Phil B's XB coupe - Page 7

KOOP74 · 21-05-2013, 08:24 PM

Yep, I reckon you're right. Paint looks awesome. I bet you can't wait to see it.

Phil B · 21-05-2013, 08:56 PM

Yeah paint seems to be looking good so far. Was a huge risk, I haven't even seen the guy doing the work, and these pics I'm putting up are all I have to go by as well. Looking on track to be at Heathcote as well. Washing your car for a "show and shine" is too mainstream, I'm getting a whole new paint job for it!

And I just realised a problem, I can't wait to see it, or drive it. If I drive it, I can't see the new paint!

Phil B · 01-06-2013, 10:08 PM

The update I heard is that some things are a little dodgy, the painters have either broken or bent one half of my new honeycomb, they were going to chrome the fuel cap but damaged it so they couldn't, so they painted it black for some unknown reason! Even my Mrs straight away could tell and knew that that was stupid and would look crap, so she told them to do it red. And they may have lost some of the chrome windscreen trim. They better smarten up and get their backsides into gear, I'll be there Tuesday to pick it up.

It's going to have to become my daily for a while too now. Was driving my ute out of Arnhem Land NT and drowned the engine in a river crossing and killed it, so it's going to be left on the tip up here, a shame really because all it needs is another engine, would be worth fixing if I was anywhere else.

Phil B · 08-06-2013, 01:31 AM

Picked up my coupe from the painters this arvo

looks so much better now, I'm really happy with the outcome. I'll give the full story in a few days with pics, and a funny story from a problem i had tonight. But for now I should sleep because ill be up and heading to heathcote in just a few hours. See you there!

Phil B · 09-06-2013, 11:38 PM

Went to Heathcote yesterday, had a great time there meeting people and seeing all the nice machinery. Thanks to everyone for a great day.

Won my first award at a car show, got the encouragement award which I wasn't expecting

I was just using the show and shine as close parking

Here's a couple of pics of it yesterday with my lego coupe on display beside it. Thanks to Colleen for the pics!

As for the adventure on Friday...
I went to the painters in the afternoon to pick it up, looking good here:

Was all good picking it up, the guys at the shop made sure I was happy with it. Such a relief after hearing so many horror stories with painters and panelbeaters.

Then I went down the street with my fiancee, did some shopping then came back...and neither door would unlock

The lock turned a bit but not fully, and it wasnt enough to unlock. This was both sides, so there's me standing there not able to get in. By this time it's getting dark, luckily I was right outside Mitre 10 so I got some things from there and eventually managed to break in and open the doors from the inside.

While I was getting in, one of the guys from the paint shop saw us and stopped, he said we should head back to the paint shop as the owner would still be there working late. So I headed back there with the Mrs and the guy was very apologetic, got his tools out for me while he finished something so I could start getting the door trims off. I started on the drivers, look up and my Mrs is starting on getting the passengers door trim off

She was such a great help, I'm very lucky. Anyway with the guys help the doors were fixed, the passengers just needed the rods adjusting, the drivers had the arm on the lock put back on backwards. Very good care and was well looked after.

A big thanks to the guys at PaintCraft in Echuca, they got the job done very well, on time, and only just over the rough price estimate they gave me, and they did a few extra things as well. I'm very happy with the result

KOOP74 · 10-06-2013, 06:30 PM

Looks awesome Phil, well done! Gotta be happy with that.

falconator · 11-06-2013, 09:45 AM

looks good Phil,well done.

Phil B · 19-06-2013, 12:55 AM

A few more things have been happening. Had an auto electrician mate help chase the problem with my fuel gauge on Friday, confirmed it is the sender unit. Ran out of fuel while driving on Sunday! Ordered the fuel sender that night.

Took it into the mechanics Monday for a service, new radiator and whole cooling system birthday. He was busy and I had time free so I worked on my coupe under guidance from him Monday afternoon and a bit of Tuesday which was good, I learnt a bit, and there was no way it would have been done in time otherwise.

The poor coolant system was in desperate need of some attention. Here's the hose barb out of the water pump for the heater hose:

As you can see, it is the original tin barb and it was very close to letting go. The other barb in the block did let go last year. Both have now been replaced by new brass ones.

I flushed lots of gunk out of the block, heater core and overflow bottle (particularly bad). It's getting a new radiator, radiator and heater hoses, thermostat housing (was pitted about halfway through at the base of the flange) and thermostat.

We went to a thicker oil as well as it was using a fair bit, but it was fairly thin 15w-50 oil before. Now has 20w-70 which should suit the poor old engine a bit better!

A pic on the hoist, just off the ground:

So it should be a bit nicer tomorrow (today actually) and be ready for my wedding on Saturday! And the big trip afterwards. I won't be around much for a while but I'll get pics up when I can.

Phil B · 19-06-2013, 07:45 PM

Well the wrong radiator turned up today, the right one will only get there tomorrow afternoon. It was meant to get a new windscreen in echuca tomorrow, so that's not happening. The windscreen mob couldn't reschedule to Friday, so the plan is for them to send the windscreen to kerang and get another mob fit it there. Then its getting brought over to echuca in the arvo, then I have to fit a new fuel sender, wash the car, clean the inside, do the wedding practice and go out to a thing... All in one afternoon! Then a wedding the next day, I won't be busy at all!

lilmattie · 20-06-2013, 06:14 PM

Not to worry Phil. We (my brothers and friends) were awake and working on my car until early morning every night for a week before my wedding. We were also up until 5:30am on the morning of the wedding to finish it off.

Only excitement/adrenaline and multiple cans of V got us through the whole day.

I hope to it all goes well.

Phil B · 20-06-2013, 07:45 PM

It sounds like its coming together. Might make it with some sleep lol

Phil B · 21-06-2013, 12:05 PM

Well the wrong windscreen turned up in kerang yesterday. The right one turned up in echuca today. Figure that one out... And the mob here won't fit it today, so it'll have to wait till were back from the first week of our honeymoon. I'll get that done in kerang, not echuca, obrians seem pretty dodgy there, kerang are doing their best being super helpful

Phil B · 23-06-2013, 01:42 PM

Phil B · 23-06-2013, 02:26 PM

Phil B · 24-06-2013, 01:24 PM

Can anyone help me with starting troubles? just in the last few days the starter won't kick in most of the time when I go to start. I hear the relay click but it doesn't turn over at all. but the times when it does go, it seems fine. does this sound like a battery, starter or connection problem? I have a multimeter which ill have a look with, anything to look for specifically?

**cs123** · 24-06-2013, 02:29 PM

Normally a faulty battery will stay that way. You can put the meter across the battery when you crank and look for excessive voltage drop. If it's OK then check connections are tight on the battery and that the earth connectors are also tight from battery to chassis and engine block to chassis. You have 2, one at the back of the drivers side head to body, the other on the passenger tappet cover to the chassis. Check the connectors on the starter motor are clean and tight.

In the end it might be a starter on the way out.

Phil B · 27-06-2013, 12:09 AM

so the coupe isn't in the good books at the moment...
luckily my wife is being very understanding and is not too upset.

ok I got the battery and starter connections cleaned but its still playing up. tomorrow ill try a new starter, the guy ill get to do it has 2 starters, one small diameter with a round solenoid on the side, the other is larger diameter with just a small bit sticking off it. which should I go for?

also tonight I ran it out of fuel again, put 5L in the tank and a bit down the carb but it still wouldn't catch and run. even after a few tries there was no fuel in the little filter near the carb. do I just need to tip more in the tank or does that sound like a fuel line blockage?

in the end I gave up, luckily it was at my sisters place so I left it and borrowed her car. ill go back tomorrow and try to get the damn thing going then take it to my mechanic mates place to try to fix these problems properly

greenjgs · 27-06-2013, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil B

so the coupe isn't in the good books at the moment...
luckily my wife is being very understanding and is not too upset.

ok I got the battery and starter connections cleaned but its still playing up. tomorrow ill try a new starter, the guy ill get to do it has 2 starters, one small diameter with a round solenoid on the side, the other is larger diameter with just a small bit sticking off it. which should I go for?

also tonight I ran it out of fuel again, put 5L in the tank and a bit down the carb but it still wouldn't catch and run. even after a few tries there was no fuel in the little filter near the carb. do I just need to tip more in the tank or does that sound like a fuel line blockage?

in the end I gave up, luckily it was at my sisters place so I left it and borrowed her car. ill go back tomorrow and try to get the damn thing going then take it to my mechanic mates place to try to fix these problems properly

Hi Phil. Congratulations on your wedding last weekend. Hope the day was all you both hoped for.

So..... On the starter front. This could be a few things, once you have checked the obvious, battery, connections etc. there are 2 other points to look at before blaming the starter. Make sure the shifter inhibitor switch is working properly and then look at voltage drop to the starter. This was a big problem with XD XE but because of it I automatically fit a relay to the ignition wire to the starter motor. Voltage drop stops the solenoid from engaging all the way in and connecting the actual starter. You will get the clicking sound you mention. If it plays up worst when hot then this will fix the problem

Cheers Graeme

JG65TE · 27-06-2013, 07:06 AM

Starter solenoid sounds buggered. Wack it with a hammer when it plays up to confirm

Phil B · 27-06-2013, 08:54 AM

it plays up worst when cold. is this helpful?

Phil B · 30-06-2013, 12:26 AM

Skyhigh restaurant on Mount Dandenong with the wife.

Phil B · 04-07-2013, 04:20 PM

Fitted a new starter yesterday, the old one still played up sometimes, hitting the solenoid or relay on the firewall didn't make it work when it was playing up. The new starter was a short nose manual one but I had to file a bit of the locating ring off because the flywheel hit the ring when I put the clutch in. It starts much better now, I think that poor old starter had done its duty, it looks very second hand!

I put a new fuel sender and pick up unit in a few weeks ago so my fuel gauge works now. I'm pretty sure though that the new unit isn't picking up right from the bottom of the tank. I ran out of fuel but only put 45L in till the tank was full. Has anyone heard of this happening before?

neptune blue · 04-07-2013, 04:35 PM

Is yours a refurbished sender or a reproduction unit

Phil B · 04-07-2013, 06:23 PM

Reproduction. I looked at pics of the others and they seem to have more of a bend in them than mine does, so I'd say that'd be the problem.

Phil B · 09-07-2013, 11:37 PM

what are the signs of a dying clutch? I think mine might not be too good. it was ok till the other day when I abused it a bit getting out of crazy steep driveways into traffic, it didn't feel like it was grabbing well or smoothly. the next morning it felt fine. then today it was fine over lots of highway driving, then just as I got stuck in traffic it only started grabbing when I was almost off the pedal, and it would take a bit to fully grab.
any thoughts as to what's going on?

besides that the coupe has been going really well. did a lap around bathurst, then saw a group of muscle cars cruising together on Saturday just out of bathurst, anyone on here? drove down to the jenolan caves down a super windy one lane road, then I drove it through the cave there which was cool. also saw another gold coupe going the other way just out of Sydney. lots of freeway driving since, lots of people looking, waving pointing and talking when I stop. then the idiot driving a smoking commodore wagon who gave me the finger after he cut me off while he was doing 20+ over the limit weaving through traffic, and had a truckie give me the finger for no reason as well as I passed him... oh well, some people

Phil B · 10-07-2013, 01:48 PM

bloody clutch let go in Brisbane, so I ended up driving round hopelessly lost, no idea where I was, desperately looking for a mechanics shop, with the clutch slipping and barely hanging on. so now were stuck, hopefully can get it fixed though

u2canb12 · 10-07-2013, 02:40 PM

Phil, call me on 0427 742 763 if you need any assistance at all, bed, tools, shed, beer????? I am on the North side, near Aspley.

Phil B · 10-07-2013, 03:23 PM

thanks for the offer, its getting fixed now, will hopefully be done tomorrow. were in indooropilli, no idea where abouts that is in Brisbane. I think well be ok though, we have a courtesy car available so I think well use that and find somewhere for the night