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Kieran
05-02-2010, 09:31 PM
I've been fortunate to enjoy regular contact with Eric, whom most of you know as the nice American chap who comes to meetings usually armed with a crate of Mtn Dew* or some similar American drink. He's also Ariadne's current owner and reguarly calls to update me on what's happening and how things are going.

Contact usually tends to follow a similar format, which is one of pleasantries, followed by the odd question regarding Ariadne (or VR-4s in general) and general enthusiasm on Eric's part, usually in the form of announcing that he's just bought something else for her, or that he's been demonstrating her performance to other, unsuspecting motorists. /Devil5 It's quite nice actually and reaffirms that I sold her to someone who cares as much as he enthusiastic about her, and because of that I overlook his slightly less diligent approach to car cleanliness... /bat

Anyhow.. One day last summer Eric called as usual, and during the call he mentioned that he was on the lookout for some replacement seats. Like many cars, the Leather in Ariadne has some wear on the side bolster where one keeps getting in and out...

"In fact I just missed out on a set that Peter Thomson had for sale..."

"Ah yeah, I saw those. Well, I don't know of any others for sale at the moment Eric, but I'll keep my eyes peeled. They often appear on Ebay for very little cash..."


And that my friends, is where the story of Hermes begins - And where, unbeknown to us, it was just about to end with a clunk and a bang...


* = Not tried Mtn Dew? Think lemonade with a dash of lime, then add about 800 bags of sugar and a good dollop of caffeine. It jacks you up good.

aboo
05-02-2010, 09:38 PM
That will be the seats in my car now & I take it this is to be continued?

I-S
05-02-2010, 09:42 PM
I didn't do it.

Davezj
05-02-2010, 09:58 PM
nice to see some interesting threads coming back to CVR4.

How are you K. i was waiting to see the 20,000 post but i missed it. it was pobably the demize of the aconda hcrd.

Kieran
05-02-2010, 10:01 PM
Not long after that phone call, I was swooping around Ebay as usual. Not that I really had any cash with which to buy items from ebay, but then I am a seasoned practitioner of Man-Maths, which as we all know diminishes the cost of something you want by at least two decimal places and as a by-product of the calculation process, turns a 'want' into a 'Need', via a series of Logical* , well-reasoned** and watertight*** arguments, that not only satisfy the voice of common sense in your head, but also sound incredibly persuasive when you talk to someone else about your latest wan.... Need.

Being a firm believer in Man-Maths has allowed me to survive life so far.

Anyway. It was around this time, that the previous, unfortunate owner heard the clunk & bang that now writes off a lot of early UK-Spec Galants. And so he put the car on ebay.

I spotted it and flung Eric a PM:



Hi Eric,

You could do worse than this car. As it's a UK-Spec it'll have electric leather seats on it. There's not much else that'll fit the Legnum on it I don't think but then, £250 buys the entire car.



And this was the advert - It's long gone from Ebay, but I saved the pictures and the wording so you could get a flavour of what I saw.... I have copied it verbose, typos and all:

-------------
Mitsubishi galant 2500v6 24v, in green, full cream leather interior, full electrics air con, limate control ,cruise control etc

engine runs sweet as a nut, although auto box failed other day so needs replacing, lower suspension arm has play in ball joint so knocks on bumpy ground, other than that in fair condition with the odd few scratches and minor dents etc.

front brake pads were replaced last week, and the air con was re gassed aswell,

car has tax and test, service history with it and v5 present,

sold as spares or repairs due to the gear box fault (box wont select any drive gears so its like its in neutral all the time), so car will need to be trailered away or could towed as taxed

winning bidder to contact me within 24 hours of auction ending regarding collection, collection within 7 days of ending unless notified, cash on collection,

delivery could be arranged at extra cost, depending on distance

happy bidding

please note cd player will be removed before auction ends


forgot to mention, exhaust isnt standard and blows slightly, have original but would need welding back on
--------------------

And these were the accompanying pictures:

uploaded/326/1265403189.jpguploaded/326/1265403226.jpg
uploaded/326/1265403252.jpguploaded/326/1265403397.jpg
uploaded/326/1265403426.jpguploaded/326/1265403516.jpg
uploaded/326/1265403540.jpguploaded/326/1265403565.jpg



* = Some say 'illogical'. Lies.
** = Some say 'irrational'. Also Lies.
*** = Some say 'tenuous at best'. Again, Lies.

ritch_w
05-02-2010, 10:54 PM
why does james bond get to shag all the hot chicks?

bradc
05-02-2010, 11:03 PM
Woot, I hope Kieran is going to go for 200hp :)

aboo
05-02-2010, 11:06 PM
why does james bond get to shag all the hot chicks?
PMSL/haz

richy rich
05-02-2010, 11:18 PM
i can see this being 1 of k's epic threads. gets popcorn out.

ANTHONY
05-02-2010, 11:37 PM
for some strange reason i thought Hermes was the older galant you was/are rebuilding

richy rich
05-02-2010, 11:54 PM
wait for the rest of the story Tony

raph
06-02-2010, 12:13 AM
Subscribed

OT* mountain dew is a big time favourite of mine, always asking people who work in the Mil to bring me a case or two .

** FYI : Pepsico does market mountain dew in some european markets , but instead of selling the cheaper 24 valu-pack , pepsico Germany sells 6 packs of PET bottles at a horrific price-costs more than the USAF 24 pack btw (costs more than redbull) ** bastards!

Kieran
06-02-2010, 12:14 AM
So really, a fairly typical Ebay advert for a car of this provenance - Half decent but needs work, probably much like the car.

Eric asked me if I'd mind going to see the car and suggested that if I liked what I saw, I could go in with him on the purchase of the car. As it was only an hour or so away, I agreed, and went to see the car. I really wasn't expecting much. Usually 8Gs that are below £500 are, to use a technical phrase, buggered. They're usually rotten in all the usual places and have numerous mechanical maladies.

Hermes was a pleasant surprise. He'd started life in Cyprus as a H.M. Forces car, came back to the UK after a year, and was sold to the family I bought the car from in about 2004. Dad had owned the car and had pulled a caravan all over the place, and then when he bought a new caravan (which was beyond the Galant's towing ability), he'd let son have the car. Son had the car all of two months before the gearbox let go.

These were the major faults:


The gearbox (Ever seen ATF so burned it's gone yellow-brown, not just red-brown?!)
Electric aerial was stuck
Front tyres were shot
The Exhaust wasn't good
The rear arches were frilly - Made worse by a very poor fill & paint job.
Pulling a caravan around had taken it's toll on the suspension.


On the good side, arches aside the rest of the bodywork wasn't bad, the engine sounded well; even the lash adjusters were quiet! And the service history was good - Hermes had been to the garage once a year and had done about 10k miles per year. Can't fault that really. The interior, whilst not *my* definition of clean, it wasn't too bad. Being a late prefacelift, it has the bigger 275mm discs and the same twin-piston calipers as the VR-4, but still has the earlier (and not so stringent) emissions gear: Only 2 Lambda sensors rather than 4.
Also, being a import from Cyprus, though right hand drive, it had a couple of extras you don't usually see on UK-supplied cars. Traction Control (very handy on a V6 in the wet!), as I later found, self-leveling rear shocks - And yes, when I later checked in ASA, they were standard and not a retrofit.

But most importantly - When I sat in the car, I got the same feeling as I got with my 1st GLS - Which was also a little dog eared, but essentially sound and as many of you saw, tidied up very nicely:

My GLS (December 2003, where has all that time gone!!):
http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2528

I got that 'Yeah - This is good' feeling - when you know that something is just right. :)

And so - I left a deposit and returned to tell Eric that I'd bought it on the spot, and also to break the news to Isaac that although he was coming down to see Harry Potter with us that weekend and yes, that was still fine, he'd now also have the privilege of helping me get Hermes back home during the day....

miller
06-02-2010, 12:17 AM
excellent read........

do continue

Atik
06-02-2010, 12:39 AM
Good to have you home Kieran. We missed ya :)

KiwiTT
06-02-2010, 01:04 AM
The V6 is an elegant car. A sort of "executive" car, without all the EVO bits of the VR-4. If I did not get the VR-4, I would have got one of these.

The Vee
06-02-2010, 01:45 AM
Love the name "Hermes" and it's in green, and a sort of hydraulic transmission!!

Kieran
06-02-2010, 02:08 AM
This, Ladies and Gentlemen, is Kelham Bridge.

uploaded/326/1265417268.jpg

It's lovely, isn't it? It spans the River Trent and carries the A617 across its back. The original timber Kelham bridge was destroyed by floods in 1855, and the structure you see above was put in it's place. Since 1858 the completed bridge has stood proud; A testament to the integrity of mid 19th century engineering.

This overhead shot shows the problem with Kelham Bridge:

uploaded/326/1265417353.jpg

It's rather narrow. You can see there's a lorry and a small van on the bridge near the sharp bend. It's quite a tight bridge to traverse and if one lane is blocked, that section of the Newark to Southwell & Mansfield Snarls up in minutes.

You'll see the relevance of that bridge later. For now, just bear it in mind...

KHK
06-02-2010, 04:50 AM
what's your 20,000th post? u disappeared for a long time!

glad to see u back

Eric
06-02-2010, 10:29 AM
Glad to push you back into the wonderful world of Galants again :D

And I clean Ariadne all the time, its just my water line going outside has been frozen and had a broken faucet so :p

Glad to see you posting again :)

John TheAntique
06-02-2010, 10:48 AM
"broken faucet so ".

Faucet= US or Canadian name for a tap

Turbo_Steve
06-02-2010, 11:48 AM
LOL @ JohnTheTranslator

Kieran
06-02-2010, 09:53 PM
As mentioned, Hermes was about an hour away in Lincolnshire and couldn't move under his own power. But that weekend, Isaac was heading down anyway. So, having wooed him with promises of food, drink and seeing Harry Potter at the local cinema, Isaac was duly press-ganged into helping. The plan was fairly straightforward. I'd drive the KnAccord (which would be the tractor unit), and because Hermes still had Tax, MOT and Isaac had comprehensive insurance, he'd steer and stop Hermes, who would obviously be the trailer car.

So off we went, a few tools and a new 2 Tonne Spring-Damped towing bar in the boot, and Isaac in the passenger seat. We got there, hooked Hermes up to the KnAccord, signed the V5 and away we went.

Now... Neither Isaac or myself had experience of towing. I'd been towed once before about 8 years ago, but I'd never been in the 'Tractor' car. But never mind. After all, two people with no relevant towing experience, a KnAccord as the tractor unit, and a ~1400kg payload that couldn't move under its own power. What could possibly go wrong?!

I feel obliged at this point to insert this smiley: /pan

We set off, and in fairness, I was surprised how well the KnAccord coped. The clutch held well and the performance didn't suggest that the engine was now hauling twice the usual weight of car around. The spring damper on the towbar gave the occasional click and clunk as it smoothed out my less smooth braking and acceleration moments (of which there were several as we negotiated the outskirts of Lincoln), but otherwise all was well and the A46 was nice and clear. Seeing a nice stretch of clear, straight A46, I decided to see how fast the Honda would get to 50mph, in a demonstration of power and lack of mechanical sympathy that Isaac later termed, "Santa Pull". It went well.

Apart from this little episode, the journey was largely uneventful, until we reached the A1/A46 island just outside of Newark. Here's a picture for you, and as you can see, I have added a few markers. This is to help illustrate a sequence of events, which I shall explain below. They may come in handy if you ever find yourself in the situation where you have to tow a disabled Galant across the A46/A1 junction:

uploaded/326/1265486596.jpg

Allow me now to share my handy hints, that will ensure, should you find yourself in the same situation, that you have a pleasant, comfortable experience of negotiating this island, with none of the "Oh Shi-" moments we experienced:

B - this is where you approach the island if you are returning from Lincoln and wish to take the third exit towards the A617 and Kelham. It is advisable to concentrate if you're at Point B, especially if you're towing a car as heavy as your own. Maintaining concentration shall ensure that you don't start to creep forwards, despite there still being another vehicle in front. This in fact saves you from two of the aforementioned "Oh Shi-" moments; the first being when you jab the brakes to prevent impact, and the second when the momentum of the towed car (if you're using a tow bar) inadvertently shunts the tractor car another inch forward.

A - If you're heading from Kelham towards Lincoln along the A46, you'll be in this lane. As you can see, it's filtered off. This is so people at point B have less cars to worry about when they're trying to enter the island. If you're a dimwit in a blue Peugeot 306 estate, it is advisable to ensure that your destination is actually Lincoln before you select this lane. This will ensure that you don't have to make an emergency lane change manoeuvre at the last moment and cut across the chevroned area towards point B.

If you're at Point B, it is worth keeping an eye out for dimwits in blue Peugeot 306 estates, as they may at the last second cut across the chevroned area. This can cause considerable alarm and distress to you and other occupants of your vehicle, or the occupant(s) of the vehicle you are towing. There is nothing like seeing a Peugeot 306 suddenly change direction to give you and anyone with you an "Oh Shi-" moment. Particularly if one is towing a disabled car, and especially if one is towing a disabled car and is halfway onto said island. Doing an emergency stop from 10mph isn't usually too bad, but when your car has another 1.4tonne car hooked up behind it, the sudden, violent differential in momentum tests the compressive strength of the tow bar, the tensile strength of your underpants and the explosive strength of your 'dimwit in a Peugeuot 306 estate' abuse glands. The only comfort comes from seeing the fear in the Peugeot driver's face as he realises that not only has he carved up traffic behind him, but he now has a KnAccord blocking his path and has to swerve around you. Please note that you may feel some want for him to crash into you, just so you can jump out the car and use him as the tow bar/rope instead. Try not to dwell on these feelings as they soon pass.

C - If you're unfortunate enough to encounter a dimwit in a blue Peugeot 306 estate, by the time you get to point C your towbar may start making rather ominous noises like those you hear in submarine movies when the bulkheads of the sub start to reach their limit. Continue your journey and pay no attention to these noises...

I hope those hints are of use to you. Back to the journey.

Five minutes after the that little episode, we negotiated the A46/A617 island, and were back on track towards Kelham. Soon Kelham bridge loomed on the horizon. As you have seen in my previous post, there is a sharp, almost 90 degree turn onto Kelham bridge, and this is also up a gradient too. Articulated lorries have particular trouble with this bend. So do articulated cars.

Back to the overhead shot, now with a couple of annotations....

uploaded/326/1265489316.jpg

Point A is where the towbar made the most alarming grinding/clanking/graunching/metal-death-kill noises.

Point B Marks the approximate location upon Kelham bridge where was a very loud BANG and a very concerned looking Isaac, and Hermes, started getting more distant...

White Lightning
06-02-2010, 11:10 PM
/popcorn

Turbo_Steve
06-02-2010, 11:26 PM
Lmfao K!

WildCards
06-02-2010, 11:33 PM
I'm lolling

Kieran
06-02-2010, 11:58 PM
I did the only thing I could.

I sped off in the KnAccord and left Isaac to it. No, Really./Wyhy















Well, To the other side of the bridge, anyway.

Just the other side of the bridge there's a grassy kerb - The KnAccord was duly dumped there and I sprinted back to the bridge. I still cannot explain how I managed to push Hermes over the apex of the bridge, particularly with a snapped section of tow bar dangling from the front towing eye and dragging along the road. Adrenalin does funny things to you. :klingon:

Still I did it, and we were fortunate(!!) enough that a passing police car put his lights on to stop traffic from cutting around us as I pushed. And even more fortunate that once we'd cleared the bridge, he carried on, rather than stopping for a chat...:rolleyes3

Here's what had happened to the tow bar (these pictures are a reconstruction, the last thing on our minds during the event was a camera!) :

uploaded/326/1265492605.jpg

Fortunately, having bought tools, we were able to remove the damper at the side of the road and shorten the towbar thus:

uploaded/326/1265493298.jpg

The shortened tow bar was JUST long enough to attach to both cars and leave about 3 inches clearance between the bumpers. Forty minutes after the snap, we were en-route again, this time with a much revised towing strategy. Isaac did the braking, keeping an even tension on the bar, and I accelerated at a glacial pace. Aside from a momentary lapse of concentration by Isaac on a corner, which caused the KnAccord to oversteer for the first time ever I think, the rest of the journey was mercifully dull. And approximately an hour later......



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Hermes was home. :)

I thanked Isaac for a job well done, and suggested that I might contact him again, should I need to tow another stranded Galant back home....


















I don't think he took too kindly to this suggestion...
uploaded/326/1265496123.jpg

ANTHONY
07-02-2010, 12:05 AM
so is the plan to get this up and running ready for japfest:D

WildCards
07-02-2010, 12:07 AM
The last photo looks a bit like the albino chap from The Da Vinci Code

Ryan
07-02-2010, 02:50 AM
A very entertaining read Kieran :)

bradc
07-02-2010, 07:31 AM
Sounds like fun :) I'm amazed that the cop didn't stop and ask some questions!

Adie
07-02-2010, 07:31 AM
Awesome read, very amusing Kieran.

confusis
07-02-2010, 08:17 AM
Sounds like fun :) I'm amazed that the cop didn't stop and ask some questions!

I'm guessing he saw two relatively respectable vehicles, an obviously broken tow mechanism and the location would have led him to believe that it was an unfortunate incident, not resulting from doing anything dangerous/illegal

Johnny_Cashed
07-02-2010, 09:20 AM
I'm guessing he saw two relatively respectable vehicles, an obviously broken tow mechanism and the location would have led him to believe that it was an unfortunate incident, not resulting from doing anything dangerous/illegal

Or he saw two auburn car thieves and was concerned that they were going to steal his soul? Glad to see you back K

ritch_w
07-02-2010, 12:33 PM
nice write K!

the "in betweener" model (between pre facelift and facelift models) I had, the 2001 Y reg met red one was great car, high miles too, but never showed mechanically. Awesome spec (more toys that top spec sport/eleagance facelifts) and understated looks.

enjoy!!!

richy rich
07-02-2010, 12:35 PM
You mean to say you didn't get the idiots guide to towing the first thing you need to know about towing is that the trailing car does the braking./hammer

psbarham
07-02-2010, 12:37 PM
I'm guessing he saw two relatively respectable vehicles, an obviously broken tow mechanism and the location would have led him to believe that it was an unfortunate incident, not resulting from doing anything dangerous/illegal

Nah its the Linc's/Notts boarder, he probably thought they were pikeys and didn't want any trouble /lol

fluffnik
07-02-2010, 04:36 PM
Sounds like fun :) I'm amazed that the cop didn't stop and ask some questions!

He might have been worried that the answer would be "We'd love a hand"... :-policema

Great story K!

Kieran
07-02-2010, 10:04 PM
Now, with most £250 cars, most people would just sort whatever was needed to keep the car going. So in the case of Hermes, that would be to sling a new 'box in the car, maybe change the lower arm (if it was that causing the knocking) and then run the car to MOT time (due mid November) and see what needed fixing then. Oh, and maybe give the car a wash.

Can you imagine me doing that, given how OCD I get about Galants, and especially after my bitter experience of doing just the bare minimum with the KnAccord?! No. Neither could I.

With the KnAccord still operational, I had time to do things properly. A full tear-down and refit was on the cards, albeit with a careful eye on budget. Having driven several Galants in good order and several which have ranged from 'average' to 'tired', I would sooner drive a taut, positive Galant that's standard as opposed to one that's been modified to look the part, go the part or sound the part, and yet feel decidedly worn.

So, If I could repair or refit, I would. If I could use OE-equivalent parts, I would. However I would not blindly replace original specification with original specification. The weaknesses of the 8G are well known, and my experiences with Hordak (my previous V6 Sport) and Ariadne would be borne in mind when selecting replacement parts. I wanted to bring together all I'd learned in some six years of running Galants, distil all of that experience into this car and see what the end result would be.

Not that I expected the result to be 'Perfect'; One day I will get a Galant that fully satisfies every criteria I have. Hermes is not that car, though I do feel that he's closer when viewed as a whole package, than any of my previous ones.

So I began preparations for the tear-down:

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The inspection items are fairly straightforward - Storage boxes, Degreaser, torch, bags, marker pens, paper towels, an inspection mirror and a paint thickness gauge. Oh - And the camera I was using (That's why it's not pictured...)

And so, one sunny day last August, I began...

Roberto
07-02-2010, 10:25 PM
[QUOTE=Kieran] And the camera I was using (That's why it's not pictured...)
[QUOTE]

You could have used the inpection mirror!!!

/Camera

John TheAntique
07-02-2010, 11:15 PM
I reckon if he put this on a pay-per-view basis ( nearly 500 so far)he'd earn enough to cover the cost of parts.

John TheAntique
07-02-2010, 11:15 PM
I reckon if he put this on a pay-per-view basis ( nearly 500 so far)he'd earn enough to cover the cost of parts.

John TheAntique
07-02-2010, 11:18 PM
Oooops my laptop froze sorry.

kiteman
08-02-2010, 12:50 AM
Great read, whens the next chapter ????.
There will be a next chapter, yeah. He's not going to disappear again, is he ???

Kieran
08-02-2010, 02:26 AM
So, what did I find?

Nothing unexpected really. I started with 'visible' stuff:

The Towbar and that ghastly exhaust were put on the 'Bin' list straight away:

uploaded/326/1265588089.jpg

The rear arches (a notorious rot spot) had been made worse by a previous poor quality rust repair. The bodyshop* had very clearly just slapped a load of filler over the rusty arch lips and blown them in - thus ensuring that they carried on rotting. Sadly they're at the stage where they require cutting and welding. That's not going to be cheap. It's particularly galling as the rest of the exterior metalwork is pretty good.

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Goodyear Eagles all round - A decent make and all with relatively recent date codes. To me that suggests a healthy financial attitude towards car maintenance. However, all four alloys were badly pitted and corroded beneath a thick layer of brake dust. The overall exterior condition of Hermes reminded me in many ways of the Black GLSi I had.

uploaded/326/1265589835.jpg

Now, in the pictures so far, the bodywork looks relatively clean and shiny. Don't be fooled. It was badly swirled. This is the bonnet, and it is representative of the condition of the rest of the paint on the car. Sunlight is a blessing and a curse - It flatters paintwork from a distance, but up close it highlights every last defect:

uploaded/326/1265590182.jpg

The interior was reasonable, and though Son did smoke, he didn't have the car long enough to pong it out - and by the looks & smell of things, Dad and the owner prior to him were non-smokers. In fact, Hermes is the first Galant I've owned that's not been blighted by a smoker.

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The boot was looking very used. Lots of staining on the carpets and a fair bit of junk in there too. That's the original rear silencer. Unfortunately it had been sawn off rather than unbolted, so it was pretty useless.

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The spare wheel had never been used - I was amazed when I saw how shiny it was. Seeing such a pristine spare further highlighted just how dreadful the condition of the other alloys was. A real shame as I do like the design of these wheels.

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The engine bay was similar to the rest of the car; It needed a damn good clean. But everything that should have been there was, and there were no obvious horrors jumping out.

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Another surprise - the undertray was still there!

uploaded/326/1265591978.jpg


So on the surface, all was well. Time to jack him up and take a closer look at the bodywork and the mechanical bits....



* = If you happen to be the person responsible for the appalling job on the rear arches, please send me your address and by return I shall send you some rusty pans for you to beat yourself with. /pan And yes, I'm afraid you will have to self-pan./pan You clearly put NO effort into the repair of the arches, so I'm not going to waste any effort in administering the pan to your noggin, as cathartic as that may be. You can do it yourself, you bone idle little cretin. /pan /pan

Ryan
08-02-2010, 02:59 AM
Every time I see the intake manifold it always reminds me of:

uploaded/50107/1265594343.jpg

bradc
08-02-2010, 09:43 AM
Looks like you've got TCL there :)

I-S
08-02-2010, 10:20 AM
it had a couple of extras you don't usually see on UK-supplied cars. Traction Control (very handy on a V6 in the wet!)


Looks like you've got TCL there

Your surname isn't Holmes is it?

bradc
08-02-2010, 10:45 AM
Just that recently K has been asking me a few strange questions about TCL on full auto's versus tip models, the difference between Alamo and Finesse green and some other crap that only someone like me might know :)

Kieran
08-02-2010, 11:19 PM
With the 'obvious' stuff checked, it was time to expand the Carchaeological exploration and take a closer look at things.

So, up in the air went Hermes (and yes, that is the Yellow Peril in the background):
uploaded/326/1265661621.jpg

The chassis rails looked okay, though there was quite a bit of surface rust on the sills. A good jabbing with a screwdriver and a brisk wire brushing confirmed that this was surface only and hadn't penetrated. It looks worse than it was really, though obviously the rust got a foothold. But for now it could be contained with brushing, rustkiller, paint and a Waxoyl type product - particularly for the sections that are inaccessible. 8Gs suffer badly from poor rustproofing and in the UK, where the weather is frequently cold and damp and we use rock salt in the winter, these cars suffer. Badly.

uploaded/326/1265662131.jpguploaded/326/1265662261.jpg
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This is the the front of the car, looking upwards from underneath. You can see the front chassis leg and the underneath of the panel beneath the battery tray. Again - Rust killer, paint and waxoyl would be used, with the inside of that chassis leg getting a good saturating. The rust has spread quickly along the surface here. I ascribe this to the lack of paint; most of that panel is factory primer and no topcoat. Shame on you, Mitsubishi. Have your accountants shot, or at the very least panned. Or Woked if they're easier to procure in Japan.

uploaded/326/1265662616.jpg

The rear chassis rails next, and rust is running right along the seams. Brushing and waxoyl required again. To help the waxoyl creep, I apply it hot and thin it with 10% white spirit to help it get into the seams and kill the rust lurking there.

uploaded/326/1265663131.jpg

Another reason for relocation of that exhaust can to the bin. Not only did it sound dreadful (quite an achievement given how sonorous the V6-24 usually is) but as you can see, the welding leaves something to be desired, to say the least...

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If you have a Galant with hairdryers, this is where the AYC pump lurks. It's looking good and that metal splash shield has withstood the continual spray from the wheels pretty well.

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Within the rear wheel arch, looking outwards. That poultice of mud and road poo was doing the already frilly arch lips no favours. As I've already mentioned, the arches have reached the point where they need cutting out and replacing. That's beyond my skill and my budget right now, so the best I can do is to keep the area as clean as possible to discourage the accumulation of mud (and therefore slow the spread of rust down until I'm in a position to deal with it)

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The fuel filler pipe - Or, rather, the scabrous remains of the fuel filler pipe. Unsurprisingly this also went straight on the 'bin' list.

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Back above the car, I had my first nasty surprise when I wiped away some of the muck around the suspension towers:

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I have seen a lot worse than that, but that little seam of rust usually originates from underneath - water and road poo finds its way up the inside of the [appallingly unprotected] suspension tower and there it stays, gnawing away. It was therefore likely that the inner front arches would need attention. I just hoped that this was surface travel and not penetrative rust. This is the same area from behind. To illustrate the shot - The camera is pointed upwards. the ribbing is on the outside facing part of the strut tower, and you can see the seams around there. Rust started on the seams and just worked along the gaps in-between the spot welds, until it was visible within the engine bay. Luckily, it was still at the 'spread out' rather than 'bite into' stage; repeated screwdriver poking were met with a variety of 'thuung' and 'clonk' sounds - not the dreaded 'crunch'.

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There was, however, a lot to be grateful for. The main thing being that there's no evidence of previous accident damage, as evidenced here:

The seams where the rear quarter panels are welded to the inner panels were still showing their factory seam seal:

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The rear panel was also original:

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And the rear panel to boot floor seam (a common tell-tale of a rear end shunt) was also flawless. Well, apart from the muck, anyway:

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As you've already seen, the chassis legs were still straight and the crumple areas on the inner wings proudly showed off their factory seam seal beads. The crumple area is alongside the ABS fuse at the rear of the engine bay - that little area of metal between the two seams - in the event of a heavy head-on, it's designed to give way.

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With the bodywork survey completed, I had a better idea what lay ahead. A lot of hours spent washing waxoyl out of my hair, probably. The underneath may look pretty rusty, but fortunately was all on the surface, and though I knew that I would never eradicate it, brushing, treating, painting and waxoyling will stem the rust and extend the service life of the metalwork - which is the main goal here.

Time to turn my attention to the oily bits...

kiteman
08-02-2010, 11:52 PM
Aw come on, whens the next chapter.

miller
09-02-2010, 12:28 AM
hmmm fuel filler looks okay! I replaced that on Anna's colt when she finally ushed the fuel nozzle clear through the filler and started gushing fuel across the forecourt!

It was hanging on by a rust thread!

ritch_w
10-02-2010, 08:38 AM
hurry up kieran! Ive only got another 12 hours before I get bundled into the back of a van with hood over my head and hidden from the world for 7 days!

Did you buy Apex springs or did you get something better?

MPBVr4
10-02-2010, 02:21 PM
Great lunch time read:book: .
Next installment by 12.30pm tomorrow please.

Good to see you back K.

crazydriver81
10-02-2010, 04:46 PM
K, glad to see you around here again. And nice, entertaining writeup there... ;)

kiteman
11-02-2010, 12:06 AM
Its more than 2 days since he said "its time to turn my attention to the oily bits".
There cant be that many of them surely.

I-S
11-02-2010, 01:00 PM
Kiteman- You clearly don't know Kieran. This thread has only just started.

kiteman
11-02-2010, 02:01 PM
Kiteman- You clearly don't know Kieran. This thread has only just started.
So I've lots more enjoyable reading to look forward to, and you're right I dont know him at all at all.

Kieran
11-02-2010, 02:26 PM
Don't fret peeps :) I've just been a bit busy over the past few days.

And yes - There's a LOT still to come. :book:

bristol seb
11-02-2010, 02:44 PM
On the edge of my seat Kieran, keep it up:)

MPBVr4
11-02-2010, 04:40 PM
Had to read Steve's "Volvo Pistonheads" link today instead.:o

miller
11-02-2010, 05:08 PM
Next picture of Hermes will looks something like this im betting

MPBVr4
11-02-2010, 05:27 PM
/haz

Ryan
11-02-2010, 08:27 PM
Next picture of Hermes will looks something like this im betting

I'm sure this is an old VW South Africa picture - illustrating the 6500 Golf II parts or something. It was a long time ago so I may be wrong.

Turbo_Steve
12-02-2010, 01:01 AM
Nah: AutoCar magazine in the UK do this to each of their test cars after a year!

Kieran
12-02-2010, 01:49 AM
So, the oily bits.

I'd already got a rough idea gestating in my mind about how the refurbishment would go - I use the phrase 'refurbishment' rather than 'restoration' for a reason. To my mind a restoration is something that Malc did to his Mini - Take a well and truly crumbling car and make it new in every way. A refurbishment is to take a vehicle that's still essentially serviceable, repair/replace the bits showing age and/or mileage related wear if required or required in the not too distant future, and return to service. Another way of saying it is that restoration brings something back to life. Refurbishment extends the service life.

Anyway, I digress. Let's have some Pictures!

So, the main oily bit is the engine. And the oil wasn't looking too bad.

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The transmission was buggered as you know, but I was still quite horrified to see this. I'm surprised the box had held on as long as it had. I would suspect that a lack of regular changes and towing a caravan that was on the limits of the Galant's braked trailer weight and no additional transmission cooling had caused this. I've never before seen transmission fluid this bad, not even in the most roasted VR-4s. There was no 'red' pigment left in the fluid at all.

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The downpipe's seen better days too:

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Unlike the KnAccord (spit!) the sump was not air conditioned. A quick brush and paint would be all that was needed here.

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The air filter hadn't been changed in a while, but by the same token it wasn't inscribed with hieroglyphics either.

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The fuel filter looked like it hadn't been disturbed in a while, however...

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The suspension I paid less attention to at this stage. The bushings, particularly at the back were all reaching the end of their useful life, but beyond that I would inspect the suspension more closely once it was off the car - Not only would it be easier to inspect individual components, assess their condition and repair as required, but I could also take advantage of there not being anything in the way and get some waxoyl on the car. Same story with the brakes.

So that was the inspection finished and I still felt satisfied. There were a few things that needed attention, but Hermes was essentially straight and honest, albeit hard worked.

Time to begin disassembly!

Kieran
12-02-2010, 02:47 AM
The first priority was getting the gearbox out and I decided to whip out the engine too whilst I was at it. In for a penny and all that.

So, to start by draining the unidentified fluid that was once ATF out of the gearbox....

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Mmmmmm, Quite a bit of swarf and dead gearbox badness on that sump plug. Funny, that(!)....

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Airbox, battery and tray came out next. All bolts were bagged in carefully labelled freezer bags and put in one of those black storage bins. As you can see, there was quite a bit of muck hidden away.

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Oh Knickers. This was waiting beneath the battery tray. It does look worse in this photo than it was, but it needed dealing with.

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ATF cooler hoses next. As ever, these were stubborn and didn't take kindly to my insistence that they should move, even when I started swearing at them. Top tip with these hoses is to grip them with pliers and rotate them a little first - that helps to break their grip on the hose barb and allows you to draw them off the barbed pipes a little more easily.

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A few of the myriad wiring connectors I had to undo. These are just those I took pictures of to help with identification and wire routing when reassembly came. Fortunately Mitsubishi design most of the connectors so that they only fit one way, and only on one specific connector. Pictured are connectors for the following: EGR and TCL solenoids, crank sensor, Fuel pressure solenoid, knock sensor and Accelerator Position sensor, Distributor/Coil connector, front bank fuel injectors... Quite a lot connectors! :rolleyes3 :lost:

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Next came the front bumper. I wanted this off to increase clearance from underneath and also because I didn't want it being bashed around.

So, the headlamps came out along with the radiator grille and off came the bolts. Here's how I get at 'That' bolt - The one at the side of the washer bottle:

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Working at a slow, methodical pace, taking lots of pictures and making sure every last bolt was 'bagged and tagged' meant that getting this far had already took me many, many hours. And this was but a taster of things to come...

Atik
12-02-2010, 10:51 AM
Kieran, is this a currently active project? Or, was this ongoing during your absense from the forums?

In anycase, this is great to be reading :)

WildCards
12-02-2010, 11:00 AM
This was while he was away Atik.

Kieran
14-02-2010, 09:00 PM
The aircon pulley was next. Four long bolts go through the pump housing into a bracket on the engine block. When you remove all the bolts, you can move the pump. Seeing as I didn't have the tools to de-pressurise the aircon system (and really didn't fancy the bodge method of loosening a fitting and praying my hand was not in the way of the resultant jet of refrigerant), I tied it to the slam panel - In this shot the radiator's already been removed:

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The power steering pump was next. Now this is a bit of a faff. There are three bolts holding it secure. One is on the back of the pump. You've got just enough space for a stubby 3/8" socket and wrench between the pump body and the exhaust manifold. The other two are on the front of the pump. That's why the pulley is not a solid lump. You put your socket between the spokes of the pulley. Ideally a 3/8" long-reach socket is needed, but too long and you can't get a ratchet on the end as you'll foul the chassis legs. It's awkward to remove and positively infuriating to refit the first time you do it. As with so many other things - once you've done it, you'll find it much easier in the future. This is good, should you wake up one day and decide it'd be a good idea to strip your Galant down to its virtual undercrackers...

uploaded/326/1266175712.jpg

I decided to take the inlet plenum off to facilitate withdrawal of the engine from beneath, should it prove impossible to withdraw the engine from the top. Now, I know most of you are wondering why I'd even consider removing the engine by lifting rather than lowering from underneath. The reason is that the early V6-24 and V6 Sports (and I imagine the GLS as well) use a pressed steel subframe rather than the cast version that you see on the VR-4 and the later 2WD models. The pressed steel subframe is wider, so you've less room to wiggle the engine/Gearbox out from beneath.

I should also say, my method of withdrawing the engine/gearbox is somewhat convoluted - There's no doubt a better method; this is just how I did it.

Anyway. When you're removing the Inlet plenum, throttle body and engine assembly, there are roughly 34 to 47 million vacuum pipes to disconnect, depending on the exact model:

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Out came the inlet manifold bolts:

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Followed by the coolant hoses on the throttle body and a couple more electrical connectors:

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Then the Fuel rail feed and return lines. The return line is a simple 7.6mm (3/8") hose with a clip. The feed side, as you might expect, is bolted into the fuel rail. Although the battery had long since been taken out, I didn't want to entertain my neighbours with a show of how quickly I can run around with my hair on fire. Therefore, a fire extinguisher was on standby:

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And then I removed the bolts. I should say at this point that I'd already de-pressurised the system by cranking on the starter with the fuel pump wiring plug disconnected, so in theory there shouldn't have been any petrol left in the rail anyway...

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And there wasn't. So if you were reading this far just in order to see what a slightly singed Kieran looks like, then I must disappoint you. Anyway - with the fuel hoses off, I covered the ends with bags and taped them to keep dirt and moisture out:

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Next I removed the downpipes, centre member, starter motor and such. I don't have pictures of these I'm afraid. They're pretty straightforward though.

Removing driveshafts is covered elsewhere in the articles section, but here's a tip: The driveshaft nut is tight. The exact figure escapes me now, though you're talking over 100lbs/ft. This is how I did it - A sturdy prybar in the slots of the brake discs stops the hub rotating and this allows you to shift that nut. Other methods include getting an assistant to stand on the brakes as hard as they can, or removing the centre cap from your alloy wheels, dropping the car back on the ground and putting your socket through the centre, if you've got the clearance.

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With an engine support arm in place across the inner wings, I unbolted the gearbox. Make note of the bolts as there are several sizes. I used a permanent marker to mark the bolts. Starting from the top (where there's a bolt with an earth strap on it) I went in a clockwise fashion and numbered them accordingly with dots before bagging and tagging:

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Once all the bolts were out, I backed off the gearbox from the engine using a trolley jack and lowered it to the floor:

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With the gearbox out of the way, it was time to lift out the engine...

Kieran
14-02-2010, 09:57 PM
/Cue David Attenborough voice...

"And here is the natural habitat of the obsessed Galant owner. As you can see, the engine is half out of the car, and it'll only be a matter of time before one of these rare creatures appears..."

uploaded/326/1266180534.jpg

.
.
.
.
:smart:
.
.
.
.



"Yes! Here's one now - one of the rare pureblooded ones, you can see his crown there, just above the engine. Well, this is really rather special; These, perhaps the rarest of all Galant owners, are known for their frightening recall of Galant information and their distinctive plumage..."

uploaded/326/1266180776.jpg

elnevio
14-02-2010, 10:00 PM
/popcorn

Waiting for the NightVision shots...

scott.mohekey
14-02-2010, 10:02 PM
This thread is so much porn.

Atik
14-02-2010, 10:07 PM
PMSL at the David Attenborough bit!

Way to go Kieran :)

aboo
14-02-2010, 10:15 PM
Loving this thread. It is good to see you back K.

Johnny_Cashed
14-02-2010, 11:32 PM
Nice to see such a long thread devoted to a non-VR4 for once! :beerbang: will be watching carefully

WildCards
15-02-2010, 10:42 AM
Nice to see sunshine in those last photo's, I can't wait for summer.

bradc
15-02-2010, 10:43 AM
These early UK models only have one cat, just like the JDM spec ST-R's don't they?

foxdie
15-02-2010, 11:20 AM
Just read this thread, gotta say thanks Kieran for putting a sheepish grin on my face on this Monday morning :)

Oh yeah and I've had similar fun on that aforementioned roundabout near Newark in a rough-around-the-edges Toyota Hi-Ace a couple of weekends ago with a large sofa in the back.. bald tyres and no drivers mirror made it a "fun" journey, doubly so when you can only stick to 60MPH on the A38 home because going any faster led to rather unpleasant odours from the engine..

Can't wait to see more on this thread /popcorn

Kieran
15-02-2010, 04:23 PM
These early UK models only have one cat, just like the JDM spec ST-R's don't they?

All the UK models have one cat. It's the same width as the VR-4 one, but it's longer. And if Hordak was anything to go by, they don't throw a wobbly when you remove the cat, despite there being an o2 sensor before and after it.

bradc
15-02-2010, 07:05 PM
I thought the late model ones had cats or precats in the downpipes?

Kieran
15-02-2010, 07:22 PM
I thought the late model ones had cats or precats in the downpipes?

No. They have 4 o2 sensors, but no additional cats.

Teamllama
15-02-2010, 07:23 PM
my 52 plate elegance has a cat in each down pipe

Kieran
15-02-2010, 07:24 PM
my 52 plate elegance has a cat in each down pipe

Can you take a picture? I'm pretty sure they don't?

Teamllama
15-02-2010, 07:29 PM
Its all hidden by heat shields so not easy to photo but when i had the O2 sensors out to replace them i could see the cat element down through the hole in the manifold the sensor came out of.

Btw, great thread! I keep checking every couple of hours for more updates! :D

Kieran
16-02-2010, 12:07 AM
Lifting out the engine revealed a large gap. And a lot of muck!

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And now there was a rather comical amount of ground clearance too:

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And I found another source of knocking - Bugger. One cracked front spring to add to the rather ropey looking rear springs. Hmm...

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Atik
16-02-2010, 12:13 AM
Daft question... with a spring broken like that, but clearly resting on the bit that sticks out, is that not just as strong as a full unbroken spring? There is only a small amount that has broken off.

Turbo_Steve
16-02-2010, 12:19 AM
Nope. It's the difference between dropping the flat bottom of a glass on a flat table and dropping the flat bottom of that glass down on top of a stone. It'll shatter on the stone sooner because more force is concentrated in a smaller space.

Atik
16-02-2010, 12:26 AM
Good analogy and inormation assimilated :)

Kieran
16-02-2010, 12:58 AM
A few days rolled by, and a few more components rolled out...

Off came the rear bumper so that I could get at the three ton of pig iron that the tow bar was bolted to:

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Follwed by the tail lamps - No nasty surprises here. All that was needed was a wipe with surfex and some waxoyl:

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Then I started removing the interior. All of the interior.

Door cards...

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Headlining...

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Carpets (The fresh green paint is because some damp had got in and had caused a couple of little spots of rust. A quick rub down and some rustoleum will stop that turning into a problem)...

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Heater ducting...
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Engine and transmission ECUs...

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Gear selector assembly...

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At this point you may be wondering why I was stripping all this lot out when I had only the gearbox to replace.

Ah, well. You see, I knew that Hermes was not being refitted with another Spline Stripping Pre-facelift Autobox. Oh no...

Atik
16-02-2010, 01:10 AM
Manual conversion FTW! :D

scott.mohekey
16-02-2010, 01:11 AM
:o Rear wheel drive conversion? :p

Nutter_John
16-02-2010, 01:14 AM
RWD conversion with a vr4 fuel tank and exhaust in the hump :)

scott.mohekey
16-02-2010, 01:15 AM
RWD conversion with a vr4 fuel tank and exhaust in the hump :)

Heh, that's what I was hinting at!

WildCards
16-02-2010, 01:20 AM
RWD conversion with a vr4 fuel tank and exhaust in the hump :)


/haz

bradc
16-02-2010, 07:31 AM
I'd guess that it will still be an Auto because Kieran likes Auto's. I'd love it to be a manual though!

I've got a feeling it will be a 4 speed tip from a later model after some questions asked of me in the chat room. Small chance it is a 5 speed tip?

miller
16-02-2010, 10:27 AM
RWD conversion with a vr4 fuel tank and exhaust in the hump :)

FPSML :guitarist



Hermes is on the path to greatness! I was privileged to have a spin out in it last weekend! Its unbelievably quiet and wafty cool!

Eric
16-02-2010, 06:38 PM
I didn't want to entertain my neighbours with a show of how quickly I can run around with my hair on fire.

You needed a fire extinguisher for this why???? :D


Nice story Kieran, glad to see you back up and posting :)

Kieran
19-02-2010, 09:22 AM
The removal of components and parts continued apace, until Hermes looked a little bare...

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By this stage, the following items had been removed:


Engine, gearbox, driveshafts & associated parts
Radiator assembly
Front suspension (all of it)
Front Subframe
Steering rack & Power Steering system
Main Engine & Gearbox wiring loom
Gearbox selector assembly
Exhaust system
Interior
A few other odds n' sods


And still I carried on!

uploaded/326/1266566742.jpg

Yep. That's the fuel tank.

But there was method to this madness. The reason why items such as the subframe and fuel tank came out was quite simple. At the last MOT, Hermes had needed work on the rear brake lines. The garage had chopped out a section and replaced with lengths of copper line. Nothing wrong with that (though they'd not done a brilliant job), but I don't like extra connectors on my brakes (it's another area for leaks to appear), and more importantly, I knew that if the VISIBLE section of the lines were showing deterioration, then it was highly likely that the less visible parts (which hadn't been replaced) would be looking pretty nasty.

And I was right...
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Now, whilst I could make my own lines up like I did with the Yellow Peril, the complexity of shape and the amount of time and pipe I'd need to make a satisfactory job was really beyond my skill and I decided to make that call we all dread... I called the Mitsubishi Parts Desk and braced myself...

Yes, my ASA supplied part number was recognised.

Yes, they could get them.

However they were 'special order' parts. For those of you who don't know, this means two important things...

It could take three weeks for them to arrive.
They were not refundable. So if I ordered the wrong section of line, I was high and dry.

I confirmed the order and hoped I'd got the right part in ASA...

WildCards
19-02-2010, 01:58 PM
and?... AND?...

Come on K!

I-S
19-02-2010, 02:34 PM
I think this is up to about august now?

orionn2o
19-02-2010, 02:53 PM
How can he just leave us hanging like this!

Mark 4
19-02-2010, 03:31 PM
He's such a little teaser.

orionn2o
19-02-2010, 03:56 PM
You have created a little inspiration for me though Kieran. You wanna do mine next lol!

bristol seb
20-02-2010, 12:09 PM
Cliffhanger!

kiteman
20-02-2010, 05:19 PM
Waiting, waiting, waiting waiting------------------------------------------------------

psbarham
20-02-2010, 06:48 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1YmS_VDvMY

MPBVr4
20-02-2010, 07:07 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1YmS_VDvMY

/haz

bradc
20-02-2010, 08:49 PM
It just occured to me, this is a V6 and not a 4 cyl GLS, Kieran did the right thing for a change :)

Kieran
20-02-2010, 08:52 PM
It just occured to me, this is a V6 and not a 4 cyl GLS, Kieran did the right thing for a change :)

I'd still have a GLS tomorrow. They're a cracking car. Cheap, smooth, economical and they pull well too, given their rated power. In fact the only reason I got a V6 and not another GLS was that a V6 appeared first!

aboo
20-02-2010, 09:00 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1YmS_VDvMY

As Pauls link say's K/Nuuu

bradc
20-02-2010, 09:05 PM
6>4
121kw>100kw
223nm>178nm

Turbo_Steve
20-02-2010, 09:13 PM
30mpg > 38mpg?

Kieran
20-02-2010, 09:14 PM
Another blinkered pile of Codswallop, based upon on what he's read on a spec sheet rather than real world experience...

Have yourself the Pan! /pan

bradc
20-02-2010, 09:33 PM
Steve, the V6 is capable of turning in similar fuel figures to the 2.0. Maybe 2-3mpg difference.

Kieran
20-02-2010, 10:19 PM
The brake pipes were duly ordered after checking the diagrams in ASA about 43 more times. And the price? :uhoh2:

£83 for the pair. On the face of it that may seem expensive, but I put a higher value on my ability to stop! :)

A wait of up to three weeks was a pain, but there was plenty to keep me busy in the meantime.

First stop was the fuel tank. I degreased it, wire brushed it and then left it to dry in the late summer sun. For degreasing and cleaning I used Bilt Hamber Surfex HD. I cannot praise this product enough. It's water based, so no more rainbow streaked drives and no more Skeletor Hands if you get it on your skin. The best bit though is that it's incredibly powerful. It easily matches solvent/petrol based cleaners. It's cracking stuff. More about it here: http://www.bilthamber.com/surfex-hd.html

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Once dry, it was given a good coating of Waxoyl on top to protect from rust damage.

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I then took the pump assembly out to replace the in-tank filter. This is often overlooked, but ignore it and you can get all kinds of fuel supply issues.

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Off came the bottom bracket....

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And this allows you to get at the filter. As you can see, a little washer holds it onto the end of the fuel pump body. It's worth checking that your replacement filter comes with a new washer.

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Not that you NEED a replacement washer, the original will still probably work okay. It's just that you can avoid an "Oh Shi-" moment, should the original washer ping off into your yard/garage/rockery/cat/drain/etc...

This is the replacement filter versus the original. As you can see, the original looked rather manky. It's not a Mitsubishi Part number on the replacement filter either; several suppliers sell Walbro in-tank pump filters on ebay. A couple of measurements with my calipers and I ordered one. It cost about £3 delivered - Bargain!

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It was a straight swap. No modifications were needed. It fitted perfectly within the original fuel pump assembly.
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I also removed that horrific looking fuel filler pipe. It had slightly more perforations than a Tetley's Teabag. In the bin it went and a replacement was sought!

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I then got the external fuel filter off the car. I suspected that it hadn't been changed in years and years. A quick autopsy was required...
uploaded/326/1266700434.jpguploaded/326/1266700472.jpg

The filtration media was very brown and horrible looking. It certainly hadn't been changed in some time.
This rather annoyed me. In fact I got so cross I had to shake my fist at it!

uploaded/326/1266700590.jpg

I-S
20-02-2010, 10:37 PM
I then took the pump assembly out to replace the in-tank filter. This is often overlooked, but ignore it and you can get all kinds of fuel supply issues.

:furious3:

giblet
20-02-2010, 11:39 PM
Jeez, im amazed at just how in depth you are. Fantastic work

sodge
21-02-2010, 05:56 AM
Great read, can't wait for more :)

Roberto
21-02-2010, 06:32 AM
Jeez, im amazed at just how in depth you are.

This Kieran's run about, you should see him with a car he really cares about.:o

I-S
24-02-2010, 08:41 PM
In the absence of a drumming fingers smiley, this will have to do

/bat

steelie600
24-02-2010, 08:54 PM
how about this one

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn42/steelie600/rc8b/I01Impatient.gif

why the hell wont that work????????

its got img tags n everythin???


NJ you gotta task me old mucka!!!!!!

Eric
24-02-2010, 09:34 PM
Kieran, me sitting here anxiously waiting for your post is stopping me from going and cleaning Ariadne. Can you hurry up and post so I can finally clean her for the first time in like 4 months.... :D

Atik
24-02-2010, 09:48 PM
Have you got a deathwish Eric? Goading the Kieran-ator like that. He'll go all ED-201 on you and order you to clean Ariadne with the "You have 20 seconds to comply" threat!

Turbo_Steve
24-02-2010, 10:09 PM
....and in the control room of Kiernobyl, gauges start their slow but inexorable journey past the "warning" markers....and gently start to caress "red".

Kieran
24-02-2010, 11:19 PM
Kieran, me sitting here anxiously waiting for your post is stopping me from going and cleaning Ariadne. Can you hurry up and post so I can finally clean her for the first time in like 4 months.... :D
:computer: :o /JawDroppi :|


Have you got a deathwish Eric? Goading the Kieran-ator like that. He'll go all ED-201 on you and order you to clean Ariadne with the "You have 20 seconds to comply" threat!

>| :ranton: :soaprant :dalek: :furious4: :veryangry :furious3: :furious3: :flamed:


....and in the control room of Kiernobyl, gauges start their slow but inexorable journey past the "warning" markers....and gently start to caress "red".

:veryangry :furious3: /help :furious3: :furious3: /help /help :censored:
/uploaded/326/1231713207.jpg

confusis
27-02-2010, 12:32 AM
*********[confusis] 12:30 pm: everytime i read the word hermes my mind
swaps the m for a p

Eric
27-02-2010, 09:08 AM
Still waiting for a post so I can go clean...... :evilgrin: /Nuuu

richy rich
27-02-2010, 10:07 AM
I don't know what all the fuss is about!
This car is just a rust ridled pile of dogs mess that should never be put back on the road!!!




















Time for me to hide I think /help

Kieran
28-02-2010, 09:31 PM
With the fuel tank sorted out, I turned to the front subframe and the bits attached to it:

uploaded/326/1267386922.jpg

The droplinks were another item in the 'Just about had it' category and one of them was siezed on to the shock fork casting. Copious WD40, heat and a set of mole grips had to be employed to get that nut to shift. Obviously destructive, but the links were being replaced anyway:

uploaded/326/1267387137.jpg

With that out, the Anti-Roll bar was unbolted and lifted out and finally the steering rack was removed. As you can see, on the pressed subframes, the rack is bolted in from underneath like the anti-roll bar. This is a problem if you want to upgrade. I'd had a cunning plan involving a set of VR-4 roll bars (which are 2mm thicker than the Pre-facelift 2WD models) but the hump in the VR-4 bar would foul the steering rack as it moves. Bugger.

uploaded/326/1267387478.jpg

With the subframe unloaded, it was given a good brushing, de-greasing and a coat of black Rustoleum (Think Hammerite that covers and levels better):

uploaded/326/1267387580.jpg

The steering rack was still serviceable and didn't leak, but both rack ends had play in them. Easy way to detect play in the rack-end balljoint is to pull on the track control arm, like this:

uploaded/326/1267387873.jpg

There shouldn't be any. One side had a tiny bit, but this one moved about 1mm and when you moved it through its normal range of motion it was very loose feeling. When I got the dust boot (which was still intact, though looking rather aged) off, I discovered this:

uploaded/326/1267388290.jpg

That's not looking so good. You can see that the grease has been largely worked out of the balljoint and has taken on a rusty sheen.

In the bin they went and new ones were fitted:

uploaded/326/1267388538.jpg

Along with fresh new boots:

uploaded/326/1267388620.jpg

And nice new track rod ends too:

uploaded/326/1267388661.jpguploaded/326/1267388704.jpg

The track rod ends were then adjusted to factory clearance values of 104mm from the dust boot ends:

uploaded/326/1267388791.jpg

And the refreshed rack was ready for re-installation.

Now, you may be wondering how one gets the steering wheel centred and the tracking correct. Well, centralising the steering wheel relative to the centre position of the rack isn't too difficult, and if your suspension and steering is within specification, it should be close enough for you to drive safely to your local wheel alignment centre. You won't get it spot on, but you should be able to get it reasonably close. I'll come to that part in a bit, anyway.

Ryan
28-02-2010, 09:50 PM
Like the mug of tea shot ;)

Kieran
28-02-2010, 10:06 PM
There now follows a brief message from the sponsors of Hermes. Well, not exactly sponsors, in fact more, company with products that I buy and recommend. But you get the idea...

:soapbox:

Mucky Mechanicals?

Grubby Gearboxes?

Encrusted Engines?!

You need Bilt Hamber Surfex HD!!


:soapbox: Hi! I'M KIERAN BARRY SCOTT AND I'M HERE TO TELL YOU ABOUT BILT HAMBER SURFEX HD!!

Here's a sample.

This Power steering reservoir has probably never ever been cleaned, ever! Just look at the appalling amount of badness coating it, making level checking awkward and robbing the engine of at least 50 horsepower*, if not MOAR!!

uploaded/326/1267389981.jpguploaded/326/1267390016.jpg

Well, we cannot have that! It needs cleaning, and what better product than Bilt Hamber Surfex HD!

For a heavy degreasing job such as this, mix one part of Surfex with four parts of water, just like most well known fruit juice drinks**. Spray the Surfex HD over the badness, and leave for a minute to penetrate:

uploaded/326/1267390311.jpg

Next, agitate the surface with a brush:

uploaded/326/1267390382.jpg

And then rinse with water!

uploaded/326/1267390567.jpg

And just LOOK AT THE RESULTS!! With just one application, the Surfex has blitzed through the grime and restored the shine!

uploaded/326/1267390652.jpg


Bilt Hamber Surfex HD, Degreases parts faster than a VR-4 glugs petrol!

* = Individual Horsepower results may vary and the claims above are no guarantee that you will gain any increase in engine output as a result of cleaning your power steering reservoir.

** = Consumption of Surfex HD is not recommended and may produce death-like effects. If death-like effects occur, instruct your bereaved family according to your last wishes, assuming you had chance to make them before being killed untill you died of it. Any leftover Surfex might be useful as an embalming fluid.

elnevio
28-02-2010, 10:09 PM
... it should be close enough for you to drive safely to your local wheel alignment centre. You won't get it spot on, but you should be able to get it reasonably close. I'll come to that part in a bit, anyway.
Oh noes, I'm sensing another Knaccord-towing-Isaac-in-Hermes-round-a-tight-bend-on-a-bridge type event! :skull:

Davezj
28-02-2010, 10:09 PM
K when was all this done, by the weather in the pics it was either may/june or september time last year. july and agust were rubbish weather.

Kieran
28-02-2010, 10:12 PM
K when was all this done, by the weather in the pics it was either may/june or september time last year. july and agust were rubbish weather.

Hermes was purchased Late July and the work was carried out between August and December Last year. :) He finally entered service at the beginning of this year.

ANTHONY
28-02-2010, 10:16 PM
Hermes was purchased Late July and the work was carried out between August and December Last year. :) He finally entered service at the beginning of this year. so when do we get to see the finished article

Davezj
28-02-2010, 10:26 PM
i think patience is going to have to be a must with this thread and i am looking forward to reading it as it unfolds.

like peeling and onion layer after layer to unveil the next it is very satisfying but ultimatly make you cry. with joy hopfully.

WildCards
01-03-2010, 12:36 AM
One thing that has become obvious so far, Kieran has a particularly useless talent for buying cars that need immediate attention. There are either big windows down at Kierancorp Towers or he enjoys the chase.

Roberto
01-03-2010, 08:06 AM
One thing that has become obvious so far, Kieran has a particularly useless talent for buying cars that need immediate attention.


I must disagree with you there.

If K bought a brand new car, straight from the factory, never mind a dealer, he would still strip it down to make sure all was good with it. :vogel:

But keep up the good work Kieran, gives me ideas on what not to do next.:uhoh2:

swinks
07-03-2010, 05:54 PM
How on Earth I've missed so far this thread????
C'mmon K!

enigma
07-03-2010, 07:10 PM
Oh noes, I'm sensing another Knaccord-towing-Isaac-in-Hermes-round-a-tight-bend-on-a-bridge type event! :skull:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvtYswQxVCk&feature=related

elnevio
07-03-2010, 07:18 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvtYswQxVCk&feature=related
/Wyhy

Something like that - but without the lack of attention being paid to Towing 101 - leaving the key in the 'ACC' position! /pan

bradc
07-03-2010, 07:34 PM
Hello Dave!

Kieran
07-03-2010, 07:51 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvtYswQxVCk&feature=related

Bloody hell fire! He posted! /secret

Sorry for not updating the thread in a while, been raaaaaather busy around here just lately...

MarkSanne
08-03-2010, 05:07 PM
Amazing I missed this thread! Good to see you're back!

MPBVr4
15-03-2010, 01:31 PM
Come on K or am I going to have to go the library to find something to read??:dizzy2:

steelie600
15-03-2010, 02:34 PM
Yeah come on binger jollocks we need another thrilling instalment of (HUM) duh dhu durrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Hermes, the wonder car.

Kieran
16-03-2010, 12:46 AM
Sorry - Been tardy, haven't I? /pan I'll knock another few posts out soon, fear not. :)

ANTHONY
16-03-2010, 12:52 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvtYswQxVCk&feature=relatedgood to see your still around dave

Kieran
23-03-2010, 11:08 PM
About a month after removal, the brake lines landed at Mitsubishi Nottingham. And they were right.

And there was much rejoicing. /Poms

I went to get them, and then had the job of somehow getting them into the KnAccord without bending them out of shape.

And there was much swearing. :furious3:

But get them home un-kinked I did. And here they are. All neatly pre-bent for me and spangly new. I fitted the P-clips from the original lines, and they were ready for going in.
uploaded/326/1269380628.jpguploaded/326/1269380658.jpg

Getting the pipes in was reasonably easy with everything removed. Position under the car and then lift and secure bit by bit. Once the pipes were in position and secure, I gunned waxoyl over their entire length to prevent re-rusting in the future, and I also smothered the fuel tank cavity - as you can see below, that area is primer only. That's shocking really. Still, it's now primer with a lovely thick coat of waxoyl to keep the badness at bay!

uploaded/326/1269381384.jpguploaded/326/1269381477.jpg
uploaded/326/1269381527.jpguploaded/326/1269381595.jpg

This is the clip of doom (black one at the bottom). There must be a way to get at this with the subframe in-situ, but I couldn't see how...

uploaded/326/1269381778.jpg

With the lines in and secure, the fuel tank was hoisted back into position, and the front subframe was refitted too. To avoid damaging the steering rack, I refitted the subframe bare. I could mess about with the rack and make sure I got it on properly later. This is the KieranCorp Mk1 Subframe installation tool. It worked really well - the wood was perfect to saddle the subframe across and then I could gently lift it into position.

uploaded/326/1269382113.jpg

Kieran
24-03-2010, 12:01 AM
So - How does one centralise the rack?

It's quite easy really - If you remove the air bag and the clock spring, you can then refit the steering wheel. Getting the steering wheel off is easy. Make sure (if you've not already!) that you disconnect the battery and wait at least 10 minutes. This minimises risk of accidental airbag deployment.

Two Torx screws...

uploaded/326/1269383203.jpg

A couple of wiring connectors on the rear of the airbag...

uploaded/326/1269383331.jpg

And then the steering column nut..

uploaded/326/1269383261.jpg

As you'd expect, the steering wheel is tight on the splines. I used a puller to break it free, rather than the comedy 'pull the steering wheel with all your might until it suddenly releases and smacks you in the face' method...

uploaded/326/1269383604.jpg

That gets the wheel off. Now, to get the clock spring off, firstly you remove the steering column trim..

uploaded/326/1269383498.jpg

And then you can unclip the wiring connectors under the column (shrouded in yellow). Once they're clear, you can undo the four screws and gently lift off the clock spring. Don't panic if the clock spring moves. You can reset that too.

uploaded/326/1269383783.jpg

With that out the way, you can see the steering wheel sensor and the photo-disc that the sensor uses to 'count' how much lock you've wound on. Here's a close up. See that rectangle? That is the 'home' position indicator. When you've finished centralising the rack, this needs to be in the six o'clock position. Get it misaligned and your TCL and AYC will misbehave.

uploaded/326/1269384021.jpg

This will allow you basic levelling of the rack. You turn from one extreme to the other, count the number of turns. For this part it doesn't matter what way up the steering wheel is as it will be coming back off anyway. So - For Hermes, it worked out that middle point gave 1 full turn (360 degrees) plus aproximately 160 degrees each way.

VR-4s have less lock available. The important thing is that you make sure the amount that you can turn the steering wheel is equal.

The next step is to check that the range of motion on the rack ends is also the same. This is easy with fresh rack ends as they'll be tight and stay straight. Pick a point on the subframe to measure from, and then measure the position of the track rod end with the steering wheel in the middle, and then then hard over to the left and to the right. This will give you a middle point, and a maximum and minimum distance. Where you measure from is not important, as it's the *difference* between the maximum and minimum distance that's important...

uploaded/326/1269384802.jpg

Once you've got your measurements, what you need to do is work out the range of motion each side. Both rack ends should be close to each other in their range of movement...

uploaded/326/1269384966.jpg

It should be close. The aim is to get the rack centred enough to allow you to safely drive to a tracking station. You WILL need to do this. Once you're happy with your basic rack alignment, you can refit the clockspring assembly and the steering wheel, making sure the rack is back in the centre position.

I mentioned you can reset the clock spring. This is useful if you want to be sure. With the assembly off the car, turn the spring slowly clockwise. Don't do it fast. After about 3 or 4 turns it will suddenly tighten. This happens in 10 degrees. When you feel that, you've reached it's maximum clockwise position. So don't force it or you'll bugger it.

Now - to reset the unit to the correct position, you need to wind it anti-clockwise three full turns, plus an additional four-fifths of a turn (approximately 288 degrees). This is easier to judge than you may expect as there's a handy position marker. See the arrows? They should line up.

uploaded/326/1269384456.jpg

When you're happy, a little strip of tape will stop it moving whilst you re-assemble. Don't forget to remove the tape afterwards!!

MarkSanne
24-03-2010, 01:43 PM
... this supposed to be a cliffhanger Kieran?! ...

Well done then! Is this gonna be like a new exciting TV series of which only one episode a week is featured?

Kieran
24-03-2010, 07:45 PM
... this supposed to be a cliffhanger Kieran?! ...

Well done then! Is this gonna be like a new exciting TV series of which only one episode a week is featured?

Stay tuned! :D

Hopefully I'll get more organised than once a week... But don't hold your breath! /pan:whistle:

miller
26-04-2010, 12:39 PM
Here's what had happened to the tow bar (these pictures are a reconstruction, the last thing on our minds during the event was a camera!) :

uploaded/326/1265492605.jpg

Fortunately, having bought tools, we were able to remove the damper at the side of the road and shorten the towbar thus:

uploaded/326/1265493298.jpg


I think i figured out what really happened on the towing incident!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDikN6qz5gI&feature=related

foxdie
26-04-2010, 12:43 PM
PMSL!

Why can I picture Kieran actually doing that? :D