B14, B172, B19/200, D16 engine, ignition, cooling, fuel & exhaust system, gearbox, variomatic, final drive... | Tuning: engine swaps, welded diff, clutch upgrades...
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bogbasic
- Posts: 1863
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- Location: New Malden, Surrey.
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by bogbasic » 20 Mar 2022 06:13 pm
Last edited by
bogbasic on 21 Mar 2022 02:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
1988 340 1.4 GL, 218k, 5 door (Grey Bess). Gone to CBA.
1991 340 1.7 GL, 64k, 5 door, petrol blue (Deep Blue).
1988 360 2.0 GLE, 140k, 5 door, ocean blue metallic (Blue Bess).
1989 340 1.7 GL, 108k, 3 door (Red Ness).
More info here!
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TasMan
- Posts: 209
- Joined: 04 Jun 2019 06:09 pm
- Location: Ayr, SW Scotland
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by TasMan » 20 Mar 2022 09:47 pm
Good progress Jon, another problem sorted...
Although, not good news on your 1.7 strut, assume its the spring cup that's cracked or rusted ? I am sure somewhere supplies replacements to weld in, or possibly even recon units.
I got the engine oil and filter done today, nothing too difficult. Had a think about doing the steering coupling but it looks a real pain to access when lying under the car. I think I will see if my MOT man will swap it out while its in the garage with ramps/pit available. Probably be done in a fraction of the time...!
Cheers Dave
1987 360 GLT
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bogbasic
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by bogbasic » 21 Mar 2022 06:54 pm
Thanks for that. Nice work. I finished everthing on the 360 here today, I hope, and checked the heater valve. It was fine but I reconnected the cable with a hole in the lever which will give it greater deflection, I hope.
Lots of Poundland antifreeze in the system now, but some of Halfords' finest pink stuff, too.
;-0
1988 340 1.4 GL, 218k, 5 door (Grey Bess). Gone to CBA.
1991 340 1.7 GL, 64k, 5 door, petrol blue (Deep Blue).
1988 360 2.0 GLE, 140k, 5 door, ocean blue metallic (Blue Bess).
1989 340 1.7 GL, 108k, 3 door (Red Ness).
More info here!
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TasMan
- Posts: 209
- Joined: 04 Jun 2019 06:09 pm
- Location: Ayr, SW Scotland
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by TasMan » 24 Mar 2022 07:59 am
Good you are back up and running.
The heater valve on mine started weeping not long after I got the car, replaced with a new/good one and its been ok since.
Hopefully some trouble free motoring ahead ?!!
Cheers Dave
1987 360 GLT
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bogbasic
- Posts: 1863
- Joined: 21 Nov 2004 10:12 pm
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by bogbasic » 25 Mar 2022 11:19 am
Thank you. Nice one!
1988 340 1.4 GL, 218k, 5 door (Grey Bess). Gone to CBA.
1991 340 1.7 GL, 64k, 5 door, petrol blue (Deep Blue).
1988 360 2.0 GLE, 140k, 5 door, ocean blue metallic (Blue Bess).
1989 340 1.7 GL, 108k, 3 door (Red Ness).
More info here!
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360beast
- Posts: 873
- Joined: 27 Dec 2013 08:40 pm
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by 360beast » 26 Mar 2022 07:34 am
The pink stuff is OAT (organic acid technology) which is great for aluminium but it attacks cast iron so will be rotting your block. You will need to drain it all and flush it thoroughly then refill with either Comma G48 blue/green or comma super coldmaster.
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TasMan
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- Location: Ayr, SW Scotland
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by TasMan » 26 Mar 2022 01:42 pm
Thats a fair point on the anti-freeze type. The proper blue stuff from Volvo isn't too expensive as an option. I had also looked at the Comma stuff but decided to stick with Volvo. Hopefully not be changing it out in a while ! Cheers D
1987 360 GLT
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bogbasic
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by bogbasic » 26 Mar 2022 02:52 pm
360beast wrote: ↑26 Mar 2022 07:34 am
The pink stuff is OAT (organic acid technology) which is great for aluminium but it attacks cast iron so will be rotting your block. You will need to drain it all and flush it thoroughly then refill with either Comma G48 blue/green or comma super coldmaster.
Oh dear, there's one born every minute. Thank you. I'll see if LIDL have any ;-0
1988 340 1.4 GL, 218k, 5 door (Grey Bess). Gone to CBA.
1991 340 1.7 GL, 64k, 5 door, petrol blue (Deep Blue).
1988 360 2.0 GLE, 140k, 5 door, ocean blue metallic (Blue Bess).
1989 340 1.7 GL, 108k, 3 door (Red Ness).
More info here!
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360beast
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- Joined: 27 Dec 2013 08:40 pm
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by 360beast » 30 Mar 2022 07:12 am
You can get 5l concentrate G48 off of Amazon for £20 delivered.
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bogbasic
- Posts: 1863
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by bogbasic » 31 Mar 2022 08:39 pm
Nice one! Thank you.
1988 340 1.4 GL, 218k, 5 door (Grey Bess). Gone to CBA.
1991 340 1.7 GL, 64k, 5 door, petrol blue (Deep Blue).
1988 360 2.0 GLE, 140k, 5 door, ocean blue metallic (Blue Bess).
1989 340 1.7 GL, 108k, 3 door (Red Ness).
More info here!
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bogbasic
- Posts: 1863
- Joined: 21 Nov 2004 10:12 pm
- Location: New Malden, Surrey.
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Contact:
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by bogbasic » 02 Apr 2022 09:10 pm
Being a bit of a squirt, I decided to chemistry it up (well, I did pass the S-level ;-0 but the first year of being sunk at uni pretty-much sank any interest I had

. Anyway, I did a highly unadvanced experiment - I went onto ebay and bought some pH paper. The picture below shows that the hybrid Poundland-Halfords antifreeze has a pH around 9 'ish or higher ? ? I.e. its alkali not acid ? !
I did some simple controls e.g. tapwater comes out at the correct colour for pH 7. My 1.7 also has a pH of about 8 - 9 as does my Morris Minor. Of course, its too long ago to remember what antifreeze went into them!!
A look at the web shows that iron has good resistance to high pH but not aluminium. Quoting from corrosion-doctors.org: "The corrosion resistance of aluminum is dependent upon a protective oxide film. This film is stable in aqueous media when the pH is between about 4.0 and 8.5."
All very weird.
Last edited by
bogbasic on 03 Apr 2022 05:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
1988 340 1.4 GL, 218k, 5 door (Grey Bess). Gone to CBA.
1991 340 1.7 GL, 64k, 5 door, petrol blue (Deep Blue).
1988 360 2.0 GLE, 140k, 5 door, ocean blue metallic (Blue Bess).
1989 340 1.7 GL, 108k, 3 door (Red Ness).
More info here!
-
bogbasic
- Posts: 1863
- Joined: 21 Nov 2004 10:12 pm
- Location: New Malden, Surrey.
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Contact:
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by bogbasic » 03 Apr 2022 05:05 pm
I tested the original cheappie blue antifreeze and it's more alkaline than the neat pink organic acid Halfords OAT stuff. The Poundland one is about pH9 or higher and Halfords is about 8, so they're both in the alkaline region. Hmmm.
Anyway, I got the strut off the blue 1.7.

1988 340 1.4 GL, 218k, 5 door (Grey Bess). Gone to CBA.
1991 340 1.7 GL, 64k, 5 door, petrol blue (Deep Blue).
1988 360 2.0 GLE, 140k, 5 door, ocean blue metallic (Blue Bess).
1989 340 1.7 GL, 108k, 3 door (Red Ness).
More info here!
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bogbasic
- Posts: 1863
- Joined: 21 Nov 2004 10:12 pm
- Location: New Malden, Surrey.
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Contact:
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by bogbasic » 07 Apr 2022 11:29 am
1988 340 1.4 GL, 218k, 5 door (Grey Bess). Gone to CBA.
1991 340 1.7 GL, 64k, 5 door, petrol blue (Deep Blue).
1988 360 2.0 GLE, 140k, 5 door, ocean blue metallic (Blue Bess).
1989 340 1.7 GL, 108k, 3 door (Red Ness).
More info here!
-
bogbasic
- Posts: 1863
- Joined: 21 Nov 2004 10:12 pm
- Location: New Malden, Surrey.
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Contact:
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by bogbasic » 09 Apr 2022 05:00 pm
1988 340 1.4 GL, 218k, 5 door (Grey Bess). Gone to CBA.
1991 340 1.7 GL, 64k, 5 door, petrol blue (Deep Blue).
1988 360 2.0 GLE, 140k, 5 door, ocean blue metallic (Blue Bess).
1989 340 1.7 GL, 108k, 3 door (Red Ness).
More info here!
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bogbasic
- Posts: 1863
- Joined: 21 Nov 2004 10:12 pm
- Location: New Malden, Surrey.
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by bogbasic » 07 May 2022 06:54 pm
Been doing a few more jobs on Deep Blue while the strut is away being welded. The inner speedometer cable was removed and found to be coated in very thick sticky grease which was cleaned off.
The inside of the outer sleeve was flushed through with carbbie cleaner and compressed air.
A great debate began in my shiny little head about how best to lubricate it (the cable, that is). Some say grease, others graphite and bizarrely someone very recently gave me some graphite grease.

Having recently acquired some graphite I decided to mix this with some Toolstation plumber's grease (yes, it's my fave again) as it was much lighter than the graphite grease I was given.

All refitted and back together.
1988 340 1.4 GL, 218k, 5 door (Grey Bess). Gone to CBA.
1991 340 1.7 GL, 64k, 5 door, petrol blue (Deep Blue).
1988 360 2.0 GLE, 140k, 5 door, ocean blue metallic (Blue Bess).
1989 340 1.7 GL, 108k, 3 door (Red Ness).
More info here!