Turbo coolant supply

[Brit-Car-Nut]

Take a deep breath, calm down, have a second pint and get a good nights rest. It will be better in the morning...

[epipete]

Ok, deep breaths taken!

I have now got the radiator bracket back in the car, the Y brackets are in and the radiator is in, also in, my eyes on this occasion, is a bucket load of rust flakes!

Everything aligns up so I believe this area to be installed correctly, however, I have been unable to align the three bolts connecting the bracket to the prongeron.

How on earth can I 'pull' this down I order to align things up?

[dapinky]

Pete,

They should line up without pulling anything away from it's 'normal' resting position.....

....are you sure that the radiator spigot pins and rubber washers all line up and the rad is pushed up as far as it will go?

[epipete]

Dave, I can see exactly what you're driving at, but as far as I can tell the radiator bracket is in correctly. It is bolted at the top so it is 'dropping' correctly and whilst the long bolt connecting it to the toeing bracket isn't yet in that does seem to align correctly. The Y brackets are all aligned.

So I conclude the issue is with the prongeron lifting, however, when I removed the three bolts originally there was no 'spring' as they came out, and there has been no movement of the car since! The prongeron has evidence of previously been jacked on the lower steel although there doesn't seem to be any distortion of the actual 'body' of the prongeron its self!

Pete

[Brit-Car-Nut]

When you replaced the prongeron, did you support the engine/gearbox as you removed the prongeron? Is that support still there? If it is, you can disconnect the front torque damper and the prongeron will move without the engine/gearbox holding it up. Once you jack up the body to remove the support for the engine/gearbox, the damper will go back down and you can reconnect it.

[epipete]

I need to look again, I didn't personally change the prongeron I let my mechanic do it ('twas in the days when I was richer!). We discussed, the other day, undoing the damper and I have done so - still no movement (bearing in mind it's hard to get purchase to exert any real pressure downwards).

I did wonder about slacking some of the bolts on the prongeron/suspension to see if that would allow a bit of movement, but on balance I can't say I want to do that and I'd need to trawl through the manual for retorquing afterwards.

Pete

[Brit-Car-Nut]

I thought you might have supported the engine/gearbox before disconnecting the front bolts. Doing that would prevent the prongeron from dropping. The front of the prongeron on the shift cable "mule" is dropped quite low at the front but I have the engine completely unsupported to give me as much access around the gearbox shifter area. Maybe a stand or support is holding the porngeron in situ.

I had to jack the prongeron up to get it to a position where I could install the front damper. Try gently jacking the front jacking points a bit on each side and see if the gap starts to close.

[epipete]

Thanks John,

I tried jacking on the points as you suggested, no effect I'm afraid. The car is on all 4 Wheels albeit the fronts are on ramps.

The front of the prongeron is sitting high and slightly off centre to the radiator bracket, at present I think the only way of sorting this is to get it on a lift in order to get some clearance to wrestle it down.

I think I may need yet another beer tonight

Tomorrow, it comes out again, a test refit of the frame without the radiator, see if that fits!

[epipete]

I think I may sell my car and all my garage equipment, tools etc, etc and use the proceeds to buy a pair of sturdy walking boots and a bus pass! I'm fighting the urge to call up the garage to tow it away!!!

I removed the radiator again and refitted the frame without the radiator and no better alignment resulted. But at least this confirms that I had the radiator in correctly.

I have now refitted it all with the radiator installed, I've managed to get the three bolts into the prongeron / radiator bracket but this leaves be struggling to get the two bolts into the top rad bracket/crossmember. The misalignment is minimal (like a couple of mm) but the frame leans back and away from the crossmember. The joy of working in the cold and damp, coupled with the lack of finger room, along with the inability to see what you are doing is pushing me to the very limits. And as I reread this it still makes me wonder why it is all so difficult

Oh well, another brew and back to it. All I would say is to anyone contemplating a radiator change, is to bare in mind what should be straightforward, & has so proved for many, may not be such a simple task for yourselves.

This is, just a general groan, as I needed to walk away!

[epipete]

Ok, I now think that I'm back on track. I have finally installed all the Samco Hoses, and fitted the two new fans, and all is nearly back together.

I am awaiting delivery of suitably thin washers for the Turbo Water Supply Banjo's which I hope will allow me to gain some purchase on the threads. Similarly I have purchased the metal pipes for both the Turbo Oil Supply and the Power Steering pipes (fredjohn: this doesn't compromise my interest in any future group buy) for which I am also awaiting delivery.

So currently I am putting various bits back together whilst I wait, this has revealed a missing pipe the one in question being one of the 3mm(?) hoses which connect to the airbox where the turbo hose attaches (see pic that I plagiarised from Jeemy below). I have the hose from the oil separator but not the other one, can anyone advise from where it originates please, crazy, I know, but I just can't find it!?

Pete

[GeoffSmith]

Hold on Pete......

[GeoffSmith]

Bottom of the Boost Solenoid Valve and Oil Separator.

[epipete]

Thanks Geoff,

Now located and affixed, if only it were all that simple

Pete

[GeoffSmith]

I tried ringing you but you've obviously got me on ignore!

[epipete]

Re the misalignment.

Spoke to my mechanic today, he advises his view that this is because the front wheels are up on ramps and the rear wheels on the ground and hence there is a limited amount of 'flex'.

He says that he always works on prongeron with the wheels level - either on a lift or from the pit and he believes that when it is 'lowered' off the front ramps that it will all realign!

Seems plausable!

Geoff, nice to speak yesterday, remember a beer is good for bad heads one way or another. Give me and Mr Pink a shout sometime, maybe we'll have our respective cars in running order by then.

[epipete]

Pete:
I found a supplier that offers a banjo kit for the IHI RHF5 turbo which has a bolt, 2 washers and a banjo with a thread for AN hoses to make up the system needed.

I emailed them to find out the length of their bolts and thickness of their washers. Their picture seems to show thinner washers than you have.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Banjo-Bolt-Kit-M12x1-25-Turbo-Coolant-IHI-RHF5-RHF5H-/380802327804

John, did these folks ever get back to you with the dimensions?

I have now obtained washers of .85 and they will still not work, so I'm thinking it is either the banjo or the damned turbo casing that has the problem.

The Banjo has to be either 24 or 25mm because, were it any longer (say 28mm), it fouls on the manifold when trying to fit and so unless the turbo is removed it wouldn't go in anyway; and it can't have been designed like that!

I've got that eBay listing noted but balking a little at the delivery costs and duration, the latter more so! So am trying to source here in the uk; the Japs seem to be able to provide but again in no hurry.

Pete

[Brit-Car-Nut]

Sorry Pete: They replied they were 25mm which is standard for the IHI turbo.

I don't have any other thouthts. Like I said, the threads in the turbo housing I have start right at the face so to thread in a bolt, I have to start turning right away. That is, they are not countersunk at all.

[epipete]

Like I said, the threads in the turbo housing I have start right at the face so to thread in a bolt, I have to start turning right away. That is, they are not countersunk at all.

Ah, that is interesting because when I put my bolt in it goes in 6 threads, about 8mm, before I get any traction!

I have ordered 2 new banjo's but I fear the worst. What are the options if it proves to be the turbo threads rather than the banjo that is knackered? A new turbo? Is the housing available anywhere?

Pete

[Brit-Car-Nut]

Just thinking out loud, the thread is a standard 10mm, so maybe a heli-coil type thread repair? It would require removing the turbo from the engine so the holes could be enlarged and re-threaded.

The holes get drilled larger and and tapped to a special thread so the inserts installed accurately so the bults are perpendicular and the crush washers are compressed evenly

I know that wasn't something you wanted to consider.

You might find a knackered turbo and get your cartridge swapped? Still requires removing the turbo.

[epipete]

None of it sounds good, but thanks for the thoughts John. I'll have to think again, I bet it weighs a ton as well!