Project R19 16V Hatch Phase 2 UCC

Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 12:30 pm

Busy busy busy then!, I'm stuck at work again

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

aye i was at work as well today, did my last delivery at noon in wandsworth and was back home by 1:30 pm then as it was nice and sunny, just cracked on with the car.
less than 4 weeks to FCS and i only get sundays off so need to do as much as possible in the time given to get it ready for the FCS trip

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

todays work

removed the old clutch

[img:816:616:d006b5b076]http://img303.imageshack.us/img303/7815/cl18pl.jpg[/img:d006b5b076]

and gave the flywheel a good clean

the old one does not look too bad but it was slipping so needed to be done

[img:816:616:d006b5b076]http://img423.imageshack.us/img423/7679/cl25yc.jpg[/img:d006b5b076]

new clutch fitted

[img:816:616:d006b5b076]http://img303.imageshack.us/img303/162/cl39ao.jpg[/img:d006b5b076]

No its not out of alignment, its just the angle the picture was taken lol

next job to do whilst the engine is out is to replace the other two engine mounts

[img:816:616:d006b5b076]http://img306.imageshack.us/img306/6453/cl45iw.jpg[/img:d006b5b076]

[img:816:616:d006b5b076]http://img303.imageshack.us/img303/4678/cl59cd.jpg[/img:d006b5b076]

again the rear one did not look too bad but might as well exchange it now than later

new mounts fitted

[img:816:616:d006b5b076]http://img303.imageshack.us/img303/8781/cl67in.jpg[/img:d006b5b076]

and started to clean up the engine bay

Old parts

[img:816:616:d006b5b076]http://img306.imageshack.us/img306/56/cl78kj.jpg[/img:d006b5b076]

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

you don't half do things the hard way do you.

Site Subscriber Joined: 23 Jan 2005 Posts: 502

Are you sure that there was no oil on the old clutch, as it could be from the gear box seal issue.

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

well today i was gloriously doing things the hard way again Smile

anyway got the head and bottom end bolted back together and engine back into the car

i was so busy today i forgot to take pics of the different stages but here is what it looks like at end of today

[img:816:616:5901a1a17f]http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/2613/ma72rp.jpg[/img:5901a1a17f]

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

Got the car started today.
It went first time on the key Smile

Althou it does appear to have a coolant leak, i suspect the aux pump as the drips appear to be coming from that general area.

Also 1st and Reverse gear crunch like mad when you engage them.

I will adjust the selector linkage this afternoon and see if it makes any difference.

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

ok, the problem with the incredibly hard gear selection is the cable, so have got a new genuine renault clutch cable for it which will be fitted sometime this week (if the damn rain stops for long enough)

and as i cant do any work outside on the car, i did UCC a nice painted rocker cover

[img:816:616:7c53f736ef]http://img460.imageshack.us/img460/9379/rc11uf.jpg[/img:7c53f736ef]

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

New clutch cable and clutch pedal fitted today and mmmmmm gearchange is spot on now Smile

plus i also found the source of my coolant leak, it was as i suspected, the aux water pump, good job i have a spare one so old one swapped out for my spare and now i have no leaks Smile

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

Engine all back together!

[img:816:616:134150623c]http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/7892/eng10zv.jpg[/img:134150623c]

pic taken yesterday at FCS2006

Retroholic Joined: 23 Dec 2005 Posts: 3315

looks mint in the flesh well impressed with the work put into making this bay clean

slack throttle cable though Wink

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

Well, not updated this report in ages, lack of cash flow from changing jobs being the main reason.

But since the work on the engine was carried out and the one bad episode where it overheated on the way back from FCS, the car has been running like a dream until yesterday lol

Somehow it's managed to get a split in the drivers side driveshaft gaitor at the split pin side, so its got to come off to be replaced, tbh i may as well put a brand new driveshaft on there whilst its out.

Anyway, as the weather was cooler today, UCC got a good wash down and polish

[img:1290:720:eb3ef3815d]http://img308.imageshack.us/img308/8205/jul15mw.jpg[/img:eb3ef3815d]

[img:1632:1232:eb3ef3815d]http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/3630/jul28uk.jpg[/img:eb3ef3815d]

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

Well last weekend i lost Reverse Gear on the hatch.

Not due to clutch problems or gearbox problems but all down to a tiny cable which had snapped.

As you know the gear lever has a pull up to select reverse, well this is done by using a little wire cable and this is what has snapped

So of course i need to remove the old one

This part is not essential, you should only need to remove the gaitor but i thought why not, means i can give the centre console a good clean up and also clean the carpet underneath it, as you can see from the below pic, how much crap was under it !

[img:1632:1232:c2deac2117]http://img458.imageshack.us/img458/6676/im000854fk6.jpg[/img:c2deac2117]

To remove the gear lever is fairly easy, get the car jacked up, undo the bolts that hold on the exhaust heatsheild to the bottom of the car and slide it backwards, then you can access the 4 x 13mm bolts that hold the gear lever assembly in place, make sure you also disconnect the gear lever return spring, then at the gearbox end, remove the rubber boot that covers the bolt that connects the selector rod to the gearbox and then undo the bolt.

It then all just falls out from under the car, BUT i would suggest if your car is fitted with a catalytic converter, you remove that as space will be cramped, mines got a decat pipe so space to remove the assembly was not an issue.

Here is the cable that snapped

[img:1632:1232:c2deac2117]http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/6546/im000853hi0.jpg[/img:c2deac2117]

[img:1632:1232:c2deac2117]http://img334.imageshack.us/img334/8260/im000852zp0.jpg[/img:c2deac2117]

I was going to replace it with the one from my chammy but . . before i removed it, i pulled off the gaitor to check its condition and its almost the same, only two strands of the cable are intact so hardly seems worth it to me to use this one as it will prolly also snap very shortly, So need to find a replacement one now.

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

Well thanks to Chris H, i now have a replacement gear lever on its way, so when that arrives i can fit it and have the car back up and running Smile

the lever Chris is sending me

[img:567:378:02e1430bc7]http://www.renault-turbo.com/chris/gearlever%20for%20neo.jpg[/img:02e1430bc7]

Thanks again Chris Smile

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

Gearlever is now fitted and i have reverse again Smile

Had to adjust the linkage a couple of times but now all gear changes feel smooth and positive Very Happy

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

todays work saw the fitting of a drivers side driveshaft and hub.

Why?

Well the wheel bearing on that side has been squeaking for about a month now, progresivly getting louder and louder and starting to affect the steering and also because there is a tiny little cut in the CV gaitor at the gearbox end of the driveshaft.

To save myself the hassle of getting a wheel bearing pressed in, i'm using the driveshaft and hub from the chammy i'm breaking, no need to take out the driveshaft from the hub then.

So first thing to do is loosen the wheel nuts on the front drivers side wheel, then jack the car up and get an axle stand under.
Remove the wheel.

next job is to bang out the roll pin out of the driveshaft, i always seem to have a problem with these but today, it just pinged out first time Very Happy

next its off with the brake caliper, supporting it with a bit of wire or string to the suspension strut and off with the brake disc.

Then removed the trackrod end from the hub and first snag, the damn thing sheared off so now i've got another job to do and replace that

[IMG:1632:1232:70a518b2d3]http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/7598/im000867je6.jpg[/img:70a518b2d3]

i see no point in using the one from the chammy as a new one is not that expensive and will also save a future job, so got to wait until after bank holiday to get one.

Then i remove the two bolts that hold the hub to the suspension strut then undo the lower ball joint bolts and remove them, this is why you take the track rod end out first. because now with the hub free of that and the strut, you can swivel it to access the bolts on the ball joints better.

With it all free, pull the hub away from the car and with a couple of jerks the whole thing comes out.

[IMG:1632:1232:70a518b2d3]http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/6106/im000870xf1.jpg[/img:70a518b2d3]

Then i did exactly the same thing with the chammy and fitted its hub and shaft to the hatch.
Make sure before you slide the shaft onto the gearbox splines that you have the hole for the roll pin lined up, slide the shaft on, bolt up the lower ball joint, bolt up the hub to the suspension strut, refit the track rod end to the hub (except i cant do this at the mo lol), refit the brake disc and caliper, put wheel back on and lower the car to the ground, job done Very Happy

All back together:

[IMG:1632:1232:70a518b2d3]http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/5912/im000869dd2.jpg[/img:70a518b2d3]

You can see the trail of grease from the CV joint down the exhaust downpipe caused by the split gaitor

[IMG:1632:1232:70a518b2d3]http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/2550/im000868ed7.jpg[/img:70a518b2d3]

Once i've done the track rod end, the car will be getting a damn good jet washing underneath to clean up all that grease and other crap from the bottom of the car.

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

Right, this afternoon i replaced my broken track rod end

[img:1632:1232:859cd4f2c5]http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/7598/im000867je6.jpg[/img:859cd4f2c5]

Old and new side by side, the OE Renault one is quite a bit more solid looking and feeling, i guess thats one of the reasons OE parts are more expensive, the replacement was obtained from Euro Car Parts at just under Â£11 incl VAT.

[IMG:1632:1232:859cd4f2c5]http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/2426/im000883qs5.jpg[/img:859cd4f2c5]

Off

[IMG:1632:1232:859cd4f2c5]http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/3063/im000884be9.jpg[/img:859cd4f2c5]

On

[IMG:1632:1232:859cd4f2c5]http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/2788/im000885ui8.jpg[/img:859cd4f2c5]

and job done!

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

Car is all nice and clean again now for the Renault World Series tomorrow

[img:1632:1232:177f897e76]http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/2561/clean1jg3.jpg[/img:177f897e76]

[img:1632:1232:177f897e76]http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/563/clean2fw5.jpg[/img:177f897e76]

[img:1632:1232:177f897e76]http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/1651/clean3ci4.jpg[/img:177f897e76]

[img:1187:739:177f897e76]http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/7342/clean4rr7.jpg[/img:177f897e76]

Retroholic Joined: 23 Dec 2005 Posts: 3315

looking good mate Thumbs Up!

Retroholic Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 1000

i know this will probably sound silly, but would you need to get the tracking done again?

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

This car is now FOR SALE to make way for project 'oo la la'