Panda (Classic) My Panda 4x4 by NorthernChap

[panda1408]

What are you trying to undo it with, socket or spanner? I can usally manage them with a ring spanner but if its wanting to round off them a deep 6 sided socket will be a better bet. A couple of whacks on the end of the ratchet with the palm of your hand might help break it loose.

Another option is an impact gun if you have access to one, or if all else fails use a hammer and chisel to knock it round, you won't be able to reuse the bolt, but it's not the end of world and new ones are available from Partsworld.

 

[northernchap]

It's 12mm but it's rounding off with a 12mm socket and I don't have a deep 7/16 to see if that would work better. Tried hammering on an 11mm but not quite big enough to go on. My 12mm ratchet and box spanners both just slip. Tried to get grips on it but it was just destroying the metal as you can see. Might have to just destroy it if I can get a new one from Partsworld!

 

[Dragon Man]

Stilsons. it will have that off no problem. i had to use them on all of the ones on fallout.

i never tighten them up. .. i just put them in finger tight. (and copper slipped)

the wheel bolts are the thing that do all the work, that thing just helps line the wheel up when you take it off and put it on again.

they can come undone.. but the wheel stops them from falling out.. they dont undo all the way, only about half a turn.

 

[staffordmike]

I ended up welding a nut onto the one on my 500 that wouldn't shift. It's a trick I've used a few times in the past, the heat helps free off the seizure and a nice new nut with nice sharp edges is easier to get a secure grip on.

 

[staffordmike]

I'm loving the camo paint, my only concern (and this applies even more to those motorcyclists who wear camo clothing) is how do you argue with the halfwit who pulls out in front of you then says, "Sorry mate, I didn't see you!"

 

[kolza]

I'm loving the camo paint, my only concern (and this applies even more to those motorcyclists who wear camo clothing) is how do you argue with the halfwit who pulls out in front of you then says, "Sorry mate, I didn't see you!"

Simple, just have your lights on and bullbar ofcours.

 

[staffordmike]

If only it were that simple! I ride a motorbike and always have my dipped beam on during the day, still doesn't stop idiots pulling out in front of me though and bull bars aren't practical on my bike.
I vaguely recall the 70's radio DJ Dave Lee Travis having a "city equipped car" which had bull bars made out of girders or something, I've always fancied something like that... for flattening anything that pulls out in front of me.

 

[staffordmike]

OMG DLT's car was an Austin Allegro!

 

[northernchap]

I'm loving the camo paint, my only concern (and this applies even more to those motorcyclists who wear camo clothing) is how do you argue with the halfwit who pulls out in front of you then says, "Sorry mate, I didn't see you!"

I live in Bradford mate, everything is grey around here so I stick out like a sore thumb!

Plus I'm one of the few people near here who ISN'T driving a leased supercar.

 

[panda panda]

OMG DLT's car was an Austin Allegro!
View attachment 161341

Much wantage for that car!

 

[northernchap]

So, I got a little further with the front brakes! Well, on one side at least.



In the end I filed down the edges of the wheel locator nut thingy until I could get the deep 11mm socket on there and then it came off no bother.

A couple of bits caused me to scratch my head, partly because I didn't remove the pads and wedges (Nic did that part) so I wasn't sure how they'd been originally. I could have looked on the other side of the car, but that would have meant taking the wheel off, which sounded like effort.

Firstly, the little springs - I tried them all sorts of ways but I think I got it right in the end unless anyone thinks otherwise?



Then the wedges, I didn't know which way to insert them but reckon this is probably correct:



For future reference, I didn't need the fitting kit I bought as the calipers came with fittings in the box... never mind, it was only 3 quid or so.

It went dark and started raining so I haven't tackled the other side yet, besides we're due a storm apparently so definitely brew time.

 

[northernchap]

So, a Christmas Eve update to keep everyone entertained.

First of all, had a great time in the Dales with everyone earlier in the month, and didn't seem to sustain much lasting damage (fingers crossed). Bit of a hole in the exhaust but that's it.

Things I have done since then... I swapped the front indicators for some orange ones which David kindly provided, then refitted the front bullbar. I took it off to do the repaint. It wasn't until the chaps tried to fit the tow strap when we broke down in the Dales that I realised the bolts also hold on the front of the sump guard so that plan was out! One of those things where I thought I'd only have the bars off for a few days so forgot all about it...

The sunroof had a leak, so the other day when I saw the sun (albeit briefly) I removed it and cleaned all the algae and crud from the seal and the edge of the glass. I then put glycerine onto the rubber to revive it (done this on other cars in the past to good effect) and refitted the whole lot. Found out the next morning that it leaked worse than ever. Sprayed a ton of ignition sealant all over it in a fit of pique and it seems OK now (other than looking a right arse) until we see the sun again hopefully.

You might remember that I'd changed one side of the front brakes - well, I never got around to doing the other side and I decided it was more trouble than it was worth in the rain and cold so I got my mechanic to do it while he was welding the hole in the exhaust. Picked up the car and drove it to work. Sadly, came out later to find all my brake fluid in a handy puddle next to the front wheel. Limped it home and tonight stripped it down - seal on the recon caliper is leaking. Bumholes. Going to be at least next week if not January before I can send it back and get a replacement. The irony is, the old one was working fine but is now knackered from being taken off.



Oh, and just for a treat the leaking brake fluid has stripped all the almost new paint off the inside of my front wheel. Bonus.

The car also started idling really badly, with the revs all over the place and a strong smell of fuel. I check the vacuum advance which was toast so I ordered another one and fitted it yesterday. Unfortunately in the doing I knocked off all the plug leads from the dizzy cap by accident so spent a fun few minutes working out the firing order and which way to put them all back on. Got there in the end, not sure the problem is totally fixed though with the rough running but with the knackered brake I can't find out for sure yet, might need an Italian tuneup to clear the pipes.

On a slightly brighter note, I met up with Allen F (nice chap with some nice cars!) as he's local and he sold me a non-broken plastic side strip and some mounting lugs which I needed for the brand new front strip I already had. I managed to fit those without breaking anything else, which was about the best I can say for my recent mechanical work.

All in all, bit gloomy but at least I have a few days off work now (not that I can drive the bloody car but I can look at it I suppose...). No pictures of the new indicators, etc as I'm an idiot but will get some in daylight.

 

[Freebo]

If the Vac advance was knackered you'd need to more than likely retune the ignition.

When we fixed Sam's vac advanced we found it had been tuned without one so wouldn't run properly with the new vac until it got re timed.

 

[northernchap]

Wet and sulky Panda pic, as promised!



Santa (and his not-so little helper...) brought me something to brighten up the car though - more on that later!

 

[northernchap]

A weekend update - starting with the most important part - my Fiat Forum sticker finally arrived so I stuck that in the window.

On a more serious note - Allen came through for me again by offering to lend me a recon caliper until my faulty one is replaced so I picked that up and fitted it to the car a week or so back - cheers Allen, you saved the day! Just waiting for the replacement to arrive now, they had to order one in as they had no stock.

The sunroof was leaking REALLY badly, letting in maybe half a pint of water onto the passenger seat each night. Luckily I have waterproof seat covers, but it still meant taking a towel each time I wanted to go anywhere. Yesterday I stripped it all off again but this time removed the little button things that poke through the glass too and replaced all the washers with new fibre washers covered in bearing grease. I also greased all around the seal so hopefully this will now stop the deluge. If anyone else wants to do this, it's pretty simple - the tilt handle is held on by two pins that you have to drift out (I used a hex key and an adjustable wrench to push them out) but other than that it's just a couple of phillips head screws.

I'd also been having a problem with my nearside rear taillight not working. I swapped the bulb but no better. Finally got the multimeter on it today, was reading 3v on the nearside and over 8 on the offside (which was working) so I ran a new piece of wire across from the working one temporarily to see if that fixed the issue. It did, so I wired it up properly and now I have working taillights again.

As far as the rough running goes - as dumb as this sounds, I think I found the cause. It had no oil in it. Literally none, the dipstick was dry when it'd been stood on the flat and the engine was cold. Gulp. I'd been checking all sorts of other things without ever thinking of the basics, and of course I have no oil pressure gauge so I should have checked it manually. A few litres of GTX later and it's running sweet again. God knows how it was still running reasonably well without any oil but that's Panda Power for you! The only symptom was a really rough idle, when it was driving it was normal.

Got a few more things that need doing on the car but it started raining again so have to leave those for now.

 

[Dragon Man]

if its the glass type sunroof that Talon has, you can make it seal better by just repositioning the tilt handle furtherer to the centre of the sunroof

it will make it more hard to close, but give it a way better seal as it presses harder down on the seal. talons has not leaked for 3 years now

no oil is kinda a bad thing, but if the oil light never came on while it was running then it will have oil pressure.

my brother often gets the "what does the red kettle light on the dash mean as mine flashes randomly" asked him often at halfords. yet people still outright refuse to buy oil saying that "the car is running fine, why should i?" and the most common one.. "i thought the MOT tester changed oil and filters"

 

[northernchap]

no oil is kinda a bad thing, but if the oil light never came on while it was running then it will have oil pressure.

Yeah, not convinced the light is working then because if it had any oil in then it was hiding pretty well! It took 3.5 litres, put it that way.

I fell into the trap of being a plank - the guy I bought it off had just serviced it and replaced the oil and filter so somewhere in the back of my mind was the thought that it'd be OK for a couple of thousand miles and then I'd change it. It doesn't seem to drop oil, just burn it - hence I never really noticed any external sign. Rookie mistake, seemingly no harm done though!

 

[kolza]

It doesn't seem to drop oil, just burn it !

Tell me more about burning oil - mine took nearly 15 litres during Italy trip but finally I've cured it.