Dolly - 1977 1850HL Automatic

[Aar0sc]

A scan could be sorted, it's ring bound and most of the page fits the bed but they are slightly larger than foolscap, so there may have to be some words absent from some pages.

Let me know what info you're missing and I'll get to it at the weekend.

I don't know what info I'm missing!

In other news I managed to snap the top bit of the the radio surround... Bugger.

[JPB]

Right, I see. Well, one way to find out just how much is wrong or missing is to dismantle something large and oily, then try to rebuild it with only Haynes or Autodata to help you!

I have a Haynes and an Autodata here too, Unless you're in a hurry I'll have a wee read for comparison's sake at the weekend.
Better yet, I could send you Kenneth Ball's Dolomite book for the cost of postage as a quick glance at that suggests that he's copied the transmission section pretty much verbatim from the BL manual.

email* me an address for sending if you'd like that, I don't need it and I'll probably trip on it and break my head some day.

*-forum email, I don't have PMs enabled.

[DazasDolly]

*-forum email, I don't have PMs enabled.

Damn, That's why you never got my message John for the splash guards you offered someone else.

Darren

P.s. Aaron that doesn't look to bad mate, well done, and I know it's in good hands too

[JPB]

Sorry Darren.

In my defence, I would say that the PM icon isn't showing in my posts but the email one is.

[Aar0sc]

P.s. Aaron that doesn't look to bad mate, well done, and I know it's in good hands too

I'm chuffed to bits with it, took the front right hand wheel off, brake seized solid! Thought it smelt pretty nasty/felt bloody hot when I drove it back! How should I push the pistons back into the caliper?

And I shall JPB


Aa

[Jon Tilson]

If you have sticking on brakes then the caliper pistons will need some attention. You may be able to force them back in but its utlimately counter productive.
Get yourself a new caliper seal kit (they cost about 12 quid) and fit new seals, Push the pistons out by pushing on the brake pedal. You need to undo the caliper from the carrier - 2 bolts, support it but leave the hydraulics plumbed in, then push the pistons out by pumping the brake pedal. Eventually the pistons will pop out and brake fluid will go everywhere, so have a nice big bowl or old ice cream tub handy to catch it all.

Depending on the state of the pistons corrosion wise you may need to get new ones. Ive managed to clean most of mine up with a soak in bilt hamber deox and some treatment with 1200 grit wet and dry and brake fluid. Then with new rubbers and a cleaned up bore and pistons tehy should push in easilly with strong fingers or a G clamp if you are a weed like me. Refit, bleed up and th3 brakes will be transformed. Use new pads if the old ones are worn or have overheated.

Jonners

[harvey]

Push the pistons out by pushing on the brake pedal. You need to undo the caliper from the carrier - 2 bolts, support it but leave the hydraulics plumbed in, then push the pistons out by pumping the brake pedal. Eventually the pistons will pop out and brake fluid will go everywhere, so have a nice big bowl or old ice cream tub handy to catch it all.

Doing it that way will only push out the least seized piston, and once that falls out however much you pump the pedal the other one is going nowhere. Get them moving on the car by pumping the pedal with one pad removed, one piston at a time, lubricating the piston before pushing it back in each time. Once they're both moving you'll get them to come out easily, trying to remove one that's seized without the other piston in place is going to be a lot more hard work.

[Jon Tilson]

Good points there Harvey....

It does save fluid if you can get them both moving and coming out at the same rate...

I usually clamp the free-er one with a g clamp so that the "stuck" one moves.

Jonners

[Aar0sc]

This will have to wait until next week now, I'm about to disappear until next Friday!

Radio coming out.

Dusty brakes, I'll need new pad clips I think!

[Jon Tilson]

And some axle stands and bits of 4x2 offcut....

t-j's are fine, but do let go occasionally.

Jonners

[sprint95m]

Dusty brakes, I'll need new pad clips I think!

What I see in this photograph concerns me a lot, Aaron.
There are several bits of the body that look suspect including
front of chassis leg
chassis a subframe back mounting
underfloor stiffening rail
inner wing (where it meets the bulkhead).
I would inspect all these areas carefully (using a flat blade screwdriver).

Clearly your car has been standing for a long time unused.
As has been said, the calipers need refurbishment.
I would replace the brake flexible hoses and brake pipes.
Take a close look at all the ball joints (these may be rusted up inside, thereby appearing tight. However the rust soon wears.....)
I would replace the track control arm inner bolts or at least remove them to assess their condition.


However, before doing any of the aforementioned I strongly advise you check the condition of the sills. If the ends are corroded (back or front)
you are realistically looking at replacement outers and repair/replacement of the inners and lowers I'm afraid.
If it does look okay I would try jacking up each sill one corner at a time to check the doors still open/close properly.



Sorry to sound negative. Not what you want to be reading on returning from your break.

[Aar0sc]

And some axle stands and bits of 4x2 offcut....

t-j's are fine, but do let go occasionally.

Jonners

There's a 2-tonne axle stand "backing up" the trolley jack, just behind it, under the front chassis rail.

Ian, I'll have a look "when I return" - I'm leaving tomorrow morning