waderobertson

Hey team, Can someone tell me if rear XF calipers came with standard shims to reduce pad movement? My google/ Ebay searching would suggest not.... My inner pads are moving (up and down) in the caliper, causing an annoying rattling/ clacking sound. Before the brake guy attempts to fabricate some thought I'd check my options. Also, does anyone have a line on new anti rattle clips? I'm struggling to track down used ones on this side of the ditch and (again) before I have one made up, wanted to check if there were aftermarket ones lurking somewhere. Again, google search would suggest not. Cheers, Wade.

That's what the manual says @deankxf. The hand brake is working fine, the arms on the rear of the caliper aren't seized (you can activate them with your hand when everything is connected up) and the cable is adjusted properly. I guess my question is more to do with setting the caliper itself before refitting, connecting handbrake and build pedal pressure. When I have wound the piston back in to refit pads I haven't touched the mechanism on the back of the caliper that the handbrake levers connect to, you know, the ones that have the rubber seal around them and the nut that holds the lever winds in to. You can wind these mechanisms in and out with a crescent and was wondering if they needed to be adjusted/ set a specific way (i.e. wound right out till you feel resistance? Does it even matter?) in tandem with winding the piston in to fit new pads. Is there a trick/ step I've missed in fitting the pads that I haven't got quite right? I could have a rotor issue or piston may be playing up, but before I head down those paths I just want to make sure it's not a simpler fix.

Caliper is fine, hand brake operates. I am chasing a skimming issue on right rear brake. Ive had the calipers off and reset pistons a couple of times. I was just wondering if the mechanism (assume it drives a worm gear) that the handbrake cable connects to on the rear of the caliper needs to be 'set' a particular way I.e. wound right in or right out when resetting the caliper piston and pumping the brakes back up? The manual says there should be a 5mm gap between the lever arm and the caliper housing but as soon as I connect the return spring it pulls the arm back against the stopper on the housing. Was wondering if this was akin to pulling the handbrake on and causing skimming.

Can someone tell me (really simply!) How to adjust/ tension the handbrake at the rear caliper on an XF? My Ellery manual isn't always the clearest, or perhaps I'm just stupid, but I can't seem to get my lever arms to sit the recommended 5mm from the caliper housing. I replaced brake pads and in-between winding the piston back in, seating the pads, pumping the pedal & bleeding brakes I seemed to have ballsed something up. Not sure what order I need to do things to get the adjustment right

Yup that's exactly what I've done mate, a dab of locktite just for good measure. Got a good tighten on the thread, to the point when I nip it up the gear will shift. I ended up with 3 spring washers and the nut just flush with end of the thread.

Split the nut to find the middle 1/3 of the thread on the selector shaft is munched... hence the spinning and going nowhere! Fuck it all. Will try and clean it up a bit with thread file and bang a couple lock washers on there. Just dropped the engine and trans back in yesterday so really don't want to replace the shaft.

https://imgur.com/a/OK4MIGk Just trying to get this nut off... might be threaded because its turning but going nowhere.

Trying to replace leaking selector seal, how do I get the bloody nut off? Think I read a post way back that said the nut requires a special tool or a simple hack I'm unaware of? Cheers.

Sounds like you've already asked and answered the 1st real question - Do I want to change what I've got? Next question is what quality do you want? Cheaper options will do a job but it's the old adage about getting what you pay for. I went for high spec because I knew I wanted to push the boat out. The short body Koni shock fits both low and super low so I knew I was only buying them once whether I changed my mind on the spring front in the future Then you get to your question above If you have the $ then spend it, if not then buy what you can afford and accept them for what they are and how they perform.

Hi @cisco I've posted some stuff in this thread mate: I run super low springs front and rear with short body konis. Wheels are 17 inch and with the tyres on them they have the same diameter/ circumference as the stock/ original wheel and tyres that were on the XF. It looks the ducks nuts but @deankdx is 100% on the money wrt ride quality and handling. If I had my time again I would go for low springs and 18inch wheel to fill the guard out - it'd just make life easier all round... no cutting bump stops (not by much anyway), no potential ball joint binding, no rear suspension arm contacting axle under compression. My springs are made in NZ and lows are about 30mm lower than standard with super lows being 45-50mm lower than standard. Springs do tend to settle too, I reckon my fronts had 7-10mm guard clearance when I put them in and are right on the guard now. Like I say, it looks the ducks nut but it wont be long till I take the manufacturer up on their offer to reset the springs up to 15-20mm once they've settled. Hope that helps.

Thanks @Thom the search continues...

Hey @deankdx I'm running the non-viscous version of the water pump for the rebuild. It's already installed. My existing donk (and the donor) has the clutch fan version of the water pump despite running an electric fan. It made sense in my mind to avoid the fan thread poking out the front of the pulley, and of course now I have 2 pulleys that don't fit the water pump I thought there might be another obvious option that people knew about e.g. perhaps all small block ford pulleys fit and so I might widen the search? Thanks for those contacts. I've got a lead here in NZ but if it doesn't land I'll get hold of those ones.

Having a shit of a time tracking down a pulley for a water pump that isn't the viscous hub clutch fan version. Has anyone: Modified the clutch fan version to suit? or Robbed a pulley off another engine that fits? i.e. XD or XE? or Got a line on a new aftermarket option? I've tried Proflow in NZ but no reply. Also tried Rare spares and online auto parts (where I got the pump) to no avail! Cheers, Wade.

This may end up being the option I think...