Top car DIY tip
Discussion
Mr2Mike said:
There's nothing like the feeling of horror as the brake pedal hits the floor 
Its a feeling you never forget in my case it was a Peugeot 106D. Girlfriend comes home from work saying the brakes made a funny noise and felt funny. The 'funny' feeling was a burst wheel cylinder seal so no brake pressure.If you have a leaking wheel cylinder in a Transit with drum brakes all round you might as well replace all six as replacing the leaking one only will allow it to withstand higher pressure in the brake lines. The older ones, however, will not. They will take it in turn to fail until they have all been replaced.
It is quite likely that having done all six cylinders the master cylinder seals will then throw in the towel; might as well save a trip to the factors by ordering them at the same time.
Taking a piecemeal approach works out quite pricey as you keep replacing contaminated brake shoes, potentially you could end up replacing the shoes three times before you get the brakes back properly.
I was lucky: I replaced the first one that failed while I was home from uni. My brother got the job of chasing the other five....
It is quite likely that having done all six cylinders the master cylinder seals will then throw in the towel; might as well save a trip to the factors by ordering them at the same time.
Taking a piecemeal approach works out quite pricey as you keep replacing contaminated brake shoes, potentially you could end up replacing the shoes three times before you get the brakes back properly.
I was lucky: I replaced the first one that failed while I was home from uni. My brother got the job of chasing the other five....
When you're learning about car maintenance as an impoverished student 30 years ago, try adjusting the tappets on your Lada. It's a fairly straightforward but satisfying job.
When you're bolting the rocker cover back on and you drop a nut which comes to rest on an inaccessible chassis member, straighten out a wire coathanger to fish the nut out onto the ground. Retrieve nut and finish bolting back together.
Don't forget to remove the wire coathanger from the engine bay, because it will eventually work it's way into the fan. Experience shows this often happens on the southbound M6 at around 10pm on a Sunday night. The resulting shower of sharp plastic shards will puncture the radiator in many, many places and cause the water pump bearings to collapse, resulting in a range of interesting noises, clouds of steam and an impressive trail of coolant on the carriageway behind you. When you then open the bonnet and find the offending coathanger, throw it as far up the grass verge as possible to remove any incriminating evidence.
Also remember to have breakdown cover arranged so you don't have to call your father out to tow you the rest of the way.
Do make sure you wait until a reasonable period of time has passed (20 years should do it) before you confess to your father what actually caused the breakdown.
When you're bolting the rocker cover back on and you drop a nut which comes to rest on an inaccessible chassis member, straighten out a wire coathanger to fish the nut out onto the ground. Retrieve nut and finish bolting back together.
Don't forget to remove the wire coathanger from the engine bay, because it will eventually work it's way into the fan. Experience shows this often happens on the southbound M6 at around 10pm on a Sunday night. The resulting shower of sharp plastic shards will puncture the radiator in many, many places and cause the water pump bearings to collapse, resulting in a range of interesting noises, clouds of steam and an impressive trail of coolant on the carriageway behind you. When you then open the bonnet and find the offending coathanger, throw it as far up the grass verge as possible to remove any incriminating evidence.
Also remember to have breakdown cover arranged so you don't have to call your father out to tow you the rest of the way.
Do make sure you wait until a reasonable period of time has passed (20 years should do it) before you confess to your father what actually caused the breakdown.
If you have a Volvo 760 and a front wheel begins to slooowly stick on, and start to smoke and the only way to get going is to take the wheel off and prise the pads apart. Dont do the following
Leave it a few weeks saying i will get around to it
Then
Drive from Bracknell to Euro parts at Heathrow for a replacement caliper, only to find halfway there that it is the wrong part you need as the master cylinder seals fail completely.
Thus making you drive there and home, along the M3 on the auto gearbox and handbrake providing the braking with the handbrake to finally bringing the car to a stop
i might add that since that day my already forward driving planning has become 100% ( and more) better
Once the master cylinder has been fitted , having to go back for replacement handbrake cables as they are now twice the length they should be
And replacement handbrake shoes
And a set of replacement front discs as they had been heat treated beyond imangination
Leave it a few weeks saying i will get around to it
Then
Drive from Bracknell to Euro parts at Heathrow for a replacement caliper, only to find halfway there that it is the wrong part you need as the master cylinder seals fail completely.
Thus making you drive there and home, along the M3 on the auto gearbox and handbrake providing the braking with the handbrake to finally bringing the car to a stop
i might add that since that day my already forward driving planning has become 100% ( and more) better
Once the master cylinder has been fitted , having to go back for replacement handbrake cables as they are now twice the length they should be
And replacement handbrake shoes
And a set of replacement front discs as they had been heat treated beyond imangination
When you refit the oil pump on a Zetec, don't put the new oil seal in the pump first. You can't then like up the pump rotor with the drive on the crank. Every time you try to put it on the pump rotor will drop down stopping the pump from going into position.
When you do the job next time, don't make the same mistake again. Swearing a lot still won't make it line up.
When you do it correctly the next time don't use a genuine Ford seal as it's not as good as an aftermarket one from Burton.
On a separate note, when you unhitch a trailer, make sure the handbrake is applied to the car first, even on a slight slope. The breakaway cable won't hold the car.... So I've heard.
When you do the job next time, don't make the same mistake again. Swearing a lot still won't make it line up.
When you do it correctly the next time don't use a genuine Ford seal as it's not as good as an aftermarket one from Burton.
On a separate note, when you unhitch a trailer, make sure the handbrake is applied to the car first, even on a slight slope. The breakaway cable won't hold the car.... So I've heard.
When painting engine parts with VHT (Very High Temperature) paint that requires 'curing' to harden it, don't put said parts in the oven at 200 degrees for an hour on a Sunday afternoon, just before your good Lady cooks a roast dinner unless you (and your family) like the taste of paint with your Sunday roast...
Where to start?
When struggling to remove the cylinder head of your X1/9 in the car park of your student accommodation in South Wales, in the rain, over several days, don't forget to check the location of every single head bolt, including the one in the middle of the head that's obscured by a small puddle of oil.
When attempting to bleed the newly-fitted brake system of a road-rally Austin 1800 at around 10pm and enlisting the reluctant assistance of your good lady wife in the endeavour, don't spend a frustrating hour wondering why the new master cylinder won't generate any pressure in the system, only to find that she's been pumping the clutch pedal for the last 60 minutes.
Back to the X1/9. Frozen cooling system after Christmas, and I needed to drive back to Swansea. So, obviously, I started it up and let it warm through. No sign of temperature in the engine - at least judging by the gauge - after 20 minutes or so, so I removed the expansion tank cap and took a look into the tank. Oddly, there was no liquid of any kind in there, but there was an unusual bubbling sound. Swiftly followed by a geyser of superheated coolant that would have given Old Faithful some kind of performance envy. Managed to get my scalded left face into a washing up bowl of cold water in the kitchen in record time and emerged with only a temporarily reddened eye for a week or so.
When struggling to remove the cylinder head of your X1/9 in the car park of your student accommodation in South Wales, in the rain, over several days, don't forget to check the location of every single head bolt, including the one in the middle of the head that's obscured by a small puddle of oil.
When attempting to bleed the newly-fitted brake system of a road-rally Austin 1800 at around 10pm and enlisting the reluctant assistance of your good lady wife in the endeavour, don't spend a frustrating hour wondering why the new master cylinder won't generate any pressure in the system, only to find that she's been pumping the clutch pedal for the last 60 minutes.
Back to the X1/9. Frozen cooling system after Christmas, and I needed to drive back to Swansea. So, obviously, I started it up and let it warm through. No sign of temperature in the engine - at least judging by the gauge - after 20 minutes or so, so I removed the expansion tank cap and took a look into the tank. Oddly, there was no liquid of any kind in there, but there was an unusual bubbling sound. Swiftly followed by a geyser of superheated coolant that would have given Old Faithful some kind of performance envy. Managed to get my scalded left face into a washing up bowl of cold water in the kitchen in record time and emerged with only a temporarily reddened eye for a week or so.
tr7v8 said:
Plate spinner said:
Never let the battery go flat on a 986 Porsche Boxster. Ever.
The key will open the door to let you in. But the battery is in the boot, which needs the electrics to open. So to get to it you’ll have to take the whole mechanism apart along with most of the drivers side door sill.
Madness, utter madness.
Or use the emergency cable?The key will open the door to let you in. But the battery is in the boot, which needs the electrics to open. So to get to it you’ll have to take the whole mechanism apart along with most of the drivers side door sill.
Madness, utter madness.
9xxNick said:
When attempting to bleed the newly-fitted brake system of a road-rally Austin 1800 at around 10pm and enlisting the reluctant assistance of your good lady wife in the endeavour, don't spend a frustrating hour wondering why the new master cylinder won't generate any pressure in the system, only to find that she's been pumping the clutch pedal for the last 60 minutes
Brum_Brum said:
When investigating a nasty rattle from the bell housing of a MK2 Escort, check it’s not just the dipstick rattling on the bulkhead before dropping the engine and box and fitting a new clutch kit....
The right rear brake on my daily keeps squeeking at low speeds. Ive so far replaced discs/pads and a wheel bearing, next suspicion is a sticking caliper, but ive got to draw the line somewhere 
Pat H said:
9xxNick said:
When attempting to bleed the newly-fitted brake system of a road-rally Austin 1800 at around 10pm and enlisting the reluctant assistance of your good lady wife in the endeavour, don't spend a frustrating hour wondering why the new master cylinder won't generate any pressure in the system, only to find that she's been pumping the clutch pedal for the last 60 minutes
I managed two fails within the space of a few minutes last night (it was getting late).
After removing an old slave cylinder be sure to drain it before testing how well it actuates, or at least point it into a container. They make a surprisingly effectively brake fluid water pistol! Brake fluid splattered from bonnet to boot. Led to some speedy rinsing down.
If you're then going take it apart remember that the tiny piston takes a lot less pressure to remove than the equivalent in a brake caliper and is also spring loaded. A short blast of 90psi from a compressor made an impressive weapon and left a decent sized dent in the wall of my garage.
After removing an old slave cylinder be sure to drain it before testing how well it actuates, or at least point it into a container. They make a surprisingly effectively brake fluid water pistol! Brake fluid splattered from bonnet to boot. Led to some speedy rinsing down.
If you're then going take it apart remember that the tiny piston takes a lot less pressure to remove than the equivalent in a brake caliper and is also spring loaded. A short blast of 90psi from a compressor made an impressive weapon and left a decent sized dent in the wall of my garage.
Accelebrate said:
After removing an old slave cylinder be sure to drain it before testing how well it actuates, or at least point it into a container. They make a surprisingly effectively brake fluid water pistol! Brake fluid splattered from bonnet to boot. Led to some speedy rinsing down.
Was expecting that to end with a trip to the ER, good thing you didnt want to take a close look at it whilst squeezing 
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