philsford
Part of things
Posts: 733
Club RR Member Number: 100
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Sept 18, 2018 20:24:26 GMT
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Well I had a mate talk me into buying a new alternator on Monday instead of re-furbing mine. Wish I hadn't listened.  Can you see the problem here. The mounting points are wrong. Now I had done the deal on a popular auction site but the thought of waiting for couriers to return it along with how long that would all take was rather annoying me. So on looking at it I thought if I split the casing it may be possible to assemble it in the correct orientation assuming the body connecting holes line up once the mounting holes are correct. Spurred on by this possible solution and the fact I could put it back as it was if it all went wrong and then return it I got started. First problem was I broke my vice last time I used it doing a driveshaft/wheel bearing on the mondeo.  So I was working on the floor just to make things easier. Anyway I managed to get both pulleys off as split the new unit.  So it went back together with my pulley but now the one hole is to small and the other is not threaded as it should be.  Drilled them both the 8.5mm and run the m10 tap down what is the bottom mount.   So it's ready to go on and hopefully it will be all good. My warrenty should still be valid as long as I don't detail what I have done on the Internet or anything right? Ordered a battery tonight by similar method, let's hope that's right when it gets here. |
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Last Edit: Sept 20, 2018 19:45:10 GMT by philsford
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philsford
Part of things
Posts: 733
Club RR Member Number: 100
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Sept 20, 2018 19:48:48 GMT
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Alternator is now fitted and the new battery has arrived. I cannot be bothered to go outside in this weather so have put it on the battery conditioner to ensure full charge before fitting. At least the battery looks correct. It was showing 12.7 volts straight out of the box.
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philsford
Part of things
Posts: 733
Club RR Member Number: 100
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Sept 21, 2018 16:15:36 GMT
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So my new battery shows 13.1v admittedly I had just taken it off the optimate but fitted it to the car and started it up and it sounded loud, perhaps the belt was a little tight but however I dropped the multimeter on it and it was 17.5v! I rubbed my eyes and tried again, no I didn't miss read it. I quickly turned it off. Looks like this alternator is going back after all.
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philsford
Part of things
Posts: 733
Club RR Member Number: 100
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Dec 15, 2018 21:43:55 GMT
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Got my alternator sent back and got a refund. I then bought a new voltage regulator for the old unit which once fitted back on the car gave me 14v. Also got my personal plate on it now which I transferred on the day the insurance was due to save admin charges. I got my dealer plates with a custom shorter one from the guy on Facebook as posted earlier in the thread They are decent quality and it's a good service with the plates arriving a few days after ordering.  |
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Last Edit: Dec 16, 2018 11:41:41 GMT by philsford
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philsford
Part of things
Posts: 733
Club RR Member Number: 100
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Sept 26, 2019 22:55:49 GMT
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Long time with no updates due to moving house which has taken the best part of 6 months to process everything from the old place and rented garages and containers I had for the move. I finally have all my stuff at my house. My new garage is not small but it needs to be bigger which will hopefully happen next year but for the purpose of getting the cars out of the winter weather I managed to get them all in. I had to remove both fiesta bumpers and both mini bumpers to squeeze them in. It is far from ideal but I will cope for a few months.  A few weeks ago I got some bits from outlaw motorsport.    I can tell the difference so it is money well spent. Also had further alternator issues which resulted in replacing it for a new old stock one I found on eBay listed for a mini. I had to rotate the body as per the faulty one but so far so good. Not been out in it much but managed the gathering. Great day out.  Spannering on moderns has taken what little time I have had between house move stuff. How do I fix this this problem? Buy another modern car that needs fixing of course! It should arrive on Saturday.  |
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Last Edit: Sept 27, 2019 1:08:18 GMT by philsford
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philsford
Part of things
Posts: 733
Club RR Member Number: 100
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The next modern daily arrived. I need to attend to a little panel damage down the side but it's only minor and could be used as is if desired. It looks like a small garden type wall has fell on the side of it and put a few dents into it.  |
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Last Edit: Oct 9, 2019 20:48:47 GMT by philsford
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philsford
Part of things
Posts: 733
Club RR Member Number: 100
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Feb 23, 2020 17:13:19 GMT
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For last 3/4 years I have been casually looking for an alloy thermostat housing that came on very early zetec engines. I have seen a few for sale over the years but they are generally more than I want to pay, as much as £100 I have seen them on ebay for. I was never going to get one as everytime I did see one it was more expensive than the last one. As mine is only a very minor weep which results in probably 2 top ups in 1000 miles I was not desperate. However one popped up on Facebook listed on an escort page I am on. That is a ford escort group I will add at this point. It was £50 and best of all it was only 15 miles away, I was looking after the kids the next morning so thought a little road trip would kill some time while I was waiting for my wife to get home. I got to the address and the guy selling it turned out to be a guy I worked with about 18 years ago. Small world and after a little car talk etc I got it for £40. Thanks Si if you read this. This was a few weeks back now but with my mot due next month I will be taxing it soon so thought I would get it changed over beforehand. So as the kids went to bed I cracked on. The replacement.   Then side by side with the old one.  Swopped my known working stat and sensors over.   Cleaned up the head where it goes as the old unit used a rubber seal and the alloy one uses an old fashioned gasket.  Then I had to make a gasket.  First in paper  Then onto some gasket paper.   Just needs fitting back on now. |
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Last Edit: Feb 23, 2020 17:14:56 GMT by philsford
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philsford
Part of things
Posts: 733
Club RR Member Number: 100
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Feb 24, 2020 21:16:01 GMT
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Got it bolted back on this evening and topped up with long life coolant. Apart from one pipe that needed to be a little tighter it is water tight in a stationary situation but it was a little late to run it up due to the noise it makes and the kids are asleep. While looking in the engine bay I noticed the rubber fuel lines in the engine bay are perishing and need changing which I will do next before I run it. I had to change the rubber fuel Hoses at the tank end for the last MOT. The front ones are not as bad as they were but it's shocking how quickly this modern rubber hose degrades as it was all changed when the engine went in 3 years ago. Took this picture of the rear and it still looks decent 5 years after it was painted.  Here is the thermostat housing all back on.  |
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philsford
Part of things
Posts: 733
Club RR Member Number: 100
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Feb 25, 2020 22:12:28 GMT
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Changed 2 of the 3 petrol pipes in the engine bay but I have used all my stock of pipe so will order some more to finish the job. Here are the perished ones which don't look so bad off the car where they are not under the pressures applied at the fitted ends.   Can anybody recommend an 8mm fuel pipe that last more than 2 years? I am concerned braided hose sold today is just the same quality pipe with an overbraid that would not last any longer but would mask the degrading appearance. |
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Feb 25, 2020 22:21:10 GMT
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demon tweeks, mocal high pressure rubber fuel hose, used it on my escort which has lasted 5 years or so out in the lements and showing no signs of degrading yet !  |
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Feb 25, 2020 22:34:36 GMT
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philsford
Part of things
Posts: 733
Club RR Member Number: 100
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Feb 26, 2020 10:12:40 GMT
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Thanks for the recommendations, I have ordered a couple of meters on that demon tweeks stuff and will probably just change them all again as I have only fitted what I had left over from changing the rear ones last year and although they look OK 12 months on I suspect it will be no good next year. I cannot remember where I sourced it from or where I sourced the stuff I am changing now from when I fitted the engine. It could very well have all come from the same place.
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philsford
Part of things
Posts: 733
Club RR Member Number: 100
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Jun 12, 2020 18:16:59 GMT
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Well I got this back on the drive just before lockdown, the weather had improved and I was fed up of not being able to get at anything in the garage as with 3 cars and a motorbike in there it is like jenga. So having changed the rubber fuel pipes I noticed that a previous to me in 2008 repair on the drivers chassis rail had gone bad and once poked I had a hole!  That poor pic is the only one I have of the new piece going in. I also had to clean off some bubbling to the passenger floor to arch area which would have been a hole had I not spotted it. Having previously spoke to my new MOT man about loose springs when the car is jaked up and asking him what he takes as acceptable his response was if he can take the springs out its fail. So when my car is jacked up the only thing stopping you getting the spring out is the bump stop which is only wedged in so I thought I would wire them in. I have never wired any in before so not sure what is deemed good or bad.  While I was under the back I was victim of poor modern rubber components again in the shape of exhaust rubber hangers. This old set is the second set since the engine went in.  So fitted a pair of "uprated rally spec" ones. We will see if they are any good.   They are kind of red in colour which kind of goes with the red poly bushes that came with the outlaw motorsport bits I fitted previously.  Finally the bumpers went back on in a bid to get an MOT. The previous one ran out 10 days before the government 6 month extension so I figured that now is the time to get it done, not that I need to use it but going forward I would rather have the renewal in June rather than April due to the weather being kinder and it puts it in my 6 months annual tax window.  The MOT is booked for tomorrow morning 9am. Fingers crossed. This is the first time this car has been to this MOT man as last year I took it to a place recommended to me by my previous trusted tester of 20 years. I am not using him again as although he was OK with this fiesta in fact a little lenient and pointed a couple of things out my brother went a week later and came back with a weekends work for me to get his mpv through his annual test and a few of the fails were not fails in my book. It later became apparent that the owner who tested mine had employed a new guy who was a little OTT. I did have the pleasure of encountering him when I took my Mrs beetle in for test, that passed but I had seen enough to not entertain him again. |
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philsford
Part of things
Posts: 733
Club RR Member Number: 100
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Jun 13, 2020 10:16:13 GMT
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 Now with 12 months MOT. I was a little concerned that 2 testers were inspecting it. No drama though and no advisories. |
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philsford
Part of things
Posts: 733
Club RR Member Number: 100
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Not much has happened with the fiesta since last year but it has passed the MOT again. The bonnet is really quite rusty now and is showing the car up so I took the bonnet off yesterday to attempt the repair. I have a piece cut from a damaged bonnet that will fix 90% of the issues on my bonnet.     Not sure if it can be seen in the picture but the repair piece is marked in the picture where it will be cut. I have been out on the fireblade a few times and even got photographed arriving at one meet.  |
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Last Edit: Jun 29, 2021 1:38:42 GMT by philsford
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philsford
Part of things
Posts: 733
Club RR Member Number: 100
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The repair piece trimmed down and the outer separated from the inner frame.  The bonnet is marked up ready to remove the rusty section.  |
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Last Edit: Jul 3, 2021 20:09:13 GMT by philsford
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philsford
Part of things
Posts: 733
Club RR Member Number: 100
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philsford
Part of things
Posts: 733
Club RR Member Number: 100
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Oct 24, 2021 20:06:09 GMT
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Well this bonnet still ain't finished. Once the non rusty section was welded in the main repair at the front was out of shape and bowed out compared to the original section.  To use it like this would have meant lots of filler to bring it all up to cover the repair. Not keen on that so I cut it again across 75% of the front and at this point I thought it was going to end up in the bin. My car had been without a bonnet for months and I was no closer to sorting it.  So I got myself a used glassfibre bonnet off ebay as temporary measure, it was about £100 but my thoughts are it is worth that when I come to sell it. Unfortunately it was red.  So I sanded all the red off and gave it a coat of white primer. This was a bit of a rush job as my wife's car is due an MOT and I found a rusty cill so she had to drive my car and I was driving the fiesta for a week while the cill issues were addressed.   It's not the besg but not obviously wrong either. The fit is poor as well as the paint but at least it is something like the right colour. So back to the original bonnet, I got a mate round who was a bodyshop guy years ago and he worked his magic.   Cheers Jim if you read this. I need to prep the underside and seam seal the front and drop it off for paint which I intend to do ASAP so I can fill it with wax oil before it rusts again. I don't think it's a lasting solution but the last minute bodge when I ended up painting the bonnet about 7 years ago has got me to here so perhaps I will get another 7 years out of it now. To be honest this repair is better than last time so we will see. Perhaps I should hang the glassfibre one in the garage in preparation for bonnets being a £1000 in 7 years time and not willing to pay it. Time is my biggest problem due to trying to make progress on my workshop build which I have a finished base for now. I am sitting here absolutely drained (not to mention a swollen face) from carrying slabs and laying a few to try and finish the section between my garage and workshop base before the weather really turns. Roll on next April and the job of building the workshop is the bit I have been looking forward to ever since I first started digging foundations 6 months ago. But first the dentist needs a visit tomorrow before I explode. |
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philsford
Part of things
Posts: 733
Club RR Member Number: 100
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Jan 30, 2022 22:56:48 GMT
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So my bonnet is ready to go to the paint shop and seriously I am going to mop the rest of it. Anyone handy on photo editing? I would like to see this livery but instead of the orange a dark red to match my seats. I am tempted to get it done once the bonnet is back on and it's mopped.  |
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Last Edit: Jan 30, 2022 22:57:55 GMT by philsford
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