DIY bringing the shed back from the dead.
Discussion
So the missus has an aging 99 Hyundai coupe which we've always meant to sell or scrap, apparently it's scrap value is £40 so i'll be fixing it up then!
It has a few issues..
-A nice dent/scratch down the left side door
-Peeling lacquer on the plastic parts (mirrors and spoiler)
-The timing belt is apparently loosening (or so she was told many years ago)
-Front left wheel bearing needs replacing
-Battery can't hold a charge after many months on the driveway
-Front discs are now very corroded and have a chunky lip.
-Steering wheel is at 2 o'clock when the wheels are straight
I bought it a cheapo battery and dropped it in, started first time after a year on the driveway so that's a good start. Aircon, wipers radio etc etc all work fine, after smacking the discs and rear hubs it's quite happy moving up and down the driveway, the car's always been mechanically fine and passed all it's MOT's back in the day so I'm hoping there's nothing major.
I'm treating this as a chance to do a bit of learning but at the same time I'm not looking to spend a fortune on tools etc that I'll never use.
The dent and the peeling lacquer Seem easy enough If I can get a good paint match. The discs and pads again I've done before so no trouble there. The big issues are the wheel bearing and timing belt...
Wheel bearing... I've got a replacement I'm reasonably happy I can get the callipers off, and get the assembly off the car, question is, is it worth trying to press and refit the bearing myself or just take the assembly and new bearing to a garage and ask them to press it out and in for a few quid? (Tools look to be about £40 so if the garage is cheaper that's a no brainer)
Timing belt... Even more complex, is this something I should look at doing? The belt feels reasonably tight but you can see some bowing when the engine is running. I'm aware there's lots of arrows to line up on the pulleys etc to get everything driven correctly, do I need any tools though?
Steering.. if the wheels are straight and turn equally to the same extremes then I assume the problem here is the actual wheel not being mounted correctly? just a case of popping the wheel of and putting it back on correctly?
It has a few issues..
-A nice dent/scratch down the left side door
-Peeling lacquer on the plastic parts (mirrors and spoiler)
-The timing belt is apparently loosening (or so she was told many years ago)
-Front left wheel bearing needs replacing
-Battery can't hold a charge after many months on the driveway
-Front discs are now very corroded and have a chunky lip.
-Steering wheel is at 2 o'clock when the wheels are straight
I bought it a cheapo battery and dropped it in, started first time after a year on the driveway so that's a good start. Aircon, wipers radio etc etc all work fine, after smacking the discs and rear hubs it's quite happy moving up and down the driveway, the car's always been mechanically fine and passed all it's MOT's back in the day so I'm hoping there's nothing major.
I'm treating this as a chance to do a bit of learning but at the same time I'm not looking to spend a fortune on tools etc that I'll never use.
The dent and the peeling lacquer Seem easy enough If I can get a good paint match. The discs and pads again I've done before so no trouble there. The big issues are the wheel bearing and timing belt...
Wheel bearing... I've got a replacement I'm reasonably happy I can get the callipers off, and get the assembly off the car, question is, is it worth trying to press and refit the bearing myself or just take the assembly and new bearing to a garage and ask them to press it out and in for a few quid? (Tools look to be about £40 so if the garage is cheaper that's a no brainer)
Timing belt... Even more complex, is this something I should look at doing? The belt feels reasonably tight but you can see some bowing when the engine is running. I'm aware there's lots of arrows to line up on the pulleys etc to get everything driven correctly, do I need any tools though?
Steering.. if the wheels are straight and turn equally to the same extremes then I assume the problem here is the actual wheel not being mounted correctly? just a case of popping the wheel of and putting it back on correctly?
MDMetal said:
-Steering wheel is at 2 o'clock when the wheels are straight
MDMetal said:
Steering.. if the wheels are straight and turn equally to the same extremes then I assume the problem here is the actual wheel not being mounted correctly? just a case of popping the wheel of and putting it back on correctly?
No, it needs a wheel alignment.Jakg said:
MDMetal said:
-Steering wheel is at 2 o'clock when the wheels are straight
MDMetal said:
Steering.. if the wheels are straight and turn equally to the same extremes then I assume the problem here is the actual wheel not being mounted correctly? just a case of popping the wheel of and putting it back on correctly?
No, it needs a wheel alignment.To save on specialist tools for the timing belt you may be able to cut off half the belt all the way round using a Stanley knife, slide the new belt onto the pulleys, then cut off the rest of the old belt. This way, everything should stay in the right place. (Saw this on one of the Wheeler Dealer/Car SOS type programmes, but can't say whether or not it's "good practice").
Obviously this may not work if you need to replace other ancilliaries such as water pump etc.
Obviously this may not work if you need to replace other ancilliaries such as water pump etc.
battered said:
Jakg said:
MDMetal said:
-Steering wheel is at 2 o'clock when the wheels are straight
MDMetal said:
Steering.. if the wheels are straight and turn equally to the same extremes then I assume the problem here is the actual wheel not being mounted correctly? just a case of popping the wheel of and putting it back on correctly?
No, it needs a wheel alignment.- confused* if all 4 wheels point forward (by eyeballing) and when driving full lock left and right produced the same turning circle is this not simply the steering wheel itself? Getting the same lock left and right seems to say that the wheels and rack are correct?
If all wheels point forward, yes, but you can bet they don't.
The procedure is to centre the wheel and then set up the 4 wheels to where they should be. The reason that it's often rear alignment that causes a steering wheel to one side when the car is travelling in a straight line is that one or both rear wheels are off and so the REAR of the car is steering to one side. In order to make it travel in a straight line you have to turn the steering wheel.
The procedure is to centre the wheel and then set up the 4 wheels to where they should be. The reason that it's often rear alignment that causes a steering wheel to one side when the car is travelling in a straight line is that one or both rear wheels are off and so the REAR of the car is steering to one side. In order to make it travel in a straight line you have to turn the steering wheel.
It would be reasonable to take the hub to a garage and have them press the bearings out and in. It's a possible DIY with a drift and hammer if you are experienced but possible to damage the housing if you get it wrong.
The steering wheel alignment won't have changed from the car being laid up. It may be as simple as the steering alignment having been 'corrected' by a novice in the past, but could indicate that somebody has thumped a curb and left the front wheels significantly misaligned. You can do a rough alignment check very easily without any special tools just using a 'string box' (I'm sure Google will tell you all about that). If you want, and if you have verified that the wheels are all aligned correctly and the only issue is the orientation of the steering wheel itself, you could correct that by adjusting both track rod adjusters in opposite directions by the same amount, but make sure you're clear what you're trying to achieve first because if you get confused it would be easy to completely mess up the alignment. Tyre wear would tell you whether you have a major alignment problem.
The cam belt I suggest you leave to the professionals since it would be quite easy to wreck the engine if you make a mistake. Personally, I wouldn't bother changing it on a car I was about to sell privately - just be honest about when it was last changed if asked.
The steering wheel alignment won't have changed from the car being laid up. It may be as simple as the steering alignment having been 'corrected' by a novice in the past, but could indicate that somebody has thumped a curb and left the front wheels significantly misaligned. You can do a rough alignment check very easily without any special tools just using a 'string box' (I'm sure Google will tell you all about that). If you want, and if you have verified that the wheels are all aligned correctly and the only issue is the orientation of the steering wheel itself, you could correct that by adjusting both track rod adjusters in opposite directions by the same amount, but make sure you're clear what you're trying to achieve first because if you get confused it would be easy to completely mess up the alignment. Tyre wear would tell you whether you have a major alignment problem.
The cam belt I suggest you leave to the professionals since it would be quite easy to wreck the engine if you make a mistake. Personally, I wouldn't bother changing it on a car I was about to sell privately - just be honest about when it was last changed if asked.
GreenV8S said:
The cam belt I suggest you leave to the professionals since it would be quite easy to wreck the engine if you make a mistake. Personally, I wouldn't bother changing it on a car I was about to sell privately - just be honest about when it was last changed if asked.
It's possible we'll keep it for a bit, at the end of the day how easy is it to spot when the timing belt has to be replaced vs probably should? I'd rather not fix it then lunch the engine a few months in. Any tell tale signs to look for?MDMetal said:
It's possible we'll keep it for a bit, at the end of the day how easy is it to spot when the timing belt has to be replaced vs probably should? I'd rather not fix it then lunch the engine a few months in. Any tell tale signs to look for?
Not easy at all. If it's obviously frayed then it's easy. But they never are.Wow, some of the advice on here is truly frightening!
Lock it off with the correct tools and do it properly, to swap a timing belt without replacing tensioner and water pump at the same time is pretty much pointless anyway as one or both will fail in the future meaning you'd have to do it again.
That said, given the OP's description, I think you're actually talking about the auxiliary drive belt (fan belt to the old timers) as timing belts are usually well covered and if they become slack then generally they fail or slip!
OP - theoretically you should be able to adjust the steering wheel, but it would involve removing the airbag, so it would be far better to adjust it on the track rod ends, provided you screw the offside one in an equal amount to the nearside one being screwed out (number of turns) then the tracking shouldn't change relative to the two wheels.
As for the paint, whilst it may look easy, it really isn't, achieving a good finish with rattle cans is quite difficult and would take alot of time and preparation.
sunbeam alpine said:
To save on specialist tools for the timing belt you may be able to cut off half the belt all the way round using a Stanley knife, slide the new belt onto the pulleys, then cut off the rest of the old belt. This way, everything should stay in the right place. (Saw this on one of the Wheeler Dealer/Car SOS type programmes, but can't say whether or not it's "good practice").
Obviously this may not work if you need to replace other ancilliaries such as water pump etc.
It's an extremely risky bodge, I'm assuming you're talking about cutting it legnthways? if old then it will likely snap, you would also need to relieve the tension on the pulleys to be able to slide the new one on, at which point the timing may slip!Obviously this may not work if you need to replace other ancilliaries such as water pump etc.
Lock it off with the correct tools and do it properly, to swap a timing belt without replacing tensioner and water pump at the same time is pretty much pointless anyway as one or both will fail in the future meaning you'd have to do it again.
That said, given the OP's description, I think you're actually talking about the auxiliary drive belt (fan belt to the old timers) as timing belts are usually well covered and if they become slack then generally they fail or slip!
battered said:
If all wheels point forward, yes, but you can bet they don't.
The procedure is to centre the wheel and then set up the 4 wheels to where they should be. The reason that it's often rear alignment that causes a steering wheel to one side when the car is travelling in a straight line is that one or both rear wheels are off and so the REAR of the car is steering to one side. In order to make it travel in a straight line you have to turn the steering wheel.
I've never heard of this, for a steering wheel to be at 2 o'clock the car would have to be crabbing so badly it would be dangerous, whilst I accept that theoretically a slight crab may result in a slight steering wheel alignment issue, it is IMO far more likely that the tracking has been done incorrectly in the past, or that steering components have been removed/replaced and refitted.The procedure is to centre the wheel and then set up the 4 wheels to where they should be. The reason that it's often rear alignment that causes a steering wheel to one side when the car is travelling in a straight line is that one or both rear wheels are off and so the REAR of the car is steering to one side. In order to make it travel in a straight line you have to turn the steering wheel.
OP - theoretically you should be able to adjust the steering wheel, but it would involve removing the airbag, so it would be far better to adjust it on the track rod ends, provided you screw the offside one in an equal amount to the nearside one being screwed out (number of turns) then the tracking shouldn't change relative to the two wheels.
As for the paint, whilst it may look easy, it really isn't, achieving a good finish with rattle cans is quite difficult and would take alot of time and preparation.
Petrolhead_Rich said:
OP - theoretically you should be able to adjust the steering wheel, but it would involve removing the airbag, so it would be far better to adjust it on the track rod ends, provided you screw the offside one in an equal amount to the nearside one being screwed out (number of turns) then the tracking shouldn't change relative to the two wheels.
The bigger issue is that it just isn't the place that requires adjustment - the steering wheel hasn't moved on the steering column, it's something else inbetween that's been bent or misadjusted - as suh that's where the fix should be.Petrolhead_Rich said:
.
Nor had I, until it happened to me on a 2002 Vectra. I thought the same as you, but I was wrong. I had the wheel over with the car going in a straight line, tracking was done twice then I went back prepared to do some shouting. I didn't believe them when they said it was the rear wheels and "that will be £30". I watched them do the work, it had the desired result. As for "crabbing so badly as to be dangerous", no. It was slightly out but not excessively so, no odd tyre wear, no odd handling or pulling to one side. The guys doing the alignment didn't think it to be anything out of the ordinary. To them it was just the daily routine. Fixed, off I went, wheel dead centre, no further drama.battered said:
If all wheels point forward, yes, but you can bet they don't.
The procedure is to centre the wheel and then set up the 4 wheels to where they should be. The reason that it's often rear alignment that causes a steering wheel to one side when the car is travelling in a straight line is that one or both rear wheels are off and so the REAR of the car is steering to one side. In order to make it travel in a straight line you have to turn the steering wheel.
I've never heard of this, for a steering wheel to be at 2 o'clock the car would have to be crabbing so badly it would be dangerous.The procedure is to centre the wheel and then set up the 4 wheels to where they should be. The reason that it's often rear alignment that causes a steering wheel to one side when the car is travelling in a straight line is that one or both rear wheels are off and so the REAR of the car is steering to one side. In order to make it travel in a straight line you have to turn the steering wheel.
I have this on the MX5, a very slight offset. I've just had the tracking done, it wasn't far off but the place doesn't do 4 wheel alignment so I'm living with it until I've replaced a buckled back wheel, then I'll have a look. I know the tracking is bang on, I watched the guy and read the lasers on the scales myself.
Petrolhead_Rich said:
Lock it off with the correct tools and do it properly, to swap a timing belt without replacing tensioner and water pump at the same time is pretty much pointless anyway as one or both will fail in the future meaning you'd have to do it again.
That said, given the OP's description, I think you're actually talking about the auxiliary drive belt (fan belt to the old timers) as timing belts are usually well covered and if they become slack then generally they fail or slip!
I replaced a Coupe S3 cambelt (2.0) on the driveway. It was pretty straight forward: it only had a single cam pulley, and didn't need any special tools like locking blocks or TDC gauges to do (unlike my Alfa 156). I think the hardest part was access down the side to get at some pulley bolts, but skin on the knuckles is over-rated anyway.That said, given the OP's description, I think you're actually talking about the auxiliary drive belt (fan belt to the old timers) as timing belts are usually well covered and if they become slack then generally they fail or slip!
Ian
Petrolhead_Rich said:
That said, given the OP's description, I think you're actually talking about the auxiliary drive belt (fan belt to the old timers) as timing belts are usually well covered and if they become slack then generally they fail or slip!
That ^^^.MDMetal said:
The timing belt is apparently loosening (or so she was told many years ago)
I'm not sure what that is supposed to mean, and I'd want to be a lot clearer about why I was replacing the cam belt before I took that job on. It's normally replaced based on age and/or mileage rather than condition, and I can't think of any way for it to be 'loose' that didn't result in immediate total failure. Gassing Station | Home Mechanics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff