charlie_pank

The rear lights share an earth point. If that is a poor contact then the current flows from the brake switch to the brake bulb, then back the wrong way through the other lights to find earth somewhere else. I have also seen it before and fixed it by running a new earth from the lights.

I think they all do that to some extent. I normally use both the fuel gauge and the trip meter to decide when to fill up. It's not like these modern things that guess how many miles miles you've got til fill up.

After an incident that was entirely my fault, I obtained a caliper seals kit and a reconditioned sierra piston. Everything went fine transferring the piston internals across from the old one to the new one, the seal was easy to get in to the cylinder, I obtained the correct (red) grease and even managed to get the boot into the groove at the top even though the guy at the local motor factor said it was impossible (smug). I used my improvised rewind tool to get the piston all the way down then I filled the caliper via the bleed nipple using a syringe while I had it in the vice. Once I get it back on the car though, it just pisses fluid from around the seal whenever I apply any pressure to the brake pedal. Is there some magic I'm not doing, or did I get sold a dud piston that has been ground down too far and won't make a good seal with the rubber ring in the cylinder?

I've just done the same job with a pair of halfords axle stands.

with the cable in the tunnel slack you can pop out the R clip and remove the wheel that connects the lever cable to the caliper cable, then it's a doddle :) Edited by - charlie_pank on 18 Jul 2012 07:25:26

with the cable 8n the tunnel slack you can pop out the R clip and remove the wheel that connects the lever cable to the caliper cable, then it's a doddle :)

It was a search on here. I guess they are stretched by being tightened...

Hi, I've got a de-dion disc brake setup. I know I need to use new bolts, but can anyone tell me what torque to tighten them to? (I'll use thread lock unless someone says not to...)

Myles, I've got all the bits for that job at my fingertips. Let me know if you want to borrow :)

Thanks Mark. Simon, thanks, I know how to wind it in. I use a slightly ground-down angle grinder disc-key to do it, rather than forking out for a special tool!

would consider buying the whole caliper depending on price

I've got a caliper on the bench right now. I see that the piston screws down on a central dowel when you wind it in. Presumably that central dowel is pushed by the handbrake, so what happens when you have wound it all the way in, and then your pad wears down, how does it work its way back out along the thread of the dowel so that it is ready to be wound back in again when you replace the pad?

After getting the rear axle back together, I went for a quick drive around the block yesterday evening and all was well, so I went for a longer test this morning... After 10 miles I exited the dual carriageway, as I came to the junction end of the slip road I pressed the middle pedal and my right foot sank right to the floor. I felt surprisingly calm and pumped the pedal a few times to come to a stop. Fortunately my car has lots of engine braking! To cut a long story short I must have put one of the rear pads back in the caliper badly. The pad fell out and the piston got pumped out to the disc, popped its seal and pissed fluid everywhere every time I pushed the brake. I had just managed to clamp the hose to try and limp home when the low-loader arrived. I've lost count of the number of times I've meddled with brake drums, calipers, hoses, fluid,discs and pads on loads of cars and this is the first time I've made a mistake, I'll be checking and double-checking them in future. The piston will certainly have scored the disc, how much disc and piston damage means I can't re-use them? Perhaps I'll be able to get the disc skimmed? I've lost count of the number of times I've removed and replaced pads, calipers, hoses

just got it all back together and went for a test around the block. 2 things immediately apparent 1. The massive clonk and lurch when I engage first has gone as has the diff whine (thanks to phil at R &R and to Bailey Morris for the TRT) 2. I know the roads are still damp, but wow I have a lot more power from 0 now - I just fishtailed my way down the road instead of the previous granny starts, and I wasn't even trying! This is going to be a LOT of fun! 1:3.62 is definitely the right ratio for me (2005 R1 on 185/70/13s) and the TRT feels like it is so much nicer to the diff and gearbox. Edited by - charlie_pank on 7 Jul 2012 21:36:49

Why, don't you have a filter?

I think there was an article a LONG time ago in low flying about putting a tiny drain-hole at the lowest point on the back of the gauge to let the gauge 'breathe'

I've had the diff in and out of the car quite a few times recently and until the last time have always done it with the dd tube in place. Last time I took the dd tube out to do it. It's so much easier, I'll never do it with the tube in place again!

Stripping the rear suspension is really not that big a deal. Maybe you could do the seal replacement with the diff in situ, maybe you couldn't but I'll bet it's easier to take the diff out first. You're going to have to get the oil out of it anyway aren't you? When you replace the seal, do you need to re-align the pinion bearings? If so there's no way you're going to do that in-situ!

How is it possible to replace the seals without bleeding the brakes?

Gary, if I were you I'd feel the same. My guess is that something is loose somewhere and shorting out on tight right handers. The fuel pump line runs from the inertia switch down the tunnel to the fuel tank. Try putting the car on stands then turn on the ignition amd lie under it wiggling the wire wherever you can grab it...

Hi Les, for the diff, and the shafts, I'm thinking of £600. It's literally just been built by Road and Race from the bits I don't need. If you're in the lakes we might be able to meet half way along the A7... What have you got that wants a 3.14 diff?

No, they won't fit your average Caterham because it takes push-in shafts. No, you can't just take out the lobro ears and slide in the shafts because the viscous diff moves the offset inside the case. Making yourself a set of lobro/tripod bastardised half-shafts is allegedly possible, but I was advised against it, and I advise you against it too... If you know anyone who can use the above diff (eg Westie), please let me/them know. C

Hi Jon, actually been there and back again, turned out gearing was all wrong: it didn't hit the power-band until about 45mph in first, would top out at 85 in 1st and a theoretical 170 in 6th. I miscalculated the required diff ratio based on an 11,500 redline it turns out to be 14,000! So I got the diff out and R&R are swapping it from 3.14 to 3.62. It was easier to get the diff out after taking out the dd-tube (i've always left it in in the past). I also figured it was a good opportunity to get a TRT put in the propshaft to reduce the drivetrain shunt. sounds like a big job but really doesn't feel like one any more! Thanks for the offer, but the chassis is quite waxy already!

Righto, I've POR15 painted the bits of chassis, a frame, trailing arms and dd-tube that needed it; the propshaft now has a TRT in it and is back and bolted to the output flange. All I need now is the diff back, so if you'd all be so good as to leave R&R alone, they can get on with the ATB swap and send it back to me and I can get back to blatting!

Quoting billyboanerges: I looked at this and regret not having opted in to the 'discount deal'. My diff is not too bad, though I've not had much chance to compare it with others. My test drive was in a car which was deafening! I think the BMW diff comes with new (different) prop shaft and drive shafts so it could be an engine out job!! Just a couple of hours then! (with apologies - because I may be wrong!) Tony It's a 2 hour job 1. removing the propshaft from a type-9 gearbox once you have got the diff out is just a matter of pulling 2. the driveshafts always have to come out when you remove the diff apology accepted.