What did you do with whatever else you've got?

[Dead Eye]

Didn't noggy say he had set it with his wife doing the measurements? I would assume that means he was kitted up and sat on it...

[unfazed]

Didn't noggy say he had set it with his wife doing the measurements? I would assume that means he was kitted up and sat on it...

Missed that bit,  :groan

Laden sag would want to be 25 to 30% of the fork travel which according to the manual is 130mm which would make the laden sag around 30 to 40mm.

25mm would only be the start point of static sag

[Dead Eye]

So today marked the start of another weekend faffing around with the car...

Sorted out moving the clutch release mechanism and driveshaft end from the old gearbox to the new one and began the tedious and frustrating process of refitting it to the engine. Finally got this done though and whilst underneath trying to persuade a driveshaft in to position I noticed that the metal seal on one side of the diff appears to be damaged  :'( :'( :'(

I have as many appendages as possible crossed that it is just superficial and will require no attention. Rather pissed off with myself that I didn't notice it until this point - I even made a point of checking the rubber oil seals on the new box. Tomorrow I'll try to fill the box with oil and hopefully turn the engine over without it going bang either... if all goes well I will be super happy... if not, I'm going to sit in a dark corner under a duvet and cry my self to sleep...

[noggythenog]

[quote author=Dead Eye link=topic=11414.msg176428#msg176428 date=1417824701]
Didn't noggy say he had set it with his wife doing the measurements? I would assume that means he was kitted up and sat on it...

Missed that bit,  :groan

Laden sag would want to be 25 to 30% of the fork travel which according to the manual is 130mm which would make the laden sag around 30 to 40mm.

25mm would only be the start point of static sag
[/quote]

I Think my brain is sagging :b

trouble is that coz my bike has a side stand only then I didn't know what the bikes normal sag was without me on it..........so I guessed that it was 10mm :o :o :o

and then we went with the 25mm with me sat on it....that's an accurately guessed 35mm...innit :o :o :o

yes I know :o :o :o

I hate this  bike :lol

oh and yes I had my kit on.....although admittedly I didn't quite feel the need to actually wear the helmet so I held it on the tank 

[unfazed]

Became a chimney sweep for the morning and cleaned the chimney :b

[unfazed]

[quote author=unfazed link=topic=11414.msg176429#msg176429 date=1417828972]
[quote author=Dead Eye link=topic=11414.msg176428#msg176428 date=1417824701]
Didn't noggy say he had set it with his wife doing the measurements? I would assume that means he was kitted up and sat on it...

Missed that bit,  :groan

Laden sag would want to be 25 to 30% of the fork travel which according to the manual is 130mm which would make the laden sag around 30 to 40mm.

25mm would only be the start point of static sag
[/quote]

I Think my brain is sagging :b

trouble is that coz my bike has a side stand only then I didn't know what the bikes normal sag was without me on it..........so I guessed that it was 10mm :o :o :o

and then we went with the 25mm with me sat on it....that's an accurately guessed 35mm...innit :o :o :o

yes I know :o :o :o

I hate this  bike :lol

oh and yes I had my kit on.....although admittedly I didn't quite feel the need to actually wear the helmet so I held it on the tank 
[/quote]

Might be time to change to fork oil and put in the standard 5w

[noggythenog]

Became a chimney sweep for the morning and cleaned the chimney :b

Unfazed it doesnt matter how much you clean that chimney i think you're a bit too old for Santa to visit this year.


Nice try though, you never know

[unfazed]

Wishfull thinking, he might get a new R1 down it. :lol

[Dead Eye]

So... life went bad for the MG over the weekend...

The new gearbox is mostly shot - god damn seller lied about its state...

Here is the damage to the cover surrounding the oil seal for the nearside driveshaft
[smg id=2374 type=preview caption="ZS"]

After a bit of investigative work on the old box I figured I could just swap over the casings and life would be good. This did not work. I struggled for a bit trying to get the cover off of the old box, eventually resorting to Google where I found that there is a circlip hiding behind a bolt that needs to be released. Did this and off popped the cover with little effort. I proceeded to remove the new box from the car to do the same thing... but no. Not a chance. Fucker won't budge. I've done everything exactly the same as the old box but the cover still only lifts about 20mm and no further.

Stupid circlip...
[smg id=2375 type=preview caption="ZS"]

Old gearbox
[smg id=2376 type=preview caption="ZS"]


The real concerns are that there is some not very nice stuff leaking out of the box that happens to include metal filings... a fair few of them... and then, just to add salt to the wound, suddenly I hear tap tap tap tap as a load of ball bearings decide to make a bid for freedom. Looks like the bearing carrier on the offside of the diff has given up on life, which just so happens to be the one I can't even get to without dismantling the entire thing

Then I get a call from the estate agents. They aren't impressed with my vehicular maintenance. So, after all this, I give up. Old box, despite its issues, is going back on. I'll admit that I've made a bodge of this project from start to finish... but you live and learn. I look forward to having a nice 2+ car garage in the future where I have all the space I need, heating, lighting, tools where I can do whatever the foc I want

[noggythenog]

Sorry to hear about your bad luck Deadeye......that is shit.........it pains me to read because i wouldnt have half the patience that you have doing all this.




What's the plan then?............is it time for the car to go despite your efforts?.....get another project maybe something less complicated ie no dismantling diffs etc?......or is it bullet biting time and buying a more confirmed reliable box etc


If i was gonna have a car project it would be something really small and relatively easy tech..........such as a Pug 106 Rallye

[Dead Eye]

No way, the car is staying! That is unless I blow up the engine when I try to start it... that would be an entirely different story...

However, what it does mean is no LSD for now and I return to my potentially problematic 5th gear and shifting issues. I live in hope that tidying up the clutch and associated mechanisms might have fixed it since the gears don't look too bad on the old box. Unfortunately, this is yet another item that it is out of my experience, so I'm not 100% sure what I'm looking for...

For the future I think the plan is to reinstall the old box and get the car back on the road. If my finances are looking better next year then I'll be moving out of my current place in to something like a 2 bed house with a garage. I'll have much more freedom to then take the box off and fit the LSD by either repairing the new box, or sourcing another one or something along those lines.

It's definitely frustrating and hard work, but I do really enjoy mechanics at the end of the day... it never feels like it, but I guess it must be true if I keep putting myself through all of this. Having a full on work shop would make life much easier. I'm pretty please with my new ratchet spanners - they've made life sooo much easier on a few scenarios already

[ChristoT]

Took Dad to see Ralph McTell in concert as his Christmas present. My god, but what a performance! Humming all the songs today. Incredible delivery for a 70yr old!

[red98]

So... life went bad for the MG over the weekend...

The new gearbox is mostly shot - god damn seller lied about its state...

Here is the damage to the cover surrounding the oil seal for the nearside driveshaft
[smg id=2374 type=preview caption="ZS"]

After a bit of investigative work on the old box I figured I could just swap over the casings and life would be good. This did not work. I struggled for a bit trying to get the cover off of the old box, eventually resorting to Google where I found that there is a circlip hiding behind a bolt that needs to be released. Did this and off popped the cover with little effort. I proceeded to remove the new box from the car to do the same thing... but no. Not a chance. Fucker won't budge. I've done everything exactly the same as the old box but the cover still only lifts about 20mm and no further.

Stupid circlip...
[smg id=2375 type=preview caption="ZS"]

Old gearbox
[smg id=2376 type=preview caption="ZS"]


The real concerns are that there is some not very nice stuff leaking out of the box that happens to include metal filings... a fair few of them... and then, just to add salt to the wound, suddenly I hear tap tap tap tap as a load of ball bearings decide to make a bid for freedom. Looks like the bearing carrier on the offside of the diff has given up on life, which just so happens to be the one I can't even get to without dismantling the entire thing

Then I get a call from the estate agents. They aren't impressed with my vehicular maintenance. So, after all this, I give up. Old box, despite its issues, is going back on. I'll admit that I've made a bodge of this project from start to finish... but you live and learn. I look forward to having a nice 2+ car garage in the future where I have all the space I need, heating, lighting, tools where I can do whatever the foc I want

up against it deadeye  :\ .....been there myself a few times....going back many,many,many years when i was your age i had a mk1 escort with v6 3.0 ltr essex engine...one hell of a car.. :lol ....living with my parents and no garage meant working outside,it had a fierce appertite for rear diffs,gearboxes and head gaskets all fixed outside in all weathers,engine was a tight fit so to remove the gearbox that was engine out time,towards the end of my ownership engine in and outs were done in a day with time to spare  .....one car i shouldn`t of sold  :'( ...


time to walk away for a while matey,things will be easier when you go back......is the estate agent going to let you put it back together ?.........as iam a little  :rolleyes [size=78%]older than you,i now have my own garage at the bottom of the garden with light and power,and just about all the tools i need....it makes it a lot easier,no need to tidy up at the end of the day,just close the door untill tomorrow,iam half way through a job on mrs reds car its cold and frosty and wet outside but no problem for me ..........you`ll get there mate [/size] .........pm to self,stop reading noggys long posts  :lol

[noggythenog]

Ha ha Red ya swine! :lol




Why say in a few words what can be said in 50 words eh

[Dead Eye]

up against it deadeye  :\ .....been there myself a few times....going back many,many,many years when i was your age i had a mk1 escort with v6 3.0 ltr essex engine...one hell of a car.. :lol ....living with my parents and no garage meant working outside,it had a fierce appertite for rear diffs,gearboxes and head gaskets all fixed outside in all weathers,engine was a tight fit so to remove the gearbox that was engine out time,towards the end of my ownership engine in and outs were done in a day with time to spare  .....one car i shouldn`t of sold  :'( ...


time to walk away for a while matey,things will be easier when you go back......is the estate agent going to let you put it back together ?.........as iam a little  :rolleyes [size=78%]older than you,i now have my own garage at the bottom of the garden with light and power,and just about all the tools i need....it makes it a lot easier,no need to tidy up at the end of the day,just close the door untill tomorrow,iam half way through a job on mrs reds car its cold and frosty and wet outside but no problem for me ..........you`ll get there mate [/size] .........pm to self,stop reading noggys long posts  :lol

Yeah, the weather doesn't bother me much as long as it isn't raining... even then it still doesn't stop me, I just complain about it

I'm getting a bit faster at dealing with the gearbox, but its still a pain in the ass getting it to line up with the engine every damn time.

As for whether the estate agents will let me put it back together... well I'm not really going to give them a choice in the matter. From what I've gathered speaking to my neighbours, no one cares apart from one grumpy old man in one of the flats who just so happens to be the building manager. Most of my neighbours have actually offered help and the use of any of their tools. If I get caught again and they choose to evict me, then so be it. I told them that there may be one more incident due to having to move the car off the premises - technically a lie, but they woke me up with their phone call so I wasn't processing information at that time. I figure if they say anything then I'll fall back on this.

Hell, the first time I was told that I wasn't allowed to have the car on axle stands - for whatever reason I don't know. Now its been upgraded to no work what-so-ever outside of the garage. Unfortunately, the car is in no position to be moved at this time without further work and the garage won't fit the car - especially with everything else already in there, including two Fazers

[Dead Eye]

One more quick one, I took some up close photos of the gears in the old box, do they look normal to those who know? I'm not sure if the marks on the teeth are supposed to be there or not...

Oh and now I can't get the fucking cover back on either...

[smg id=2377 type=preview caption="ZS Gears"]

[smg id=2378 type=preview caption="ZS Gears"]

[smg id=2379 type=preview caption="ZS Gears"]

[red98]

Ha ha Red ya swine! :lol



G
Why say in a few words what can be said in 50 words eh






:lol :lol :lol..........too much time on my hands mr nog, bike put away today untill next year, missing it already......anywhos, how long till we hear the patter of little nog ?

[noggythenog]

Only about 3 & a half weeks to go :eek :eek :eek




Looking forward to a month off though to help the missus out.......i know it wont be easy.....but anything is better than going to work........famous last words.


& fingers crossed i aint night shift when she goes into labour because the NHS has been stripped bear down here and we've got nigh on an hours drive to the hospital because of that, plus i gotta get relieved at work and then get home first before we start that journey, plus it'll be January so hopefully no snow either.


It'll all pan out.


Plus im playing the "oh i need more of a sensible bike now that the baby will be here" card :evil

[unfazed]

No way, the car is staying! That is unless I blow up the engine when I try to start it... that would be an entirely different story...

However, what it does mean is no LSD for now and I return to my potentially problematic 5th gear and shifting issues. I live in hope that tidying up the clutch and associated mechanisms might have fixed it since the gears don't look too bad on the old box. Unfortunately, this is yet another item that it is out of my experience, so I'm not 100% sure what I'm looking for...

For the future I think the plan is to reinstall the old box and get the car back on the road. If my finances are looking better next year then I'll be moving out of my current place in to something like a 2 bed house with a garage. I'll have much more freedom to then take the box off and fit the LSD by either repairing the new box, or sourcing another one or something along those lines.

It's definitely frustrating and hard work, but I do really enjoy mechanics at the end of the day... it never feels like it, but I guess it must be true if I keep putting myself through all of this. Having a full on work shop would make life much easier. I'm pretty please with my new ratchet spanners - they've made life sooo much easier on a few scenarios already

What was the problem with the original gearbox?

[Dead Eye]

Dodgy 5th gear - it didn't like to engage without crunching most of the time unless I matched road speed and revs. I got pretty used to this so it became less of an issue. I also experienced heat soak, or something like that, with the clutch hydraulics which meant that in summer if I did anything under 50 for more than 15 minutes it became very hard to change gear. On very hot days in traffic it almost got to a point of having to pull over and stop because you just couldn't change gear.

There is information that the bracket that holds the slave clutch cylinder isn't up to the job, but also that the clutch release arm may need attention to free it up. The latter I have done whereas the former is something I will look at if I continue to experience issues. The hydraulic system itself is sealed so there isn't much you can do with it other than replace it. You can get a new system that isn't sealed which allows you to bleed the system adjust the pedal height in the car, but this mostly affects the other models, not the ZS 180.

Apologies for the long replies, but there's a lot of research and history that has lead me to my decisions The new box also had the LSD on it which would have been a nice upgrade. So, in the future I will be rebuilding a gearbox in some fashion