R26 suspension refresh and clutch/DMF replacement

Also use plain disc's, as the grove ones are like cheese graters and kill the pads very quickly.

 

Okay, got some stuff turning up for mine as well this week.
How is my car

 

You didn't go around the mini ring with your mates then
That's good it's still running okay.
Be back on yours again tomorrow

 

Sounds like you have had too much fun in it yourself, be a shame to take it away from you

 

I'm sure you could have kept up, its got a good heave of torque in the mid range
Boost comes in lower than that.
On the top of the right hand stalk, there are two buttons, hold them both down for a couple of seconds and it turns on the \rs monitor, the button right at the bottom is the "okay" button, you can then see the boost gauge

 

Its your spare car isn't it, just in case the Vauxhall breaks down

 

thats Vauxhall for you, at least we have modern engines in our Meganes

 

While the hubs were off i thought it would grease the lower bearing, removed the bolt and filled the hole with grease
2020-05-11_07-01-47 by Ian Austin, on Flickr

Then screw the bolt in by hand, if the grease doesn't come out like this
2020-05-11_07-02-02 by Ian Austin, on Flickr

Then do it again.

 

New roll bar bush's fitted, subframe refitted, suspension unit also fitted.
Then there was the issue of fitting the track control arms, oohhhh that went easier than it ever did on my 225, refitted the drive shafts, the long one i replaced the bearing last week, now i hate standard suspension to much movement, the hubs were so easy to fit to BC suspension, but with the 3 yards of travel in the standard shocks, i had to remve two of the strut retaining bolts a loosen the other, now the suspension unit can move to the side and i can fit the hub to the strut, then pushing the control arm down fitting it onto the arm

So all that is left really to do to the front now is fit the bumper, disc's and the new Hel brake lines (they arrived today at 17.45) hoping to get that all finished off for tomorrow.

Then the rear end the day after, maybe

 

£100 an hour
Even more for quality cars

Well i'm sure if BMW can charge £117 + vat and you get the apprentice to work on your car

 

Why, what do you need doing

 

Two years ago, i think i changed mine before 2 years, well i drive mine anyway
Well there all greased up again so should be good for another 2 years at least

 

I knew that, when i was looking for big end and main bearings i saw that they were the same as lots of old Renault engines

 

Well there's lots of grease in them now,

 

Today
Replaced the brake lines and fitted some Hel brake lines, caliper bleeds were corroded, went off with quite a crack when they let go, cleaned them and smeared with some grease.
Managed to change the pipes and no bleeding required
Fitted the arch liners, cleaned the hub faces and the disc's, also drilled out all of the holes in the disc's, this is why i have plain
before
IMG_20200512_102312 by Ian Austin, on Flickr

After
IMG_20200512_102808 by Ian Austin, on Flickr

The holes were filled with pad material, had this same problem on my Mercedes, they filled up and compressed that much that the brakes were very poor, couldn't be bothered in drilling them out so i bought new disc's and pads

 

Yeppp had to drill every one out
the rears need doing as well, will definitely getting a photo of them

 

You need to change them when they are worn out, CL5's or 5+, or even CL6's

 

Bumper got put back on, under tray refitted.
Then refitted all of the trim bits around the engine bay, wheels put back on and the car lower back onto the floor.

Then to start on the rear beam.
disconnect all of the brake lines, handbrake cables, abs sensor cables.
Everything was covered in mud, so dusty touching the pipes and cables just released more

it's out and on the floor waiting for the new bushes to be fitted (tomorrow) along with the new springs.

IMG_20200512_172430 by Ian Austin, on Flickr

Also going to have a look at this and see if it can be repaired
IMG_20200512_172644 by Ian Austin, on Flickr

 

hopefully, did understand what you meant when you said watch out for the brakes there really strong,

 

Todays job
Change the rear beam bushes, quite easy to get out, the casing of the bush is plastic, if you wedge a screwdriver or a tapered punch between the bush and the beam cup, this then collapses the wall in and then you can drive the bush out with a hammer.

To get them back in i had to used a big thick washer as big as the new bush, a metal plate and some 10mm stud bar, smear the inside of the housing with some grease and wind the nut down the stud bar and it pulls it through.

Before, drivers side
IMG_20200513_103953 by Ian Austin, on Flickr

Passenger side
IMG_20200513_103904 by Ian Austin, on Flickr

and one of the new ones fitted
IMG_20200513_113055 by Ian Austin, on Flickr

also replaced the rear brake flexies

 

Looks like it doesn't it, you will have to try it on roads you know to see if that problem has gone, the M5 A38 didn't show it up

I took it on a road i use for testing, i would be happy with it