FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

 I am beginning this post as I start to prepare what will be a major rebuild on this car. I originally bought this car as a parts car for my other FC but after finding out that it is an extremely late Sydney FC I have decide to take on a full restoration of this car. It is one of the last to come from the Sydney Plant.

The car has seen some really rough treatment in the past, vandals smashed every window in it, there is rust in the floor, sills, subframe and boot so I will really have my work cut out for me.

It currently has a HR front and Rear end fitted, but I will be using these in my other FC. It had a Red motor and aussie 4 speed fitted at one stage, the rear gearbox crossmember was bolted to the floor and the floor has cracks around the bolt holes.

When it was purchased I bought it home on a car trailer, when it was pushed off I noticed that the LHF wheel was rubbing on what sounded like the caliper. I recently towed it over to a friends house where it is being stored until I finish my current FC. Before it was towed I removed the LHF wheel and to my horror, someone had continued to drive the car while the brake pads were metal on metal to the disc. To make matters worse the wheel had been spaced out with mag wheel washers to stop the wheel from hitting the caliper until the pads ground down the disc until the caliper sarted hitting the wheel again. What is left of the disc is about 4mm thick. I spent 15 years as a mechanic and have never seen such bodgey work until this car.

The mag wheel washers fitted between the studs and the wheel
(http://inlinethumb34.webshots.com/43105/2480399420060682858S600x600Q85.jpg) ($2)

In the photo below it is possible to see how much has been ground from the disc.

(http://inlinethumb22.webshots.com/41045/2478273350060682858S600x600Q85.jpg) ($2)

In this shot below it illustrates that the dust seals have been popped off the caliper housings because the caliper pistons have come out so far. Left like this and on a single circuit master cylinder too.

(http://inlinethumb27.webshots.com/40730/2307356490060682858S600x600Q85.jpg) ($2)

The disc. This is only about 4mm thick.
(http://inlinethumb62.webshots.com/23741/2345711790060682858S600x600Q85.jpg) ($2)

Some of the rust, this is under the LHF mudguard, looking back to the sills
(http://inlinethumb41.webshots.com/43048/2952654810060682858S600x600Q85.jpg) ($2)


Unfortunately the batteries went dead in my camera, but I will post some more photos during the week

Keith
F4+
 ;)

thats some pretty fine engineering there keith ??? :o :o :o :o
ive seen some discs ground down but that is really a worry, glad to hear you moved the car OK, looking foward to seeing some more pics and helping out with your rebuild..
cheers
dean

Hi Keith

Thanks for sharing.  Is this the one that's going to be done by Xmas (note no year mentioned!) ?  Looking forward to seeing it's progress in the coming months.

Do I need to add you to my "weekly update hit list" - or is Sandra going to keep you honest?

Kathi  8)
F4+ =^{^^}=

You've got the right saying anyway Keith, the fun IS just beginning, you'd better add him Kathi coz i,m off the list for the moment, unless you want to know about my house renovations ;), we haven't heard from mrs effcee for a while, maybe she needs some backup Kathi ::) :D
                            Pedro F4+
                         

No this is not the one that is going to be finished by Christmas 2008, this is the one that is going to be started on after I finish the ohter one which will be early in 2009 as I will have finished the other one by then.


You may add me to your weekly update hit list, the batteries to the camera are on charge and I will be snapping piccies all weekend ;) ;D

Keith

F4+
 ;)

Keith - consider yourself on the hit list.  Updates are due Sunday nights - Smithy knows the drill, don't make me send in the henchmen!  ;)

Pedro - you are officially excused from the weekly update hit list until further notice and all is settled!  ;)

Kathi  8)
F4+ =^^=

Hey effcee,
                  I was over at my inlaws one day when my brother in law came around in his XC falcon and said that his brake pedal felt funny and brakes were making grinding sounds. After looking around I saw a puddle of brake fluid on the drive way. Pulled off the wheel and the out side face of the disc looked ok but the other side......nasty.

These discs are ventilated types not solid and it had been driven metal on metal for so long that the brake pad backing plate had ground right through the inner side of the disc on an angle and had exposed the inner ventilation ribs :o :o  This meant the caliper piston had come out so far that the brake fluid was leaking out.

I said to him how far had you been driving it while it was making noises?  "Oh not long" was the feeble reply.
Bulls%#$ was my answer and got really pissed at him but dealing with idiots like him it's water off a ducks back.

Freaked me out that day good and proper. Really should have kept that as a trophy to put up on the shed wall.

Cheers  M

Mikey,

It never ceases to amaze me that people are so careless with the maintenance of such important thing such as brakes. I have found that the people who neglect their cars have no concept of how a vehicle works, and as such have no idea that they are only an emergency away from total brake failure. This car and your brothers was only an hard brake application away from failure as the piston seals would have ruptured resulting in brake failure. I would not want to be facing ther coroners court as the driver of such a vehicle.

Keith
F4+
 ;)

Just one more thing and I will stop as I sem to be stealing your thread here. Should start another one I suppose. ::)

I drive a Ford Telstar, one day I hear a squeal when I put the brakes on, real funny sound but thought Oh well time to do the pads.

When I took the wheel off the pads were ok, ie still meat on them. I then saw a bent tab of steel riveted to the back of the pad plate, it was this tab that was rubbing on the disc and squealing. I call them squeal indicators (real name???) they are meant to give early warning that the pads are low, in this case about 2.5mm.
Here is a quick sketch for those who can't work out what I am rabbiting on about.

Red is the disc
Blue is the pad material
Black is the steel part of the pad
Purple is the "squeal indicator"

I think they are a fantastic idea and couldn't seeing them cost that much to put on every pad.

Cheers  M

(http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd318/hannemcnc/disc.jpg)

It's incredible how people continue to drive despite that horrid metal on metal sound and feel.

love the story about the falcon...

Cheers

Ed

On the subject of maintaining brakes etc.

Just rebuilt my brakes, re-packed wheel bearings and got new tyres, also had a good alignment job done and camber adjusted.. The difference is like night and day.  Lighter steering, good low speed steering... hmmm

Cheers

Ed

Ed,

Isn't it such a pleasure when you get the car back and it feels so  much better, stops better, steers better, and peace of mind knowing that the car is safer in all aspects to drive.

I just cannot understand how someone will continue to drive a car with the horrid metal on metal sound and poor braking performance.

Keith
F4+
 ;)

Hi Keith

This is your gentle reminder that your weekly update is due tonight.

I would like some advice though on which thread you would like your weekly update reminders posted in as, technically, you should not be working on this vehicle until the other one is completed!

Anyway, I and a number of others are looking forward to seeing your progress this week.  And please note that should you require an exemption at any stage you will need an explanatory post from either Mrs EffCee or Mrs EffCee's Mum! (a note from "your mum" is not acceptable!)

Kathi  8)
F4= =^{^^}=