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Smokey
01-03-12, 02:58 PM
Well today has not been the best for me.

I bought a G clamp in order to push the piston back on the front calipers so I could replace both front disks which were paper thin and warped.

First one I managed to do, but in testing is jammed on. I cant undo the caliper as the bolts are so rusty they just round off (I had to remove the whole carrier to replace the disk)

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff96/smokeysworld/b61916db.jpg

The second one, the caliper bolts are again rusted to the point they wont turn without rounding off and to top it off, the bottom carrier bolt is ompossible to move even with wd40 and is starting to round with my efforts.

The efforts were so forceful, I managed to crease a small crease in the front wing with my shoulder but wasn't bothered about this until I went out in the car and on my return, the door wouldn't open. This is because the metal has bent further on heating up and it fouling the door:

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff96/smokeysworld/1539509c.jpg

I cant even get the arch liner off to remove the panel as more rusty screws!

So I currently cant move the car because the pads on one side are burning up (so cant go to Falkirk to get the gear stick fixed by Goldie)

I cant get in the drivers side door because of the wing

And the other brake disk is still wafer thin.

I don't have the finances to take it to a garage as I spent this months budget buying the car. I dont have anyone local who can help me out and I have too many cuts on my hands to do much more.

It is looking like I will have to cancel the track day and pay people back which will put me even more out of pocket!

This was meant to be a fun pass time that I could enjoy and share with others. It has turned into an expensive session of injuries and anger.

F*cking B*ll*cks!

Nobrainer
01-03-12, 03:05 PM
I know how that feels. When I changed the whole brakes on my BRM (calipers, braided hoses discs and pads I had to cut one of the brake lines to get the hose off and the disks I'd got cheap ages before were new but warped! Car was off the road for ages getting bits and the time to sort it. Now I take the ZS to the garage and just swallow the bill (which was (£250!!! to get the wipers working again)

Captain Peanut
01-03-12, 03:12 PM
You have my sympathies as I have not yet started something on the Zed that hasn't turned into a massive swearing session.

With the wing, is there any way you could pop the side repeater out and use something in the hole to pull the dent out? I think its a bit big for the freeze and heat method.

petet16
01-03-12, 03:17 PM
I sympathise, some days every job you set out to do turns into a can of worms, just have to pick yourself up, dust yourself down, and swear.

stamford
01-03-12, 03:19 PM
Christ Blair you have had a bad run mate. Wish I was nearer as I would be only too glad to help you. Out of interest are you using 6-sided impact sockets to undo those bolts and with a breaker bar? Don't use anything else as it will cause the heads to round off. I'm sure there must be someone local who would love to help out.

petet16
01-03-12, 03:22 PM
But to address the problems,on the seized caliper have you tried loosening the bleed nipple to try and free it off.

For the bolts that are starting to round, hex impact sockets have worked for me in the past, especially when used with a impact gun, Irwin sockets also work very well on rounded nuts and bolts.

Not sure on the crease, with luck it may very well spring back out if you can get to the back of it.

Smokey
01-03-12, 03:33 PM
Sadly I have rudimentry tools and cant afford to be buying more equiptment right now :(

stamford
01-03-12, 03:36 PM
What size ratchet are you using? I might have some spare impact sockets I can send up if that helps? What size is it you need, can't remember off the top of my head, 13, 15 and 17mm?

Smokey
01-03-12, 04:40 PM
The big ones are 17mm. Small ones are 12/13 can't remember which.

As for local help, there is defo no one nearly that aware of to help.

My major problem is, I can't take the car to Goldie on Saturday which was the last thing to get the car track ready

stamford
01-03-12, 05:02 PM
I'll see what I have, pm me your address.

Also you need to read your pms! Fun and games up north mate ;)

Smokey
01-03-12, 05:17 PM
I've to phone my local garage in the morning to see if they have space for replacing the caliper bolts. At least then I can to the brakes.

Why would the one I replaced be jammed on?

It has almost new pads and disk on it. But as in the picture, the pads are jammed right up.

Also, when I pushed the piston back, about a teaspoon on brake fluid leaked out of the rear of the carrier (not nipple) as the bolt was loose (can you believe it had a loose f*cking bolt that didn't need to come off!!) Will this mean I'll need to bleed the brakes as I have never done that before!?

sneekyparrot
01-03-12, 05:28 PM
You Defo gotta give those
Puppies a soak in wd40, not just a squirt and hope if frees an hr later. If bolts look badly rusted I start soaking them 48hrs before I attempt to remove.
U need to rig up a breaker bar, I have used a steel pipe slipped over the end of the socket wrench (removed cushion grip first).
Prob with small wrenches is u begin to twist the sOcket up and Off the bolt head the harder you try which is why u round off the top of the bolt head.
If all else fails I smack a smaller socket onto the head but u risk breaking the head off as I found out the weekend!

Just to add to your woes when they come off u gonna need new bolts!

U got a blow torch ? If so get some head on the hub.

Sorry m8 wish u were closer to help :-(

Paul

grimmy
01-03-12, 05:32 PM
I could come up Saturday and lend a hand mate. its typical really this is the first week since I started working that I have had to work a full Friday or I would have come up tomorrow afternoon.I know its not much use as you are meant to be at goldies Saturday but the offer is there.

daytona365
01-03-12, 05:33 PM
Feel for you.....
Took advantage of the lovely weather, and day off to go for a drive, in the country. Stopped at a pub and noticed a clickimg noise and smell from back of car. Further investigation, my disc was clicking and the heat coming form the pads!!!!!!!!!!! Thought "no" imfamous O/S/R caliper probs............. So drove home to my garage, adn left it half an hour to cool down..........Spent soem time looking through the "caliper messages" here on the forum. SO much good advice!!!!!!!!!!! Went ovre the garage, wheels off, and spent an hour dismantling, greasing, messing, more greasing, more messing. Both hubs now span round with just one finger pressure....
Wheels back on, good as new. SO glad Im in this site, :thumbsup::hooray::thumbsup:

Ritchy
01-03-12, 05:37 PM
if you bring it here blair i'l try my best to sort it all for saturday afternoon(working in morning but will be home for half 12), wont charge you anything, i have caliper bolts and possibly slides too if needed

peterzs
01-03-12, 05:56 PM
Hard luck Smokey, all the best intentions and it goes tits up!!!!

Just make sure its safe to move, better to miss the track day, rather then risk the brakes.

Hope you can get it sorted and its not too costly.

Smokey
01-03-12, 05:57 PM
Cheers for the offer Ritchy, and I would snap it up but the problem is that one brake is jammed on, I smelt the burning after 3 muns driving so wouldn't make the journey sadly.

I have been back out and straightened the wing so the door opens now but am concerned that when the car heats up again it'll pop back (this is what happened originally as the door opened fine when I got in, but when I got back out, it jammed)

Dan1971
01-03-12, 06:40 PM
Nothing I can do to help mate .... but here .... have a manhug ... :console:

And ... you've not been diagnosed with a terminal illness and we all think you're great.

Alan.F
01-03-12, 06:48 PM
The smaller bolts are 12mm m8

andys1981
01-03-12, 06:57 PM
thats why i dont touch nothing mechanical on my car,as something always breaks or goes wrong,hopefully the garage can help tomorrow mate,in order for you to drive it down to falkirk and get the gearstick sorted,fingers crossed for you bud!

Enright
01-03-12, 07:09 PM
Tomorrow's another day. Some days you have bad ones and everything goes wrong.
In that case there's a lot to be said for writing the day off, giving up and going inside, putting your feet up and opening a can. Better that than struggling on, losing your temper and damaging something (or yourself) big time. Don't ask how I know... ;)
You may find tomorrow that with a fresh pair of eyes/hands, you've loosened what you need to and it virtually falls apart.

Mr ZS180
01-03-12, 07:24 PM
Don't bother with WD-40 for undoing rusted bolts. Might as well use coke!!

See if you can get some Holts Rustola or GT85. These are specifically designed for releasing seized bolts (unlike WD which is designed to be multipurpose).

Otherwise you could try a blowtorch, just dont go too near the pipes. I had to use one on my 220 turbo years ago and I thought I had no hope of getting the bolts out as they had rounded but I got them glowing red hot, smashed a smaller socket on top, and undid!!!

Hope you have some luck with it mate

big_wasa
01-03-12, 08:15 PM
Any one playing with old cars gets days like this.

Only thing to do is walk away and try again another day.

Its differant in a garage where avery tool is available.

sneekyparrot
01-03-12, 08:23 PM
Don't bother with WD-40 for undoing rusted bolts. Might as well use coke!!

See if you can get some Holts Rustola or GT85. These are specifically designed for releasing seized bolts (unlike WD which is designed to be multipurpose).

Otherwise you could try a blowtorch, just dont go too near the pipes. I had to use one on my 220 turbo years ago and I thought I had no hope of getting the bolts out as they had rounded but I got them glowing red hot, smashed a smaller socket on top, and undid!!!

Hope you have some luck with it mate

Never tried Holts or Gt just soaked bolts for days before I start but going to get a can to try :-)

U cant beat the old smaller socket approach sorted out many a rounded bolt using that option mind u cheapo sockets tend to give up before the bolt lol!

Best things I ever purchased was my impact driver and impact wrench although it has proved a little aggressive at times :-))

Paul

welshone
01-03-12, 08:38 PM
I'm going to give Irwin sockets another mention as they've worked a treat for me a number of times where others have failed ;)

<<<LINK>>> (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IRWIN-5PC-BOLT-GRIP-NUT-REMOVER-EXPANSION-SOCKET-SET-/180758261530?pt=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item2a16082f1a#ht_3112wt_1037)

zsserbia
01-03-12, 08:57 PM
I feel for you man, I've had a run of bad luck myself recently...

For rusty bolts and rounded heads I use locking pliers http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_53 0567_langId_-1_categoryId_165572 (first one on the left)

They provide quite a grip, no matter how hopelessly round the bolt is. You may as well use a metal pipe on them to improve leverage.

ZS
01-03-12, 09:10 PM
Not sure if its been mentioned, but so.done but a dent in my wing very similar to that... I removed the side repeater and gave a slight tug on the wing then it popped back into shape and door opened again!

Smokey
01-03-12, 09:42 PM
Well the wing seems fine for now.

Due to lack of tools I hope the garage has time for the car tomorrow to sort the bolts out, more money wasted. This better be a f*cking awesome track day!

Nor
01-03-12, 09:44 PM
These are the things sent to that test your resolve. Get through this and you can get through anything.

Smokey
02-03-12, 09:17 AM
Local garage cant look at it today, only tomorrow which wont give me enough time to get the brakes sorted and thus, the gear stick fixed. P*ssed off is an understatement.

peterzs
02-03-12, 09:55 AM
Just wondering if you could get the bits for the linkage from Goldie and see what the garage would charge to put them on.

Dont know how long it would take, but up on a ramp would be a fairly easy job.

Hang on in there Smokey, get this lot sorted and you can get out on track and get your own back!!!!