Superfez!

[Chris H]

So the Almera was finally scrapped. Another car the family bought new but it was seriously rotten at the back arches if I had been told about the noise from the back I could have saved it but alas it was doomed. So my uncle was again without transport.

So my mate Kevin bought a Fiesta run around for 200 quid no mot test, took it for a proper mot test and it passed with an advisory on the front brakes.

So he got new pads and discs and fitted them.

He used the car for just over a month then offered it to me for £250 which considering he paid 200 for the car 50 for the mot and then another 50 on pads and discs I couldn't say no. So I gave him the money and would get the car a couple of weeks later when his Civic was finished.

So a newly mot'd car with tax until the end of June. Bearing in mind I get the car in mid February this is a good deal.

Roll on a couple of weeks later and the exhaust has decided to let go, the clutch sometimes feels 'funny' and its also misfiring badly.

He says I can have my money back as he doesn't want to fall out over a 250 quid car I say its no problem. 250 quid isn't enough money to really fall out over with a long term friend.

So I get the car, buy a back box for it which sorts out the exhaust for 20 quid or whatever pittance it was.

I then pull the spark plug cover off and discover someone has put the leads on the wrong terminals, the correct order but wrong terminals so 2 of the wires are stretched and not making contact. This has caused a bit of rust and arcing though. So it needs new leads.

The clutch issue I can't get to occur.

Here is the front end on the first day so I could order a backbox from the VRN, 26th February 2013



Then get the old exhaust off and stamp on it to show how weak it was





So I tool about in it for the night then take it to work the next day. Thinking this is rare, throw it about and full throttle all the time.

Clutch then starts acting up. It also pisses all the fluid out. So that will be a leaking slave cylinder then! Great.

So a new clutch kit and slave cylinder is required. Oh yeah might as well get the updated brake pipe as well since I recall that being an issue from working on these years ago.

[BREAK=The clutch saga pt1]

27th Feb 2013

So ebay is cheapest for a new clutch kit order it and wait for it to come, get the pipe from the factors as its cheaper. Also order up the service stuff as well.

Now I may as well strip it all out in preparation and get everything done at once so there's no issues with the car, that's cambelt, water pump, rad clean out, service and so on.

So start to strip it out, airbox etc gone here



Sophie 'helping'



Boot filled with parts



I'm done for the day



[BREAK=The clutch saga pt2]

A picture from the 16th of March, yes over 2 weeks since I last touched it, the weather was terrible though.



Then somehow its the 3rd of April now and I actually do a bit. I pull the box out.

Old and new slave



The engine



The box



Old and new clutch



Old and new cover



New clutch bolted up



Destroy the offside cv seal on removing the driveshaft though



New slave fitted



Box code for seal



My plan is to put it back in the next day. That was not to be...

[BREAK=The clutch saga pt3]

4th April 2013

Home from work, the weather is great. Screw this I'm going out on the bike, I'll finish it tomorrow.

So go out on the bike and come home in a car after a hospital visit.

Due to diesel on a roundabout I come off and dislocate my right shoulder. Took 3 of them to pop it back in.I don't recommend the whole ordeal tbh.

Out goes the plans for fitting the box on Friday night then!

[BREAK=The clutch saga pt4]

12th May 2013

So over a month since the accident on the bike. Still can't lift the box myself so I rope in my workmate to help since I fixed his Mondeo.

I also managed to crack the breather box when removing the starter. So I had to fix that.





Basically fix it by cleaning it,popping it back then melting it over with a soldering iron.

The old clutch pipe, that was a bit fiddly with a sore arm



slave end



Repaired breather box back on





This is a common issue on cars now, this split is harmless really its not cracked into a runner



Back to a running state and it started first turn of the key, only cambelt etc etc still to do



[BREAK=Gearbox seal]

14th May 2013

So get a box seal



Genuine Getrag seal



Where the seal goes



Fitted no bother and shaft back in then box oil.

[BREAK=Cambelt and water pump]

15th May 2013

So when you get a new car its imperative to change the cambelt if there's no proof of it being done recently. Or not your choice.

So cambelt kit and water pump time.

Cambelt cover off and I make a discovery, yep that's the plastic guide wheel there split in 2!



The bits out



Cover off to time the cams



Without the plastic its very loose, also the belt sits funny on the metal roller under the plastic, its very lucky this didn't end badly!





Note tired looking pump



Crank pulley off



Pump off and beside new pump, old pump was leaking



belt off



New pump on



Old and new tensioner side by side, new one is auto tensioner as well



New belt and pump all fitted



[BREAK=New HT leads and away to Allan]

16th May 2013

So the ht leads I said needed to be replaced broke down terminally, so new set for 15 quid solved the issues



Before it leaves to go to my uncle





So yeah its away and the owner loves it. I ended up taking a hit money wise as I never charged for of the parts due to the fact it essentially stood for 3 months at mine due to a combination of bad weather and a dislocated shoulder injury.

So far since hes got it the car has traveled to Manchester, Thurso and everywhere in between.

I won't hear anything until something goes wrong. He always wrecks his cars so that's why its doomed.

[BREAK=Still going]

May 2015

So this little turd is still going.

Its had a few things done to it and hes covered about 40k miles in the thing.

Its had cv gaiters, tyres and blah blah.

It needed springs, top mounts, tre's, discs and pads and 2 tyres the other week. I got some pictures.













Its done well tbh. Needs more money thrown at it which it doesn't deserve tbh.

We'll see what happens

 

[bidderman1969]

oooooo how is young Kevin lately? used to like hearing about him helping you out, lol

have to ask, as the missus has one of these, the 1.4 zetec thingy (ghia as well, woo hoo) when you start hers up first thing it runs roughly for about 2 - 3 sec's, (sometimes it stalls, then will start and run normally after that) then its like "something happens" and it runs normally? very odd.

also, it tends to "pink" quite a bit at random revs, could this be the lambda sensor playing up? even causing both these problems?

 

[Chris H]

Finally as he is approaching 40 he has grown up. Got a smacked 2007 civic (front end) and repaired it and is now using that and so far he hasn't nedded it up.

Its most likely the coolant temp sensor from those symptoms. It will cause the hard starting and possibly weak mixture thats making it pink.

Could also be loads of other things but I would start there.

 

[bidderman1969]

Finally as he is approaching 40 he has grown up. Got a smacked 2007 civic (front end) and repaired it and is now using that and so far he hasn't nedded it up.

Its most likely the coolant temp sensor from those symptoms. It will cause the hard starting and possibly weak mixture thats making it pink.

Could also be loads of other things but I would start there.

so he's finally become a man? :lol:

cheers bud, have to try somewhere, it does my frigging head in lurching about when pulling away from a standstill

i have noticed that it has a socket for an OBD reading tool, could it show up on there by any chance?

apart from that, its had the same thing as you have done, leaking slave in the gearbox so it had that all done as well, hasnt actually broke down either yet

 

[Chris H]

may not throw a code but if you can access live data that will tell you. What year is it?

 

[bidderman1969]

96 P reg, and the one i have does read live data, if the car allows it too

well, i can read it on my car anyhow

 

[Chris H]

a p plate won't allow live data to your scanner

At that age the cts will be done.

 

[bidderman1969]

oh bugger

 

[Chris H]

update. The things still going.