Our friends have a 1999 T reg Astra G. They have little money so keep it immaculate - I've seen one year old cars in a worse state. Strange that when new these cars were not that well written-up, journalists preferring the sharp chassis of the Focus. But as a cheap runabout, these old Astras make a lot of sense. This one is the old 8v 1.6, apart from a tendency to run a bit cold they are virtually bombproof. Easy cambelt change. All service items easy to get at. There's not a spot of rust anywhere on it - and the underneath is sound as well.
I took it out for a drive and was impressed by its supple ride - certainly well suited to our pothole-ridden roads. Anyway, these friends have been away for about three weeks on a cycling holiday and before they went were complaining that the brakes were juddering a bit. So I said leave it at ours and I will have a look-see whilst they are away. Nothing more than new pads and disks needed, so I bought the parts and began the job. Driver's side no problem but the other side the wretched disk wouldn't budge. I don't like to hit disks too much as it can knacker the bearings so I pondered for a few minutes whilst having a cigarette.
Then I remembered an old trick I learned years ago but had forgotten about. Jack the front end up, remove wheels and disk fixings (usually one screw but can be more). Start car and put in first gear and lightly apply the brakes. This will crack the rust bonding the disk to the hub. Obviously you need to be careful doing this, use axle stands. If you feel a bit uneasy about this then another method I've since heard about (but not tried) that people may find a bit safer is after removing the disk fixings, put the wheels back on and lowered to the ground but leave the nuts a little loose (maybe one turn loose?) then rock the car back and forward a little on the engine, jabbing the brakes.
Anyway, after getting the other disk off, the rest of the job went smoothly, including bleeding the brakes since the fluid looked a bit old. I applied copper grease to all the usual places and torqued all the fixings correctly. The brakes are now perfect with no juddering and a good hard but progressive feel to the pedal (it felt a bit spongy to me before).
Unfortunately whilst nosing around under the bonnet I noticed that the radiator had a minor leak, not bad but needed to be dealt with before the winter. So I bought a genuine GM rad from Autovaux for a reasonable £73 and fitted it taking the opportunity to flush the system through and refill with fresh antifreeze. Before starting the job I glanced in the Haynes manual for this model and it mentions removing the front bumper. Surely not - Vauxhalls tend to be quite easy to work on so I just used my common sense. Anyway on the Astra a few bits and pieces needed to be removed but taking the bumper off was clearly not necessary. Maybe for one of the bigger engined models but not the humble 1.6… I've done easier radiator changes but also far harder ones.
My thoughts:
1. The Astra G makes a lot of sense as a cheap runabout that is easy and cheap to keep going, with reasonable parts prices and it doesn't rust.
2. Haynes manuals are useful but not always 100% accurate.
3. Tricks learned in the past can still be relevant today.
4. My best thoughts have often come whilst enjoying a fag.
|
1/ As an Astra owner, I'll agree with you.
2? Haynes manuals are useful but NEVER 100% accurate.
3/ Nothing like experience.
4/ If everyone smoked, the world would be a better place.
|
Nice story. Quite levelling. I used enjoy a tinker about with cars but daren't touch them now. Too similar to Jodrell Bank these days.
I miss that bit about cigs the most really. The chemical addiction seems to be at bay but I do miss the contemplative smokes. Especially the ones with a mug of tea while trying to solve a problem. I don't know what I'm going to do this winter in the "waiting for the windscreen to defrost" downtime. That was a natural for a brew and a drag.
:-)
|
>> I don't know what I'm going to do this winter in the "waiting for the windscreen to defrost" downtime
No waiting with heated windscreens on Mondeos boss. Maybe you should get one of those? ;)
|
>>If everyone smoked, the world would be a better place<<
Depends what you put in it innit ;}
|
|
I had the same thought....
|
|
Well, the thing about Marlboro reds is you don't feel a sudden urge to listen to "Dark side of the Moon" when you smoke them. Which may or may not be seen as advantageous depending upon your predilections. They are conversely really useful when building a Westfield for example. The process involves quite a lot of standing back admiring one's own handiwork or indeed contemplating one's latest lash-up which can seem a tad self-indulgent without the social prop and excuse of a fag break.
|
>> Depends what you put in it innit ;}
>>
My body is my temple. Only the finest Virginia tobaccos go into mine.
|
>>My body is my temple. Only the finest Virginia tobaccos go into mine<<
They are both erbs though fella - given to us by the supreme being, in it's infinite wisdom.
|
You know, in all the years I smoked, I never could get on with "british" style cigarettes. I started oddly enough on Gallia, a sub brand of Gauloises I think. They were in a yellow packet with a cockerel on the front I seem to remember. Goodness knows why that seemed a good idea but there it is. I tried various brands including all the usual suspects but settled on Marlboro as a favourite. There's an oilyness to some tobaccos I just don't get on with and for some reason I favoured the dryness of american style cigs.
I wish I could treat tobacco like, say, brandy. I rarely drink it but when I do it's nice.
|
I started with
Players no6, then flirted with Woodbines, Players no10, then went to work and worked through
State Express 555, Rothmans, Players Navy Cut, Capstan, then stuck with Marlboro Reds for 30 years.
|
A fellow cowboy then...
:-))
Edit - Speaking of which, wonder where BBD has got to?
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Sun 11 Sep 11 at 18:19
|
|
Yeah, I even took to folding the pack in the short sleeve of my shirt, ALA James Dean.
|
|
No really? I had a little leather pouch on my belt. Twonksville of course...
|
I've been a roll up merchant for nigh on 40 years, stems from rolling joints, + dog ends using Izal toilet paper,
(hence my name!)
|
>> I've been a roll up merchant for nigh on 40 years, stems from rolling joints,
>> + dog ends using Izal toilet paper,
>> (hence my name!)
i know the feeling, smoking herbal tea leaves and weetabix crumbs rolled in thin bible paper.....glad i gave up
|
Unless you can roll it with one hand while pulling your baccy pouch closed with your teeth, there is nothing classy or stylish about roll ups.
All it says is "I can't afford to smoke"
|
>>All it says is "I can't afford to smoke"<<
Maybe, maybe not - I'd rather have a roll up, than a taylor made any day.
|
|
Always roll up Samsong best Drum weak Van Nelle the black stuff a killer.Senior Service from the old man.Stuyvesant for sister.Chucked it at 27 restarted on and off.
|
>>Always roll up Samsong<<
And Dahlia?
|
Dahlia.
Got on well with her a heavy smoker.>:)
|
We've had a 1.6 8 valve Astra for 8 years or so.
It has 85,000 on the clock now, and, beyond normal service items has had;
- a broken coil spring
- a corroded exhaust tail pipe
- a thermostat stuck open
- a sticking EGR valve
- HT leads
- air conditioning condenser failed along the lower edge
So, not trouble free by any means, but none of the jobs were much trouble - I did the thermostat at the same time as I replaced the cambelt.
When we bought the car, it was 6 months old, and had 10K on the clock (ex rental I imagine), and we paid £7K. It's difficult to see how we could get similar value for money now.
|
...My thoughts...
1. You've done a good job there - a career in car maintenance awaits.
2. Perhaps the bumper removal applies to Astras with oil coolers, or maybe autos with transmission oil coolers.
3. You are a good friend to have, I hope the owners of the car appreciate that.
|
I treat Haynes manuals as a rough guide only. With them you have to also use a bit of common sense.
I've found the torque settings quite accurate, but some of the strip down / rebuild / adjustment procedures leave a lot to be desired.
|
Something similar with the mk4 golf haynes for replacing the radiator, but there's bags of room behind the rad on the 1.6 so i didn't bother removing the bumper and just got stuck in.
Until i found the 4 retaining screws for the rad face the front of the car, gahhh! I bet it was 50p cheaper to assemble.
|
I prefer cars where the manufacturer actually spends money on engineering properly...
GM don't...#
Smokers are evil and make global warming look like a storm in a pint mug.. :-)
# anyone who designs a braking system with retaining screws for disks or drums has it wrong. Anyone who uses the wheel bearing to reatin the rear drums is French...and a real pia..
Last edited by: madf on Mon 12 Sep 11 at 11:38
|
>>anyone who designs a braking system with retaining screws for disks or drums has it wrong.
Interesting - please would you expand on this?
|
>> Interesting - please would you expand on this?
Ditto. I'd like to hear it too.
|
|
It must mean that the wheel nuts are not up to the job of retaining the discs. :)
|
|
Vauxhall use bolts to hold their wheels on though. If the disc were to slip on the hub when refitting a wheel at the side of the road, it could be a PITA to align back up again so as to get the bolt through the disc into the hub. The retainer screw prevents this from happening.
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 12 Sep 11 at 13:54
|
I've never understood why brake drums are held in place by a small set screw, when the drum is held on by the wheelnuts in use.
|
|
As above. Not all hubs have studs. Some wheels are held on with bolts, not nuts.
|
>> As above. Not all hubs have studs. Some wheels are held on with bolts, not
>> nuts.
>>
Daft design, (bean counters?), what do you hang the wheel on during a change?
|
...what do you hang the wheel on during a change?...
A small stud, in the case of some Renaults.
|
|
I have changed a Renault wheel, that stud is an elongated disc retaining bolt.
|
...that stud is an elongated disc retaining bolt...
Dual purpose - what a clever design.
|
>> ...that stud is an elongated disc retaining bolt...
>>
>> Dual purpose - what a clever design.
>>
>>
>>
I don't care how clever it is I am not buying one.
I saw a Renault Wind on display in a shopping mall this morning. Not for me, but a nice posers (hairdressers) motor.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Mon 12 Sep 11 at 14:19
|
...I saw a Renault Wind on display in a shopping mall this morning. Not for me, but a nice posers (hairdressers) motor...
I parked next to a new Wind in a supermarket a month or so ago.
The female owner could have been a hairdresser, or a brain surgeon, but I digress.
She said she was reasonably happy with the car, but the fuel consumption was high, compared to her old Clio.
As a CC3 owner, I was helpfully able to inform her tin convertible roofs add weight, so her car will use more petrol than its hatchback equivalent.
|
>> I saw a Renault Wind on display in a shopping mall this morning.
Are the emissions measured in methane rather than carbon monoxide when calculating the tarmac tax?
|
>> Daft design
Not really - why daft>
>> (bean counters?)
Well, pressing in studs AND supplying nuts will obviously cost more than tapping the hub and supplying bolts, but, how many customers would actually pay more for studs and nuts rather than bolts? Not many I would wager. The other glorious result of using bolts is to reduce the part number count, which makes supporting the car in service / parts cheaper.
I would describe it as the sort of engineering decision which helps make cars affordable.
>>what do you hang the wheel on during a change?
Some makes use a combined retainer / stud, ans has been mentioned, some rely upon the spigot, and some supply a special long temporary stud in the toolkit to help alignment.
|
>> Daft design, (bean counters?), what do you hang the wheel on during a change?
>>
You dont need to hang the wheel on anything,
The lancer has bolts, no problems putting a wheel on.
But still, I suppose when you get to your age that wheel gets a bit heavy.
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 12 Sep 11 at 21:30
|
...Not all hubs have studs...
True, but if the wheel falls off, the drum brake is not going to work terribly well, whether the drum is still attached or not.
Although it may be the other drum brake would work better if the shoes on the missing wheel side were still restricted by the drum.
|
A career in car maintenance? Maybe in the next life but I'm too old now. Long past retirement and some might say well past it as well. Should have retired eight years ago but I found the transition too difficult so still do some technical consultancy work. During quieter times I do odd jobs for parts costs only. I don't charge labour, money's no use to me at my age, I need time but shops don't stock that.
This evening I've been helping the teenage lad of one of our friends change his rear pads. He had been struggling for ages not realising you have to wind the pistons back in... so lent him my Sealey wind-back tool kit but in the end decided to go and assist for a while - it's better than Coronation Street.
Last edited by: The Melting Snowman on Mon 12 Sep 11 at 19:44
|
>>it's better than Coronation Street<<
Anything is better than Coronation Street!
|
|
I started watching it in the last couple of years - beginning to wonder why - the few comedy moments (Kirk in particular) have ebbed....it's all very confusing now.
|
|
Is Pat Phoenix still in it :)
|
>>it's better than Coronation Street<<
Anything is better than Coronation Street
+1
Last edited by: Skip on Mon 12 Sep 11 at 19:51
|
|
Totally agree. Unfortunately my missus likes it. Cue for me to exit the house and into the workshop for half an hour.
|
>>Anything is better than Coronation Street
No, sorry, can't agree.
SWMBO and two daughters used to watch neighbours.
|
I know the old geezer with the Jowett likes his corrie.
:-)
|
>> I know the old geezer with the Jowett likes his corrie.
>>
>> :-)
>>
Yes, but he comes from that part of the world. He has to like it on semi-religious grounds!
Having said that, I should like Eastenders - but I can't stand it.
|
>>Having said that, I should like Eastenders - but I can't stand it.<<
Same here - spose I'm just not soapy enough.
|
>> I glanced in the Haynes manual for this model and it mentions removing the front
>> bumper. Surely not - Vauxhalls tend to be quite easy to work on so I
>> just used my common sense. Anyway on the Astra a few bits and pieces needed
>> to be removed but taking the bumper off was clearly not necessary. Maybe for one
>> of the bigger engined models but not the humble 1.6… I've done easier radiator changes
>> but also far harder ones.
>>
Haynes do tend to do that; front foglamp replacement on a Vectra B is supposed to require bumper removal, but it doesn't; Vectra B & Omega B dash light renewal is supposed to involve steering wheel removal but doesn't, from personal experience.
|
I've often found smoking to be a great social leveler. At various posh functions I've often been found outside having a cigarette with lawyers, accountants, architects, journalists and other well-paid characters. I've often used the excuse of 'going for a fag' as a great escape route at parties if I'm caught by someone dull. My missus often gets invited to those posh middle-class do's, you know the ones where they serve peanuts in tweety little dishes and sup sherry. It's not my scene, I'd rather be down the pub having a few pints with my darts team - it's better than discussing the latest accountancy conventions or other tiresome subjects.
But it doesn't always work. On one occasion I got caught by a 'Man of the Cloth'. Desperate to get away after about five minutes I made my usual bid for escape by claiming that I needed to go outside for a quick smoke. "Ah that's a good idea" came the reply, "I've been gasping for one for since I got here". Oh sh…….
|
Various ramblings on a sunny day - Robin O'Reliant
