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16

General Discussion Area / Re: Why do some people behave so stupidly.

« on: 04 April 2024, 22:23:35 »

George Carlin was right,
 Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

17

Omega General Help / Re: Micksgarage and cheap wishbones

« on: 03 April 2024, 17:16:57 »

All a visual inspection of the springs will tell you is if they've snapped. But over time they lose some of their rate, which affects the ride height and quality which is usually such a gradual process the driver doesn't notice. The same applies to the top mounts, which look OK until you compare them to new ones that haven't compressed 10-15mm. A pair of springs are about £50, the top mounts with bearings(you can clean and re-grease them, but they're usually in a poor condition) about £30 per side, and the bumpstop/dustcover kit about £15. As you say, replacing these parts only adds a couple of minutes per side, most of which is swapping the spring compressor onto the new spring.


If the Omega front suspension wasn't such a fussy design requiring a full alignment after removing the struts for any reason, taking a gamble on some of those would be worth considering, especially as the cars age like this. But they are fussy, and a complete rebuild and alignment transforms even a car that seemed OK before the work.


How does  £125 to do all that sound, which would include a rough and ready alignment to make the car at least drivable.

18

General Car Chat / Re: Costs of running a car

« on: 03 April 2024, 12:21:47 »

My first car, a 1980 Renault 5 GTL produced about 500bhp and went like stink!                                                 

A long, long time ago, back when the pubs still closed on Sunday afternoons a friend picked up his new car carefully selected to be faster than his brother's 1.4l Renault 5. Out of all the options to achieve this in the early 90s, Alan opted for a 1.7l R5. It's guaranteed to be faster


When the pub closed, we discovered that if all three rear passengers throw themselves against the outside when the car is at full lean on a 90° bend at the bottom of two hills, the whole car skips across the road in a hilariously dangerous way.


About 15 years later, the same bend at the bottom of Water Works Hill was the scene of the Trabant Incident which was even more dangerous, but nowhere near as funny when sheer luck prevented it from being a fatal crash...

19

Omega General Help / Re: Micksgarage and cheap wishbones

« on: 02 April 2024, 15:52:08 »

£780!!!


I'd expect to spend less than 2hours per side doing the job in the street. I say that, because I have, several times. I still have a box with the few parts you don't replace(mainly the rubber isolators and upper spring cup) to build strut assemblies before starting the job, which makes an hour per side entirely feasible.


Personally, I wouldn't be reassembling a 90,000 mile suspension without replacing all of the wear parts: shocks, springs, top mounts, bump stops, strut bearings, wishbones and track rods. That's because at 90k, it's well past the nicely worn in stage, and is heading for distinctly tired. Most of these parts wear imperceptibly, and it can take someone who didn't recalibrate their brain as that happened to point out just how bad they've become. Changing them all, with a proper alignment utterly transforms how the car drives.


Estate doesn't make a difference to the front springs, as they're all the same. Rears are different to saloon, but fitting the non-self levelling springs is a good idea even if the levelling still works(it's essential if it doesn't!).


I could do this whole job if you don't mind driving around London and into Kent.




Have a pic of all the bits in almost the correct order:





1,4 & 5 are the only bits that are reused.

20

Omega General Help / Re: Is Sandwich Plate same as Intake Flange

« on: 29 March 2024, 17:32:05 »

Thanks, yes, have to be careful with those plastic parts. What I often wonder is the warning of cam cover bolts overtightening. How can you warp the covers? It is 'Metal to Metal". I tighten them as long as I can feel this metal contact when the brass spacer contacts the head and that's it.

The cam covers aren't a particularly good design; they're not particularly rigid, most plastic don't react well to heat cycles, the actual seal is very narrow and the securing bolts are too far away from the sealing surfaces. If you then consider just how easy it is to massively overtighten an M6 bolt without even trying, and suddenly it will seem surprising that more of them aren't damaged.

21

Omega General Help / Re: Is Sandwich Plate same as Intake Flange

« on: 28 March 2024, 17:46:19 »

Plenum to intake is 8Nm IIRC

Which is what you'd expect for an M6 fastener.


I would consider using a torque wrench on the bolts into the plastic manifold, but don't see the need for any of the others.

22

General Car Chat / Re: C1 (The skate) serious misfire.

« on: 28 March 2024, 17:43:47 »

Just supply to the rail. No return.

That's where you test the pressure.


There are too many potential causes to fire the parts cannon in the hope you'll hit the target

23

General Discussion Area / Re: Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse.

« on: 28 March 2024, 09:43:41 »

This thread is far too sensible. 

Where are the conspiracy theories?  It was ISIS, Putin, Trump, Aliens etc that wot done it etc?     

Here's one: it was the Russians trying to potato bomb Kiev for some reason. Showing their usual competence, they were in the wrong country, using the wrong form of transport that broke down, and the potatoes were in one of the bottom containers.

24

General Car Chat / Re: Costs of running a car

« on: 25 March 2024, 16:13:03 »

picks its heels up when asked.

All things are relative.  I consider 150bhp to be a sluggish dog .  Maybe when I'm (even) older.... 

The traffic must behave very differently in Brackley than it does here; a tired 2.0l Capri(100bhp claimed) easily keeps up with any traffic in Medway without any effort. Just like they always did.


150bhp 2.0l - Vauxhall's XE was probably the first mass-market one - were becoming more common in the late 80s, but I'd suggest that the more traditional 100bhp 8valve ones(like Pintos etc) were still in the majority. 150bhp does have to work much harder than it used to, when you consider the sheer bulk of most modern cars.

25

General Car Chat / Re: C1 (The skate) serious misfire.

« on: 24 March 2024, 19:55:36 »

When I mentioned I had a Renault, it was French shite 

You're forgetting that Citroens have the reputation of being properly engineered cars for connoisseurs, whereas Renaults are the French equivalent of Austins.


Of course, this is all utter 'dangle berries' mixed with an overdose of marketing wank. Also known as the Alfa-Romeo doctrine

26

General Car Chat / Re: C1 (The skate) serious misfire.

« on: 24 March 2024, 13:02:46 »

Who knows. Fuel system looks very basic. No schraeder valve. Pipe comes from the tank to a white plastic block (some kind of valve ?) and then to the fuel rail. If number one pot is the timing chain end (not sure) then number three is the first one supplied at the fuel rail.

You could find out! Unhook the return pipe, drain 100ml of fuel into a clear glass jar and inspect it for dirt, water or diesel. Do that a couple of times before you make any irrecoverable decisions.

27

Car Parts, bits For Sale & Wanted / Re: Brake master cylinder wanted & front discs & pads for 2.2 dti

« on: 24 March 2024, 12:52:53 »

Discs and pads are still readily available at your nearest motor factor, and aren't worth spending any time sourcing any other way.




Master cylinders are still available new but the price might not be acceptable, especially when seal kits are about £30. I wouldn't use a second hand master cylinder without fitting new seals, so the only reason to acquire one would be to have a known good unit ready to fit before starting the job. I would suggest that the MC off a car that has been in recent, frequent use is unlikely to need more than seals. It's the ones that have had little use for long periods that are leaking brake fluid which looks like oxtail soup that are instant scrap.

28

Omega General Help / Re: Head gasket?

« on: 22 March 2024, 21:59:14 »

Mine was leaking coolant into the driver's side rear cylinder, once the engine was turned off due to a rotten gasket. No other symptoms other than a slow but persistent water loss and a steam cleaned spark plug.


The passenger side gasket didn't look any better, but wasn't leaking.

29

Omega General Help / Re: 3.2 Elite - Surface rust in bores

« on: 22 March 2024, 21:55:59 »

You worry too much.


Bolt it back together, but do an oil change after the first start.


I would probably have removed the surface rust with some fine scotchbrite soaked in engine oil, if I bothered at all.

30

General Discussion Area / Re: Dead Person

« on: 14 March 2024, 10:58:34 »

Marcello Gandini. Designer of many of the most beautiful cars ever made. Mostly Italian, but also various others.



 

And some Citroens