Bruce the FWD

[Edin Dundee]

Pesky birds! There are two shooting estates between where I live and where I work. They release thousands of pheasants that haven't a clue about the outside world. Some days I will see twenty or thirty dead ones on the road on my five mile commute. Despite my best efforts to avoid them, so far I have hit three. One broken headlamp, one broken headlamp washer and one cracked windscreen - three dead pheasants!

Three free pheasants!

[NickMorgan]

Pesky birds! There are two shooting estates between where I live and where I work. They release thousands of pheasants that haven't a clue about the outside world. Some days I will see twenty or thirty dead ones on the road on my five mile commute. Despite my best efforts to avoid them, so far I have hit three. One broken headlamp, one broken headlamp washer and one cracked windscreen - three dead pheasants!

Three free pheasants!

I'll send them to you!!

[Pauldaf44]

The rust faries have been at work again. I decided to trace why my front carpet was waterlogged. So pulled it out Ive got a small patch to repair on the inner sill. Doesn't look to difficult having dug out all loose rust and cut back to sound metal it needs about a 5p peice size patch. Im kicking myself for not pulling the waterlogged carpet when I first noticed it as this repair would not have been neccesary. More worrying was I thought I would try and trace where it was coming from put my hand up behind the dash and CRUNCH oh dear looks like a nice big hole in the bulkhead behind the dash. At least that hole leading to the drainage channels explains the water. But it looks like more than an afternoons work to repair. But I have the possibility of some indoor storage with power and good lighting. On the plus side there is no way on this earth that Mr MOT man would ever find that rot. But I have so It will be fixed.

[Pauldaf44]

Think I broke it this evening.

Put some new battery leads on as I was fed up of the battery draining and the car randomly dieing cause the leads would shake loose. Unfortunaltly in doing that I now have a car that turns over better than before but wont start. As I was fiddling around in the dark with no torch I should think ive knocked a lead off. Does anyone know from memory whether there are any spade connectors or similar around the starter solonoid that I may have knocked off?

[Spunkymonkey]

One spade connector on the solenoid but, if that was off, it wouldn't turn over. Also one (bolted on from memory but might be a spade???) live feed to just about every circuit in the car from the main +ve battery lead. With that one off nothing works!

[Pauldaf44]

couldn't find anything loose so cleaned stuff turned it over and it started first time. Must have been having a funny five minutes. Also found another loose HT lead this car seems to make a habit of this im forever having to put them back on and they are new as well

[Pauldaf44]

Remind me do not go sticking your hand in hidden places on this car as this is what you find. Now I know its there I will repair it. Good thing ive got a nice dry indoors workshop to work in once ive cleaned all the saw dust out

Now for some photos of the scary bits and a chilly triumph.


How did that picture sneak in ;D


The structural members look ok and there is something to weld too. However the inside of the wing skin is a touch rusty hopefully just surface caused by dampness.

area beyond looks good

Couple of patches required on the inner sill but again after digging out where nicely localised and should be fairly simple to repair.

Paul

[Pauldaf44]

Tried to wake this car up from a long sleep today started lovely and was taking to the workshop for some tlc, only first time I touched the brakes it went straight to the floor. Obviously being 10yds from the house I turned round and took it straight back. At a cursary glance I cant see fluid on any wheel or around the master cylinder but I haven't looked thourighly. It had a dry reservior so it must have gone somewhere. My thoughts are the very cold temperatures have popped a dodgy seal that I hadn't noticed.

Plan of attack is to bleed it through and see if I can get pedal. If I have pedal I can then pressurise the system and spot a weep easier, then replace the offending part. Why does every car I own do this to me at some point?

[Spunkymonkey]

Check inside the driver's foot-well where the master cylinder comes through. You'll probably find your missing fluid there, or at least a lot of missing paint where the fluid's eaten it. Didn't you have an issue with this last year sometime?

[Pauldaf44]

Check inside the driver's foot-well where the master cylinder comes through. You'll probably find your missing fluid there, or at least a lot of missing paint where the fluid's eaten it. Didn't you have an issue with this last year sometime?

Thats the first place I looked some greasy crap around the seal but no sign of fluid. I think I will be putting a new master on it anyway as this ones already had one reseal and is tarnished

[Pauldaf44]

15mins of bleeding and I once again have a lovely firm pedal. No signs of leaks underneath, no bubbles visible in the master cylinder when brakes applied, no dampness around the slave cylinders or calipers. Master has corrosion on the body but no sign of fresh fluid

Looks like a new master needed I think

[1300dolly]

Paul have you got around to fitting tha subframe mount yet?

[Spunkymonkey]

A lovely firm pedal does not mean the brakes are ok, Paul. Brake fluid doesn't evaporate so the fact it was empty means you have got a faulty seal somewhere. No if's or but's, there is a leak in the system.

Once a seal starts leaking, it's quite possible for it to fail completely, suddenly and spectacularly without any further warning leading to your car wiping out a queue of nuns and puppies waiting at a bus stop. When that happens, the powers that be will hang you out to dry because they like nuns and puppies.

There was a problem with this in about May last year, it should have been changed then. Brakes are absolutely the one system on a car that "well, they seen to be working again for now" is completely not acceptable for!!!!

[Purplebargeken]

Round my way 'tis rare to see nuns and puppies at a bus stop together. This must be very different up there :-"

[Pauldaf44]

Paul have you got around to fitting tha subframe mount yet?

Mounts in place but not all the welding done on the front chassis leg. I haven't actually driven it since before christmas. Yesterday the plan was to take it the workshop and start doing some more work.

Joe now its got a pedal I can pressurise the system with it on a lift. Then use a UV light to help spot and even tiny leaks. Ive also got a new master cylinder on the way as Im sure thats to blame because of the corrosion on the body and greasy muck round the pedal shaft seal