipes where only part is corroded. That one can be a bugger to get out, and if the rear 2 ft or so has gone (& assuming its not steel -which most tools wont touch) its much simpler to cut off ,add a female union, flare, then make up a normal new copper pipe. 10 mins cursing, on your back, should see al that sorted.

 

Want to come & 'prepare' some of mine?

[jonny69]

Dayum, I need to get round to Waxoyling my Anglia. Done one snowy winter in it and left it sat outside for a few stretches too; all that work I put in will rot through again in no time if I'm not careful

[scooters]

thanks for the tips -

 

well I bit the bullet and bought:

 

sealy fairing tool and cutter (not the easiest to use but fast delivery and good price)

25 ft copper pipe and a bottle of Dot 4

Draper one man bleeding kit and spanner - ten quid - fast delivery as well

a load of male and female nuts.

 

car will be off the road for a few days..I think I might as well replace all the pipes

 

at least I will have the peace of mind that it is all sorted

[gtd2000]

It's a pity the weather wasn't like the past two days for this job - raining down here today...arse

[scooters]

pissing down up here today - a good excuse not to finish the galvanising!

 

BTW I am considering souping this up a bit once all is fixed - the trick to doing this is NOT to crank it up too much cos the HG can blow on you if you do..

 

any experience of OMG XUD TURBO MAX POWAH GR9 4 DRIFTIN ...NOT would be welcome...oh it's the Lucas pump BTW and I have no plans to fit a Bosch

[Lacy]

Remember, if the end of the pipe has a male fitting you need a single flare, if it's a female fitting you need a double flare ( where you push the flare back into itself.)

[Guest Len H]

Lucas pumps aren't as easy to tune as Bosch pumps, there are a few guides online, which you might find if you use a popular search engine.

 

A free modification you can do is ditching the exhaust back box - it makes the turbo spool a lot earlier, the standard exhaust is quite restrictive.

[504GL]

Wouldn't worry about winter tyres really. I found my Scoob was very competent on the white stuff. Mind you, Scotland does get a fair bit more of the stuff...

 

My main winter chore is to buy something to replace Saab/Rangie (if they sell...) that can take the winter punishment so my older cars don't have to. 2CV and Mini can cosy up in the garage. The BX will have to take its chances outside.

 

As others have pointed out 4wd sadly doesn't help you stop. That's why the wife spun her Subaru on summer tyres under brakes and our 2wd 500 on winter tyres never had the slightest problem.

 

I would say with winter tyres that you get what you pay for. I put some Vredestein Snowtrac 3's on a couple of years ago as they tested will and they really were sublime.

[scooters]

Lucas pumps aren't as easy to tune as Bosch pumps, there are a few guides online, which you might find if you use a popular search engine.

 

A free modification you can do is ditching the exhaust back box - it makes the turbo spool a lot earlier, the standard exhaust is quite restrictive.

 

 

Thanks Len...I have been doing dome lurking on pug306.com seeing what the BOYZ do to theirs..

 

Backbox sounds like a plan. Although I was considering a Bosch pump...mainly for veg oil...they do seem flipping expensive. Besides which close inspection ofmy Lucas pump indicates it is newly refurbished and shiny.

 

Given that first and foremost this car has to be a reliable economic tool then I think any miss will be around Interior comfort and reliability rather than hairy stars speed. The turbo lag is a bit tedious but I can live with it. I think I would be better off spending money on a parrot handsfree and some nice seats. The current Interior is ok but a bit past its best. As I sm likely to use this car to clock some serious trips then comfort is important.

 

Toy wise I couldn't stop myself...I'm taking on marks BX16 Meteor...94bhhp..nice light engine chuckable about and ticks every tinkering box I could ever want.

 

Couldn't have afforded to take on the bx without the superb value for money of the 306. There seem to be many 306 tds on the market just now most dirt cheap. Not many 5 door ones though.

[scooters]

ok,

 

this week 25 foot of copper pipe, a Sealy Flaring tool and some joiners turned up. I am stil waiting on the Draper Brake Bleed kit which has a brake spanner with it as I don't want to damage the joint nuts by usung normal spanners.

 

I have been having a practice with the cutter and flarer - youtube has been very helpful and I found a video of some hill billy who shows you exactly how to use the tool and how to make sure your flares are the right length etc.

 

I do have a couple of questions though - firstly, deburring - the cutter has a de burring tol on it but it is rubbish - does anyone have any tools they like to use for this - I was thinking a steel nail file might be the best bet - the tool that comes with the cutter - which pops out like a pen knife is rubbish and creates more burrs than it removes.

 

Secondly - the double flare is difficult to get totally central and does seem to lobside by a fraction of a mm. This doesn't seem to make a great deal of differnce when bolted together and I am loath to see how the hell you could ensure it was totally square.

 

Anyway - all bolted together no problem.

 

I am going to wait till the new spanner as I don't want to trash the brake joints for future use althoug given that these pipes wil long out live the car I wonder if I shouldn't just get on with it?

[M'coli]

Just a thought: what size are the nuts on the rear wheel cylinders? I know the 309 is an awkward sod for having 14mm nuts, but don't know about the 306. I've never had a problem with the female flares being off-centre slightly, and the swarf tool is ok generally.