Norfolk mustard S4

[Barrykearley]

Failing that - a shit load of silicon 🤭🎣

[Clarky5150]

Lockdown update. All plenum gaskets replaced, all vac pipes checked (found a cracked one on the actuator and a knackered none return valve on the AOS. 

Good news:

Electric charge cooler pump mod completed and works a charm.

Not so good:

Tick over still high. Can now blip it down to around 950-1000rpms but the bloody ECU steps it back up to around 1500 after about 5 seconds. 

Swapped the idle control valve over again with spare. Both work identically.

TPS set at 51 closed throttle.

Investigations continue.

 

 

[Chillidoggy]

Has the plenum/IAC vac hose split but so that you can’t see it? The odd-shaped one.

[Clarky5150]

I don't think so Ian I have checked all the hoses. The key point is this wasn't happening until I carried out the charge cooler pump mod. The only items removed were intake plenum and leads. I have new gaskets on the plenum and double checked all hoses. Something was disturbed during that process. If I adjust the tick over via free scan down to 800 rpm the engine reacts but the ECU picks the tick over back up after around 4 secs. normally Free scan is showing tick over set to 1175rpm.

[Clarky5150]

Todays little job was time to strip down the drivers seat and get the broken seat back frame repaired. 

Any repairs require removal of the leather, side bolster pads and refit using new hog rings.

Strip down required gently levering off the leather to frame clips (green rings)

 

 

[Barrykearley]

And how many green clips flew across the garage never to be seen again 🤭

[Clarky5150]

Then remove the hog rings which fit through the canvas stitched to the seams of the leather cover and pull it tight to the frame which in turn gives the seat is sculptured shape rather than a baggy cover look.

Lol, they are feisty those green springy suckers.

Sorry for the blurry pics, my iPhone is well past its prime.

[Clarky5150]

then simply pull up and off with the headrest (held with a little carpet adhesive) and unzip the rear. I didn't need to fully remove the cover to get to the offending break and a little of my kamikaze Pidgeon welding later and she was sorted. 

I've ordered some new hog rings and a tool rather than reusing the old ones as I have a future project of the air cooled variety coming for the 17yr old daughter that will invariably need retrimming so they will be useful.

Also thought I would treat myself to a heated carbon fibre heat pad set. 

Once these all arrive I can rebuild and re install.

 

[Chillidoggy]

57 minutes ago, Clarky5150 said:

I don't think so Ian I have checked all the hoses. The key point is this wasn't happening until I carried out the charge cooler pump mod. The only items removed were intake plenum and leads. I have new gaskets on the plenum and double checked all hoses. Something was disturbed during that process. If I adjust the tick over via free scan down to 800 rpm the engine reacts but the ECU picks the tick over back up after around 4 secs. normally Free scan is showing tick over set to 1175rpm.

 

By way of a comparison, looking at a couple of Freescan logs I did some time ago, with the car stationary the Desired Idle is 1,187 RPM. The actual RPM then hovers around that figure. But once on the move, the Desired Idle drops to 987. IAC is around 88 - 92 during that time, unless throttle is applied and MAP rises, when it goes to 114 or thereabouts. I remember trying to adjust idle rpm via Freescan, but it doesn't work like that.

Have you checked the charcoal canister vacuum purge hose? The one that runs to the forward end of the inlet manifold. Actually, ALL of the small vacuum hoses?

 

[Clarky5150]

Yep, and done the old carb cleaner spray test round every joint and pipe. Engine has never been so clean lol. I will find it eventually its just so annoying !

[Clarky5150]

Hog rings, pliers and heat pads arrived this morning. Refit was slow and careful as it was a new type of job for me. when putting in the hog rings and green clips  it gave me the opportunity to tighten up the cover a little to compensate for the natural stretching of the leather. now nice and taught and looking much more factory. Heated seat tested and working great. Really simple to fit. The pads have self adhesive edges but I supplemented that with high temp carpet adhesive.

Rather than cut into the dash I have left the switch protruding and fixed to the console side of the front of the seat (close to the lumbar pump) so can be reverted at a later date without damage to the car.

Nothing nicer on cool mornings.

[Barrykearley]

Pop us up some pics then 👍

[Clarky5150]

Bloody hell Barry I knew id forgot something! 

[Clarky5150]

If it helps this is the kit I bought.

 

[Clarky5150]

I spend a lot of my life on motorbikes 12 months a year and for many years suffered from having to layer up to avoid the cold.

I use one of these now which is a god send. I never put Winter linings in my gear now just have an thin armoured waterproof jacket, this and a t-shirt. soo much more comfortable.

The seat pads work on the same principle, carbon fibre elements which take very little power to heat up. My jacket has a 10amp fuse and its never blown. On high it would broil you after an hour!

[Barrykearley]

2 hours ago, Clarky5150 said:

If it helps this is the kit I bought.

 

Pics of your finished seats 👍

 

as for the jacket - I bought a Cheapo body warmer that runs off a usb supply. One adapter and a makita battery and your good for a whole day - transformed working on chicken sheds in the deep cold of the winter

[Clarky5150]

Todays lockdown job was to finally get round to tackling the rear upper links which were just a mass of seized rust.

Believe it or not that is after a good wire brushing on the threads.

Time for some alchemy with Mr Orthphosphoric.

 

overnight soak for the rest and hopefully there are enough flat faces left on the nuts to break em free

[Clarky5150]

No matter how much lube/heat/pry I gave two of the lock nuts and one end were seriously mated. Having finally freed the end I had to resort to cutting off the locking nuts. Probably a good job as the threads underneath were shot. Lots of easing oil, patience and a Dremel later the threads were recut, the ends zinc painted and the adjusters re assembled and replaced. I had one spare nut the right size but need to order another. It can get popped on when I have the rear properly aligned. A good coating of chain wax to help with future corrosion was applied after.

[Clarky5150]

[red vtec]

On 28/04/2020 at 10:21, Clarky5150 said:

Yep, and done the old carb cleaner spray test round every joint and pipe. Engine has never been so clean lol. I will find it eventually its just so annoying !

I seal the vacuum joints with a bit of heat shrink.

[Clarky5150]

New Jacknuts arrived for boot floor yesterday along with a new weather seal. will have a happy morning grinding whats left of the old ones out.

[Chillidoggy]

8 minutes ago, Clarky5150 said:

New Jacknuts arrived for boot floor yesterday along with a new weather seal. will have a happy morning grinding whats left of the old ones out.

I hope you have better luck fitting the new ones than I did. I gave up and used stainless rivnuts I had laying around, which were also a pain, requiring the large fitting tool about 2 foot long. Horrible job.

[Clarky5150]

You can fit them with an overlength hex bolt, allen key, ring spanner and a 13 mm nut Ian. Far easier than using the unwieldy tool. Getting the old ones out not great fun tho.

[Clarky5150]

Question for the faithful (things that pop in your head in the wee hours)

My handbrake handle when knocked off doesn't sit flush to the sill top and has no spring to pull it back toward the sill.

On my Aston (slightly different set up as its a true knock off handle) it is pulled flat to the sill when not in use.

Should the Esprit one do this or at least sit flush as it annoyingly catches your foot when you enter. I think the gator may add to it sitting proud.

[Chillidoggy]

3 minutes ago, Clarky5150 said:

You can fit then with an overlength hex bolt and a 13 mm nut Ian. Far easier than using the unwieldy tool. Getting the old ones out not great fun tho.

The jack nuts, or the rivnuts? I did manage to fit two new jack nuts to the engine bay side panels a few weeks ago, drilled the hole precisely, but still never managed to get them to pull up and lock properly. I finally got a nut and bolt on either side (is that what you're referring to?) but that kind of defeats the object of fitting one via one side of a panel.