GT mediated Awesomeness

[Mickey taker]

surely all that rusty water washing off that lot ,leaking into the soil everytime it rains must damage the house's foundations

[Tim Leech]

Found this on the FCF




You see I am very trusting!

[saintjamesy89]

I owe you a ride Tim

In other news, I managed to spend a morning down with my GT. Haven't seen the old gal for a while so it was very nice.

First job was to inspect the rear brakes and new bleed nipples, oh but I left all my stuff that I wanted to bring back at home, so straight back home again... Bleed nipples are too fat by a very small amount, and as the old ones were in such good nick I just put them back on. Rear pads have hardly any wear at all! You can see the new one on the right and two old ones on the left. They were so unworn I didn't even bother looking at the other side. So re-shod rear wheels back on and off with the axle stands.



I noticed that the rear passenger disc has sheared it's retaining screw too, this wasn't me but interesting.



Job two was to start the cambelt. I thought about doing spheres today, but they look pretty well crusted on and I don't have a sphere tool so scrapped that plan! I started following the haynes guide (forgot Brian's brilliant guide on here) and got as far as "remove the torque converter cover and have an assistant jam the starter motor somethingorother" Ay?? What bloodyhell's tha'? Looked for the stareter motor and found it mounted on the radiator side of the block, nope can't find any inspection cover.
*Scratches head* and *looks aimlessly around the engine* still no luck.
So i try the thing haynes tells you not to do - use dowls to jam the cam and crank pulley's - don't have anything suitable. A 9mm bolt doesn't work and that was all I had, haynes recommends a dril bit so will hunt for one of those.



Then I undid all the cambelt covers just for the hell of it, it's a bit tight in there! Had to rifle through my little spanner collection for various sizes (5/18, 11mm, 10mm and another I can't remember!) to remove all the little bolts. Then I gave up - cos I couldn't undo the crank pulley, it kept moving!



I also managed to strew all my tools over the floor, it started with some order, but ended up a sea of spanners. I've looked at Brian's guide now, and the wonderfully simple way of releasing the crank pulley bolt! When i'm next down i'll do just that, i'll have to find a spanner extension device though - I think I may have a hollow metal tube in my toolbox that i've always wondered what it did.

That's all for now folks! Cambelt pt.2 to follow (Saturday??)

[Tim Leech]

Tom, not wishing to doubt your mechanical prowess love but if yous not sure on the cambelt I would tread with caution, if you get it wrong it will be very expensive, good on your for having a crack at it, but take your time and get the bits you need together first.

Regarding the bottom pulley keep turning, have you tried putting it in gear and applying the handbrake?

[saintjamesy89]

Regarding the bottom pulley keep turning, have you tried putting it in gear and applying the handbrake?

I only had a 3/8" socket ratchet so had very little leverage anyway - that was going to be the next plan! But time got on and I have to be at work in *checks time* oh shite, 20 minutes! I need to get clean. Does anyone else end up resembling a human shaped greasey/oily monster when they do car stuff? I always seem to get filthy.

[Dollywobbler]

Putting it in gear and applying the handbrake doesn't work. There's too much play. You need to actually lock the engine so it cannot rotate at all.

It's an easy enough job, just frustrating because access is hopeless! As Tim says though, your reward for getting anything slightly wrong is a busted engine. Deep joy!

[mat_fenwick]

I'd beg to differ regarding the cambelt, sorry Tim With even the best mechanics there was a point in their lives they'd also never done one, and getting stuck in is the best way to learn IMO. Especially if you can do the job with no pressure to have it sorted the next morning. So long as you keep checking everything is in correct alignment before you try and start the engine, nothing can go wrong - i.e. rotate by hand a few times to make sure nothing moves out of alignment as the belt tension equalises over its length.

I've never found it to work by putting it in gear with the handbrake on - there's just too much wind up in the transmission which absorbs all your energy. Do I understand right that you're trying to loosen it with a spanner? I'd recommend a 6 sided socket and a breaker bar over a spanner, although a standard 12 point socket should be OK as the bolt is a fairly hard grade and unlikely to round off. But if you have to purchase one specifically go for a 6 sided socket.

The brake disc screws serve no purpose once the wheel is on, so not a big deal if missing/snapped.

EDIT - Yes, I get filthy too - this is me after a day spent welding (look away now if easily frightened…)

[Tim Leech]

SCARY!

The difference is Mat, your mechanically one of those gifted sorts where you can turn your hand to most things, where I am a clumsy clot and drop, break, loose and get things generally mudled, so if I think its beyond my skills it certainly will be, as ive often thought "that cant be too hard" to realise when its in lots of parts on the floor and many screws have been lost that it is in fact just that!

Saying that I can do "light" work and it has been said before I can fit mudflaps better than most....

[Dollywobbler]

Pffft! I'm not a naturally gifted mechanic. I just give it a go. Sometimes it goes well, sometimes I throw tools around and scream. And yes, I get filthy too. I need a cover for my laptop's keyboard as I often have to get the hand-cleaner out just so I can log on to BXC and find out how I SHOULD have approached the job...

[Wooscary]

I need a cover for my laptop's keyboard as I often have to get the hand-cleaner out just so I can log on to BXC and find out how I SHOULD have approached the job...

Glad it isn't just me!

[saintjamesy89]

Oooh Mat topless! We're a filthy bunch aren't we. Apparently Steve always knows when i've done car things as there are oily fingerprints everywhere - and I always think i'm being really clean!

What I had planned to do is to use my 3/8" drive socket ratchet with the (recently purchased, all shiny like) 22mm socket (12 sided jobby) and a steel bar for an extension so the socket ratchet can rest against the sub frame. I also plan to buy some tippex to make sure all the timing markings are visible and can be matched up.

What is a breaker bar btw? Is it a special socket ratchet?

[mat_fenwick]

Breaker bar is a heavy duty tool for turning sockets - no ratchet as that is a weak point and could fail. Ideally, you'd only use a ratchet when the fastener has been cracked loose. But a general rule is that if you have to extend a ratchet, you need to use something else. Also (sorry to be a killjoy) a 3/8" drive is possible/likely to shear before the crank bolt loosens.

I remember my first ever gearbox oil change where I proudly drained all the old oil via the drain plug, then set to loosening the filler plug on the side with my ratchet and extension tube. Imagine my joy when the ratchet pawls gave way and it span freely in both directions! Followed by a bus ride to buy a new one so I could refill my empty gearbox.

I got told off the other day (rightly so) for leaving oily fingerprints in the cheese

[Willy]

I got really switched on by that photo too.

Also to substantiate Mat's point, this is what happens when you jump up and down on a stubborn 1/2" drive!


Photo0179 by willswitchengage, on Flickr

This is when ATS Euromaster tightened my wheelbolts with an airgun and required a fat man with a breaker bar to get them off, and foot on the brake as the wheels just spun under the car's own weight

[saintjamesy89]

I got really switched on by that photo too.

Also to substantiate Mat's point, this is what happens when you jump up and down on a stubborn 1/2" drive!


Photo0179 by willswitchengage, on Flickr

This is when ATS Euromaster tightened my wheelbolts with an airgun and required a fat man with a breaker bar to get them off, and foot on the brake as the wheels just spun under the car's own weight

I've done that before, and have snapped a few 3/8" ones in the past!

I have a cross shaped wheel nut tool with 4 different size sockets, so I usually employ the one-foot-with-all-your-weight-on pushing down and pulling up with both hands on the other end. It works in loosening wheel nuts very well, but it also works very well in making you fall over and swearing!

Looks like I shall be purchasing a breaker bar then (and a water pump and belt tensioner while i'm at it - may as well).

In the cheese matt!!!

[mat_fenwick]

I usually employ the one-foot-with-all-your-weight-on pushing down and pulling up with both hands on the other end. It works in loosening wheel nuts very well, but it also works very well in making you fall over and swearing!

Maybe pop a sturdy jack or axle stand under the other end - that way there's no give and you can apply maximum force, either by hand or by stamping on it.