Blinky 51/480

Here you can talk about the joy owning a Volvo 480 brings. Non-technical discussions take place here, like what is the difference between an ES and a S version.

Moderators: jifflemon, coyote1980, Rachel

arthuy
Advanced 480 rookie
Posts: 562
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 8:02 pm

Re: Blinky 51/480

Post by arthuy » Thu Jun 29, 2017 9:21 pm

Gave the rear axle and rod a coat of epoxy mastic, I didn't spend a lot of time in it but looks a lot better.

Image

Image

A bit of good news is that I bought a spare front hub which had an ABS sensor fitted and a brake shield. I managed to get the ABS sensor out and will fit that to my original hub.

The rear carriers came up well too.

Image

I am still waiting for the drivers caliper to come back but hopefully it will appear next week along with my new bolts so can get the car back on the road.
Last edited by arthuy on Tue Feb 05, 2019 11:15 pm, edited 2 times in total.

arthuy
Advanced 480 rookie
Posts: 562
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 8:02 pm

Re: Blinky 51/480

Post by arthuy » Tue Jul 04, 2017 8:54 pm

Had a bit of a problem locating new brake caliper bolts.

Thought I had knocked it off but the bolts that arrived were the wrong thread pitch and the supplier can only do that type with the flange head.

I have hopefully found alternatives which I am waiting to arrive. I have ordered an M12x1.25 tap and die set in case the thread needs extended.

The motor factor should also have my other front caliper tomorrow so looks like my weekend is sorted. I need to have a good tidy up and start making the brake pipes, still not sure whether to drop the tank or re-route the brake pipe, I think I will drop it a bit to see how easy it will be although worried something might break..

My period radio arrived today, the car had an alpine unit which other than having a dreadful reception I really really dislike the look of it. I have picked up a Sony head unit and changer circa 1997 so ok for a 1995 car I reckon.

arthuy
Advanced 480 rookie
Posts: 562
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 8:02 pm

Re: Blinky 51/480

Post by arthuy » Fri Jul 07, 2017 5:32 pm

Some more bolts arrived today and I picked up my freshly reconditioned caliper and handbrake cables.

Got the passenger driveshaft back on and started bolting the bits back together, I still need to fettle the caliper mounting bolts and but the strut bolts I might leave as they are only a little longer but don't interfere with any parts.

Image

Image

I had hoped to use all brass brake fittings but the ones I bought are long and the hose needs short ones to fit the clips to the hose. I had to use normal cadmium plated one at the hose end but brass and kunifer pipe at the ABS pump. Hopefully it will not only sort out the horrible copper ones but tidy up the engine bay some what.

Image

Really want to get the brakes sorted out and the car back on the road.

My time has come for photo*ucket so have moved to an old photo box account. Hopefully this will be good for a while.
Last edited by arthuy on Tue Feb 05, 2019 11:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

arthuy
Advanced 480 rookie
Posts: 562
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 8:02 pm

Re: Blinky 51/480

Post by arthuy » Sat Jul 08, 2017 10:44 am

Some one did say the brake pipes run a torturous route but I couldnt quite believe how bad it is. It is almost like the designer was so confident that the brake pipes would never need to be replaced.

I had wanted to drop the petrol tank to get access but the bolts were pretty stuck. I did manage to get the drivers side strap off and was able to pry the tank out of the way enough to get one pipe on.

Have ordered more pipe as I hadn't taken into account that with ABS there is a pipe to each caliper so I am a little short, also need to replace the master cylinder pipes, they look just as accessible.... not.

As with the fronts I will need to use the short fittings to hold the hose clamps on. That is once I extract the old pipe from the bracket. The car really has some awkward nuts and bolts, I will replace as many as I can with new or stainless and a good coating of copperslip.

Image
Last edited by arthuy on Tue Feb 05, 2019 11:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Alan 480
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 1489
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 9:03 am
Location: Aberdeen

Re: Blinky 51/480

Post by Alan 480 » Sat Jul 08, 2017 3:43 pm

yep some torturous routes :wink:

I did manage to get both tank holding bolts freed nut only by mounting an almost bald rotary wire brush into a flexi-drive on drill to clean the threads as I unscrewed it, 1/4 turn at a time, loads of easing fluid, lots of time etc . . .. .

I just dumped the stupid sheet steel spring thing on the rear brake pipe to chassis mount (kept the 16 gauge bent bit tho) and replaced it with a large penny washer (actually a copper two-pence) and a short length of PVC hose to give some compliance :-)
Alan

480 ES 2litre 'Celebration' ? , C30 1.8ES, SS1

arthuy
Advanced 480 rookie
Posts: 562
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 8:02 pm

Re: Blinky 51/480

Post by arthuy » Sat Jul 08, 2017 4:56 pm

I will try the wire brush on the thread, I was thinking that it is possible to get a die nut on the bolt and go down as much of the thread as possible. Not the easiest place to get into though I have managed to do this in the past.

I accidently cut one of the spring clips so but found a set which fit VW's, for £2.79 I will give them a go.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-x-Brake-Hos ... 2359666906

arthuy
Advanced 480 rookie
Posts: 562
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 8:02 pm

Re: Blinky 51/480

Post by arthuy » Sun Jul 09, 2017 4:31 pm

Managed to get the other tank strap bolt off, I had sprayed it yesterday and left it to soak. Gave the thread a brush down but the die nut didnt have enough clearance.

The bolt grip sockets were slipping off but I got it to bite with a few taps with a 2lb hammer. I still didnt have enough leverage with the 3/8 ratchet so used my big torque wrench and a few extension bars which made short work of it.

Image

So both bolts out and the straps have been give a coat of rust converter and will put some epoxy-mastic on which should hopefully save them as I guess they are NLA.

Image
Last edited by arthuy on Tue Feb 05, 2019 11:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

arthuy
Advanced 480 rookie
Posts: 562
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 8:02 pm

Re: Blinky 51/480

Post by arthuy » Sun Jul 09, 2017 4:51 pm

The other job for today was replacing the gearbox oil. I had already drained it to replace the drive the driveshaft gaiters and bought some ELF NFP oil.

A few ways to do this but I like to use my old facet pump. Dropped the bottles in to some boiling water to help the oil flow.

Image

Image

Image

With the new fluid in I tried to see if the speed was work but it still isnt so I am out of ideas and needing help. Would someone have a spare speed sensor or tell me how to rig something up to simulate the signal?
Last edited by arthuy on Tue Feb 05, 2019 11:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

arthuy
Advanced 480 rookie
Posts: 562
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 8:02 pm

Re: Blinky 51/480

Post by arthuy » Sun Jul 09, 2017 5:28 pm

Almost forgot that I fitted the twin jet, it was sitting too low and the water was bouncing off the plastic trim. I packed it out with 2 brass washers and clears the trim fine, I just need to angle the nozzles.

Image

I reused the original rubber cover but will need to get it to sit better.
Last edited by arthuy on Tue Feb 05, 2019 11:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

jifflemon
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 2464
Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2016 11:03 am

Re: Blinky 51/480

Post by jifflemon » Mon Jul 10, 2017 9:46 pm

Saw this and thought it might make a decent rear one:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-GOLF-PASSA ... OSw6DtYW7H~

may even be a handy front one?

arthuy
Advanced 480 rookie
Posts: 562
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 8:02 pm

Re: Blinky 51/480

Post by arthuy » Mon Jul 10, 2017 11:57 pm

Getting a tad frustrated with the speedo.

I cant see anything particularly wrong with the sensor (it measures a couple of ohms) the wiring all looks ok and the dash was refurbed.

I would like to test the speed sensor by substitution but cant seem to find one anywhere so I am quite stuck and out of ideas. any help would be great.

I am going to recheck the readings at the dash plugs.

Image

From the diagram there is a wire from the ECU to the speedo (Green pin 9), does any one know what the expected conditions should be? is it a voltage, resistance or a ground.

On the grey plug I expect to see the same resistance as at the plug below the air filter.
Last edited by arthuy on Tue Feb 05, 2019 11:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Alan 480
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 1489
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 9:03 am
Location: Aberdeen

Re: Blinky 51/480

Post by Alan 480 » Tue Jul 11, 2017 11:48 am

arthuy wrote:Getting a tad frustrated with the speedo.

I cant see anything particularly wrong with the sensor (it measures a couple of ohms) the wiring all looks ok and the dash was refurbed.


From the diagram there is a wire from the ECU to the speedo (Green pin 9), does any one know what the expected conditions should be? is it a voltage, resistance or a ground.

On the grey plug I expect to see the same resistance as at the plug below the air filter.
welcome to the world of 480 electronics . . . . . .

I've 'hard wired' the speedo into the loom as could not get the ruddy thing to work reliably when in cluster, it worked OK hanging on a bit of string in passenger footwell, :wink: but failed everytime in dash :( (not bitten bullet yet to send across for a holiday, as no spare)

so I left off the connection to pin 9, I suspect it is used to come up with the mpg figure but not clear. if you look at HBOL page 51 vs 64 you will see that the oil temp/level is shown on one diagram (p51) but not the other p64 but car is fitted with it ! (just to add to confusion) so do NOT take the HBOL as gospel . . . . .
Alan

480 ES 2litre 'Celebration' ? , C30 1.8ES, SS1

arthuy
Advanced 480 rookie
Posts: 562
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 8:02 pm

Re: Blinky 51/480

Post by arthuy » Tue Jul 11, 2017 12:52 pm

Panic over it is wiring which is faulty.

I followed my own old advice, 'go to bed and look at it in the morning'.

Armed with the diagram I found the 2 wires, they are quite obvious in the loom being green and black in a separate sleeve from the other wires going to the GRAY plug. PIN 6 and 12 are next to each other.

I first bridged the plug in the engine bay and probed at the plug but no continuity. Next up I wanted a length of wire to attach at the plug and test the wires individually.

Image

I am at times amazed with the parts I pick up, I put my hands on this twin cable I bought for wiring in a highlevel brake light a year or so back which just so happened to have the same connector as the VSS so plugged straight on to the loom and had more than enough cable to reach the dash board.

Image
Last edited by arthuy on Tue Feb 05, 2019 11:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.

arthuy
Advanced 480 rookie
Posts: 562
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 8:02 pm

Re: Blinky 51/480

Post by arthuy » Tue Jul 11, 2017 1:02 pm

A very quick probe with my meter proved that the Black wire was broken. I double checked by bridging the grey plug pins and test at the engine bay. Same results but I looked closer at the cable and the black did look some what flat or stretched. Stripping off the plastic it was pretty obvious.

Image

Just to be 100% sure I strapped the broken wire up and hey presto I have a speedo again.

Image

Looking at how the wire has failed explained the symptoms from the previous owner, it was working intermittently, probably a few strands kept the signal going until it finally gave up.

Seeing as I have a suitable piece of wire I will run fit that and eliminate the original. It is tempting to cut it back and hook it up but that would just leave an unknown.

Unfortunately I dont have a spare plug for it though I am sure I have a packet hiding in the garage somewhere, but they are easy to obtain and hopefully the ones I have ordered will turn up later in the week.

Moral of the story is check the basics properly.

Need to crack on with getting the brakes back on although I am still waiting for the brake tubing to turn up.
Last edited by arthuy on Tue Feb 05, 2019 11:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.

arthuy
Advanced 480 rookie
Posts: 562
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 8:02 pm

Re: Blinky 51/480

Post by arthuy » Tue Jul 11, 2017 11:33 pm

Had a productive day off tinkering with the 480.

Having located the broken wire I got to work running the replacement cable in, trying to make a decent job I ran it through the corrugated tubing and through the bulkhead. It was a bit of a PITA but I managed to get through it. I used a two core cable with an outer sheath so hopefully I wont have to worry about future failures.

The wires have been connected to the grey plug and will fit a new plug in the engine bay when they arrive.

Whilst I had the dash off I sorted out the remaining bodged wiring, refitted all the dash trim and ripped out the Apline head unit which came with the car. It wasnt very good at receiving radio and I didnt like the appearance.

Image

The Sony head is much better on the eye and I have put the multi changed in the rear cubby where the Apline one was. Also even in the garage it picked up a decent amount of radio stations which is a good sign.
Last edited by arthuy on Tue Feb 05, 2019 11:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.

arthuy
Advanced 480 rookie
Posts: 562
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 8:02 pm

Re: Blinky 51/480

Post by arthuy » Wed Jul 12, 2017 6:19 pm

My brake hose clamps arrived today and look good.

Image

Some originals on the left to compare.

£2.79 for the 4 delivered.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-x-Brake-Hos ... 2749.l2649
Last edited by arthuy on Tue Feb 05, 2019 11:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.

arthuy
Advanced 480 rookie
Posts: 562
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 8:02 pm

Re: Blinky 51/480

Post by arthuy » Thu Jul 13, 2017 9:13 pm

Last night I managed to remove the brake pipes between the master cylinder and the ABS pump.

I guess that the LHD models dont required the tinniest hands to remove the pipes from the master cylinder. I was glad that the fittings came off easy but took a long time to get them on and off only managing a fraction of a turn before having to reposition the spanner.

I think it would have been quicker to remove the engine. The pipes were on their last legs so needed done. Just have the drivers front and rear to do and that me done.

The only slight panic I had was when I removed the pipes from the back of the ABS pump I didn't note which pipe went where. I did manage to find the diagram in the parts book though, what a relief.

Image

The new connector for the VSS came yesterday so I got that fitted too. I notice that the cable to the sensor is the same sort of coaxial as the loom section to the dash. I have beefed it up a little to prevent the wires twisting and straining at where they meet the plugs.

Still waiting on a few parts to arrive but all going well it will be back in action next week.
Last edited by arthuy on Tue Feb 05, 2019 11:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

arthuy
Advanced 480 rookie
Posts: 562
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 8:02 pm

Re: Blinky 51/480

Post by arthuy » Sat Jul 15, 2017 5:50 pm

managed a couple of hours in the garage today, managed to get the last rear brake pipe fitted which was quite easy with the petrol tank straps off.

The tank straps having had the rust removed and some converter applied a few days ago were read for a coat of epoxy mastic, managed to get a drip on my collar which in turn transferred to my face, used some of the thinners to get it off pronto. It did sting a bit but better to get it off asap.

The track rod end finally turned up, the original was ok but I felt a tiny bit of play which I think was what the MoT tester picked up on but couldn't pin down. I removed the rubber boot for inspection and there was some muck and wear.

Image

I hope to get the last brake pipe fitted tomorrow. I am amazed how much brake pipe I have used. Almost 2 full 25ft rolls all bar the last foot or so which is not really much use on the car. I suppose this is normal for ABS cars, but still surprising for a short car.

Almost forgot I need to fit the handbrake cable, fingers crossed it all comes apart but I have the 3 parts so can cut it off if needed.
Last edited by arthuy on Tue Feb 05, 2019 11:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

jifflemon
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 2464
Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2016 11:03 am

Re: Blinky 51/480

Post by jifflemon » Sun Jul 16, 2017 9:24 pm

arthuy wrote:I hope to get the last brake pipe fitted tomorrow. I am amazed how much brake pipe I have used. Almost 2 full 25ft rolls all bar the last foot or so which is not really much use on the car. I suppose this is normal for ABS cars, but still surprising for a short car.
But have you got that smug warm glow from knowing that you'll never need to replace a brake pipe again?

I'm a tiny bit envious as I've had zero time of late to spend on mine! Hoping to remedy that soon!

arthuy
Advanced 480 rookie
Posts: 562
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 8:02 pm

Re: Blinky 51/480

Post by arthuy » Sun Jul 16, 2017 11:32 pm

I have had to press on with the 480 partly because it is hogging the garage space leaving my nice car out side in the elements until it is back in service. I am also keen to start using it to see what else falls apart.

I got the last brake pipe fitted, had to dig out a grommit for where it passes throught the inner wing, have also ordered some plastic clips to secure the lines better it gets a bit chaotic where the pipes go over the exhaust.

Image

Replaced the handbrake cable, faces with really grotty cables and bolts I opted to cut it in a few places which really helped. Had a bit of a fight to get the new cables fitted but got there in the end.

Image

Now every car I have bought or restored has yielded some goodies, usually a few coins (decimal and pre-decimal), an old cheque for £300 along with odds and ends. This car so far has produced a grand total of 3 used tissues. That was until today whilst lifting the handbrake lever out I spotted a shiny little coin.

Image

Suppose it is a lucky penny.
Last edited by arthuy on Tue Feb 05, 2019 11:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Post Reply