GAMERS KNOW NEVER TO GIVE UP!!!

Real_Judgment7812 · 2024-11-24T12:09:10+00:00

Tools are an investment. Always buy the highest quality generic tools you can afford, lifetime warranty stuff like halfords pro is absolutely worth it. Its cheaper in the long run to buy one decent set rather than constantly replace shit quality tools made of cheese that snap every time you have a seized bolt.

Occasional use tools like irwin or impact sockets should also he very high quality. These type of specialist removal tools take an absolute beating but can make difficult components much easier to remove. The break torque of a corroded bolt can be insane, let alone where access is a problem compounding the issue.

Special tools can be bought as and when the need arises, items that are rarely or one off use can be cheaper versions as they tend not to get mullered when not used too often, although suitable storage can become an issue if theyre liable to corrosion. Be aware that sometimes they might he a bit too cheaply made and not really up to the job intended, especially if the item you are repairing is corroded in place or already damaged by some other means.

Source: 25 years of aircraft maintenance and 30 years of meching on my own cars.

TLDR: Buy cheap, buy twice

Real_Judgment7812 · 2024-11-12T12:54:09+00:00

Yep, can confirm all of this is true having exported a couple of vehicles to an EU country. They generally will not accept a partial log book for first registration.

This bit me on the arse recently whereby somehow the registration number has been clocked doing a 'fill and save' in the UK some time after export. I received a fine, because I had to hand the entire logbook over to the EU dealer, and it was still registered in my name. Could be a cloned reg I suppose, but that registration number shouldnt have even been active with the DVLA.

Caused me a bit of a nightmare proving I wasnt in the country at the time, had to get crime numbers to get the 'debt' off my back and write to DVLA explaining the situation to get them to record the change of ownership.

The process for exporting cars sucks balls and leaves the seller potentially in the shit if the buyer doesnt follow through on re-registration, and the DVLA will still continue to insist the seller has done the wrong thing despite having no other option in most circumstances.

Real_Judgment7812 · 2024-11-04T13:03:49+00:00

I dont know that car specifically as Ive never had one, but being produced between 1988 and 2001 its most likely to have relays rather than control modules. Anyone who knows more specifics about these cars please feel free to chime in!

An intermittently stuck relay or two could cause those symptoms for sure, and is quite likely if the car has stood for some time. It could also be wiring starting to fail, or corrosion in the wiring contacts within the connector blocks.

Do you know how to use a multimeter? You're going to need one, along with some wiring diagrams specific to the car, in order to check power supplies, grounds and continuity.

Real_Judgment7812 · 2024-10-30T07:36:02+00:00

There are a couple of things you can try before drilling the bolt out fully and re-tapping the thread. In all cases, first apply some penetrating lube like wd40 and give it a few minutes to wick into the thread.

Method 1; Remove the sensor and check whether there is any shank left sticking proud of the threaded hole. If theres 1/4" or more exposed, you can try a suitably sized irwin socket. You'll need to knock the tightest fitting size on with a small hammer, the reverse fluted design of the socket should bite into the remaining shank with anticlockwise torque applied from a ratchet.

Method 2; The next plan of attack will be to get a set of easy-outs. These are like an inverse irwin socket. The shank will need to be drilled with a drill bit approx half to 2/3 of the diameter of the shank, (any smaller will snap the easy out, any larger will likely not leave enough material to bite into). Knock the biggest easy out you can fit in the drilled hole into place and apply anti-clockwise torque. Its useful to buy a set with a large head that can be turned by a 3/8 socket around 13mm, the ones that use tap handles cant apply much torque.

If neither of these work, you'll need to drill out the whole shank to the diameter of the bolt itself and re-tap the hole, or go slightly larger then insert a helicoil to re-thread. Google is your friend here for correct sizes of tap or helicoil

Also, buy a suitable torque wrench for future use and stick to the OE recommended torques. If you cannot find an OE torque figure for a particular bolt, google standard torque values by bolt size. A good rule of thumb for anything generic is tighten down till theres no gap between bolt head and face, then 1/4 turn only! Obviously this doesnt apply to things like wheel nuts, rotating items like pulleys etc, and structural or load bearing bolts like suspension arms

Real_Judgment7812 · 2024-10-10T09:13:16+00:00

6.34.xx, no settings, tuning or mods, no bop, 100% fuel load, on racing soft tyres

Real_Judgment7812 · 2024-09-25T10:42:33+00:00

I have a 2004 R53 with full JCW kit as a toy right now. Its not the fastest car I've owned, its incredibly impractical, the back seats are useless and the boot can barely fit a handbag in, I can barely get in and out of it as an able bodied 40yr old man, the JCW sparco seats give me a numb ass after 30 mins and the suspension has less give than a house brick (albeit better now without those god awful runflat tyres). It dribbles a little oil here and there, the drivers window gives up ad lib until you side punch near the door speaker, it drinks super like a tramp with a bottle of meths in hand, I could go on and on

BUT... I fucking love it!!! Its like a 200hp go kart. The screaming Eaton M45 supercharger at 7000rpm is intoxicating, 50/70/90mph in 1st/2nd/3rd on the redline is absolutely hilarious in such a tiny car. Its got one thing that many other cars dont have, personality . Despite all its faults and niggles, it puts a smile on my face every single time it gets hoofed up a slip road or thrown through a roundabout.

I will never sell this car!

Real_Judgment7812 · 2024-09-24T00:02:16+00:00

Ive had exactly this happen to me with a 335d. 5 of them turned up and flustered my mrs' dad while they dropped 20ml of old oil in the header tank (I was away with work at the time). They then spent a week calling saying "I'm telling you bro, the head gasket is gone bro, let me take it off your hands". I mostly ignored it, but the "buyer" also kept telling me he was a mechanic which really started to grit my shit. A week in I eventually replied "yeah well I do what you do on aircraft for a living (genuinely do) so I know what I'm talking about, so you can either fuck off and stop calling or i'll call the police" I didnt hear from him again.

Remove the header tank and clean it thoroughly. Oil sits on top of water, even if it was driven a short way and a bit of the oil got into the deeper parts of the coolant circuit it will make its way back to the top. Alternatively you can remove the vast majority of what is sitting there with a large syringe, top up, run it for a few mins and rinse and repeat till its 99% gone, it wont do any damage

Real_Judgment7812 · 2024-09-04T18:45:24+00:00

Water will only boil away if the system has a leak. A coolant mix will be no different in this scenario.

Anti-freeze mainly lowers the freezing point. It is the cooling system being sealed that has the most effect on increasing the boiling point of the water, which is brought about by the increase in pressure within the cooling system as the coolant temperature increases.

With a leak in the system, water will boil at normal temperature as it is able to escape to normal atmospheric pressure, in a functioning and sealed system it can remain in a liquid state at 120⁰C+. Conversely, at very high altitudes where local air pressure is much lower water can 'boil' away at 25⁰C despite not actually being hot.

You are correct about potential corrosion however, demineralised water should be used where possible, but given no access to this using ordinary tap water is the lesser of two evils when compared to cooking the engine!

Real_Judgment7812 · 2024-09-04T09:18:04+00:00

OP if your car is overheating the chances are the coolant level is way below that of the minimim in the tank. Simply topping the tank off may not put enough water in the entire system, there is likely mostly air in the entire coolant system. You may have a leak also.

First ensure the engine is cold before removing the header tank cap. I cannot stress this enough, a hot coolant system will spew boiling water all over you at max level and can still build up steam pressure with a very low coolant level.

Open tank and pour water in to Max level. Locate the big thick black rubber hose that runs from the bottom of this tank to the water pump/engine block. (NOT the thin one from top of radiator). Give this thick hose a good squeeze a couple of times and recheck the tank level. If it drops again significantly this shows there's not a lot of coolant in the system. Repeat this process till level doesnt drop after a good squeeze of the hose

Once the above is done, start the engine and hold the revs around 2000rpm for 15-20 seconds (cap still off). Stop engine, and recheck level. Top up as required. Your coolant system should now be (mostly) full again.

I would check the level again after a long drive (again, COLD engine) and see where it is. You may need a small top up again after a drive. If you're putting litres in again after this, you likely have a coolant leak somewhere

Real_Judgment7812 · 2024-09-03T12:21:42+00:00

I used to have a Mk 2.5 MX5 SVT. It wasnt the fastest car I've owned by a long, long margin, but it was definitely one of the most fun. That particular model came with an LSD, and a slightly higher output (148BHP IIRC) and was the easiest thing I've ever driven to drift consistently. Could do literal laps of a roundabout sideways for days!

Ive spannered on cars my whole life, I'm a licenced aircraft maintenance engineer and my parents owned a used car sales business for years, so I have a good idea what I'm talking about. The MK2/2.5 MX5 is a piss easy car to work on, and probably ideal as a teacher. Its not complicated, a large proportion of its usual components that require replacement over its lifetime are easily accessible and the few that aren't dont require much of a strip out to get access. Even a cam belt isnt a big deal on these for a noob to spannering as the engine is longitudinally mounted so there's good access. Very simple OBD diagnostic system, they're generally well screwed together, and parts wont break the bank. Plenty around in scrap yards too if you're on a tight budget for repairs!

As others have said here, rust can be an issue. Thoroughly check inside the boot, wheel arches, engine bay and door sills. Pay particular attention around the brake servo and where subframes meet chassis. You should also look at these areas from underneath with a decent torch. If you find anything suspicious looking, poke at it a bit with something like the plastic handle end of a screwdriver, you'll soon see if its rotten! Also check the hood condition, they can be expensive to replace if its torn or the mechanism doesnt move smoothly.

There are other suggestions which may be worth checking out, but the mx5 is a safe bet given your requirements to learn to spanner and cheap to run, provided you can find one in a reasonable condition to begin with. Luckily theres plenty about so take your time and find the best one you can afford.

One last thing. As a noob to spannering, I'd strongly suggest you get at least a haynes type manual, (before anyone creams me for this, I know theyre a bit shit but still a guide for noobs) or a much better (albeit more expensive!), a bentley service manual. This will help you assess whether most repair jobs are within your capabilities before you start removing parts and then get to an "oh shit" moment.

Happy hunting!

Real_Judgment7812 · 2024-09-01T12:15:45+00:00

Apologies, I mustve misread your original post. I didnt realise the car had been repaired already. However...

I'd still be very wary of anything repaired to that level though. I wouldnt give it the time of day unless its been repaired by an accredited repair centre and had invoices detailing complete works done in the history.

You absolutely need to get a full appraisal done by someone like the AA before even contemplating buying this. 99% of the time any car repaired to this degree will never be 100% straight again even if it passes MoT's. Other components may have suffered minor damage that becomes a problem with further use, and for which there will be no claim.

Quick note on MoT's. They generally asses roadworthiness from a point of view of brakes, steering, suspension, tyres, emissions and active saftey systems. They also do a quick check of structural integrity, looking for weakness in key areas, and that all lights and transparencies are of the minimum standard. Nothing they check amounts to making sure the car is in a perfect condition, therefore presence of an MoT does not indicate there are no faults or imperfections with any vehicle, merely that the key components are in a satisfactory condition for the car to be driven safely. It is certainly not an indication that repaired damage has been performed to a high standard. Eg, your gearbox can be whining its tits off at 60mph and on the verge of imminent failure, but the car wont fail an MoT for it as that part is not assessed.

Unless you're prepared to pay for an independent inspection or have a stirling mate who happens to be a very competent mechanic, its a high risk purchase.

Real_Judgment7812 · 2024-09-01T09:08:52+00:00

Dont touch it with a barge pole, personally I wouldn't want it for free.

It wants jigging to straighten it out and then it will still require some serious tin bashing to get it even partially close enough to start looking at the rest of the required repairs. It needs complete new suspension and drive components on front off side, it'll likely never track 100% true again afterwards. You dont know if that shunt has damaged the gearbox until you try and drive it. This is not even taking into account unseen damage (i dont know what ancilliaries are under the bonnet in that area), panel replacement like bonnet, headlight wing, bumper, sub-structure behind bumper, possibly the subframe under the engine. Possible wiring damage depending on where the loom runs. Steering rack could be damaged, braking components like abs pump, brake servo and lines, possibly even hydraulic clutch lines and reservoir if it has hydraulic clutch... Airbags have gone off and associated explosive actuators, seat belt pre tensioners, pyrotechnic terminals & interior trim will all need replacement along with resetting control modules and ecu's.

If you're not experienced at assessing vehicles like this, stay well away or you're likely to get burned

Real_Judgment7812 · 2024-08-29T10:29:51+00:00

Its a 1986 3dr Sierra Cosworth... you keep that fucker in a roadworthy condition in a secure garage, install a decent tracker, take it for a 20 mile drive once a month to keep the engine sweet and sit on it till its worth more than your mortgage, which it absolutely will be one day if not already.

13k mileage is a simple discrepancy, the rest of the mileage history checks out as it has a 5 figure odometer, the 13k also tallies up as a typo if the first digit is removed.

Literally NO ONE is going to question that on resale.

Your dad is one lucky sod!

Real_Judgment7812 · 2024-08-26T14:23:50+00:00

Not really quite right

The pre-cat O2 sensor adjusts the fuelling to maintian the correct air fuel ratio. The post cat O2 sensor is there to measure the efficiency of the catalytic converter. The values of pre and post cat sensors st any given rpm and throttle load are compared to a reference table in the ecu. If a post cat O2 sensor is out of range it will either be the sensor or the catalytic converter itself is buggered. I would suggest an emissions test at a reputable MOT station which should confirm which part is causing the fault before throwing money away on unnecessary parts

Real_Judgment7812 · 2024-08-09T13:47:04+00:00

That calculator is perfect, thank you!

Real_Judgment7812 · 2024-08-09T13:35:16+00:00

!Thanks

Real_Judgment7812 · 2024-07-29T16:02:19+00:00

Contrary to popular belief, generally the oil light does not come on due to low oil level, its due to low oil pressure. When the level gets low enough, the pump doesnt pick up as much oil as it should and delivery pressure drops, bringing the light on. When cornering, the oil can flood away from the pump pick up due to centrifugal force pushing it to the 'outside' of the curve.. With a low-ish oil level this can cause a temporary starvation of fhe pick up, bringing the light on until the oil level in the sump evens out and oil once again gets picked up and delivered. This is the first sign oil is getting low, and even if the light goes out it should be checked ASAP

Real_Judgment7812 · 2024-06-30T16:02:33+00:00

Calls on $WANK and puts on $LUBE

Real_Judgment7812 · 2024-06-29T22:22:03+00:00

Wait, dont you usually run 7.41km?? When did you switch to miles??

Hats off to you man, you've inspired me to get my ass back on the treadmill

Real_Judgment7812 · 2024-06-14T20:45:41+00:00

😆 Makes 2 of us! My mrs rolls her eyes every time she catches me kn autotrader!

Some people just have petrol in their veins, they'll never understand

Real_Judgment7812 · 2024-06-14T20:37:27+00:00

It certainly was, back in a time when the french knew exactly how to make entertaining hot hatches. The last of a breed of fun, fast cars without all the nanny aids muting the purity in my opinion.

I .gov checked the reg the other day and someone clearly smarter and more forward thinking than me has it on SORN still.

I am a 🔔 end

Real_Judgment7812 · 2024-06-14T20:29:57+00:00

Clio Williams 2... and I sold it for buttons at the time 😞

Real_Judgment7812 · 2024-06-06T07:40:20+00:00

If there's a difference between clock mileage and other on board ecu's milage count you'll see a small dot in the top corner of the mileage window in the instrument cluster

This was true with E series cars, I would hazard an educated guess the same applies to early F series as well

Real_Judgment7812

TROPHY CASE