64 replies to this topic

[lsto]

Unfortunately alot of new parts these days are just garbage. I recently decided to change my start solenoid as I noticed the terminals were getting rusty on my old one. I ordered a new one from the local motor factors, turned up with 'made in China' stamped on it, oh dear...
Fitted it, it lasted 5 days when my car cut out outside my house and wouldn't start. Not what you want at 4.30am when your leaving for work...
Turned out the new solenoid had failed and was shorting the coil to ground so no spark.
A new unit was sourced from a well known mini parts supplier, I fitted it, was dead straight out of the box, engine wouldn't even turn over. I ended up cleaning my original unit with a wire brush, refitted that and all is well. The mini supplier has sent me a replacement which is still in the box in the garage. I'll keep the old one till it fails I think.

[timmy850]

I had a par of those new CV split washers, and they both disintegrated like that before I’d even made it on the road

[DClarke1954]

I put the refurbished swivel hub back on the car today. New ball-joints and all new timken bearings. I have to say the old bearings I removed looked fine and undamaged in any way so maybe replacement is/was overkill.

Then I went over to the other side and took the wheel off. Yup this side has a loose hub-nut also! Take the hub-nut off and what do we find?

Same as the other side, a split-washer in many pieces. Looking at the broken ends it looks grainy and I think it was a sintered split-washer. Rather than go to all the trouble of a complete refurbishment I just put a new steel split-washer in and torqued to 190ft-lbs. No more wheel knocking and all OK.

Does hitting potholes at speed on our Essex roads shatter the sintered split-washers I wonder?

Car all good and drives fine again.

[timmy850]

The sintered washers are just not fit for purpose

I don’t know why the shops bother selling a cheap dodgy part, then have the good quality ones for a small amount more. Just sell the good ones

[DClarke1954]

The pain continued as I strove manfully to identify the reason that there was an awful lot of oil ending up on my driveway.
I mean, it was an embarrassment to have this much oil dripping into the catch tray so frequently.

 

I can put more oil in the top at a faster rate than it is coming out of course but that isn't the point is it?
I put the thing up on axle stands and clambered underneath armed with a big aerosol of brake & clutch cleaner and some clean rags.   "Spotless".

Within about 30 minutes another drip had formed on  the underside of the gearbox.   Tracking the oil trail backwards it was clear that it was dripping down a web of the casting that is the speedo pinion gear case.

Hmmmm.....  that pinion gear cover plate doesn't appear to have a gasket, what plank put it on there without one (please don't answer this rhetorical question). 🫣

You cannot access that plate without first removing the extension casting and engine mount, and that means removing the radiator and , and , and.
So I removed the radiator, N/S engine mount while supporting the gearbox/engine on a block of wood and a bottle-jack and while you cannot remove the bolts from the extension casting and gearbox you can create a tiny 2" gap into which you can insert your gynaecologist fingers and a spanner.   Look!  no  sign of a gasket between cover plate and casing!!!

After much swearing both bolts were undone (one was only finger tight) and yes there was no gasket on the cover plate.

One gasket and a generous helping of Reinzoseal later and all put back together again and we now have a much improved leak/drip situation.

Hardly visible, just a few drips that had spread to an invisible sheen that wiped up with a paper towel.  Look how little oil is on there.

 

Thank goodness for that!

 

Yes, I shot myself in the foot by not putting that gasket on in the rebuild process (silly old fool).

But thankfully I was able to remedy the situation without resorting to pulling the whole engine/gearbox back out.

Happy days!