During house arrest..

[Wayfarer]

One of the joys of working on your own car, and although inconvenient, much better to find it and fix it now rather than it failing on a dark wet day on a motorway later on.

[Themoog2]

I might buy some fancy steel braided hoses for the front now as well.
Ive bought original for the rear as I wanted them clipped into the plastic bit on the control arm.

[Themoog2]

So. To stop me from drinking San Miguel again I did the brake lines this evening.
The N/S was a right mess. Leaked all over the suspension and sprayed around the wheel arch and wheel where I had driven it.
I swapped the pipes over ok and got the wife to operate the brake pedal while I bled the system. One of the old pipes was quite flexible on the steel section of it and it broke in half with very little effort...Pedal feels OK but I reckon it could be firmer. I'll drop it to my mate at the garage and they can re bleed it.

[sleepyfolk]

Are you sure you don’t need to replace all the old steel crap brake lines, it’s quite a common Issue. I’ve redone all mine in copper - one of the front fixed steel ones was weeping and just split open with the slightest movement, the bend under the passenger side seat under hidden under the plastic tray was going and the 2 pipes that run side to side up and over the sub frame were knackered as well.

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[Themoog2]

The lines at the rear have already been replaced in copper. When I replaced the fuel filter last year I had a butchers and the steel lines are ok. Any parts that are exposed ive always covered in copper grease anyway.
The two that are clipped to the rear control arms are a water / dirt trap and are asking for trouble. Before I put them on I painted the steel parts (even tho it's zinc plated) and then used some spray grease to help repel any water.
Going back to the alignment - since I attempted to line it up with string it actually drives quite straight now. I'm still going to use my free alignment tho' and while I'm there I need to get both front tyres sorted as they lose 10psi every few weeks which is jolly annoying.

[Themoog2]

So the latest.. Today I clay barred the roof then got the buffer out on it. Now it's like glass and the rain this afternoon just beaded off like it was a lotus leaf. I did the front doors yesterday so there is not much bodywork to do.
With a bit of luck the tyre place will open soon so I can get it straightened out and the slow leaks fixed.
Ive also bought some fuel hose and a small one way valve for just above the fuel pump too. Sometimes it takes a few cranks to start and as I haven't got a fuel pressure gauge I just thought I would install the valve anyway to see if it works as it may be a loss of pressure that's causing it. We will see..

[Themoog2]

By the way.. Im also interested in this Terraclean or some sort of carbon cleaning service. I'm on nearly 170k and wondered if it would make any difference at all.
Has anyone had it done to a petrol engine and can share the experience?

[X5Sport]

On our cars it will only affect the injectors and cylinders because we have direct injection. No cleaning of valves or intake (that needs indirect injection). Some people swear it’s great, others just swear. I suppose it depends upon whether there is a placebo effect or you really can feel something real.

I just use the BMW Diesel additive every few tanks as it contains a lot if the same stuff. OK it isn't as concentrated, so probably less effective as a one off, but used regularly it might make a difference - I suppose.

83 19 2 296 922 BMW group diesel additive. I bought the last lot from Cotswolds on the Bay. About £10 delivered.

[Themoog2]

My V8 is not direct injection as far as I am aware so in theory it should benefit from cleaning. Allegedly.
I’m more interested to see if it actually works - a place near me charge £60 to do it so it’s worth a shot I reckon.

[X5Sport]

Missed the engine type, apologies. Plenty of reports on line if no one on here reports

[Themoog2]

I found a report from a guy who had a 2003 shogun V6 petrol done at 130k,. Not with Terraclean but a hydrogen system. He said it made the engine run a bit better - smoother and quieter. Who knows..

[Greydog]

I am a skeptic when it comes to these cleaning systems, modern petrol engines run really clean only the crankcase ventilation introducing the possibility of oil into the induction side. So if maintained well they stay in surprisingly good condition. When my 4.6 was rebuilt at 90+k the honing hatching was still clearly visible in the bores and the combustion chambers and valves in a really good state.

A diesel even the most modern ones by comparison do produce a huge amount of soot so I would imagine that the cleaning process may benefit them more.

Just my thoughts

[Themoog2]

Pah!...
I drove the car on a round trip of about 15 miles today. Two miles from home I thought I could smell burning clutch or brakes.
Well chuff me - my driver side brake was binding and the disc was nearly blue. I’ve took it to bits and moved the piston in and out several times but it felt odd on the pedal when I was pushing the piston out - almost like a stepped movement. Sticky piston I think.
New calliper?
New are only £30 on fleecebay. What do you reckon?

[X5Sport]

It may be absolutely fine. Do you want to bet your life (or someone else’s if the brakes go bad) on a £30 caliper?

Remanufactured are about £80 (plus surcharge that you get back) and you’ll need a new disc and pads. Carparts4less have a discount running too.

[Themoog2]

I may get new pads but not discs. I only put new ones on 6 months ago.
What about these rebuild kits? I could do that without taking the callipers off the car.