Today has been a great day in the garage!
I started with the back brakes that I messed up yesterday. I have drilled out the holes for the two bolts that sheered that hold the T Block. I have also used a bit of Windscreen Wiper Tube over the brake line and then some mole grips to stop the brake fluid leaking out. The Fluid level in the reservoir is still above the minimum line, so hopefully I have caught it in time such that I will be able to bleed my brakes myself once I have repaired it.
- My attempt to stop brake fluid leaking whilst I order parts
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I can't do much else until I get some new brake line so I dropped the car down. I ahve not adjusted the suspension at all but I am already pleased with its slithlgy lower ride height. Only 3 more corners of the car to go now. So far I have done the following to the Drivers back quarter:
Installed the Meister R Coilover
Replaced the Bushes with IL Motorsport
Refurbished the top and bottom suspension arm
Replaced the drop link with BluePrint droplinks
Replaced the bottom hub bolt
Sprayed the Brake Calipers yellow.
- Suspension Installed. Result!
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- A blue car with Yellow Calipers (please dont judge me, haha)
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I came up with what I thought was an ingenious way of cooking the brake caliper paint. It has to be heated for an hour at 100 degrees C. So I built an oven out of bricks, tin foil, an old paving slab and used heat gun to provide the heat and an old oven thermometer to set the temperature. I think it has worked well and I didn't need to use the oven in the house.
- My home made oven
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Now I have jacked the front of the car up and made a start on that. I have managed to crack most of the nuts already.
I am a bit stuck with getting the cotter pin out of the top ball joint so will leave that for tomorrow.
The bolt that goes through the bottom ball joint, is that 17mm both sides? As you can see from the photo below the head has rusted so much it looks like it might actually be 19mm. Again I stepped away to think about it a bit more before just bashing it to peices.
The only bolt that I have not even attempted to do anything with is this one at the back for the upper suspension arm. Again rusty as anything, but access seems really difficult due to the location of the brake pipe. I guess its designed for mechanics with the car up in the air on a car lift but I don't have that luxury. So again I will sleep on it before talking that tomorrow.
- Bottom Ball joint bolt, Is this 17mm?
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- Top Arm - No idea how I will get this out yet - Suggestions welcomed!
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So all in all I am much more upbeat about the whole project again now.
all for the support so far.