7 replies to this topic

[paulray]

Hiya folks,
Has anybody else had a real problem replacing the bushes on the left hand stabiliser bar?

[Bungle]

in what way fitting the bush or lining it up to put the bolt back in ?

[Ethel]

Who hasn't would be a shorter list!

Any particular issue?

Use plenty of copper grease on assembly and consider replacing the bolts into the block, they get a hard life are prone to snapping.

[tiger99]

I agree with Ethel, change the bolts, always. They are standard 5/16 UNF grade S or 8.8 as it seems to be called now, and are not expensive compared to the nuisance value and possible damage if one breaks.

I will try to explain the dirty trick which I used to assemble the bushes. They were the type, Minispares probably, with plastic cones, although there is little difference if the inner cones are metal. The original may have had a plain spacer in the bush, which is not all that good, and teh cones tighten up the rubber somewhat. But people may have their own preferences, even polyurethane, and none of the options seem to be perfect.

Anyway, to get the bushes in, first put the rubber bushes into the steady bar. With no inner cones, they fit quite easily, maybe with some lubricant. Then I used a very long 5/16 UNF bolt, stricty a set screw as the thread on a bolt will not be long enough,, put a nut and washer on it, then threaded it through the outer bracket, first cone, assembly of steady bar and both bushes, second cone and then loosely (finger tight only or less, don't bottom it hard) into the cylinder block. I then just wound the nut down to force the cones into the bushes, and when all was tight, fitted the short bolt through the bracket and into the cylinder block. Once it is torqued up, or at least hand tight, the extra-long bolt can come out and be replaced by the proper bolt.

It took longer to describe than actually doing it, but it is a bit fiddly, and easiest when there is no load applied to the steady bar, i.e. exhaust disconnected, lower mounts and lower steady bar all loose.

[paulray]

I really struggled getting those bushes in with the inserts with the short bolt! Jut about done that part now though using your long bolt idea!
The part I'm struggling with now is the bolts! I didn't think to replace them but that's a good idea because they do take some abuse and would be a nightmare if they broke! However, the bolt I took out of the stabiliser on the engine end Is thicker! It doesn't actually fit through the metal insets mini spares have supplied me with! The one the other end does. The original insert is also bigger! Should I assume that Someone has replaced the bolt with a bigger one, Maybe because they snapped the original one! If so, should I drill out the metal insert?

[tiger99]

Yes, and yes. i.e. someone has fitted a bigger bolt, probably because they stripped the thread in the block and had to retap it, and you do need to drill out the inserts.

If obtaining a new bolt, be very careful about what you obtain. It is quite possible that a metric bolt has been used, possibly 10mm, or it could be 3/8" UNC or UNF. Either way, the replacement should be grade S (T, V or X are even better but not necessary) or 8.8, although 10.9 or higher grade is also ok. It is quite possible that the old bolt is only mild steel, especially if it is metric, as you can buy these in B&Q etc.

As a crude way of telling what thread you have, there should be some visible thread on the ends of the cylinder head studs, which is 3/8" UNF. You could pull out a clutch slave cylinder bolt to compare, these are 3/8" UNC.

Please make sure that the bolt is not too long, and bottoms in the block, because if it does, severe damage is likely when you torque it up, and we don't want a ruined block.

[Masterhalifax]

My engine stabiliser mount snapped last week, so had to replace the mount and yes it was a bugger to get out and back in..

i pulled the whole thing out and found the metal sleeve around the bolt (firewall mount) had seized to each other, bit of fire and it came loose. i replaced the bolt with a larger one just in length and a little in diameter, the new metal sleeve needed drilling slightly but it all went together ok and much stronger now..

Good Luck..

[tiger99]

Oh yes, the old parallel metal sleeve. I remember those, often a hacksaw job! They always seize on the bolt, and don't provide any real compression to the rubber, which is probably why various suppliers first introduced metal cones and then hard plastic cones. At least the plastic cones can't really seize tightly to the bolt.

I am not sure if many people use the plain sleeve nowadays, but I may well be wrong about that, as they may be perfectly ok in conjunction with some of the various types of lower steady bar. But in the bad old days of only having the upper steady bar they were just too sloppy.