I bought one of these, only 3" wheels so pretty compact. The flexible extension has come in handy as well.
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PollyMobiles Rebuild
- Thread starter pollyp
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I bought one of these, only 3" wheels so pretty compact. The flexible extension has come in handy as well.
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pollyp
Club Member
I'll have a wonder tomorrowI bought one of these, only 3" wheels so pretty compact. The flexible extension has come in handy as well.
What are you exactly doing there with the door cards?
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pollyp
Club Member
What are you exactly doing there with the door cards?
- replace the old dull grey cloth door card with a sleeker black panel to match the black dashboard look,
- seal better against the door frame with a thick, rigid & waterproof panel secured with screws to improve bass,
- easier to access via screws compared to weaker panel clips
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pollyp
Club Member
moms peugeot 307 failed its MOT with just a snapped front left spring and a missing CV boot clip.
brought a new spring and began taking the old one out.
jeezuz every time I work on this car I just hate it more & more
had to remove the whole wiper mechanism just to loosen the top mount.
odd sized nut fasteners not helped by some rust.
the spring was also larger than my spring tool can reach so I had to nervously fully compress the tool much as possible plus add a few zip ties at the ends just to fit the top mount nut
6hrs later it's on and passed next day
brought a new spring and began taking the old one out.
jeezuz every time I work on this car I just hate it more & more
had to remove the whole wiper mechanism just to loosen the top mount.
odd sized nut fasteners not helped by some rust.
the spring was also larger than my spring tool can reach so I had to nervously fully compress the tool much as possible plus add a few zip ties at the ends just to fit the top mount nut
6hrs later it's on and passed next day
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pollyp
Club Member
my front left worn wheel bearing will need replacing before her MOT in december so I brought this kit
bearing #35BWD16
gonna take the hub to a local shop to replace em some day
the old screen wash hose has age hardened & cracked/leaked, so I replaced it with a new silicone hose
haven't checked my catch can for 2 months and good thing I just checked tonight cos after the recent cooler rainy season I was surprised to find it was absolutely brimmed 500ml full of mostly water vapour after almost 2k miles
bearing #35BWD16
gonna take the hub to a local shop to replace em some day
the old screen wash hose has age hardened & cracked/leaked, so I replaced it with a new silicone hose
haven't checked my catch can for 2 months and good thing I just checked tonight cos after the recent cooler rainy season I was surprised to find it was absolutely brimmed 500ml full of mostly water vapour after almost 2k miles
What a cute fuselage you have there What is the year of construction and engine displacement and chassis type for your Peugeot?
What is the year of construction and engine displacement and chassis type for your Peugeot?
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pollyp
Club Member
What a cute fuselage you have there
it's a 2003 Peugeot 307 1.6 16v petrol Rapier 3dr
Nice to learn that a 1.6 engine didn't look it up but not very fast (sorry) can have such a fuselage. I am attempting to find the overbuild factor for our Nissans and from Toyota I am aware that the 80 - 90 cars where 150% - 200%. And for your fuselage and for example 1.2 gearboxes I saw opened up and at the engine but then just hanging there, no cabling and stuff, I believe it is very neatly done but then I wonder what overbuild factor is there. Just to learn how much HP it can take. I think my CG13DE gearbox can take 112 tot 150 hp and still be as reliable as intended but hoping to find out by racers hearts how much it really is. And for that, how much it is on very new cars like 2003. For me that is quite new
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pollyp
Club Member
Nice to learn that a 1.6 engine didn't look it up but not very fast (sorry) can have such a fuselage. I am attempting to find the overbuild factor for our Nissans and from Toyota I am aware that the 80 - 90 cars where 150% - 200%. And for your fuselage and for example 1.2 gearboxes I saw opened up and at the engine but then just hanging there, no cabling and stuff, I believe it is very neatly done but then I wonder what overbuild factor is there. Just to learn how much HP it can take. I think my CG13DE gearbox can take 112 tot 150 hp and still be as reliable as intended but hoping to find out by racers hearts how much it really is. And for that, how much it is on very new cars like 2003. For me that is quite new
the peugeot engine mounts also rest on top of the chassis beams but uses a stub-inserted into rubber whereas the nissan bolts a bracket to the steel insert moulded in the rubber mount.
dunno what it can handle cos it's just my parents car and a daily.
my cg13 box withstood 163hp for few years easily, but very dependent on driving style, whether it's abused on drag strip or sustained trackdays or just driven on the street.
the input shaft deep-groove bearing is a very common weak spot.
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pollyp
Club Member
Jamie from LetsTorqueCars fitted new coilovers on his bmw but said the rear was extremely stiff & bouncy
surprised to see he chopped bits off the turret to clear the camber adjuster
I noted that he could've just rearranged the allen screws without cutting it, plus you can see the camber ain't set equally
the rear damper was actually set too short which was pre-compressing the spring till it's rock solid so I reconfigured the bumpstop and lengthened the damper.
turns out the supplied springs of 7-8kg/mm front/rear were wayy too stiff and high so I suggested he looks for a softer 4-5kg/mm set to lower the ride height and bring the damper travel within better range.
surprised to see he chopped bits off the turret to clear the camber adjuster
I noted that he could've just rearranged the allen screws without cutting it, plus you can see the camber ain't set equally
the rear damper was actually set too short which was pre-compressing the spring till it's rock solid so I reconfigured the bumpstop and lengthened the damper.
turns out the supplied springs of 7-8kg/mm front/rear were wayy too stiff and high so I suggested he looks for a softer 4-5kg/mm set to lower the ride height and bring the damper travel within better range.
Perhaps that is quite a maximum. Here it goes, so car designers don't care for racers or drag strip and sustained trackdays I expect quite some but also ending somewhere. Back then overbuild factors I was told where there to make sure a given car could do 100k miles the least. I also think oil quality is a factor and especially pressure it can take and then I take a dumb owner on a hot day deciding to redline it from parking lot. Then sustained quite obvious police magnet driving style all the time in bad conditions (lean) so very hot engine, vacuum leaks and proper oil scheme though. Making sure oil can take the pressure is what you want to know for a cold engine and then detonation but if anyone wants to chime in on this, please do! Also from reliable sources my 143 hp nissan am told gearbox takes 220 hp beating it so that would be a 150% there
For the 3 cylinder 1.2 I honestly think 150% overbuild is large, just looking at how they care about rotating mass makes me ponder
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pollyp
Club Member
TIG Welder Cart
I've been keeping the TIG welder stored in it's HUGE original box which takes a lot of room in my tiny workshop so I designed this cart to store it neatly underneath the shelving. made from timber to save cost, weight and ease of making.
thank god I brought my metal bandsaw cos it cut all the timber very quickly, quietly and consistantly accurate, which was soo satisfying
began making the base
inserted the uprights
finally the diagonal supports
added castors
all assembled and was very satisfying
I've been keeping the TIG welder stored in it's HUGE original box which takes a lot of room in my tiny workshop so I designed this cart to store it neatly underneath the shelving. made from timber to save cost, weight and ease of making.
thank god I brought my metal bandsaw cos it cut all the timber very quickly, quietly and consistantly accurate, which was soo satisfying
began making the base
inserted the uprights
finally the diagonal supports
added castors
all assembled and was very satisfying
I would have thought that hacking those front strut top mount turrets is an instant MOT failure! Looks to have really compromised the strength of the formed turret topJamie from LetsTorqueCars fitted new coilovers on his bmw but said the rear was extremely stiff & bouncy
View attachment 73292View attachment 73293
surprised to see he chopped bits off the turret to clear the camber adjuster
I noted that he could've just rearranged the allen screws without cutting it, plus you can see the camber ain't set equally
View attachment 73294View attachment 73295View attachment 73296
the rear damper was actually set too short which was pre-compressing the spring till it's rock solid so I reconfigured the bumpstop and lengthened the damper.
View attachment 73297
turns out the supplied springs of 7-8kg/mm front/rear were wayy too stiff and high so I suggested he looks for a softer 4-5kg/mm set to lower the ride height and bring the damper travel within better range.
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pollyp
Club Member
I would have thought that hacking those front strut top mount turrets is an instant MOT failure! Looks to have really compromised the strength of the formed turret top
yeah I didn't like the look of how hacked up it was with those sharp corners as stress risers
it very much reminded me of that hilarious topgear africa moment (4:20 - 5:50 in this clip) where Clarkson cut the bonnet off Mays car and he was more appalled at the rough workmanship
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pollyp
Club Member
haven't touched the tig for awhile now due to constantly being at work and on evenings doing other side jobs.
slowly getting the hang of the sequence, the lightened torch is much better.
recently brought some 2.4mm alloy rod and tried it out, it's soo much easier & better to make it look neat but needs some practice near the end where the heat builds up quickly and it soon gets too hot & wide and flat.
my feeding hand also needs plenty of practice cos can only do short runs.
currently limited by gas cos when last used, it was at 50% pressure. few weeks later coming back to use it, it's dropped to 30% pressure
was sure the bottle was fully closed 
after few more welds I'm now at 20%, hopefully getting more soon to carry on
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pollyp
Club Member
the open ends of the 3dr front seat belts normally loops round a long anchoring bar but to make em fit on my 5dr I need to add a solid bracket on the ends.
cutting and welding the already very thin & tightly packaged existing 5dr belt brackets seemed risky (it's only 2.5mm thick and the sides only have 5mm width of steel) and the welding heat could damage the belt.
instead I decided to fabricate a beefier new one from 7mm thick plate and rod, with the sides 14mm wide and the base of the plate 14mm from the bottom of the bolt hole.
plate & rod chamfered & ready.
the 70x5mm slot allows the belt to lay flat across the round rod plus I'll be able to bunch the belt over to one side far away from the heat while I weld each side and quickly dip in water.
tacked in place
running the 1st root pass
and final hot pass
cutting and welding the already very thin & tightly packaged existing 5dr belt brackets seemed risky (it's only 2.5mm thick and the sides only have 5mm width of steel) and the welding heat could damage the belt.
instead I decided to fabricate a beefier new one from 7mm thick plate and rod, with the sides 14mm wide and the base of the plate 14mm from the bottom of the bolt hole.
plate & rod chamfered & ready.
the 70x5mm slot allows the belt to lay flat across the round rod plus I'll be able to bunch the belt over to one side far away from the heat while I weld each side and quickly dip in water.
tacked in place
running the 1st root pass
and final hot pass
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pollyp
Club Member
brought a new front exhaust for the peugeot 307 on ebay for £70 and says it should fit our 2003 1.6 16v model
wirebrushed the labels off and the haze off the poor welds
suppose most of the cost goes into the expensive catalyst but the remaining peanuts goes into this shoddy welding.
the welds are soo rushed & irratic, I had to smooth it out with my TIG so it won't crack prematurely like the original exhaust
same on the other side
the sensor bung area has some awful snot around it
neatened this flange area too
removed the original pipe and there's are some slight differences such as the middle support bracket design
original cat uses this spiral compression seal ring whereas this budget cat is just a flat face and didn't come with any gaskets etc
so after finding it leaking, I had to take it back off to make this emergency gasket
I reused the old conical seal and chopped the odd spring retaining stud to reuse
after bolting it to the manifold, I found the support bracket and rest of the downpipe angle was pointing wayy too high
so after removing it to drill a new hole 5mm lower and reinstall the 3rd time it's finally fitted & working BUT it knocks when decelerating at high rpm cos the pipe sits too high
once again every time working on this pug is a PITA.
in future I'll have to remove and mod this pipe to point further downwards for clearance
wirebrushed the labels off and the haze off the poor welds
suppose most of the cost goes into the expensive catalyst but the remaining peanuts goes into this shoddy welding.
the welds are soo rushed & irratic, I had to smooth it out with my TIG so it won't crack prematurely like the original exhaust
same on the other side
the sensor bung area has some awful snot around it
neatened this flange area too
removed the original pipe and there's are some slight differences such as the middle support bracket design
original cat uses this spiral compression seal ring whereas this budget cat is just a flat face and didn't come with any gaskets etc
so after finding it leaking, I had to take it back off to make this emergency gasket
I reused the old conical seal and chopped the odd spring retaining stud to reuse
after bolting it to the manifold, I found the support bracket and rest of the downpipe angle was pointing wayy too high
so after removing it to drill a new hole 5mm lower and reinstall the 3rd time it's finally fitted & working BUT it knocks when decelerating at high rpm cos the pipe sits too high
once again every time working on this pug is a PITA.
in future I'll have to remove and mod this pipe to point further downwards for clearance
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pollyp
Club Member
Got myself a cheap 1/2" impact wrench (Makita DTW285Z copy), 18v battery (came fully charged too) & fast charger (Makita DC18RC copy which amusingly plays the Mozart "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" tune 
) from ebay for just £65
before using it, I wanted to check the internals and regrease em. removed this pointless plastic shroud
removed the impact mechanism cover, the spindle and impact hammer is bone dry
dismantled the impact mechanism, quite a simple but interesting system. the planetary gears have just the bare minium of grease.
straight forward internal layout
sealed control board
yup thats a tiny brushless motor as advertised. I can see the cooling vent exits but there's barely enough cooling intakes at the front (may mod that someday).
the motor has it's own 2 bearings while this bigger bearing in the housing is for supporting the impact mechanism assembly.
kinda odd how the metal outer planetary gear locks to this white plastic housing which then locks to the outer casing (probably to keep the planet gear & bearings concentric?)
relubed it all fully with generic grease and CV grease. runs noticeably smoother & quieter
brought a pack of impact sockets for £12
imho this is mostly good for whizzing light duty or cracked-loose fasteners on/off quickly or shocking rusty fasteners,
but for high torque such as wheel nuts or suspension bolts, while it could eventually loosen em (be it slowly compared to a real Mikita), I'd still use a breaker bar to crack em loose 1st, whizz it off with the gun, then tighten em with torque wrench.
I brought it just to help speed up some of the boring processes (ie swapping wheels at trackdays) and wasn't meant to replace the breaker bar at such low cost.
proper impact toolsets that can replace the breaker bar costs well over £200 which I can't justify spending.
) from ebay for just £65
before using it, I wanted to check the internals and regrease em. removed this pointless plastic shroud
removed the impact mechanism cover, the spindle and impact hammer is bone dry
dismantled the impact mechanism, quite a simple but interesting system. the planetary gears have just the bare minium of grease.
straight forward internal layout
sealed control board
yup thats a tiny brushless motor as advertised. I can see the cooling vent exits but there's barely enough cooling intakes at the front (may mod that someday).
the motor has it's own 2 bearings while this bigger bearing in the housing is for supporting the impact mechanism assembly.
kinda odd how the metal outer planetary gear locks to this white plastic housing which then locks to the outer casing (probably to keep the planet gear & bearings concentric?)
relubed it all fully with generic grease and CV grease. runs noticeably smoother & quieter
brought a pack of impact sockets for £12
imho this is mostly good for whizzing light duty or cracked-loose fasteners on/off quickly or shocking rusty fasteners,
but for high torque such as wheel nuts or suspension bolts, while it could eventually loosen em (be it slowly compared to a real Mikita), I'd still use a breaker bar to crack em loose 1st, whizz it off with the gun, then tighten em with torque wrench.
I brought it just to help speed up some of the boring processes (ie swapping wheels at trackdays) and wasn't meant to replace the breaker bar at such low cost.
proper impact toolsets that can replace the breaker bar costs well over £200 which I can't justify spending.
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pollyp
Club Member
Brought a new Magnum-Welding ADF8610 helmet to add to my collection.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/.../Welding-helmet.../202855681229...
Costing the same £65 as my recent R-Tech helmet it is soo much better
it even comes with a protective bag which is nice.
instruction manual is obviously all Polish but google translate helps and the basic controls are pretty easy to work out
featuring a "true colour" lens so when it's off it looks like clear glass (all my other masks including the R-tech has this green hue),
and when it's triggered on I can see all the difference in colour & detail such as the white arc, bright orange tip, orange puddle and grey cold steel
(the R-tech is just a dim green blob even at shade 9 and very often flashes my fovea when starting a weld even when at high sensitivity)
the Magnum can even go as low as shade 5 to help me see better whereas the other helmets only goes down to 9 and barely see anything.
the ratchet adjuster is weird, it tightens normally but when I try to loosen it the other way it feels like I could snap the plastic mechanism inside but eventually it unwinds ok.
so here's my collection of masks:
from the old battered & damaged MIG helmet,
to the recent R-tech helmet,
to my new Magnum truecolour helmet, which makes the R-tech seem like an overpriced budget helmet
https://www.ebay.co.uk/.../Welding-helmet.../202855681229...
Costing the same £65 as my recent R-Tech helmet it is soo much better
it even comes with a protective bag which is nice.
instruction manual is obviously all Polish but google translate helps and the basic controls are pretty easy to work out
featuring a "true colour" lens so when it's off it looks like clear glass (all my other masks including the R-tech has this green hue),
and when it's triggered on I can see all the difference in colour & detail such as the white arc, bright orange tip, orange puddle and grey cold steel
(the R-tech is just a dim green blob even at shade 9 and very often flashes my fovea when starting a weld even when at high sensitivity)
the Magnum can even go as low as shade 5 to help me see better whereas the other helmets only goes down to 9 and barely see anything.
the ratchet adjuster is weird, it tightens normally but when I try to loosen it the other way it feels like I could snap the plastic mechanism inside but eventually it unwinds ok.
so here's my collection of masks:
from the old battered & damaged MIG helmet,
to the recent R-tech helmet,
to my new Magnum truecolour helmet, which makes the R-tech seem like an overpriced budget helmet
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pollyp
Club Member
visited andy on the weekend to help design & fabricate a custom rear bumper subframe for a lambo in his workshop, it was a very challenging and exhausting project considering I went back to work the next day 
my £120 Hobbyweld 10L argon bottle has ran out after few weeks of practice, so whilst visiting andys I also collected a 20L argon bottle which he can hire for a fraction of the cost of hobbyweld and keeps me welding for longer
the 10L bottle weighs the same as a car battery whereas the beefy 20L is almost the weight of a bare CG engine
the 10L hobbyweld bottle came with 150bars of gas
whereas the 20L bottle Andy hired from GasDirectUK comes with just over 200bars of gas
my £120 Hobbyweld 10L argon bottle has ran out after few weeks of practice, so whilst visiting andys I also collected a 20L argon bottle which he can hire for a fraction of the cost of hobbyweld and keeps me welding for longer
the 10L bottle weighs the same as a car battery whereas the beefy 20L is almost the weight of a bare CG engine
the 10L hobbyweld bottle came with 150bars of gas
whereas the 20L bottle Andy hired from GasDirectUK comes with just over 200bars of gas
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pollyp
Club Member
her MOT is coming up and her worn front left wheel bearing and lower ball joint has too much play so it's time to remove and repair them
the lower arm spherical bearing is a little slack cos I accidentally machined the housing a fraction mm too loose so I'll add some tacks within the bore with the TIG to take up the slack
even since the driveshaft nut once loosened itself few months ago, the wheel bearing now has too much play.
after just a gentle tap I was surprised to find the hub just popped off.
it seems the plastic inner collar that normally joins both inner bearing races had broken after the driveshaft nut loosened itself under load.
the hub has a few dents from where the previous garage tried to remove the bearing race and damaged the smooth edge which would run against the rubber seal.
also notice the hub shaft is deeply pitted and rusty from where the garage heavily wirebrushed it a fraction too small, therefore the bearing sits slightly loose on it
ball bearing easily pops out
rubber seal simply pushed in
retaining clip at the front of the hub
the new bearing kit mostly matches up although the old one is an exposed bearing whereas this new one is a rubber sealed bearing.
dunno why they include a big packet of wheel grease when the bearing itself is sealed up?
need to take this to the local garage to press the old one out and fit the new bearing
the lower arm spherical bearing is a little slack cos I accidentally machined the housing a fraction mm too loose so I'll add some tacks within the bore with the TIG to take up the slack
even since the driveshaft nut once loosened itself few months ago, the wheel bearing now has too much play.
after just a gentle tap I was surprised to find the hub just popped off.
it seems the plastic inner collar that normally joins both inner bearing races had broken after the driveshaft nut loosened itself under load.
the hub has a few dents from where the previous garage tried to remove the bearing race and damaged the smooth edge which would run against the rubber seal.
also notice the hub shaft is deeply pitted and rusty from where the garage heavily wirebrushed it a fraction too small, therefore the bearing sits slightly loose on it
ball bearing easily pops out
rubber seal simply pushed in
retaining clip at the front of the hub
the new bearing kit mostly matches up although the old one is an exposed bearing whereas this new one is a rubber sealed bearing.
dunno why they include a big packet of wheel grease when the bearing itself is sealed up?
need to take this to the local garage to press the old one out and fit the new bearing
SuperUno
Buy & Sell Member
Re your undoing hub nuts, I had this with our rally car. I now use Nissan Note 1.4 hub nuts which fit fine and are Nyloc as standard. That plus a load of threadlock keeps them in place. I then use the split pin as a marker with a dab of red paint on the nut to show any movement.
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pollyp
Club Member
since discovering the loosened shaft nut last yr, I added an extra slim nut inbetween the big nut & zip-tie to lock it in place
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pollyp
Club Member
degreased the bearing housing before welding.
the bearing diameter is 35mm whereas the bore is 35.14mm so I'll need to add a tiny tack to take the slack
added 2 tack welds with the TIG and grinded until the bearing fits very snug
my local garage allowed me to use their hydraulic press to replace the wheel bearings. you can see on the spindle where the previous garage had slightly damaged the edge and oddly wirebrushed/pitted the inner part of the spindle too loose
fitted the new bearing, was pretty straight forward process with the right tools
the bearing diameter is 35mm whereas the bore is 35.14mm so I'll need to add a tiny tack to take the slack
added 2 tack welds with the TIG and grinded until the bearing fits very snug
my local garage allowed me to use their hydraulic press to replace the wheel bearings. you can see on the spindle where the previous garage had slightly damaged the edge and oddly wirebrushed/pitted the inner part of the spindle too loose
fitted the new bearing, was pretty straight forward process with the right tools
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pollyp
Club Member
with her MOT coming up, I needed to install the 2nd cat to help emissions.
I thought I had some spare V-band ends but forgot I used em all, so I'll have to chop & weld the catalyst onto the existing de-cat pipe for now
chopped the flange ends off the cat with the bandsaw
and welded the 2.25" v-bands onto the ends
I thought I had some spare V-band ends but forgot I used em all, so I'll have to chop & weld the catalyst onto the existing de-cat pipe for now
chopped the flange ends off the cat with the bandsaw
and welded the 2.25" v-bands onto the ends
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pollyp
Club Member
good news, she's passed her MOT 
only minor adviseries like:
* worn drivers-side lower spherical joint - previous I didn't feel much play on the front-right wheel but I already have another spherical bearing so I may as well replace it soon.
* passenger seat belt struggling to retract - always had that issue but I'll soon be replacing these old units with the modded 3dr facelift belts.
emissions are just within specs, good thing I reinstalled that 2nd cat cos I think they're starting to get old nowadays.
so that's the peugeot & micra sorted for another year and can now relax over xmas
only minor adviseries like:
* worn drivers-side lower spherical joint - previous I didn't feel much play on the front-right wheel but I already have another spherical bearing so I may as well replace it soon.
* passenger seat belt struggling to retract - always had that issue but I'll soon be replacing these old units with the modded 3dr facelift belts.
emissions are just within specs, good thing I reinstalled that 2nd cat cos I think they're starting to get old nowadays.
so that's the peugeot & micra sorted for another year and can now relax over xmas
It might be worth giving it a wash, use a scrubbing brush and a bucket of warm soapy water and a clip to hold the seat belt out / stop it retracting and scrub away, often they are stiff because of the gunk in the webbing making it less flexible and harder to retract.
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pollyp
Club Member
The belt looks fine and still flexible. It's probably the spiral spring mechanism which has weakened and sticking.
The drivers belt needs replacing anyway cos the edges are beginning to fray so may as well replace em all
Sent from my CLT-L29 using Micra Sports Club mobile app
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pollyp
Club Member
on the 3dr seatbelts, this 2mm thin black bracket riveted to the reel mechanism is the only thing attaching one end of the belt to the chassis
I'll be replacing it with a bigger 2.5mm thick bracket welded onto it.
to improve the rear speaker, I sealed all the inside gaps with tigerseal
makes a noticeable improvement to the way it handles bass with less distortion
Stefan was after a spare starter & hub nuts, which I had in storage
starter was a little rusty so I gave it a regrease. works much better
I'll be replacing it with a bigger 2.5mm thick bracket welded onto it.
to improve the rear speaker, I sealed all the inside gaps with tigerseal
makes a noticeable improvement to the way it handles bass with less distortion
Stefan was after a spare starter & hub nuts, which I had in storage
starter was a little rusty so I gave it a regrease. works much better
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pollyp
Club Member
a freezing cold new years eve going to work started off well after hearing a bang & rattle in the rear only to find the rear right damper has punched right through the turret top
having a closer look, the lower cup that's welded underneath the turret has clearly completely rotted away over the years followed by one 1/2 of the weaker thinner turret skin rotting neatly and the other 1/2 snapping away under the stresses
thankfully Jack sheen had a few spare micras and chopped this turret panel out for me to replace
I'll remove this thin rotting lower cup and replace it with a thick cup from a CO2 gas canister, the same as what I did to the left-side in 2017
having a closer look, the lower cup that's welded underneath the turret has clearly completely rotted away over the years followed by one 1/2 of the weaker thinner turret skin rotting neatly and the other 1/2 snapping away under the stresses
thankfully Jack sheen had a few spare micras and chopped this turret panel out for me to replace
I'll remove this thin rotting lower cup and replace it with a thick cup from a CO2 gas canister, the same as what I did to the left-side in 2017
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pollyp
Club Member
wirebrushed the area clean and marked all the spot welds to drill out.
comparing the spot welds on my grey 1993 preface to the yellow 1999 facelift, interesting to see the earlier ones had irratic spacing & accuracy & were 6mm welds whereas the facelift are more evenly spaced with better accuracy and bigger 7mm welds
drilled through the spot welds and gently pryed the panel off
had to wirebrush the thick layer of seam sealer off the edges
preface turret vs facelift.
note the difference between the spot welds
drilled & seperated the rusty lower cup off the new turret
wirebrushed all the paint & rust off
the idea of replacing the lower cup with the end of a gas canister (like what I did to the left side) wasn't gonna work cos the old cup was 78mm while the canister is 72mm
found a 76mm hole saw that'll fit and is the same thickness
grinded off the teeth and wirebrushed it all
comparing the spot welds on my grey 1993 preface to the yellow 1999 facelift, interesting to see the earlier ones had irratic spacing & accuracy & were 6mm welds whereas the facelift are more evenly spaced with better accuracy and bigger 7mm welds
drilled through the spot welds and gently pryed the panel off
had to wirebrush the thick layer of seam sealer off the edges
preface turret vs facelift.
note the difference between the spot welds
drilled & seperated the rusty lower cup off the new turret
wirebrushed all the paint & rust off
the idea of replacing the lower cup with the end of a gas canister (like what I did to the left side) wasn't gonna work cos the old cup was 78mm while the canister is 72mm
found a 76mm hole saw that'll fit and is the same thickness
grinded off the teeth and wirebrushed it all
OP
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pollyp
Club Member
angry at myself tonight
recently noticed my steering felt a bit loose, brake pedal is very mushy and seems like the brakes drag slightly only during turns.
thought it's just air in my brakes after I recently replaced the front bleed nipples.
so jacked it up to bleed it and shockingly the front left wheel is once again very loose Oh FFS
the nearside hub nut has yet again fully loosened itself and literally held on by the split pin. thankfully the new wheel bearing ain't whining yet.
soo stupid & sick of this issue, I'll have to swap it with some castellated nuts, dunked in threadlock and perhaps lockwire it too
recently noticed my steering felt a bit loose, brake pedal is very mushy and seems like the brakes drag slightly only during turns.
thought it's just air in my brakes after I recently replaced the front bleed nipples.
so jacked it up to bleed it and shockingly the front left wheel is once again very loose Oh FFS
the nearside hub nut has yet again fully loosened itself and literally held on by the split pin. thankfully the new wheel bearing ain't whining yet.
soo stupid & sick of this issue, I'll have to swap it with some castellated nuts, dunked in threadlock and perhaps lockwire it too
OP
OP
pollyp
Club Member
OP
OP
pollyp
Club Member
Nissan Note nyloc nuts arrived and are the same threads & size
Modded this old silicone gun to help with pressing the brake pedal to lock the wheels & loosen/tighten the hub nuts
the next task in modding the 3dr seat belts to fit my 5dr is to fabricate a new adapter plate
drilled the holes & slot for the belt
bent the top lip for feeding the belt through
added 2 extra holes for marking & tack welding the reel assembly onto the bracket
bracket test fitting. welding the belt & bracket together in their final position is the next task
Modded this old silicone gun to help with pressing the brake pedal to lock the wheels & loosen/tighten the hub nuts
the next task in modding the 3dr seat belts to fit my 5dr is to fabricate a new adapter plate
drilled the holes & slot for the belt
bent the top lip for feeding the belt through
added 2 extra holes for marking & tack welding the reel assembly onto the bracket
bracket test fitting. welding the belt & bracket together in their final position is the next task
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pollyp
Club Member
this facelift belt uses electronic remote pre-tensioners whereas my 1993 pre-facelift uses old-school built-in inertia triggered pre-tensioners, so that feature is useless and taking space so I cut it out.
interesting to learn that it detonates the explosive at one end , which propels a load of steel balls through the long steel pipe like a piston
the row of steel balls then strike this paddle wheel inside which turns/pre-tensions the belt and locks/jams in place
the balls end up in this bucket
added a rivet nut to secure to top of the plate better
plug welded the 3dr seat belt unit onto the new bracket
installed it on the car.
kassandra finally has seat belts that retract strongly on their own 
no longer need to slowly manually feed the belts back every time they're unbuckled.
interesting to learn that it detonates the explosive at one end , which propels a load of steel balls through the long steel pipe like a piston
the row of steel balls then strike this paddle wheel inside which turns/pre-tensions the belt and locks/jams in place
the balls end up in this bucket
added a rivet nut to secure to top of the plate better
plug welded the 3dr seat belt unit onto the new bracket
installed it on the car.
kassandra finally has seat belts that retract strongly on their own
no longer need to slowly manually feed the belts back every time they're unbuckled.
OP
OP
pollyp
Club Member
my front pulsar GTIR caliper had a torn piston dust boot and many brake suppliers have stopped selling the GTIR rebuild kits.
so back in 8/12/20 after some searching, I ordered this ERT 400647 caliper rebuild kit on ebay for £29 which was an equivelant kit.
after a few days of verifying with the seller that it'll fit my GTIR calipers they dispatched it on 14/12/20 expected to arrive 21/12/20.
I messaged them on 29/12/20 that it still hasn't arrived but I still wanted the kit.
oddly on 4/01/21 they refunded me
but tday on 14/01/21 a whole month after dispatching, I was surprised to see the kit has arrived
most of the kit seems the right size although the I/D of the piston dust boot appears abit too small? maybe it'll stretch on snugly but won't know till I rebuild these calipers soon.. again
machined 3mm off this thick washer to allow the thicker seat belt bracket to swivel freely
the catch can is full after just 2 months of driving.
oddly it's caught a record 555ml per 1k miles whereas normally it would range from 250ml/1k in summer and 370ml/1k in winter.
perhaps it was due to the colder & darker december?
the 2nd catchcan from the PCV breather also has a tiny amount of clear water which is unusual.
maybe there's more blowby?
so back in 8/12/20 after some searching, I ordered this ERT 400647 caliper rebuild kit on ebay for £29 which was an equivelant kit.
after a few days of verifying with the seller that it'll fit my GTIR calipers they dispatched it on 14/12/20 expected to arrive 21/12/20.
I messaged them on 29/12/20 that it still hasn't arrived but I still wanted the kit.
oddly on 4/01/21 they refunded me
but tday on 14/01/21 a whole month after dispatching, I was surprised to see the kit has arrived
most of the kit seems the right size although the I/D of the piston dust boot appears abit too small? maybe it'll stretch on snugly but won't know till I rebuild these calipers soon.. again
machined 3mm off this thick washer to allow the thicker seat belt bracket to swivel freely
the catch can is full after just 2 months of driving.
oddly it's caught a record 555ml per 1k miles whereas normally it would range from 250ml/1k in summer and 370ml/1k in winter.
perhaps it was due to the colder & darker december?
the 2nd catchcan from the PCV breather also has a tiny amount of clear water which is unusual.
maybe there's more blowby?
I used Audi rear caliper seals on my 22v spare set lol , loads share basic sizes ,the 54mm is a odd one lol
And maybe using Suzuki vitara pistons, kr those were the same at the time ,
And found a reference in could use Audi slide pins
So always worth a cross ref at times tbh
Still need to machine the carriers to fit k11 pins
Sent from my LM-Q630 using Micra Sports Club mobile app
And maybe using Suzuki vitara pistons, kr those were the same at the time ,
And found a reference in could use Audi slide pins
So always worth a cross ref at times tbh
Still need to machine the carriers to fit k11 pins
Sent from my LM-Q630 using Micra Sports Club mobile app
OP
OP
pollyp
Club Member
