Looking for help around Aberdeen!!

[Gregry254]

Just put my car in for a service and cambelt change, the guy phoned me and refused to do it cause I have "No brakes left, your radiator is about to go" and many more things he rattled off.
So instead of spending the money on the service and belt change this month im gonna replace the brakes, get a new radiator and do anything else he tells me "needs" done when I go get it at 2pm.

What I am looking for is someone willing to lend a hand (preferably with experience) and since it sounds like its gonna take hours I will cough up cash too!

Any one free atall this weekend and wanna make a little extra ££?

 

[Gregry254]

Just got the list now.

Front and rear disks and pads.
Radiator rotten and leak.
hand brake cable o/s seizing up and n/s cable worn.
glow plug fault (knew about this it just doesnt need sorted yet)
No reverse lights (which is odd cause they worked about a week ago)
no side light N/S (got it in the car)

So all that needs done this weekend (if anyone is intereted) will be the brakes, hand brake cable and radiator.

I have done brakes on the punto before, just have no clue what so ever about doing a rad or hand brake cables.

 

[Eklipze3k]

Not to belittle your mechanic, but I assume these thing actually do need doing?

 

[Gregry254]

Well I dont trust him as far as I can throw him but I knew the rad was a little rusty, didnt think it would "bust open when the new antifreeze is poured in" though and the brakes are **** on the alfa so was gonna replace them anyway, this just gives me a reason

 

[Stuart]

i could help with some bits, but im rather busy for the next few weekends

 

[Gregry254]

Yeah Martyn said, don't worry about it

I think I am gonna order the brakes special delivery tomorrow morning for Sat, just gonna get standard disks but "green stuff" pads hopefully will see the difference!

I'm sure the handbrake cables wont be that hard, just gotta find flat land and wooden blocks.

But the rad will be a pain in the ass by the sounds of it. Might just leave that to a garage to do, was quoted 2.3hours fitting so maybe £120 or so.

Then just the timing belt, water pump and service to pay for next month

 

[imported_abyss113]

could have done it for you if you were more local as for your radiator just do it yourself as its an easy job to do on most cars and saving yourself the 120 for doing it will make you feel better for doing it

 

[Gregry254]

Well..... 6 hours later and the fronts are changed!!
About 4 hours of that was spend throwing things and swearing at the 2 caliper bolts that were coated in **** and rust and wouldn't move.
In the end it took one of us pulling the ratchet and one of us pushing and grunting like idiots to even get it moving!

Think I might get a garage to do the handbrake cables cause they look like a pain in the ass. Might even get them to do the rears when its in!

Picking up radiator on Tuesday so dependent on what time it gets in and what its like outside I might have a stab at it. Anyone got any tips? or even instructions?

Reverse light seems to be the switch not picking up when its engaged as it works sometimes then other times nothing! will have to change/lube the switch once I find out where it is sooo much work!! lol

 

[imported_abyss113]

ahh the joys of italian cars and the electrics


the radiator is easy to do on most cars as i have said

just pull it out bolts should be fairly straight forward to see disconnect hoses you get the idea is putting it back in thats the fun

connect it all the same way it came out and fill up the radiator and the resevoir let gravity does its thing and keep filling it up and then you gotta start the bleeding of the system

look for your bleeding nipples one at bottom and one at top unscrew the bottom one runn the engine till water comes out freely then tighten the nippe up then do the same for the top one run engine till the water comes out freely id do this a couple of times to make sure you got all the air out of the system as thats something you dont want in your car and thats pretty much all to it really

 

[Gregry254]

Speaking of Italian cars and electrics........ I left the radio on to keep me company and it took a little longer than expected..... DEAD battery, not even enough to bump start had to get the neighbour to give me a jump start

 

[Stuart]

feels good doing the work yourself eh?

think of the experience gained, and the money saved

 

[Gregry254]

It would of felt good if I didn't spend like an hour on each of the bolts, I almost gave up at one point but I had done one side, didn't think it was safe to leave one side new and one old and rusted!

 

[imported_abyss113]

thats when you will realise that next time soak your bolts in oil to free tham up or heat them first when,ive been using a blow torch on my car all week so far bloody rusty bolts