Exhausting - I'm at braking point.

It's the weekend and that means it's time to play with the Polo.

Tackling the jobs list in a totally haphazard fashion I decided it was time to hang the exhaust - don't worry it had a fair trial. Two mystery rubber hangers that had been in the glovebox parts stash proved not to be the exhaust hangers, which are simple rubber rings, priced at less than a quid each. Trying to fit them proved something was amiss. The exhaust is a simple two piece affair, but whoever fitted it had twisted the rear section on the front so that the silencer sat at an angle instead of flat, and they had also pushed the two parts far too much together - if that makes sense. As a result the hanger brackets were misaligned with the brackets on the exhaust and the rubber rings wouldn't go anywhere near. Separating the exhaust components took a bit of persuasion with a hammer, a blow torch and much twisting until the ten year old exhaust paste jointing the two bits eventually let go. Reassembling it was a simple job, but involved a two man team, Thomas at the back of the car having to push the exhaust in place whilst stopping it rotating, whilst I clamped it back together laid under the side of the car. .With the rear pipe realigned and moved back a touch the rubbers lined up the silencer clears the back axle better and the exhaust no longer sags like a sad dogs tail. Quite how Kwik Fit do this single handed is beyond me, it must be easier on an overhead lift than it in laid on the ground, that's all I can say. Anyhow that's one job ticked off the list.

Washing in progress

Onto the brakes. It might seem odd making the car stop when we haven't yet got it going but there is some sort of logic to my thinking, at least in my mind. Last weekend saw me freeing off the seized brakes. New cylinders will be going on the back. These are still available cheaply and it's quicker and less fiddly than cleaning up the old ones and fitting new seals.

The front brake calipers are a different matter though. A search of the internet shows that while they are available the prices vary from around £50 to £75 each, with a £20 surcharge on the old unit as they are reconditioned. Further searching on the internet showed I could get the seal kits to rebuild the original callipers for just a fiver. As we are working to a minimal budget any penny saved counts, and i found myself reasoning that if I was going to buy "new" reconditioned units, why not do it myself and buy the seal kits?

So, it was off with the front offside caliper to strip it down. Normally I would clamp the brake hose to minimise brake fluid loss, but as it's ten years old I just put the hose into an old Lucozade bottle and let it drain down. (Other brands of fizzy drink can be used) The fluid will be replaced with fresh as I don't trust the old stuff even though it looks remarkably clean. replacing it means it will be all clean and all the same DOT type to avoid any problems.

Cylinder refurbished

Caliper painted

Striping down the calliper was more difficult than it should have been. The spring that holds the cylinder part to the support refused to come out cleanly, and not wanting to snap it off in the casting I had to be patient, tapping gently but firmly with a thin punch until it let go. A squirt of WD40 left while I had a coffee helped. Eventually one end came out allowing me to gently turn the other one until the corrosion gripping it finally let go. Next to the cylinder. The piston was stuck in the bore and this was my worse nightmare - how to get it out without damage? Luckily I spent Friday night re-reading the January issue of Practical Classics which had a well timed article all about overhauling brake calipers. The top tip was to use compressed air to push the piston out. Well, would a well seized caliper yield to simple air pressure? With the cylinder clamped in the bench vice it took three attempts, with the compressor cranked up a little each time, before the piston popped out with a satisfying plop. Examination shows it to be in good condition - the brake fluid in the bore was a dirty grey colour, but the bore near to the seal was only mildly corroded, quickly cleaned up with emery paper. The piston itself was in similar condition, just needing a clean up.

The seal kit hasn't arrive yet, it should be in the post on Monday, but that gave me the chance to do a proper refurb on the caliper. A good scrubbing with the wire brush and emery paper, then a bath in the parts washer came next. A Christmas gift from my father in law a couple or three years back I hadn't yet used the parts washer other than to test it. The degreaser fluid had gone off, with a film of hardened scum blocking the intake to the pump, so the wash was delayed whilst I cleaned the parts washer and went for new fluid. Whilst at the shops I also picked up an aerosol of silver VHT paint (Very High Temperature) and a can of black Hammerite. The Hammerite is to tidy up the brake backplate, a job for tomorrow. The VHT was for the caliper itself, and very smart it looks too, all silver and shiny like new. It'll look great reassembled once the seals arrive.

In between waiting for WD40 to do it's thing and waiting for paint to dry I've had a quick look at a couple of other minor jobs. The front nearside indicator doesn't work, and replacing the bulb hasn't fixed it. There's no battery on the car, but connecting the jump pack provided enough power to test and prove it is something more involved than just a bulb or a fuse. More investigation needed there then. Likewise the windscreen wipers - the fuse is good, so at some point the motor is going to have to come off for a bench test and the wiring checked up.

That's it for now, but it's Sunday tomorrow, so maybe we'll get some more jobs ticked off. For now it's back to the T-cut for a nice evening of polishing the flat paint. Shines up well doesn't she?