'Tandy' - First project car, first Z3!

[Ianmc]

@purple_banana
To be honest, just used what I had in the garage. Think it is Autosol metal polish and 320 grit fine sandpaper.
Have fixed the oil cap!!
Good luck,
Ian

 

[John_B]

@purple_banana
To be honest, just used what I had in the garage. Think it is Autosol metal polish and 320 grit fine sandpaper.
Have fixed the oil cap!!
Good luck,
Ian

Thank you!

You asked about the emissions - I haven't done anything with that yet. I am going to attempt the MOT after an 'italian tune up' first before I start throwing parts at it. Someone in an earlier post has recommended a type approved cat, which I'll try if it fails again. But I can't look past the fact the last MOT was done just around the corner from the previous owners address - realistically what are the chances that the cat was nice and hot before it was tested? If it fails again then so be it. (And considering the previous tester didn't pick up on blown tail and number plate bulbs, I am fully prepared for some other surprises to crop up too!)

 

[Ianmc]

Hope your emissions approach works for you better than it did for me - good luck!! Do let us know how it goes in due course.

 

[John_B]

The new brake line is on!

Forgive my lack of terminology, but on the offside rear corner I have replaced the 2x flexi pipes and the rigid line between them. I need to re-do the flare that connects to the outer flexi pipe (the one that connects to the calliper), when I stepped on the brake the fluid started coming out if it. Doh! But I have ordered the other type of flare tool which are supposedly better than the type I got (linked in an earlier post) and should be able to do without taking it back off the car again.

That 10mm nut I was stuck on before was an absolute b****. I ended up unbolting the bracket itself and removing it along with the inner flexi pipe, and then angle-grinding the b****** off.

To undo the calliper end of the outer flexi I removed the spare wheel for the first time - a handy exercise to learn how to do it if I ever needed in an emergency! I took the opportunity to wash away years of crud. Replacing the wheel and cleaning it all up properly is added to my post MOT job list.

Speaking of the MOT, I have booked a test for a week on Monday, giving me a few more evenings and another full weekend to do as much fettling as I can. I'm in two minds about whether I should try and do the nearside rear brake line (which was an Advisory) before the test, or whether once the offside is done and it's drivable again I should leave that alone now, after all the trouble this one has caused me. (Edit to add: I WILL be changing the nearside ones, probably also fronts and the ones that run front to back, I just mean only doing this one before the test, the others might wait for a winter job )

Doing more reading about the emissions and feeling even less confident that the italian tune up method is going to work. Supposedly high CO and a rich smelling exhaust are indicative of a leaking vacuum line?? So I am going to have a poke around in the engine bay tomorrow and look for any culprits. I am running out of time to do anything about what I might find though - could a leaky vac line be bodged with duct tape for the purposes of getting it through an MOT?

Another option would be to drop it off at the garage later next week and ask them to replace the vac lines before the test, although that would be a shame as the whole point of this project is to do as much of the work myself as possible.

oh, I also fitted a bluetooth module to the stereo, however I need to revisit that as there is no audio played, even though my phone shows as connect. And I also made good use of the gaZ3bo today!

 

[t-tony]

I suspect that you didn't create the correct flare on the pipe. I made a "How to" guide on making brake pipes. See if you can find it and have a look.

Tony.

 

[John_B]

I suspect that you didn't create the correct flare on the pipe. I made a "How to" guide on making brake pipes. See if you can find it and have a look.

Tony.

Thanks Tony. I'm pretty sure it's the right flare, I just didn't do a very good job of it

 

[t-tony]

Practice makes perfect.

Tony.

 

[John_B]

Managed to sort the stereo out today, just forgetting and reconnecting the Bluetooth seemed to sort it, so I can now listen to some tunes on they way for it's test next Monday!

I also replaced a number plate bulb I noticed had blown. Another basic failure reason quashed! Checked all other bulbs, the horn, wipers and washers. Just try and make sure if it does fail, it's for a proper reason and not something simple I could have picked up on.

I did a cursory check of the vacuum lines, having read this could account for the high CO and rich smelling exhaust - sure enough, where the pipe connects to the cylinder head was all taped up, and the tape was oily, lifting and no longer effectively sealing the broken pipe. I have removed the old tape and replaced with some Gorilla duct tape. I will certainly replace the pipe properly, but that will be added to the post-MOT task list - a lot of which I will tackle over the winter. Hopefully this tape will buy me a little time, and if it temporarily cures the high emissions failure happy days! (Still very much prepared for another failure though ).

New flaring tool has just been delivered, so I'll have another go at flaring that brake line one evening next week

 

[John_B]

I finished that offside brake line on Monday with the new flaring tool, bled and tested the brakes and all hunky dory! Decided I should use the week before the test to do the rear nearside too - with the exception of the emissions, that would have ticked off every major and advisory from the last MOT - but the first flare nut I came too rounded off so I though I will quit while I'm ahead and the car is drivable, I decided to leave it there and put it through the test as-is, and just hope that the tester tomorrow agrees it's only an advisory at worst. I will be able to grind it off, but it will mean chasing the line back towards the front of the car and I don't want to get stuck around the rear subframe (or anywhere else) and not be able to make the test on Monday.

I ook a few days off from the project last week and enjoyed a few evenings not covered in blood, sweat, tears and brake fluid. I gave it a wash yesterday and Gummi Pfleged the seals. All that's left to do now is rag it to the test centre in the morning!

My confidence that it will pass is waning, but it's que sera sera by this point. I shall have my answer in less than 24H.

The next job I want to do is strip down, service and paint the brake calipers. The pistons looked a bit rough and were tough to push back when I fitted the new pads. I've got the seal kits and replacement pistons already, just waiting on the (orange) paint to be delivered. This evening I used some scrap wood in the garage to build an A-frame that I'll use to hang the calipers from when I come to paint them. It won't win any woodworking awards, but it should do the trick!

Cross your fingers and positive thoughts for me tomorrow please!!

 

[John_B]

Perhaps in the least surprising news of the day, Tandy failed his MOT.

New majors include basically the whole brake line system, which I planned on changing over the winter anyway, now brought forward, and both offside springs broken. Also the 'high CO' failure from last time has been superseded with lambda reading outside limit (1.053, max limit 1.030) - so not miles out to my layman's opinion?

But aside from all that (lol), the mechanic said he was pleasantly surprised at the condition of the chassis!

So the next steps;

• Replacing all brake pipes and lines, except for the ones I already did
• Replacing the lambda sensor (any tips/recommendations?)
• Replacing springs all round (any tips/recommendations?)
• And since I am already prepped to service & paint the calipers, I'm still going to do those too

Silver lining - it was nice to take it out for a proper spin though!

 

[John_B]

It's been a little while since the last update, in the time since the failed MOT I have sorted all the issues at the back of the car, so that's now all rear brake lines & pipes replaced (including the section of the front-to-rear lines aft of the fuel filter) and the calipers serviced and painted. Also new coil springs fitted.

Despite my best endeavors to replace the lines with perfectly formed replacements, by the time I had wrangled them into place around the rear sub-frame, my carefully measured bends were trashed, so although they are new lines, free of corrosion, they're not anywhere near as neat as the original ones I expect the trick is to drop or even remove the rear sub-frame completely for easier access, probably also doing it on a lift rather than axle stands would help!! Perhaps one day when I am feeling brave I'll have a go at dropping the sub-frame and will re-do them, along with the fuel tank straps and any other jobs worth doing while its out.

Between flaring, bending and painting brake lines, I also had a go at servicing the brake calipers (another first for me). I used a cheapo pressure washer sand blaster attachment that has been sat in its box for two years since I bought it, and I was pleasantly surprised with how well it worked. Followed by going at it with sandpaper, cleaning, wiring them up on my painting frame and then giving them about 4 or 5 coats of paint over the course of an afternoon. Lessons learnt ahead of doing the fronts - leave the old brake hose, bleed nipple and piston/dust boot in place instead of trying to mask off/avoid sensitive areas. I'm also going to use a wire-brush tool on a dremmel instead/as well as the hand sanding. In hindsight they were probably not as cleaned up as they could have been before I started painting.

After everything was put back together I bled the rear brakes and was pleased to find they all still work!

Before refitting the rear wheels I fitted the new springs (30mm lowering springs) and upper & lower pads. I plan on replacing the shocks & mounts, bushes, anti-roll bars, links eventually. But right now it's just about getting it back on the road!

Wheels on, back on the ground and spun around ready to tackle the front!

 

[Matt Barnes]

Thanks for the offer Phil!



I was going to get this kit from Amazon and have a go. I have never done anything like that before though, so definitely a step into the unknown! How hard can it be.... right?

Suspension arms are coming from The Spares Hut, and service parts from AutoDoc. I've already priced up discs & pads from MTEC, although they can wait until my next payday, I've already blown my budget for this month . And then I'll try and find a decent deal from ATS or BlackCircles for tyres when I'm about ready for the MOT.

My mantra for the project is to take my time, but now that the car is on my drive and costing me tax & insurance, the mantra has temporarily gone out the window and I do just want to get it on the road asap. Then road testing, diagnosing and deciding what to do next will be much easier. Not to mention just being able to use it when the weather is nice!!

Hi..just getting into this thread...why not SORN the car until it's back on the road?..that's what I've done with mine....no time pressure then..

 

[John_B]

Hi..just getting into this thread...why not SORN the car until it's back on the road?..that's what I've done with mine....no time pressure then..

Hi Matt, in hindsight you're probably right although tbh it's been good motivation to keep going when I have come across a seized bolt or rounded flare nut!

 

[Matt Barnes]

Hi Matt, in hindsight you're probably right although tbh it's been good motivation to keep going when I have come across a seized bolt or rounded flare nut!

fair point ...mind you I knew mine would be off the road for a bit..plus I need a patch welding into the offside sill..

 

[colb]

If you havn't already got some bolster your toolbox with some extractor sockets from ebay, small sockets set up to 19mm and a set of larger ones sold as wheel bolt extractors in a set. The sockets are fluted so they grip tighter and tighter as you put anticlockwise pressure on the seized nuts. Search ebay for Extractor Sockets.

 

[Matt Barnes]

If you havn't already got some bolster your toolbox with some extractor sockets from ebay, small sockets set up to 19mm and a set of larger ones sold as wheel bolt extractors in a set. The sockets are fluted so they grip tighter and tighter as you put anticlockwise pressure on the seized nuts. Search ebay for Extractor Sockets.

 

[John_B]

If you havn't already got some bolster your toolbox with some extractor sockets from ebay, small sockets set up to 19mm and a set of larger ones sold as wheel bolt extractors in a set. The sockets are fluted so they grip tighter and tighter as you put anticlockwise pressure on the seized nuts. Search ebay for Extractor Sockets.

Thanks Colb, you are absolutely right, I do need to add some of those to my arsenal!!

Latest addition has been an impact wrench to get the 18mm bolts holding the struts & hubs together. Absolute revelation, wish I had one months/years ago!

 

[John_B]

Probably about due another update!

Front calipers and hoses are off, cleaned up with another go on the pressure washer/sand blaster, and then a good dremmelling with wire brush attachments. They came up well and are currently 3 coats into painting (still with a bit of hose, pistons and bleed nipples attached - see, I'm learning!) While I was chopping off the excess hose, I noticed some markings on both - "09/98" - so possibly still the factory hoses... yikes!!

Struts came off with a bit of persuasion from my new friend 'gunny' (probably the least original nickname for an impact wrench, but I don't care ), and while I toyed with the idea of getting spring compressors and replacing the spring, top mounts and bump stops myself, I stopped short and let my local garage do the honours. But before I did, the struts was rusty af, so I sanded them down and gave them a fresh coat of black paint around the lower section. Spot the difference...

(Photo prior to new springs, top mounts & bump stops/dust covers being fitted)

Once complete, fitting them was a nightmare!! I managed to get the right side in place, but then really struggled with the left, it was as if the left control arm wouldn't droop as much as the right did, so once the top mount was secured, the hub was about 5mm too high to line up. I used a screwdriver through the upper hub bolt-hole like a pry-bar to compress the strut enough to line up the lower bolts. I thought could this be due to the anti-roll bar and that I'd have had the same problem on the right side even if I'd done the left one first? I unbolted the ARB from the control arm anyway, but it didn't make any noticeable difference. Either way, they're both back on and bolted up. Hopefully when the wheels go on and it's back on the ground it's still level!!

While it was off, I painted the strut brace in the same orange as the calipers. The polished aluminium looked ok, although tarnished, but I want to go for an 'orange highlight' theme.

Before:

After:

I should be able to get the calipers rebuilt, fitted and bled this week. The last thing remaining before we try the MOT again is the lambda sensor. I already had a go at removing it and failed miserably. I might have another go with it up on axle stands, but failing that I'll just ask the garage to fit it on the lift before the test. Annoyingly I bought a lambda sensor socket that AutoDoc suggested when I bought the sensor... and it doesn't fit. Thanks AutoDoc! . I go on holiday on Friday though so even if we're back on the ground and driveable by the end of this week, it's still going to be a little while before we can get tested.

 

[estgray]

Looking good! What paint did you use for the calipers? And how well do you think the orange is going to last?

 

[John_B]

Looking good! What paint did you use for the calipers? And how well do you think the orange is going to last?

Thank you.

This is the paint I have used for the calipers and strut brace:

How well do I think it will last? Well I realised yesterday when I opened the bonnet for the first time since fitting the painted strut brace that the insulation on the underside of the bonnet fouls it in a couple of spots - so probably not as long as I'd hope . The Z3 is very much a project car though, so I'll not be doing mega miles and touching them up or repainting them in a couple of years is no big deal. I'm not discounting the idea that I might want to upgrade the brakes at some point in the future too