Easy one tonight, replaced the vent seals behind the rear bumper, turns out both were knackered
What Have You Done to Your Cougar Today?
- Thread starter Axximilli
- Start date
Top, now. Bottom, then.
Got wet and dirty with the back end of Rana. I really wasn't 100% happy with the way the exhaust was mounted, and I knew that the old mounts were destined to fail me an MOT.
I fitted new ones (with great difficulty), forcing the exhaust higher up (had to hack saw some redundant bits of metal out of the way) and they look much much better.
Got wet and dirty with the back end of Rana. I really wasn't 100% happy with the way the exhaust was mounted, and I knew that the old mounts were destined to fail me an MOT.
I fitted new ones (with great difficulty), forcing the exhaust higher up (had to hack saw some redundant bits of metal out of the way) and they look much much better.
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That looks so much better, well doneTop, now. Bottom, then.
Got wet and dirty with the back end of Rana. I really wasn't 100% happy with the way the exhaust was mounted, and I knew that the old mounts were destined to fail me an MOT.
I fitted new ones (with great difficulty), forcing the exhaust higher up (had to hack saw some redundant bits of metal out of the way) and they look much much better.
Bump-started mine down a hill as it wouldn't start when leaving my mates place at lunchtime. Lots of clicking from the starter so that looked like the problem until I noticed the dreaded dial sweep
I knew the battery was fairly new so took it out and cleaned up all the earths underneath and hey presto!
Tomorrow morning when I go to work will be the test though
I knew the battery was fairly new so took it out and cleaned up all the earths underneath and hey presto!
Tomorrow morning when I go to work will be the test though
Gave mine a quick hoover, rinse and shine up - I'm not having her look like Tiger's dowdy sister on Saturday
Gave mine a quick hoover, rinse and shine up - I'm not having her look like Tiger's dowdy sister on Saturday
Tiger's gonna be sitting at home tomorrow and will be staying as dusty as she is unless T decides to wash her. I'll be in Huntingdon in the Mazda!
Picked it up from Mafia HQ with new front ARB bushes ('The Clonk' has finally gone!), crankcase seal replaced, a spot of welding done to the underside and, most importantly, a shiny new MOT.
View attachment 7038View attachment 7039
Treated and painted the tunnel and front wheel arches.Changed the clutch complete which was just about down to the rivets! Next up
brake pipe replacement and welding up the front jacking points which have rotted away!! I agree with the posts about if you want to keep these cars alive they need major surgery underneath, have a good poke about under the peeling under seal and in all the nooks and crannies its amazing what you find. Good luck to Topcat, doing a sterling job!!
Treated and painted the tunnel and front wheel arches.Changed the clutch complete which was just about down to the rivets! Next up
brake pipe replacement and welding up the front jacking points which have rotted away!! I agree with the posts about if you want to keep these cars alive they need major surgery underneath, have a good poke about under the peeling under seal and in all the nooks and crannies its amazing what you find. Good luck to Topcat, doing a sterling job!!
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Nice one Rich.
On the "clonk" issue: Since my MFSM, i've had the same "clonk" just a couple of times since, and it wasn't there previous so today when i replaced the bottom ball joint on DG's O/S front and after i had lowered her back to all fours and settled the suspension, i went up to the turret top mounts from under the bonnet to check on a hunch i had but was never able to check on yours. I found that i could turn the top nut very easily on the O/S but the N/S was quite stiff so, i took the cap nut off the O/S and checked the tightness of the strut nut below and
, i was able to tighten it another two full turns . Back on then with the cap and nut, re-tightened and the top mount was virtually immovable with the spanner. I went to the N/S to check (belt & braces) and that one was slack but only by half a turn.Outcome of all this: No more "Clonk" so, was this the same issue?
Anyway, i spent the morning swapping a perfectly good and servicable bottom ball joint simply due to a split rubber boot.
After grinding away the rivets, and a bit of universal persuasion, this fell to the floor.........
...then this one went back in it's place.
A little tip here: Pull the strut to one side, enough to allow you to get all three bolts through the new BJ. Put the spring washers on, followed by the nuts and tighten all three finger tight. This will allow more free movement to get the new BJ into the bottom of the knuckle.
I have a spare BJ but the poor thing has no nuts :stop:, it has no bolts either, so i noted the bolt type as i will need to get some for this particular spare if/when i need to use it.
Nice one Rich.
On the "clonk" issue: Since my MFSM, i've had the same "clonk" just a couple of times since, and it wasn't there previous so today when i replaced the bottom ball joint on DG's O/S front and after i had lowered her back to all fours and settled the suspension, i went up to the turret top mounts from under the bonnet to check on a hunch i had but was never able to check on yours. I found that i could turn the top nut very easily on the O/S but the N/S was quite stiff so, i took the cap nut off the O/S and checked the tightness of the strut nut below and
Outcome of all this: No more "Clonk" so, was this the same issue?
I'll be honest Al, I've no idea! The horrible 'twang' on lock-to-lock went once we'd reseated the top cap of the strut at the last MFSM but the knocking and banging over bumps sounded for all the world like that which you get from shot rear drop links, only at the front of the car, if that makes any sense?
Several of us on several occasions have physically grabbed the (brand new and genuine Ford) front droplinks though and tried to move them, finding them to be rock solid, so the only thing I could think it could be was the ARB bushes. Only one side got changed at the first MFSM so my suspicion was that either the unchanged bracket was forgotten and not retightened or the disparity in new/old bushes was causing an imbalance.
As I couldn't remember for the life of me which side was changed and which wasn't, plus I was way beyond my comfort zone of ability and needing the car good to go for a sale, I gave Nick a pair of new bushes when I dropped the car in for the crankcase seal and asked him to fit them.
I picked the car up this morning and the clonk is gone. Whether Nick did any work at the top of the struts, I don't know, but he certainly didn't mention it if he did.
Got one of those to do on mine, cheers for the heads up Al, just reminded me lol
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Speaking of sterling jobs lol thats awesome under there Mick, not sure mine is getting that sort of treatment, but it will get a fresh coating of stonechip at least lol am also heading towards the rear brake pipe territory soon, am thinking of rerouting tho so they can at least be inspected, mine were on the verge of failing to the point of when i removed the pipes from the multiclip by the fuel tank, the pipe cracked further up and started leaking............Chris spotted it just before he removed one of the calipers........scary thoughts!!!!!!
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Speaking of sterling jobs lol thats awesome under there Mick, not sure mine is getting that sort of treatment, but it will get a fresh coating of stonechip at least lol am also heading towards the rear brake pipe territory soon, am thinking of rerouting tho so they can at least be inspected, mine were on the verge of failing to the point of when i removed the pipes from the multiclip by the fuel tank, the pipe cracked further up and started leaking............Chris spotted it just before he removed one of the calipers........scary thoughts!!!!!!
Nice one Rich.
On the "clonk" issue: Since my MFSM, i've had the same "clonk" just a couple of times since, and it wasn't there previous so today when i replaced the bottom ball joint on DG's O/S front and after i had lowered her back to all fours and settled the suspension, i went up to the turret top mounts from under the bonnet to check on a hunch i had but was never able to check on yours. I found that i could turn the top nut very easily on the O/S but the N/S was quite stiff so, i took the cap nut off the O/S and checked the tightness of the strut nut below and
Outcome of all this: No more "Clonk" so, was this the same issue?
I am weak now, so I ask others to check my work, just as I did today, and as I did on on yours (and got it cross-checked). That wasn't me! I did the NSF and asked somone big to confirm.