Mazda-Menders

Last rear carrier derusted and painted ...so they are all ready to swap and sort the brakes....

Front brakes done they just need bleeding...rear suspension on and a few odds and sods sorted while it was apart....

So finally got to the rear brakes....missing shims so Autolinkmx5 are sending me some out for both sides...

The whole rear braking system needed doing badly... everything was drier than a nuns chuff..both bottom slider pins needed a light de rusting...both calipers seemed in good nick... until i got to the drivers rear...that was, i cracked the bottom slider pin there was a bit of a push to get the caliper off the carriers top slider pin...water had been getting in and was rusty even though it had some kind of sticky grease on it???
It was at this point i had a look at the caliper....wow...i have seen plenty of bodges in my time...but never this ,which who ever had done the brakes had cut off with a grinder the rear of the caliper where the top slider pin slots in leaving it open to everything been thrown at it...

So the caliper is fit for nothing now but the bin,who ever had done this brakes did not like people as they valued their lives as nothing to get some cash out of it...

But on routing for another for that side i found another with a similar bodge..only this one had been drilled at the back not cut off with a cut down carpet trim button stuck in the drilled hole???

Now i am guessing that both were done because at some point the carriers top slider pin had rusted which was also in side the caliper. And locked together fast and the holes mean it was given freeing up oil and penetrating oil, to break the hold of the rust and drifted off...???
You tell me.. somewhere out there is a site recommending this as a fix...we highly do not recommend doing this ,let us know where it it is please...there are eaiser and simpler ways to get a calliper free when rusted to the top carrier pin than making them unsafe and fit for the bin...
Any way some pics...

Looks like she has been stood axle deep in salt water.

At least after your rebuild the brakes will be properly sorted with no corners cut.

Camera flash always makes things look worse than they are...take a photo off anything with a smear of copper slip and it looks like its a mile thick...she is not that bad underneath...it will all get sorted.

There were no rear shims so will see if i can dig some out...
Rain rail etc at the minute and everything concerned with the rear of the soft top and drainage..
Also started on the service...
M-m

First off i need to hugely/massively thanks to Daryl at the minute for helping with all the major back stuff as i am high as a kite on my party drugs over looking and guiding him with every move which i know is doing his head in big time while i hang over my zimmer frame at him lol...

Any way..the brakes are finished and bled off now with all fresh fluid.... A set of shims have been found and being painted...yes you cannot buy them new anymore, good job i have tubs of old ones i saved...
Found and added a front strut brace...
Found a better rear parcel shelf carpet and sound deadening backing and some Mk 2 side deadening panels so cleaned and stuck everything together ready for refitting..rain rail cleaned and repaired and back on her..centre holding/support roof bracket rubbed down and painted ready for refitting...
Found a lot better indicator/lights stalk to swap out at some point...
Changed the rear light cluster on the drivers side as no matter how many seals i was swapping out it was still letting in water..so put it down to the light cluster it self...we will see...
Newer drainage tray tubes added with road noise flaps in...
And the fuel filter changed...

So next is to put all the roof etc back together....seats in once the fabric as been cleaned...and full service to finish...

Also big thanks to our helping friend with bleeding the brakes...
Pics to follow...



M-m

Daryls off, time for some directions and a lot of tutting and moaning

Rear of the roof is back together,rain rail refitted, Mk 2 side support brackets fitted ,rear deck carpet fitted,Chrome mirrors fitted,newer door weather strips fitted,universal front mud guards fitted because of the OE sill skirts, indicator and light stalks changed, both front wings undone and the inner cleaned and protected,
Only 3 x snapped 10 mm head bolts that needed drilling out and re-tapping, floor well mats cleaned...

Once again massive thanks to Darly for his help...

Major service , new number plates and alignment left until summer when i start attack No 2...

Pics to follow...
M-m

Oh yeah and sorted the the door edges... somewhere along her journey to me someone had put door edge protectors ..well sort of...the drivers side was 6mm or so and was only as far as the indent that runs around the Mk1,s...same length on the passenger side but it was 12mm or so wide....the drivers side had been stuck on with silicon sealant and super glue...passenger with bucket loads of super glue....joy as i wanted to fit some that runs the full length of the door edge..

So a load of acitone and a Stanley blade to shave and remove it all...i had to touch up with a 6mm wide brush with the colour and clear coat until summer when it can be done correct ....fudging super glue...thanks the lot...

Pics so far but not in order.....

I have lots of little jobs to do to our euros but just don't have the time at the moment although you are giving me the urge to get out there and crack on.

Quite fancy that style of momo steering wheel on our MX.

Keep up the good work

Hi, how difficult was it to reverse the stalks for the indicators and wipers? Is it just a case of getting the necessary replacements and moving the connectors?

I have the original style on my G-Ltd and I'm continually confusing people by indicating with the windscreen wipers.

They are not reversed...its an import like yours..it should be the same..
M-m

As is the norm at the minute, waiting for weekends for Daryl to take directions for the major back jobs...
There is a lot of whinging and moaning....and he was very unsure of this, but i was watching everything....
So massive thank you to number 1 son for helping his dear dad and also learning something new...

So service time...water pump,cam belt,idler,tensioner,spring,Aux belts,fuel filter,oil filter,air filter, cam seals,crank seal,CAS seal, rocker cover seal,spark plugs,engine oil,5 year antifreeze,everything flushed and cleaned including washer bottle and tubes, expansion bottle, coolant system, wiper blades, every hinge lubed , window channels, locks and latches, throttle cable adjusted.... everything cleaned and copper slip added on build up for and future maintenance....

Took off the power steering belt, which looks like it had been on there for to long, and then the alternator belt came off OMG....

Hit an issue on bleeding air locks out of the cooling system...while running up to temp, about 20 minutes in the OE temp gauge needle shot straight over to nuke but no fan, so turned off ???? ,opened the rad cap for any air lock, rad cap back on and restart...straight over to nuke, but it was not hot enough, so turned off and put a rad temp gauge on and restarted,OE gauge went straight to nuke but rad temp gauge was 70 degrees , so could not take the chance with a dodgy temp sensor?

So back apart and a brand new temp sensor fitted, back together and started her up.....new fault this time, she took a while to start and then once i had got her going the coolant fan was on solid from cold????so a brand new temp sensor faulty???.
so back apart again and another brand new temp sensor fitted again....started her up and on the button, OE temp gauge not moved, no fan on and temp gauge on the rad at zero also, ran her to temp, fan in and off at the correct temp, let her do a couple of cycles and switched off and got the engine oil out while hot and changed the oil filter also, let her cooled down, and re-fitted the OE rad cap.

New plates arrived on Saturday, so they were fitted so she now as a name ;0), see if you can guess ,its spicy.

Mouth grill bolts or what was left of them, drilled out and fresh used...

Old Heater trunking seals removed and the which were well past there best, newer better ones fitted...

wheel spacers fitted, interior bulbs changed from the ones that were blown..

And thats it bar full alignment until summer...
All ready to use, for poor dads back...Massive thanks to Daryl for putting up with my directions and shouting...

Well i took her for a full alignment to Moons Toyota and let Micky do is magic...
Everything cracked as it should and was a piece of off cake to do...
Took the oppertunity to get a view underneath while she was in the air....nice and solid underneath..bot i did notice a aftermarket cat which would explian the slight lack in power..looks like a cheap bay of e special, so that will coming off( oh Daryl i have a job for you number 1 son).
That should sort it out,also noticed a brake light out,so that was easy enough...
So had a little run around as i have not drove now for 10 weeks...she is lovely for me at the minute you with the Mk2 suspension ,no bracing up ready for pot holes...which is just what my back needs and the g ltd seat are like little arm chairs...
I took my black VS II for a quick run....yeah...she needs softening and raising...but the difference in pick up between the two is noticeable...
So g-ltd for a while...nice soft and comfy...my body needs it...
So i know i have said this but...massive thank you to daryl number one son for doing the back work..otherwise i would not have a car to get about in at the minute...thanks to Andrew at Autolinkmx5 for getting any parts out needed quickly and calling to see poorly man a couple of times...and Micky for getting her in at short notice for alignment...

Now wheres Daryl to sort the cat...
M-m

Pics...