Moderators: RichardW, myglaren
RichardW wrote:1 3/8" = 34.925mm. Use of an undersize socket, Jim? tut tut....
Sod's Law says yesRichardW wrote:no doubt I will feel better this evening so I can go to work tomorrow
I've just been incapacitated by a house that needs rather a lot of renovating in certain areas (Kitchen and Bathroom mainly) so the only spanners I've needed recently were for re-levelling and re-sealing an improperly installed bath! 
Bathroom tiling is ongoing but we are getting there...then there is the Kitchen to finish, then the garage roof to repair, then the outside brickwork, yard, and roof to tidy up...you get the idea... 
I spent I don't know how long searching from above and underneath with a torch and just could not find it, so I eventually gave up and proceeded to remove the inlet manifold on the basis that I would have a better view down the back with it out. As it turned out I WAS able to find it much later on before reassembly, but I could only barely see it and only just reach it with my magnet on a stick. Phew #2! (It landed down by the intermediate drive-shaft joint)
Nothing else I had including a window scraper would shift it. I did end up scratching the surface a bit, but thankfully only at the outer edges of the bolt holes where it doesn't matter too much. 
Other than that changing the coolant expansion chamber was an easy job with the manifold out.
Just as well I was changing the spark plugs as well as this one was now completely under water...
Apart from a bit of dirt the cam boxes look like they just came out of the factory... There was a clean break between plugs 5 and 6 on the left hand side - almost as if they'd grabbed it and tried to yank it off without removing the strip that bolts on the left hand side above it... I've had the inlet manifold off and spark plug leads and spark plugs out of the old V6 I don't know how many times and never once had a misfire afterwards so naturally I was quite disappointed and a bit worried. (A little bit like it was the first time I drove it home from Preston - smooth and quiet but lacking in zip and throttle response) 
) on each part in order UP from the bottom swivel.....see when it stops Ain't that the truth!RichardW wrote:See, I told you you needed a house, then you could stop obsessing about the car
Yeah we have a wet diamond wheel cutter - just a cheap one but it seems to do the job. The bathroom tiling is nearly finished (thank god) just grouting to do, but there are still kitchen tiles to do which should be a lot easier after the hassles in the bathroom!Tiling - you have got a wet diamond wheel cutter? If not come round and borrow mine - it's makes life sooooooo much easier!
I know - it's really odd. Until fixing the coolant bottle the creak was REALLY noisy and obnoxious too, I've never heard anything like it on a car before... and when I had the engine manifold and coolant bottle out I had a good view down to the steering rack and the boots and plastic sleeves all looked to be in order...Creak - that's an odd one.... normally would expcet creaking noises to reduce when they are wet as they are lubricated. The only thing that is under the coolant bottle really is the ram, but I can't see why that would creak on start / stop or power on/off. The inner joint should be inside a rubber boot, so shouldn't be affected by water - it will be easy to look and see if the boot is broken anyway. Other than that, no idea
Hey that's a good idea, I have a can of spray grease with a nozzle that I could use, all I need is to find the time to get away from the house and back to the car...Stickyfinger wrote:Try spraying a load of lube spray (not WD40
Except the strut top rubber!!!RichardW wrote:I had sort of come to conclusion that it could only be the bottom joint, Zel.... nothing else appears to move with all the inputs Simon says makes it creak!
