3901
Car Parts, bits For Sale & Wanted / Re: 3.2 MV6 for parts
« on: 17 July 2014, 21:13:09 »
Hi Joff,
what is the condition of the rear bumper?
what is the condition of the rear bumper?
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3902
Omega General Help / Re: Centre tie rod boot.
« on: 17 July 2014, 20:41:41 »Any goodThanks, Rob. I've been throwing away good track rods just because of split gaiters. Now I can replace them.
http://balljointboots.co.uk/index.html
3903
Omega General Help / Re: stop light warning light mystery
« on: 13 July 2014, 16:36:51 »
Thanks chaps, all seems to be well now. I have done 200 miles since gluing the arm into place and the lights is remaining off. I raisd the wishbone to central position before gluing it in, and hope this was correct.
3904
Omega General Help / Re: Fuel tank float
« on: 12 July 2014, 21:11:30 »
I don't think they are. If no-one else comes in with a definitive ruling by the morning, I will check. I have spares of each at work.
3905
Omega General Help / Re: VERY URGENT QUESTION
« on: 12 July 2014, 18:02:45 »
Is the tube going down to the sump blocked? I have had two of those blocked solid with oil/grease. Had to remove from the car and force a wire, than a hose through them, to clear them. I have read long gaps between oil changes, or overfilling of sump, can cause blockage.
3906
Omega General Help / Re: stop light warning light mystery
« on: 10 July 2014, 18:37:47 »
Thanks for advice gentlemen. I have stuck it in with Loctite super glue, and it's still there after one day's motoring. If it fails, I shall try a cable tie. Now you mention that, entwood, I think I saw a cable tie holding the arm on the sensor on JAP188. car I bought in May.
3907
Omega General Help / Re: Handbrake cable
« on: 09 July 2014, 20:39:36 »
They all do that when they get old. The coiled bracket on the suspension arm get rusty and brittle and the able pulls through it. Cure is a washer on the cable.
3908
Omega General Help / Re: Why change wishbones in pairs?
« on: 09 July 2014, 18:05:56 »
I learn from the FCM website about the various steering parameters. Caster angle, if positive, make for heavy steering; if negative for light but twitchy steering; main requirment is that it be the same both sides, or steering will pull one way; no effect on tyre wear. Camber angle, if wrong, can cause uneven tyre wear side to side; no effect on handling. Toe-in, measure of how parallel the front wheels are, affects tyre wear, stability, handling, and is critical.
I learn from Al and Chris that WIM do all their measurements and settings with wheels on and suspended, to calculated settings, then check settings with wheels lowered and load bearing. Fair enough. Better than the tyre shops and garages I have seen setting toe-in with the wheels on the ground, or even on a ramp on greased pads, adjusting just one track rod.
I agree with Chris I should take a car to FCM Bristol and have it set up just to see how a well set up car feels. But just now I have to get KR02 SRO though its MOT. It needs a new exhaust system for a start.
I learn from Al and Chris that WIM do all their measurements and settings with wheels on and suspended, to calculated settings, then check settings with wheels lowered and load bearing. Fair enough. Better than the tyre shops and garages I have seen setting toe-in with the wheels on the ground, or even on a ramp on greased pads, adjusting just one track rod.
I agree with Chris I should take a car to FCM Bristol and have it set up just to see how a well set up car feels. But just now I have to get KR02 SRO though its MOT. It needs a new exhaust system for a start.
3909
Omega General Help / Re: Why change wishbones in pairs?
« on: 09 July 2014, 16:41:03 »Whilst I fully agree that suspension parts should be replaced in pairs, the standard of our roads has seen an increase in single wishbones being changed due to pothole damage. DIY'ers like us will replace in pairs due to set-up costs but garages won't, they'll replace just the damaged/worn one.Was more of a problem buying unknown e-bay wishbones. Now I buy ATEC wishbone/trackrod/droplink kits, and they are much better.
Not ideal having different age wishbones on your car as it throws up future problems but it is happening.
On one occasion son Jonny's car passed its MOT, but driving it home I did not like it, steering twitched on braking. I traced it to front wishbone bushes, so changed both wishbones before returning the car to my son. So I will change wishbones if there is a fault in them. In the current case I changed one wishbone, tested it under braking, no twitch, so I accepted it.
3910
Omega General Help / Re: Why change wishbones in pairs?
« on: 09 July 2014, 16:34:26 »Thanks Seth. The Bristol outfit looks most competent, good website and will do 4 wheel alignment and adjust toe-in for £25. Not far from Vauxhall Direct in Avon Street, my nearest , trade club source. I must make contact.
Traipsing over to Chesham and paying WIM £100 every time goes against the grain.
Seek and thou shall find: http://www.blackboots.co.uk/tyre-fitting-centres.php
Nearest to you are: http://www.fcmwheelalignment.co.uk/# in Bristol, or: http://www.carsontyre.co.uk/ in Melksham.
Both WIM-approved, who'll use WIM specs.
3911
Omega General Help / Re: Why change wishbones in pairs?
« on: 09 July 2014, 10:23:33 »
My thanks to Chris for his comprehensive response to my note, and the reference to feeutfo’s essay on setting up Omegas., which I have read several times.
As described two years ago, I have devised a quick, accurate and reliable method of setting toe-in precisely with the steering wheel central. I know Chris and Al do not approve of it, but it has never failed me, or damaged a wishbone. Sassenach approved it, bless him, ruling the wooden block unnecessary.
I did once try to adjust camber angle. I could only do it with the wheel off, using a long lever to move the hub with the screws loosened. In no way was it a precise adjustment, and only measurable when I had replaced the wheel and lowered it to the ground. I wonder how WIM do it. Does anyone know? Perhaps I could do it with the wishbones supported as for toe-in setting, using the wheel as the lever.
Take it to WIM Chesham, you will say. In the last six weeks I have struggled three Omegas through MOT tests. All three needed new trackrods and/or wishbones. A split trackrod gaiter means a fail these days. It all means effort and expense. Traipsing over to Chesham and paying WIM £100 every time goes against the grain.
As described two years ago, I have devised a quick, accurate and reliable method of setting toe-in precisely with the steering wheel central. I know Chris and Al do not approve of it, but it has never failed me, or damaged a wishbone. Sassenach approved it, bless him, ruling the wooden block unnecessary.
I did once try to adjust camber angle. I could only do it with the wheel off, using a long lever to move the hub with the screws loosened. In no way was it a precise adjustment, and only measurable when I had replaced the wheel and lowered it to the ground. I wonder how WIM do it. Does anyone know? Perhaps I could do it with the wishbones supported as for toe-in setting, using the wheel as the lever.
Take it to WIM Chesham, you will say. In the last six weeks I have struggled three Omegas through MOT tests. All three needed new trackrods and/or wishbones. A split trackrod gaiter means a fail these days. It all means effort and expense. Traipsing over to Chesham and paying WIM £100 every time goes against the grain.
3912
Omega General Help / Re: stop light warning light mystery
« on: 09 July 2014, 09:00:02 »
Thanks Chris. I appreciate what the sensor does. I don't know how it works. The end of the arm attached to the wishbone is a disc a bit like a chocolate Smartie but smaller, which pops into a matching cavity in the sensor body. Mine now pops out again.
I imagine the cavity is a cylinder that rotates in the body of the switch, moving a carbon track resistor and thus advising the electronics where the suspension is. If I am right, then gluing it in should work. Perhaps I could wedge it in. If all else fails I buy a new sensor.
I imagine the cavity is a cylinder that rotates in the body of the switch, moving a carbon track resistor and thus advising the electronics where the suspension is. If I am right, then gluing it in should work. Perhaps I could wedge it in. If all else fails I buy a new sensor.
3913
Omega General Help / Re: stop light warning light mystery
« on: 09 July 2014, 07:57:56 »
It was the wishbone height sensor. The operating arm had fallen out of the switch body. I have popped it back in, and now the fault has gone. Of course it will fall out again. Can I glue it in? Or should I just buy a new sensor?
3914
Omega General Help / Re: stop light warning light mystery
« on: 08 July 2014, 21:40:55 »
Reading my car handbook (old rule, if all else fails read the handbook) it looks like it could be the headlight automatic levelling system. I recently changed the nearside wishbone, to which is attached the self levelling sensor. I wonder if it has come adrift.
3915
Omega General Help / Re: stop light warning light mystery
« on: 08 July 2014, 21:28:49 »
Sadly, no. Both reversing bulbs OK. Number plate bulb OK too.i