Clement
Europe
ambitious but rubbish
Posts: 2,095
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Dec 23, 2013 20:41:37 GMT
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Alright then, I'm convinced  I'll still rustproof the rest of the wheelarches and get the suspension back in place, and leave this to be sorted out at a later date, possibly as a training piece! It's far from being the only spot on the car needing some welder action anyways... By the way, sweet Datsun!!!  Edit: I might get the engine out of the car, so I then would be able to have a better look, painting the engine bay and the like. It sounds like I'm doing the same jobs as everyone else, and I am, but it's exciting to do them and think about what the car will be like afterwards! |
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Last Edit: Dec 23, 2013 20:46:40 GMT by Clement
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Dec 23, 2013 20:56:11 GMT
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Hehe.. thanks! I' hope to get it finished next summer. By the way, how far are you from Montournais?
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1962 Datsun Bluebird Estate - 1971 Datsun 510 SSS - 1976 Datsun 710 SSS - 1981 Dodge van - 1985 Nissan Cherry Europe GTi - 1988 Nissan Prairie - 1990 Hyundai Pony Pickup - 1992 Mazda MX5
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Clement
Europe
ambitious but rubbish
Posts: 2,095
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Dec 23, 2013 21:58:03 GMT
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Good luck then! I just looked, about 250 miles, pretty far then. I travel through this area pretty much every summer though <3
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Dec 23, 2013 22:05:19 GMT
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I'll let you know when I'm coming over there next year. 250 miles is not so bad. We covered 1800 miles when we went over there in August and that was in a 50 year old car!
It might be worth just using some kind of underbody protection on those bits just to slow down the corrosion a bit until you can get to repair it. Luckily you don't have to suffer the heavily salted roads we have in the winter so I'd guess it'll be okay for a while. Old Alfas here dissolve pretty fast!
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1962 Datsun Bluebird Estate - 1971 Datsun 510 SSS - 1976 Datsun 710 SSS - 1981 Dodge van - 1985 Nissan Cherry Europe GTi - 1988 Nissan Prairie - 1990 Hyundai Pony Pickup - 1992 Mazda MX5
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Clement
Europe
ambitious but rubbish
Posts: 2,095
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Dec 23, 2013 22:36:52 GMT
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I gladly accept the invitation!! Haha I'm not adverse to oldschool roadtrips, I've covered about 23,000 miles in the past two and a half years in the Cortina first and then the Giulia I'm not using the Alfa this winter so it's not so bad if it isn't protected, but I guess I'll still protect it... if only because it would take more time not to |
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Clement
Europe
ambitious but rubbish
Posts: 2,095
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I had written something long and very interesting but the tab closed. Here's a short version: Parts:  LH lower wishbone dismantled:  Second-hand hydraulic press:  If you're struggling with undoing a balljoint, smack the part it's stuck into with a hammer, not the balljoint itself. It works a lot better than everything else I've tried. Next step is to get the old bushed out, so I have to find stuff to support the wishbones while applying some brute force on them. Might have a look into electrolysis to clean the parts, I read you could use a car battery with a charger to supply a constant 12V, much simpler than a computer 12 power system (unsure about wording here). Cheers!  |
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goldnrust
West Midlands
Minimalist
Posts: 1,889
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Looks like you're doing a really thorough job there, the car should feel much better for it Having that press should make the worst bit of chaining bushes (removing the old ones!) a walk in the park |
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Clement
Europe
ambitious but rubbish
Posts: 2,095
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Thanks! The only stuff I'm not changing is the three suspension balljoints, the steering balljoints I haven't killed yet, and the brakes (although the calipers are getting new dust covers). This morning I got up late and didn't fancy getting my hands dirty, so I went and measured up things. My tyres are 185 wide, which is larger than either the stock steels or the beautiful BWA rims I acquired last summer. So any rubbing would be caused by the tyre not the rim; hence, the only thing that matters is the offset. Stock wheels are et38, BWA are et33, but I'll need PCD adapters, which are at least 15mm thick. That brings the offset to et18, 2cm further outwards than the stock configuration. Had a look at the rear wheelarch, it should be alright |
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Clement
Europe
ambitious but rubbish
Posts: 2,095
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God bless the hydraulic press!   I'd never have succeeded without it. The lower wishbone bushes were made of two metal tubes with rubber between them and I didn't have a socket big enough to push the outer tube; what I did was I just used the press "bit" to push the bush slightly, de-rust it with the Dremel, then the opposite way this time pushing the inner tube with a "tool". Otherwise the rust would have meant a huge lot of pressure to get the bush out, and the way I did it means the rubber didn't shear because it wasn't forcing that much. All in all, both LH-side wishbones (lower and upper) are de-bushed right now, just the other side remaining. Oh and I found someone who could turn me some PCD adapters, 15mm thick, to the exact requirements (hub centre bore, wheel center bore, wheel insert angle, etc), for €220 (plus 16 M12x1.5 nuts to hold the adapters onto the hub, about €35). The best part is that the back of the BWA wheels is hollowed, and with the 15mm adapters in place I might not have to cut down the existing wheel studs. Oh and the wheels would then be held onto the adapters by bolts. Why? 4x100 is close to 4x98. Wobble bolts sufficient then. And you know what wheel is 6x14 and 4x98?  THE BITURBO WHEEL!! |
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WOW...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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***GARAGE CURRENTLY EMPTY***
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ulver
Part of things
Posts: 67 
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Oh yes!
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'99 Alfa Romeo 156 2.5 V6  |
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Clement
Europe
ambitious but rubbish
Posts: 2,095
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I just checked, they are et6, with the adapters that'd mean et-9, I might be too greedy but if goldnrust still has his set I'll annoy him til he lets me try I really was dreading the pressing-the-bushes-out step, and it could have been a nightmare, but it's going smoothly enough actually. |
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goldnrust
West Midlands
Minimalist
Posts: 1,889
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Woooo Biturbo wheels I would have happily let you try the wheels out, but I'm sorry I've sold them.  I think et-9 under those rear arches would be tough though… Good work on getting the bushes out. |
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Clement
Europe
ambitious but rubbish
Posts: 2,095
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Yes, well, I knew I'd have to buy a Berlina to put on airride, so I'll make the Biturbo wheels fit that instead I don't really understand why but the RH side lower wishbone doesn't want to be dismantled, which is too bad because these two bushes are the last ones to get rid of. The other side was more than easy to take hold of, but those won't budge. |
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Clement
Europe
ambitious but rubbish
Posts: 2,095
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3 of the 4 lower wishbone bushes  The two on the left came easily, the one on the right was being a not very nice thing, but let go at the beginning of the afternoon. Now for the fourth bush:  that was after a few hours' struggle with a flame, various screwdrivers, hammers, etc. I just decided to cut it open.  And cut it I did  1mm thick steel with plastic in it, I have no idea why they made them like this  haaa that's better  Started cutting through its meat with the Dremel It has started to let go (it's turning), but isn't quite decided to leave the rest of the wishbone. Off to make crepe dough and back to the garage. I'm leaving to see my gf tomorrow, so I want to be done with dismantling everything before I go, and that's the last thing to get rid of. Then it'll be cleaning, painting, re-bushing, and putting back together. |
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Clement
Europe
ambitious but rubbish
Posts: 2,095
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 Oooh yeah. MOAR dremel, MOAR flame! It didn't want to go because there was some kind of rubbery stuff between the bush and the thing-whose-name-remains-a-mystery. That's the end of this step. Friday evening will be the start of cleaning, it's soooo cool to be done with the greasy messy part of the suspension rebuild. |
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Clement
Europe
ambitious but rubbish
Posts: 2,095
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Jan 13, 2014 18:38:05 GMT
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Tried some electrolysis tonight! Degreasing:  The setup:    And, since you can see them in the corner of the second pic, and just because, my beautiful wheels that might find their way onto the car sometime soon:  Aren't they pretty? |
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Jan 13, 2014 18:42:37 GMT
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I still find electrolysis some sort of science-magic and even though it's been explained to me many times I have no idea how it actually manages to work. Those wheels are very pretty, the sort of pretty that even if they don't make it onto the car you keep them just to look at.
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Clement
Europe
ambitious but rubbish
Posts: 2,095
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Jan 13, 2014 18:45:40 GMT
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... which is pretty much what I've been doing since I bought them in July Electrolysis is a bit magical it's true, but it's cheap, there are plenty of tutorials on the interwebs, and I'm horribly lazy so I guess it was just a matter of time before I started using it! |
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adam73bgt
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 5,003
Club RR Member Number: 58
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Jan 13, 2014 20:43:07 GMT
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Those wheels  going to look amazing when/if they find their way on to the Alfa |
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I'll still rustproof the rest of the wheelarches and get the suspension back in place, and leave this to be sorted out at a later date, possibly as a training piece! It's far from being the only spot on the car needing some welder action anyways... 
[*]
I think et-9 under those rear arches would be tough though…
going to look amazing when/if they find their way on to the Alfa