Various jobs - difficulty

[James k]

Hi,
I had quite a lot of work done on my Traveller by ESM recently. I didn't get everything that they said needed doing done though as I couldn't afford it. I was wondering how difficult the remaining jobs are to do and if I could do them myself. The jobs are:

-Fit new rear shock absorbers (since the seals have gone and they're not holding oil)
-Fit one new rear road spring
-Fit new eye bolt bushes and pins
-Fit new exhaust system
-Renew engine mounts and steady bar

Thanks
James

[bmcecosse]

All straightforward - only snag will be rusted up nuts and bolts - so douse well with a good Release Oil (so not WD40) in advance.

[chesney]

Best to replace both springs at the same time.

[James k]

I just checked and it turns out that the eye bolts have been done. Could anyone give me a brief idea of what's involved in each job? The timing chain and possibly the water pump (since it's rattling) also need replacing.

[Trickydicky]

For your dampers, here is a method of replacing the seals if you feel you could do it, or maybe someone could help you?
http://www.mmoc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f= ... t=+Dampers

[bmcecosse]

Have you downloaded the Workshop Manual ? It's ALL in there.... Renewing seals in the dampers is not easy - are you SURE they are leaking? Not just a scare story from ESM ?

[James k]

I've got the workshop manual and have looked up the various things. I just find it a bit vague at times. I suppose I'll just post the relevant questions when I attempt the tasks. I haven't looked at the dampers but there's certainly not much in the way of damping at the moment! Speed bumps are pretty horrible. I'd like to think that ESM were honest about what needed doing. They were very specific about what needed replacing (not all brake cylinders etc.) and what was in good condition already.

[bmcecosse]

Well worth draining and refilling the dampers with SAE40 oil. Remember - Traders are out to SELL bits...... If that new oil leaks out - fair enough, but are they covered in 'leaking' oil at the moment? In my experience - rear dampers last well and just need the oil changing - it gets literally torn to shreds with the constant flow through tiny orifices. Fronts also destroy the oil - but also there is considerable force/wear on the bearings since the damper is also the upper suspension arm - and so they are much more likely to 'leak'. Dampers filled with SAE 40 are easily the equal of the nasty 'bolt on' teledamper kits.......

[James k]

I'll check the dampers for leaking oil when I'm back in England (I've got some spare time to do some work when i get back so I'm trying to work out what I need to sort out beforehand). My only concern is that after removing, refilling and refitting the rear dampers it will turn out that they do need replacing and I'll have to do the whole thing again Seeing as it will likely take me all day I'd like to avoid it.

[mike.perry]

Rear dampers are easy peasy. Jack up and remove rear wheels and support axle on stands, two nuts and bolts to remove it from mounting plate and a taper joint to remove the arm from the droplink.
You will need 1/4, 5/16 Whitworth spanners, sockets and a pair of pliers to remove the split pin from castle nut (if fitted) possibly an extractor to separate the arm from the drop link. Whilst you are there replace the bush at the top of the drop link.
Should take you about an hour allowing for a cup of tea.

Exhaust system can be awkward, mainly removing old mountings and seized nuts and bolts. You will have to turn back the left rear carpet to reach the forward hanger bolt head. The left side of the car needs to be jacked up as high as safely possible and supported on stands front and rear to give space for fitting the rear section over the axle and lining up with the silencer and then fitting the front pipe. When the pipes have been secured with straps and U clamps and loosely bolted together the car can be lowered onto its wheels and the jack placed in front of the silencer. Jack the front pipe up to the manifold and check that it is correctly positioned then fit and tighten the manifold clamp Go back through and check the pipe alignment and clearances and tighten all the nuts and bolts.

Engine mountings. Undo nuts on top and botom of rubber mounts and jack the engine up under the sump. Use a peice of wood to spread the load. You may have enough clearance to remove the mounts, if not then you will have to remove the four bolts securing one of the towers to the floor and move the tower away. Replace the new mounting rubbers and secure loosely. Secure the tower to the floor and lower the engine then tighten all the mounting nuts.

Presumably the engine steady bar just needs new rubbers. Undo the bar from the battery end and replace the rubbers, replace the bar and adjust the tension so that the engine is secure but not under strain

[bmcecosse]

beware - the engine mounts sold by most suppliers these days are hard as ROCK, and transmit dreadful vibration into the car. Stick with the old ones if you can - why do you think they need renewing ? Just because 'ESM' say so ??

[James k]

Thanks,
Does the car need jacking and the wheels removing to remove the rear dampers or does it just make it easier to do? It doesn't seem to say so in the workshop manual although I may have missed it.

The current engine mounts have become rather hard and cracked and have some bits missing. I don't know how bad they have to be before they need doing though.

[bmcecosse]

Yes - you would need to raise the rear end -ramps - or simple jacking would do it.... I would stay with the mounts if possible. Maybe someone can point to a supplier of proper 'soft' mounts ?

[chesney]

Bull Motif supply some engine mounts that are less firm, they worked for me.

[bmcecosse]

There you do then!

[chesney]

http://www.morrisminorspares.net/shop_item.php?ID=2073
Part number MNT101.
As I say, these worked for me when I replaced the ones that had split on my '61. But that was over a year ago.

[James k]

Thanks for all the replies!
So, would it be okay to jack it up in the middle at the back and then put axle stands under the rear axle? If I take the wheels off I can stick those under for a failsafe too (I'm very neurotic about this sort of thing! ). The rear dampers will probably be the first non-engine thing I do when i get back (I need to get to the bottom of my power problem with a compression test first, as detailed in another thread) and possibly the springs. I'll get a photo of the engine mounts to to get your opinion on whether they're worth replacing.

I'm going to need to start getting more work done on it myself as I've got limited funds. I had to spend a lot on getting it safe (New trunnions one of which was completely stripped, missing(!) clutch relay shaft bush, some brake cylinders and shoes and, most worryingly, replacement of the master cylinder which had a failed seal!) So far I've done the head gasket and fitted a new distributor so I'm slowly getting to grips with it, being a complete novice. So many thanks for all the very useful help so far! I hope it continues to get better

[bmcecosse]

Well done - the dampers are easy. They 'can' be drained and refilled on the car - but honestly - it will be a LOT easier to take them off the car. And if by any chance they are then leaking - at least the bolts will undo easily the second time around!

[chesney]

Don't be afraid to use more than one axle stand. I always take every precaution, I will not go under the back of my Trav without being supported by two axle stands a side at the very minimum, there is only one of you, no point on doing the work if you won't be around to enjoy it!
You sound as though you have the right idea. I have just done a similar job, and used two axle stands to support the axle at either end, and another one per spring, in addition to the jack under the axle casing.
We are, of course, here to help you if you have any queries once you start the job, but it's pretty straight forward. You should have no problems at all.

[aupickup]

hi i am just in sedlescombe so if you need any anything just holla