Taking on the 156 Selespeed Sportwaggon

[Smaky]

Correct, the airbag is a separate cable from the clockspring to the airbag, kind of prevents shorting in the ribbon cable setting off the squib.

 

[2b1ask1]

Driving it recently I have become aware of an increasing shake on the steering wheel under braking (down to about 40mph). This was most pronounced yesterday on the M1 where Friday traffic dictates lots of bunching going on and a tired driver!

So likely causes people?

a) Wishbones?
b) Track rod ends?
c) Anti-roll bar?
d) Lost wheel weight?
e) Loose wheel?
f) Tyre pressure?
g) Cracked or warped brake disk?
h) Other?

I can rule out uneven tyres on the front, they are a matched pair with good tread across the whole width, I do have a new one on one side of the rears and 5-6mm on the other side but it is the same make.

 

[lisknik]

Guessing brake disc, but could be any of the above.

 

[conaero]

Brake disc first. Are you getting inner tyre wear on the fronts? Changing the upper wishbones sorts that and may be contributing towards your vibration.

Only buy TRW or Delphi parts, all others are rubbish and wear out 6-12 months.

http://www.mister-auto.co.uk/en/suspension-arm-track-control-arm/trw-jtc920_g273_a161JTC920.html

http://www.mister-auto.co.uk/en/suspension-arm-track-control-arm/trw-jtc919_g273_a161JTC919.html

 

[2b1ask1]

Cheers guys, I'll get a look at it at the weekend no doubt, odd that it has developed so quickly.

 

[2b1ask1]

I think I have identified the issue as a sticky calliper, all the disks have now polished up nicely (3 years of rusting) except the outside face of the OSF which still has pitting visible. This leads me to think it is the calliper or piston sticking giving uneaven braking as a result.

 

[Smaky]

Sticky callipers are often mis-diagnosed when actually it is the flexible brake hose breaking down inside and blocking the flow of fluid to the calliper, also make sure the rigid pipe is not leaking where it passes under the inner wing.

 

[2b1ask1]

Thanks, I'll bear that in mind when looking, the fluid has been changed and I'm around 9,000 miles since bringing it back into service. New disks are only £40 a set so I may well just pop a set on anyway with new pads, if braided hoses area available I may stick some of them on too; I seldom have hoses on vehicles over 10 years as this seems to be life on these parts.

 

[2b1ask1]

A small fix but I completely lost the rubber part of the rear wiper a few weeks back and Alfa MD want £48 for a replacement! Tesco basic flat blade universal 16" for £2.48, pulled the remains of the blade from the old one, bumped the new refill past the barbs and extracted it, clipped 1" off the end and slid it into the old arm... Works a treat a < 5% of the MD cost

Next is the oil leak and then the scuttle seals that are flapping in the wind!

 

[conaero]

I remember my scuttle seals did the same thing, some black silicone sorts it.

 

[2b1ask1]

Well I finally put it up on the ramps today and quickly diagnosed a near total failure of the joint seal of the sump. Leaking seemingly all around so I stripped it all down and found nearly all the sump screws loose! I used the old faithful Hylomar Blue universal when I did the big ends and in over 40 years of rebuilding engines I have never had a failure of a joint with it even on 2 stroke cranks. I needed some acetone to clean it off and I a Saturday I was scratching my head where to get some... Genius Jeanette suggested a local beauty supply shop as apparently it is used neat for removing 'shellac' nails! £3 for a small bottle but job done used a generic instant gasket this time around. All back together and oil and filter changed for the sake of it. Fired up and all good.

Didn't get the scuttle seals done but I did free the stuck calliper on the drivers side front and also sorted a load of inner arch liner plastics with repair washers.

Swapped to the Aygo and changed the rear wheel bearing that was knackered!

Now I'm knackered....

 

[lisknik]

Sounds like a hard days work, well done sir

 

[conaero]

Well saved Newton that was a close one.

 

[2b1ask1]

Well the Alfa has had a reasonable shake down in London traffic and A roads today and I'm happy to report no more oil leaks!!! Worth the effort to take the sump off and do it properly then. Odd that silicone instant gasket worked over the high quality Hylomar but I guess that's Italians for you.

No steering wheel shake now either having freed the caliper on its slides and the pads as well, it seems it was not able to slip sideways and the outer pad was not getting adequate contact as a result. A nice easy fix in the end. Bought some paint for the scuttle today so I can ping them off at the weekend and get that tidied and the seals glued back on. Oh and just a few miles off 10k in my ownership already.

 

[lisknik]

Brilliant Glad she is shaping up nicely

 

[Smaky]

Odd that silicone instant gasket worked over the high quality Hylomar but I guess that's Italians for you.

Not really, Hylomar is a flat surface sealant, but it was used this time in completely the wrong circumatances, it will not do what the correct sealant (which is silicone instant gasket) will do which is to compress into all the nooks and crannies that are around the oil pump and crank rear seal plate, as for the loose bolts, well when you use the silicone it spreads out and and acts like thread lock on them so they wont rattle loose again, something else Hylomar doesn't do.

 

[2b1ask1]

Self changing oil system is working well; best part of a half litre pumps out every time I start it cold (all over the driveway), stops after about a minute of running, I'm assuming it is from around the oil filter or the oil filter has come loose. I will be servicing it next weekend so not too fussed, just don't like putting oil on the road in any amount!

But true bangernomics, I've done over 21,000 so far and it is a fantastic drive (with the exception of the Sillyspeed kangeroo!)...

 

[lisknik]

Brilliant news Glad it was a good buy in the end

 

[2b1ask1]

It was always a bargain mate, it did cause me some pain in the first few weeks that with hind sight could have been avoided if I'd have got Duncan to change the belts again. The oil usage is generally very high but I'm used to that with Italian's of old. It pulls a full load of tools everywhere and cruises at a most respectable pace without effort.

The Kangaroo and inability to actually give you a gear if you roll out of a junction is just a quirk of the Sillyspeed and even that I am used to now. I'll do the belts once more in the next major (30k) or if I blow it up before then I'll just pop the spare engine in it one weekend!

What id the clutch expectancy on a Sillyspeed and can you get it read?

 

[2b1ask1]

Got back from the SportsMaserati Christmas weekend around midday and afteer some domestic chores, I changed the oil and filter on the Alfa; found the cause of the oil leak when cold was actually the old filter! seems the seam leaked like a sieve till warmed up! The resurfaced the front disks and changed the pads so all good to go for another 10,000 miles, topped it off with a Bosniwash round the corner and it shines like a new pin!