MY CAR IS FINALLY HOME!!!
01-01-2009, 08:07 AM
#16
Craic Head
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Lifetime Rennlist
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Nick,
I have to apologize to you. In another thread you asked for advice after having had your car towed from one shop to another (never seen that technique come out well, until now
). I said maybe this car isn't the right one for you right now. I think I was wrong.
Congratulations and good luck with the car! Happy New Year!
Maybe I'll see you at a GTG next year and I can buy you a beer.
I have to apologize to you. In another thread you asked for advice after having had your car towed from one shop to another (never seen that technique come out well, until now
). I said maybe this car isn't the right one for you right now. I think I was wrong. Congratulations and good luck with the car! Happy New Year!
Maybe I'll see you at a GTG next year and I can buy you a beer.
01-01-2009, 12:40 PM
#17
Rennlist Member
Nick,
That's a good tool, but not the best for bleeeding brakes if there is air in the lines (which is what it sounds like, from your description of a "soft pedal"). Air bubbles tend to float, and don't like to follow the fluid downhill through the calipers. Sucking the fluid through from the bleeder valve makes the air bubbles larger (lower pressure) and more buoyant, and suction also doesn't move the fluid very fast.
By stepping on the pedal (with the bleeder closed) the pressure in the lines is raised to a few hundred PSI, shrinking the air bubbles to a tiny fraction of their size (hence the "soft pedal"). Small bubbles are much less buoyant and easier to move, and when you momentarily open the bleeder (with pressure still on the pedal) the fluid (and air) spurts out at a pretty high velocity. Use clear-plastic tubing on the bleeder valve so that you can see what's happening.
This makes bleeding a 2-person job, but in my experience does a much better job. Your lovely assistant pushes the pedal, you open and then close the bleeder, then lift the pdeal and do it again-- might take 5-10 times to get all the air bubbles out. Use the power-bleeder to keep the resevoir full (you do NOT want to suck air just when you are almost finished). Your lovely assistant will also be able to report when the pdeal starts feeling firmer.
Dwayne has an excellent write-up in the "how-to" section (click here). That works great for refreshing the fluid, but I've found the 2-person pedal-pushing technique to do a better job of getting the air out.
Check out the chain-drive openers that are made for operating sliding outdoor gates. They are a motor-in-a-box with a long loop of roller-chain which connects to the gate. I am guessing that you could mount it above the doors and fix up some brackets to move the doors both ways off both sides of the chain.
You are on the right track. Is the garage tall enough to fit the lift inside? Even with an 8' ceiling you can get the car high enough to comfortable work under it with a rolling seat, do a search for Bill Ball's setup. You can also get wheels for a 4-post lift, that might let you move it outside in the summer if the driveway is flat.
My suggestion is to start a new thread here with some pictures of the garage space that you have to work with, there are a lot of experienced and creative guys here who I am sure would love to help.
Happy wrenching!
I already have a pressurized bleeder. I bought one years ago from Griots Garage that hooks up to an air compressor, and using the venturi effect, sucks the brake fluid through the system. I even used it to pull oil up through the dipstick tube when I overfilled a Mercedes' engine oil by a half quart.
I'll get another can of brake fluid, and perform another flush myself, with the ignition on to benefit the ABS stuff. With an automatic tranny car, I'd just need to pull fluids through each of the brake calipers, right?
I'll get another can of brake fluid, and perform another flush myself, with the ignition on to benefit the ABS stuff. With an automatic tranny car, I'd just need to pull fluids through each of the brake calipers, right?
By stepping on the pedal (with the bleeder closed) the pressure in the lines is raised to a few hundred PSI, shrinking the air bubbles to a tiny fraction of their size (hence the "soft pedal"). Small bubbles are much less buoyant and easier to move, and when you momentarily open the bleeder (with pressure still on the pedal) the fluid (and air) spurts out at a pretty high velocity. Use clear-plastic tubing on the bleeder valve so that you can see what's happening.
This makes bleeding a 2-person job, but in my experience does a much better job. Your lovely assistant pushes the pedal, you open and then close the bleeder, then lift the pdeal and do it again-- might take 5-10 times to get all the air bubbles out. Use the power-bleeder to keep the resevoir full (you do NOT want to suck air just when you are almost finished). Your lovely assistant will also be able to report when the pdeal starts feeling firmer.
Dwayne has an excellent write-up in the "how-to" section (click here). That works great for refreshing the fluid, but I've found the 2-person pedal-pushing technique to do a better job of getting the air out.
I may post another post on the off-topic section, but while I have your attention, is there anyone who knows anything about designing a garage door, with an opener, that can move two sections of a sliding, barn like door to one side, and a third section to the other, and still be able to lock it securely?
The garage I have is in a 120ish year old building, and originally had sliding doors. They're currently replaced with a poorly fitting normal door on tracks. I've always wanted to do that, but can't find ANYTHING out on internet about it. I could manufacture the system myself, if necessary, as well as the doors. The original tracks are sound and still in place. Anyway, any ideas or anything regarding that would be most appreciated...
The garage I have is in a 120ish year old building, and originally had sliding doors. They're currently replaced with a poorly fitting normal door on tracks. I've always wanted to do that, but can't find ANYTHING out on internet about it. I could manufacture the system myself, if necessary, as well as the doors. The original tracks are sound and still in place. Anyway, any ideas or anything regarding that would be most appreciated...
...I see a lift parked outside by spring, and with that, my car hobby being allotted a lot of time for a while. I really like the work, and after all the frustrations and expense of paying others, I'm certain that I'll feel good about getting a lot deeper into classic cars than ever.
My suggestion is to start a new thread here with some pictures of the garage space that you have to work with, there are a lot of experienced and creative guys here who I am sure would love to help.
Happy wrenching!
01-01-2009, 03:04 PM
#18
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This was really a great way to start the year off. I still haven't driven it since the 30th, but the engine definitely is sound, and I am blown away by the overall package this car offers...
My biggest complaint now is that my car is a "California car" and doesn't have heated seats... lol By the way, that's something that I intend to take care of soon enough. It will be my year round daily driver, and right now it's 14 degrees F outside... At least the heater is quite ample. A remote starter/remote door lock thingie is imminent. I'll tackle that as I install the new head unit for the stereo, complete with the bluetooth module...
I'm ordering the snow tires tomorrow and should have the garage ready for it in about a week... Can't wait!
The Mechanic Formerly Known as Nick
1989 928S4 - Automatic - NO seat heaters, dammit...
