2003 Vauxhall VX220 2.2

pablo

RMS Moderator
OP
pablo
Messages
66,994
Location
Glengrimley
ok some jobs that have piled up over the last few weeks now in a panic to get done before trackskills on sunday

- brakes
- seat + harness (not entirely happy with this, will fiddle a bit more)
- more headroom for helmet
- carbon dash binnacle
- sideskirt extensions

Should get through them in the next couple of days. Some parts pics to get us going.

2020-08-13 10.12.11.jpg
2020-08-13 10.12.17.jpg
2020-08-13 10.12.27.jpg


2020-08-13 09.00.20.jpg
2020-08-13 09.00.32.jpg
2020-08-13 09.00.42.jpg
2020-08-13 09.01.15.jpg
2020-08-13 08.30.12.jpg
2020-08-13 08.30.19.jpg
 

GT_MAXER

RMS Regular
Messages
3,262
Location
Rasharkin-Co,Antrim
@pablo looking well mate, alot of work done on your car, what power are you running?
Ill see you sunday, i just hope i dont have many issues with the subaru again. ive a **** load to do before the trackday myself and it all has to be done tomorrow as im away saturday.
 

GT_MAXER

RMS Regular
Messages
3,262
Location
Rasharkin-Co,Antrim
Slipped down to kirky today with @IL for a few laps. Probably 10 in total but nice to give the car a wee shakedown before trackskills in Aug.

slagged up

View attachment 287516


in its natural habitat

View attachment 287515

and only caught a few Lap times but consistently 1:11. I reckon this car would be good for 1:05 if I had the stones for it. The 1:03 doesn’t count lol it was an in lap


View attachment 287517
you are alot quicker than me, im 1.14-1.15. i do need better brakes
 

pablo

RMS Moderator
OP
pablo
Messages
66,994
Location
Glengrimley
got some new hardware for fitting too seemed a shame to put the grubby old stuff back on. Also got a new handbrake cable so that should mean no more handbrake trouble EVER

why is it getting brake line threads started is about the hardest thing known to man?

2020-08-13 11.45.52.jpg
2020-08-13 12.12.58.jpg
2020-08-13 13.10.54.jpg
2020-08-13 13.11.04.jpg
 

Blackie

RMS Regular
Messages
10,470
Location
End of my tether
Drives
Who knows?
Funny I struggled with the HEL braided hoses to start on the right thread myself! Lots of head scratching and checking the thread with nuts etc before it eventually caught lol

Looking good though!
 

pablo

RMS Moderator
OP
pablo
Messages
66,994
Location
Glengrimley
should better your times even more matey, what pads did you go for?

Im a very early braker so tend to run road pads just. Pagids are doing good for me. Just the regular ones fromECP. Car being light helps too. I did get some fancy pants CL ones but the squeal was unbearable.
 

pablo

RMS Moderator
OP
pablo
Messages
66,994
Location
Glengrimley
well what a F-KING day. Calipers all on, not too much hassle. Couldnt get a decent pedal bleeding them though. Had a wee read and because the fronts are 2-pots you need to bleed them upside down then flip em over and bleed again. Ok, got onto that. Made some progress but still pedal to the floor. Walking back to the garage noticed a puddle under one of the back wheels. Thought I hadnt tightened the bleed nipple correctly but turns out it was pushing past the piston seal and dripping out the bottom of the caliper. FML

Luckily I have a spare caliper (handbrake doesnt work) so I put that on, done another round of bleeding, still a crappy pedal.

I give up, I hate cars. Gonna postpone trackskills on sunday as A) I cant look at the car again until sat and B) Id like to have a little more confidence before slinging it round a track

Driveway is a warzone

2020-08-13 21.28.50.jpg
 

svensktoppen

RMS Regular
Messages
32,749
Drives
FK2 CTR
That's a shame, really bad luck 🙁

Was that one of the refurbished calipers? Those rears really are a pig to refurbish, proper odd-ball of a caliper... And not cheap to replace either... I ended up with two new ones...

Front APs are a doddle though!

There is of course the proper solution - 4-pot AP front, and use the 2-pot AP at the back 😎 But it loses the handbrake, so most people keep the Brembo rears as well just to act as handbrake, lol. Which kind of defeats the purpose :innocent:
 

FM155

RMS Regular
Messages
8,652
Drives
Alfa 155
That's crap luck, been there myself many times with the targas getting stuff ready in the last few days before the event. Also had the garage looking like your drive and being scunnerd too.
 

GT_MAXER

RMS Regular
Messages
3,262
Location
Rasharkin-Co,Antrim
well what a F-KING day. Calipers all on, not too much hassle. Couldnt get a decent pedal bleeding them though. Had a wee read and because the fronts are 2-pots you need to bleed them upside down then flip em over and bleed again. Ok, got onto that. Made some progress but still pedal to the floor. Walking back to the garage noticed a puddle under one of the back wheels. Thought I hadnt tightened the bleed nipple correctly but turns out it was pushing past the piston seal and dripping out the bottom of the caliper. FML

Luckily I have a spare caliper (handbrake doesnt work) so I put that on, done another round of bleeding, still a crappy pedal.

I give up, I hate cars. Gonna postpone trackskills on sunday as A) I cant look at the car again until sat and B) Id like to have a little more confidence before slinging it round a track

Driveway is a warzone

View attachment 291053
balls mate - here was me wondering how do i introduce myself to pablo on sunday, hi im GT_MAXER off RMS or hello im Gareth (wait for the silence) ive a subaru, **** it im on RMS as GT_MAXER...ohhh

2. things - thats balls about the car and driveway mate, im in the same position. only have tonight and tomorrow night to look at car and ive things to do that id rather not rush. plus i noticed a small oil leak on top of block, appears a bolt has been removed that was needed but i cant find the correct one. and clutch suddenly felt a little bumpy when pressing slightly :worried: cars area ball ache at times.

will that come out of the paving?
3. Is there nobody could assist today/tomorrow to get you going sunday?
 

svensktoppen

RMS Regular
Messages
32,749
Drives
FK2 CTR
Well that's good news at least even if it doesn't help right now.

balls mate - here was me wondering how do i introduce myself to pablo on sunday, hi im GT_MAXER off RMS or hello im Gareth

Lol, everyone in Northern Ireland know me as "Sven" from my user name here 😁

One time mum was over and somebody came up for a chat calling me "Sven". When they left mum went "who's Sven?" :joy:

So your name from now on is "Maxer" 😁
 

slickcell

RMS Regular
Messages
2,530
Drives
S5 3.0 V6
That’s b*llocks luck man! I’d planned to make it to trackskills on Sunday too but another fuel leak put a stop to that. Oh well
 

pablo

RMS Moderator
OP
pablo
Messages
66,994
Location
Glengrimley
Spent a bit of time today. Got the car up on stands. 4 wheels off and went around a couple of times bleeding. Seemed to work so have a pedal now and can drive the bloody thing. Took it down the ind estate and locked it up a few times to kick the abs in just in case but seems fine now. So will get a few miles on it then when the caliper comes back I’ll flush the lot out (it’s cheap dot4) and put some motul fluid or something nice in it. Then never think about brakes again.

I did buy a sporty sealey pressure bleeder though it’s the job. So much handier.

Lastly I set into cleaning the drive up a bit. 5L of brake cleaner then a foam party lol

3CB4B892-ACBA-461F-8496-706301AEA2F0.jpeg
 

FM155

RMS Regular
Messages
8,652
Drives
Alfa 155
Are those specific for the Elise/VX application? Any idea how much they weigh?
Asking for a friend with a portly MX5....
 

pablo

RMS Moderator
OP
pablo
Messages
66,994
Location
Glengrimley
Top