Adventures Of Betty

[zoidberg444]

I'm off on a camping trip in Betty this morning for the next two weeks. Still got a little room, but not much! I'm not quite sure how much weight all my gear totals but she doesn't drive like i'm used too that's for sure!

Setting off on the 270 mile drive to Cornwall in about half an hour. With a little luck i should be there just after midday! Its all Motorway and dual carriageway except for the last 10 miles or so. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180618/ce0043d635425d919cb5728a13e5732b.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180618/ffa2770f354b0d159a50b94daab34724.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180618/20e9941aca1719054a077fb151d525da.jpg

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[06YarisRS]

It's quite remarkable how much stuff you can get into one of these little buggies. Have a grand adventure!

[ern-diz]

It's quite remarkable how much stuff you can get into one of these little buggies. Have a grand adventure!

+1 :thumbsup:

[hotracer_05]

Anytime the weather isn't going to be crazy, I take the yaris!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkGsdT3Aqu_/

[justanotherdrunk]

:headbang:

[NYC-SE]

Anytime the weather isn't going to be crazy, I take the yaris!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkGsdT3Aqu_/

Dinosaur State Park, down in Glen Rose. Wow what a blast from the past! When I was a kid I loved dinosaurs (what kid doesn't). My trips there as a kid are some of my favorite memories. Loved walking in the tracks down by the river. Felt like a dinosaur myself.

[atomic_hoji]

:eek: Sweet googily moogily - that's about as full as you can get, yuup... lol
-- Adam

[Kaotic Lazagna]

You must do well in Tetris http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/images/smilies/rotfl.gif

On a side note, which 5D is that? Hard to see in the pic.

[zoidberg444]

You must do well in Tetris http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/images/smilies/rotfl.gif

On a side note, which 5D is that? Hard to see in the pic.

Funny you mention that. I still play Tetris on my 1998 vintage Gameboy colour every now and again. I think my all time high score was around 512,000 or there about.

I have the 5D Mk 3. I got it back in 2014.

[zoidberg444]

Betty made it to Cornwall like a Champ. 4 hours of driving and about £30 in petrol.

Also found her brother from another mother in the pitch next to mine. :laugh:
https://i.imgur.com/vjrXbTk.jpg

I'm glad the weather is going to clear up later in the week. It was pretty damp and windy last night although it didn't get below 15°C last night and when it brightens up it will probably dip down below 10°C at night due to the clear skies.

[06YarisRS]

You must do well in Tetris http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/images/smilies/rotfl.gif


Love the analogy!

[Fluxtasy]

don't miss out on World Cup :tongue:

[hotracer_05]

Dinosaur State Park, down in Glen Rose. Wow what a blast from the past! When I was a kid I loved dinosaurs (what kid doesn't). My trips there as a kid are some of my favorite memories. Loved walking in the tracks down by the river. Felt like a dinosaur myself.

Yup! That place is pretty awesome, it was actually my first time down there and ive lived in Texas my whole life

[zoidberg444]

Here we go again.

Taking Betty over to Europe. I'm at Dover. Last sight of England for 3 weeks.

She isn't quite as full as when i went to Cornwall in June. I'm on a road trip and i don't need as much stuff. She doesn't like carrying all that weight. Hopefully she makes it. My engine is a little noisier than it used to be. Valve noise and maybe a touch of chain rattle when cold. I've got AA cover. I'll be OK if the engine blows up. I have my tools if its something minor. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180822/05ca719d23188239244d4f5ccebeb064.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180822/09711f4367fe1dd9e5bf93f10d0121ec.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180822/dad2960f5199a400bbfdb3122629bbab.jpg

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[ern-diz]

:headbang:

[kimona]

Crispy Slices.

[06YarisRS]

Hope you're having an awesome trip. Who says you need a big car/van to go on vacation? I plan to be minimalist in our travels and take our Yari on many a road trip.

[06YarisRS]

Crispy Slices.

MMMM...Crispy Slices...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wACtnQjPaO8

[zimmer]

You sound like had a great time. That is fully loaded.

[zoidberg444]

Well - After 13 years Betty is starting to show her age. She has needed quite a bit of work this year. I had my MOT in May and the mechanic told me i had a split CV boot and i had several brake lines which really needed doing ASAP. He also recommended i do something about some of the corrosion on the vehicle because it was going to result in holes sooner or later.

I decided to tackle the brake lines and the worst CV boot in the summer but an opportunity presented itself to take the car off the road and do some more work this winter. I have been noticing a clunking coming from the rear of the car for about a year or so and i also noticed there was uneven tyre wear on the rear. Seemed to indicate to me the rear suspension was fucked. The springs seem ok but it looked like one of my rear shocks was leaking and the clunking suggested to me the axle pivot bushes were cooked. The rear also had some quite bad spots of corrosion,

https://imgur.com/jBncgVd.jpg
You can see the state of the brake lines and some of the body corrosion. It really doesn't look so good.
https://imgur.com/DXPC7QG.jpg
I replaced the front brake lines right back to the ABS pump - which was a pig of a job but it wasn't really practical just to do the bit that was rotten because there was no room to get to the lines. I also replaced the front flexible lines because the rubber on the outside was extremely perished and had splits in it.
https://imgur.com/qT6UNk8.jpg
I also replaced the rotted sections of line on the rear axle to the rear drums. The fittings were a nightmare to get undone. The only thing that seemed to work was my knipex cobras. I used kunifer line to do it. It's more resistant to corrosion than the copper line but still fairly workable.
https://i.imgur.com/k1RordE.jpg
Much better. I also replaced one of the flexible lines at the rear. The other one i couldn't get the fitting turning and it didn't seem so bad so i left it.
https://i.imgur.com/k9bExgc.jpg
Making brake lines is really not my favourite job. I purchased the proper press for making them with the die for making the double flares. It was kind of expensive but i will probably use it to make brake lines for the rest of my life. So...
https://i.imgur.com/gBxPW9P.jpg
I caught it early but it was fairly obviously starting to let the grease out. The inner one was also quite badly perished, it wasn't leaking yet but seen as i had to take it off i decided to replace it.
https://i.imgur.com/wU83oB2.jpg
The grease in these things was really looking worse for wear. It's really liquid.
https://i.imgur.com/L8M4UFZ.jpg
There was an aftermarket choice for the outer boots, but Toyota was the only choice for the inner ones. This kit cost about £60. Luckily the grease stretched to doing the other side as well.
https://i.imgur.com/M9Di09k.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/bGhAQT5.jpg
Much better.

Betty had to go back on the road after this work. The other side also seemed to be letting out a little grease but i did the most critical stuff. She took my down to Cornwall for 10 days for my usual camping trip. She also took me to Ireland and Scotland for 2 weeks in September. Fast forward to October i get a change to borrow another car for a few weeks and it needed a service so it was time to get to work.

I decided to change the other CV boot that was bad before winter. I also decided to rebuild the rear suspension. What complicated it was the rust. It was fairly clear to me the rust was getting bad and i wanted to treat it and buy the car some more time.

https://i.imgur.com/HcMdtHg.jpg
I put the car up on the jack stands and fetched out the rear axle. Not particularly difficult. Honestly i was a little alarmed by all the rust.

First job was to get the old bushes out.
https://i.imgur.com/7Ey8nuV.jpg
I used the air hammer to fold in the rotten edge of the bushes, and then cut it off with a grinder in so i could mount the cup on the edge of the axle. I also folded the rotten metal on the other side in so i could get a cup into push against something fairly solid on the inside.
https://i.imgur.com/ehUse53.jpg
This was a £50 Chinese kit of eBay. I really can't complain. It did the job nicely. I was actually quite surprised. I thought i would have to use the air saw to cut the rubber out and then use a hacksaw to cut out the metal part of the bush but both of them pressed out.
https://i.imgur.com/5Yxi67m.jpg
Both were pretty munted.
https://i.imgur.com/xEG2NTV.jpg
New parts.
https://i.imgur.com/a0Ru30I.jpg
My old shocks had also absolutely had it. They were utterly fucked. No spring left in them at all and the one was leaking its oil out which is an MOT fail in the UK.
https://i.imgur.com/0iXg6uj.jpg
I also bashed off this bloody thing! It has rotted so much it came loose and kept rubbing and making an annoying noise!
https://i.imgur.com/dXfA6ee.jpg
Also did the other CV boot. There was a lot of corrosion on the axle. I wonder if the rust on it contributed to it splitting. It seemed to split on the edge of the clamp.
https://i.imgur.com/lO1w5xJ.jpg
I also applied a urethane seem sealer along the seem under rubber boot seal. It seemed to me the water was getting under the seal and in between the panels and then dripping down inside. Hopefully this will address that.

https://i.imgur.com/ZbcleAT.jpg
There was a fair bit of rust, it's gotten really bad in the last 2 years since i last checked the rear of the car.
https://i.imgur.com/EVuVC6K.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Gxw5bq8.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/mg5ph8c.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/eBoVszB.jpg

After some research and changing my mind a few times. I settled on sand blasting the rust away in the awkward places and grinding what i could get to and then applying a marine grade 2 part epoxy product several people recommended called Jotun 87. Apparently it has some ability to cope with improper conditions and adheres best to sandblasted steel.

I spent nearly 2 weeks sandblasting and grinding under the car and cleaning up the rear axle and painting. Tomorrow i have to put the car back together. I have to put the rear axle back in, reassemble the drum brakes, reconnect the lines and i'm also going to spray some Dinatrol cavity wax in the cavities to try and slow down any corrosion that might be in there. I have a lot of work to do as i need the car to go to work on Monday. Wish me luck.

[myfirstyota]

Keeping her alive!
I feel your pain, it is a lot of work. But with a bit of love here and there she'll be rolling for years to come!

[ern-diz]

Wow, loads of work. Nice little write-up with pics, too.

I thought I heard about a chemical product that when applied to rust, will chemically change it to create a barrier? Something I heard in passing and could have completely misunderstood, but it stuck and I've just never done more research on it.

[zoidberg444]

Keeping her alive!
I feel your pain, it is a lot of work. But with a bit of love here and there she'll be rolling for years to come!

That's what i hope mate. Still have a few jobs to do. My drum brakes are out of whack. I still need to put the wax in the cavities and plan A for defeating the water leak in the boot has failed so its plan B (more seam sealer).

Wow, loads of work. Nice little write-up with pics, too.

I thought I heard about a chemical product that when applied to rust, will chemically change it to create a barrier? Something I heard in passing and could have completely misunderstood, but it stuck and I've just never done more research on it.

There are a few different methods and products for that sort of thing. There are various acids which will eat away the rust from Citric to Sulphuric and even hydroflouric acid - i believe the chemistry is basically adding more oxygen to the iron oxide (rust) which carries it away. The converters - the main three products i can think of being Dinatrol RC-800, KURUST by Hammerite and some product made by Bilt Hamber - Hydrate 80 or something like that. I think that works by a reduction reaction which turns the iron oxide into a more stable complex by removing the oxygen from it. The one problem is they are never really 100% - it will eventually come back. Indeed even going back to bare metal and painting has a limited life span.