A few SPRINT issues

[Sundowner]

Today I took my Sprint up the Clyde mountain to have brunch at Braidwood. (NSW). Most of you wont know the road, but a few Aussies on here might recognize it as a really good road for our cars and spirited driving. Lots of corners, and straights with varying speeds......great for a Sprint.
Anyway this was the first out-of-town outing for my car in a long while and as a result I've found that its got a few issues I'd like to run past you folk for your advice please. I have an idea of how to fix each of them but I'm no expert and I'd like you opinions please.
1) When fully hot the thing wont come back to normal idle speed without blipping the throttle. This, despite the carbs just having a rebuild and I'm 95% sure that they're not sucking air.
2) Also when fully hot, the car has a judder when moving from stationary......both forwards & backwards. Sometimes when shifting into second at slow speeds. This doesn't happen when cold. It has a brand new clutch and new bushes in the control arms.
3) Harshness from the engine. Especially on acceleration. I expect this is from the new rear engine mount I've installed. (This is covered here on a recent post). I'll look to see if there's any life left in the old mount.
4) Doughy brakes. They work, but not real well......and that mountain's STEEP.....and scary as a result. I'll start by changing out the brake fluid and bleeding the system.
4) Lumps in the steering. This is the thing that's bothering me the most. When I bought the car, (around 5 years ago) it had lumps in the steering and from my old Cooper S days I remember that I replaced a steering rack which fixed the problem. However, about 3 years ago, I did import a re-built/overhauled steering rack from a well known UK vendor and installed it. (This new rack is so tight that it won't self center after turns, but I thought that with use it might free up). At speeds lower than 45MPH those lumps in the steering are still there and are very concerning, especially when driving on a road like I was on this morning where it would normally be fun to push a little. I wasn't confident enough, though.
Anyway, I wonder if that lumpiness might be something else other than the rack. I did replace the universal joint below the column at the same time, could it be that? Could it be a bearing or something else in the column itself? I don't know whats in there, but one of you might have had this same problem and can point me in the right direction to fix it. Ball joints and tie-rod ends are perfect.
Sometimes, mainly when its just driven around town, the problem isn't noticeable. And it seems once you get up around 50mph or above, it disappears too.
I look forward to your advice and suggestions, please.
Thanks & Cheers,
Rob

PS; Apart from these things, it was a real blast today, and I can see that once these things are sorted, this is going to be a great little car. AND it turned lots of heads too.

[Sundowner]

More on this.....

The steering rack is stuffed. I left the car sitting until cold and now, when I move the steering wheel, I can hear it clunking and see it move when it clunks. I expect that after 3 years, the warranty on a rebuilt rack that I bought from half way around the world is non-existent.
Are all the rebuilt steering racks being sold in the UK vendors reconditioned by the same firm? Who can I trust to sell me a decent one? I know who I can't trust.

I cant find the old rear engine mount, so it must have been so bad that I ditched it.

Cheers,
Rob

[tony g]

Re the rack I would double check the lower u/j that attaches to the rack isnt the culprit. If that has broken or partially seized the effort will transfer into the rack.

The fast idle thing I would get it hot like you describe and lift up the air filter box slightly. Movement here can actually push the linkage slightly even if the cable has slack.

The rear mount I presume is the gearbox mount? If so use an alternative. Theres a thread about using a volvo one so should be easy for you to egt one of those over there too. Aftermarket mounts for the sprint can be too hard and cause harshness. I'll dig the link to the mount and be back.

Tony

[tony g]

Volvo mount
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=29990

Tony

[Toledo Man]

While you're checking the steering coupling, you might as well check all the bushes. They're all available in Super Flex which should be easy enough to get hold of for you. I second what Tony says about the UJ being the cause of the "lumps".

What are your carb mounts like? It is the only thing you haven't mentioned. New ones don't last these days. The Club do solid ones which are literally "fit and forget".

The brakes will benefit from a fluid change. When was the fluid last changed? Also make sure the servo hose and non-return valve aren't leaking.

The Volvo engine mount is certainly worth trying. You've nothing to lose except for the cost of the part and the time spent fitting it.

Hope this helps.

[GrahamFountain]

Also make sure the servo hose and non-return valve aren't leaking.

I'd check the servo itself is having an effect - does the peddle sink if you start the car with your foot pressing firmly on the brake?

Graham

[Jon Tilson]

The lumpy steering is almost certainly down to a partially seized steering column intermediate shaft universal joint.
These do respond top removal and soaking for a while in something oily and working back and forth. Ive recovered a few like that.
They tend to seize in one plane, which gives the odd feel.

You can improve the Sprint steering a bit by fitting polymer rack mounting bushes and a poly bush where the column goes through
the bulkhead.

Brakes...decent mintex pads and some aeroquip hoses will help for starter.s Vacuum bleed it if you have a dual circuit master as the seals are weak
and will wear if you pump bleed it. If you want to get serious with brakes you need to go ventillated but not sure how easy that is down under. Up here the Trackerkack setup is popular.

Make sure the rack damper is properly set. It can be too tight as well. Its unlikely the rack itself is shot after 3 years.

Jonners

[Sundowner]

Tony, Graham, Jonners & Toledo Man,
Thank You for taking the time to reply. Its much appreciated.

* When rebuilding the carbs I bought a pair of the flexible mounts from Rimmers. The quality isnt brilliant, but at present they're doing the job. The WD40 test shows that they're not leaking. This trip was their first outing.

* I've just bought a Volvo rear engine mount on eBay.

* The brakes....well, I've taken your advice on board and look at everything. I will eventually, when finances permit, buy this http://www.sprintparts.com.au/products. ... 480198.htm

* The judder......nobody's offered a suggestion about that. Could it be the drive shaft center carrier bearing?

* With the car in the air and a big screwdriver to my ear, the clunking is coming from the steering rack. But when its out I'll check out the universal joint too.
Are all the rebuilt steering racks being sold by the UK vendors reconditioned by the same firm? Who can I trust to sell me a decent one? I know who I can't trust.
Do you have any advice on this?

My Sprint is a much better car because of this forum and will be even better once I get these things sorted out.
Again, my thanks to you all for the advice.
Cheers,
Rob

[Toledo Man]

The judder and the harshness problems could be both connected to the gearbox mount. Have you read Raf's thread (link previously posted by Tony above)?

[Sundowner]

The judder and the harshness problems could be both connected to the gearbox mount. Have you read Raf's thread (link previously posted by Tony above)?

Hello Toledo Man,
In my first post, although long winded, I mentioned that I had read an earlier thread on the Volvo mount and in the previous post also mentioned that I had bought one on eBay.
Raf's thread also mentions that the judder in his car disappeared when he replaced the gearbox mount with a reproduction mount, but the harshness stayed. My sprint has a new repro gearbox mount and although its as harsh as all heck, its still judders....but only when hot.
As I said earlier, there's a brand new clutch in the thing and the whole underneath has been completely re-bushed with the exception of the shocks, which will come later.
Thanks again & Cheers,
Rob

[Galileo]

You rang my lord?!

I must confess that I still have a little bit of judder Rob, and just like you only when the car is hot, usually taking off from a standstill on an incline. I've had a scoot underneath after a long run and can see movement, so I am four nines certain that my rear axle bushes need replacing, as there is no movement when cold. I have plans for when the (UK) weather improves to replace the rear bushes with some of Chris Witor's finest Superflex jobs, bit expensive but I like fit and forget!

http://www.chriswitor.com/proddetail.ph ... PF0374RBKD

Raf.

Edit: Added link

[Jon Tilson]

Sprints are prone to judder when pulling away with axle tramp, caused by worn bushes (the fat small donuts) on the axle angled tie bars.

If they've gone soft you will get the judders.

Jonners

[GrahamFountain]

I also have the judders setting off when the engine's hot. However, it's all recently been polybushed, fore and aft, and the front engine mount was also replaced a few weeks before that - I had the problem before that, so it's not either job done wrongly.

I also do believe it can get dammed hot back there, because I had the clutch disappear a while back. Presumably, since it returned when cool, because the tube down to the clutch softened and started ballooning - got a braided one now.

So, at least in my case, from what's been said here & abouts, I think it nearly has to be the gearbox mounting.

Graham

[MIG Wielder]

T
1) When fully hot the thing wont come back to normal idle speed without blipping the throttle. This, despite the carbs just having a rebuild and I'm 95% sure that they're not sucking air.
o.

Hi Rob, There is another possibility for this problem. If the accelerator or choke link rods don't have a small amount of left / right free play they can also stick, as you mention needing a blip of the throttle to close fully. You only need about 25 thou of free movement and not so much that the throttle lever can come out of the forked linkage. Then you need to recheck that both the throttles move at the same time at the carbs; themselves.
Tony.

[Toledo Man]

Rob, if you're going to upgrade the brakes, then the "trackerjack" conversion might work out cheaper but you might have trouble sourcing Sierra calipers & pads.