Today I did something to my car (volume 2)

passatman86 · 26-09-2022 07:48AM

@Titzon Toast thats just perfection

fancy pigeon · 29-09-2022 11:55AM

Oooft! That month went by very fast....

I've been busy though not with motors entirely (redid the roof on my shed for example)

Also helping my father out with his Land Cruiser and its recommissioning. A lot of cutting, shaping, fettling, welding, grinding, and of course, swearing

I've had fun with the S60, constantly blowing it's boost pipe off in recent times. So I made one up from some tube lying about, made pie cuts and welded them all up (something like a 120 degree bend with a 90 degree twist, all done roughly but fitted perfectly)

Took a bit of time but got it right. No pics as I was on a time constraint, but I'll try to remember for the next one

I wasn't arsed paying money for a more up to date down pipe or for someone to make one up and charge me the privilege, so I made my own setup. Few teaser pics but I can say the car is much better all round now and most importantly quiet!

https://imgur.com/gmUgwYa

https://imgur.com/PjcJZ6d

Currently it's sitting on ramps as it's starter shat its solenoid and the wishbone bushes are a bit wonkey, so I'll be sorting those in due time

E34 was a bit more interesting. I got to address, or rather get to the bottom of, an issue I had been told about since I bought the car. That's over 16 years ago...

I was told that the drivers lock was disconnected after it went bananas and locked the previous owner out. After getting to almost remove the unit 9 years ago and getting stuck at the window runner, I attacked it again but this time with a drill and got the entire unit out. Looking at it, it's a very simple setup (very basic lock mechanism, very basic solenoid) so was scratching my head until I copped the handle itself was missing a small piece; the problem with these early die cast metal handles is they break easily. I have another one somewhere I'll fit in due time (both die cast and plastic which I'll do my best to avoid like the plague)

https://imgur.com/QE1vQMp

I had destroyed the mount for the runner in the process, so chopped out the damaged bits and made up my own piece by cutting down a body washer and shaping it with a vice grips, then shortening the bolt to a custom length and shaving the head. Fits like a glove!

https://imgur.com/PhKeppS

A few days later I moved it to the yard. Then treated it to new plates. Pressed metal with standard font, no surrounds or screws if you must know

https://imgur.com/W1WPnj7

I'm keeping the aerial as is, if you could call it an aerial...

Then I realized I could practice welding some more!

https://imgur.com/A5kXV9t

Other side is the same, I had planned to chop them out anyway and replace with fresh metal but this speeds things up a bit. I think I'll try the supermig at it this time, got great results welding the S60 exhaust with it, even if it is an absolute monster of a welder and probably too powerful for this application

What happens here is the drains go straight to the front jack points and rot them from the inside out, so when you spot the rusty spots it's too late. I'll just make up my own points and jack the car elsewhere once this is repaired with a proper drain hole this time

Stay tuned!

zg3409 · 30-09-2022 01:11PM

,>Does anyone know if C&C is on in Dundalk on the first Sunday of next month?

Yes 2 euro or £2 per car showing. Free for non show cars.

Bray meeting and others.

fancy pigeon · 03-10-2022 12:50PM

Last Saturdays prep (after I'd serviced an I30 van)

Eliminate the rot on one side!

https://imgur.com/BAtQTT4

Ended up the bottom of the wing was stink with rot, but otherwise fine elsewhere. So I'll fabricate a new bridging piece and build up the missing bits. This one I pulled from a hedge I'll use a reference

https://imgur.com/5iRRCTD

And as I'd finished up (before I put the mangled white and blue wing on)

https://imgur.com/4M3dIX8

Aiming to have the left side completed next Saturday. I'm being too ambitious again I think!

The right side doesn't seem as bad, however I'll focus on its jacking point before anything else

passatman86 · 04-10-2022 06:43AM

@fancy pigeon any video of that new exhaust you fitted

fancy pigeon · 05-10-2022 11:54AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119698453#Comment_119698453

Not yet as it's still sitting on ramps awaiting it's starter! Hopefully I'll fit it this evening and I'll try get you a vid of it in action. It's just right; a subtle hum and only loud if you want it to be

ELM327 · 05-10-2022 12:51PM

Great to see that bimmer getting closer to being on the road!

Titzon Toast · 14-10-2022 02:55PM

Passed my NCT test today for the first time in a couple of years.

Threw my "test pipe" into it to celebrate. Sounds nice to finally have a full system installed.

wotzgoingon · 14-10-2022 03:10PM

I had a Mivec a fair few years ago and took the cat out and I was sorry. Lost a tonne of low end torque. I'm sure it helped at the top end when at full acceleration but as I said it lost a tonne of low end torque.

I was always thinking if you had a full exhaust with a bypass valve so when taking off you gain the low end torque but when you get going the valve opens and the exhaust gas exits out the side so you also gain the top end power.

Titzon Toast · 14-10-2022 03:35PM

I only took it for a quick spin but I didn't notice any lose in power.

That said, it's not a fart cannon exhaust on it. There should still be enough back pressure to keep things ticking along nicely.

passatman86 · 14-10-2022 07:59PM

Always found swapping my de-cat at nct time on my old vtec to have a noticeable change in power

Tazzimus · 14-10-2022 09:56PM

The older VTEC engines weren't exactly known for low down power anyway. You kept them high in the revs unless you were just plodding around town.

Detritus70 · 15-10-2022 08:23AM

I started out as a general winter service. Then I discovered a small leak on my rocker cover, the oil pan and the radiator. And the cat throws a P0420.

Own a Fiat, it's never boring!

passatman86 · 17-10-2022 11:02PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119744749#Comment_119744749

Just on a different note - just found out me grandad taxed his prelude in Spain for €80 to do the year

wotzgoingon · 17-10-2022 11:45PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119758785#Comment_119758785

He is being robbed....

Joking aside. That is some price.

Titzon Toast · 18-10-2022 10:05AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119758785#Comment_119758785

Only four more years and about four grand in tax and I'll be living the dream too... Ffs!

Tazzimus · 18-10-2022 02:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119759676#Comment_119759676

Just under 4 years and the DC2 will have that nice cheap tax.

It might even be back on the road by that point.

Detritus70 · 23-10-2022 11:56AM

Panda back in one piece again.

The moral is, if you have one of these and you have a P0352, replace coils *immediately* and hope it's not too late. Because after that you'll get P0420 and that means your cat is fcuked. I read in a forum those coils should be replaced regularly anyway.

It now had new plugs, leads, coils and cat. The cat was second hand from a breakers, but the P0420 has not returned (or even pending) in 500 km.

Oil pan, rocker cover gasket and radiator were also replaced.

As a sidenote, this car cost €25 per year in tax and less than €300 insurance. The car cost €1750 to buy, so I'm not too upset at having to throw a few parts at it.

fancy pigeon · 25-10-2022 12:10PM

A bit has happened since the last post! I seem to be busier than normal too, with the short daylight not helping!

Alas, the E34. Cleaned up the spare wing and began to treat the surface rust

https://imgur.com/hTe8xfc

It also needed to be fettled to fit the car from being stored under a lot of panels; it was bound to lose its shape!

https://imgur.com/MGNoP1O

Now the sill pieces. Cut, shaped and primed

https://imgur.com/LW8PapZ

Then it began to sh*t rain, so we return a week later

https://imgur.com/6E7BytT

The black can isn't full of water, but rather a cushion. It's actually filled with very smelly brown liquid

Stitching

https://imgur.com/i9HXYqg

Half prepared

https://imgur.com/jOMG6jY

And red oxide applied. Test fitted the wing and fits flush. No more nasty holes or rot!

https://imgur.com/cgje7QI

Let me worry about the absence of a jacking point I'll never use anyway. At least that's this side complete

Moving onto the S60, causing me all sorts of grief with this simple crack

https://imgur.com/LyndX9R

Clean the rot

https://imgur.com/AW0PYps

Find nearest tin of paint and fit new ring

https://imgur.com/U2PzlgV

All silly problems related to the ABS and an EML gone. I had another mishap with the car where there was a misfire, was a coil in the finish. Spent a bit of time diagnosing it one Friday evening

And at long last, we can move the Land Cruiser once again. And once again, I'm out working in the dark like a gobsh*te

https://imgur.com/xixRCL0

Fitting the tank was bliss, just getting the right position was a bit fiddly

More motoring adventures soon!

mk7r · 25-10-2022 09:11PM

Some great work but please step away from the welder 😅 there is absolutely no strength in those patch panels

Cass · 25-10-2022 11:14PM

Had one of these today:

Doing the front shocks, top mounts, ARBs, and drop links on my Sister's Audi. Job should have taken max of two hours. Ended up being just over 8 because the poxxy pinch pins were so badly seized that they sheered both ends and required drilling out. Luckily it was only one side the other side came out using spacers and a lot of patience.

The actual shock/top mount replacement, drop links, and ARBs only took 35-40 minutes once I got the pinch bolts out.

Of course I started doing the job outside the garage thinking it would only be a couple of hours and it wasn't raining so what harm. Got soaked through to the kacks by 6pm.

Only saving grace was these bolts are notorious for seizing and having to be forcefully removed, plus Audi recommend changing them whenever this job is done, so I pre-ordered them just to be sure.

fancy pigeon · 26-10-2022 08:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119793519#Comment_119793519

Oh dear. Oh no! Please, do tell me how to tell the structural integrity without seeing where the metal has penetrated (snigger). Seeing is believing, right?

Cutting away the sill would reveal extra bits I may not have photographed; more-so rather the work I won't be revealing/sharing as it's a tad repetitive. Understanding that the final product may be unfinished in the photos, that's my fault for not being clear so I hold my hands up there. Now, I have to kind of put my money where my mouth is, don't I.... To the video below:

https://youtu.be/vX7l9vMbgA0

Knowing my luck though, this simple video won't be good enough. Not a bit of the patch (which I will be adding alterations to afterwards to make it similar to a drain/jacking point) bent/sheared away etc. Or maybe I faked the whole thing rising the car with the power of my mind like an old magician using hidden fishing line out of shot to raise his assistant. But I'll let the experts decide, what would I know...

Tell you what though, here's an invitation to put all those expert youtube videos watched to good use. I'm making this an invitation to come up and weld the other side for me, show me and the rest of us how better the pretty clean welds are on a rusty old 5 series where the end result is covered in shutz/stone chip, or put up some of your own masterpieces after a stress test. The choice is yours, amite

mk7r · 26-10-2022 11:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119797371#Comment_119797371

No need to be nasty about it, it's very clear from the photos provided that there is almost zero penetration, lots of porosity to the point it wouldn't even count as a continuous weld.

Jacking the car up proves nothing unfortunately as even an inch of ropey weld can easily support a tonne. It's the long term flexing of the chassis and the inevitable corrosion where the failure will be.

I don't have any problems welding it for you if you were to bring it to my garage...I am definitely not Mr perfect welder but I can weld, properly!

Bring it for the NCT in bare metal and get a pass and I'll publically apologize and crown you a welding god 😁

fancy pigeon · 27-10-2022 10:30AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119798323#Comment_119798323

I must apologise if I have come across as rude, for it was not meant to. But, what I will stand by and say if you're only seeing about 5% of what goes on, even when stated twice that the product is unfinished (and possibly, just maybe, altered since and in between for the better), then I really shouldn't have to say any more on the stuff that no one else can see and more so no one else should be talking about stuff when they haven't a clue about the full backstory or what goes on elsewhere. TLDR I don't always get the pics people want to see as I don't have much spare time when I'm tipping away at something. Makes sense doesn't it, well I hope it does!

I think I've wasted enough of my time and yours on this trivial exercise, but I am hopeful this will be the last of this. I am fearful of a last word style scenario has taken over, though

However, if I could take the car for you to weld or for you to come up and weld the rest I wouldn't think twice about it, as I have too much on my plate as is; seems the busier someone is we must squeeze the last bit of work out of them until they collapse. One man maintaining a fleet of vans and other peoples cars during the weekends and evenings while in a full time job on the road is almost slavery at this stage (hence the video last night, I was out fitting a transfer box onto a Hyundai, it's all about timing)

Do share with us all some welding undertaken by yourself. Rather than a jovial tongue in cheek remark I always try to learn from others both good and bad, rather than insult them 😉

BlakeS94 · 27-10-2022 10:39AM

Bring back Local Car Mechanic I say, he'll put ye both in your place!

fancy pigeon · 27-10-2022 11:14AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119799480#Comment_119799480

Pah! An amateur is all he was!

You need power pants. Or Jesus. Or Cabb8ge.... 😉

zg3409 · 29-10-2022 02:25PM

Mk1 golf steering wheel wolfsberg model. These are about 500 euro used but this came with the car. The metal part did not seem to match the plastic horn press so a bit of guntering, creativity, swearing, multiple attempts, buying 7mm internal diameter washers from ebay, then it kept popping apart so I used ferrules to keep the plastic clips from closing and popping out. The horn now works and does not fly apart but it's quite different position and press distance than intended from factory.

I bought this mk1 golf from done deal. It was not intended as a project, more as a fully completed project from someone else. Fully nut and bolt restored, new exhaust, but after my vigorous test drive over a few speed humps probably a bit on the fast side the new exhaust separated. All sorted now and hopefully I won't fill these pages with repairs over the coming year. I am hoping it will be reliable with all new bushings and brakes and fuel tank and overhauled engine.