Fuel Leaks, Seized Brakes, Water in Footwell - 1st 1000miles

[HJ2]

Ouch! That was a painful 2 pages of reading! Good you are getting there!

Perhaps it is a good suggestion to replace all the coolant hoses with (dare i say) a Samco set silicon hoses. You will find that when you cut open one of your coolant hoses, that a lot of crud has been building up. If a piece gets loose and blocks the coolant pipe of the turbo again... you do the math..

Also from what I can see it looks like your spark plugs are not gapped properly. If it is possible at all to judge this from your pictures, it looks like 1.1mm but it should be 0.8 mm. You will definitely notice this under full load, but you already suggested that new plugs won't harm. Mind your gap! (sorry, I'm off to the airport in a couple of minutes )

As BCN already stated: replace timing belt, water pump, tensioner and idler as well. looking at your history it wouldn't hurt and it's almost time to do it anyway.


Look at it from the bright side: You are given the opportunity to getting to know your car in every detail in a short time!
Hang in there!

[andy b]

You are working through it well keep at it you will win in the end and the car is a great drive stick with it good luck
andy b

[muley]

Stupid question, but I ask it anyway; did you flush through the radiator? If the turbo pipes were blocked there's a possibility the narrow passages in the rad are blocked as well?.


Jim

[Danny R]

Ouch! That was a painful 2 pages of reading! Good you are getting there!

Thanks for persevering, it's been a painful process getting this far!

Perhaps it is a good suggestion to replace all the coolant hoses with (dare i say) a Samco set silicon hoses. You will find that when you cut open one of your coolant hoses, that a lot of crud has been building up. If a piece gets loose and blocks the coolant pipe of the turbo again... you do the math..

I'm thinking of doing that, I didn't want to throw money at the car if it had HGF though. I think a previous owner, kenich, had some on and put the old ones back on when he sold it.

As BCN already stated: replace timing belt, water pump, tensioner and idler as well. looking at your history it wouldn't hurt and it's almost time to do it anyway.

When I've got it something like right, I'm gonna give it a good service: belt, pump, idlers, plugs, oil and filter.

You are working through it well keep at it you will win in the end and the car is a great drive stick with it good luck
andy b

True. I did Seven miles in it yesterday, the first in 6 months, the sun was out and the car wanted to go. AND.....all the coolant stayed in the expansion tank! Fingers crossed it'll stay that way.

Stupid question, but I ask it anyway; did you flush through the radiator? If the turbo pipes were blocked there's a possibility the narrow passages in the rad are blocked as well?.


Jim

I've flushed the radiator through, in both directions with a garden hose twice now, Jim. It's running clear and it's quite a new all aluminium radiator so I'm hoping that's okay. BCN mentioned some cheap aftermarket pumps don't pump properly ( the impellar doesn't spin with the shaft), I don't think I have one of those but it's fast becoming the only bit of the cooling system I haven't changed.

Thanks everyone, for all the good advice. I'm not a novice with cars but this has really had me stumped. I'm going to do the brakes (handbrake) next as the MOT is due on the 19th.

[epipete]

Oooooh, can you detail your handbrake adventure with lots of pictures please?

[dapinky]

When I've got it something like right, I'm gonna give it a good service: belt, pump, idlers, plugs, oil and filter.

A good service is always a nice starting point - I don't know what condition the car is in now (or when you got it), as you say that Aaron may have removed some bits before selling the car on...... but when he had it, the plugs, plug leads and coils were replaced. Admittedly it was a few years ago, but not actually very many miles.

(I know, because I supplied & fitted them at Castle Combe!)

[Danny R]

I had a look at the handbrake issue today. I was a bit of a non event Epipete, or I'd have taken some photo's and done a write-up. The handbrake was not moving at all on the driver's side, the cable was moving, the lever on the caliper was not, even with the big spring pulling on it. I unscrews the 18mm nut on the control arm, took off the seal and the back of the caliper was crudded up with rust. Cleaned it all off with a wire brush and put it all back together with some copper grease. It's free and loose now.

More worryingly, there was no pad retainer on that side on the inside pad. It's flopping around all over and the pad has dropped towards the hub. It's meant that the out 10mm of the disc has a ring where the pad's not applying to it.

Even more worryingly, there's no wheel bearing dust cap / grease cover on that side. I'll have to check the other side now.

Can't be more to find wrong now! Have still got the intermittent pop-up lights to sort, the MOT guy isn't gonna pass them shining away in the front clam.

[dapinky]

..... Cleaned it all off with a wire brush and put it all back together with some copper grease. It's free and loose now.......

Danny,

Whilst it is good for now, copper grease isn't the best type to use, and will cause long-term damage.

Basically, the grease is petroleum based and will cause the rubber seal between the caliper and the square pin that the lever operates on to swell, and get tighter again. Then next time it'll get worse etc etc etc.

Also, as the grease heats up, the petrol base evaporates and leaves a coper residue - it is great as an anti-seize compound on bolts etc where there is a metal/metal contact - but on the caliper it will leave abrasive copper particles.

What you need is a silicone grease designed for rubber seals - many shops sell it, either car shops, marine chandlers, diving shops, window (glazing) suppliers, some hardware stores (like Wickes), Plumbing merchants or good old ebay. This one is a common make, but i find it a bit runnier than i like, so I use my diving stuff - much thicker (but whether it's better I wouldn't like to say)

It's cheap enough, and now you've practiced taking the lever off, it wont take long to do again (and it is also the correct stuff to use on the sliders).