I purchased a new flat wheel/wire brush thingy for the grinder to finish off the last two wheels.
However, since there is no front suspension fitted I didn't feel like using the jack on the diff to totally raise the car from the ground. The way things have been of late I'd probably drop the car and be unable to raise it again. So that was out. It'll have to wait till the front suspension is finished.
What else has been done then ?
Not much. Ground down the RH front bumper chassis front in readiness for the chrome bumper mounting.
The brake calipers got my attention next.
The RH side caliper was split and it was impossible to remove the cylinders. They were almost fully in.
A quick trip to the local filling station to use the air line to try and blow them out was a miserable failure. The air line end only accepts tyre valves.
Nearby was a local garage on a run down industrial estate. I'll try there I thought.
Big mistake. I only needed a quick blip of an airline on the brake hose and job done, but.
The reception was very swish. Round about there was evidence of high performance cars, Porsche, BMW, Jags and a very nice pristine MG midget. At least they might help.
The elderly snooty receptionist greeted me with a curt "Yes". I explained and she replied " are you a customer of ours ?".
Needless to say after 5 minutes of waiting I gave her a get out clause on her return " They're too busy ?" Yes she replied.
So I hot footed to my local repair man who was very obliging. I must add I'd just paid him £350 for the MOT and stuff on the Renault runaround ( Wifeys car).
The LH caliper/cylinders were in a much worse state. Crusty with rust and oily gunge. There was no way a blast of air was going to remove them.
Despite three soakings in penetrating fluid there was no movement, not even round ways let alone outwards.
I desperately ground a clean face onto the ends of the cylinders and welded a steel bar to them so I could apply some leverage.
Well after three attempts, all resulting with the steel breaking free of the weld I resorted to a more logical engineering solution.
I drilled and tapped an M6 hole in the centre of the cylinder and tried using a screw to force it out. Trouble was I wasn't sure if the threads were stripping or not. So, I drilled/tapped three more holes on the inside of the cylinder and tightened in a circular sequence. Bingo, out it came.
The seals were easy to remove and these will be renewed, but also the cylinders need replacing = more unexpected cost, plus the hoses could do with new ones + £ !!.
Eventually in a pit of despair I removed the bump stops. Not easy at all. They were thankfully in good nick so i painted them and the following day re-fitted. It took the best part of the afternoon to attach the 4 nuts per side. The access was fiddly and restricted and not easy with baggy latex gloves on. let alone trying to get the bracket in place and thread the nuts through. I eventually had to drill one of the mounting holes on the end of the cross member out to M10 from M8 to allow the bolts in and the angled top seat properly. I must say its a crap design and allowing bolts to pass through aluminium and steel had corroded the bolt un-spinnable, hence the need for drilling.
The painted Armstrong damper were fitted next. The LH side went on no probs, if a little fiddly with the two bolts nearest the inner wing. The access was again restricted and very little room to swing a spanner. The wifeys kamasa knuckle wrench helped though.
The RH side was a different matter. The inner bolts would not seat and "grab" the threads. I removed them several times and each time with little movement possible failed.
I left it for another day. This time with some gentle persuasion ( hammer) and only attempting one bolt at a time in it ( they, the two nearest the inner wing) went in. TFFT. It still took two hours though !.
Until more money comes my way I'll be concentrating on the bodywork. There are lots of little rubbing down/filling/sanding/wet/dry-ing to do and this is definitely cheap to do, but very boring.
Uni has a few more weeks to run on placement before the final one day assessment ( I failed the last one in unusual circumstances - along story and very depressing ). I did have a job offer which made the episode bearable, but as of a few days ago this was withdrawn. Real bummer, and not much on the horizon either.
Still, I'm trying to remain positive. If I don't sink into a deep depression first.
