Rear axle and brakes practically ready

I found the solution to the problem with the position of the bleed nipple on the brakes. Apparently the position was changed to the inside on later models.

I've had some trouble removing one of the pistons. The others popped out just with some pressured air, but for the last one I've had to fill the cylinder block with brake fluid and then apply pressured air, a couple of times.

I've finished brushing the rust off the rear axle and respraying. I didn't remove the splash screens near the brakes as this involves a lot of work. All that's left now is adjusting the brakes and greasing the bearings.



New brake pipes, a bit of paint, new oil for the dif, and a lot of rust removed.


As it was...


I'm not sure about the brake discs, I've cleaned them but they're not really shining like mirrors yet...

Some more on the brakes

One of the brakes. What strikes me as odd is the place of the bleed nipple. This is in a different (and more logical) position on the parts car.
Also note that the later type of bleed nipple doesn't use a ball. It just has a small hole on the side that allows you to bleed the system when released.

Looking at the parts list drawings it seems that somebody, indeed changed the place of the cylinders. The bleed nipple should of course be on the wheel side of the car. In the service manual it says the "hairpin bend" in the tubing shoud be on the inside. That's the case here but it's not in the correct hole, the brake piping from the axle can't be connected this way. So did somebody mess up?

The brakes

Time to tackle the brakes. It sounds simple: new brake pads and new sealings. The truth was somewhat slower and dirtier.

The brake pads were stuck and broke loose from their holders. Everything is so dirty it needs a very thorough cleaning.


The work ahead...


As you can see on the left, the rubbers are worn. Some dirt inevitably found its way into the calipers but I've decided to try and reuse them anyway.


To remove the pistons from the cylinder block, it's recommended to use pressurized brake fluid, but since there was no more brake fluid in the braking system, I tried pressured air. Some of the pistons needed pusing back and forth a couple of times. I ripped the top rubber part away to get it out of the way.


With a good bearing puller, a fitting socket and a thick washer I separated the parts of the piston. It's the only way to fit the rubber seal.








Soon, I'll be posting overview pictures of the rear brakes.

Front axle removed and some more...

I've removed the front axle. To my surprise, it went relatively easy. Two big jacks and one smaller jack were required. The front axle is really only held on by four screws, plus the anti-roll bar linkages plus the steering house. The steering was the most difficult part to get loose.





Meanwhile, I've removed the rust from the rear axle and painted it. Pictures are to follow. Also, the leaf springs were painted and the new bushes were pushed in. I learned that the original "metalastic" bushes have a metal ring on the outside, that needs to be pushed out as well. The new "polybush" bushes don't have this metal ring.
The bolt that holds the springs together and the rubber pads between the leafs aren't available separately. Fortunately, Angloparts sells a bolt that fits if you use a couple of washers.

The panhard rod was rusty and it wouldn't move anymore so I bought a new one. I kept the washers.


The bushes were in the Polybush kit. As you can see from the picture, it was about time they were renewed.

Engine progress

Finally some time to update this blog. The engine is working - the reason it didn't start was that the distributor cap wasn't put on correctly.

Two other problems came up. The first was the joint where the fuel line joins the carb. This is different from the 2.4 mk II with the HD carbs. I couldn't find it in any parts manual.



I cut a new one from a piece of universal fuel hose that was an exact fit.



Then I found out one of the carbs was leaking through the overflow outlet. Turns out I put the little "valve" in backwards. This took two minutes to correct.

The leaky radiator was - quite to my surprise - fixed quite quickly with CRC radiator sealer (see this link). It's been leak-free for a couple of months right now, but of course there hasn't been any pressure or movement.