20V CQ Tidy Up

[Error404]

Nope not fitted the diff yet, the torsen unit is ready to drop into the S2 casing once i've painted it and fitted the new oil seals.
I'm having to swap to using S2 rear driveshafts to mate up to the V8 flanges unfortunately its not as straight forward on the CQ

Yeah we can do your rear tie rods no problem, I got a big vice and a blow torch

[Greg_S]

I think im gonna have to get a big vice to do all mine ready for alignment too. How much did it work out for the ARB and drop links you have fitted?

[lampy]

Being a newbie to the forum,I'll say hello there all. Insperational work there Error, hope I can do the same justice to my recent purchase, a CQ 20v (cheap) which needs some TLC before getting back on the road. The bigest problem I have, methinks, is a cracked windscreen, can anyone tell me if the 90 screen is the same or is it a one off for the CQ. One other is the oil can keeps flashing on the dash, but the gauge shows me good pressure, full clock when cold and drops down to half when warm, any suggestions would be appreciated.

Lampy

[Error404]

Greg - the ARB was £20, the droplinks I got of Stiglet, but since then someone has told me they are NLA apparently.. surely a lot in breakers yards etc though
The rubber bushes and sleeve inserts came to about £20 IIRC. The biggest expense was needing to replace the wishbones since I bent one removing the bushes, but you need the ones with the bushes and sleeves already welded in (or you could weld in your own sleeve )

Lampy the autocheck oil warning is probably a dodgy pressure switch. the pressure sounds ok

[stiglet]

Is there an oil level warning on the Autocheck?

[Rusty]

Rear subframe looks neat and should solve some of the issues with handbrake and drop link length that you have with the reverse strut / FARB setup. Hopw many diameters are there in this style?

[Error404]

Not sure mate, I think there is a 21mm 22mm 24mm and 25mm

[lampy]

Thanks for that Error, will try to get my hand down inbetween all the pipes and rad to disconnect the switches to identify which is which

[Error404]

its one of the small ones, can't remember if its white or brown... they're only a few quid each anyway mate, change them both

[Error404]

Thought i'd update thios weeks progress.... been very slow as ii'm moving house in a week so all has been a bit manic here!
New place has a big garage though, so will be worth it in the end, not getting wet & cold messing around in the filth on the driveway, as is the way at the moment
Can't wait

Painted up the diff casing and cleaned it out ready for the Torsen unit - i'd already swapped the crown wheel over from the S2 diff, so it was ready to drop in.





Then bolted up my nice cleaned and painted mounts, complete with a powerflex at the rear to firm things up nicely, all complemented by some marine grade stainless bolts




Went to collect some other bits too - pair of new handbrake cables & a pair of new track rod ends to replace the worn items upfront:




Just need to get my as$ into gear and get up to the stealers to order some wishbone and subframe bolts, and some driveshaft flange seals and then I can complete project Rear End Refresh

[mcandmar]

Did you have to do shim the rear diff or did it fit right in?

I fitted new handbrake cables to mine last weekend as they were seized solid. Handbrake works as smooth as butter now

[Error404]

yeah mine feels like an elastic band is connecting the lever to the rear calipers lol.

The diff didn't need shimming, it fitted perfectly with no spacers
The V8 casing didn't have any in it and not heard of anyone else needing to do it with the torsen either

[Acidburn]

What type of paint did you use? anything special?

and take it that it was just a wire brush to clean up the diff?

[Error404]

More POR15 on the diff mate.... i used some hardcore paint stripper and the jetwash to clean it up first

[Liam Gallagher]

More POR15 on the diff mate....

I like this POR15 stuff! Nice job on the car mate, looks amazing.