ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Many thanks Mr Vulgalour for your kind remarks. The windmill behind the car is Chesterton Windmill, and yes it is a strangely designed windmill, far from the traditional ones many tend to see. It was time to tackle the next spate of jobs on the Stag. Naturally there are many I need to tackle (which I shall be discussing as and when I undertake them), but the main pressing issues for now were a clunking from the front, and brakes which seemed to sound like hamsters upon hitting the brake pedal. First task was to change the brake pads. This was a job I had been putting off, since I have been shirking away from working on the car, in addition to the fact that for stock anchors they work very well, unlike many people's experiences. I was unsure as to whether the pads had asbestos present in them, but I need not have worried. They were simply Valeo items, and not the cheap rubbish which many classic car places seem intent on selling these days. Being an picky (well, let's be honest, it may even be OCD) individual I am to when it comes to working on brakes I opted for some OE branded items, which turned up at a more reasonable price than I expected from TRW. In my defence the 1.8 Mondeo seemed to brake far better on Genuine Ford items over the previous pattern items I have fitted (as in it no longer fades after a few seconds, it has more initial bite etc.); it was my MOT Tester who suggested going with either what a certain motor factor sold as their premium line or going genuine on brakes mind you. Along with the tools and some brake grease I set to work: At the same time it became apparent why the car was knocking so badly; the ARB drop link bushes and links themselves had seen better days, as the photo shows: With both sides done, it was all looking a little more gravy and more promising: And the result? The pads are still bedding in so we shall see whather I should have saved the little cash and gone with the cheaper pads, but it still seems to stop fine which I guess is promising! However, the drop links have had a bigger effect than I expected. The car turns in a little sharper and flatter, to the point where it now understeers (slightly, nothing too dramatic thank God!). This has managed to tame the rear end down (it used to slide out at will, albeit still being quite catchable. Naturally that could be me driving the car differently or a placebo, although the drop links did have plenty of play present, but the chattering has also gone, which makes driving it a far more pleasant experience and not the sensation as if one is driving a rattlebox! Now for some larger jobs, which involves changing the rear wheel bearings, diff for the refurbished item (anyone still remember when I bought that all those years ago?), as well as other small odd jobs. This should be fun, I am looking forward to carrying it out, honest...
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Last Edit: Apr 10, 2014 6:27:11 GMT by ChasR
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For better stopping power,
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“It Doesn’t Feel Pity, Or Remorse, Or Fear, And It Absolutely Will Not Stop, Ever, Until You Are Dead!”
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Apr 10, 2014 11:56:52 GMT
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True if you have quite a powerplant under the bonnet but on a stock car they are probably a little overkill , although I guess they do look cool (I do not need them, do I (looks away!)?). If I did not have a list of stuff to do the on the I would have forked out for a set of Mintex M1144s which have worked wonders on the 205 (if I am honest, you only have to think in that car and you will come to a halt).
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Last Edit: Apr 10, 2014 11:59:34 GMT by ChasR
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Instead of doing one massive update, I figured I would do them in bitesize chunks. That way I can hopefully tick off the niggling items from the list, in addition to not swamping you chaps with an update that takes an eternity to read (if they are even being read :lol:). Anyway, back to reporting. After covering a few miles taking my time with the brake pads seems to have been a wise choice. They do certainly seem to bite as least as well as what was removed with the car, and as a bonus I have some pedal travel restored (not that there was loads before, but anything is a bonus!). Tuesday was spent doing a few messy jobs on the Stag, changing the crankshaft seal up front to cure a leak, and flushing out the coolant. I say the latter since many say that not doing this in a Stag will result in nuns and kittens being killed (in a Stag). Upon initially draining the coolant everything seemed OK, with the coolant being a lovely blue colour from the engine block drain plugs, and the bottom radiator hose. However, upon putting a hose into the engine and removing the radiator to flush it (and tackle other jobs), this was the result: 'the hell? I changed this just over a year ago!: Maybe I shall use a 50:50 mix of antifreeze this time instead of a 30:70mix. Or maybe I'll go to Evans for some coolant (it does not seem to be that bad an idea when you consider that coolant (and some of the bits) can basically finish off a radiator in a Stag, leading to disaster (well, taking the heads off which are not always straightforward on a Stag or Dolomite 1850 as I am sure many of you are aware. The other reason for removing the radiator? The car had developed a leak from the crankshaft seal, and an RPM vibration I felt may have been linked to the viscous coupling ( I could seem the fan blades wobble a little, not great if it meets the radiator as some do!). Pulling off the crankshaft sprocket required me to put on a massive breaker bar onto the nut upon jamming the flywheel, and then a pulley removal tool for good measure. Whilst the pulley came off I was surprised at just how tight a fit it was onto the crankshaft! Anyway, the reason for why I went this far. One cause for me not parking on fresh driveways!: Furthermore it turns out that my work was not completely wasted. The pulley itself (being a rubber damped item) had like many Stag pulleys, slipped meaning that the timing marks on the pulley were useless. Maybe this is one of the reasons for why I have an odd vibration present (besides the UJs in the rear driveshafts being shot bar one, the wheel bearing having play in the rear, or even the exhausts not being supported where they pass through the rear subframe). Anyway, the pulley and the mark. It is only slightly off, honest: In the above photo you can just about make out the original timing mark near the start of the threads of the bolt. The engine bay did look a little empty with quite a bit of gear removed: After that, I put it all back together. I had to do a little digging about for torque figures since some of them did seem a little ludicrous (Haynes quote 180Nm for tightening the crankshaft nut (which also holds the viscous coupling). To me even with a 13/16" bolt it seemed a little too much for a UNF bolt. It seems many specialists would agree, saying they go for figures closer to 70Nm. So what what the final result I hear you ask? Better, but a mixed blessing if I am honest. The crank no longer leaks from the crank seal, but has become worse at the sump to timing case join. Whilst I shall redo this, I reckon the lack of positive crankcase ventilation is probably not helping matters, something which the Strombergs did possess to an extent. What are your thoughts here? The Holley does have the provision for a PCV valve, but which one to go for is another matter. The engine (in my mind anyway; it is not always the case? ) seems to be slightly perkier without the fan, but it does run a little hotter according to the gauge, but not overheat. The latter is in part to the electronic fan controller I fitted which you can just about make out in the photo, as well as the alternator conversion I performed so as to allow the tubular manifolds to fit. At the radiator tank with the top hose, the coolant is at 80-2 degrees, being 76 at the thermostat housing, and finally 86 at the sender (the brass part of it), using my IR gauge reader which to me sounds fine (too hot in your opinion?). I may invest in a solid state stabiliser, but one which works unlike the last owner's attempt, so as to remove the new original item present. Is there stuff left to do? Not as much, but still quite an amount. This includes: - Tidy some of the remaining wood in the centre console or replace it
- Redo the ignition timing now that the crankshaft pulley has been remarked in the correct position
- Drop the rear subframe so as to fit the refurbished diff, and sound parts (Driveshafts with good UJs and wheel bearings present). At the same time I plane to rebush the replacement trailing arms with new Superflex items I have purchased
- Reseal the sump, and look into a PCV kit (possibly; the crankcase ventilation on this is currently venting into the air filter)
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Last Edit: Apr 17, 2014 10:24:52 GMT by ChasR
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adam73bgt
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,869
Club RR Member Number: 58
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Apr 17, 2014 10:20:16 GMT
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Looks like some good work being done I've got to do a coolant flush and change on the MG soon which I'm dreading aha
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Apr 17, 2014 11:22:39 GMT
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I wonder where that horrible coolant was hiding.
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Apr 17, 2014 11:55:43 GMT
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Cheers chaps . From the looks of it, the very bottom of the engine. Upon draining the block, it came out all blue and lovely, until the very end, where there was a hint of things being a little iffy. Further flushing showed up the coolant. It was the same story with the radiator. From the parts I could see inside it still seems fairly clean thank goodness!
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Apr 17, 2014 11:56:25 GMT
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If your only using water and antifreeze then that brown (rust) will come out. You need inhibitors or anti corrosive additives, some mixes have it all in. I have always use 50/50 mix of a good coolant and water and it always stays blue, green or yellow.
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“It Doesn’t Feel Pity, Or Remorse, Or Fear, And It Absolutely Will Not Stop, Ever, Until You Are Dead!”
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Apr 22, 2014 20:36:21 GMT
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If your only using water and antifreeze then that brown (rust) will come out. You need inhibitors or anti corrosive additives, some mixes have it all in. I have always use 50/50 mix of a good coolant and water and it always stays blue, green or yellow. I reckon you are right there. The coolant I used previously (Unipart CoolBlue) did claim to have additives but recently I have come to question this or at least their effectiveness. In my MGB when that was run on OAT that had zero rust deposits present when I flushed the cooling system yet after a year had some rust forming inside with the Unipart CoolBlue coolant which I put down to the car being used at the time. I used the same coolant in the Stag during the last two coolant changes (bar this one where I have changed brands). This may help explain why the Unipart CoolBlue is quite cheap... On the moderns I tend to use only what the manufacturers suggest with less issues when I come to changing the coolant (I.E, no rust deposits upon dropping the coolant or flushing the radiator). It certainly makes you question the swathes of people who say 'chuck any coolant in, coolant's coolant"....
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Well, a few things have occurred! Firstly, around a few days prior to a certain photoshoot to promote a local event I was asked whether my car could be used. No problem I replied. Everything should be peachy right? In the world of RR we all know this is not so . The car had a few glitches before it could be used for the photoshoot, including: - loose doorcards (these despite new male clips never attached to the door properly in my ownership) - an iffy looking pedalbox (slight surface rust on the pedal arms and worn pedal rubbers - bits hanging off inside (the indicator relay being one). - an incomplete centre console since a) I had lost the gear stick surround and b) the wooden part was at a refinishers - a generally dusty looking interior (with the dash look the worst). It sounds like a small sum of work, but 11 hour days and a busy weekend (to the point where I had only half a day tops to work on the car) meant this would be a tough bunch of tasks to complete (in addition to tidying the car). Naturally, I accepted the challenge. New female clips in the door would ensure that the doorcard would stay on in a fashion in addition to putting the door handle bezel in place. The pedalbox looked great after a dusting of black paint and new pedal rubbers. Furthermore, I sourced in no time a spare centre console which was in a better state of repair than the one I sent off. Furthermore, I actually gave the interior some love internally. There are still a couple more things to do inside in addition to me grabbing photos of the final result, but for now, here is a taster of the car being in the local news:
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Last Edit: Jun 6, 2014 23:27:02 GMT by ChasR
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adam73bgt
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,869
Club RR Member Number: 58
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The stag is still looking great I spotted a couple of other mint looking stags when I was at a pub out in the sticks the other day, they did just look a bit too standard though compared to yours haha
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bhups
Part of things
Posts: 34
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Love this shot!!
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Last Edit: Jun 9, 2014 16:19:10 GMT by bhups
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Jun 26, 2014 22:34:49 GMT
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The stag is still looking great I spotted a couple of other mint looking stags when I was at a pub out in the sticks the other day, they did just look a bit too standard though compared to yours haha Cheers for the comms. You were not out towards Bulkington way on a Tuesday were you? If so that is the Stag Owners' Club meeting. Truth be told it would not take much to take mine back to standard but it is surprising the difference a set of wheels and a drop can make to any car (you could argue that bar the colour coding and clear indicators the same approach has been taken with the Porsche . Not much work has occurred but there is a white elephant in the room... Firstly the driver's door has been bubbling on the bottom for quite some time. Before it got any worse I removed the door and left it with the painters. Some grinding, new metal and paint later the door looks great, possibly better than other panels on the car! Furthermore I have been enjoying the car over the summer months. It is great to know it still gets approval from many. Now for the problem. The gearbox. Basically it will not drive for 5-10 minutes at all, and then engage drive. For a mile it will stick in first (not embarrassing at all) after which point it works fine. It was rebuilt 3 years ago but I do not know what to do! I shall see what the gearbox chaps offer but I do have a spare 'box knocking around should I hit a poor scenario. The above to be honest is an annoying one. Maybe it was overrevved when the damage to the bodywork occured at a specialist. Whatever the reason it has been the main reason I hate to say why my mojo has drained away from this car (it is a real chore to get going). We shall see what occurs.
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adam73bgt
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,869
Club RR Member Number: 58
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Jun 26, 2014 22:44:38 GMT
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Errmm don't think I was quite out that far, was at the sparrow pub not too far from Coombe Abbey, they did look in good condition so could have been related to the club Shame to hear about the issues with the auto box, manual conversion?
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Jun 29, 2014 22:54:29 GMT
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I have considered a manual conversion truth be told . The issues? -IMO the autobox in ZF form really gives you the best of both worlds with a Stag (I actually have a spare in the garage) -Whilst the manual 'box would be a bolt in conversion cheap it is not (read pedal box, different flywheel (possibly even needing a Spigot bearing, gearbox, overdrive etc.). That is before I get to hydraulic bits, differing crossmembers etc. It would probably be as cheap to refurb what I already have but properly this time (so new pipes and coolers to the 'box). -The 3 rail box is not the nicest of changes IMO in the Dolly or Stag. -The car on the VIN is also down as being an auto. A pretty hard marker to shift . I guess I could look into a 5 speed conversion mind you... That would possibly bring many benefits.
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Jul 10, 2014 21:26:26 GMT
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I have attempted to perform a few more changes to this car recently, in an attempt for me to rekindle my mojo with the car in addition to not completely lose faith in the project! As above, I realised that a Stag should not really have that tatty an interior. Thanks to a few careful touches I went from a ropey, but sound interior with things hanging off and it generally looking unloved to something a little better: And now for one of those 'before and after' moments: As always the photos do the interior more justice than required although I think you shall agree that a basic cleanup, refitting a few missing parts in addition to replacing worn parts has brightened up the place: After this it was time to relive old times, and generally make an attempt to get the ball rolling again. Some of you may recall the car having a hard top earlier on in the thread. Not only is this item great so to keep the soft top in good condition, it also comes with many other benefits including: -Making the car look nicer when you have to protect yourself from the water (I have never been a fan of the Stag with the roof up -Visibility is much improved. If I am honest about the Stag's soft top, the combination of a lack of visibility from the rear (there are no rear side windows). The Driver's side mirror here does not help. Being small and aimed poorly (a common Stag issue) Lord Lucan would have plenty of blind spots to hide away in(motorway driving (i.e overtaking) can be especially sketchy!). -Refinement - The roof literally transforms the Stag from being noisy inside (and other people hearing you curse the car or other motorists!) to something much quieter, with road and wind noise almost becoming a thing of the past. However, the specialist for one reason or another (despite many promises to finish the roof) did not manage to complete the roof. 2 years of the roof being at his gaff had this result on the roof: On a rat rod the roof would probably work, but not on a Stag I reckon, and more importantly the benefits would soon be negated with all that bare metal with holes etc. And so I was left with a few choices. These included buying a good roof. This was out of the question purely on a cost basis in addition to the fact the roof would be something I would use during the wet and winter months. From looking around £500 would get me something reasonable with £1k getting me a roof requiring no attention. The other was to repair my existing roof. Whilst this was possible, 2 years of it sitting outside Coventry had done it no favours, with the headlining going from good condition to completely shot, the rear window going missing (or broken?) in that time, in addition to the tinworm setting in and other valuable fixings (handles etc.) going missing. Whilst commitment would get the roof back into good shape, it was something I was lacking in all honesty, especially with trying keep all of my cars on the road as it is! Enter stage left: Yes, I acquired another roof in not much better condition than when I initially bought the blue item. Whilst it was sound, the front edge was on the verge of becoming terminal. This is before I get to the chromework being shot in places (pricey areas). The above was the main reason for why I got my old roof back (some of the chrome (the rear quarterlights for instance) were in perfect condition and thankfully intact. And so I got cracking on a roof which looked fit for the skip at a glance: Some metal treatment and time later: A test area with the mop confirmed that there was still some life left in the old paintwork, even if it was not mint . And the almost finished result. I just have a few bits of chrome to refit as well as removing the masking tape. The trim within was also tidied up: OK, the colour match could have been better I admit in places (I took a chance on a generic rattle can of Brooklands Green (the correct colour) but of course aged paint could probably do with a custom matched can. I think you will agree that it was an improvement from before where the paint was as flat as a pancake in addition to the colour resembling something rather worse in that guise! Considering for how much the second roof has cost me in money and time I am pleased with the result (it was WAY less than £500 and a better/quicker job than what was done to the previous item!) C&C welcome (I really should have taken a photo of the roof before I tackled it!). For the record, I painted the front rail in addition to the rear C Pillars . The car was looking great bar an ever larger rust bubble forming at the bottom of the door, which can just about be made out in this shot: Before the door became holed and then required further surgery I gave the door to the paintshop to weld in some more metal and repaint it. This is now waiting to be refitted to the car once more: Whilst the above does sound like a criticism of others (and to a degree it is) it has also potentially taught me many things along the way (I could never refinish bodywork quite as well as now (and there is still room for improvement). Furthermore I tended to go for people working more towards cost. In this instance it backfired, but onwards and upwards .
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Last Edit: Sept 4, 2014 18:14:12 GMT by ChasR
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Jul 10, 2014 23:26:29 GMT
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Great news on the roof, and that door looks like a very nice repair insofar as you can't see it's been repaired. I have a feeling the green roof will suit the car a bit better than the blue too, so I look forward to seeing it fitted. Amazing how just a bit of fettling can make you feel a whole lot better about a car, even if it's just waving the vacuum cleaner at the carpets.
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adam73bgt
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,869
Club RR Member Number: 58
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Shame to see the state they allowed your old roof to get into But that green one does seem to scrub up well indeed. I do like a Stag with a hardtop on, possibly even more than seeing one with the roof off (the targa bars spoil it for me)
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Jul 12, 2014 10:08:16 GMT
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Cheers again chaps . The colour should be a better match for the car it has to be said . Shame to see the state they allowed your old roof to get into But that green one does seem to scrub up well indeed. I do like a Stag with a hardtop on, possibly even more than seeing one with the roof off (the targa bars spoil it for me) They do spoil the look a little admittedly but OTOH the Stag does not suffer from scuttle shake too badly as a result. If I am honest my old Escort Cabrio was far worse than the Stag in this department, making country road driving a little less fun .
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Jul 12, 2014 14:49:54 GMT
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The interior looks a lot better now.
What colour are you gonna do the roof?
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Koos
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