In reply to JoeTR6 :
I think it's more what you want to do than any particular brand. I hated working on Saabs when I had the shop until another mechanic showed me the shortcuts and tricks.
After that I could always beat flat rate and went from hatred to acceptance.
But I'm always learning. For example working on the XJS I spent hours upon hours under the dash removing every screw,nut, and bolt I could trying to get the HVAC out. Probably used 1/2 of my tools . ( I've got a lot of them)
It felt so solidly mounted that it almost seemed welded in place. Just before I got the cutting saw out, I looked on the firewall and found four 9/16's bolts that came out easily and poof it was free!!
Same thing with getting the gas tank free. Every strap and hose was cut and removed. Prying with my long pry bar did nothing more than bend sheet metal.
Finally I loosened the filler hose clamp and it slid out so easy I wanted to throw a tantrum. Not the one on top, that I had removed hours earlier. The trick was the bottom hose clamp, little hard to see and get at.
Just those two things will chop of 20+ hours next time I need to remove them.
In reply to frenchyd :
I've had similar experiences, hacking away at some job that seems like it shouldn't be so hard, and then discovering the "keys to the kingdom".
Got the parking brakes all cleaned, lubricated, and ready to put on with new pads. Had to replace a retraction arm set, a bent slack adjuster screw, and a broken pawl clip.
Calipers are supposed to arrive in the post today!
Overhauled calipers look great. The two broken pad guides were easily removed and the spares I had on hand from front calipers fitted perfectly.
All of the Lego bricks are in hand now to start reassembling this contraption. Working at my usual pace, it will be instructive to see just how long this all takes.
Sunday night I had the usual hour and a half or so of shop time between the time when the littles are put to bed and when I need to head inside for my evening ritual tea with Mrs. VCH. In that time I managed to get both calipers installed, and the handbrake mechanisms bolted in and adjusted.
Last night I jacked the rear end up and installed the wheels, per recommendations here, to facilitate aligning the rear end under the car. It worked pretty well, although with the limited slip in the rear end it made manuevering the rear end around a bit more difficult. In the end I was able to get it all aligned and drop the car down on top of it.
Leaving all the fasteners loose until all of them were in there respective holes, in an a hour and a half last night I managed to put in:
- 4 nuts, 4 washers, and 8 bolts on the chevron rubber rear bushings.
- 6 bolts on the trailing arms and safety straps
Working slowly and methodically seems to be the name of the game here. all the hardware still needs to be tightened, and some nuts put on the 8 bolts above. But it's coming together. Next step will be to remove the wheels, jack the car back up in the air, and start assembling the driveshaft and all the hydraulics.
Aaaaalllllll the fasteners on the rubber chevron blocks got tightened last night, hydraulics aaaalllllll buttoned back up, new pads installed, handbrake hooked back up. I was a bit stymied in connecting the handbrake cable as initially it wouldn't reach. Then I discovered this little spacer dealie wedged under the front adjustment but where the cable attaches to the handle lever. And then I noticed this spacer dealie looked a little...homemade. And then I remembered...I had made it.
And then I tossed it into the recycling bin.
And then the handbrake cable reached just fine. 
Just need to bleed the brakes, install the driveshaft....oh, E36 M3...I just remembered...the exhaust. It came down with the rear end. And...it's currently sitting on the floor of my garage.
Well.... E36 M3.
Well done. In particular the parking brake. At the time I was doing those with any regularity it cost less than an hour of shop time to buy a new one, so the only ones I fixed for customers I simply bought new from Moss.
Race cars toss them, so that's my approach.
Same approach to exhaust. Rust belt state and any exhaust more than a couple of years old needed replacement anyway.
In reply to frenchyd :
As I mentioned earlier, this exhaust was just done a couple years ago, and has never seen rain or snow. Fortunately it has a few bolted connections, so I was able to remove it. If I can't get it back in without dropping the rear again my options are either:
- Drop the rear. Again.
- Cut the exhaust so it'll fit through, and weld it back together.
- Run with open headers.
Went with option B) last night, cut the mufflers off, threaded the exhaust through the rear axle assembly, welded the mufflers back on. I believe this was the correct decision, as it took me less than an hour. I'm sure it would have taken me longer than that just to drop the rear end again.
Everything is back on except for the driveshaft. It's easier to access the calipers with it off, so I'll bleed the brakes first and make sure the hydraulics are all working well before bolting the driveshaft back on. It'll also prevent me from driving it until the brakes are good. ;-)
I did check the handbrake and it seems to work well. It's close!
You decided correctly as far as I'm concerned. On the race car I'll have a bolted flange fitting front and rear to speed dropping the cage.
In reply to frenchyd :
The guy who did the exhaust a few years ago did put bolted flanges in, but the rear pipes included the mufflers right before the pipe that goes through the suspension cage, so there was no way to thread that through. I cut off the mufflers, threaded the pipe, and welded it back together.
Last night I bled the whole system. It holds pressure and the pedal feels good. We'll see if there's any puddles underneath today...
The front calipers are a trick to bleed. The bleeder screws broke off years ago when I rebuilt the calipers and I was unable to extract them, so I "bleed" them by loosening the last nut on the crossover bridge and pressing the brake pedal. Then I hold the brake pedal down with a bit of lumber, and go tighten the fitting on the caliper. I mean, it's stupid, but it works. I have a spare set of front calipers I need to try rebuilding some day.
The driveshaft was the last thing, and that threaded through the exhaust and bolted on without any real drama.
So...I guess it's ready for a test drive?
Yes! A successful test drive should make it all worthwhile. After following this, I'm glad my '04 XJ8 has a more conventional setup.
In reply to Dirtydog (Forum Supporter) :
It's the same thing except outboard brakes and one shock absorber per side.
In reply to volvoclearinghouse :
You have to do what you have to do . I've done that and then gone out on the race track where the Jag has to slow from155mph to about 35. So I know it works.
If you rebuild your spares. Use heat to crack the bleeder screw. Then buy new ones. When you put them together use a little anti seize on the treads only.
Then bleed the brakes every year. I re-use the cross over pipes but they too get a little anti-seize on the threads. If the tube starts to twist when you remove them it's time for new cross over pipes.
In reply to frenchyd :
True. But pulling two wheels instead of the entire rear end certainly simplifies things. A lot.
Friday afternoon Mrs. VCH needed a quick run to the grocery store. Perfect time to test out the Jaaaaag. The brakes felt good. The pedal goes a little further down than I'd like, but doesn't sink, and holding the car at lights it doesn't go down any further. So, the system seems to be good and tight, just possible with some air in it still, likely due to my hurried bleeding.
Other than that, the car ran as great as ever. Looking forward to some scenic fall drives once I get it all washed up and looking presentable again.
Will post further updates back here.
