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[YZ250]

......
Note the vice grip trick worked on the left hand ball joint (in the photo) but the other didn't. I break out the cut off wheel and depending on access I either cut the nut straight off. Or cut the link end and the grind it down til its non existent 
..........

I give the nut one chance to come off peacefully  using vice grips to hold the ball joint end and if it acts the arse I centre pop the nut in two or three places about 3mm apart, pilot drill all three dots, up the drill size on each hole until they almost meet up. I then use a small sharp chisel to split the nut. As you can tell I don't own a nut splitter. 
Whole process only takes a few minutes and saves me grinding things that don't need grinding. 

[TheBoy]

As for the service light reset, I'd imagine any decent commercial code reader would make it a breeze....

[Nick W]

I give the nut one chance to come off peacefully  using vice grips to hold the ball joint end and if it acts the arse I centre pop the nut in two or three places about 3mm apart, pilot drill all three dots, up the drill size on each hole until they almost meet up. I then use a small sharp chisel to split the nut. As you can tell I don't own a nut splitter. 
Whole process only takes a few minutes and saves me grinding things that don't need grinding. 

Takes me longer to get the cordless angle-grinder than it does to lop the offending nut off.


I've been landed with the job of replacing all of the coolant/fuel/oil hoses on an auto-gyro; two days so far, and the fuel tanks had to some out to do the fuel hoses. Or the fuel filter(a service part!), or the battery   It's not helped by some of the outrageously expensive parts not fitting.

[Webby the Bear]

As for the service light reset, I'd imagine any decent commercial code reader would make it a breeze....

You're right. We have a Strap-on summat or other. But that's not very interesting to talk about 

[Webby the Bear]

......
Note the vice grip trick worked on the left hand ball joint (in the photo) but the other didn't. I break out the cut off wheel and depending on access I either cut the nut straight off. Or cut the link end and the grind it down til its non existent 
..........

I give the nut one chance to come off peacefully  using vice grips to hold the ball joint end and if it acts the arse I centre pop the nut in two or three places about 3mm apart, pilot drill all three dots, up the drill size on each hole until they almost meet up. I then use a small sharp chisel to split the nut. As you can tell I don't own a nut splitter. 
Whole process only takes a few minutes and saves me grinding things that don't need grinding. 

YZ everything needs cutting   

[Webby the Bear]

So to day 3. Or 4? 

 

So got to work very early today to do some over time  when we are snowed under and a man down I can generally speaking do all the overtime I can cram in.

However today was busy cos as well as the work on the motors we also in a week or two have new owners of the unit next door. Now the unit next door is also a garage. But we've always got on really well and most importantly we've never been in competition with them; their main work is body work. Let's also just say they have a very different client base to ours   

The new guys coming in are going to carry on with the body work but I've heard they're also going to be very aggressive with their marketing campaign. This shouldn't be a problem as thee are already lots of garages in our area. And we already have a very happy (hopefully) and loyal customer base. However I've had a word with the owner and we have been reactive in advertising the cheapest AC regas in Northampton (to my knowledge) at £27.50 inc. VAT. The adverts went out yesterday and already got 3 bookings. That'll keep me busy....as I'm the only one with the papers to do it 

So the whole point of me telling you this is that I came in early doors to get a service done and dusted before we even opened....while head mech and monkey nuts the apprentice were hard at work giving our car park and workshop a bit of TLC to be as professional as we can be...



So as said I got the service done on the Peugeot 207 (an interim service which is basically full inspection, air filter and oil/filter change). A couple of bulbs and a tyre. Lovely Jubbly. 1 hours labour before the doors are even open 

I was hoping to do the Mazda brakes / sort the binding issue as I mentioned yesterday. But it didn't go to plan. I then full serviced a 12 plate Polo. By far the easiest service you'll ever do.  1.5 hours.

I then booked in a guy for a regas who wanted it doing in half hour. No problem Sir 

I didn't take any photos of the AC lines hooked up (I clean forgot  ). However her is our AC machine. Pleas don't laugh 




Now we got this thing off eBay many moons ago. And when I did my exam the tester told me then it was a museum piece 

However it still works so all is good for now.

In the first pic you can see the big blue tank called the machine tank. As I'm sure you can work out this has the refrigerant in it. Just to the back of it is the PAG oil. The little red star thing is the oil drain (to drain any oil captured when you do a recovery). And finally the lines (ref for high pressure line, blue for low pressure line).

In the second pic is where you see the dials (showing the pressures in the system) and the valves to open the LP and HP lines.

I won't bore you with a full instruction manual but a brief procedure is as follows:

Attach lines on the machine to the ports on the car (I'm sure you've all seen them...obviously take caps off first  ).
Open the valves and press 'R' to recover what's already in the system in the car. Most of the time there's not much comes out.... the reason they need a regas usually 
Once that's done press 'V' to put the system on a vacuum. Takes 15 minutes.
Then add oil using the knob above the PAG oil bottle. Then let it sit for another 10-15 minutes and observe the pressures. The needles on the dials should stay buried down if it's holding a vacuum.
If it does it's ready to charge.
Press 'C' for charge. Enter amount (found on Autodata or in a sticker somewhere under the bonnet). You also have to add an extra 100g as that's what will stay in the lines.
Detach the lines.
Press recover again and this will take out all the refrigerant stuck in the lines.
Turn the AC on and make sure it is freezing  that's 30 minutes labour 

So as if my day of servicing seemed to be never ending I did another interim service on a 2001 Golf. Right old shite box! When I drained the oil I reckon a litre came out  another hour gained   

Final job of the day on a 2008 Neesarn Micra.....
NSF coil spring
Front pads
Set of wiper blades (standard, non-aero)

So to the spring, a really nice easy one. Two bolts securing strut to the knuckle. Remove brake hose clip and brake hose pops out. Remove ABS wiring from strut. And then the drop link 

Classic example of what I mentioned yesterday. Gun it first to see if I get lucky. And then 5mm Allen key to stop it spinning and use an AndyB wrench to remove the nut....


Here's a pic of why we are replacing it.... (MOT failure)
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[Webby the Bear]

One quick note on removing broken springs. Because the spring is broken it reduces the length of the spring. If it's reduced the length enough you'll never grab enough coils in the spring compressor to be able to get it compressed enough to get the nut off. What I do this situation is put the bottom of the strut where you'd normally grab a coil. Compress. And buzz nut off but this CAN be scary. I wrap 3 bungee cords around the strut and compressor if I ever have doubts. And it does work!

This spring was also easy because there was total access to the strut securing bolts. I.e. On some other cars the strut tower is under the scuttle panel and that has to be removed just for access to this  PITA. Peugeot 307 estate comes to mind. Oh and the stupid and shite Merivas.

So brake pads. Probably my favourite job. Not sure why.



Thanks to Kevin Wood for recommending this wind back tool about 5 years ago  I still use it today. I find it a lot easier than big water pump pliers. Especially as some calipers can be really stiff.

Old pads....


New pads....


Ive said this many times but we use Vetech pads. We've only ever had one set come back for warranty. And they're very reasonably priced.

Anyway that was today. Ended up with 6.5 hours labour as well as a couple of hours office work. So all in all a good but tiring day 

[BazaJT]

Are you sure it's professional to take a leak against the bushes

[Nick W]

One quick note on removing broken springs. Because the spring is broken it reduces the length of the spring. If it's reduced the length enough you'll never grab enough coils in the spring compressor to be able to get it compressed enough to get the nut off. What I do this situation is put the bottom of the strut where you'd normally grab a coil. Compress. And buzz nut off but this CAN be scary. I wrap 3 bungee cords around the strut and compressor if I ever have doubts. And it does work!

This LINK looks like a pretty good use for half an hour and some scrap. Way better than the weedy spring compressors that most people struggle with.

[aaronjb]

I've seen that video Nick - it's genius, I reckon.

Webby - 

This reminds me that I could do with doing oil & filter on the BMW before taking it to France next month (which leaves me .. this week and next) and I'm suffering a high degree of "CBA". Do I take a trip to see Webby or do I take it to Autobarn who did the wishbones and have them see why there's a knocking noise at the front at the same time.. 

[Webby the Bear]

Nick. That's actual genius.

Aaron. Come to us obviously  we can also find out where the noise is coming from. And you can be sure of discount. I'll write "OOF discount" on the invoice to properly confuse the accountant 

[Nick W]

Nick. That's actual genius.

It's certainly simple, effective, safe, quick and cheap. Some means of holding the strut is necessary to elevate it to genius. A piece of pipe cemented in the floor would be enough.

[Webby the Bear]

So day 5. Or is it 4? 

Got my bear paw on that Mazda MX5 with the brake binding on the front. Couldn't turn the wheel at all.

But needed to confirm it was the calliper. When they're seized on I like this nice stubby pry bar to pull the calliper off....



Immediately I saw the piston dust boot was torn. But I like to double check it's not a hose. I crimped off the brake hose and opened the bleeder. Pushed the piston back and it still wouldn't move. I was salavating at replacing the brakes and calliper. Called the owner. "Nah we don't want it doing".  completely their decision but annoying. So boxed it back out and dumped it outside. You can't win them all 

Then to an Astra H. What a dog 

NSF ARB link (I didn't anticipate this becoming an ARB link blog  )
OSF coil spring (which nearly killed me  )
And front discs and pads

I brake out the Irwins for the ARB link to then realise it has flats on the back for a spanner    but it was early and I hadn't had a coffee at this point.

One defeated ARB link...

Note how one of the balljoints is missing. With these crap plastic Vauxhall links they're so flimsy so once I've undone the first nut I break them. That then exposes the ball. Grips on that and the rest is easy.
On fitting the new one the anti roll bar dropped down a bit and access to the nut was obscured. So I lifted it up and jammed in whatever came to hand (my irwins again  ) so I could tighten the nut...


So on to the spring that nearly killed me.

Got the knuckle loose from strut, ARB link, brake hose, abs wiring etc. Then I moved to the strut tower. I admit I wasn't paying 100% attention. But normally you see one of two things...

1.) 3 x 13mm nuts securing strut to strut tower.
Or
2.) one nut securing strut to strut tower. Then there's one underneath that holding the top mount on to the top of the spring.

Well I looked (all too quickly it appears) saw just one nut. So I gunned it off 

BOOM.

The spring just let go. Luckily it didn't break anything. And lucky it didn't take my legs off.

Anyway on inspection it appears I'd undone the nut securing the top mount to the shock (I worked that out) but how the f... was the strut secure in the strut tower. It turns out that Vauxhall in their infinite wisdom decided to do away with a mounting nut and replaced it with this plastic lock mechanism.....



It prises apart and releases the strut. I'm happy to hold my hand up when I've made a mistake. But I've never ever seen this set up before. I know one thing though.... I'll never forget it!   

Well at least it saved me the job of removing the spring 

New spring fitted...


With the new spring fitted you can see on the top of the top mount the part where the clip fits in to 

[Webby the Bear]

On to the brakes. This is my 3/8 impact in action with 7mm Allen socket to buzz the sliders out



When undoing calliper bracket bolts I like long wrenches to break them loose. Then the dewalt to finish them off...


New d's and p's all fitted. I spray a little white grease on the hub mating surface....


I am so bad arse I then do AC regasses on my lunch    note eeyore looking on... 


Finally booked in a car with "some knocking". Another ARB link. A track rod end. And some tracking tomorrow....


With these I brake the jam nut loose. I then make sure the jam nut spins independently of the track rod so tracking is really easy. If it doesn't conform I break out the red spanner. Luckily this one gave up with no fight 

Tomorrow we have shed loads in 

[Webby the Bear]

Clearly nobody gives a shit that I nearly killed myself!!!

 

So the track rod end done last night I tracked it up this morning. As you can see from the image the space to work with the track rod is quite tight on the MOT ramp (where we do our tracking) which is why I like to get them moving lovely beforehand.


So the first reading shows everything is good except the toe (visible in red at the bottom)....


And once I'd adjusted it....


Yeah could be bang on. But it's good enough 👍

So with that done I attempt an AC regas on a 06 Vectra. Once vacuumed it would not hold. The needle on the gauge slowly crept up. I thought this may be the case as there was LOADS of dye around the LP valve. I mean you normally get a little bit around the valves but this was clearly leaking. After calling Vauxhall they informed me the valve itself can be replaced as opposed to the whole line. So this is on order and we will attempt the regas next week 

Then a regas on an Audi A6 which didn't end up being a regas.  he tells me when he turned up that actually it was regassed last week somewhere else and the AC won't turn on (same as the Omega... always stays on Eco and won't go to AC). I used the Sna-on to read the fault codes.... AC pressure sensor code. Quite common on these I believe. Sensor screws in to the condenser. Again, coming in next week when the sensor will arrive.

Another regas.  on a 14 plate megane. this time actually worked. Yaaaaaay lol

Then some MOT repairs on an 04 clit 
Unseize brake load valve (sprayed wd40 and it unseized immediately with a bit of working  )
CV boot resecure with new clip.
Tyre. Fitted by mobile place as our compressor decided to die 
Couple of bulbs.
And anadvisory he wanted doing.... rear exhaust hanger.....


I don't know what it is with Renault. Why make a simple exhaust hanger a 6 monthly maintenance item 

Finally discs and pads on a Fiat Punto and an oil change on an old X-Trail.

now regarding tomorrow....

The boss has an Aston Martin. And he needs some work doing. The bits he needs (maf sensor, bonnet latch and service kit are unavailable from factors) so one of us has to travel to Newport pagnell to pick them up  my old dear loves them so I'm picking her up on the way to go pick the bits up