ChrisB

Practical mechanic-ery at last not PMs today

Holiday! Oh yeah ..what does that mean? Tinkering with the car of course. None of that desert island beach stuff here, oh no.. The American Rocking horse recycled some grass and Adrian@Torqen got it imported - A CJ Motorsport Stage 2 fuel return system with final edition fuel rails and flexible braided fuel pipe. This will be a joy to fit no doubt - fuel pipes can be a mare around the tank - but I do have a cunning plan to try to use the existing OEM fuel pipe link and AAM return line to pull the new ones through once I've dismantled everything... So on to dismantling. As I have some SuperPro in the post from CMS, I decided to make space for access to engine side pipes.. Jack her up with the excellent new jack from Costco - way too big to fit under, especially after reversing on to ramps, so a 3 jack method is required. Shame you can't appreciate the drive slope in the picture Before I knew it, this was off (very easy BTW - lots of ferrosol, easy does it with the breaker bar) Compression arms off via the Zmanalex measured bit of wood and jack method. It traps the ball joint from spinning. Separating the cone from the knuckle happened naturally when the jack was released. Initially, after removing the cotter pin and using a breaker bar, I used a 19mm ring spanner so I could see (and feel) any nut/bolt movement and I could apply just enough jack pressure to stop the bolt spinning without risking crushing the ball joint. Cones were fine for re-use, although one nut needed changing. It's best to start with a posh hex face socket on these nuts rather than ordinary sockets as the angle is a bit deceiving, and a fair bit of breaker force is required - jobs a good-un Tada. Easy. I used a G clamp to ease the bush end off the body stud. Little squeeze here, slack it off, little squeeze the other side, and the bush (and it's sleeve) move slowly down the stud. Gently does it and both arms came free without drama Makes for a very bare but very accessible Zed. As well as the bushes, I'm putting some power grid adjustable drop links on (the old, albeit only a couple of years old OEM links were a minor pita to remove) Just got to work out how to use my 6T A frame press to push the mahoosive compression arm bushes out - may involve buying some 60mm and 42mm sockets as drifts if I can't find anything proper. More destruction should happen tomorrow, followed by prep including removal of the surface rust (BTW it looks way worse in flash photos - it's quite minor in the flesh) painting, fitting the new stuff and re-assembly.. but maybe not all of it tomorrow

Just to boost this thread.. a +1 for Zmanalex here.. I just used this technique for trapping the spinning comp arm ball joint bolt - worked a treat I used a 19mm ring spanner for the nut and small bottle jack for the suspension lift. I must be relatively lucky with the general state of my arms though - after being initially a bit sticky, by-hand application of a G clamp to the comp arm bush end at various rotations persueded the whole thing down the stud without too much drama. Rotating the clamp and lots of ferrosol stopped the sleeve binding (I could feel when it wanted to go no further etc, but could feel and watch for any movement). Left side looked like a crusty old stud after the arm was off, although they clean up fairly nicely. Bonzer.

I've got MeisterR Zeta-S coil overs in combination with Eibach ARBs - just right aka works for me Andy, even on our rubbish roads in Bucks My point of reference for the subjective hard/too hard/too soft is based on previously fully oem JDM suspension, then upgraded with ARBs, then upgraded with Zeta-S. I found ARBs alone in combination with old JDM wasn't particularly pleasant - got the big benefit of the ARBs but made it seem harsh and crashy. New Zeta-S cured that. Some say JDM is damped slightly differently to UK though. For normal/commuting usage, my Zeta-S dampers are set to about 14 out of 32 (less than half stiffness).

Well done You'll love it when it's been set up

Very cool

Actually, when I took eveything out of the CJM box and dry fitted all the pipes and couplings yesterday out of curiosity on our bed, he was straight in amongst and on the brown packing paper to get a good view of what I was doing

Double whammy of cardboard box - and - scrunchy wrapping paper Idiot

It's been a pleasure dealing with Adrian - we've exchanged furry and slobbery pet pictures, endured long waits for the rocking horse to finally recycle it's grass, and it's been fun. I'm now the proud possessor of a finest CJ S2 fuel return system with final edition fuel rails in anodised black, to upgrade from my old stock rails and basic AAM return system. This furthers my (slightly OCD) quest for happy, smooth fueling Terribly good

Nice action pic Vix - yeah +1 on the yellow bananas - ours love them

Wow - just saw that - Grey squirrel - impressive My old ginger hunter dragged someone's guinea pig into the garden (it was dead; we don't speak of this).. I found a big wood pigeon stretched out on its back with its chest open, internals exposed, outside the back door once (ginger monster at it again). Obviously that was way too big to get through the cat flap A different cat bought home a kitchen scrubbing brush once. Not sure he was particularly normal though

Our cats are picky brand freaks too. Applaws, but only Ocean Fish. Catnip - cosmic variety. Chicken - fresh microwaved human food variety. Whiskas? not likely Best cat toys ever for a happy moggy are: . the biggest cat tree that you can fit in your house . fluffy throw blankets for human bed and couches (black and white cats particularly like these) . cat-flap . occasional cardboard box or loose sheets of paper if you are a Tabby - black and whites are pretty meh towards stationary . mice to bring in the house (or human bed) at 3am which can then be lost, never to be seen again . birds to eat as al-freso snacks... bad cats..

I find the cyclist's squeaky brakes an offence. He should be reported for that. Also he (shock-horror) swore in public - he is clearly an uncouth shouty cyclo-vigilante - and who came over all axe-grindy and 'made an example of' her for having a flashy Land Rover. Did she crash or kill any other cyclists, kids or cats? Nope. Poor lass was a bit hungry and quite capable of dropping the cereal bowl in her lap if need be. Her only real crime was that of the potential for crumbs and a sticky steering wheel whilst pootling along at 2mph in her automatic car with a perfectly good free hand to guide the steering wheel ..at 2mph. Multi tasking is possible in automatics (I used to own two - I even managed to change the radio dials a few times ) Weaving, 40MPH, centre lane of M25 texting are the people that should be nailed to a post IMHO. This cyclist episode is just an example of bullying

Very nicely done. I used a sump remover tool and a gasket scraper set from eBay to make it easy on myself when I took my sump off.. but I still managed to spill about a litre of black oil on my drive and myself It was going so well up to the point it went ...slip..plop..oh pants

^^ What he said - we're both supercharged and multi-modded - Adrian Flux has been fine about all declarations PM Dan @ flux on here for a hook up

Nice flakes - it's like opal

Good effort! I'm sure it'll come good

Strip suspension to it's bones, blast it till it crumbles, mangle bushes, slash subframe, burn diff with fire.. it's getting more and more surreal by the minute this Terribly good

I think that is stunning Well 'ard

x5

^^ Bus driver didn't care though - seemed to just drive away.. probably thought to himself "meh, another 10pts"

Yeah, she was ok about that part she said we're both to blame (partly becuase she's been too busy to get involved and partly becuase I've done everything) Flex, limps to fight another day. Chosen well.. keeper

Drunk on eBay.. just bought a 6 ton press for £51 bargainatious Nowhere to put it Damn those kayaks, bikes, 8 spare wheels, old bits of oem Zed, and lawn mowing equipment..

Not quite the best aftermarket mod I've had from Tarmac, twirly gadet in the air intake covers that, but certainly the undertray is a great improvement over OEM plastic. Very pleased with mine from a previous GB

Ahhhh... nooo.... whoops.. ..moving.. *shudders* 10 year old's petulant 2 year old ginger step twins..