The dog rough estate

[mr_fish]

Awesome attention your giving this to bring it back. Seems like you've almost gone through the whole car.

Always following this with interest

[DeeTurbo]

Thanks Mr_fish, I'm glad someones seeing the effort I'm putting in to this car.

I've updated my previous post with photos.

Yesterday it was a bit of a late one, I didn't get home till 10 that night. Girlfriend wanted me home at half six for dinner, I had a pot noodle at work instead.

So then, I bought a new rad on the way to work as the one in the car was a little bent but it still held water, amazingly.

See how bent the condenser is.


and the rad has a bit of a bow but the bottom fins were broken.


The new rad has a hole for a sensor but no HDI's have a sensor there! So I had to find something to plug it.


A couple of things I found.


What I went with.


Next I tried my hand at fixing this.


I got a seagull to shit on it


I then realised I forgot my little grinding wheels so I had to file it down by hand, it took awhile.

After the filing I welded the washer to the cup or half of it.


Not the best of jobs I know.

I left a hair dry on it to help the paint dry.


Next up dropping the engine and box back in.






Box took awhile to get in, was a bit fiddly to get the spines lined up till I thought about turning the engine via the crank pulley, bingo lined up and on it went.

I didn't put the release arm back till later as I have a habit of lifting it by there then knocking the bearing out of position.



With the engine and box back on its mounts I swapped the oil filter to find the threaded bit that the filter screws on to has damaged threads.



Now then where the hell do these go???



They're two m8 nuts with captive washer, they look pretty clean so must be out the way somewhere.

Rad back on.



Slam panel with lights.



Bumper and grill, in high sight I think I could have taken the slam panel and bumper off together?



Back on the deck.


Guess what....

---

Glad I didn't put coolant in it. The bastard plug I put in wasn't 1/2 inch tapered but parallel so it wasn't sealing right.



Also the stat housing leaked, badly!



I tried putting the silly O ring on top of the standard slotted stat "gasket" to no avail that ECP give with their stat's.

Looking at the stat housing today, I found that it was warped, what a crap design. The bolts aren't evenly spaced so the long span gets bent up in time and allows it to leak. They're £10.98 from pug (133 6R9) but I found one on ebay new for £11 posted

You can see from my shit pic, one side you can see day light under it.



I also got a tapered plug from a work mate so going to try that tomorrow, fingers crossed. His also given me a parallel one with a larger shoulder on it to try but I don't think that will work unless I put a O ring between the shoulder and rad.

I'll post a first fire video.

http://youtu.be/ImnvxrFuaKI

It still made a funny missing noise on cranking, the one I was hoping to cure with the new pump. I do hope it was just air in the pump or something but I did prime it a few times.

Also the ELM light came up, I tried PP2k on it today but the bastard ODB port has corrosion on some pins that I tried cleaning with contact cleaner before and got it working but it's f*cked again so I'll be cutting that off and replacing with one with better contacts. If it's not one thing it's another with this car, but getting there.

Ooh spot my dodgy connections on the HP pump, it was done just to get the car out my work area to the car park and I'll be doing a neater job with the pipes soon. Airline push fit fittings FTW!



More goodies!
My trailing arm bits also came today.



So I'll have lots of fun next with rebuilding the beam, yay me.

[Uberderv]

Great stuff mate, Well done for sticking at it :-)

[DeeTurbo]

Thanks matey, I sort of have to now as I've put too much money into it to give up at this stage.

The car was really fit for the scrappers.

It's funny that it still puts a smile on my face, I think if it was my daily it would be a different story.

I hope your 205 project is going well?

[Uberderv]

Not being a daily driver takes the pressure off, you obviously enjoy fixing stuff too

The 205 is just waiting on a couple of MOT bits so its close to being roadworthy.

[Toms306]

You can take bumper and slam off together BUT you obviously still need the grill removed to get the bonnet release cable out (and the hockey stick clips unless the grill tabs are already broken lol). For the extra couple of minutes its just as easy to remove the bumper separately. Also means you can get the hockey sticks out with the grill without snapping all the bottom lugs off (squeeze tabs together under headlights).

Those 2 'spare' 13mm nuts look like the ones from the gearbox mount to bracket.

[DeeTurbo]

Not being a daily driver takes the pressure off, you obviously enjoy fixing stuff too

The 205 is just waiting on a couple of MOT bits so its close to being roadworthy.

Doesn't it just but there still was a bit of pressure the weekend to get it out of the building I work in before Tuesday morning.

I would love a double garage or a nice flat drive way. One at home is on a slope and tiny.

Yeah I love fixing stuff, there worst thing about my job is that a break things, test to destruction.

You can take bumper and slam off together BUT you obviously still need the grill removed to get the bonnet release cable out (and the hockey stick clips unless the grill tabs are already broken lol). For the extra couple of minutes its just as easy to remove the bumper separately. Also means you can get the hockey sticks out with the grill without snapping all the bottom lugs off (squeeze tabs together under headlights).

Those 2 'spare' 13mm nuts look like the ones from the gearbox mount to bracket.

Gold medal goes to Tom.

That is exactly where they came from, I think. I don't remember screwing that mount down.

Wow, that was quick. My new stat housing arrived today, only ordered it yesterday.

So, in a min I'll be sticking that on and one of the new blanks.



The place I got it from.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/371013416254?s...1439.l2649

[Ruan]

Good man for keeping at this!

Pretty much everyone else on this forum would have broken this for parts by now, 306s really are a dying breed!!!

Actually excited to see this done!

[Toms306]

Broken it for parts? Were there any salvageable ones?

As for the mount nuts, you will need to put them back, the bolts holes are elongated so the mount will move if not lol.

[DeeTurbo]

Good man for keeping at this!

Pretty much everyone else on this forum would have broken this for parts by now, 306s really are a dying breed!!!

Actually excited to see this done!

Thanks, I think I could have done with a good dona car to use for parts.

I think I'm still getting a bit of the starting issue but it's being masked by the warmer weather.

I've got a feeling the wrong oil has been used in the car as it looked to be very thick when draining.

Broken it for parts? Were there any salvageable ones?

As for the mount nuts, you will need to put them back, the bolts holes are elongated so the mount will move if not lol.

I really do think there wasn't anything worth any value left on the car. The nuts will be going back on, it doesn't take long to get the battery tray and that cover plate off. If I carry on getting this starting issue I might just get another engine for it but before I do that my next port of call is going to be a starter motor, hopefully one off an early HDI. Then after that I might put the injectors out of my hatchback into it as I have some 076's to go in that.

My hatchback has been a bit neglected of late because of the estate.

Anyway the water leaks have now been sorted, the new blank and the new stat housing have sorted it.

The new blank.


I forgot to say I put the old drive shafts off my hatch on this so it's now got good CV boots. It could almost pass an MOT now lol

[mcglynn]

This is gonna be mint when finished.

progress has been good and overall an interesting read.

ill keep my eye

[ash23]

top work mate good to see it coming back to life.
I thought my estate was bad aswell but nothing compared lol

[DeeTurbo]

Thanks guys.

This is gonna be mint when finished.

progress has been good and overall an interesting read.

ill keep my eye

I wasn't going to be spending much on the bodywork the plan was to get it mechanically sound but I'm tempted now. I've got a friend in Peterborough that has a bodyshop and I'm thinking about asking him if I could sort out the bodywork there.

[C2K]

Honestly, I respect the efforts you've gone to, but I seriously would've bought something with less miles and less of a mess. this thing is going to be like Triggers broom by the time you've spent a fortune getting it online.

[DeeTurbo]

Honestly, I respect the efforts you've gone to, but I seriously would've bought something with less miles and less of a mess. this thing is going to be like Triggers broom by the time you've spent a fortune getting it online.

My best mate keeps saying that about my hatchback, I see his and your point but most the bits I've changed are mainly service items.

I do wish I bought something a little better condition but I don't know why but I really wanted this for some strange unknown reason. I definitely paid too much for the car.

[C2K]

Yeah that's sort of what i'm getting at. It sounded cheap when you bought it, but i'm sure you'd wince at the sum of parts spent getting it up to a semi-usable standard. The epic amount of bodgery is unreal. :O

My hatch wasn't tip top but it was respectable at 272K!

[DeeTurbo]

The thing is the car was fit for scrap, I'd openly admit that. It should have never been on the road, I was shocked when I first had a look under it and that I drove it back from Portsmouth in that condition. I think there would have been two pages of MOT failures if I put it for one when I got it.

It felt like someone had used this car for parts and put all the old shit parts back on it.

A part from a couple of small issues on my hatchback I would say that it is in good condition not only for a car with 315k but for a car of 14 years.

If your ever in the area I would welcome you to have a drive in it.

[DeeTurbo]

Not the best gif, meh.

More updates.

The EML light came on after I took the engine out, basically when I last turned the engine off before the engine coming out it ran on with the key removed so it logged a code.

I've had a few problems connecting to the ECU through the OBD port, at first I thought it was corrosion on the contacts of the plug. I had cleaned it with contact cleaner and it started working for a bit but this last week I couldn't connect again so I had a closer look at the plug. One of the pin sockets had damage so I removed the pin from the plug and bent it back in to shape. It seems to be ok now and I'm able to reset the light.





Next up I tidied up the wiring to the air horn that was installed. I'm not sure if I'm keeping it yet, if I do I'll rewire it a bit more neatly and mount the relay properly.

Before,


After,



After that I thought I'd have a look at the repair made to the earth cables thinking that might have had something to do with the dodgy starting.

Well the main cable to the gearbox wasn't to bad but the one to the body wasn't that great as it was loose in the crimp.

You can see here the insulation of the cable going into the crimp. I thought it might not have gone in enough and that could have caused a poor contact.


This is the one that goes to the body, you can see the insulation went in a lot and the exposed copper wasn't held every well in the crimp.


The electricians weren't at work today so I though I'd bodge it.

I got more exposed copper,


Then crimped them in a vice and had something in there to press on the copper.


That's all I could be bothered with today.

I've got a starter on order from Tom just hope that sorts out the starting issue and I've got some fuel pipe on order to plumb the HP pump properly.

I'm also going to try rebuild Chris's old rear beam during the week and I'm going to have a break from the car tomorrow.

[Tom]

Crimps + hammer = great fun

[DeeTurbo]

Another little update.

Fixed the starting issue.

It was the starter motor, swapped it for the one Tom sent and it starts so much better.

Before
http://youtu.be/CfZHM2xc99o

Now
http://youtu.be/fCZIXMN1KLU

Old at the top


The old was a Bosch unit and the replacement is a Valeo.

All to do now is the rear axle, stick my other springs in then mechanically it will be sound.

I might get a condenser to get the AC working this month.

[Toms306]

Never seen a Bosch starter on a HDi tbh, don't think its OEM standard! Glad the starter sorted the issue though.

[DeeTurbo]

Thanks for sorting it for me Tom.

On service box there are three Bosch part numbers for starters but I bet the motor on wasn't it's original that's why I must have been having the issue.

Strangely there were no part numbers on the Bosch unit.

[DeeTurbo]

Today I've been working on the two faulty axles, one is to replace the one on the car.

The car ride height will be going up as soon as one of the axles is done and fitted.

I've had some new Gmax 30mm springs in the garage for awhile that I might fit or some HDI Dturbo springs, not sure which ones at the moment. I think I might try the Gmax ones first and see what the ride and the height is like and then if there not that much lower than the hatchback I might go for the others as the others they will be a better regarding ride comfort.

Here is how it's looking now.


The tires rub like mad at the moment.

One of the axles was seized solid. When removing the arm the stub stayed in the beam.

[DeeTurbo]

Today I replaced the 106 spax 60mm springs for some 306 Gmax 30mm ones I had. The front is now 50mm higher, it's now at 610mm from the floor to the top of the arch.

How it use to sit, I did like the way it looked at this height but hated the tires scrubbing.


How it sits now.


I had lots of fun this morning working on the spare rear axles. The one is definitely scrap as the main cross member has gone oval, so I'll be using the the 24mm ARB out of it.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll be removing the old beam and building up the new on to the car.

The starting issue is still there. Tomorrow I'll be connecting PP2k and seeing if it's still taking it's time to build up fuel pressure. If it is then I'll have to replace the injectors as that's the only other thing it could be. I hate changing injectors and I'll be doing to lots as the one out my hatchback will be going in this and some 076's going in the hatchback.

http://youtu.be/5eubu072hnI

I'm racing next weekend so I really need to get this car sorted tomorrow. I should have been working on my kart this weekend and getting that ready.

I've now installed hydraulics

[DeeTurbo]

What a day I had yesterday, I didn't get home till midnight.

I rebuilt the rest of my spare axle and then fitted it to the car. As I was working on my own I thought it best to fit the cross-member and then build it on the car.

Old crusty beam.


Nice and clean.


I used the old arm stub to push the new inner bearings in.



Cleaned up the splines of the bars.


And the splines in the arms. If you look closely you will see a spline missing, I thought it took a lot of force to remove the bars out. I was ripping out a spline also.


Used my new jack to remove the old beam. Boy is it so much easier removing the beam with a good large jack.


Is this an MOT fail?


Beam less.


No more pics as I was rushing around to get it all done.

I was following an old guide on .net on how to lower your car to set everything up and I used the measurements on that.

I thought the front is on 30mm lower springs so I though I'd use the values for the 30mm drop but I missed the part were it said for 20mm bars so I made my dummy shocks to 320mm. When I nailed it all together again, dropped it on the deck to find it was exactly the same ride height as before! I couldn't use the measure from the arch to the hub method as the arm wasn't in the right place on the one side.

It was too late to do anything about this so it will have to be done another day.

I think the starting issue is due to the brown reply as I noticed the lift pump wasn't priming last night and sometimes PP2k won't connect to the ECU and that relay powers both. I'm thinking of wiring up an LED to the power to the pump to see if it's getting power or if it's the pump failing when it's not priming.

I might do a bit more to it in my lunch breaks but as it stands the cars not ready to take this weekend.

I also found another MOT issue, the rear N/S brake flexi has cracks along it so I'll be getting some new ones and I think I'll replace that rusty brake line to.

Ooh, I also need to get an ABS sensor as one was broken on the one side.

So jobs to be done ideally before the weekend.

• Fit ABS sensor
  
• Replace rear flexi pipes.
  
• Adjust rear ride height
  
• Replace bodged fuel pipes.
  
• Change brown relay.
  

And the turbo is still sounding loud for some reason, I thought after fitting the turbo gasket that would have quietened it down.

[DeeTurbo]

Well it got me there and back without issue, 2 and a half hours each way.

I didn't get chance to have a shake down since removing the engine and rebuilding the rear axle, so I was lucky.

On the Saturday I raised the rear height, replaced the bodged fuel pipes with proper fuel pipe and clamps and I had a look at the brown relay, cleaned the multi plug with contact cleaner but no joy.

I've got a relay on order from JamesG and the ABS sensor arrived today.

You can see from the above photo how silly the wheels look at the moment, I can't wait to get that sorted.

When I was jacking up the one side to work on the rear one of the drop links on the front broke! they were both new and only fitted when I put the new springs on so they had 0 miles on them.



I found it broken at 4pm on the Saturday so I had to drive it without.

The car ticked over 220k on the trip.


The loved next to the neglected (this was taken before I raised the rear)


The engine sounds so much more tired then the one in my hatchback.

[JamesG]

Really pleased it didn't play up mate you've definitely put in some hard work and sounds like its paying off

Bits sent today so will be with you tomorrow all being well

[Matt]

I'm so glad I never bought this. So much hard work you've put into it! Really coming along now mate!

[DeeTurbo]

Thanks guys and thanks for sending those bits James.

Matt, you dodged a bullet with this one. I don't think you would have been a happy chappy if you had got it.

The only thing that bothers me is how worn out the engine sounds. I think I'll live with it for now and if it starts using to much fuel or plays up I'll just swap it out, very tempted to get Toms engine.

I just hope that relay fixes the starting issue.

[Matt]

I probably would have set fire too it haha