Panko's Mk1 Escort (Round 2)

[2redrovers 21,388]

I'm guessing this had something to do with your alignment issues

[Panko 2,480]

10 hours ago, 2redrovers said:

I'm guessing this had something to do with your alignment issues

that is fuggin brilliant haha. 

thankfully no hub caps in my car  

on that note. for shits and gigs I decided to play around with the strut tops again. (honestly takes about 5 minutes to do both sides). i turned them to extreme neg camber to see what would happen, and without paying attention to what i was doing, it turned out that extreme neg camber was only 1 hole off where i originally fitted them....hmmmm

anyway, I've put them now in a position where I've got the most possible positive caster, and most possible negative camber, without sacrificing one of both of those parameters. 
as for what those measurements are, i got no idea. Ive been recommended to run about 1.5 degrees negative camber, as much positive caster as possible, and 1 degree of tow out. 

but I'm not touching any of that again now until the steering rack is sorted. 

[Panko 2,480]

I spent yesterday afternoon (loving daylight savings  ) washing, then running a fresh coat of spray wax over the car before I covered it up for the time being  

Ive been trying to organise a time to get the car to Sparky Dave's factory in Bayswater where i could've kept it and got started working on it, but at this stage things are just not happening, so its parked up at home until I can get the car into the new garage. 
Unfortunately we haven't had the time to get the land fill and crushed rock in yet, thats required to fill and level the ground in front of the new garage. Which means I have a 200mm step up onto the slab, off uneven, lose dirt, and soft dirt/sand. so there is no way of getting the car into the new garage yet due to how soft and slippery the ground is out the front. so this is how the car will stay until, well, whenever  hopefully only a month or so 

[Panko 2,480]

on another note, I had been eyeing these off. which are still for sale, I'm just not sure if i should be spending the money on wheels when i have other stuff to fix  

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/1145684532

[Defective 1,692]

3 hours ago, Panko said:

on another note, I had been eyeing these off. which are still for sale, I'm just not sure if i should be spending the money on wheels when i have other stuff to fix  

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/1145684532

You know that with old cars there will always be something else you should be spending the money on... Just buy them.

[Mr Polson 10,214]

on another note, I had been eyeing these off. which are still for sale, I'm just not sure if i should be spending the money on wheels when i have other stuff to fix  

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/1145684532

Hurry up and decide so I know if I have to go get them

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

[deankxf 20,262]

1 hour ago, Mr Polson said:

Hurry up and decide so I know if I have to go get them

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
 

sparkydave is going over soon? 

are they something that would sell easily again if widened steel wheels ended up the wheel of choice

[Panko 2,480]

Haha Chris TBH im awaiting someone to pay an outstanding invoice to me before i decide on those wheels. 

Yeah Dean if i put tyres on them, im sure they'd sell easily. I cant bring myself to sell the black 15s, because how rare they are (alloy not steel) and they have practically brand new tyres on them 

[Panko 2,480]

Knowing the Escort needs some work, I have been hesitant to drive it, but I've been missing it. 
Mix yesterday's magic weather, and me with a lot on my mind, a bit stressed, and just wasnt in the mood to talk to people, I decided, fuck it, and took the beast out for a run for a good couple hours. Headed up into the hills, towards the Yarra ranges, and just enjoyed every minute of it, even though in the back of my mind i was thinking about the leaky gearbox, and the steering rack still giving me the shits. 

I might considering driving it up to the RSOCV show and shine next sunday, but i think ill clean the under side of the car from all the oil first, so i can keep a good eye on how much oil it is dropping. 

[deankxf 20,262]

Can you get another gearbox and swap in a few hours. .

Need to keep these cars on the road...

Broken down for simple things for years isn't as fun as driving them 

[Panko 2,480]

I have another gearbox but its a similar case. Covered in oil and muck. 

I have no idea of the condition though. 

[SPArKy_Dave 8,863]

So what you're saying is.... that for the moment... oil is well.

[Panko 2,480]

i think I'm just going to the rack for now, and be done with it. ill keep an eye on the gearbox for now until i can be bothered doing that. 

[2redrovers 21,388]

Is there a stop leak type product that will help out? Maybe at least slow down the loss in the meantime. If Lucas brand made one I'd give it a shot as their stem seal treatment worked on the au wags. Haven't had to even top it up since last service.

[deankxf 20,262]

Can't be many seals in it..

Get 2 sets. Fit the spare box to test it. .good practice ..if ok...leave it in 

[2redrovers 21,388]

Can't be many seals in it..
Get 2 sets. Fit the spare box to test it. .good practice ..if ok...leave it in 

And there you go again bringing logic into the discussion

[Panko 2,480]

Haha no there isnt too many seals. front and rear shaft seals, and top cover plate gasket. 

The issue isnt the process of doing the work, as much as it is space. 

[Panko 2,480]

Ok, 

so I ended up driving the Escort up to Sugarloaf Reservoir for the RSOCV Show and Shine. its such an amazing drive up there. It was raining most of the drive up, had a little bit of fun on the windy hillclimb road going up, just a little bit sideways  haha. 

credit Chris Avery for this snap 

anyway, it was handling ok, but i still wasnt happy wiht it, and felt i wasnt getting the full potential out of the adjustable strut tops. 
So asked about, and got some figures for what was ideal for an Escort. 
I then bought one of these cheap things off eBay... 

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Alignment-Gauge-Measure-Tool-Magnetic-Garage-Caster-Camber-Kits-Strut-Wheel/322526169421?hash=item4b180ec94d:g:-gAAAOSw0hlZI-Xa

its a very basic way of giving a rough idea of setting your camber. is says it does caster as well, but i call bullshit on that one. because according to this, i have about half the positive caster i should have. 
i discovered the proper caster ones are these...
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Intercomp-102043-Bubble-Caster-Camber-Gauge/111868003422?epid=1053777722&hash=item1a0bda445e:g:9KQAAOSwaA5WjcPM

anyway, i now have the car set to about -1.5 degrees camber, and as much caster i can see fit to run. 

all i can say is, wow. the turn in is mad. sits flat with the adjustable shocks, turns in like its on rails, and just holds on. 

now tonight, i decided to do a bit of ride height adjustment  
its not sitting about 10mm off the front tyres, came down about 15mm from where it was before hand. 
*sorry for the phone pics. low light and phones dont make good photos* 



Ill have to do some more camber and caster measurements tomorrow to see where its at now I've done this adjustment. 
The steering wobble, un-fucking-believebally is nearly gone, just by lowering the car again. WTF! its still there but nowhere near as bad. i know the steering rack is still worn out, so thats due to come out soon. 

[deankxf 20,262]

i'd like one of those camber doovers just to double check if the aligners actually did do anything.. lazy sods.. can't trust em sometimes

car looks good low..  wish i went to that show.. might have ended up wanting an escort though... ... yeah either type.. 

[Panko 2,480]

im looking to eventually buy a set of turn plates also, so i can do alignments myself. rather than paying $45 every time i adjust something to have the tyre place do it. 

 

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/New-Turn-Plate-Turntable-for-3D-Wheel-Alignment-machine/172342650315?hash=item28206c25cb:g:sCQAAOSwLnBX2goe

[SPArKy_Dave 8,863]

I have turnplates at Bayswater.

 

[Panko 2,480]

On 08/11/2017 at 11:46 PM, SPArKy_Dave said:

I have turnplates at Bayswater.

 

of course you do...

 

well dad and i managed to do a pretty good wheel alignment, using a home made bar with 2 fold out arms with pointers on them. it was made by my late grandfather a looooooong time ago, and works a treat. the car is driving really nicely, turns in good, rides better than i thought with the height adjustment. It has approximately 30mm of travel at the springs, but generally speaking, thats 60mm of travel at the wheels before hitting the bump stops. and considering the car is only 10mm off the tyre, 60mm is a long way inside the guard before it hits bump stops. 

the only down side is, i re-fitted the King springs. remember a while ago i was having the noise issue with the king springs clunking when steering at low speeds, well they're doing it again, even with roller tops 
and being metal spring on metal spring hat, i think that is part of the issue, as well as contributing to a bit of a clunk I've got. So I'm out to find a solution similar to the spring pads the x series falcons have that sit on top of their coils. 

anyway, i washed the car, and tucked it away in the garage. tomorrow (if i dont need to work - still waiting to hear) i will be dropping the steering rack out, now that I know I've got the rest of the front end sorted and dialled in nicely. 

[Panko 2,480]

anyway here are some better photos of the new ride height. 

*notice in this photo the wheel alignment bar sitting behind the front wheel  

pretty happy with hit for the most part. 
nice amount of neg camber, plenty of adjustment in the shocks to make it super stiff, but thats no good for road use. 

[deankxf 20,262]

is that pic taken at a MTB trail car park? i was just there scoping it out for a ride soon if so..

would like more pics of the wheel alignment "pointer thingy" 

esky is looking good, while its up in the air, swap the gearbox  

[Panko 2,480]

No its not. Just a small reserve near my place. 

Ill have to see if the wheel alignment bar is back under the house or on the garage still. 

Nah unless i can get the box done in less than a week, ill hold off until the middle of summer, when im less interested in driving it due to the hot weather.