1st attempt at tinkering so.... how do I

[renmure]

How do I ... go about removing the front and rear clam sections?
Is it easy? Is there anything I need to know? Will they go back on fairly simply?

Remember, I am not particularly technically minded but it seems to make sense to get to know the gubbins of the car a bit better and removing these bits to get a better look seems like a good way to start.

I also intend doing something with my silencers to get a bit of a more meaty, beefy growl and guess I will need the rear clam off to get into them.

Gentle help, hints, tips and pointers fpr a mechanical noobie welcome.

[Steve_D]

renmure said:

How do I ... go about removing the front and rear clam sections?
Is it easy? Is there anything I need to know? Will they go back on fairly simply?

Remember, I am not particularly technically minded but it seems to make sense to get to know the gubbins of the car a bit better and removing these bits to get a better look seems like a good way to start.

I also intend doing something with my silencers to get a bit of a more meaty, beefy growl and guess I will need the rear clam off to get into them.

Gentle help, hints, tips and pointers fpr a mechanical noobie welcome.

Both clips have wiring connectors which first need to be disconnected.
The rear clip will most likely have gas struts which you need to disconnect at the bottom end. If you look very carefully at the ball end of the strut you will find a fine wire clip. Rotate the clip and slide out its pin. the ball end can now be popped of but you may need to lever it off with a screwdriver. When the strut are off the clip can open even wider but will damage the clip if taken to far so beware.
Both hinge the same way with a large bolt passing through a rose joint which forms the hinge pin.
Make a careful note of where and how many washers are fitted either side of the hinge. These are what position the clip side to side.
Apart from the washers the bolts can be removed and refitted without altering the alignment of the clip.

Removing either is best described as a two person job. it can be dine single handed but takes practice with strategically positiond milk crates and bits of old carpet.

Steve

[renmure]

Thanks for taking the time to write that Steve.

I will get my more mechanically minded mate to give me a hand. I am guessing that the rear is quite a bit heavier and awkward to manhandle than I imagined.

Jim

[confusionhunter]

I'd also advise some old carpet and some sheeting to protect them when they are off and an out of bounds area to keep them! I've heard of someone utilising their conservatory as an out of bound clip storage area.

I'll be taking my back clip off soon but need to free up some room first! Deffo a 2 man minimum I would have thought, especially if your clips are painted, big pain to get marks fixed up.

Do you have a wee list of jobs to do or just fancy getting stuck in about it? Straight through exhausts for your neighbours? ....

[renmure]

To be honest, I don't think there is anything needing done and it is only so I can get a better look at the exhaust silencers and see how easy it is to remove them and replace them with something a bit more race car like. Living in the middle of nowhere with no neighbours to bother about does have advantages

[mmgt]

renmure said:

To be honest, I don't think there is anything needing done and it is only so I can get a better look at the exhaust silencers and see how easy it is to remove them and replace them with something a bit more race car like. Living in the middle of nowhere with no neighbours to bother about does have advantages

Hi Jim,

all the above advice sounds good. Just take your time and work through it, main thing is mark things up and as said prep a good safe and well padded area as not to scratch the paint work!

If all you want to do though is change the exhaust I would just pop the rear struts remove the wheels and then tilt the clam all the way back to some soft padding to protect it, may be less of a chance of damaging the paint than moving it about?

The car does sound a little tame at low revs, it does have bigish bore manifold and suppose a little lower state of tune than the 360. one is less than 100bhp per litre the other more. that does tend to keep the gas speeds low until higher revs. Have you given it so poke yet? as when I did and down shifted it sounded great to me. I think that once you change those big rear boxes it will give you the sound you are looking/hoping for. Try it with the boxes off and some straight pipe in to hear it with open exhausts then work back.

Mark.

[Storer]

I find that when I am attacking anything I am unfamiliar with a camera is my greatest aid.

It can hold make, model and serial numbers from components (which are then available on my iPhone if I need them at a supplier) as well as their position and orientation. They can even see places my head can't.


Paul