'01 Silver - The daily commute smile machine! (Turbo build)

Started by jvanzyl, August 10, 2016, 15:05

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Essex2Visuvesi

#25
With regards to your cracking issues on the spoiler, that looks like some kind of paint reaction

I would suggest you rub down thoroughly and seal with a coat of isolator sparay.
I can highly recommend this one:-
 m http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/182307163045 m

jvanzyl

#26
Quote from: "Essex2Visuvesi"With regards to your cracking issues on the spoiler, that looks like some kind of paint reaction

I would suggest you rub down thoroughly and seal with a coat of isolator sparay.
I can highly recommend this one:-
 m http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/182307163045 m

Thanks man! I'll have a look at that stuff - I'm kinda hoping that I've managed to deal with it via the bigboy filler... but will certainly look into that stuff you suggested!

Cheers!

jvanzyl

#27
Front left finished! the breaker bar worked a treat  :-) :-) :-)  along with turning the wheel...... doh!

I managed to round off the head of bolt on the front right that holds the brake cable in place - so will be needed to figure that one out, think i'll be getting some irwins as advised!

For now - enjoy the silver and blue!  s:-D :-D s:-D

mrtoo

#28
Poly bushings sound interesting, is the ride comfort still OK for a road car?

jvanzyl

#29
Quote from: "mrtoo"Poly bushings sound interesting, is the ride comfort still OK for a road car?

I could be wrong- and I'd need to spend more time in other cars to really tell the difference... But honestly I think it's fine?

The transformation in grip was epic and the tightness of control was such a change.

jvanzyl

#30
So the fronts are technically finished - bar a sorting out the front right wheel not spinning freely just yet.. quite liking how the calipers have turned out!

jvanzyl

#31
Quick status update - my original estimate for how long it'd take to change all the discs, pads and paint the calipers is waaaay off!

i'd originally thought about 3 hours per corner. However I think I've spent 15 hours to get to the point where I've definitely completed ONE corner and am having to go back and redo the other three... I like taking my time as it's supposed to be a hobby... but I do miss driving it!

I think I've got about another 6 - 9 hours to go of stripping and re-assembling to go before I'm done to make sure things are good and perfect.

shnazzle

#32
Sweet jebus!!! 3hrs budgetted per corner?!?!!
I only once spent 4hrs on brakes, on the pre-fl, and that was because of my own stupidity and some severely seized bolts... and a crossthreaded one left by the previous owner.

Are you sure you're sufficiently read up on brake changing?

I'd budget 2hrs for all 4 corners including a bit of a clean
...neutiquam erro.

jvanzyl

#33
 :-) :-) :-)  I think these things are the original brake discs and pads.. they've got 15 years of rust holding them in place!

But yeah, this is my first time ever doing brakes and I've got the guides from the how to section as my point of reference... there is a bit of discovery in this process coming from nothing!

Don't forget that this includes 2 layers of paint... (he says hopefully trying to distract from his serious slowness!!)

shnazzle

#34
haha! No worries. We've all been there.
I put a thick coat of paint on the carriers once. Couldn't get the clips to go back in for the life of me.
Finally got them in and then wondered why the brake pads were sticking.
 
Had to take it all apart, sand the paint off the carrier under the clips and put it all together again.

Best one was my seized caliper bolt. Ended up taking the entire caliper assembly off and just replacing it with a Dick Sloan special haha. Was much easier.
...neutiquam erro.

jvanzyl

#35
Right! I've sussed it! Not the brakes yet - but the whole "time on car" dilemma!

Got up at 0530 and got to spend an hour and a bit on it before the family were up  :-) :-) :-)  This my friends is the answer to the issue of having a hobby that takes attention/time away from the family! Want a hobby? Get up earlier!

Anyway - back to the brakes. I managed in 1 hour to take apart the main caliper and wind back the piston a couple of times, and now the wheel spins freely! yay! so hopefully I won't need a new caliper  :-) :-) :-)

I found a tip written by Paul at Woodsport - I think in reference to MK2 calipers about winding them in, and pumping them back out in order to get them to open properly/wide enough to fit over the pads.... hazaaa!

Hext007

#36
Just completed my brakes, not done any car maintenance since in my 20's, ( I am an electrical engineer and do a fair amount of mechanical maint on packaging machines though), but changed the rear calipers and cleaned up the carriers on the rear and painted all of it, did the fronts back in the summer, had the car serviced in August, they told me about the brakes, wanted £200 to fit a replacement on one side, replaced both, with consumables and new fluid approx £155. So even if you are slow think of the money you're saving. Mine too is a hobby and I actually enjoyed doing it, I guess after years of Diy it was nice to do something that I have an interest in. You've done a nice job for a newbie, I have just replaced the fluid and half expect the peddle to drop to the floor at any moment, all good at the mo though.

jvanzyl

#37
I totally agree with you about it being an enjoyable hobby that's NOT DIY!

My local garage who have very kindly provided me with a makeshift caliper bolt ( they cut it to size and ground down the head width so it'd fit!) for FREE would still have had to charge me £175 to replace and fit the rear right caliper... I think it would have cost £150 for the discs and pads to be replaced by them in the first place.

Either way, so far I've only saved about £60 of that original £120 due to buying tools. But like you've I've enjoyed learning!  :-) :-) :-)

BTW I've never bled any brakes before... that'll be the next thing to learn! and then it's coilover time!!

shnazzle

#38
Just think of the savings next time though now that you have the tools.

For bleeding brakes you can get all sorts of fancy tools/equipment. And they do work. But a rubber vac tube and a glass jar work just as well for the purposes of street driving.
Fill jar a bit with fluid, enough to be able to put in the tube and submerge the end
From furthest caliper from reservoir to nearest:
    Put ring spanner (7mm or 8mm depending on valve) over bleed valve
    Put tube on bleed valve and other end of tube in jar
    Open valve
    Pump brake until no more bubbles
    Keep checking/filling brake fluid reservoir with new fluid.
    Close valve. Move to next furthest.
Sorted. Brakes bled. One person

oh and make sure the jar doesn't overflow haha. Nasty stuff that brake fluid
...neutiquam erro.

Hext007

#39
I'm not exactly learning, done most of the jobs but 20 years ago, used to have to do everything back then due to a lack of funds, including rear wheel drive clutch replacement on axle stands, prepping a car for a full respray and fitting a vinyl roof. Stereo installs were my speciality back then, 1000watts and two bozuka T82 tubes in the boot of my 16v Astra. ICE was expensive back then. Don't even need to fill the jar, just bought one of those non return valve bleeder tubes £3.50 on Amazon, best do it with two people though as my new calipers were leaking fluid around the bleed valve even when only just cracked off, on your own would have been sucking air in when releasing the brake pedal. Don't need to buy tools, have an extensive set up, being a hands on guy has its advantages.

jvanzyl

#40
Finished all the brakes this evening (or so I thought) . Front right wheel will not spin freely like the other side, and the car ducks down to the left under heavy braking.  Will need to resolve this one before I take it anywhere!

jvanzyl

#41
0530 start this morning to tackle the front right caliper. Armed with the knowledge of what a brake slider is and the fact that they actually have to be greased (NOT with copperslip or Scot will hunt you down) and with the carlube "silicon", I managed to do the job and hey presto the wheel spins freely!

I also removed the copper slip from the outside of the brake pads and replaced it with the silicon - it is quite thin, so hopefully it will last and do the job. The plus side of not using copper slip is that your brake calipers/pads look better!  :-) :-) :-)

I plan to tackle the rest of the brakes tomorrow morning and evening (the wife is out shopping!).

Another update is that I have managed to acquire a second hand Cobra twin exit exhaust. It'd only done 2000 miles - and was bought in Feb this year.
Can't WAIT to fit it! I've already got the exhaust gasket from my previous attempt at having a nicer exhaust, so I'll be picking up some holts fire gum from ECP on the way back from work tonight.

Will post pics of all this as soon as I get round to it.

Can we post videos yet?

Anonymous

#42
As much as scot hates copper it will last longer as the silly grease you used hates temp as in it goes to liquid and will come out. We use it to oil screw mechanisms.

jvanzyl

#43
Quote from: "rbuckingham"As much as scot hates copper it will last longer as the silly grease you used hates temp as in it goes to liquid and will come out. We use it to oil screw mechanisms.


What the heck!!!???

  s:? :? s:?  

sigh... ok well.. I honestly don't know what to do then.. the label on the box says it can be used for it.... I will try it for a few months and see how I get on. I will more than likely forget and then wonder why something is not working right with the brakes.. what signs should I look for? Generally not braking??

shnazzle

#44
Simplez mate...
Copper on outside of pads and to stop threaded bolts from seizing (except for wheel nuts...leave them alone).
Definitely copper on the pads.

Lithium/silicone grease on sliding things  s:) :) s:)

Silicone or lithium on the pads will do exactly what rbuckingham said... go liquid and fall off and give you nice squeaky brakes.
...neutiquam erro.

jvanzyl

#45
Quote from: "shnazzle"Simplez mate...
Copper on outside of pads and to stop threaded bolts from seizing (except for wheel nuts...leave them alone).
Definitely copper on the pads.

Lithium/silicone grease on sliding things  s:) :) s:)

Silicone or lithium on the pads will do exactly what rbuckingham said... go liquid and fall off and give you nice squeaky brakes.


Thanks Patrick.... I don't mind redoing the backs of the pads - it's just a bit frustrating as I'm dying to get the car back on the road and have few opportunities to work on it, so when I make an error like this it costs me either a day or 3 until I can get back to it again.... maybe I've got withdrawal symptoms.. .

Richard - thanks for weighing in! I do honestly feel like a last fart in the breeze when it comes to doing this stuff!

I don't suppose anyone knows how far you can pump a piston out? 2 or 3 cm before it comes apart?

Anonymous

#46
Just drive it for now before the snow comes, what you done will not hurt it so it can wait.

jvanzyl

#47
So today is a great day!
It's my first drive to work with the finished brakes!  :-) :-) :-)  
I decided to go for blue, it's not quite the same as the center caps... but hey.. it's not red!



Chilli Girl

#48
Well done John, you've done brilliantly. Really enjoyed your read. All the best for your new arrival too.   s:D :D s:D
Ex owners of Chilli red facelift 52 reg called Chilli, silver 55 reg called Foxy and blue pfl W reg MR-S called Sapphire. Now 2 less!

jvanzyl

#49
Quote from: "Chilli Girl"Well done John, you've done brilliantly. Really enjoyed your read. All the best for your new arrival too.   s:D :D s:D

Thanks very much!   s:D :D s:D  
And thank you for that... I'm expecting everything will go very quiet for several months when the new one arrives as I simply try to survive the sleep deprivation... then normal service will maybe resume for the warmer months!

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