1987 AMC Renault GTA 2.0 - Gone to a new home.

[PhilA]

Had the time and enthusiasm to go work on the car. Trying to do things that don't cost.

First thing was to do something with the vacuum feed pipe to the cannisters- this bleed powers the heater control flaps.


Found a piece of brass pipe that was for something that I'm not ever going to use it for, so I chopped the end off it and removed the nut:


Pushed it through the firewall bungy and fitted the pipes back on:


Undid one nut that holds the mechanical fuel pump blanking plate:


Fitted the fuel pipe clip, that holds the pipes rigid. Found the union at the throttle body was loose, so nipped it up. That solves that.


Found the clip for the gearbox. It was underneath the hot air pipe, ziptied to the speedo cable. This would be why I couldn't find it anywhere else:


Found a spare jubilee clip and fitted it. I need two more for the other two joints there.


Access to put the speedo cable retaining clip is easiest from underneath. Urgh:


Let's try chase some of that out of there:


Marginally better, but climbing underneath just got spiders on me! Doused it in Raid and gave up. I can't remember which way round the clip goes either. Going to have to research that.
Went to the other end and stuck a couple clamps on the back to secure the exhaust. Not ideal, but it's fixed to the towing eye for now.


Eyeballed the aircon. Apparently these are nonstandard, even for R12 (Freon )


Took it for a spin down the street. Goes well, a few squeaks and clunks but nothing untoward. The aircon even started to kinda work. Ish.


First, second, third and fourth are all quiet, don't crunch or grind. Fifth whines. The brakes need attention- the flexis are shot and the passenger side one is bulging. Need some DOT3 brake fluid and a bleeding set because I'm going to have to do it on my own.

--Phil

[PhilA]

*Passenger side CV joint re-pack with grease and fit new boot (New driveshaft instead)
*Passenger and driver side lower balljoints
*Steering arms, particularly passenger side, incl balljoints
*Aux belt idler pulley bearing
*Hose clamp, lower heater hose (Need 2)
*Speedo cable clip
*Rear gearbox to engine nut
Re-route vacuum line for heater controls
*Pipe clips, fuel lines, front
*New rubber seals for fuel unions at throttle body
Fuel filter replacement
New radiator fan thermo-switch
*Exhaust bungies (gonna do something other than bolting it up solid)
Exhaust tailpipe, incl muffler ideally
*New handbrake levers and new shoe adjusters
Do /something/ with the gearshift to make it less like stirring porridge
*New wiper blades
Fix interior and refit seatbelts and rear seat
Interior lights (mk2 Clio)
*Fit new flexi pipes and bleed brake system


Getting there

--Phil

[Deleted]

That's a healthy to do list, really is getting there.

[24vpaul]

Why DOT3?

DOT4 is fine, its backwards compatible.

I'm really enjoying all your thread, keep up the great work

[PhilA]

May 10, 2012 16:34:03 GMT @volksangyl said:

That's a healthy to do list, really is getting there.

Yep. This project tends to go in fits and bursts, mostly dictated by money.
That's just the current list. I'm going to be adding to it as times goes on.

May 10, 2012 18:44:19 GMT 24vpaul said:

Why DOT3?

DOT4 is fine, its backwards compatible.

I'm really enjoying all your thread, keep up the great work

Because everything here is still specced for DOT3, DOT4 is horribly expensive compared and I don't mind changing it on schedule.

--Phil

[24vpaul]

Strange that, over here, DOT3 is hard to come across, 4 is the norm, I'm just about to change my fluid for 5.1

[PhilA]

May 10, 2012 19:19:03 GMT 24vpaul said:

Strange that, over here, DOT3 is hard to come across, 4 is the norm, I'm just about to change my fluid for 5.1

Yup, my truck (2007) and car (2010) are both specced for DOT3.

There's a lot of vehicles that aren't, but most seem to still run the older spec.

-Phil

[PhilA]

Went out for dinner with SWMBO, 5th wedding anniversary.

She got a nice hand-blown margharita glass, I went to autozone and bought this:



Two exhaust bungies and a universal clamp piece that will adapt the bungy at the back. It should also translate to the back if I get a new muffler too.

Also on a whim got (two?!) master cylinder lids that looked about the right size, to see if I can adapt something to make a homebrew Eezi-Bleed, as they don't sell anything like it here.

--Phil

[jpsmit]

you can also make a pump for bleeding the brakes using a one way valve from a liquid soap hand pump.

[PhilA]

May 11, 2012 2:16:08 GMT jpsmit said:

you can also make a pump for bleeding the brakes using a one way valve from a liquid soap hand pump.

That's not a half-bad idea. Thanks!

--Phil

[PhilA]

On a positive computer-diagnostics note, Molex still make the connectors that go onto the car. This means I can make a universal device, rather than one which has to have the car's wiring hacked up, or worse yet, having to bodge together some sort of connection device.

The Molex part numbers are 03-09-2061 for the 6-pin and 03-09-2151 for the 15. Winning.

Now to find somewhere that stocks Molex plugs.

--Phil

Update, Mouser sells them, at $0.78 each. Nice

[PhilA]

About to head down to the car and put in a bit of time before the weather turns- yesterday was horrible weather, wind, thunder, lightning, sidewards rain. This morning is a light patch on the radar picture, with another really big blotch due here this afternoon.

Hoping to get one side of the rear brakes done this morning.

On the plus side, I found a diagram of how the speedometer retaining clip fits into the gearbox.



Access is.. limited.

--Phil

[cesarbarbosa]

May 11, 2012 1:31:42 GMT PhilA said:

--Phil

Did you bought them from Portugal/Brazil??? It's unusual to see some tags in Portuguese in other countries rathers than Portugal or Brazil...
With every new part the car becomes more and more like new...

[PhilA]

May 12, 2012 19:01:01 GMT cesarbarbosa said:

Did you bought them from Portugal/Brazil??? It's unusual to see some tags in Portuguese in other countries rathers than Portugal or Brazil...
With every new part the car becomes more and more like new...

Nope, Autozone down the road from here. It's not uncommon for stuff here to have English, French, Spanish and Portugese on. Usually just English and Spanish.

Getting there with the car though. Replacing the old bits because they tend to be broken

--Phil

[PhilA]

The weather held out long enough for me to go do some odds and ends. Usefully the auto parts store had brake fluid on sale- $4.95 for 2 pints, down from $8.95. Bought that, some synthetic caliper grease (they don't sell copperslip any more apparently) and a can of brake cleaner.


First order of the day was to stick the bracket and bungies onto the exhaust- it can now move about a bit and doesn't translate any of the boom back into the car that it did before.
Fitted the new fuel filter. The old one was full of crud. Glad I changed it.


Turned my attention to the rear brakes. Pulled the dust cap out. Took a lot more effort than just removing it like in the picture though..


That's because it's all pretty rusty. Yuk.


Undid the nut, the drum didn't want to come off. The manual says to use an impact style puller. I don't have one of those, so opted to fit a large handle to it instead.
What better handle than the wheel? With a bit of a pull and a wiggle the drum is off.


Urgh. Yup, it's all rusty, choked up with brake dust and muck. And the adjuster is seized solid.


Stripped it down and gave it a clean. Much better.


Had to improvise a bit with the brake adjusters- these are for a Ford apparently. The important bit fits (so long as you use the RH side bits in the LH) if a few bits are reused from the existing setup. Stuck it all back together. Much better. Greased up and ready to roll.


Stuck the drum back on and fitted the washer and a new nut. Torqued it all up (118lbft!).


Aw, man. Yellow paint again.


Got the wheel back on. Dropped it down and did exactly the same to the other side. No pictures- if you feel the urge, scroll up a bit and read this post over again.

The adjusters now adjust (clicky clicky until no more and good pedal) but the handbrake cable needs renewing ideally, it's a bit sticky. It started to rain so I gave it a quick spin up and down the road. Brakes feel good despite the old flexis needing renewed.



All tucked up for the night. The reservoir caps I bought are too small. Going to have to try find something to fit. Then, new hoses and bleed the brakes.

Driver's side window needs looking at. Don't know if I can repair this current mechanism.

--Phil

[PhilA]

To-do list, in no particular order:

Repair driver's side window mechanism and fit door card
Steering arms, particularly passenger side, incl balljoints
*Hose clamp, lower heater hose (Need 2)
*Speedo cable clip
Do /something/ with the gearshift to make it less like stirring porridge
*New wiper blades
*Fix interior and refit seatbelts and rear seat
Interior lights (mk2 Clio)
*Fit new flexi pipes and bleed brake system

(*) Need to do this before taking in for inspection

[Deleted]

I kinda like the bits of yellow paint that are cropping up, as much as you seem dismayed by them. More top work, as expected, there's hardly anything left for you to do now apart from the inspection and getting to use it.

[PhilA]

May 13, 2012 13:45:10 GMT @volksangyl said:

I kinda like the bits of yellow paint that are cropping up, as much as you seem dismayed by them. More top work, as expected, there's hardly anything left for you to do now apart from the inspection and getting to use it.

It's a case of "Have yellow, it's also got zinc in it to try and keep rot at bay... but it's.. yellow."

No point buying more if I have some already.

--Phil

[PhilA]

So, here we are again. I swear the car spends as much time up on jacks as it does on the ground.


With the recent driving and application of BRAKES the flexis are showing distinct signs of having totally had it.


Without further ado, I cracked the old unions off (which came undone happily, and inside, the union is still blue anodized, surprisingly) and removed the old, and fitted with a new. Installed it at it's tightest position, full lock right:


...and dialed it round to make sure it didn't catch anything on opposite lock. Good job.


Huzzah?

No.


Inspection upon cracking off the bleed nipple showed that the brake fluid is twinkly with very fine metal shavings.
Not good, at all. Plus the caliper is showing a weep. I guess checking the brakes out enthusiastically at low speed has shown up the faults now, which is better than whilst driving.

I also saw that the new boot I fitted last year to the CV on this side has split and burped grease everywhere. Awesome. Going to have to get a replacement. Hopefully not all of them are old and fusty. New old stock doesn't always mean it's good, unfortunately when it comes to rubber bits. Looked ok when I put it on, all nice and flexible. Pity.

Pumped a bit of fluid through, gave up in disgust. Gonna just shotgun the brakes with recon parts.

Deadline for "on-the-road" pushed back, but I'm not doing half a job on the brakes and rushing to drive it.



Stuck it down on the floor again and walked away. Meh.

--Phil

[PhilA]

Paycheck Friday. Got a 5% money-off code at Rock Auto. I got the caliper seals for the front, so I'mma strip and inspect the front calipers because rebuilt ones cost $money and I'm not willing to spend that much if I don't have to.

On advice of the GTA owner's club founder the rear pistons are a "Yeah, if you have it apart, just change them" item, and the rebuilt master cylinder is $21. The current one is crunchy on the outside and unknown on the inside.

Could probably just redo it with some new seals, but knowing my luck it'll be scored and unserviceable. I'll at least be able to keep the old one as a spare.

I need to remember to get some releasing fluid to spray on the master cylinder unions.

Have sent a nice request for the old man to send me a Gunson Eezi-Bleed because I can't get one here. Gunson don't sell their branded items down here any more by the looks of it and Eezi-Bleed sets crop up at silly money. I have one somewhere that I bought at Halfords years ago, but I have no idea if it's any more good.

Oh well. Thunderstorms and rain this week. I have the weekend free. Might try get the speedo cable clip in place and the hose clamps.

--Phil