GT mediated Awesomeness

Tell us about life with your BX, or indeed life in general!
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Re: GT mediated Awesomeness

Post by docchevron »

saintjamesy89 wrote:West country = awesome. Just a shame it's so far from the majority of BX and other interesting car minded people. Has anyone noticed that the majority of said people seem to reside in the midlands or much further north than Somerset at least?
There's a few of us not a hundred miles away ya know!
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Re: GT mediated Awesomeness

Post by saintjamesy89 »

Thanks Mulley, i've pencilled in a session this evening. When you say lube, do you mean something like copper grease? Or what else would you suggest?

Yep, went really smoothly ta Tim, no where near as stressful as the last move.

There's a smattering of use down ere in the south I know, but it just seems the majority of people are much further up north. Who's in the south then? Mat Fenwick, Ren16tx, Doc, and isn't there someone in southampton?
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Re: GT mediated Awesomeness

Post by mat_fenwick »

South? What makes you think I live there?! Used to live in Gloucester for a few years, but (hope) I haven't picked up the accent. I live in North Wales, miles from anywhere!
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Re: GT mediated Awesomeness

Post by saintjamesy89 »

Ah, I thought you lived in South Wales for some reason?
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Re: GT mediated Awesomeness

Post by MULLEY »

Tom, sorry i should have been a bit clearer, when i meant lube i meant some penetrating fluid (erm, hope that doesn't cum across as being sexual?) haha, thats to hopefully get it to shift the bleed nipples. You'll probably find that you'll have to use mole grips on it which will end up destroying the bleed nipple, so i'd buy some new one's & then yes, i'd copper slip them so that it stops them from jamming in like the originals will have done. Give the caliper a bash with a hammer as well to shock the bleed nipple, that might help? Just ensure that you don't snap them, if you do you'll be needing replacement calipers. Just try & get them to move a little & keep moving them backwards & forwards & spray some more penetrating fluid on it whilst doing this & hopefully they'll eventually come out. Hope that made sense?
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Re: GT mediated Awesomeness

Post by saintjamesy89 »

Yep, perfect sense - ta! Are the bleed nipples a universal type or will my local motor factors have them anyway?
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Re: GT mediated Awesomeness

Post by docchevron »

There's a smiffy in Brizzle, Kitch is indeed down in Southampton area, as is the lesser spotted DLM, and there's a fair few of us around the Gloucester area, although I've never met any of them in the area!
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Re: GT mediated Awesomeness

Post by citsncycles »

I'm one of the Gloucester area lot, plus the Westons (who were the previous owners of Tim's DTR and Hilary's Valver) lurk on here occasionally. There's also a guy with a Valver, a GTi 4x4 and a TZD in Stroud, but I'm not sure if he's on here.
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Re: GT mediated Awesomeness

Post by Defender110 »

Mole grips Mathew????????????? no no no! I would use a six point spanner or 1/4" drive socket on the bleed nipples to prevent them rounding.
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Re: GT mediated Awesomeness

Post by docchevron »

citsncycles wrote: There's also a guy with a Valver, a GTi 4x4 and a TZD in Stroud, but I'm not sure if he's on here.
That'll be Brian King then. He had a GS aswell IIRC
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Re: GT mediated Awesomeness

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That's the bloke - I looked at his GSA estate before I bought my GS - it's the youngest RHD GSA known apparently. In the end we couldn't agree a price (luckily for me as I prefer the looks of the GS), and it was eventually sold to a classic car dealer up north, before surfacing again on Ebay in Worcestershire. Not sure where it is now mind :-(
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Re: GT mediated Awesomeness

Post by saintjamesy89 »

Small update, got the rear calliper bleed nipples out yesterday, piece of piss! Next, alternator belt, can't see any markings so out it will have to come. No bloody chance. Loosened the swivel bracket bolt and took the belt cover off, but the thing wouldn't pivot about the big bolt near the engine mount. Nothing I had (tools wise) would fit it and I couldn't get an adjustable in there - I was sweating lots and swearing lots by this point!

So I take a trip to Halfrauds (we get 5% cashback there - the only reason I go) to get a new socket set as i'm missing a few sizes anyway, I bought a 1/2" drive 19-30mm set. Get back to the garage and even the socket (without ratchet attached) won't fit in the gap between the bolt and the inner wing. Back to halfords to swap for a 3/8" drive set, but the maximum size is 22mm so worry it's not going to be big enough.

Back tot he garage, find the bolt is 21mm, socket fits in but ratchet+socket doesn't. AAARGH! More swearing, back in car to halfords, keep the socket set as I broke the packaging in frustration (not thinking i'd need to return it). Buy 21mmm spanner. Total spent, over £30 and whatever in fuel for all this to-and-froing (a good 30 miles).

Back to the garage again! Spanner fits, and workes, but is very difficult as the belt and pulley get in the way of spannering, so you're limited to an inch or two of movement between the engine mount and the alternator pulley. Spannering logistics difficult, hard to get the spanner back on the bolt when you've done the limited but maximum bolt rotation. Lose lots of knuckles when spanner slips of of the bolt, swear some more for sake of principles and go and sit in the astra for a drink and a time out (non alcoholic beverage unfortunately). Go vack into the garage with a determined and no-nonsense attitude and the bloody alternator swivels when I lean on it to get the spanner in position! So after a good jump up and down with my weight to move the alternator the belt falls off and all is well.

Next I think will be rear brake investigation then spheres and an LHM change whilst the rear is axle standed up. After that i'll order a cambelt tensioner and a water pump and do the cambelt. Then all is left is oil and coolant changes (mechanically speaking).
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Re: GT mediated Awesomeness

Post by Tim Leech »

Well done Tom, it will be worth it in the end and the money spent on tools will come in handy in the future!
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Re: GT mediated Awesomeness

Post by Dollywobbler »

The alternator access really does my head in. There's surely no need for it to be such a pain in the arse? Changing one is a real fiddle as you end up working both beneath and above the engine bay - not so bad if you've got a ramp but a pain when you have to keep crawling around on the floor.

I'm pretty sure (on the diesels at least) that you can just get a 21mm socket in by pushing the water hose out of the way. There's just space underneath the inner wing to get in. I certainly don't have a 21mm spanner so I must have managed it somehow!

Oh and I'm in mid-Wales, so still a couple of hours away at least. Almost the same up to Mat in North Wales too!
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Re: GT mediated Awesomeness

Post by mat_fenwick »

Don't think the BX is *that* bad, call me a heathen but I use a drift to knock the alternator back to slacken the belt off. Worst for access on cars I've had was an Alfa 75 V6 - sandwiched between the block and chassis rail at the bottom of the engine. Unfortunately the lip on the chassis rail meant you couldn't drop the alternator out from below, and the exhaust manifold was above. So had to undo an engine mount and jack the engine up for access. Imagine my joy when the alternator light remained on...

I know how you feel though, been in the same situation and find that a long drawn out "FUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKK!!!" helps slightly. Hopefully not just as a little old lady walks past with her Yorkshire Terrier - did that once and gave her quite a fright! :oops:
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