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Mar 28, 2013 10:27:11 GMT
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I sort of want to update this, but winter has pretty much ensured that the SLK has had little done and been nowhere! The vague need to sell it crops up now and then but I'm hoping that can be avoided.
Right now I'm trying to find some OE mudflaps for it for a sane price, and the next service work is to change the gearbox fluid (I'll say again as it was allegedly changed by a firm in Gloucestershire, but when dipped it does not look like the glorious red fluid in my 300C's tranny so I think they lied somewhat) and replace the steering damper.
The paint that was done before I got it is mostly holding out, but the wing really needed better prep to last. That's probably going to be put off until next winter, but I'll look for a new wing in the meantime to minimise downtime.
Keep pondering other projects, inevitably, but trying to behave now I've got a V8 beast and should be focusing on work...
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Mar 28, 2013 10:27:49 GMT
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On the plus side, the injury that lead to me buying it is finally reaching a point where I can walk almost normally and in less pain!
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May 20, 2013 21:05:30 GMT
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Tiny jobs: New steering damper, new belts, new plugs today (wrong plugs fitted, well, Bosch single electrode), now found the rusty brackets from the roof so they're getting replaced. New oil and gas filler caps. Next fiddly job is repairing the reverse switch in the gear selector module. Still trying to find mudflaps though!
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Last Edit: May 22, 2013 10:58:41 GMT by Deleted
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May 22, 2013 10:54:53 GMT
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One of those 'phew' moments - I didn't have a plug/small torque wrench, only a massive one, so I'd gone with "hold the wrench close to the extension then turn a bit more" approach. Which is not scientific, because I can't tell what a real "hand tight" is. I can move the belt tensioners without an extension/pipe, after all. Anyway, I rectified the lack of a small torque wrench AND erred on the side of caution, setting for 20N-m rather than the 25-30N-m NGK specify for 14mm thread plus with compression washers going into aluminium heads. Some reviews reckon the smaller Draper 10-80N-m wrench is less than accurate at the lower ranges (though should be fine at 20). I'm happy with the 20 as it's clearly more than "hand tight and x degrees shown on the box for the plugs". Turn, turn, CLICK. None of them overtightened, all needed nipping up. Excellent. Belts are another matter. All manner of incorrect tools and methods are specified in various forums, but the tool needed is a female E10 Torx spanner of suitable length (or Phoenix's expensive but clearly rather perfect tensioner Torx levers). Without said torx spanner, I ended up moving the fan shroud. Which means moving the expansion tank. Joy. I got enough clearance to use the E10 socket and wrench, but also found that in the past the fan shroud's been abused a bit and has a hole and crack near the intercooler pipework. Another one on the list. With the belt off, it was easy enough to identify that a noisy bearing in the ancillaries was the idler that is bolted to the supercharger - back to Inchcape online and £25 later, a new idler plus a new O-ring for the loose fitting dipstick added to the order for belts. Now I'm trying to figure out if I want to replace, repaint or polish the cam cover. The spark plug cover is £42, so probably worth stripping and painting, the cam cover is £180ish (might come with a plug cover at that though). If I repaint, do I try to match stock, or go with red crackle (and black crackle the plug cover), or black crackle with red crackle or red gloss cover... decisions. Once this and some routine stuff is done, it's getting driven over summer. Then, winter plans - remove back window and sort out small amount of surface rust appearing on the vario roof, and buy a new nearside front wing, get it professionally painted and clean up/repair wing brackets as appropriate.
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Last Edit: May 22, 2013 10:56:47 GMT by Deleted
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May 29, 2013 20:47:53 GMT
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Belts now done, though the parts place sent me tensioner 919 instead of 119 and I had to reuse the old one. And, the roof trim bits. A whole £3 per side... Before: After: Neat gadget - £2 on Amazon with postage!
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Last Edit: May 29, 2013 20:51:36 GMT by Deleted
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The SLK has a visitor for a little while... in fact, it has two. But this is the interesting one:
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A Chrysler 300C and a Delta Integrale?
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The 300C's mine - but yep, an Integrale 8v I'm looking after for a while. Here it is having just been detailed by Perfection Valet and not using the headlights as an earth for the cooling fans - got a few wiring bits to tidy up It's the first Delta and first Integrale I've driven, though I did consider and test drive a Prisma Symbol back when they were 'respectable used cars' (IIRC, the Prisma was rejected in favour of a Jetta Syncro). Really impressed with the design, I can see why Delta owners question the slavish loyalty people have for the Golfs. Appreciate that the Syncro is probably not that fair an introduction to what a Rallye might be like, but I don't imagine they're as light on their feet as the Lancia. (I've also got an A170 CDi, due to a bizarre obsession with W168s being "the most overlooked and significant car design since the Mini", and have a serious want for an A210 Evolution given the prices they've fallen to).
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An SLK update - removed the battery tray, which had surface rust (bought a new one, but will repaint this one at leisure and sell it as it's not too bad), cleaned up area underneath, found plastic +ve terminal cover that had gone missing and green A/C information sticker.
Waxoyled the inner wing area under the battery, though it's all draining well and undamaged.
Found a breather from the dipstick tube had dried out, split and disintegrated, probably made worse since the new dipstick seal went on.
And the Integrale, I fixed the cooling fans and have been out for a drive a few times now. It's rather lovely.
Trying to figure out if it's worth making any effort at all to rescue a 2000 X 156 TwinSpark that has been sat immobile for two years.
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And now I stripped and rebuilt the boot lock, and it works, finally! Hasn't worked since I got the car, was pretty convinced it must have been the wrong lock.
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Aug 12, 2013 17:53:58 GMT
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Right, a few more little things. First, the inner wings all lovely and waxoyled thanks to advice from Blown_Imp. Never again will I neglect the hairdryer! Second, new breather hose to replace the one from the dipstick tube to oil separator, and the car is idling smoothly, goes like stink. Leaving the battery off may have reset something, but it's very lively indeed now. Third, the aircon pump is definitely trying to work - and I can see bubbles in the receiver/dryer. I think that a recharge will probably bring the A/C back. Finally... the brakes feel a bit spongy and the pedal seems to have a lot of travel. So going to bleed the system and change the fluid. www.speedbleeder.com - anyone used these? At $35 seems like a good idea if they work... Of course the annual "ARGH" of August means the SLK may be heading to the classifieds
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Oct 29, 2013 16:53:18 GMT
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Another oil change, another tax disc, another MOT passed with no advisories and the usual compliments for how clean the car is.
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Ian
Part of things
Posts: 977
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Oct 29, 2013 19:42:55 GMT
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You are doing a great job in looking after this, will be one of the best around! Love that Lancia.
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Mar 17, 2014 14:41:39 GMT
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Sun out, and the SLK has been on a couple of trips - the brake fluid change & bleeding is now top of my list, I think. However, another job that I'd been considering - dampers - got brought forward after a spirited drive; the body control unladen is about as bad as it was fully laden last year, and last year I was thinking "needs dampers" on fast undulating roads.
Poking eBay, the usual OEM/chinese/dodgy parts at around £80-90 each. Though I'd go to my favourite shop, Inchcape's online parts thing - and it's like they new I was on the way. £40 each for GENUINE rear shock absorbers, reduced from £129!
So in a couple of days, that's the job on the cards - rear damper replacement.
(I love that Lancia too, wish it were mine. It's still here (though "here" has changed since October) and I take it out occasionally - it's like nothing else in the world to drive, if I had the money I would buy it, and if I had more, I'd probably still go for a pre-cat 8V over the expensive Evo models. If anyone has any Delta bits hanging about I need a gearknob and rust-free tailgate).
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Mar 17, 2014 14:47:37 GMT
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Also, it's just over two years since Paul took a trip up to sunny (and it was!) Barwell and dropped this off with no more than my word that I'd have it. And if I can pull the right work in soon, I will have it in two years time, too.
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Mar 21, 2014 23:28:44 GMT
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Tomorrow it gets a yellow friend, unless there's some sort of disaster. And there's another new - probably short term visitor. It's very nice, but surplus to requirements.
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New dampers going on the back, supercharger oil changed...
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Well, that was ridiculously easy. New dampers installed, though properly torquing up the rear nuts really needs either the special tool or at least an angle/whatsit thing. Originals were date coded May 1997 - it's been on the same dampers since new it seems and they came off with no swearing or drama. I might replace the bushes on them but they looked good. Fronts... well, I am looking forward to doing them, but at £120 each, it's going to have to wait.
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Road test done, WOW. What a transformation. Definitely need to do the fronts, it feels very odd and shows up how much they'd worn.
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Some cracking cars going on in here. Really nice work with the SLK - loved the way they looked at launch, then went off them for a while, but they're starting to look pretty good again. Low prices help, probably!
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