Tch, tch, tch Serena,

playing with suspensions already?

That's how it starts, y'know: non-standard springs here, uprated dampers there, a look-see in a tuner's workshop...

But you're in control. Nothing's really changed. You can stop anytime you want. No, really!

Come back from the dark side before it's too late!!! (Or I'll mercilessly encourage the others to tempt you with various fruits of the 'dark arts' of suspension tuning)

P.S. Changed 2 whole suspensions in a day, around weather??! Great work (It only took me 3 months of various afternoons and evenings to do a Mazda 3 by myself... mind you I didn't manage to drop the hub & driveshaft).

Patrick

ahahahaha Patrick very funny ahahahah

But Serena keep it stock, only thing that she did as tuning was stickers


Serena Great work.... I wont have courage to do that, at least for now....

The Stearing Wheel? Is that difficult??

Hope you can do that to

CSR

Anyone would think I had a reputation ...

Butch already has various mods, so I'm taking the opposite course than with Sundance, and will mod if the mood suits me. Although in this case I was un-modding as the BC coilovers were coming off and being replaced by standard shocks.



Actually it was technically very easy, as the shocks/springs and coilovers all came off as whole units, so we didn't have to mess about with spring compressors etc. It was just very heavy and dirty work undoing all the bolts, removing/replacing the units without damaging anything, and then lining up the hubs with the shocks again. We were both covered in oil and crap at the end. You wouldn't want to do this swap on your own, though, some of the job needs two people, especially as some parts are heavy or need to be supported while the other person tightens bolts etc.

With the two-car swap you also need several sets of axle stands (one for each car, and a third to support loose hubs etc.), and pretty much every spanner/ratchet/hammer/pry bar/breaker bar that you can get hold of. And lots of PlusGas/WD40.

I have no idea about steering wheels, sorry! Are you trying to swap it?

S

Yes I'd noted Butch already had the coilovers... pity you couldn't just adjust them to normal ride height/damping in the meantime. You'll need to change 'em again in the future no doubt. At least you've been through the procedure now.

Know what you mean. And when I see your rusted-on nuts & bolts from your salted roads, I swoon. I had nothing like that.

If anyone wants to put the frighteners through themselves, changeover a spring to a new strut for the first time. On the ground. In the backyard. After dark. In the cold with a dew beginning to form. Using new compressors (have read online about how other people had chewed up their compressor threads during the compression). By yourself. Sheesh! One of the few times I've been most genuinely frightened for my health & safety. And then you do the other strut...


Did the Mazda 3 on my own- my first time ever playing with suspension too. Just needed to follow the Haynes manual instructions and think about things. Only thing I couldn't do was to replace the main bush on the lower control arm (needed a burning out and/or a 10-ton press). And run to the internet, Bunnings (hardware) and Repco (auto store) quite a few times. I used 4 stands, 3 trolley jacks & one bottle jack- sometimes all together. And if you saw my collection of pry bars now you'd swear I was a professional thief.

I used a good penetrating lube (Permatex) which I think worked better than WD-40 has in the past for me, but it can leave a bit of a mess (as it spreads across the surface of everything it touches).

For supporting loose hubs, if I can make a suggestion from my experience: Using a jack to support the weight of a hub makes lifting/lowering it easy but it probably won't balance straight on the jack. So firstly go down to your local gardening store and obtain several hanging basket hooks (similar to meat hooks, just longer) of various lengths and shapes. Make sure they are the plastic-coated-metal (e.g. hot-dip plastic) variety. These can be used to suspend the hub at the top through e.g. the strut mounting holes and on the hub either through bolt holes or temporarily reinsert a bolt to the hub and hook onto that. They're stronger than old coathangers, the coating protects the car's paint/finish (but you could also heatshrink or tape them for extra protection), you can chain them if one's not long enough or to bend around things and the different lengths and shapes allow adjustment. Once suspended you can also remove the jack.

Patrick

Serena I wrote Steering Wheel but what I wanted to say was "power steering"..

sorry XD

CSR

Oh, I see!

Refitting the power steering system was a ****** nightmare because there is very little room to work on a V6 - ideally I'd have taken the engine out - but I'm pleased to say I completed the job without removing the engine, and everything is back on the car. However, there is a leak, and until I've resolved that, I can't get a MOT. I know where the leak is, I just need to stop it.

I'll write up the entire story when it's complete, and I have the MOT. The story includes a near disaster in Birmingham last Sunday, when the refitted power steering pulley & belt came off (my fault, I didn't fix a nut tight enough). There was coolant everywhere. I had to jack up the car in a quiet road, and do some emergency mechanics. Thank god, I had the big jack and axle stands and all my tools with me, after the suspension swap the day before. And then, after I'd fixed that, the engine made strange noises, and I thought the belt problem had overheated the car and screwed the head gasket (fortunately not, though, it seems)

Fortunately I was able to get advice, and some coolant, from other club members, so I didn't need to call the rescue company (I was 130 miles from home).

When I left the V6 at my parents' house that night, I was very pleased to drive Sundance again! He has power steering! And a MOT! (but the brakes are rubbish, compared to the V6).

S

Sorry to hear about your issue after all your work getting the power steering in. But well done on the roadside fix! Hope all is OK with the engine after the coolant loss.

Look forward to hearing the whole story.

Patrick

!!!!!! V6 HAS POWER STEERING !!!!!!

Refit report to follow ... it will be a long one ...

No MOT yet, that's the next step - if I can get it passed on emissions and the ridiculous new MOT rules that came into force yesterday ...

S

fingers crossed for you SJ

A friend of mine uses his wifes nail polish to paint every bolt he tightened when he do a job on the car.That way he cannot forget any bolt.I believe you have some nail polish, why not use the colour you do not use for your nails any more?(if it's not solid)
This is technique i will use the next time i do a job on a car including more than 10 bolts.
Cheers!

Cheers Lee, appreciated - I need all the crossed fingers I can get!


That's a really, really good idea

... but I'll have to buy the nail polish, because I never use it

S

Good luck with the MoT.

Also the nail polish is a good idea, but you can also get 'paint pens/markers' in different colours. These differentiate from normal markers because some you shake (with a rattling metal ball) and press the tip in (it's spring loaded) to release the paint each time you need it, this prevents the paint load from drying with time. Often seen the marks in my car but I think some of them are for alignment and/or to make sure hoses go back on the right pipes.

Just watch out, some paint pens/markers may still contain xylene (amongst other hydrocarbons) and in general it's preferable not to be sniffing that.

Patrick

Smells nice though!

Any news on an MOT yet SJ?

Test was booked for yesterday but then everything went wrong, so test didn't happen

The car was fine on the way down there, but I was almost there when the PAS blew and I lost all the fluid. Looks like a PAS pipe was caught against the header downpipe and was damaged (melted, basically). At least, I can feel/see a melted section on the pipe, and the fluid is coming from up there somewhere, so I assume that's what happened.

I bought some stuff this morning to try to mend it - I'm about to look at it now. If I can't seal it, then I'm ***** unless I can find a replacement V6 power steering pipe. Which is unlikely, as it's specific to the V6, so the car might be off the road indefinitely.

My fault entirely, I didn't recognise there was a risk of the pipe being too close/falling onto the header pipe. Hindsight, hey?

S

Baad.I could source one if you cannot find.
My friend dissasembled his v6(Anti has some parts from it) so he could have it in the pile of parts in his basement.
I will ask him.But i need to know wich one?

Edit: i have no idea how will you manage to seal it..
There is a bit of pressure there..

That would be fantastic, if he has one It's this one:





I believe the hole must be very small, perhaps just a crack (the fluid comes out in a tiny trickle, it's not a river). I can't even find a hole in the melted part, but I can't find anywhere else that the fluid would come from. I need to fix this pipe anyway, and then see if the problem is actually in a different place. I hope the problem is somewhere else, and I don't need a new pipe!

I've filled the entire melted area, and the area around it, with silicone gasket sealant, which (hopefully) will set into a liquid-proof seal. Then I'll wrap that part of the pipe tightly with self-fusing silicone tape, over the sealant. Then I'll test it. If it works, I will also wrap the entire pipe in heat-proof tape.

Obviously I will also tie the pipe well away from the header

And I'll also wrap the header pipes in heat wrap to stop them burning anything else

S

I'm waiting a reply from my friend.He has to get in his basement to check.

Hi Serena,

sorry to hear about your P/S (that's the power steering abbreviation in Oz) after all your good work to get it installed.

Hope you can get the replacement OEM pipe. I see it has particular connections on it, but was wondering if, failing the OEM replacement, you could reuse the connectors and have a hydraulic pipe specialist make one up for you? Bit expensive maybe, but then you could e.g. have it all rubber hose and route it where you want.

Similar experience with me: On my old 1990 Nissan I did that with my A/C where the old pipes were in very close proximity to the exhaust manifold (no, really) and only shielded by fibre-reinforced aluminium wrap! One overheated when it touched/got close, releasing a burst (cloud) of A/C gas/refrigerant that obscured the car for a few seconds and stalled the engine when it was sucked in by the intake. After that, the replacement pipes were longer, rerouted away from the exhaust manifold as much as possible (it was a tight fit) and I got some proper flexible heat shield and wrapped that around the replacement pipes- a couple of times, individually and together and secured with metal ties!

Only other thing I could suggest is a pressure check to make sure some such as a relief valve isn't stuck, causing an overpressure in the system that might cause the leak.

Patrick

Not checked this thread for a while - thanks for the advice, Patrick! Great stuff

I've sourced two no. 2 PAS pipes: a left hander courtesy of the brilliant maZZda in Bulgaria which I will do my best to mod (although bending/flaring steel will be an interesting challenge! ), and possibly a UK RHD one in Kent ... although if the Bulgarian one is on there first I'll keep the UK one as a spare. God knows I'll probably need it, and they're like gold dust. For the record it's £211 if you can find a Mazda dealer willing to import one from Japan for you ...

S

Can you guess what it is yet?



S

I can, I can!
Fog light covers!

Butch's current bay status: powder-coated intake manifold and throttle body to match the rocker cover.



Thanks for everyone's advice on trying to clear the engine problems (probably a vaccum leak) that cropped up when I switched over the manifold. After a day or so trying to track down the problem, and endlessly re-seating the manifold and all the pipes, I finally went out to the car one morning and swore at it (basically: "F*** THIS, I need a miracle with this ****** vacuum leak today!") ... and I turned the engine over and the problem had magically disappeared

Now I just need to fit a non-leaking PAS pipe and then get a MOT. I'll post the long, long story about the PAS when I've finally got it sorted and the car back on the road...

Will more miracles happen? Will the car actually be at Stoneleigh? Will it be at JAE? Does this V6 actually exist, or has it all been a dream, and I'll wake up to find Bobby Ewing in my shower? I really can't tell any more

S

* PRIZE KLAXON *



S

I know that everything with Butch will be ok!
Seeing its owner's hard work..

Cheers Todor, that's very kind

S

A couple of hours' work



The back:



These will match Butch's leather interior.

I'm not sure if these will prevent damage from anything bigger than a piece of gravel, but even that could chip the glass, so it's better than nothing!

Sundance's covers are pretty filthy after a couple of years on the car, and the logos need replacing, so I need to make him a new set. But the car is outside all the time, so I'm really pleased the covers have lasted so long.





S

Wow Serena, looking pretty schmick!

You sent the parts away for powder coating, or you have a DIY kit?

Let's hope some *#^$ doesn't decide to try to rip those covers off.

As for protection, Assuming the loops are elastic and/or adjustable, lining the inside of the overs with a high density closed-cell foam should provide protection from most impacts- any that it won't will be causing you other issues...

Closed cell should prevent it absorbing water and also helps it maintain some structural strength. Only worry would be perhaps it harbouring dirt on the surface which could scratch the lenses...but that could happen anyway with your covers.

Otherwise you could try that white packing foam (not styrofoam) that is often layered (with glue) and cut to shape to package heavy objects when they are shipped- I think it's known as EPE foam (Expanded PolyEthylene). If you don't already have it in some packaging or want to buy it as a sheet I'm sure you can scavenge it from any local shop that has deliveries...

Keep up the great work... I'm sure Butch will be on a track soon...

Patrick

Cheers Patrick

The parts were powder-coated by Andy Bowen, who I bought the car off: he sold it mid-project, so the parts were ready to go on, just not fitted. The rear cam cover underneath the manifold is also coated.



That's a possibility, but at least they're cheap to make! They'll only fit BA fogs anyway, so if someone does nick them they're not going to be able to do much with them. Nobody's touched Sundance's, although they have the old Mazda logo on them, so perhaps not as desirable.

Great idea about putting foam underneath! The covers are quite loose, so there is room.

S

Now I know I finally have a PAS pipe on the way, I decided it was about time I started sorting out Butch's cosmetics.

First I gave the car a wash, as it had been sulking in the corner of my parents' drive for 6 months, and was covered in spiders, grass, and bird crap.

The black exterior plastics are badly faded, so some removal and respray was in order:



For those of you who haven't done it, getting the rear high-level brake light assembly removed means first removing the flat panel piece of boot trim at the top of the inside of the tailgate. You'll also need to remove the two side pieces, as they cover two of the access holes.

Once the trim is removed, you'll see 3 holes in the tailgate (see circled on photo). Stick your fingers in and you'll find some hex nuts on the end of a screw fixing. Undo these nuts. They are 10mm, they can be started off with the end of a spanner inserted into the hole, but then they'll undo by hand). Here's a photo from when I removed Sundance's, indicating where the nuts are located:



If you have one of those magnet tools for retrieving lost screws, place it alongside the nuts as you undo them, to guard against them falling inside the top of the tailgate:



The screw ends inside the tailgate that the nuts are fastened to are part of the brake light assembly that you're taking off: use a punch or some other solid item, plus a mallet, to bash the ends of them to push up the assembly and loosen it.



However there are also two springs clips at either end of the assembly that clip into holes in the rear of the roof (circled) ...



... put a screwdriver under each end of the brake light assembly and pop these clips out.

Once the assembly is loose, you'll find its still attached to the tailgate/body by a rubber pipe (the rear wash wipe) and by the electrical wire that supplies the tailgate light.

To free the black plastic part of the assembly for respray, you need to pull off the rubber wash wipe pipe from the connector on the car - dead easy, just pull it off at the car end! - and then separate the red LED tailgate light assembly from the black plastic (as the LED light has to stay attached to the car, via its electrical cable).

Carefully flip the assembly over so you can access everything. Note the long, gold-coloured fixings on the assembly which fit into the holes in the tailgate. These are what those 3 nuts screw onto inside. These, and the two spring clips on the end of the brake light assembly are what holds the assembly onto the tailgate:



Pull off the wash wipe pipe:



Then you need to undo 3 screws and 3 metal clips holding the LED assembly to the plastic case, to allow you to slide the LED assembly out of the black plastic case.

The screws go through the red plastic and into a plastic fitting that swivels, you might need to grab that with a pair of pliers to steady it while you undo the screw (if you don't, the plastic around the screw might break).



The red plastic is brittle and can break easily: use a pick or something similar to carefully pull up one edge of the metal clip. It will then slide off.



You can then pull the LED assembly free from the black plastic case.



The LED assembly will then hang down over the tailgate window on its electrical cable while you respray the case. Caution: the case has two fragile rubber sealing strips glued to either side, be careful not to loosen these or pull them off during the removal or refitting process.



When the respray is complete, reverse the process: re-affix the LED assembly to the case with the screws and clips, reattach the rubber rear wash wipe pipe, then fit the long gold screws on the complete brake light assembly back into the holes in the tailgate. With the side of your fist, thump the two spring clips at the end of the assembly back into place.

Then refit the three nuts inside the tailgate (don't forget to use the magnet tool if needs be, to stop them falling down into the tailgate), and replace the tailgate trim.



Looks 100% better!

The next planned cosmetic job is removing the door cards so I can remove and respray the door handles. However, apparently it's going to rain tomorrow so I'll have to sit inside the car and clean the leather instead ). It's sod's law that throughout the heatwave I had too much work going on, to be able to take time off to work on the car (I'm self-employed), and today - the first day I've been able to take off in weeks - the weather breaks and it pours with rain

S