When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Preliminary Clean Up begins on the Cage of 'Cherry Blossom' Starting with a Soaking with de-greaser before the First Pressure Wash followed by the removal of the Trailing Arms and The Exhausts
Soaked in Water Soluble de-greaser before the First Pressure Wash, I'm not expecting Miracles but at least some of that Crud should get Washed Off!
Thanks to my homemade 'Handbrake Cable Wrangler' I could remove the Handbrake Cable without removing the Springs which is far easier to be doing once the 'Cage' has been removed from the Car
OMG I Hope That Isn't Petrol Leaking On The Floor!
Removing The Trailing Arms
Omg! This was the last thing I wanted to see when I opened the Garage Door this morning, as it looks as if there's Petrol leaking out from somewhere under the Car
It looks like Petrol and it feels like Petrol but doesn't Smell like Petrol so what could it be?
The only way to know for sure is to collect a sample, then take it out of the Garage and see how well it burns but I'm hoping its Brake Fluid from when I cut the Flexible Brake Pipe, although it wasn't dripping yesterday when I did that
Meantime back at 'Orange Blossom Towers' I pressure washed the Cage and then decided that I would remove the Trailing Arms, which isn't quite as simple as it looks! although its easier to do that now while the Cage is out of the Car and here is why
In order to take the Trailing Arms off you have to remove this bolt, which is locked in with locking tabs although that's the least of your worries as that Bolt is Screwed in Super Tight and is a PIA to undo, as first you have to get a Spanner on it
And therein lies a problem, as these Bolts come with only Half a head! as the other half has been cut off (Factory OEM) so it will slide past the Fulcrum Tube on the Rear Suspension Spring
Although that's just for Starters! as you also have to remove the Rear Suspension Fulcrum Pin, to allow enough room for it too slide out, so maybe not surprising that I prefer to do this when the Cage is out of the Car, as this is an interesting and potentially annoying Jig Saw Puzzle
Where as you reach for the JD may just find yourself asking, Why oh why did they do it like this apart from because its a Jaaag!
Really, Really awkward to try and get a Spanner to properly fit half a Nut so I had to use a Wedge and a FBH to Hammer the Spanner to get it on
Having Hammered the Spanner on, I needed a the assistance of a Scaffolding Pole to get it undone
Nice Try but No Cigar!
Even if you move the Spring there's still not enough room to slide that Bolt back, far enough to drop that Trailing Arm!
So near but yet so far!
The Rear Suspension Fulcrum Pin has to be Slid right out before you can remove that Bolt to drop the Trailing Arm!
An interesting design quirk there 'Just gotta love those guys'
Yass! the Trailing Arm is finally out, so time to do the same on the other side!
Better put the Bolt back before I lose it (Again!)
Last edited by orangeblossom; 09-19-2021 at 04:50 PM.
Well I think that told me one thing - remove the pivot shaft at the bottom and hit those radius arm bolts with the rattle gun - the rear sub is next on my list. Other than the mounts and the radius arms there's nothing to disconnect - the weight all supported on a large commercial transmission jack because one mount has separated / started to separate, my quick jack is obstructing the front radius arm mounts but since the prop is off, exhausts are gone and I'm replacing brake pipes so they're all disconnected too I may as well drop it - need to replace the mounts anyhow. I've enough to be going at for now though but I'll be watching your progress for clues.
I hope my radius arms come out easier than yours did !!
Like @BenKenobi I too am watching as this job is coming up for me. I am curious about how you remove the bushings from the trailing arms because I see that as having the potential for making me say a lot of bad words.
I have a special set of dies and presses for all sorts of diameters, they're specific for suspension bushings so I'm hoping I have something that fits or I'll be farming this out - I may even play chicken and buy new radius arms with OEM bushes already fitted - I believe these arms are easy to distort but can't recall where I read that.
I have a kit like this - you basically use two cups - one cup is the same size or a teensy bit smaller than the bush the other fits the outer perimeter, is larger than the bush but small enough to fit the control arm - the threaded parts pull the bush into the larger cup. Google for suspension bush tool or press pull bush tool. I'll measure my bushes and check my cup diameters at some point tomorrow.
Great advice as always and I think I will almost certainly be replacing all of those Radius Arm Bushes, as having to undo 'That Bolt' as well as remove the Radius Arm Spring Fulcrum Pins to get to them, it will be a lot more difficult once those Radius Arms are back on the Car
Which makes it not the kind of job that you really want to re-visit sometime further down the line
Ben
Sadly you cannot get a rattle gun on that bolt, as removing the bottom wishbone does nothing to help. The bolt goes both through and is tapped into the wishbone forging. The pivot shaft has to come out to get a spanner on the bolt, but the pivot tube (part of the wishbone) prevents a socket being used.
If you nickel ease (more expensive but FAR better than copper grease) the bolt thoroughly, and ensure the locktab is properly seated, the bolt will come out easily next time! https://www.draketooling.co.uk/Produ...ieze/MOL18A005
This stuff is magic on the engine bay earths (grounds) too, particularly the engine to fame earths.
Last edited by Greg in France; 09-21-2021 at 02:22 AM.
There's a time and place for a 'Rattle Gun' and as 'Greg' says this isn't it, as even if you were somehow able to get a 'Wobbly' on that Bolt, I wouldn't want to risk it, as that Bolt has half the Head Cut off and if that Socket slips it could get damaged
Which could leave you with the kind of Headache JD couldn't fix
Those Bolts are not that hard to undo with the Cage out of the Car, it's just a bit annoying to have those Fulcrum Spring Shafts stuck right in the way, though having said that it only took me less that one hour to get them both out, using a Ring Spanner and a Scaffold Pole for a bit more leverage
As these are the kind of Bolts that sort of need a little bit of Careful 'Nursing Out'
Although you are going to need the 'Rattle Gun' to remove the 'Rotors' when the time comes
I'm afraid with the arthritis in my hands this isn't good news - for me rattle gun is almost mandatory for many nuts and bolts these days - so it looks like spanner and 2 foot scaffold bar although I don't like to treat my spanners in such a way and this sounds like a case for a quality spanner not a chinesium one.
I have the scaffold pole in house - had to use that to remove the oil cooler lines - two of them in fact on large adjustable plumbing wrenches
It occurs to me that a Torx headed bolt might just get past the fulcrum tube, thus allowing a ratchet tool to be used. OB, can you measure the diameter of the bolt shank? I am pretty sure it is UNF. This would be quite a good mod, if so. You would just have to flatten off one side to give the lock tab something flat to go against.
This sort of thing, but UNF, I think the threads are, assuming they are made? These are UNC https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/60648169
no idea if UNF are made, I could not find any on a search.
Last edited by Greg in France; 09-21-2021 at 05:08 AM.
I've ordered a tin of that antisieze - I'm still using a tin of copper slip that I bought 10+ years ago so it isn't that expensive really. I will put it as a note to check this bolt idea.
BUT I did find a firm that can do custom bolts, but not torx. But this sort of thing might be a runner, see fist page bottom row, second from the left; in effect a small-headed bolt with a flange below it. Only the flange would need to be flattened off, and a socket might go on it: https://www.haguefasteners.co.uk/gallery/
Refurbing the Cage on an XJS does require a fair bit of physical effort and Spanner manipulation, so bearing in mind what you mentioned not quite sure how you would get on with that, especially when you get to the Diff Fulcrum Pins
As if the inner bearings get out of alignment, then a fairly straightforward job can turn into a little bit of a Nightmare, so keep an eye on what I'm doing to see how hard or easy you think refurbing the Cage is for you
'Gregs' Bolt idea sounds a very nice mod, although of course the existing ones will have to come out first and they are nowhere near to being the hardest part of the job
Anyway keep watching and please feel free to throw in any suggestions, as I'm always on the lookout for a better way of doing things
I can handle the physical to a point but need to use machinery wherever possible, using the hands is more a grip and pain thing, tight grip and pulling hard is not comfortable - I can push through that but then pay the price for days - if you know how toothache feels imagine that in all your fingers so the rattle gun has become my best buddy and I have all kinds of sockets and gizmos to facilitate its use - once stuff is loose I don't need it.
It won't stop me and I will be watching you closely. My rear sub has new calipers but the discs are shot and whoever put the new calipers in did not replace the handbrake mech or set it up correctly (not sure which), the bushes and mounts are also toast so since I've few choices it is a case of suck it up and get on with it. I have the fosseway remote bleed to fit also on Greg's recommendation, all pipework will be replaced with Kunifer pipe and fittings, not sure whether I'll tackle the diff seals but common sense says to replace them if the discs are out, I'll be stripping the cage fullyin any case and sandblasting / painting.
I read about those bearings in the Kirby Palm book, I do feel the need to check them if I'm in that far - I wish I had the discipline to take more pics of the things I do - I could have done a lot more on the engine removal. Perhaps I need to buy a camera that I'm happy to have hanging around while I'm working.
But first I have to remove the Rear Exhaust Boxes which are rusted solid to the Exhaust Pipes together with the Clamps that won't undo!
No point in messing around with this, so its out with the Angle Grinder and a Cutting Wheel to cut through the Bolts on the Clamps, which if not separated can be a Nightmare to refit, once the IRS Cage has been put back in the Car
Exhaust Clamps too rusted to undo, so its out with the Angle Grinder and a Cutting Disc
Followed by some hefty Clumps with a Lead and Hide Hammer!
Same thing on the other side but I had to leave the Exhaust Pipes behind in the Cage at least for the moment, as I hadn't got enough height to get them out
The next job is to remove the Metal Cage Shroud from the Diff, where I just undid the 3 Bolts on each side of the Base Plate
Next I cut the Locking Wire that Secures the 4 Bolts into the Top of the Diff
Those Bolts may look Rusty but they undo dead easy with no rattle gun required
Undoing those 4 Bolts was easy, though a long handled wrench may be needed just to break the seal
Now that the Cage is out of the Car, taking off those Brake Springs was also easy to do
Disconnecting the Brake Pipe needs a 13mm and 15mm Spanner
Undoing the Fulcrum Shafts was easy and once again no rattle gun required
Don't take the Nuts off the Shafts at this stage as they are going to need a 'Tap' with a Lead and Hide Hammer
Tap the Fulcrum Shafts in Flush (on one side only) and then take off the Nuts
The Next thing to do is to make up a pair of 'Dummy Fulcrum Shafts' to stop everything falling apart when you remove the 'Real Fulcrum Shafts'
All you need to make the 'Dummy Fulcrum Shafts' is a length of 1/2 in Copper Water Pipe the Same Length as the Non Threaded Length of the 'Real Fulcrum Shafts'
But if you have money Burning a hole in your pocket, you could buy New Fulcrum Shafts and then use the Old ones as 'Dummy Shafts' with the threads cut off each end
Sorry its not a great Photo as it is the most important one!
As what you have to do here is to push the Copper Tube (Dummy Shaft) over the Thread of the 'Real Fulcrum Shaft' (the one you tapped in flush) and then insert a piece of Rod (A piece of old Studding will do) into the open end of the Copper Tube (Dummy Shaft)
The Reason being that you want to Tap the (Dummy Shaft) in to knock the 'Real Fulcrum Shaft' out the other side but since the (Dummy Shaft) is made of Copper, hitting the end of the (Copper Pipe) might bend it! which of course you do not want to do
So what you have to do is to Tap the Rod that you put inside the Copper Tube with a Lead and Hide Hammer with one hand, while rotating the Copper Tube with the other hand and then as you rotate it just keep pushing it in
In that way the 'Dummy Shaft' never comes into contact with (The Real Fulcrum Shaft) as you are using the piece of Rod that is inside the Copper Tube as a 'Drift' so you can knock (The Real Fulcrum Shaft) through the Cage and out the other side
Which then leaves the 'Copper Tube' in place of (The Real Fulcrum Shaft)
The reason that you do this, is that you don't want the 'Threads' of (The Real Fulcrum Shafts) sticking out of either side of the Cage as if that happens then you can't pull the Metal Shroud off
And if you're confused at this stage then that makes two of us!
As its easier to do than it is to try and explain
Then remove the 4 Big Bolts that you loosened previously from the Top of the Cage
Then just lift the Cage Shroud off the Diff leaving 'The Dummy Shafts' in place to keep the hole thing together, while you get on with the Refurb
Once you've got the Cover off you can also insert a piece of Studding into the Copper Tube to help prevent you losing any Washers and Seals
Next: The Big Clean Up and Refurb begins after other jobs on the 'Back Burner' have been attended to
Has me a little depressed - I can see just how much I still have left to do - my discs are in much worse shape than those.
I'm not understanding the copper pipe bit, or is that just a keeping it mobile thing, I realise the shafts need to come out to release the cage but why do you care if it falls apart ?? should be easy enough to pick washers and stuff up off the ground and slip onto a piece of metal or plastic rod in the appropriate order ? - don't think I've seen anything about any specers or specific stuff in that area - that's all higher up. Or do you not plan on replacing the bearings in there ? (while I'm in here itis) ....
09-18-2021, 10:46 AM
