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The Car Thread


MadManMike

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The few times I've used it I've been less then impressed, it doesnt seem to adhere well.  The only thing I like about it is the tintable aspect, but even then stone ship an a coat of colour is passable.

I just went back to regular stone chip for the odd time I use it, far simpler and does essentially the same thing.

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So, drove the car home last night and generally it's great - engine idles perfectly, steering feels tighter now that the rack is polybushed and it no longer does pops and bangs, with copious amounts of smoke. Also, because I flushed the coolant system, including a jetwash inside the heater matrix (Accompanied by many large brown chunks of crap falling out), the heaters are once again red hot.

On to the slight negative, the clutch makes a horrible noise. Now, the clutch and release bearing were new not so long ago I'm lead to believe (Bought from an ex-member of this forum in good faith, no reason to think it was mis-sold!), but nonetheless there is an issue that needs diagnosing...

When I press the clutch in, around half way it makes a bit of grind / squeal and sometimes with the clutch fully pressed down it'll make a constant squealing noise. Initially it was a little hesitant to go into gear, but generally it's driveable, albeit loud.

Does this sound like the slave isn't bled properly, or the bearing is on the way out?

Before I fitted the engine, it was all bolted together and hasn't been taken apart and previous owner reports no issues, so although everything leads me to the bearing, I find it difficult to believe it would suddenly play up when first fired up in my car...

Is there anything else it could be?

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We've bled it twice already, using a pump, but yeah maybe it needs more bleeding.

Would the release bearing make the clutch bite slightly at times, even with the clutch pedal pushed in?

It's done it a couple of times, just like a little lurch forwards as if the clutch was engaged, but the pedal was fully down...

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2 hours ago, Tom Booth said:

If you put any sort of honda engine near that thing I will....

I will....

I will... I dunno what I'll do, but don't be a tard and leave the A series in there 

:lol: 

You’ll be pleased to know I’ll be keeping this one as should be mechanically. 

It has a 1275cc GT lump fitted that was supposed to have been re-built and had a fancy cam about 20 years ago.. hasn’t run since. I was going to try get it running ASAP but I’ve had a quick nosey under the valve cover and it looks like it could be best to strip/clean/assess and re-assemble before doing so. Carburettor probably isn’t up to the job without a rebuild either. 

Really looking forward to getting into it. The shell is fantastic and needs relatively little attention. Subframe/suspension/bushes and ball joints are all still as new. 

 

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Started emptying the mini of the parts it came with and had a good prod round it. 50 years old this thing and I’ve had civics in worse condition. Astounding how good the shell is. Inner wings/bulkhead and front panel are all solid, the “boot” looks as if it will come up as new with a good clean. It seems any corrosion that has come about is largely superficial and all on the exterior as a result of it holding water. That said though all the gutters around the roof are solid with any corrosion being surface. Amazed. 

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Well following on from my slightly dented sliding door...

I visited a couple of body shops in Lichfield to look at the nominal cost to sort it out so we can raptor at a later date. The repairs are beyond my lack of experience and TB was right, I would be spending money at trying to do the job myself and not be happy with the result.

First place quoted 700 to knock out, fill and blow over in the current colour. Bearing in mind we would still have to raptor it all afterwards and had been quoted 1200 to do so.

Second place, the boss had a look, I explained that the final goal was to raptor it once the conversion was a bit more progressed and funds were available. He said that they've just finished a raptor van and with that I asked him how much to sort the dents and coat it from the outset. Bearing in mind I still have to cut windows and vents in and it makes sense to get it coated before the bits are bonded on.

I told him that we've been quoted 1200 and two days to coat it, he said not a chance, he'd put 5 days labour into the job and would be removing all the bits rather than just masking over them. Quoted 1950 all in, sorting all the dents, coating the metalwork and also doing all of the plastics. Added bonus he'll let me use a spare bay for a couple of days to cut out the windows in the warm and dry!

tl:dr we're sorting the van bodywork properly and ruining the remaining build budget :D

 

 

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On 15/10/2019 at 7:45 PM, MadManMike said:

We've bled it twice already, using a pump, but yeah maybe it needs more bleeding.

Would the release bearing make the clutch bite slightly at times, even with the clutch pedal pushed in?

It's done it a couple of times, just like a little lurch forwards as if the clutch was engaged, but the pedal was fully down...

It was the release bearing, sorted it today.

Dropping the box and putting it back in is a total b*****d. No doubt easier with a four post lift, but on the QuickJack it was a task - still better than normal jack and axle stand setups...

Anyway, after a lot of swearing and getting coated in gear oil, she's all sorted :D

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OK one more question. I've tried Google and other sites, with no joy...

A squeal from the engine bay, that DOESN'T change with revs or clutch movement. What could cause that?

Surely an air leak or loose belt would change pitch / frequency with revs?

I took the car out for its first test run today and it developed that fault, loud enough to be embarrassing!

Plan tomorrow is to check for vac leaks with brake cleaner and play with the belts, but wondered if anyone had any other ideas.

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47 minutes ago, AdamAllen said:

Try Allens Bodyshop in Newhall, Swadlincote if you class yourself close enough, - I know people that have used him and said he will basically tailor the finish to your budget - So if your not that fussy it could be worth a shout :)

Presume you were pointing this at me regarding the van? Swad isn't far away, however it's not 1/2" mile from my house so I can't just chuck a bike in the back and ride home :D

Originally we had allowed for the raptor coating in the budget for the build but then went and bought a newer, more expensive van to start from so then figured that we would get it built and then repainted when we've saved up.  However the right way to do it would be to get the bodywork and coating sorted before we put the windows in then drip feed the last few bits in as we buy them.

Fortunately we do still have enough in the pot to afford the bodywork to be done and still buy most of the large cost items to get it campervan ready.  Only things that will have to wait a couple of months are the solar charging/leisure battery and the night heater, the interior woodwork will come from desposible income as I have most of the timber in stock so it'll be consumables more than anything :)

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