Drip Drip Drip and the Trapped Mouse
Discussion
Hello chaps,
Well it appears that the latest thing to fill my evenings and weekends is some oil leaking issues. I appear to have 3 oil leaks (joy!), one from the LH Driveshaft/Diff Oil Seal, one from the RH Driveshaft/Diff Oil Seal and the usual one from where the linkage enters the gearbox.
Looking at Haynes these dont seem too difficult to do (though why the specified tool is £30 I have no idea). Anything I should be looking out for or doing the same time as I am in there?
Also he seems to have developed this odd squeaking/creaking noise. It happens at low speed when pulling off the drive etc and is quite intrusive. At speed however everything is fine unless I hit some rough ground and it comes back
.
Any ideas?
Well it appears that the latest thing to fill my evenings and weekends is some oil leaking issues. I appear to have 3 oil leaks (joy!), one from the LH Driveshaft/Diff Oil Seal, one from the RH Driveshaft/Diff Oil Seal and the usual one from where the linkage enters the gearbox.
Looking at Haynes these dont seem too difficult to do (though why the specified tool is £30 I have no idea). Anything I should be looking out for or doing the same time as I am in there?
Also he seems to have developed this odd squeaking/creaking noise. It happens at low speed when pulling off the drive etc and is quite intrusive. At speed however everything is fine unless I hit some rough ground and it comes back
. Any ideas?
The squeaking / creaking is probably a bush somewhere - could be subframe mounts, engine mounts, engine steady etc. Have you switched over to poly mounts instead of rubber? Those certainly creak more than the rubber ones.
As for the leaks - how bad are they? Mine leaks but not enough to piss all the oil away. "They all do that, sir!" What is this special tool supposed to do? I've always removed the diff / driveshaft pot joints with a tyre lever. Is there a tool to get the oil seals out or something?
As for the leaks - how bad are they? Mine leaks but not enough to piss all the oil away. "They all do that, sir!" What is this special tool supposed to do? I've always removed the diff / driveshaft pot joints with a tyre lever. Is there a tool to get the oil seals out or something?
Special tool, breaker bar and hammer? 
They do all tend to leak oil though, it’s a mini remember, thought you were going to fit a bigger engine? That would cure the oil leak
The squeak could well be a knuckle joint, they tend to squeak annoyingly when they give up, does the car sit lower on one side at all?
They do all tend to leak oil though, it’s a mini remember, thought you were going to fit a bigger engine? That would cure the oil leak
The squeak could well be a knuckle joint, they tend to squeak annoyingly when they give up, does the car sit lower on one side at all?
Yeah I thought it would be a bush. I had planned at some point to replace all of them with poly bushes, but that is all part of the upcoming rose jointed arms/KAD discs all round/coil over conversion.
I may do the bushes first, but can you reuse them?
This special tool is basically like a large ball joint splitter, but one shaped like a playing card. You place the u-section cut out around the pot joint output shaft and then bang the other end using the diff case as a fulcrum. This is supposed to make it easier to separate the joint.
The oil does leak quite a large amount once its hot, but it does slow down a lot when it cools, I just thought I may as well do them all now to save me doing it in the winter. No garage you see...
However I need some hammers and Sealey if you buy 3 hammers you get 4 pry bars free so I may just do that!
Edited to add: Just seen your response Paul, thats two saying bollocks to the tool so thats that!
The bigger engine is coming but it may have to take a back seat for a while. I really want to do the work myself as I have been saying for years that I will do it up, but to do all that I'll need a place with a garage first...The Chim still has to go first whatever happens!
I'll have a look whether its sitting lower, these knuckle joints fairly simple?
>> Edited by plotloss (moderator) on Monday 21st July 08:54
I may do the bushes first, but can you reuse them?
This special tool is basically like a large ball joint splitter, but one shaped like a playing card. You place the u-section cut out around the pot joint output shaft and then bang the other end using the diff case as a fulcrum. This is supposed to make it easier to separate the joint.
The oil does leak quite a large amount once its hot, but it does slow down a lot when it cools, I just thought I may as well do them all now to save me doing it in the winter. No garage you see...
However I need some hammers and Sealey if you buy 3 hammers you get 4 pry bars free so I may just do that!
Edited to add: Just seen your response Paul, thats two saying bollocks to the tool so thats that!
The bigger engine is coming but it may have to take a back seat for a while. I really want to do the work myself as I have been saying for years that I will do it up, but to do all that I'll need a place with a garage first...The Chim still has to go first whatever happens!
I'll have a look whether its sitting lower, these knuckle joints fairly simple?
>> Edited by plotloss (moderator) on Monday 21st July 08:54
Knuckles are straight forward but you need a cone compressor, bit fiddly to do and often the nylon cup the knuckle sits in gets stuck in the top arm, plenty of wd40 and they do come out eventually.
I’m enjoying having the 1275, might put a ported head on it to give it a bit more go, nice to know if it goes bang I can get another 1275 from a old metro and it’ll only cost another £50
I’m enjoying having the 1275, might put a ported head on it to give it a bit more go, nice to know if it goes bang I can get another 1275 from a old metro and it’ll only cost another £50
Yeah just read that, Calver is dead handy with 'dem spanners eh?
If it is the knuckle (how will I know, will it be obvious?) should I go for the >92 on if I am going for 13's or stick with the OEM?
Perhaps now is the time to bite the bullet on the rose joints and the coil overs, the brakes can wait...
Would a shot knuckle also cause judder under braking?
If it is the knuckle (how will I know, will it be obvious?) should I go for the >92 on if I am going for 13's or stick with the OEM?
Perhaps now is the time to bite the bullet on the rose joints and the coil overs, the brakes can wait...
Would a shot knuckle also cause judder under braking?
more worn than the outside edge. What happens is the Knuckle wears though its nylon cup and rubs the metal, that will cause the suspension to drop and quite possibly a squeaking as well, I wasn’t aware that they changed the knuckles on later cars, wouldn’t have thought it would produce judder under braking, that could be the disks or even the tie bar bushes allowing the wheel to move back and forth.
The rear wheel will need adjustable camber brackets if your going to alter it, it sounds like you have negative camber there so not as bad as mine which seems to run positive camber.
Coil overs will sort out the knuckle problem but the knucles will only cost about £10-15 to replace.
The rear wheel will need adjustable camber brackets if your going to alter it, it sounds like you have negative camber there so not as bad as mine which seems to run positive camber.
Coil overs will sort out the knuckle problem but the knucles will only cost about £10-15 to replace.
Noticed that the knuckles are cheap...
I take it they are best done in pairs?
If I take it to a Kwik Fit type place will they be able/willing to just diagnose whats wrong with it as I dont think its just the one thing.
I dont mind doing the work at all (fitting I am alright at) its the diagnosis aspect I struggle with...
I take it they are best done in pairs?
If I take it to a Kwik Fit type place will they be able/willing to just diagnose whats wrong with it as I dont think its just the one thing.
I dont mind doing the work at all (fitting I am alright at) its the diagnosis aspect I struggle with...
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