Mot advisory Bx Meteor, big jobs ?

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cacaolat
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Mot advisory Bx Meteor, big jobs ?

Post by cacaolat »

Hi, My BX passed Mot last week. It passed, but there are some advisory items to be looked at until next years Mot.
01 Parking lever travel high.
02 Both front brake hose perished.
03 Both rear near and offside sub-frame mount perished.
06 Rear bumper damaged.

Are this easy to do jobs ? I could do some things like fitting a new rear bumper by myself, but I prefer to leave the other jobs to a professional.

What seems the most worrying to me is the sub frame mounts, the Mot guy, just told me there is some rust there.


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mnde
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Post by mnde »

Hi Gregor,

The parking lever travel is easy to sort out. :)

Park on level ground.
Release handbrake
Press *hard* on the brake pedal, repeat a number of times
Apply handbrake

You should find that the travel is much less. If not, release the handbrake and pump the brake pedal a few more times. This should adjust up the handbrake cables, which operate on the front brake pads. I think if adjusted fully you should get only 4-6 clicks of the handbrake ratchet before it's fully "on".

If this doesn't work effectively, then there is a further adjustment you can do on the calipers - but I've not done this before. If the handbrake cable outer sheathes are frayed then this will hinder any adjustment, but I'm assuming they're ok as you didn't get an advisory on these.

The front flexible brake-hoses... hmm, I've never had an advisory on these... normally if they are perished I've been advised to replace them for the MOT. Not done this job myself.

Subframe mounts- not something I would attempt myself, someone else can advise on that.

Cheers,

Mark.
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cacaolat
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Post by cacaolat »

Thank you Mark, that sounds easy to tighten the parking break. I will give it a try later on.
former BX 16 TGS Meteor Auto owner. No space or time to do own repairs. My BX is now owned by another member of this forum.
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docchevron
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Post by docchevron »

They are all easy jobs to do mate.
If they handbrake cables need adjusting thats easy but try pumping the foot brake hard as described above!
I nearly always replace the front flexi's on both my cars before the mot every year (unnecessary, I'm just like that) takes minutes to do and of course bleeding any hydraulic cit is a one man job and is the easiest car you'll ever bleed the brakes on! :D

Rear subframe mounts? The front ones or the rear ones? The rear mounts are very easy to change. The front ones are, again, not difficult but the nuts are usually rotted solid and break the threads out the mount so if you buy new mounts, make sure you get the nuts aswell!!!
Cheers
Chris G
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Far too many BX's, a bus, an ambulance a few trucks, not enough time and never enough cash...
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cacaolat
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Post by cacaolat »

Hi Chris its the rear near and offside sub frame mounts. Any Idea how much a garage would charge for that ?
former BX 16 TGS Meteor Auto owner. No space or time to do own repairs. My BX is now owned by another member of this forum.
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Post by docchevron »

cacaolat wrote:Hi Chris its the rear near and offside sub frame mounts. Any Idea how much a garage would charge for that ?
They are pi** easy to do mate. A garage would probably charge about an hour to do them but you could do them yourself in less than that.
The longest part of the job is jacking the car up, sticking it on stands and getting it back on the ground after.
I dont think I'd finish a fag before finishing the mounts!
cheers
Chris G
Smokes lots, because enough's enough already!

Far too many BX's, a bus, an ambulance a few trucks, not enough time and never enough cash...
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cacaolat
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Post by cacaolat »

Cheers Chris, good news :D
former BX 16 TGS Meteor Auto owner. No space or time to do own repairs. My BX is now owned by another member of this forum.
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cacaolat
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Post by cacaolat »

Just picked up the car from the garage....I wanted to make it ready for next months MOT.
The subframe mounts were fine. The Mot guy who gave this advisory last year was exagerating ...he surely did he even mentioned a cracked rear bumper...
The Handbrake had to be thightened by the garage as the method above did not bring any results.
I am sure the car will have no problems for the Mot....will keep you posted
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cavmad
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Post by cavmad »

Good luck for the MOT then, doesn't sound like you'll have any/many problems. Mentioning a cracked rear bumper seems daft to me, can't see how or why it would fail an MOT so why did he bring it up I wonder? Rusty arches can fail on jagged edges but can't see the bumper mattering too much and even if it did 2 minutes with some tape or half an hour with some fibreglass would sort that out.
Vauxhall apologist.
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