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PollyMobiles Rebuild

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pollyp

pollyp

Club Member
Now thats done. Polly What you doing to the car next.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

since u asked, here's an update.

over the past few days I've been tweaking with various enrichment settings.
changing the cranking enrichment, it now cold starts at 9.5afr from 1200rpm rather than 9afr from 800rpm.
the cold afr now climbs up towards 14.7afr much faster.
I tried altering all sorts of rpm enrichment, decel timing, etc and nothing has reduced or affected the low rev rich overrun issue.

there's been afew annoying rattles mainly from the sunroof and have sourced it down to a slightly slack roller pin that the sunroof mechanism uses to tilt the glass, which was allowing the glass to rattle about.

so I wedged some wood between the glass and frame and totally silent now :cool: its not like I ever use the sunroof.

IMAG0938.jpg
IMAG0939.jpg


even though I tightened the nut on the upper left trailing arm, the suspension knocking at the rear is still there, mostly when the cars setting off cold.
its cos the other side of the bush ain't secure against the hole (cos the bolt was previously quite loose and has now seized against the inner bush for awhile) so the rubber bush can rock about and knock the bolt within the chassis hole.

now I can't quite cut the bolt off cos its right next to the fuel tank :/
to take the upper arm off (so I can put the bush on a vice n whack or drill the seized bolt out) I'll also have to undo the other end on the axle but that's prob also another pita.
if I can't undo the bolts on the axle, I'll have to remove the whole axle by unscrewing or cutting the other bolts holding the arms to the chassis and thats even more pita.
basically this knocking loose seized bolt end is a real PITA and I'll just have to leave it. gives it character eh :p

next on list is to finish making a metal ball bearing universal joint for the front gear linkage cos the old plastic one is getting slack.

then curiously see if bits of the two spare engines can be swapped to make a working stock engine.
 
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pollyp

pollyp

Club Member
found a spare gear linkage joint

DSC09041.JPG


the plastic outer bushes can be knocked off

DSC09042.JPG


to present a bare metal joint

DSC09043.JPG


the bore is 18mm while the bearing is 19mm so need to enlarge it slightly

DSC09044.JPG


tried the grind stone but will take awhile and not accurate

DSC09045.JPG


so instead I'll buy a £4 19mm drill bit to cut it properly

73936.jpg


only found the two bearings so need to order two more
 

Enuo

Glorified Electrician
Try drill through as quickly as possible polly, it'll give a slightly undersize hole that will give a nice interference fit for the bearing. Alternatively Loctite do a specific adhesive for fixing bearings in place. Twist drill bits don't give very good hole accuracy when you're after a specific hole tolerance. Another alternative is to get an undersize drill and a reamer but thats ££££
 
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pollyp

pollyp

Club Member
got a 19mm bit from toolstation for £5 and the extra 2 bearings have arrived

DSC09046.JPG


enlarged the bore with the drill bit few mm down. the bearings are a snug fit

DSC09047.JPG


to shorten a center bushing accurately and keep it square, here's my budget milling rig :p

DSC09049.JPG


all pieces machined n ready

DSC09050.JPG


fits like this

DSC09051.JPG


took the old joint out. yep the plastic out bush is worn loose and the tape I used between the outer bush and ball bearing has degraded loose so the whole joint is slightly too slack

DSC09052.JPG


fitting the new ball bearing joint with the 1mm washers inbetween the bearing and selector was abit fiddly but it's on

DSC09053.JPG


test drive and the movement of the mechanism is noticably smoother with no slack. 1st gear still has the slight notchy selection but I think that's more to do with the gearbox end cos it eventually slots in afew millisecs later if I keep pressure on it, as though the 1st gear synchro is having slight difficulty trying to match the cogs in time.
but if I initially select 2nd gear to nudge the mechanism along and then select 1st, it'll slot right in smoothly. so it's prob a minor misalignment of the selector mechanism and nothing to think off
 
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pollyp

pollyp

Club Member
anyone know where to get new trailing arm bolts other than the dealers?
that occasional rear knock is like an annoying splinter and needs fixing.
 

h701micra

Deactivated Account
partially threaded to a certain length. dunno if the original bolts have different material spec n treatments to other bolts either
Can you not see the grade on your oe bolts? :/
I've used A4 stainless steel partially threaded bolts with no issues
 

r-reg-sr

-------
Site Supporter
strange one ,,i found screw fix with both threaded and semi thread like the hub to shock bolts ,exact same bolt as the nissan
 
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pollyp

pollyp

Club Member
strange one ,,i found screw fix with both threaded and semi thread like the hub to shock bolts ,exact same bolt as the nissan

good call zed, they have a large array of partially threaded A2 and high tensile bolts :cool:
just have to query which one has the right amount of "non-threaded section" to match the bush insert length and then since they're cheap as chips may as well replace all the trailing arm bolts at once during warmer season.
 
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pollyp

pollyp

Club Member
I think for safety sake I should just order the two oem bolts from the dealers for bout £6 quid.
don't wanna find out on track someday that some cheapo screwfix bolts on the trailing arms have sheared off :/
 

Enuo

Glorified Electrician
Yeah, they'd probably be stamped with an 's', denoting it as a minimum strength bolt for low strength applications. Oem is always best :)
 

SirChris

Educated Bodger
okay dont lol. I just undo a couple when I am down there and see which ones will come off easily. twas a suggestion for net time. saves you the dollar. if not I got loads I could see if I could wangle sending on in an envelope for a laugh
 
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pollyp

pollyp

Club Member
okay dont lol. I just undo a couple when I am down there and see which ones will come off easily. twas a suggestion for net time. saves you the dollar. if not I got loads I could see if I could wangle sending on in an envelope for a laugh

I don't have enough time off work or energy to wonder to the scrappys anymore. and even at the scrappys the cars are all wheel-less laying flat on the rubble so accessing the underside is tricky especially if muddy, the rusty bolts there are prob in no better condition than how mine are so would prob end up all day wasting time n effort on every rusty nissan looking for a usable and extractable bolt.

buying a new oem bolt, will make the job easier n faster (no need to extract & clean old rusty threads) n safer (less likely to fail compared to out-of-spec normal household bolts).

if u got some, perhaps next time we meet eh :cool:
 
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pollyp

pollyp

Club Member
totally forgot bout japfest, just sent payment in time to maxk11. shame there's no track fun but could just book another myself.

collected the new expensive bolts tday

#55080-41B00 £5.41 annealed looking one at the top, fastens the upper trailing arm to the axle beam.
#54132-01B00 £11.23 zinc plated bolt at the bottom, fastens the trailing arm to the chassis.

DSC09054.JPG


there's hardly any difference between them and yet the basic zinc looking bolt is twice the price and looks no different to getting a box of 50 from screwfix for £7?o_O

DSC09055.JPG


chassis bolt has slightly more threads available

DSC09056.JPG


marked T for high-tensile?

DSC09057.JPG


dunno why the massive cost difference but tbh next time just better getting the cheaper annealed one or even some screwfix bolts.

just wait for a clear weekend to drop the axle n cut the old arm bolts out
 

Enuo

Glorified Electrician
You'd need to cut them in half and get them under a microscope to look at the grain structure to see the difference... size, shape, alignment, and thats before getting into grain composition (different alloy phases, ratios of phases etc). I wrote an entire essay on a bolt once...
 
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pollyp

pollyp

Club Member
You'd need to cut them in half and get them under a microscope to look at the grain structure to see the difference... size, shape, alignment, and thats before getting into grain composition (different alloy phases, ratios of phases etc). I wrote an entire essay on a bolt once...

blimey I'll leave that task to u :p
 
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pollyp

pollyp

Club Member
raised sleeve bit dont look long enough to go snug in the bush metal

the main purpose of the nut & bolt is to apply alot of clamping force between the chassis brackets and the rubber mounts metal insert and it is the friction between them which secures it in place against any shear loading through the suspension.

probably afew reasons for the shorter raised sleeve feature.
the thicker 12mm stem of the shaft ensures upon initial fitting that the metal insert is approx centered to the chassis bracket hole.
most of the thinner 11.5mm section means that not all of the bolt shaft is in close contact with the metal inserts inner bore so less surface area will be rusted/seized after afew years, which means it'll be easier to remove.
 
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pollyp

pollyp

Club Member
todays topic is insurance which is due renewing on 19th and sky letter quotes £560 tpft. with 7yrs no claim, that's only afew quid of discount from last year :/

so I rang afew places.

first Hertz insurance, quoted £540 fully comp, £200 excess, includes breakdown, hire car etc.
gr8, said I'm gonna rang about and call em back if I accept, guy saying its a good deal and I sense em trying to make the customer buy immediately.
nah-na I ain't gonna fall for it, still gonna phone around.
he says if I call back before they close at 2pm they'll offer it at £525. ok noted.

next Adrian Flux, quotes £484 fully comp, £200 excess, breakdown, hire car, etc.
sweet, once again I'm gonna ring around cos skys letter says they'll refund the difference plus £20 of any other cheaper offers. but to try lure me in, the guy says this offer is only available whilst it's live on his system/server, yeah right, if I hang up n lose that offer I'll only have to phone up again and retry the quote, meh.
so took note of ref number and said I'll call back.

finally Sky, mentioned the fully comp offers from the other companies, after afew mins the best they can offer is £400 TPFT but they dont offer breakdown for the age of car :(

whilst it is the cheapest option, it didn't have what I was looking for.

decided to go for adrian fluxes offer cos:
  • the cost was much better than what the Sky letter originally offered anyway,
  • fully comp meaning I can drive moms car without paying extra insurance for being a named driver,
  • windscreen, keys & stereo cover,
  • euro breakdown cover! sigh of relief that if something breaks during any long road trip (eg if I was going to Nurburg) then I could least get it fixed or recovered back home :)
 
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pollyp

pollyp

Club Member
alright let's sort out this suspension bolt.

lowered the axle beam for better access

DSC09058.JPG


wirebrushed clean n removed the axle/arm nut

DSC09059.JPG


but the bolt wasn't seized onto the bush, it just slid out :) yay luv it when that happens, one less bolt to grind off

DSC09060.JPG


to prevent burning the full tank of fuel, layed some foil over it

DSC09061.JPG


propped up the arm so its out the way

DSC09062.JPG


took awhile grinding the bolt head off

DSC09063.JPG


head destroyed

DSC09064.JPG


grinded the other side too

DSC09065.JPG


arm removed :cool:

DSC09066.JPG
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chassis bracket intact and no fires

DSC09068.JPG


tried punching the old bolt out but it ain't working cos it's properly seized solid.

so time to drill it out

DSC09069.JPG


drilled upto 10mm and its offset close to the edge. didn't wanna use the 12mm bit I brought earlier cos that'll cut into the metal insert

DSC09070.JPG
DSC09071.JPG


so instead I cut the hacksaw blade thinner to fit in the hole

DSC09072.JPG


and began cutting two slots across the hole

DSC09073.JPG


chisel the section out till it clears

DSC09074.JPG
DSC09075.JPG


so now with the section detached, the old bolt is no longer locked against the bore and was easily knocked through :D

DSC09076.JPG
DSC09077.JPG


just have to reassemble it now
 

SirChris

Educated Bodger
todays topic is insurance which is due renewing on 19th and sky letter quotes £560 tpft. with 7yrs no claim, that's only afew quid of discount from last year :/

so I rang afew places.

first Hertz insurance, quoted £540 fully comp, £200 excess, includes breakdown, hire car etc.
gr8, said I'm gonna rang about and call em back if I accept, guy saying its a good deal and I sense em trying to make the customer buy immediately.
nah-na I ain't gonna fall for it, still gonna phone around.
he says if I call back before they close at 2pm they'll offer it at £525. ok noted.

next Adrian Flux, quotes £484 fully comp, £200 excess, breakdown, hire car, etc.
sweet, once again I'm gonna ring around cos skys letter says they'll refund the difference plus £20 of any other cheaper offers. but to try lure me in, the guy says this offer is only available whilst it's live on his system/server, yeah right, if I hang up n lose that offer I'll only have to phone up again and retry the quote, meh.
so took note of ref number and said I'll call back.

finally Sky, mentioned the fully comp offers from the other companies, after afew mins the best they can offer is £400 TPFT but they dont offer breakdown for the age of car :(

whilst it is the cheapest option, it didn't have what I was looking for.

decided to go for adrian fluxes offer cos:
  • the cost was much better than what the Sky letter originally offered anyway,
  • fully comp meaning I can drive moms car without paying extra insurance for being a named driver,
  • windscreen, keys & stereo cover,
  • euro breakdown cover! sigh of relief that if something breaks during any long road trip (eg if I was going to Nurburg) then I could least get it fixed or recovered back home :)
Well be considering Adrian flux me think next time.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
 
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pollyp

pollyp

Club Member
You really are one of the best home mechanics I think I've ever seen, the methodical way you do stuff is fab :) could do with some of your patience....

thanks alex :)
when its a weekend and I don't have to work, this is what I luv doing with a passion.
experience tells me what tools n parts I need to prep for and what worked best when encountering stuff like seized fastenings then just work through it systematically no matter how long. gets faster with practice.
 
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pollyp

pollyp

Club Member
Well be considering Adrian flux me think next time.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

its worth shopping around afew mod specialists for the best deals.
i'm now down to only 3 companies who'll insure a car with this many mods so choice is limited
 
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pollyp

pollyp

Club Member
another rattle at the back end to fix.
resonates during a certain vibration frequency through the chassis, ain't the seats, parcel shelf or doors, its under the chassis.
believe its the exhaust shield on the fuel tank cos I remember one of the mount points were rusted off loose. something to do on weekend.
 
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pollyp

pollyp

Club Member
time to replace the air filter. removed the cover and seems water had pooled at the bottom.

DSC09079.JPG


the newer filter was abit smaller than the tin can

DSC09080.JPG


so trimed a section off

DSC09081.JPG


ziptied it snug to the new filter and leave a gap so trapped water can drain down

DSC09083.JPG


taped to the filter so it doesn't just slip off

DSC09085.JPG


fitted

DSC09086.JPG


the rear exhaust shield was fine, nudged it further away just to be sure.
this rear brake line was slightly loose so nudged it away from the body abit and rezipped it tighter.

DSC09087.JPG


most of the plasticy rattle/shuffle noise has reduced but not vanished and perhaps my ears are abit too annoyed bout it. attempted to taped the parcelshelf down, remove all the parcelshelf n surroundings, shifted the boot brake light away from glass, the shifty noise is still occasionally there at certain road vibrations. more testing to short the little annoying issues out

the exhaust is also still randomly coughing/hiccup only at warm idle. afr stable and minimal sign of misfire from the engine bay but at the back the exhaust sometimes poofs and rpm slightly dips after each poof. tried misting water on the ht leads for any spark leaks but no signs.
 
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Guy

Has gone over to the oily side...
Club Member
It's interesting you were talking about bolt strength Paul. The numbers on any quality bolt follow a prescribed code that describes the tensile strength. The numbers go up in sequence but basically 8.8 is the first seriously good quality rating (tends to be used for seatbelt mounting brackets etc). The next one is 10.9 (iirc) and that is epically good quality and strength and there are a couple above that :).
 

drand

1st Micraversary!
Yup, first number is tensile strength in hundreds of MPa, second number is proportion of yield strength to tensile strength (when deformation is no longer elastic). Always good to use 12.9 bolts, instant feel-good factor even if they're totally unnecessary!
 
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