What have we done this time (R4 F4)

[Azazello]

Oh, so brave a project! A few years ago I bought an f4 of the same year, '81, one year younger than me... It was stuck, so me and @Leonardo.IT put it back on the road (his is the fault of me buying stuff, usually) and drove it back home after the local test (some 300 km trip, with a dripping tank and some regulation still needed).
I used for a coupe years and then stopped to restore, but didn't find the time cause restoring the house is a little bit more important for me now, so these days I managed to have it tested again and so it's back on the road to help me carrying material!
Anyway, she would deserve a nice restoring... chassis looks fairly sound but needs patches.

 

[petak]

keep it in the sight...once house is done (or nearly done) ...you will need something to occupy your hands and mind....
She need to shine again....

 

[Azazello]

 

[petak]

It looks like i am good in taking parts off.







Rust everywhere



It seems that more rust is under surfaces that are covered with body protection than under parts that are left unprotected.

Or under body protection is used for camouflage off rusted parts.

And someone have played with paint

 

[petak]

Luckily, Slovenian factory is working hard.

Fresh from oven front chassis end finished









Floor is waiting his time to jump in!

 

[borgeb]

Impressed by this work!

 

[petak]

Yesterday took of driveshafts. Find out why right one was knocking on the way from Slavonski Brod. Nut was loose and thread is eaten fully. Will se what can be done here.

One steering arm bolt (right side) i could not manage to separate. Belive some heat will have to be applied.
Engine is loose and it stands on rubber mountings and front stand under gearbox.
Tommorow will try to lift it out form car end take to mechanics garage where it will be cleaned and serviced what is necessary to service (not any kind of refurbishing for now)

Body removal!
7 body bolts manage to loosen, 5 cracked as soon i applied some force and 11 had to be grinded as they started tu turn freely or head was in so bad shape that i could not apply needed force.

Now it was time for lifting body.
Find new method (at least new to me) wooden beam with jack underneet.


Left overnight and in the morning i find lifted front end of body.





rear side was still glued on bigger surface


So rearange postion of the wooden beam and jack and left for tonight.


Hopefully till morning everithing will be separated so i can remove body and put it a side for some grinding and welding job.

 

[petak]

We have(had) body to chassis weld.

after whole knight body was lifted with jack, chassis was still holding really tight to body.

So i positioned jack under rear door transversal frame and hoped that will help separate body.
Rear axle was standing in air.
But no luck.

Rear right corner in front rear wheel arch was still holding really tight.
Pushed knife inside and noticed that i am hitting some metal thing there.



Take better look from under the car and noticed 5-6 cm long weld. Someone tried to patch sidemember but managed to weld body also.

After hard thinking what to do and how to separate it i decided to cut out that part of sill where weld is holding. I do not have any tool that can reach weld from under side.

As soon as i cut last mm of the sill chassis lowered slowly to the ground and body left hanging on jack






Cut in sill (one hole more to weld)


peace of sill on chassis


separated body (finaly)

 

[petak]

After some time managed ti organize 3 friends (and me) to lift body from chassis.


Also put together sandblasting box from wood and cardboard and material that i had at home.





Will see how good it will be (if any good)

 

[petak]

Enigne has left chassis!


Some back info on my sandbox.

It is working what is supposed to do.
Preserving sand from getting everywhere around garden.

But find three details that must be updated.
1. Holes for hands must be little bit bigger as i can barrely put my hand half way to elbows.
2. Dust suction fan must be stronger as this one is not doing anything. After about 10 minutes i can not see anything inside because of dust.
3. Must get bigger compresor as sanding period is about 1 min. First 30sek sandblasting is really strong and satisfiing. Next 30 sek is torturing as there is no so much airflow to remove rust from piece.
And it needs about 1 min to compresor buld pressure in bottle.

For one driveshaft it took me some 15 minutes to sandbkast it.
Right one is sandblasted, left isn't


Here is sandblasted piece of hand brake bracket.





Sandblasting finish is nice. Metal is not destroyed.

Next step is to take sandbox to my mechanic garage where i can use bigger compresor. 300l profesional.

 

[petak]

Finaly managed to "repair" something.

While i was driving car to Vodice right driveshaft was knocking a lot.
Apparently thread was destroied and driveshaft could not be tighten correctly



So i had to change wheel side joint with one i had "spare". That joint is holding to the shaft with spider spring mounted internaly inside joint.
Last time i spend few day to put it back on. Now whole proces lasted not more than 10 minutes. Practice makes miracles



Cleaned old grease with gasoline

Put new outer bellow (Beren)


And new inner below (Sasic)




And now driveshaft is ready to be put on car. But first must put together rest of the car.



Actually there is still left to paint part between joints but will wait to have more things to paint so i can mix 2K Wash Primer.

 

[petak]

Another driveshaft repaired. Outher rubber bellow needed to be changed.

Inner bellow was in good order and rubber was nice and sodt so i put it back.


Today i striped engine and gearbox.
One side


Striped engine mounts, starter, manifold with carb and air filter box, upper cooling hose.


Other side


Removed alternator and lower cooling hose and engine mount.

Also losen all bolts and nuts for gearbox but did not separate it jet.


Now will show you how "inventive" some mechanics can be. Brackets for engine mounts are not bolted to chassis but welded. That would not be a problem if they were welded correctly.
Few pictures of that masterfulness






Can you notice what is wrong with this brackets (beside theay are porly welded)


On last picture will show you


Green circle is showing lower hole for bolt that should be alligned with lower nut on bracket..... but it is not..... It is some 2 cm appart.
And orange lines are showing how far up bracket ended. It should be alligned with chassis and here it is 2 cm above chassis level.

Fantastic..... NOT.

Now i can understand why engine (and car) was behawing wrong during trip from Brod to Vodice.... We are lucky that car came "home" in his own.

Enought of wonders for this time.

Let's find out what next day will bring.

 

[Leonardo.IT]

Looks like the car was repaired by a true artist
Hopefully you can sort it out

 

[Azazello]

Let's hope they didn'thave any special reason for the engine to be couple cm higher!

 

[Markom981]

Great project, it needs a litle work, but it will be perfect yelow f4. Project like this gives me the whll to begine work as soon as posible.

 

[petak]

New chassis is on the way.
And spare engine brackets are ready to be put on chassis. Engine is plain 1108 GTL so all should be alright.

Can not find any reason why brackets are welded at wrong position. Maybe because chassis is rotten so bolts did not hold brackets.

Today separate engine and gearbox and took of clutch and alternator bracket and pulled on watetpump




Feathers on clutch back plate are not alligned and there is heavy groove where push bearing is touching clutch back plate. Bearing is looking alright, and clutch it self looks alright.



Question is....... change whole clutch set or not?

Prices for whole set are from 40 to 65€.
I am more to change it side. As it is easier while engine is out.

 

[petak]

Step one - First gearbox degreesing is finished. Oldfashion way. Petrol, small screwdriver and tootbrush.

Pictures are before cleaning









Valeo clutch set arrived



Rest of parts (sealings) ordered and waiting to arrive

Meanwhile put kettle on, and preparing zink bath for metal brackets, bolts and nuts

 

[André4Renaults]

Are you preparing the zinc bath in the kitchen? I fear my current wife might view this as grounds for divorce.......LOL!

 

[petak]

Not in kitchen but on work desk in garage where my kingdom is.

 

[Azazello]

Are you preparing the zinc bath in the kitchen? I fear my current wife might view this as grounds for divorce.......LOL!

That's why she's just "current"...