Tech Spam thread - because 1/4" BSP gets 5 hand spans to the jiggawatt

[tortron 58,129]

theres a tool that installs valve stems without taking the tyre off the bead. you sidecutter the old ones off, poke them inside. then this thing slams the new one in real hard, dry

[Nominal 53,136]

Had a go with side cutters but they seem pretty hard. Could risk a cutoff disc I suppose.

 

[Yowzer 32,329]

Yeah ya should be cutting the soft rubber bit behind the cap

[mjrstar 2,801]

Vise grips on the stem then whatever size 1/4 drive socket as that valve cap has / had a hex. You may be able to salvage the stem.. 

[RUNAMUCK 27,302]

Use a 1/4-3/8, and a 3/8-1/2, and a 1/2-3/4 adapter, then send it with a 3/4 ugga-dugga gun. 

A result (of some kind) is almost guaranteed!

[Nominal 53,136]

Resorted to some dremel butchery.

Saved some $$$ in labour.

[SOHC 9,834]

I got new tires and a wheel alignment but my Volvo allways wears the LF outer edge, I gave it a bit more toe out on that side and fuck me it goes well in the conners now 

[MACKAZ 2,518]

Lf will always wear quick due to toe in and constantly "driving uphill". This is where prudent tyre rotation comes into play. Well up here anyway due to our heavily cambered roads 

[SOHC 9,834]

Its going to be all go on the Ford v8 next week, I have a pile of oil pumps in front of me, I hear very conflicting stories, people say I should use the later 80 pound pump but others say I should stay with the old 50 pound pump, my engine has no positive rear main seal and it has the full floating rod bearings,  (one bearing serves two rods and can rotate inside the rods as well as on the journal)

 

Some people are so full of shit I don't know who to listen to

 

[MightyJoe 4,454]

Hi Tech spam, me again....   I dont thinki need to start a new thread to go full barry so here goes.

brake fluid in classics. i'm attempting a full system bleed tomorrow as i'm replacing the flexi's and thought i've owned it 7 yrs and only ever topped up the fluid.  its a 1967 cortina.  is dot 4 the go or can i use 5.1 . the internet is rife with stories of rubber seals melting on classics with anything other than dot3  (whats that! lel)  .  i just want to be able to stomp on the pedal with as much confidence as can be hoped for.  

 

edit..  the reason the 5. 1 is a thing is nearish future i want to upgrade to 4 pots at the front with 9in drums  but at the mo am stuck with the poverty 2 pots and 7in standard items. 

[Yowzer 32,329]

I have never heard of modern brake fluid killing old seals (that weren't already fucked), but if it is an issue, just chuck in new seals. No problems. They're fucked anyway.

I have considered dot 5.0 for old cars as it's not hygroscopic so won't rust your shit out from sitting around forever, however it is slightly compressible so no good for ABS, or racecars where you want a solid pedal feel.

Dot 5.1 is just better Dot 4 and has a higher boiling point, probably not necessary if you don't cook your brakes on the reg.

[Yowzer 32,329]

In saying that, we have had cars with the nastiest mankiest black watery sludge of brake fluid, and when we flush it out with new fluid the master cylinder shit's itself. But it was already fucked, it just hadn't realised it yet.

[MightyJoe 4,454]

Once again, thanks yowzer. It was you that sorted my last query too.  Brakes pull me up as good as a classic can but new 'harsher?' Fluid finding a weakness is my worry. I'm going to kaikoura next week and would like some peace of mind.  I went on a on evening run round the hills a few weeks ago and pedal feel wasnt great on the downhill twisties. Yeah, tbh fuck it. I'll try and locate a new brake master seal kit.  Butlers is pretty good for that shit.  I also liked the 5.0 idea, abs! Lol. I didnt realise it was slightly compressable though. 

[Yowzer 32,329]

Yeah I don't know if it's enough to notice via pedal feel in anything other than a solid system with braided lines and racing pedal box etc etc (I have no before / after experience), but apparently ABS has issues with it.

[Bling 20,209]

Pretty sure I was told DOT4 is sweet for road usage. Had a yarn when I was getting new master cylinder and mentioned the upgraded front brakes etc. Unless you're going to race the car I got the impression it wasn't necessary. If you're boiling DOT4, then sure, but at the point i'd be looking at the brake setup overall. 

In this case i'd say pedal feel is down to shitty old brakes, assuming all factory and old as fuck.

Pop in and see Undercar Services for a chat, they were super helpful.

edit: these guys

https://yellow.co.nz/y/undercar-service-hornby

[MightyJoe 4,454]

Yeah it's all factory at the mo. And also I'm not boiling the fluid, mostly i just wondered if putting in 5.1 now would damage or strip any seals or rubber bits etc or if It would future proof things for later doen the line with some benefits now. but tbh its all good. Dot4 will do. Itll probably be 6 months before I can get the 4 pots anyway, and I might look Into boosters and a dual circuit system.

[ajg193 8,575]

If you're going to be upgrading the brake system in the future you will need to flush it all through anyway. Just go get some dot 4 for now, it's cheap as chips

[Carsnz123 3,954]

Slight laugh is Repco brand dot 5.1 is cheeper than the dot 4. 

[Valiant 41,331]

@MightyJoe, please tell me you have some Princess calipers, mk3 Capri rotors, and mk2 Escort sport drums.

The fucked seal issue is because the master cylinder seals move further in the bore than they have previously. They run through all the crap that has accumulated there and die.

As yowser said the seals were dead men walking regardless of what fluid you use.

[MightyJoe 4,454]

yeah i've got princess calipers, no rotors yet but will probably buy the hispec 'princess' billet eqiuvalents tbh, link .The price difference between those and rebuilding the OGs with disks,spacers etc is minimal.  i have a 1600E complete rear axle which i bought off karl which gives me all the good stuff, anti tramp bars, 4.21 diff and 9" drums. i was talking to palmside this week about lsd's also, but thats another yarn.