Q91CMV - Dutton Legerra ZS Series 2

[Adrian Southgate]

So, MOT sorted by the skin of its teeth, loads to do before tomorrow morning, panic has set it due to a little mishap with the pedal box...

How many of you fitted metal spreader plates between the pedal box and the bulkhead? Here is something for those of you with pinto engines to think about.

I didn't see this coming 8 years ago when I re built it... The holes are supposed to be there... the crack around the edge is not.

Seems the proximity to the manifold has weakened the fibreglass of the tub a little

Well a lot actually :)

A metal spreader plate on the inside would have eased the load on the area and this may not have been quite so severe. This is going to be a fun evening..

[Adrian Southgate]

I haven't finished the painting yet however this is a pair of calipers I was set to exchange for new ones in desperation. Fitted with new pistons and seals from Brakes International (£43) and a spacer kit (£32) to wrap round the new vented discs (£29). 

Anyway, very pretty but... went to dry run them back onto the stub axles with the new bolts purchased especially to fit my strut bottoms ... There may be an issue with these bolts I think.

I assume the old (fatter) bolt is off a mk1 escort strut, hence the slight discrepancy in diameter and thread pitch. This changes the whole game plan for fitting a refurbished stub axle assembly to each side of the green leggie as I now don't have 'spare' stub axles that fit

[Adrian Southgate]

Update. Been out playing in the garage for the last few days, ended up with a before and after shot for your amusement.

[Steve Kerswell]

I know, but I will claim the tax back through my business, so thats .40p........yipee

[Steve Kerswell]

Its only money Ade, I had to spend £2 on the Sierra today, never before have I had to buy nuts, steering rack ends are M14 and I never had any. Wife reckons I doubled its value :-)

[Adrian Southgate]

Cheers Steve. That'll be me £43 lighter then :)

[Steve Kerswell]

From my view, new pistons, and with my experience with stainless steel, no its not worth the extra.

[Adrian Southgate]

Stainless steel pistons and seal kit = £67

Chrome plated steel pistons and seal kit = £43

Is it worth the extra expense as it seems to be the housing that suffers from the worst of the corrosion behind the dust seal. 

Seal kits are reasonable @ about £14 so again is it worth all that work using the original pistons and taking the risk of a leak?

Your thoughts gents?

[Adrian Southgate]

Update.

Green painted calipers now put back together, one has been blasted and stripped down again. Pistons popped, all cleaned out and checked. There is slight pitting on one piston and I'm not happy as it's through the chrome and into the base steel. Pricing up stainless piston repair kits later. Its a right pain taking it all apart, cleaning, refitting, blasting, more cleaning, stripping down, more blasting, cleaning, blah blah blah... If I wasn't fitting the spacer kit I wouldn't bother.

Bigger hose employed and no noticable improvement - conclusion = restrictive moisture trap / regulator. Bypass employed and now the box is leaking sand and gas as it pressurises faster than the vent can let the air out :) extractor now compulsory as i have green/black grit up my nose and its mainly powdered glass (ouch) on the positive side it destroys paint and rust with alarming rapidity so caliper 2 should be done in half the time.

[Steve Kerswell]

Thats why I asked about volume not pressure, pressure is secondary if you haven't got the volume to support it. Ade, 14 cfm should be fine, may need bigger hose, nozzle. Nice looking set up, noisy? I never noticed :-))

[Adrian Southgate]

Thanks Paul.

I am currently using recycled glass which is a very pretty green and razor sharp but causes a fair amount of dust and I think it's powdering on impact.