Peugeot 106 repair

[JuniorRod88]

Sam why didn't you just swap the axle beam with the blue car you had already lowered that done the brakes on it etc
those trainers need a retread

The axle in the blue car came out of the stock car a few pages ago. The problem with that axle is that it isn't capable of housing the anti-roll bar. Plus the trailing arm bearings are worn causing a terrible wheel wobble. So it was handier just to lower the saxo beam which has an anti-roll bar. I have a feeling the blue 106(3stud) has different brakes than the saxo(4stud). I can't be sure until I get the hubs off. If I can I will use the rear brakes from that axle in the saxo beam, which would save me from having to get a set for it. I will have to do the rear wheel bearings though, will probably buy new drums while I'm at it. That's a good question. Haha didn't you notice the semi slicks I've been running with

 

[JuniorRod88]

Painted Engine Block/New Tow Vehicle

Have been thinking recently about what modifications could be made to the engine for actual power benefits. As said before there is very little i can do to the engine, clutch or gearbox to aid the hunt for more ponies. The engine Must remain standard with a few tweaks. Among the changes to the engine are a 1.5mm overbore, a baffled sump and a lightened flywheel. The gearbox must remain standard, but i can interchange boxes with other 106's or Saxo's. For example, i can use a diesel box or a 1.4 box to get my desired ratios.

With the rules in mind, i had a chat with my dad about his thoughts on the rules. He told me that he would like to stay within the rules. We decided that we will lighten the flywheel, and leave it at that. Didn't see the point of rebuilding the engine with new rings and bearing because we would never get the rings bed in enough compared to an engine which had 70 or 80k clocked in.

In my mind the cars should be standard, no questions asked. The car should be sitting gleaming, with a lovely painted engine bay, painted engine, box, and everything sitting mint and clean. These are the intentions for the Saxo.

With the rules read and plans made out, i moved the engine up onto a temporary table and started to clean it...



Took the inlet, exhaust, coolant pump, alternator, and various pulleys off until i had a bare block...






Spent the next week or so cleaning for hours on end, using petrol, thinners, de-greaser, soap and water, also used the drill with the wire brush attachment. Never want to have to do that task ever again!

On Saturday i went to Halfords in search of paint. Their stock was limited with the only colors available being black or red. Neither of with complied with the color scheme floating in my head, so i left. Ventured to Fyfes after school on Monday with the same purpose. They hadn't got any engine block paint so the employee tried to persuade me to buy a matt black aerosol tin for painting exhausts. Decided to stop wasting my time and then went to P&C (Paints & Components Ballymoney) the best Motor Factor on the planet as far as i'm concerned. Where i bought a 250ml tin of blue engine enamel for a surprising price of £4, which was definitely not out of the way!

Once clean i gave it a coat of blue and left it to cure...




I decided to lighten the alternator pulley which is bolted to the crank, just to see if it made a difference. To do this i turned it down in the lathe. The standard pulley is roughly 550g, i managed to get mine to 450g. Doubt it will make a difference but we'll see what happens. Once lightened i give it a lick of paint to stop the rust. Then started Assembling the engine once again.


Re-painted the exhaust manifold because it was looking a bit tired...


Made new inlet gaskets and jobs a good 'un!!


I'm glad to report that the wretched partner van is no longer the tow vehicle! Dad has been eyeing up a new van for a few months now and finally bit the bullet. She's a brand spanking new Ford Transit Custom.



2.2 tdi with 125 horse, it should be plenty to pull the stock car.

The saxo hasn't seen any work within the last week or so. mainly because i have been away navigating, working or school, just struggling to find the time really. Dad gave the arch suppliers a call for me, they haven't got the arches in yet so i'll have to look elsewhere sadly. I'll try to bring so pipe home from work on Monday so we can start on the cage.

I was away last week end to Nutts Corner Circuit To sit for #24 Graham In his 1.3 Mk2 Escort(link below). We managed 46th overall and 9th in class. Which is extremely good considering we are up against bigger powered cars and 4wd cars.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNYHMdH7ZSg

All for now folks.

Comments +Complaints very welcome.

Sam

 

[JuniorRod88]

Donor car Bought
Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year!!!
Hello all, i hope you are reading this full to the hilt with Christmas dinner! He to inform you of the recent progress made on the car, ha good one, there hasn't been any. However yesterday we bought a donor car, specs below...


Got her home Christmas Eve morning around 11 then did a few jobs and set upon her at 2. Dropped the stove out and took the brake servo, linkage and lines.

Then after a mic d's i ripped the front interior out. Only the front seats, dash, steering column, gear lever and handbrake lever, then i cut the carpet just behind the front seats. Didn't see the point in taking the rear interior out because i'm only using the front end.

Rot in the usual places, inner guards, chassis legs and that gusset under the front of the car. The sills are showing early signs but nothing to worry about.




This evening after a plate full of Xmas dinner i took the struts and bottom arms out, along with the steering arms. The plan for boxing day is to pressure wash the donor front end and then while she is drying to slice the stock car. Then wheel the saxo out of the garage and round the the shed and put the two halves into the main garage. That way most of the grinding dust won't be in the garage and it'll be less of a mess to clean up. Will be hopefully welding the two halves together tomorrow or patch the rot. Might do the patching while its still in pieces so then it's easier to position. See how it goes, i have to work tomorrow, so wont have a lot of time.

Once the welding is all done, we'll prime and paint the engine bay(White) along with the wheel arches. I ordered (blue)paint yesterday, and collecting it on Friday. I'll be able to put the stove in before friday along with the front suspension. Have her rolling again. Once she is painted i'll wait no time in rebuilding her.

Lastly i made a new in car camera box as the mk1 was a bit bulky and bold, but it was made from half inch ply, cobbled together in half an hour. The new one is quarter inch ply and is much tastier, even more so once painted.. Lid only set on not secured or in position. I still need to find a good way to have it open and close.



Anyways the plan is to have her ready for the next race day at Ballymena Raceway on the 1st January 2014!! Which is in a weeks time! only need to purchase brake disks+pads and that's about everything i need. Everything else can be taken for the s2 shell or the derv.

So the overall plan
Chop her in half
Chop stock car in half
Patch rot in new front end
Weld in new front end.
Paint engine bay white
Fit engine and front suspension
Paint interior and body panels
Go from there

So have yourself a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Sam

 

[JuniorRod88]

Patching New Front End
yesterday my dad and i cut the front end out of the stock car and also from the donor car. We basically cut the car at the back of the lower floor, and at the bottom of the front window...




Once the new front end was out i gave it a good wash to rid it of the 18 years worth of diesel, oil and grime. Once done, it was taken into the garage, and it removed all the studs on the interior floor which were a safety hazard to all working at the car. Then turned her upside down to have a look at the uner side which wasn't great at the drivers side to be quite frank.



Decided to replace the rotten section of chassis leg with the better looking piece from the old front end. So chopped it out, got it prepped, spot welded it and primed it.







Continued the chassis leg forward and replace some more rotten tin inside the wheel arch/well.


Then patched the tin behind the engine mount in the wheel arch.


Then the passenger side chassis leg.



Gave the underside a wash and a tidy up with primer...


The last thing we did tonight was the rather large patch on the passenger side inner guard...


Cut out the majority of the rotten panel, then made two symmetrical panels fro both inner guards. Welded passengers in tonight, will weld the drivers side in tomorrow.



Hopefully tomorrow will see the drivers side inner guard patched, the two halves welded together, seat rails welded in and some of the the car painted. Would be happy enough if the engine bay and front wheel arched where painted tomorrow. We'll see what happens. If all goes to plan, dad can paint the bonnet, bumper wings, interior and anything else on Sunday.

I'm going to Nutts corner on Sunday to co-drive in the Mk2 so will be out of action then. Dad says he'l paint for me while i'm away. When i return on sunday evening i suspect he'll still be spraying. If he paints on Sunday, i'll have Monday and Tuesday to rebuild the front end, get her going and on her feet again.

I'm gonna go and collect the paint for the car in a few hours time, and also take my flywheel to be lightened. That way i can wash the gearbox and get it bolted to the engine ready for dropping in.

More later...

Comments welcome

Sam

 

[JuniorRod88]

Patching new front end/ Welding halves together/Primer
Got the p/s inner guard patched last night, and the d/s patched this morning.



Then welded in the hand brake strengthener.


Wiped the front end down with thinners...


That done, dad arrived home with primer, paint(1kblue, 2kwhite and hardener) a 25L jar of thinners and a set of brake pads. He then primed the engine bay, the underside and the wheel arches.


We also fabricated some seat rails which where as close to the previous position as possible. Though lowered by an inch or slightly more.


Decided to add a gusset to the wing/bumper mounts...


Once the primer was dry we got the rear end into the garage and got them into position.


We welded some fabricated the two cage feet from a piece of 4mm steel which was welded to the floor and cage once in position.


Dad said he would prime the rest of the interior/sills/pillars/other various panels tomorrow and he would paint the engine bay white for me. I'm out of action tomorrow co-driving for a friend in a Mk2 Escort at Nutts Corner circuit. If he finished painting tomorrow it would give me Monday and Tuesday to rebuild the front end. If the paint runs into Monday i's fine, because i can have the front built in a day, but i'd like to take my time. I might have a second pair of hands to help me to screw her together after paint.

Have been looking into valve timing recently and may have found a cheap easy solution to a homemade vernier pulley. The 1.5D 106 engine has a cam pulley with 42 teeth, the pulley is adjustable and fits onto a standard 106 camshaft. The standard 1.1 pulley is 22mm wide, the diesil pulley is 32mm wide. I should be able to mount the diesil pulley in the lathe and remove the extra 10mm, which fouls with the head. if the 10mm was removed it would fit and the cam belt cover could still be fitted.(safety first kids!) This would give me an adjustable pulley, which acts in the same way a vernier pulley does. Allowing me to advance or retard the cam By a couple of teeth. link below...

http://106owners.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?249659-Valve-Timing-Adjustment-eg-Verniers-(TU1-on-carb)

Also, i'd like to encourage you you to visit my YouTube Channel. I have a couple of in car videos of my stock car, and a couple of my mates mk2. With be uploading one tomorrow of the mk2. Hope to be filming the assembly of the 106 as making a time lapse video of 4 or 5 hours condense into 3 or 4 minutes. See what happens.

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-E0gfTy0zPwwWX6eiC1Mtg

So go on there and watch my catastrophic failures. Should be back tomorrow with a progress report with the welding completely finished, everything primed, and the bay painted white. See how it goes. At the moment i should be sleeping, in preparation for the 5am start later for the days co-driving. But seeing as i'm only in from the garage and i have 3 hours to kill, sleep didn't seem as fun as the alternative,which was to consume the remainder of the beer in the fridge and write this very progress report.

See you tomorrow, If i can even find the energy to type.

Comments and complaints welcome...

Sam

 

[JuniorRod88]

Long Day Co-Driving(video Link Below)/Painting is Fun/Very Tired/Long Day Ahead Tomorrow

Last night i came in from the garage at 2am, and stayed up until 3 writing the progress report. Then slept until 5, got up, washed a fed, then ventured off in the cold icy morning to co-drive for a mate in his 1.3 Mk2 Escort. Sat for him for 3 stages today out of a total of five. Also took so videos destined for YouTube.

I arrive home at 5pm and dad had finished welding the sills in place and had primed the underside of the car, the engine bay and interior. We lifted the front of the car into the air and propped her up to apply 2k white to the engine bay, wheel arches and underside. The result was rather good. Pictures don't so it justice.






We then left for an hour to get our dinner, which was a good filling Chinese. Came back and mask off the engine bay and arches so wee could spray the interior blue. We used the old scrap bonnet to aid masking.




I waited for the mist to clear and took of the masking from the pillars down. Also painted the underside of the bonnet white. And the p/s wing blue. Have no photos because i went in after that. I have run out of white paint, but it's fine because i have no need of it anymore. I need to get another 500mls of blue mixed to do the bonnet, slam, and bumper, and that would finish the blue. Need to paint the bumper and p/s wing silver but that can be done tomorrow or Wednesday morning at the latest.

Flywheel is being lightened tomorrow morning. Should be back shortly for fitting. Also getting my diesel cam pulley modified tomorrow and hopefully fitting it too.

Will wheel the car round to the back shed and fit seat, pedals, steering rack, column, brakes servo, brake lines and other bay items in that shed. Then i'll take the saxo box of the saxo engine and give it a good wash to help keep the bay clean.

Not a big job putting her back together but, in my state i could easy spend the next day in bed if the car wasn't on my main priorities.

This post was written last night at 1:30am. I post tomorrow of todays progress with the car, which was very good indeed.

Sam

 

[octo0072000]

i would have another look at your seat mountings look like they will flex too much need to be father apart like the original one,s

 

[JuniorRod88]

Engine + Box In/Suspension Built/Brakes Fitted/Steering Column Adjusted/Drive Shaft Lengthened

So then my petrol hungry fans, i give you the remainder of the work carried out to the car before the first race meeting report since August.

The day after my last post i fitted the brake servo, pedals, seat, steering rack and column, fuel tank and lines, and brake pipes to the car in the main garage.



Then we wheeled the car round to the back garage where i bunged in the engine and box. The engine for future reference has had the Flywheel lightened. From 4.630KG all the way down to 2.030KG Which is a huge 56%!!! Here is is bolted back onto the engine after lightening and a lick of paint, along with the clutch...


I stole the box off of the saxo engine and gave it a good run of power washing and a lick off paint. Then i swapped the passenger drive shaft for a blank inner end to keep the oil in. I gave the shaft to dad to be lengthened 40mm which he did rather skill fully. He out the shaft, the got a piece of tube a similar size and sawed down one side. Then he opened the pipe up the fit around the drive. once in position he set the welder to high and jointed the two together again.


That done i gave the drive shafts a coat of paint and mated the engine and box together once again. On this action i discovered that the two thrust bearings i had were different heights...


Ended up using the taller one as it's the one we were using before. And the other shorter one snapped the retaining clip.

That engine the engine and box went in...


Then i gave the struts, bottom arms, and ARB a coat of paint and screwedthe bottom arms on. Left it at that on Monday night. Came back the next morning and fitted the wiring loom and Got the car on her wheels. The set the tracking roughly and wheeled her round to the main garage where i fitted the harnesses while day shortened the steering column back 3 inches...

i would have another look at your seat mountings look like they will flex too much need to be father apart like the original one,s

Shortly after we fabricated a seat support mounted off the cage...


Then fitted the radiator and coolant hoses then filled her with coolant. I fitted the diesel rad fan to the car, because it fits the rad very well and it's more attractive. Dad changed the plug over and we left it at that.

The next day i got the battery in and got her walking again. Then we fitted the wings bonnet, and bumper which had all been painted in previous days. Fitted the bonnet pins, bled the brakes and reversed her out the door.

Took her a spin up the road, returned home only for dad to tell me the wheel on the passenger front was buckled. So off it came and we put on the kingpin tire on an alloy, which was taken off the rer drivers hub. Then we hunted around the back she for a steel wheel with a good tire. Only one we found was a 155/70/13 so we had no other option but to bolt it on. Anyone bolt up the road, it was feeling much much better. The brakes were fine and there was no drama.

However on starting the car, she seemed to be sucking air from somewhere. So would not idle without keeping a slight throttle angle. But we had no time to look for it, it was 1:30pm and the racing started at 2pm so we just set the idle slightly higher than normal and put her on the trailer. Also the clutch is very high. Probably due to the taller thrust bearing. But nothing that can't be fixed. And when i go from 1st to 2nd she doesn't go willingly into 2nd. It goes in with a knock. So the gear linkage needs to be set.

See you soon, comments and complains welcome.

Sam

 

[JuniorRod88]

New Years Day Meeting Report/New Track/Steady Racing

Arrived at the track at 1:50pm and i ran about the place looking for the scrutineer, only to be told they weren't checking any cars today. So i went to race control and bought a license.

While i was doing that, my dad got the lend of a tracking bar from his old rally navigator, and they sorted the tracking. Once done i got the suit on and went out for the first heat. I was lined up on the second row outside. It was a soaking wet day and the track was a bumpy hole. So i decided there and then to take this meeting as a chance to learn the track and for some good old fashion fun!

The green flag dropped and i was passed by three cars up the inside. It wasn't long before the cars spread out around the track and i got into the swing of things. I think, will correct later if i'm wrong, i think there was a total of 14 cars on track. We went round and round, for the usual number of laps. I was trying to get to grips with the car again and learn the track at the same time. Finished the race having gone done a few places but i'm not bothered. When i get the official results i'll post them for you.



Came in front that heat, lowered the tires pressures form 35psi to 30psi because she was pushing the nose a fair amount. Refueled a waited for the next heat.

It soon arrive and i was out in swinging spirit. I can't remember where i started but the race went well. There was a young woman driving a s1 106 similar to mine. She approached me from behind, and let me tell you she's no afraid to put the bumper into ya!! She gave me a fair dose, and sent me sideways as i was entering the corner. I however pulled ful left lock and kept her flat to the tin, so the car would pull her nose straight again. This was a success as i managed to recover and i stayed in front of the lady driver. It was a good race and i cant fault anyone who i came across.

In the final i was starting on either the 3rd, 4th or 5th row, on the outside, cant remember. Green flag dropped and i was making good progress. A few laps later there was an accident between a 106, cand two corsa which meant we restarted the race.

On restart i pulled up on the inside and wave the lady driver to reverse back a bit so i could regain my position. While she was reversing a corsa decided to come up my drivers side and turn in on my meaning he brushed him rear passenger wheel arch off the side of my bumper, He obviously doesn't know the size of his car! The lady driver behind me was nudging away at my bumper but to no reward. She soon fell back and left me to scuffle with a corsa and a nova.

The corsa i was tight to the whole race. I was on his bumper every second. I nudged him to tell him " right you're a bit slower, let's make it easy for the both of us" I stuck to his bumper until i saw a chance to go on the outside of the corner. Went for it and got along side him up the straight, Me on the outside. I could not follow up and fell behind again after the next corner. We approached a nova where i decide to go up the outside, where as the corsa took the inside line. I made the right decision and got by the nova and was gathering enough speed to get ahead of the corsa. A lap later there was a combination of me braking early and the corsa braking later which ended in him hitting my bumper which again sent me sideways mid corner. Again, full left lock and flat to the tin. It never fails! She straightened up and i kept my position. Yes the car might have a few dents on her, every panel haha! But that is stock car racing. You don't hit 'em, you don't nudge 'em, you don't thump 'em, you rub 'em and rubbing's racing!

Overall the car is in full working order, low of coolant and could be with some panel beating and a few nice stickers, But overall i'm happy with the meeting. Now if you's excuse me i'm going to go change a driveshaft, adjust the clutch, adjust the gear linkage, top her up with coolant and find out where she is sucking air from.

Everything written above was written on the 2nd of Jan. Later that day i found that she was sucking air from the servo bung behind the one way valve. I also changed the drivers side drive shaft. because it was very chucky, when i didn't need to be, and it had a split cv boot. The threads on the outer were damaged due to my ignorance. So the car is running fine, driving fine and if i can get a few more tires she will be handling great. Plan on buting a few more Scop re-mould tires because they are the tits! the king of 13" road going re-mould tires. You can not get a better gripping tire for my class.

Few photos i found...






As i said it was a soking wet day!And we haven't got windscreens! The next meeting is three whole months away the day after my birthday, the 4th of April. Would love for it to be dry. Hopefully the promoter with add a few dates before then.

As i said above i changed the drivers drive yesterday, Well here's a couple of photos mid work. Just because i can...




All for now, al that's left to do is check the gearbox oil level, adjust the clutch cable, adjust the gear linage, make some bumper supports, Look for some 6" wide wheels, buy a few tires, go racing!!

Comments and complaint very welcome

Sam

 

[Spot the welders dog]

Grass root racing looks so much fun, but the amount of effort you & the old man go to is making me tired just reading about it. Shame you don't have any more meetings on the book till April: On the up side you could probably build another 20 or so cars before then
Any chance you could get a few of the other competitors together and suggest an informal test day to the track promotor?

Enjoying your posts

 

[JuniorRod88]

Grass root racing looks so much fun, but the amount of effort you & the old man go to is making me tired just reading about it. Shame you don't have any more meetings on the book till April: On the up side you could probably build another 20 or so cars before then
Any chance you could get a few of the other competitors together and suggest an informal test day to the track promotor?

Enjoying your posts

Well I would like a few more meeting before April, yes. Though i'm afraid the promoter simply wouldn't listen. If you refer back to post #84 in this thread, there are four main tracks in N.I. My car is compatible to race at two of the four track(Ballymena + Nutts Corner). Aghadowey, the track i used to race at, closed down on the 2nd of August 2013, due to a lack of funding/sponsorship, cars and spectators. The last track Tullyroan, was built a year or two ago and is doing very well for it'self. There are rumors, this could all be lies, rumors of the promoters of Tullyroan's purchase of Aghadowey. With the intentions of redeveloping the track.A close friend of mine was at Aghadowey not two weeks ago, where he views two men supposedly from Tullyroan measuring the track. I'm not a big fan of Ballymena. It's a very bumpy track were as Aghadowey there was only one bump coming out of the pit corner where the new met the old tar. I would much rather race at Aghadowey.

Currently with my license i can race at Ballymena and Nutts Corner. Tullyroan is out of the question unless my class is invited to race for a single meeting. I have not raced at Nutts corner yet but i intend to. I'm told it's worth than Ballymena but i'll see what i think when i get there.

We intend on building the saxo for the April meeting. We have 3 months to build it and i don't see why we can have it done considering the rush is nowhere near as
bad as new years day.

 

[Spot the welders dog]

<snip> rumors of the promoters of Tullyroan's purchase of Aghadowey. With the intentions of redeveloping the track.A close friend of mine was at Aghadowey not two weeks ago, where he views two men supposedly from Tullyroan measuring the track

That could be a good thing if they expand the classes they are willing to accept..

Currently with my license i can race at Ballymena and Nutts Corner. Tullyroan is out of the question unless my class is invited to race for a single meeting. I have not raced at Nutts corner yet but i intend to. I'm told it's worth than Ballymena but i'll see what i think when i get there.

Think of all the time your father will save not having to set up the suspension

We intend on building the saxo for the April meeting. We have 3 months to build it and i don't see why we can have it done considering the rush is nowhere near as
bad as new years day.

I have no doubt: Time to start stocking up on the blue paint....

 

[JuniorRod88]

That could be a good thing if they expand the classes they are willing to accept..



Think of all the time your father will save not having to set up the suspension



I have no doubt: Time to start stocking up on the blue paint....

Well if i'm quite honest the suspension plan for the saxo is identical to the 106, just a bit lower.
Oh no, the color scheme for the saxo differs from the 106, but you'll have to stay tuned to find out
By all means i would love to go back to aghadowey! the best track as far as i'm concerned. The whole track is on a slope, on straight is higher than the other. So it's difficult to exit the shed corner, on the preferred line. You also have to enter that corner later because it tightens in the second half. Just love it!

 

[JuniorRod88]

Found out the results of the new years day meeting. Out of a total of 13 cars i finished 8th in the final. Which isn't to bad, considering it's my first time at the track, i hadn't driven the car since August and I was on a rather crap Kingpin tire at the front passenger. Also dad noticed last night that the Negative camber on the p/f wheel isn't a extreme as it was before with the old front end. So we intend on making up a new bottom arm.


How it was with the old front end, but the same bottom arm


How it is with the new front end but the same arm...


It's strange. I'll examine the bottom arm and compare it with a standard one to see if it is bend or in need of replacement.

-New tires
-New 6" wide 13" wheels
-More camber-more caster.
-Stiffer front springs.

I think we would have a better handling car afterwards. And if i can fit the modified Diesel pulley(vernier) i would have a couple more horse. All for now.

Sam

 

[JuniorRod88]

 

[jpmillermatic]

I cant believe how much work you guys can accomplish is relatively short time!....and major work too!...looks like you are having gobs of fun at this....keep at it.....your posts are great fun to read.

JP

 

[JuniorRod88]

I cant believe how much work you guys can accomplish is relatively short time!....and major work too!...looks like you are having gobs of fun at this....keep at it.....your posts are great fun to read.

JP

Thanks very much, nice to hear folk like yourself enjoy reading these scribbles. The car was repaired in just over a week which isn't bad i suppose, though i would have liked to have taken more time to assemble the car because that's always the fun bit. Nice that she's sitting in the garage ready to race, and all in one peace. It's a good feeling.

Was going to pursue the dilemma for the front passenger wheel today. Why it isn't further forward, and why the negative camber isn't as severe any more? But, once again the education system has put a stop to that. I have mock exams approaching in the coming week. Which mean i will struggle to find time to investigate. Though i doesn't see why i can't take a hour break for relaxation in the garage

I sat down and thought about the whole issue last night. I was using that bottom arm before, and had(guess) 5-8* negative camber, and the tire was 10-15 mm from touching the wing at the back. I am currently using the strut and hub from the s2 shell, which as far as i'm aware is perfectly straight. but then again the car was 14 years old when we got her and could have experienced a serious amount of abuse before we got her. The new from end as far as i'm aware is perfectly straight(for now). The bottom arm is a steel cast item which is rather strong i believe. Therefore, i do know see how it could have been bent easily. Besides, which i hit the car it broke the rear bottom arm mount, which should have saved the arm from bending.

However i will soon find out. I'm to take the strut which came out of the derv, and swap them over and set the car on the ground. This should tell me which of the suspension components are bent. Either the strut, hub or the bottom arm. If when i put in the derv strut and hub, the camber returns to normal and the caster increase, i will know that the strut needs replaced. We shall see.

The video below is of the front end replacement, so give me your opinions because i intend on filming the assemble of the saxo, once she has been painted. Then speeding up the video to make a time lapse, hopefully ending in me driving the car out of the garage.

 

[JuniorRod88]

Suspension dilemma/Carburetor/Tappets checked/Ignition timing/Calipers repainted/Oil leak and heater plug in van
The front passenger suspension setting has been throwing me in every direction for the past few weeks. It boils down to the negative camber has decreased, and the caster angle has decreased. The cause of these problems can be a bent bottom arm(unlikely), bent suspension mounting points, bent strut or hub.

I have measure the suspension mounts, comparing the measurements to the s2 shell and the saxo. They are identical, so all safe there. I fitted a four stud strut and hub and set the car on the ground to see if the camber/caster returned. It did not. Telling me the strut and hub were both straight. I compared the bottom arm to a standard item. The arm has been lengthened 43mm, which has moved the ball joint out and forward. This should give me more camber/caster, and it did with the old front end. But now i have the standard caster angle and very little camber. I'm really confused to be quite honest. It should be simply to figure out whats wrong. If worst comes to worst i'll fabricate a new bottom arm to suit my requirements.

Last year i bought an inlet manifold and top half of a carburetor so i would have a spare to have because they aren't easily got hold of anymore. I think they came of a 205. The manifold is identical to my current one. The carburetor is almost identical except for a few stamped numbers and a strange bit box like portion beside it which isn't on my carb.



I took of my carb and mated the spindle to the top half of the new carb. Got that fitted and started the car. She sounded more throaty than before but she wouldn't idle without a steady rev. I didn't intend on keeping it on, just wanted to see if it made a difference. Fitted the old carb and then played with the ignition timing. Because the car hasn't been idle right ever since we put her back together, and when you try to rev her suddenly she misfired, so i played with it to get her to idle right and then i retarded the timing slightly, to account for my vacuum advance not working. Must source a vacuum unit from somewhere.

Took a notion yesterday morning to check the tappets, so off with the rocker cover. and out with the tasty set of feeler gauges. No problem there all the tappet were within their tolerances so she's fine in that area.

Took the time to repaint the calipers as they were looking rather sorry for themselves.


Now then dad has managed to sell the wee partner van to a local man. He was given the van on friday and told to bring her back the next day, because i was going to fix the oil leak, and put new heater plugs in her.



The leak was coming from the rocker cover, or so we thought. Turned out to be the aluminium box section above the cam, which the rocker cover bolts onto. So yesterday i got a tube of sealant and got at it...



The majority of the inlet came off, and the rocker cover...


My snapchat told the story very well...


Cleaned all the old sealant off and cleaned the mating surfaces. Applied the sealant, and assembled it. while the inlet was off i put in a better set of heater plug than were previously in her. My cousin then appeared through the garage door. Asking what sort of ****e i put on my snapchat story, he's a funny bloke. finished putting her all back together, then cleaned the tools and we went inside to watch the Ulster Match.

Came out a decided we would take the van a test drive into the local village for a coffee, and a flirt with the waitress who happens to be in my chemistry class. She had just started working there on saturdays, so i decided to order the most confusing/exotic/hard to make coffee, for funzies!

The van covered about 6miles on the drive. Came home check her for leaks, no problem, topped her up with any old oil that was lying about. She's ready for departure now captain!! Can't wait to see the back of that god forsaken van!!

Started the stock car and moved her forward for a bit of space, now that the tractor was back in her own shed. Then a strange thing happened. i looked out over the bonnet and saw water/coolant spraying up out of the car. Just a small amount. I immediately switch her off. Got out opened the bonnet, stood by the side of the car, and turner her on again. Turned out to be the coolant bleed bolt on the thermostat housing, which had sheared off!!



I removed the threaded insert where the bolt was located. held it in vice grips and tried to drill out the old bolt for the other end of the insert. Luckily the drill bit catch the bolt and screwed it out without any drama. Sourced a new bolt and fitted the insert with a smear of sealant.

Car's running and idling fine, though she's still doing that steaming from the exhaust thing. she'l steam once she warms up. Then she'll stop steaming. Once you give her a rev she'll steam again. The headgasket is fine. and she is losing very little water. i think she has a cracked head, nothing serious, but she putting coolant in the cylinder. She's not losing any oil. the car had been doing this since i got this engine. it doesn't worry me, but i don't like the car steaming.

There is a practice day approaching a ballymena on the 29th march @2pm , ill be there testing the car and trying not to hit the car.

Hopefully get her in better shape for then, all for now...

Sam

 

[Cris B]

Keep at it! You're clearly very dedicated to playing with cars...

 

[Spot the welders dog]

Watched a program on TV last week about a young 'un in mini stox - made me laugh, and think of your antics!
Isn't there a old bodge whereby the weights inside the dizzy can be fixed to a preset advance? [/senility]

Hope you have a good test day