Little Red has had some new and old bits fitted…
New clutch kit, AC Compressor, paint on the drivers wing and passed the MOT.
When I done the new brakes and disks, I asked my son and daughter for help bleeding the brakes…so when you do it by yourself be careful not to spill brake fluid anywhere. I notice the next day some blistering on the front drivers wing.
In future I will ask a friend to help me…!
Although the new clutch is fitted the new release bearing is now making a louder noise and I have a serious oil leak from either the rear main seal or the front of the gearbox. So it has to go back to the garage.
The AC Compressor front end was ordered from RockAuto but this is the wrong size, so I ended up buying a second-hand unit from MX5bitz. Rob has been an excellent help so the AC is now working.
I have ordered a genuine mazda release bearing and rms and gearbox seal and gasket so it will be ready to go to the garage.
I decided to drive to Tiptree and then onto Colchester on Friday so the car could have a good run and bed the brakes in. Needless to say we only got to Chelmsford…the car overheated and we got to a services. I poured antifreeze into the rad and it came straight out somewhere near the bottom hose.
I called a local garage less than half a mile and he said it was the head gasket…I then called another garage under 2 miles away. The receptionist was brilliant and said if you get it to us we will be able to find the fault. After a McDonald’s breakfast (my son wanted a burger) at 10.30 we slowly made it to the garage.
Long story short the rad failed a pressure test and the garage was fully booked for the next two weeks.
I was given a low loader number and the guy came to pick up the car. He is an MX-5 and engineering guru. Wayne Blackwelll of MX-5 body kits fame.
I have now also ordered a new rad, thermostat and gasket. I tested the thermostat and it doesn’t appear to move. I ended ordering the thermostat from BOFI as the original has 82 degrees on it which is harder to find.
The rad was a job I was going to do in the winter but is now being done next week…
Although the day was in many ways a disaster I got to spend time with my son, still manage to get a coffee in Chelmer and got the receptionist a chocolate muffin and met Wayne…and my son enjoy being in the cab.
