The big experiment - amateur 3B shenanigans

[Nuvo]

Noel, I can l bring along my strut insert tool and 7mm hex key. I don't have the VAG3078 but you can get away with a 22mm cranked spanner IIRC.

[S2central.net]

For a wee deposit, refundable on their safe return, I can loan you the strut-top tools if you cant get them locally. Send me a PM if interested.


Paul

[Nj]

thanks lads. I appreciate all that advice. I've got a good socket set with 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 drive ratchets and a selection of hex and tork bits. No doubt i'll need 2mm bigger than I have and end up buying more. I've got a good big breaker bar, loads of pliers/mole grips, random screwdrivers and things. Got a torque wrench given to me recently. totally old school but the guy's dad is an engineer and swears by it. must post a photo. I've got Dubbedup's troque wrench too, although it only tightens and doesn't loosen (at least it's not the other way round). Just bought a small blow torch and a big angle grinder cos I assume i'll need to fight something at some point. I'll try to keep the torch away from anything flammable.
Also got a set of spanners that I think are called access spanners or something like that. banana shaped chaps - think that's the swan necked ones you mean Paul. Hopefully they'll do. Erm.. got a set of ratchet spaners too, which are a godsend.

I'll need to investigate the strut tool. I remember having a problem with that before on my old 80. good thinking. and i'll investigate the rubber boots and stilsons (my first thought was off stetsons but they wouldn't be that handy). Oh - and a pry bar. I'm sure one of the dodgy neighbours will have one.

Right - i'm off to dip into my son's savings. cheers again. I'll keep you updated on my antics.

[S2central.net]

This is a BIG job for an amateur/enthusiast with little experience... I'm not a fan of the Halfrauds tools at all but might be OK for this one-off venture. Really good tools would be useable again and again.

You are going to need a selection of hex/allen-headed and torx-headed tools depending on where you decide to disconnect the driveshafts. A good variety of screwdrivers will be needed as well as a torque wrench when putting it all back together.

I fully expect the exhaust to put up a fight so investment or the borrowing of a hot torch and/or angle grinder might be needed for those really stubborn bolts.

If you are patient, take lots of photos/notes, get as much help a possible - with a bit of luck and plenty of care you should be OK.

Oh when removing the suspension struts you'll need some special tools to undo the top mount from the body.

You'll also need two what I call 'swan neck' spanners (17mm) for removing wishbones from the subframes as sockets dont get in there properly.

Hard to visualise all of this - I'm sure theres some other funky tools you will need along the way.

[Knight Rider S4]

Buy this and you should be sorted for most stuff

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_173083_langId_-1_CarSelectorCatalogId__CarSelectorGroupId__varient__categoryId_33931_crumb_33958-33943_parentcategoryrn_33931

They are on offer at my local halfords down to a Hundred quid which is pretty good and life time Guarantee on all of it

Other things is good pliers..mole grips.....chisel..punches.pry bar for levering .....good pair of stilsons never goes wrong to

If you are taking off pipes rubber boots to put over pipes to stop them leaking fluid everywhere

Cheers

Steve

[Nj]

guys, you got an recommendations for tools i'll need, other than the usual sockets and stuff? I'd prefer to get them in advance that realise each time i'm under the car and have to go get one at a time
all advice/abuse welcome as usual

[Nj]

yeah, it's only fwd. another one of the major reasons for getting the s2

[Acidburn]

Plus i'd have thought it would only be front wheel drive iirc?

[Nj]

who's is the other red car across the road??

That's my 16 valve mate. It's pretty but it doesn't do 0-60 in under 6 seconds.
I bought it last year from a local guy who is a body work bloke. he got it with front end damage, fixed it and resprayed it so it's a seriously shiny car (apart from the wee dent on the bonnet from some mentally challenged individual passing a while ago. due to get sorted out soon)
I toyed with reshelling into that body but i'd be left with no daily driver and if i made a bollcks of it i'd have ruined 2 cars

[Nj]

Acid Burn - yeah it was on ebay in january and I bought it, drove it home, had a couple of quotes for repairing the back end and then it stopped. ended up taking an eternity to get the dizzy sorted (3 wrong dizzys). My son was born in Feb so it made things kinda slow. Back box was killed so the prev owner welded on a dirty great straight through. it's a tad loud. new back box coming with the new shell though. Lifting the whole shell off and putting the new one would be cool but i don't have the space or equipment and luckily The shell i'm getting off sal is actually more than a shell. I need to repair some burnt wiring in the engine bay but he's leaving on suspension, diffs, prop, gearbox, hubs n a few bits so i'm just going to send him mine and it will save me refitting my own. He's a good bloke.


Nuvo - what part of the world you in mate? I'm not 100% on when i'm getting the new shell ( i keep calling it a shell when it's really whole with the engine and few bits missing). Just trying to get the time to get the existing car stripped on my bits of free weekend when I can. When the new car come up from Sal i'll likely take a couple of days off either end of my weekend. Also my lift with the car from Birmingham to Glasgow fell through so i'm trying to sort that out without having to pay 300 quid.
If you're up for giving me a hand when I get it up (oo-er. i mean the car) i'd be immensely grateful.

Chris - haha. good advice re the wings. had a brief look and there is a wee bit of rust. i'll get a better idea when i get them off. If i continue at this rate i'll still be working at it and there'll be time for you to join me for a bacon roll.


Aaron - really appreciate the advice mate. Expect the odd pm from me with stupid questions. I wouldn't have thought to keep the back end down while i get the prop shaft off. well done that man. I prob won't have the car rolling. Sal wants the rear subframe complete if possible so if I get the exhaust and prop shaft off he reckons I should be able to drop it with diff etc attached. Engine will prob come out attached to gearbox and front subframe so by the time i'm finished i'll probably have a very bare shell sat on blocks. and i'll need to drag it out to get rid of it.
No prob that you can't make it up here mate. it's a hell of a hike, as i've come to understand trying to get the shell up here.

Knight Rider (i'm sorry mate, i've totally forgotten your actual name) - I would really welcome the hand and bow to anyone's superior wisdom in all this. I'm trying to get time weekend mornings just now but i'll try to get a long weekend for putting the engine into the new car. I bought an engine crane and have a couple of sets of axle stands and 12 breeze blocks (after seeing Bo's post). I've got 2 good sets of steel ramps but I don't fancy pushing the car up and down them and they'll be useless for the first disassembly stage anyway. maybe good when the new car comes to jack it up and set it on the ramps though. No 2 or 4 post lift i'm afraid. and to make life difficult i've got 2 council lockups 100 yards apart. Not much room in each one but hey.. better that trying this on my drive. at least I have one lockup for storage and one just to keep me dry while i butcher one of mankind's finer vehicles. Give me a shout of you fancy giving me a hand. If you come down i'll stay out for the day though. the missus can handle a day without my wit and intelligence I think. If there's anything there that you need and I don't need to stick on the new car you'd be welcome to pick over it if you're helping. i'll notice if i'm left with no turbo or something though. hehe

MadS2 - I have a grey sunroof panel with the sunroof switch and light switch. neither are dials though. just basic slide switches. And the actual switch for the light is missing. You can have it for free if you need. I bought it off ebay and discovered later the switch was missing. And turns out I shouldn't need it since i'm getting a different car
Chris - it does have a sunroof mate. pics just make it look like there isn't one. I had to think for a minute but it def does.


Right - this post has gone a bit War n Peace. I'll stop for now. I'm heading to the lockup stupidly early to take some more bits off. I aim to have the doors and interior out before I start on the running gear. No doubt the afternoon will see a grumpy me with oil up to my eyebrows and cut knuckles locking up to go do a family visit to my folks, who are over visiting from Norn Oirn.

Cheers for the support, comments and general magpie-like interest in the carcass
Nj

[newsh]

who's is the other red car across the road??

[LHD_Kid]

I doubt it, that car has no sun roof.....

[madS2]

Let me know if you have the sunroof dial type opener switch complete available mate pls!

[Acidburn]

wishes i was closer to give a hand..... if it was when i'm on holiday at the end of the month would be seriously tempted.

[Knight Rider S4]

This looks like fun what days are you working on it and what kit you got..ie engine hoist,.ramps so on?

Would be up for stealing bits off it ooohhhhhh i mean taking bits off it...lol
but seriously more than happy to come up and give you a hand just tell us when you are there

Oh aye get to tesco and get loads of boxes and sticky labels