Number 47 wrote:Looks like I have a serious issue. The springs I have are stamped with part number 296080. The part is listed in the catalogue as 3296080. There is a note next to it saying CVT excl. GLT
There are 2 different part numbers for the MT. 3296079 and 3201759.

Yes, but in the column on the left (A,B,C,D,E), those two are for "340", 3296080 is in the 360 column.

Also in the workshop manual there are only two lengths, 1250 and 1260mm x 60mm (only the spring rates would differ, rather than the physical fit). I thing the early cars up to a point sit slightly lower than the later cars (or is it the other way round)

Brain is mush tonight.

Hi mate.
Are those Lidl axle stands
Cheers Mark.

MCHUDD wrote:Hi mate.
Are those Lidl axle stands
Cheers Mark.

I think they are. I lent my more sturdy ones to a friend and he had his car on them for months, when I needed them back he gave me these. They do the job, i suppose.

Spent this evening dropping the gearbox again to recover the anti tramp bar bolt. Pain in the proverbial but it is now free and tomorrow I just have to swap the handbrake cable for the longer old one. (Any news Dai?) and fit the driveshafts. Then I hope to get a helper to bleed the brakes and I can finally drive her.

Massively fed up of this now. Got her back on her wheels last night after much fighting and cursing doing various last jobs. Bled the brakes but I seem to have a leak at the rear so no joy with the bleeding.

Least of my worries though, clutch will not disengage, when I tried to pop it into gear I got an ominous crunching. I'm guessing the clutch plate is not moving on the splines. I'm beginning to hate this now, every evening and weekend for the last year and she still isn't ready. I am broken physically, absolutely knackered and I'm not sure I can face doing the clutch again right now.

Bah humbug......

Another day at the office, clutch is now working again. Brake fluid leak turned out to be a dodgy bleed nipple, luckily I had a spare cylinder and whipped the nipple off that. Tried to bleed it myself and brakes are now working. Not great but will need bedding in. Spent 4 hours! trying to fit the handbrake cables in that tiny crevice they reside in. Now have handbrake. Took her for a quick test drive down the country lane I live on, ouch! Way, way too stiff. The interior rattles like a skeleton masturbating in a locker. Lots of fasteners and clips and scews to tighten up and felt line there.

Seriously though, the ride is harsh, going to have to tinker with the damper settings and work out how soft I can have the springs on the rear coilovers without them rattling. I didn't expect it to be so crashy to be honest, hopefully the adjustments will do enough to soften her a bit.

The steering is heavy, It's going to take some getting used to. All in all, happy enough with ptrogress, still waiting for my sill from Poland, I think it must be coming via donetsk as it has now been a week.Will have to chase it up.

Will be booking a ferry on Wednesday so I can import the car finally. VRT to pay and a bit of welding and I can get on with my engine build. Yay!

What ferry will you be taking?

Do you know how many clicks you set the dampers to? About 15 is normally a good starting point. The rear springs want as little pre tension as possible

Hi mate.
Great work. How did you get on with you smiths speedo cable?
I have a spare if your stuck.
Cheers Mark.

No updates for a while. I fix computers after work and it is really beginning to take off so no time for my poor car. Managed to get her up in the air tonight, bled the brakes properly after replacing a bleed nipple that had damaged threads, Good firm pedal now. Adjusted the clutch cable to the required pedal height, set the handbrake cable tension to three clicks. Then adjusted the rear coilovers to get the harshness out of them. Took her for a test drive.

Steering is a bit wooly but hopefully wheel alignment and tracking will sort that. Brakes are not 100% but will bed in. Bearing noise is elimenated from the torque tube, now coming from the gearbox.... GRRR! Hopefully transmission bearings are still stocked by Volvo? Anyone know? She goes like stink for only 92bhp, this engine conversion is going to be a bit scary with 180ish!

I have the new sill which finally arrived from Poland, now for registration, sill welding and then body tidying and interior silencing.

Great car with very eighties colour scheme! Really love it. Congratulations

I have been driving the car for a few weeks now. Not overly happy at the moment. The coilovers came off after a week, I'm back on a set of KYB standard shocks. I got carried away with thinking I could make this car handle, forgetting that what passes for roads in this country better suits tractors than stiff suspension cars. I have to drive slower with this setup as I am bouncing around inside the car due to the talent of West of Ireland roadbuilders and their policy of just laying tarmac over anything with no concern for levelling said area first.
One particular piece of dual carriageway on my commute oscilattes up and down for the first 3km at about 20m intervals. It is the first bit of road after traffic and it makes me seasick at any speed over 80kmh.
The numerous speed bumps I see inside the city are intolerable and driving up poorly dropped kerbs and the poorly levelled manhole covers, (which for some reason the county council thinks should be laid 4cm below the road suface) feels like a horse has kicked me up the arse.

This is not a critique of the suspension. On a smooth flat road it handles beautifully, the problem is that the only smooth, flat roads around here have tolls on them.

Going back to standard suspension also means I have to shelve the idea of the turbo motor. 1 positive from this is that the 2l in the car is sweet as a nut. She pulls and idles as smooth as I hoped. I am returning 22mpg and I have an extremely heavy right foot.

So, plan for now is to lose the lowering and take her back to the day she left the factory. A lot of time and money wasted but hey, such is life. Onwards and upwards. (About 50mm upwards)
I'm going to need a new anti tramp bar I suppose.
Still need a wiper relay, haven't looked at it yet but not a big issue.
The only other issues I have now are the drivers door checkstrap, the boot lid doesn't always latch and the hideous squeaking from the tailgate hinges.

What's wrong with a turbo with standard ride height?

No posts for a while, having a few issues.

First was the appearance of a battery light on the dash, lights getting dimmer and wipers working slowly. I ran a mulimeter over the battery, 12.5 volts engine off, 13.5 engine on. Decided it was a diode and since I'm using this car as a daily driver I bought a new battery so I could keep a charged spare in the boot and ordered a reconditioned alternator from fleabay. Fitted the new alternator a few days later, left the new battery in it and tickety boo. No battery light. About 5 days later I noticed my wipers getting slower again. Still no battery light. Got to work, switched off ignition and the radio died. No power at all. Charged the battery, 12.5 engine off, 13.8 engine on. Hmm.

Haven't had a chance to look at that yet, more issues came to light. As I was pulling out of my drive one morning there was a bang from the rear as I pulled away, no drive. Pushed her back in, went to work. I had a quick look underneath the other day but had to clean the garage before I could get her in. The passenger side half shaft was attached by only one bolt. One has snapped and I'm assuming for now that the rest have dragged out the threads from the diff.

Just getting her into the garage now for a look. Will post some pics of the carnage.

On a positive note. She is now registered as ZV 35356.

OK, Think I've found the problem. This is catastrophic....

Seeing this makes me think the PU mounts are going to need stronger brackets to go with them.

I have a parts 360 here so if you need that bracket I can look and see if they ok

Couple of pics of the damage.