Spice Tourer at last

[alanaslan]

Well it has been an interesting year so far. Spice has had to take a back seat. As my health has not been great, also Paulines Saloon has been playing up.
Since lock down started Pauline’s saloon has had the brakes replaced from the ABS pump to the bleed nipples and from the back plates to the handbrake compensator. A couple of new front wishbones and brackets, track rod ends, drop links and wheel bearings all round, well the rear N/S was making a noise and they are all the same age.
To gain access to the handbrake compensator I cut up either side of the inspection hole under the car making the access big enough to take an Alan MK 1 Hand. Then made up a nice cover to screw over the new access hole.
Last week Pauline came home telling me she thought she must have put petrol in the car by the smoke coming off the car. Looked the window and suggested that the Rear N/S wheel should not be sitting at the angle it was at. Yes a failed top rear suspension arm.
Would have loved to have given it to the garage but how do you get it there.
So up in the air she went. Exhaust off, both back wheels disconnect brakes both cables and pipes. Undo the dampers and the subframe. Check everything is disconnected then remove the rear subframe.
Hum No we will keep it off with the top arms on with the New. Why have I got three Left arms and one right. Never mind fit the pair. Sort out the other one later. Thanks DMG Rover Spares for making that exchange so simple.
Replace the bottom arms with a new pair fit new dampers and road springs. Remount the subframe and rebuild.
Does not sound a lot but it took me two half days. Identified that the fuel tank strap will need replacing once the tank is nearly empty.
Also ordered a clock spring for her that should sort out the intermittent horn operation and lack of steering wheel controls for the wireless and the C/Control. Will fit the clock spring at the week end.
Now to the Spice I want to drill the plenum lid so I can just pop out the top cover. Then remove a bung plug. That will let me rod the drain with my pipe bending spring and length of pipe held together with a boot lace.
This time I will make up a template so others can be sent a template so drilling the hole is easy with out the need to remove the rubber sealing strip. Pop out the first three or four windscreen scuttle panel clips to gain access.
This will sort out the need for others to do this, if I make a template up that I can print and post out to others wanting to do the mod.
I’ll decide when I am in the plenum if I will fit a water level alarm or not. I have none left and would need to build it from scratch.
Then make up a rod ding tool from an internal pipe bending spring a boot lace tied to the last link of the spring, with the lace p0"passing through an off cut of pipe then the boot lace passing through a piece of 10mm stainless bar all knotted making sure that the combined length of the spring and pipe with the boot lace passing through it reaches all the way down through the access hole to the ground before the stainless cross bar stops it going down any further. A great tool. The hold up is drilling the hole in the correct place. Hence I will make a template that I can print.
This will mean any body wishing to make the same mod won’t have to pop out the scuttle panel clips except when they want to change the cabin filter. This will let them easily clear the plenum drain monthly with little work with only the need to do the big job when the filter needs changing.
Depending on the interest on doing Artics Mod with a templet available to make drilling the hole easy. I will decide whither or not to supply rubber bungs and pipe bending springs, prices of pipe and the MK 1 boot lace along with a piece of bar to finish the job off. Not the most professional looking tool. But it does the job well.
We will see what members want if I can make the job easy for them.
Spice has now done 2.5k so I think an oil and filter change are over due. I will send an oil sample away again to see if anything is wearing.
Alan


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[Arctic]

HI Alan.
Purchase your self a set of these below, add a little piece of new fuel hose 25mm long onto the end tape round it and up the shaft a little and they are great for plenum rods, i used to give them away at out Nano meets.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262920399445

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Plenums drilled by eye sight now as i have done hundreds at the meets.
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Also great for the inner wing drain tubes.
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Cut the ends off the drain tubes.

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[alanaslan]

Thank you so much as always someone has done it before
Alan


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[Arctic]

Hi Alan.
You will find it all in this thread
https://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/for...m+check+reason


https://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/for...&postcount=410