| Motoring Discussion > Ford Focus - Jobs you'd wish you'd never started | Miscellaneous |
| Thread Author: DP | Replies: 13 |
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New Wed 1 Feb 17 18:05
Ford Focus - Jobs you'd wish you'd never started - DP
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I decided, in my infinite wisdom, to change the clutch on my stopgap Focus last week. It wasn't slipping but it bit right at the top, had a heavy pedal, and became very abrupt in traffic. It generally let down what was otherwise a nice car. So, I booked Friday off work, expecting it to probably run into Saturday given there are always bits you get held up on. It's been a catalogue of disasters. It's now Wednesday, and the car is not done. The problems started when the clamp bolts wouldn't come out of the bottom balljoints. One succumbed to a blowtorch and a grinder. The other is still in there and I ended up damaging the steering knuckle trying to get it out. Also the heat from the blowtorch damaged the balljoint boots and the CV boots. We did however manage to cut the bolt enough to relieve pressure on the joint and allow the joint to be separated. A secondhand knuckle was ordered up from eBay, and new balljoints and CV boots, and I pressed on. Despite liberal coatings of penetrating fluid starting 24 hours beforehand, the crumbly head on the bottom gearbox mount bolt, despite its lowly 47Nm torque succumbed on first attempt. The bolt is completely rusted in. Not willing to break out the blowtorch and ruin the mount, I managed to get around this by removing the bracket off the gearbox casing and effectively dismantling the mount, leaving the dogbone part still attached to the car. Then, with everything undone, the gearbox steadfastedly refused to come out. It's tight on the 2.0 Focus, that's well documented. But dropping the subframe a few inches is supposed to do the job. I gave up after an hour and called my mechanic for help. He came over, and between the two of us we managed to wrestle it out. The clutch change was straightforward. Old bits off (driven plate very worn) and in the bin. New concentric slave bolted in, and clutch aligned and bolted to the flywheel. 15 mins I reckon. Mechanic mate came back to help me get the box back in. Over an hour later, it was in. Mechanic reckons it's one of the worst he's ever done (and he's been in the trade for 30 years). Then the clutch refused to bleed. Nothing coming out of the pipe whatsoever. I suspected a failed master cylinder, but out of desperation, I decided to try sucking the fluid through the bleed nipple. This got enough of a pedal for conventional 2 man bleeding to do the rest. One minor success. So I have the 'box back in and the clutch bled (and feeling like it is working OK). Next job is to replace the knuckle (oh yes, that bolt is seized and rounded too), drill out the balljoint rivets, and bolt the new balljoints in, and replace the CV boots. This at least can be done in the relative warmth of the garage. Then it's driveshafts back in, hub-nuts torqued, fill the box back up with oil, and pray. I'm fitting work around all this as well. Debacle! What are your horror stories? |
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New Wed 1 Feb 17 18:17
Ford Focus - Jobs you'd wish you'd never started - Pat
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There's a lesson to be learned there DP and I'm sure you don't need me to tell you what it is! We once had a Vauxhall Carlton and the temperature gauge stopped working. We got the new temperature sensor that fitted in the block and when my other half had gone off to work I decided to fit it for a surprise for him. It was just that....it was hard to unscrew the old one and I managed to strip the threads in the block while applying my female (lorry driver) muscles to it. He wasn't amused! Pat |
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New Wed 1 Feb 17 19:45
Ford Focus - Jobs you'd wish you'd never started - bathtub tom
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Did a clutch on an Austin Princess (land crab) and a large nut would not come undone. Ended up cutting it with a junior hacksaw as nothing else would get in there - took hours. Back in the days when you could order such a thing from the main dealer and it would be there next day. That clutch change took around four days IIRC. Another clutch on a Fiat 127. One hub nut wouldn't come undone. I dismantled the CV on the car and got the drive-shaft out that way. Maestro diesel cam belt change. The belt encompasses an engine mount that's also a junction for four coolant hoses. Took me days to get all four hoses sealing simultaneously. The first replacement belt (Gates) seemed too long and I couldn't get sufficient tension. Ordered a BL part and the belt was thicker preventing the problem. |
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New Wed 1 Feb 17 20:22
Ford Focus - Jobs you'd wish you'd never started - TheManWithNoName
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Some friends and I once 'helped' my brother re-instal the engine in his '68 Beetle. Only took four bolts. It was Winter. Cold. Grazed knuckles. Getting dark early. No cover. Gravel driveway. Tempers were short. 1 bolt installed...2 bolts, 3 bolts...where's the fourth? I dunno. I thought you had it. Stop mucking around, where is it? I DON'T KNOW! I thought I gave it to you, didn't I? I haven't got it. Time to look around being careful where to tread in case we buried it further in the stones. Torches out, really dark now and freezing. An hour later the final bolt was found. In the pocket of the coat I was wearing. |
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New Wed 1 Feb 17 20:50
Ford Focus - Jobs you'd wish you'd never started - Dog
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Told this tale before but ... T'was back in the 1980's. I took the heads orf my 3ltr capri to do a decoke and grind the valves in etc. etc. When it came to reassembly, the splined driveshaft fell out of the distributor, way , way down into the depths of the sump. I tried everything to retrieve the critter, but no, the sump had to come orf - not an easy job on a 3ltr Capri Automatic, so I towed the ole woman all the way from Bankside (sowf lunden) to Fry's of Lewisham, which is (was) in, um, Lewisham (lud knows it) The ole woman has *never* forgot this (the rope snapped twice) If you've ever been towed for quite some considerable distance, you'll know why! |
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New Wed 1 Feb 17 21:17
Ford Focus - Jobs you'd wish you'd never started - RichardW
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| Changed the rear spheres on my Xantia - except that this caused the crumbly edge of the suspension cylinder the collapse and it wouldn't seal. In their wisdom Citroen secured the end of the ram to the trailing arm with a small steel pin. When new this just pulls out; however, when it's 14 years old it doesn't want to part company, and there just isn't enough room to get in and drive it out. After about 4 hours dicking about, I concluded that the arm had to come out. Cue about another 3 hours to get it out, which then enabled the pin to be driven out. Then I could get my mate to weld up the ram so it would seal, then re-assemble it. A 20 minute sphere changed ended up taking nearly a week! |
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New Wed 1 Feb 17 21:59
Ford Focus - Jobs you'd wish you'd never started - legacylad
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I'm sooooo glad I have a mechanic pal to do this for me. I take my car to his house and give him carte blanche to do whatever is necessary, subject to a phone call if large costs are involved. OTOH an affluent friend potters every week with his 16yo+ car. It's almost daily work to keep it on the road. Last week he replaced the fuel tank securing straps. The previous week the headlining had all come loose. Week before rust on the wings. Ok if you have the time, and more importantly, enjoy it. I'll be selling my Focus this summer if you want another! |
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New Wed 1 Feb 17 23:46
Ford Focus - Jobs you'd wish you'd never started - Ted
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Only last week I decided to fit the towing bracket to the RAV4, I've had it since October in the garage. Just 4 bits, a bracket each side which fits into captive bolts at the end of the chassis, a crossbar and an extension for the ball. Easy...an hour at most. First the towing eye had to come off...crack the two bolts with a socket and they just came out with my fingers. Right, off we go ! Offered the bracket up to the holes where the towing eye had been. Could I get the new bolts in ? Tried the ones I'd taken out......no chance. Managed to get one started but it was ruddy tight and I didn't want to force it and damage the captive or loosen it. The other side just had the holes with the captives inside but same thing...couldn't even get the old bolts from the other side in. Checked the threads..old against new...they matched ok...M12/1.25 pitch as per the paperwork. Grrrrr. I needed a tap. Used SWM's Micra and went to the local engineers suppliers......Closed 'til mid 2017. That's ok...another on the same stretch of road. They only had a 1,75 pitch tap ! Sod it, the Sun was disappearing and it was cooooold ! Went on line to find other places. Rang one in't morning in Stockport. Result, but they only had a top quality one at £33. Off we go again.......Home, coffee and get the mat down to sit on. Ran the tap up and down all 4 threads and, bingo, all the new bolts went in. Left them loose and fitted the crossbar. Two height settings for this, it said use the highest so I did. Spent sometime on line finding out what 80nm was in Imperial.....'cos my wrench don't not have NM. Tightened it all up and fitted the extension and the ball. The door hit it ! Loosened everything off and lowered the crossbar to it's lower setting. put all the bolts in....getting too cold now, me thumbs don't work any more. I couldn't pick up the star washers, let alone the nuts so gave up. Following day I went out while my hands were still working and put all the washers and nuts on, torqueing them up afterwards...and the door opened !......An hour ? Schmour !.... 2 and a bit days ! Now I've got to find a way of getting the electrics into the car and to the back of the lights...that's not a job for cold hands! |
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New Thu 2 Feb 17 08:29
Ford Focus - Jobs you'd wish you'd never started - Dog
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I take my baseball cap orf to you Teddy, you're not as young or handsome as me, and I know you suffer from various elf conditions but, you're still willing and (thank God) able to get down and dirty (and cold!) with the jalopies. Pity you don't live locally really, as you could wipe an oily rag over my 'new' motor which I'm picking up layder on today, hopefully. Tis not a Subaru, alas, or a Raver-4. I'll take a pic in due course to see if it meets with your app-roval. |
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New Thu 2 Feb 17 09:02
Ford Focus - Jobs you'd wish you'd never started - Cliff Pope
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Worst jobs - 1) removing a clutch slave cylinder that had seized into its hole in the bell housing. I knew from experience that hitting it cracks the housing, so nothing for it but to cut it out. I used an angle grinder to chop each end off, perilously close to brake pipes, then used a hacksaw blade held in a rag to cut the cylinder lengthways while lying on my back under the car. It took hours, and still wouldn't break free. It took two more cuts before the cylinder, now chopped into 5 pieces, finally came free. 2) extracting a failed speedometer sensor from a rear axle casing. It was supposed to be a press-fit held by a bolt, but was seized solid. Applying twist with a wrench, the end snapped off. Nothing for it but to drill it out, releasing thousands of tiny semi-circles of fine wire. Despite greasing the drill bit and going slowly, lots of debris fell into the axle. I think I managed to flush these out with repeated fills of paraffin and then oil. The sensor still didn't work. It turned out the new one had its connector wired with the polarity reversed, so I needed to cut the cable and solder up with the colours reversed.. Seized parts are the worst and most frequent nightmare. Short of taking your entire car to pieces once a year just to keep everything loose, there is no answer. Garages simply go on breaking things as they work up the chain, until finally telling you it needs a new caliper, gearbox, door, etc - all because a bolt was seized. |
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New Sat 4 Feb 17 22:53
Ford Focus - Jobs you'd wish you'd never started - Fullchat
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I feel your pain DP. Many many such scenarios over the years. Latest was FC Juniors Picanto which the twins share as they are at Leeds Uni. Telephone call one evening in November with tearful daughter. She had hit a kerb near to Headingly Cricket ground and damaged n/s rims and front tyre was toast. Claimed the sun was in her eyes and she drifted into an empty parking bay then hit the kerb at the end of the bay. Denied a phone causing a distraction was involved. Sorry wrong guy to pull wool over eyes :). Sun was much higher at time of impact to be a distraction. Anyway as luck would have it We have another Picanto in drive awaiting me to get my harris into gear and sell. So two wheels borrowed, tools, trolley jack and to Leeds we go. Front nearside wheel a right mess. Wheels changed in dark and Mrs FC drove it home. Daylight inspection revealed bottom arm also bent. Now this is the latest shape Picanto 11 plate. It seems that manufacturers have some control over pattern parts and in this case apart from your normal consumables everything is dealer only and, as we know, dealers stock nowt but can get them next day. So everything is 2 trips. Part ordered. New wheels and tyres ordered from online tyre supplier. [And thats another story when the Google map nearest fitter was out of date and the delivery company would not take instructions from me for a simple address change. 3 weeks before they finally landed :( ] Strip down required heat on the bottom pinch bolt and some heavy leverage resulting in a split in the CV boot. Back to dealers after a failed attempt with a universal boot. All back together eventually and road test which showed gearbox oil seal leaking. My fault must have damaged it removing drive shaft. Back to dealer, oil seal ordered. Had to manufacture a drift out of some stock tube from the 'it will come in' pile. Back together and then tracking done. Pattern steel rims are not an exact match and so wheel trims do not fit snug. Sourced some used rims (which I should have done in first place by ordering pukka Kia rims as they are not much dearer) which needed a good clean, rub down and paint (yet to be fitted). So by the time it was done it was about 5 weeks and a tad under £400. I,m sure a warm garage and ramp would make things easier but the biggest headache was the backwards and forwards as the parts list expanded. Last edited by: Fullchat on Sat 4 Feb 17 at 22:56
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New Mon 6 Feb 17 10:11
Ford Focus - Jobs you'd wish you'd never started - Mike H
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Only happened once recently. In autumn 2014 (I seem to remember it being cold), I planned to replace the rear brake disc/drums on my Saab 9-5. The car had suffered from a poor handbrake for years, which isn't unusual on these cars, so I decided to take the opportunity to install the new handbrake shoes that had been lying around for several years. They operate on a drum integrated into the disc. Apart from making the discs bulky, it also makes them pretty heavy. Having only a car port, this was an open air job, although protected from the weather. Dismantling went pretty well, for a job I'd never done before. Reassembly was not so straightforward. It turned out that I needed at least three hands to reassemble the handbrake shoes, while tensioning the springs, while locating the shoes on the steadying springs and pins, while locating the handbrake actuating lever. Took virtually a whole day to disassemble and reassemble one side. While working on the second side on day 2, I realised that I had reassembled the first side incorrectly.......entailing a complete strip down and reassembly of the first side for the second time. I managed it somewhat quicker with help from SWMBO. Thankfully, apart from topping up with screenwash fluid, and monitoring the tyres, our CR-V has required no attention! |
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New Mon 6 Feb 17 10:34
Ford Focus - Jobs you'd wish you'd never started - Bromptonaut
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About three years ago I tried to service the Sturmey Archer 'Sprinter' 5 speed hub gear in the older of my two Bromptons. Nuff said!! |
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New Wed 8 Feb 17 14:40
Ford Focus - Jobs you'd wish you'd never started - DP
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Ouch. Some very frustrating scenarios. A few have mentioned there being a lesson in it - I know exactly what they mean, and trust me it's learned. Focus is now back up and running, but was throwing curveballs at me right until the very end. The thing is possessed. |
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