Jump to content

Fatttty's Ford Racing Puma #401 | Ford content... Front running gear refurb


fatttty
 Share

Recommended Posts

Ok so my thread has been a little quiet the past couple of weeks. This was due to a major issue I was having with the braking system. Which turned out to be completely my fault.


The basic issue was a contamination in the brake fluid / braking system which had blocked something and was not allowing me to bleed the brakes. The cause of the contamination was found to be the master cylinder which had been soda blasted, I had blocked up the channels with cut up cloth to stop the soda getting past but obviously it had not worked.


So the master cylinder managed to contaminate the brake fluid and in turn blocked up the ABS pump / control unit, the DS front brake line, DS front flexi brake line and DS front caliper were all blocked up!


Not good! So a new master cylinder and ABS pump were sourced, the brake lines were cleaned out with an air line and the calipers were removed, split in half, pistons removed and thoroughly cleaned out with brake fluid to remove all contamination.


Everything was then put back together, and hey presto! I have brakes :D Bit of a nightmare, but a good learning curve and I learnt a valuable lesson!


Engine bay with the new master cylinder and ABS pump fitted-


IMG_3097_zpse7dd6efe.jpg


So now on to the good stuff, progress... I ordered new front flexible brake lines. These are the original spec Goodridge braided hoses for the Alcon front calipers-


IMG_3101_zps08f0bec0.jpg


Fitted new stainless steel unions for between the caliper and brake line-


IMG_3098_zps1705c955.jpg


Found these reproduction Alcon service stickers which were fitted to all the calipers when new-


IMG_3096_zpsc36fa7a1.jpg


Another eBay bargain find was the positive battery terminal, these are still available new but only in red, the FRP was fitted with a black one from new so I had to find one-


IMG_3099_zps445da932.jpg


And lastly a new oil filter ready for oil change-


IMG_3100_zps5ed0edc7.jpg


Hopefully I will have the gearbox and engine oils back in tonight or tomorrow, then its go time! :D


Alex

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok so today was the big day! All the oils had been topped up, everything check and double checked. Ready to start it. The car started on the button no problems, no warning lights, came up to temperature fine, no visible leaks etc


Took it for a drive and all seemed well apart from a slight knocking rumble noise from the passenger side front driveshaft. With accelerated speed and a sweeping turn the noise got really quite bad and could be heard quite easily in the cabin even with the loud exhaust noises.


So the car was jacked up and everything was checked again. Can't see anything wrong but there s something up with the passenger driveshaft. So first things first will be to change the outer CV, I remember when it was fitted it was really tight unlike the drivers side, almost like the splines where out of syinc or something. Hopefully will have a new outer CV joint by tomorrow so can get that changed over and try again.


Before all that I fitted a new track rod end, I had my camera with me so thought I may as well take some snaps to keep the thread alive.


Enjoy the clean :)


PSside_2_zpsc54195ea.jpg


PSside_1_zpsf6f3de36.jpg


PSside_3_zps6c35e45e.jpg


DSC_0705_zpse4c7588b.jpg


DSC_0706_zps3b6fcae8.jpg


Alex

Link to comment
Share on other sites

this is gonna be better than when it was built new alex! what are you gonna do when you run out of things to replace/refurb :tongueout:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

this is gonna be better than when it was built new alex! what are you gonna do when you run out of things to replace/refurb :tongueout:

Thanks Karl! Lol I'll go crazy once it's all done! Though at the moment it is really annoying me. I have a rhymical knocking noise whicj presumably is the driveshaft.

Already had the driveshafts out about 3 times trying to solve it. I'll get there in the end, but it is getting me down at the mo.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't let it get you down alex, you have done some amazing work!!

Keep it up, love this thread!!

Haha I won't let it beat me, got a puma guru coming to look at it later this afternoon to she some light on it.

I think it's a mixture if things. Small stuff like the tracking being out, tyre pressures. Driveshaft noise can only really be the inner cv bearings now which are simple to change but are £70 each from ford at trade price so not exactly cheap.

I've come this far so will probably bite the bullet and change one or maybe both to resolve it once and for all!

The paint is pretty battered so it's going to need some love over the next few weeks. Also somehow chipped a chunk out one of my wheels. Aghhhh!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This just keeps getting better all the time... Amazing work Alex.

Cheers Al, I'll be happier when its fully working again. Having issues with drive shafts and bearings at the moment. I'll figure it out its just doing my nut in at the moment.

Got some new shiny things due soon too so will keep you all updated :)

Alex

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Anything new alex? :)

Yes matey :D

Got a couple of jobs done over the weekend. Had my exhaust manifold heatsheilds back from being mirror polished and nickel chrome plated.
Need to unbolt the torque link and manifold so I can move the engine forward to fit them. Will do that next week.
Heatsheild_3_zpsc4066e6b.jpg
Heatsheild_4_zps0a4fdcb4.jpg
Heatsheild_5_zps3e2dea32.jpg
Also picked up a second hand under bonnet carpet, couldn't justify buying a brand new. Brushed with APC on the dirtier sections. Then wet vac'd to clean it properly. I will be dying it with a black fabric dye later this week.
Working in APC with a soft brush-
Carpet_1_zps59594ac2.jpg
We vac'ing
Carpet_2_zpsb5899589.jpg
Dirty water out the wet vac-
Carpet_3_zps3829db99.jpg
With age it had gone a grey colour rather than black so I purchased for Auto Glym Black Fabric dye and gave it a coat.
Really good product, just sprayed on like a spray paint and came out lovely, nice and black again.
DSC_0717_zpsf86e154d.jpg
DSC_0718_zps4d9af872.jpg
Cleaned up the retaining clips for it-
DSC_0719_zps2bb275bf.jpg
And fitted-
DSC_0722_zps9faf1f23.jpg
Also got a load of engine bay clips from the scrappers. Couple of which I have been after for a while and a few to keep as spares. Cleaned and degreased ready to fit-
DSC_0720_zps6a5623ba.jpg

Also.... (copied from another forum)

Big happy update :D
So after about 4 months of head scratching trying to sort out my knocking drive shaft I have finally solved it with a lot of help from a fellow racing puma owner!
The knocking was occurring when the car was turning left at 5mph + in the battle to try to fix it the following was changed-
1) Both outer CV joints - twice
2) Both inner CV bearings
3) Intermediate driveshaft
4) Intermediate drive shaft bearing
5) Drive shafts swapped over for spare ones
None of the above worked!!
Turns out it was the subframe, when I had refitted it I had put it back on in the correct place and aligned it, however it must have moved when fitting and shifted to the drivers side by about 5mm.
This meant the complete drivers side had reduced the movement of the drive shaft by 5mm. So as I turned left the weight of the car and engine was ushing the drivers side shaft into the intermediate shaft causing the knocking.
Loosened the subframe and moved it over, also modified the gear box and engine mounts slightly to allow the engine to fit about 4mm to the passenger side and its sorted!!!
Happy days!!
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Saturday was a good day, took the car for a good drive over to a friends workshop / bodyshop to see him new unit and to have a good natter and a catch up.


Noticing they had a 2 post lift ramp I got my car on and up in the air so I could take a look at it.


Its been nearly 2 years since I started the rebuild and I have never seen it up in the air properly, only ever about 9" from my face on axle stands.


Was funny to see the guys faces in the workshop...


ramp_1_zps382d0a40.jpg


Ramp_4_zps995fcd2c.jpg


Ramp_2_zpsc928eb1f.jpg


Ramp_3_zps8c22f667.jpg


Ramp_6_zps3888b6b8.jpg


Ramp_5_zpsb766c23c.jpg


Got a few small jobs to finish off but overall I am over the moon with it :)


Alex

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
Done a few little jobs on the Puma ready for the start of the show season.


Replaced my bonnet release cable with a decent condition used one, the original was not long for this world and was frayed really quite badly-


Cable2_zps67a2c58a.jpg


I am attending an RS show this weekend so starting preparing the car, I ideally would have had more time but having a mrs I have to work when I am 'allowed'. The car had not really been washed since last year so it was washed, clayed, washed again and dried.


The car was given a quite pass with Meguire MF polishing system using the cutting pad and matching compound, I used my DAS-6 whilst my mate 12yan used his awesome FLEX machine.


Flex2_zps329e58c2.jpg


Flex1_zps055ef94d.jpg


As above ideally I would have spent a good day on the machining but we did a quick once over in around 3 hours, the paint is already pretty good.


Reflection_zpsad37e16c.jpg


That saw the end of Wednesday night, tonight I have just applied a coat of AF Illusion show car wax. Love this wax, goes on so well and you barely use any to do the whole car.


Illusion_zps239544a4.jpg


Lastly the engine bay was hoovered, all the tight areas were dusted using a range of detailing rushes and paint brushed before have a quick oat of AF Dressle. Again this was a quick turn around as time is tight.


Enginebay_zpsaa3c43e0.jpg


Alex

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Went to RS Day at Castle Combe this weekend, it was absolutely hammering it down with rain on the Saturday morning. I really didnt want to drive the car in it but I had promised I would make an appearance on the FRP owners club stand so I grin and bared the 110 mile journey. It rained the complete way down and eventually stopped around 9.30am.


The car was quickly washed, dried and detailed as best as possible given it had traveled so far in the rain it didn't look too bad.


The sun came out about 10am and stayed for the rest of the day and the for the journey home so all in all a great day. Got to meet a lot of the other owners and they got to see my car for most it was the first time they had seen it so it went down really well!


Couple from the day-


RScombe1_zps6fd97363.jpg


Will have to excuse this one, I was up at 5am and forgot to put a belt on in the rush to get out the house on time haha -


RScombe2_zps79140c1a.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

You don't normally go in for the "visible underwear" look then??!!

Car looks superb, big testament to your efforts and patience!

And I'm afraid sh*t weather is something all of us have to learn to live with when driving our spotlessly clean cars! You will probably notice that as soon as you even think about taking it out the sky will darken, I know it does for me!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

it looks better in the flesh :wub:

Cheers Piers, was good to see you at Ford Fair mate :)

Went a little craxy with the blue tape getting ready for the journey...

Blue_tape_zps1b98e90b.jpg

But managed to pick up 'Best In Class' at Ford Fair Concours.. second year running ;)

IMG_3349_zpsc1df6eef.png

Forgot to take my camera to Ford Fair but did manage to get some nice photos from Wax Stock a few weeks earlier.

waxstock2014_7_zps525a3777.jpg

waxstock2014_4_zps71c6517b.jpg

waxstock2014_3_zps4afd87cf.jpg

waxstock2014_5_zpse963f0b3.jpg

waxstock2014_1_zps450f3cce.jpg

waxstock2014_2_zps92dc4732.jpg

Alex

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

was good to see you too mate :) looking forward to seeing it again already

Going to try and get to a few different shows next year hopefully mate :)

I think you better invest in a car trailer!

Haha nah cant do that, I enjoy driving it. I revert back to being a giggling 10 year old when it pops and bangs on the overun :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.