yippeekiay
Well-known member
Always satisfying to fix something and it to make an improvement 
The £650 Puma
- Thread starter The Arch Bishop
- Start date
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The Arch Bishop
Active member
Yep, getting there! Looks like I was premature with the HCV though as it worked perfectly this evening! The one on the car is the latest 'AC' revision so I it can't be very old. I think I'll keep an eye on it and fit the replacement if it happens again. Perhaps I wasn't giving it enough time to switch back to cold...
While I was at the dealer, I asked about the top mount bearings as on the bay of e, they were £15-£20 each. Just shows, sometimes the cheapest place is Ford themselves as they were about £5 + VAT. Should have those tomorrow. Just need some brake lines and a wishbone and I can get to work on the suspension and the brake upgrade. I can't wait as the local roads to work have finished off the elderly front shocks and it's bottoming out quite frequently!
While I was at the dealer, I asked about the top mount bearings as on the bay of e, they were £15-£20 each. Just shows, sometimes the cheapest place is Ford themselves as they were about £5 + VAT. Should have those tomorrow. Just need some brake lines and a wishbone and I can get to work on the suspension and the brake upgrade. I can't wait as the local roads to work have finished off the elderly front shocks and it's bottoming out quite frequently!
ScubaSteve
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want a pic of your knob or do you want to wait lol
The Arch Bishop
Active member
Ah go on then Steve. Nothing like a shiny knob picture!
ScubaSteve
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- Joined
- May 8, 2010
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- 3,749
The Arch Bishop
Active member
Swoon! Will have to update my avatar! Came up very well Steve!
The Arch Bishop
Active member
Thought I'd crack along and fit the new wishbone today and wished I'd never started!
It began well enough, the pinch bolt came off sweetly (someone had used some copper-slip on this at some point). Then I went to the rear mounting bolt and that took most of the day...
Firstly, I couldn't shift it with a breaker bar, then I borrowed something a little meatier and the bolt head neatly rounded off. Trying drilling the top nut off and grinding it off with a dremmel but just made a massive mess of that. In the end, I had to hacksaw the bolt in between the bottom of the wishbone and the subframe. This means the bolt is still in there (as you can't extract from the top, the body is in the way) but will at least have a fighting chance of maneuvering the wishbone out once everything else is undone.
By this point, I'd had enough and I have a horrible feeling the front mounting bolts will probably go the same way so packed up for the day.
Throughly hacked off today. I think my Puma hates me as very little has gone smoothly so far!
It began well enough, the pinch bolt came off sweetly (someone had used some copper-slip on this at some point). Then I went to the rear mounting bolt and that took most of the day...
Firstly, I couldn't shift it with a breaker bar, then I borrowed something a little meatier and the bolt head neatly rounded off. Trying drilling the top nut off and grinding it off with a dremmel but just made a massive mess of that. In the end, I had to hacksaw the bolt in between the bottom of the wishbone and the subframe. This means the bolt is still in there (as you can't extract from the top, the body is in the way) but will at least have a fighting chance of maneuvering the wishbone out once everything else is undone.
By this point, I'd had enough and I have a horrible feeling the front mounting bolts will probably go the same way so packed up for the day.
Throughly hacked off today. I think my Puma hates me as very little has gone smoothly so far!
The Arch Bishop
Active member
And I was right. Front bolt rounded off as soon as any pressure was put on it. Decent tools made no difference at all and now I'm stuck with a car on axle stands with one cut bolt and one stuck. There's no access for cutting, drilling etc so that's sort of it. [insert expletive of your choice here in capitals]
Even more hacked off and considering the scrappers. Jegger clearly doesn't want to be fixed up!
Even more hacked off and considering the scrappers. Jegger clearly doesn't want to be fixed up!
The Arch Bishop
Active member
Yeah, the scrappers was a threat... I have now spent 4 hours grinding the nut off with a dremel multi and a grinding stone/cutting discs tec.... Still not there yet. You'd think that with a third of the nut ground off, you'd be able to knock the rest off but no. Low point but it'll come off one way or another!!
The Arch Bishop
Active member
6 hours on.....
Finally off.....
Do you think I can re-use these bolts?
Having a few beers now.
Finally off.....
Do you think I can re-use these bolts?
Having a few beers now.
The Arch Bishop
Active member
New arm is (finally) on and Jegger is back on the road. Slightly irritating that I still have a slight knocking coming from the front but I'm unsure what it is. Could well be the top mounts of which I have some decent ones to replace.
Unexpectedly, the new front arm has made the handling immeasurably better to the point that it really does feel properly chuckable. I thought it was good before but now the steering is full of feel it's brilliant!
After the shambles that was replacing the arm, I think I'll let someone else fit the shocks, mounts and bearings...
Unexpectedly, the new front arm has made the handling immeasurably better to the point that it really does feel properly chuckable. I thought it was good before but now the steering is full of feel it's brilliant!
After the shambles that was replacing the arm, I think I'll let someone else fit the shocks, mounts and bearings...
The Arch Bishop
Active member
I got in touch with an old friend who used to do work on my 205 who has agreed to fit the later brakes and suspension for me for a nominal amount next week. I've ordered some HEL brake lines and some new drop links to go on also so it's all go! I'll be able to get the Jegger tracked up once it's all done to stop it tacking left and right on the straights and also centre the steering wheel.
Had a great drive back from work thoroughly enjoying the copious amounts of lift-off-oversteer that it dishes up. Quiet roads meant it seemed rude not to!
Had a great drive back from work thoroughly enjoying the copious amounts of lift-off-oversteer that it dishes up. Quiet roads meant it seemed rude not to!
The Arch Bishop
Active member
It really was a big downer, but if I'm honest, I'd say that not using six-sided sockets was my main downfall (I haven't any to fit). If you're going to do this job, get a decent set!
Jegger's being collected hopefully this afternoon for the work to be done. In the boot we have;
2 low mileage front shocks
2 springs
2 top mounts
2 top mount bearings
2 late puma brake calipers
2 late puma brake discs
2 drop links
1 set of HEL braided brake lines (these are VERY nice)
1 litre of mintex brake fluid
1 tube of locknut
1 tube of copper grease
Various nuts and bolts
Should drive even tighter by the end of the week and most importantly, stop a lot better! Whoop!
Jegger's being collected hopefully this afternoon for the work to be done. In the boot we have;
2 low mileage front shocks
2 springs
2 top mounts
2 top mount bearings
2 late puma brake calipers
2 late puma brake discs
2 drop links
1 set of HEL braided brake lines (these are VERY nice)
1 litre of mintex brake fluid
1 tube of locknut
1 tube of copper grease
Various nuts and bolts
Should drive even tighter by the end of the week and most importantly, stop a lot better! Whoop!
YOG
Well-known member
Good luck!
Bleed the clutch at the same time.
PM me if you're stuck for anything.
Bleed the clutch at the same time.
PM me if you're stuck for anything.
The Arch Bishop
Active member
Cheers Rick, I'll let him know to do the clutch also. I've put the Fiesta manual in there as well for torque settings etc so I'm sure he'll be fine. He's a pro after all!
The Arch Bishop
Active member
Just heard from the mechanic.... He's not too impressed with the bolts made from cheese and has spent most of the time grinding the nuts off. He did however very much enjoy the drive in it. Considering he's not easily impressed and has some seriously quick cars, this is a big endorsement!
The Arch Bishop
Active member
I got Jegger back last night with a report on how bad it was. The NS spring was broken and the old shocks were thoroughly shot. The front ride height has risen by about an inch due to the lack of sag! I've also had the tracking done this evening which has re-centred the steering wheel and given it back some weight to the straight ahead.
However....
Now I have a new loud scraping/rattling coming from the N/S. It sounds like it's coming from above the glovebox area so I'm thinking it could be the top mounts. These were changed for some decent ones along with new bearings etc. Everything looks perfect but it really is very loud and rather worrying! Everything drives perfectly and sometimes it doesn't rattle, but it's most noticeable at low speeds over gentle bumps. Any ideas anyone?
Seems to be one thing after another at the moment and am getting really hacked off now!!
However....
Now I have a new loud scraping/rattling coming from the N/S. It sounds like it's coming from above the glovebox area so I'm thinking it could be the top mounts. These were changed for some decent ones along with new bearings etc. Everything looks perfect but it really is very loud and rather worrying! Everything drives perfectly and sometimes it doesn't rattle, but it's most noticeable at low speeds over gentle bumps. Any ideas anyone?
Seems to be one thing after another at the moment and am getting really hacked off now!!
YOG
Well-known member
Seems a bit of a coincidence that you've been running with a broken NS spring and now you're having trouble with that side.
First thoughts are that either the droplink(s), or/and the anti-roll bar bush(s) are gone. Assuming everything is bolted up tight!
PM me if you want me to pop round and have a look/listen.
First thoughts are that either the droplink(s), or/and the anti-roll bar bush(s) are gone. Assuming everything is bolted up tight!
PM me if you want me to pop round and have a look/listen.
The Arch Bishop
Active member
I quite agree Rick! The drop links were replaced at the weekend and I've got a sinking feeling that it's going to be the ARB bushes. That looks like quite a job! Everything is bolted up well enough.
I've found that it happens when the strut extends rather than compresses. I'm guessing the (ahem) lower ride height provided by destroyed dampers probably masked the problem as it was never getting near the top of its travel.
It is the strangest sound though. I initially thought it was the locking wheel nut bouncing around in the glovebox!
I've found that it happens when the strut extends rather than compresses. I'm guessing the (ahem) lower ride height provided by destroyed dampers probably masked the problem as it was never getting near the top of its travel.
It is the strangest sound though. I initially thought it was the locking wheel nut bouncing around in the glovebox!
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