Mk4 Astra SRI

[Astra Dan]

Time for some PROGRESS!

Before I was comfortable using it any more after the drive home, and despite a full recorded service history (and because that's how I roll) I replaced the water pump and complete cambelt and roller setup. Seem to be doing a lot of these lately! To anyone who's familiar with Ecotecs, this will be familiar sight:



The belt is a tight buggr to get on, so it spends a fair amount of time almost on, between brews. The cam locking tool isn't really needed, but someone bought me one years ago, so I generally use it. The best way to get it to go on is to set the bottom end a tooth out, so when the tight belt is slipped on and tensioned, it brings the bottom end back round true. Old belt looked OK but fairly worn, one of the rollers was a bit loose and rattley, pump felt OK really, but I fitted a new one anyway. A nice featue of the Mk4 is a handy drain in the radiator:



Doesn't really help as the block stays full and empties all over the garage floor when you knock the pump out. So the Mk4 has been pressed into daily service, carrying out the 100 mile commute three times now (I don't always have to go into 'the office') with no issues and about 32MPG.
We took it to PV, with the intention of basking in AC-cool lovelyness in the usual queues to get in or out of Pod. The queues were there alright, but as we know the the sun was not. Still it proved a quiet and smooth ride, clocking up just shy of 300 miles in two days. I was sat in the back on the way home, with Sharon belting the life out it. It sounded a bit more growly to me, but as it was my first time sampling the very spacious and comfortable rear seats, I wondered if it was just that. At PV I bought a pair of bonnet lifters, as we all know they're cool, but I decided I didnt like the chrome/ polished finish, and fancied the factory look. So out came some satin black:



Fitting was dead simple. As usual, the foam sealing wedges at the sides get in the way, but on a 'G' they simply slip off plastic lugs, so I've removed them for now. I'll get some spares from a scrappy and attempt to carve a radius out so they fit snug around the lifters when the bonnet is closed.



Sorted.



So whilst in the zone, I thought I'd investigate the exhaust. What I found, really, was a bodge. The back box has a nice flange (herr herr) joint, with the wire mesh gasket. This had all but disintergrated over time, as they do with the movement of the exhaust. Rather than simply renew the gasket, someone had simply wedged a load of exhaust putty in the gaps. Marvellous. This is all that remained of the gasket.



So out came the spanners. Although rusty, both bolts came out with no problems, and I cleaned them up with the rotary wire brush. Something rang a bell, and a quick look through the stores came up with this:



Perfect! This is for the front flexi join of a 8v Mk2/3 Astra I think. The back box itself is in very good nick except the flange (herr herr) and the pipe, so I cleaned them up (I had to chisel off the remians of the putty!) and had another squirt with the satin black:



I knew I'd won by this point, but it's still worth a pic:



I did paint the other pipe too after the pic. A quick test drive proved the Mk4 was once again near silent. Well chuffed!

[GTE 16v]

Top legending.

[Pitstoppete]

u win

[Benn]

Very nice, black lifters look very factory!

To be ready for Pv, the was washed and clayed (see above) Then Glazed and waxed.



Like a mirror...




Whos that?

[JoeyB]

Considering I was following you for most of the way home from PV, out of the 3 of you Sharon was the best driver to follow lol...A bit erratic but very swift! lmao

[Benn]

I try not to speed when driving some one eles car... Just in case like...

[Fow16v]

loving the satin black lifter, i was planning on doing the same to mine that i bought at pv aint had chance yet tho. car cleaned up nice

[Ginge]

Whos that?

Meatloaf?

Ginge

[Benn]

Hes got more hair

[Jack]

Oh my life, your car is now as cool as mine! lmao

[JoeyB]

Oh my life, your car is now as cool as mine! lmao

You know that was only Benn's reflection, right? Dan's car doesn't actually have a picture of Benn airbrushed on...its not THAT cool. lmaolmao

[MSG]

That picture looking the fingure to check for any residues left over after the in...... job!!lmao


Good thread overall and nice pics and I will be contemplating the belt changing soon weather permitting, good point about how to get it it on like a tooth out and slip it over at the crank pulley as the belt is quite tight to get on and restricted space in front of it hampers vision so any errors can be fatal.

[MSG]

You know that was only Benn's reflection, right? Dan's car doesn't actually have a picture of Benn airbrushed on...its not THAT cool. lmaolmao

Them engines are tough, well and truley capable of doing 6000rpm in 5th.lmao

[Astra Dan]

Oh my life, your car is now as cool as mine! lmao

Explain.

[Jack]

Explain.

You have bonnet lifters!

[Astra Dan]

OIC. Standard fit on pretty much all my cars for the last.... ooh 7-8 years!

[Neo_Daz]

Nice looking m4 there dan, in the best colour too.

You still got the GTE aswell?

[Astra Dan]

Fer sho' Link in my first sig.

[pgeddes79]

Is the suspension lowered on the car?

[tommychimp]

Is the suspension lowered on the car?

-15mm as per SRI spec I should imagine.

[James C]

Well I'm glad you like this.

Maybe I will try a 2 litre next time instead of a 1.8.

What about creaky front seats? Is this affected?

[Astra Dan]

Few more bits 'n' pieces done, as well as a fair few miles!

On the way home a couple of months ago the alternator light came on, and the power steering went off! I thought it was my fault as I didn't fit a new drive belt when I changed the cam belt etc. Ah well. Driving it was interesting, but I was certain it'd get me home. Then the light went off and normal service resumed. Hmm, what's going on there? It went on again then off and stayed off. As the car was still in warranty, I contaced the dealer. I said I couldn't be arsed to drive it to him, I was also more than capable of changing the alternator if he paid for the new part. He said he could get one for £52 and duly sent me a cheque. I bought a freshly refurbed one for £30 from eBay. It's been fine since, so I guess it's just one of those things. Changing it was just as easy as any other Vauxhall really, about an hour and a half plus brews. Plus the CDR500 remembers radio stations. Awesome.

The front suspension sounded a bit rattley, but still felt firm, so the expert diagnosis was the drop links. A pair from Benn's place for £18 and an hour and they're sorted. First time I'd had the front wheels off. Nice and easy as there's a flat on the other side to stop the ball joints rotating when you're taking them off etc.



Mmm, new stuff:



And it's cured the rattles. The passenger one was very loose. Mileage was about 87k.

The wheel nut covers were annying me. As soon as the car touched my drive I removed the stupid tri-spoke locking wheel bolts and fitted the bolts and covers I found in the glovebox. So one new looking bolt cover and four faded ones looked poo. So I got the filler primer out and set to.

Faded:



Primed:



Sweet:



Took the car on work runs to Plymouth a few times which is real nice. 40p a mile and no shonky French or horrid Ford hire cars to suffer the 360 miles in. Performed flawlessly, but still won't quite get 40 to the gallon. 37 is the best so far I think. I really like the way it drives. The handling has got to be the best I've ever experienced for standard Vauxhall stuff. It also went round to 90k not so long back.



Next up was the front engine mount. Sometimes the power take up is a bit jerky straight after a gearchange, so I thought I'd try a poly bush jobbie. This is the mount:



This is the bush:



This is the bush fitted into the mount:



This is the mount and bush fitted to the car:



It's not changed a thing, but the mount did look a little tired, so it's not a waste of £30 and, ooh, 20 mins. Looks cool, too.

Whilst I had the car in the air, to solve the slight wheel wobble I get around 70, I swapped the wheels front to back, allowing me to take my fave 'no wheels' pics:





Hee hee, no wheels. First time off for the rear wheels. I was pleased to find the surfaces clean with a smear of copper grease, so no issues there. So now I have the Uniroyal Rainsports on the front and the Champiro GTs on the back. I'm hopefully going to source another pair of Uniroyals to have them all round.

Last up for now is the metal coolant pipe along the front of the engine:



Along the right hand side there I've smeared grease on it as it looked very corroded and like ti would pop at any moment. That was 3-4k miles ago and I finally remembered last week to get another one. Protected from corrosion this time though:



Very nice. I keep looking at later spec smoked rear light, Coupe headlights and electric mirrors, but they seem either stupid money on eBay or I just miss out.
Also in terms of ICE, I quite fancy a Kenwood as I normally sitck with their stuff, and they are compatible with the steering wheel controls and the dash display. Probably this one:

Kenwood KDC-W7041U

With the PC99-X06-DIS adaptor near the bottom of this page: Vauxhall Astra fitting adaptor

It's a shame, I like the look of the CDR500 and it's sound is fine. I've been listeneing to an audio book this week and really enjoying it. If only it played MP3s I really don't think I'd bother swapping it. I love the auto volume thing, you forget how loud it was playing untill you come to a stop and the volume drops right down.

Anyway Mk4s are awesome, loving it, vote Pedro etc.

[CraigGreen]

Great read as usual dan. Another thread of yours to watch.

Maybe get your own forum? lmao

[Jack]

Awesome progress Dan. Me and my dad did a wheel bearing on my other half's SXI a few weeks ago, a pleasure of a job, you just buy the whole hub assembly, undo four bolts and swap them over.

I'm starting to really like mk4s from a mechanical standpoint. A good choice of engines, very solid with minimal rust, front struts in two halves and none of this IRS rubbish at the back. Nice and simple and solid and no fuss.

An ideal base for a project car IMO. Starting to feel a plan forming. lmao

[Jack]

Sidenote: I bought a Kenwood KDC-W5544U for the Mondeo going on your enthusiasm for the brand (if it's good enough for Astra Dan it'll be good enough for me lmao ), and I quite like it so far. A bit strange after having a Panasonic for two years but fitting was easy peasy with the Autoleads adapters, steering wheel controls worked first time (despite some idiot telling me it all had to be plugged together in a certain order and that he's never ever seen one working), sounds lovely and looks nice without being all flashing lights and in your face.

Just need to figure out how to turn demo mode off now, as I keep being reminded that it's got a REMOVEABLE FACE PLATE every time I leave it alone for a few minutes. lmao