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Ragpickers Leggy 986 S.. first real problem: page 9

Out of interest - what ramp is that you use? I'm thinking of getting something similar myself. Is it full height?
 
:eek: wow RagP
I would imagine you needed the help of J Hunt to make the cuts needed to remove all those cable ties :lol: :hand:
 
Stoo.c said:
Out of interest - what ramp is that you use? I'm thinking of getting something similar myself. Is it full height?

Hello mate, I use this one:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MOBILE-SC...916413?hash=item3d388f3cfd:g:SpgAAOSwe7BWuv7n

I've got to be honest its probably the best £16-1700 I've ever spent. I'm lucky enough to have lots of room around all sides of the lift so I'm never in a compromised position with it. It lifts to about 1.5m I think which is plenty of room underneath. I have a little wheely stool to glide around under the car when I'm doing bits.

In just the past few weeks i've serviced a Range Rover, done pads and discs on a RR sport, serviced a clio, done a crash repair and re-sprayed a car, serviced a T5 transporter and done the front springs on the boxster. As you can see its always in use!

@phil987: :x Now now, you clearly know my feelings on that goober :hand:

:grin: :wink:
 
The start of a big overhaul today...

For the past few weeks there has been a horrible smell of coolant from the front of the car and I've had to top the coolant up once or twice. When I did the a/c condensers last year I noticed that the nearside rad looked like it was on its way out but I didn't have any rads to replace it with so just thought I'd leave it for a while.

Well its lasted about 12 months before starting to disintegrate.

I had noticed some of the rust coming back on the nearside wing which I treated and painted last year, so I bought a replacement wing and have decided to just perform a transplant and get rid of the disease rather than trying the 'chemo' approach again.

Its also 3800 miles since it last had an oil change and since I regularly drive it hard and as intended I thought it wise to do a little service whilst I'm at it.

So the plan is to do an oil service, replace the drive belt, front rads, remove nearside wing, good look around the car for any signs of corrosion, remove and treat as appropriate, underseal the chassis areas in need, replace wing, rear disc, pads, handbrake springs, tidy up bodywork, re-spray, sand, polish. Depending on how good the progress is I may also fit new suspension all round but will have to see how I get on.

34558224150_a69b3532de_k.jpg
bumper and liners off

34905155636_e24a139579_k.jpg
Looks like my suspicions were well placed..
34905156406_e26dc76f49_k.jpg

Very leaky
34905156466_f8def6de36_k.jpg


34813568041_f83a954dac_k.jpg

Original centre rad still in perfectly useable condition

34813568581_8570497db7_k.jpg
Offside rad not in bad nick at all but being replaced nonetheless

34905157116_5b6321491a_k.jpg
For Sale: 1 lightly used 9*6 rad... Any takers??

34813568361_43071831c0_k.jpg
New offside rad on and back together

Then I whipped the front wing off after removing the whole rad assembly and the washer bottle (in the exact same place on the other side as the carbon cannister)

34558225740_8531a82c9c_k.jpg
3x10mm bolts holding it in place behind washer bottle

34905155696_553f704041_k.jpg

Everything out of the way

34905146456_acd3be2d5e_b.jpg
Old wing whipped off....

And this is why:
34905146686_98d81f9262_b.jpg


34905146556_9cf9099ae4_b.jpg


34945547245_178d5cc54a_b.jpg


Then a good clean and a wire wheel to any/every area of surface rust
34905154436_a04dee6875_k.jpg


Meanwhile quick oil change and inspect the old filter:
34814315901_e194ac93bd_k.jpg
Considering this engine is on >100k miles and spends most of its time at the redline 3 tiny silver specks in the entire of the filter is very pleasing!

And thats about it for today. I'm waiting for some Bilt Hamber rust treatment products before I put the new wing on etc. I plan on getting it all back together and painted etc over the next 2 weeks... More to follow!
 
And so onto stage II of the major update.

One of the most frustrating things about this job was removing the old shocks from the hub carrier. The old suspension was on 140k+ miles and had been driven all year round so its not surprising that things were corroded together.

One of the common questions I see asked on forums is how to remove the upper drop link bolts which also act as pinch bolts to hold the shocker in the hub carrier. As expected mine were corroded in place too and I had a hell of a job removing them. The 'easy' way to remove them in this instance is to heat the plastic part of the droplink and pop it off the end of the bolt to reveal the ball joint. Then slide a deep 17mm socket over the end. I used an impact gun to turn it whilst using a hammer on the other end to knock it through. This only worked once I'd got the aluminium housing red hot with the use of an oxyacetylene type torch.
34770826210_24773c6171_k.jpg

35157454255_c161ec9826_k.jpg


Then you need to loosen the innermost coffin arm bolt and remove the 3 top mount bolts. You can then push the shocker down and get the top of it out from under the wing. Then using a lump hammer and a lot of industrial language you smack the hell out of the bottom of the shocker to try to push it up and out of the carrier.

Viola!:
34992383542_7fc5003766_k.jpg


Whilst I was doing this I got a few deliveries...
35157465245_1afe96b231_k.jpg

35117078026_e65c7345b8_k.jpg

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Once I'd removed the front shockers I started building the new ones back up. I took the opportunity to buy new top mounts and bearings. As you can see the old top mounts were in a dire state
35157465505_8cc64c6eb3_k.jpg


As were the old bearings
34347460223_159420ce63_k.jpg


I built the shocks up with new H&R sports springs before re-installing them into the hub carrier
34770523910_4c038ff655_k.jpg


Whilst doing this I rust proofed everything I came across which needed it
34347143033_262f774036_k.jpg


Unfortunately it wasn't just the shocks and drop links which were corroded, even the bolts holding the ABS/Brake sensor in place sheared and needed re-tapping. Progress seemed to be like wading through treacle at times
34992225502_a5fa046a7f_k.jpg


At about this point I put the new wing on, got it lined up and got all the panel gaps to factory tolerances:
34312211424_6333f4333f_k.jpg

35026798991_bb5e42ec91_k.jpg

34770522900_dd3308a045_k.jpg



I noticed the litronic height arms were broken front & rear so ordered replacements
34347461543_11dd981f8b_k.jpg


Now, the front and rear shockers fit into hub carriers which are identical to each other. The front left carrier is the same as the rear right one, and vice versa. Therefore there are the same issues with seized drop link bolts and shock removal with the rears as there is on the front. Unfortunately this is only the start of the tale with the rears. There is no way to remove the rear shocker by just pushing down, this truly is a mammoth task:

1) undo handbrake cables - this can be done inside the car (easier) or at the hub (risky as they'll be rotten) - the handbrake cables live underneath the little armrest cubby hole
34992554312_e5292f3fd0_k.jpg


2) Remove drive shafts. Again, the easy way is to remove them from the gearbox. If you're a sadist you can remove the wheel hub nut
34992063972_70cffeec75_k.jpg


3) Open the engine compartment and rear boot, find the 3 hidden top mount nuts and remove them:
34347620413_dd8863b103_k.jpg

34992552722_7463d55771_k.jpg


4) Remove the calliper and all associated fittings (including drop links, brake and ABS sensors)
34347461833_799c220b9c_k.jpg


5) Remove inner coffin arm bolt, remove tuning fork arm bolt, remove track arm from carrier,
35026592911_4a787a4c1d_k.jpg

and then this happens
35026210081_6d46c1d180_k.jpg


At this point I was wondering if I would be able to get it all back together!

Forge onwards, get the sledgehammer out again and beat the shocker out of the hub carrier
34992066662_ec1ef8979b_k.jpg


34770792390_51e59b2bf8_k.jpg


Same deal here, strip the shockers down, treat any rot I find, rebuild new shockers with new springs:
34770792800_fb117e9b66_k.jpg


Rot treatment on top mount




Installation is reverse of disassembly, not forgetting new drop links


Whilst in there at the back I thought I'd swap the old discs and pads out and have a look at the handbrake which hadn't been at its best lately

Ahh yes, you can see the right hand shoe isn't held down by a retaining spring. That'll do it


New spring


New discs


New CV boots and put everything back


As I was putting things back together, rot struck again! Not only did I need to make 3 new brake pipes, but the fitting on one of the brake hoses was so corroded I couldn't get around it. New brake hose ordered


And then down for geo




Before taking the dog up to Captain Cook's monument


And what a difference! Its like having a new car. I'm loving the FSD shockers and the new springs. I haven't noticed the car being any lower - probably due to the old ones having sagged so much - but there is much less body roll and a notable increase in stiffness whilst still having a lovely compliance so not to rattle your teeth. :thumb:

Next step is paint. TBH I am that tired after a full week doing this I may get my friend (a bodyshop owner) to paint it for me. It will only cost me another £200 for him to do it by the time I'd bought the materials, and it saves me several days graft. I reckon I've easily saved £200 by doing all this lot myself.
 
Excellent work and write up once again young man .. i sit here carefully studying each picture and smileing as i know the " fun " you have just had on that particular part .

Your comments are what i hear every other day .. its never just one thing that breaks or wont come undone .

The front link rods .. if you cut the ball joint off you can get a smaller socket on it .. it delivers more power with an airgun and might help remove that bolt. You tend to work it back and forth .

I know from experience just what a difference replaceing shocks and rods to a car makes .. its pretty huge !

Thank you for continueing to post .. it always makes my evening :)
 
Top work Andrew! At this rate it won't be too long before you are cracking a lump open to have a prod and poke about :eek: :D
 
DynoMike said:
Top work Andrew! At this rate it won't be too long before you are cracking a lump open to have a prod and poke about :eek: :D

:hand: :grin:

The trouble is that my prodding and poking usually involves crow bars and lump hammers.... Although one of my lumps will be being cracked open in the autumn..... :?:

@Demort, thanks dude, I re-read this from start to finish the other day and am really pleased with how its turning into a useful resource for any DIY boxster owners out there :thumb:
 

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