Subaru Impreza WRX STI *SOLD* - Corsa Sport - for Vauxhall and Opel Corsa B, Corsa C and Corsa D

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Kyle T

Premium Member

Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline

21st Feb 13 at 20:42

Spent the last hour or so filing my socket down into a square

The filing did it's job though and I managed to get enough grip on it with my molegrips. Unfortunately, something else then gave way. My allen key stripped the inside of the bolt....

I really think this has been seriously over-torqued in a past life, it shouldn't be THIS hard.

I'm basically now stuck with hoping the windy gun does the job. If that doesn't, I'm going to have to settle with destroying the shocks to remove the springs and simply fit the springs to my existing shocks....

If I do that, I still probably paid a fair price for the springs alone - but I was hoping this mini-project was going to have a neutral cost.

[Edited on 21-02-2013 by Kyle T]

Lotus Elise 111R

Impreza WRX STi

Ian W

Member

Registered: 8th Nov 03
Location: Wirral, Merseyside
User status: Offline

21st Feb 13 at 20:49

Slimline swan neck and the correct allen key and I reckon that would of been off in no time, shock assemblies are more difficult to undo when there off the car but not impossible.

I think wrong tools where your downfall here! Molegrips always fuck shit up

I have a set of deep sockets that have a square top that you can put a spanner on, when I have done shocks I have put the socket on, allen key through it then used a spanner to undo the socket (if that makes sense?)

[Edited on 21-02-2013 by Ian W]

Kyle T

Premium Member

Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline

21st Feb 13 at 21:03

Yep I've been busted by wrong/shit tools but the part that's failed is about the only bit I've got a correct tool for... the allen key!

It was the right size/shape etc - it's just ripped the innards of the bolt out.

Lessons learned n' that, but hopefully I can salvage something with an impact gun

Lotus Elise 111R

Impreza WRX STi

Ian W

Member

Registered: 8th Nov 03
Location: Wirral, Merseyside
User status: Offline

21st Feb 13 at 21:05

quote:
Originally posted by Kyle T
Yep I've been busted by wrong/shit tools but the part that's failed is about the only bit I've got a correct tool for... the allen key!

It was the right size/shape etc - it's just ripped the innards of the bolt out.

Lessons learned n' that, but hopefully I can salvage something with an impact gun

Yeah, that will be off in no time with an air gun. I had to take my coilovers to my mate when I got them as one of them just wasn't budging.

Kyle T

Premium Member

Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline

21st Feb 13 at 21:09

Probably a silly question, but what is it about an air gun that'll crack it loose from a spinning bolt?

Is it the sheer torque of it that just does it?

Lotus Elise 111R

Impreza WRX STi

Rich H

Member

Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline

21st Feb 13 at 21:26

Off topic to a degree, but assume you realise the full write up of the detail is finally live on DW? http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=3976487

Kyle T

Premium Member

Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline

21st Feb 13 at 21:28

I've been checking every week or so, nice one

Lotus Elise 111R

Impreza WRX STi

Kyle T

Premium Member

Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline

22nd Feb 13 at 11:15

Wooo! I have a dismantled shock absorber.

I went to the tyre place round the corner and they let me borrow their Snap-On cordless jobby which sounded like it was REALLY low on batter power

It still did the job though, and whipped it off in no time:

Since I've only got one set of spring clamps, I could only get one shock dismantled but I've just put an order in for:

Clarke Impact Wrench (with 17, 19, 21 and 22mm socket)
Clarke low profile 2.25 tonne trolley jack
2 x Axel Stands

It won't be here till' next week so I guess for now the project is on hold. I just couldn't find anything local

Now, potentially I may have found some bad news - but I've really got no idea what the implications are of this:

The shock insert has got some notches in it. My first thought was this:

quote:
Originally posted by dan-sport
I'd just put the mole grips in between the spring on the shock, put shock on floor then use a socket and ratchet on the top nut stand on shock with one foot an stamp on ratchet with other will crack the nut off, but thats a last resort tactic.

I couldn't do this with my mole-grips as they don't open wide enough, but that's not to say somebody else hasn't during the lifespan of these shocks. I've got no idea whether all four shocks will have the same notches, or just these ones - I'll find out next week I guess... but are these notches going to be detrimental to the performance of the shock absorbers? It'll soon be decision time where I decide whether to migrate the Prodrive springs onto my existing shocks, and refurb them when I get them off the car - or do I just refurb these stand-alone "notched" shocks and do a swap later down the line.

Any suggestions?

Lotus Elise 111R

Impreza WRX STi

BarnshaW

Member

Registered: 25th Oct 06
User status: Offline

22nd Feb 13 at 11:29

Its good that you are looking to do this yourself however with all these little niggles and extra costs you are surely approaching the cost of a semi decent set of coilovers?

Kyle T

Premium Member

Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline

22nd Feb 13 at 11:48

I do wonder that, but it wasn't all about cost - I could have gone and got some coilovers fitted and aligned by now if I wanted to, I'd just read alot to suggest that the coilvoers in my budget may have been detrimental to the ride quality I was already getting.

Still, I've only spent about £50 on stuff specific to this project. Impact gun, jack, stands etc are all stuff I need anyway.

That is, assuming I get a working set of shocks/springs to sell on at the end of this. If not, I'm looking to be more like £200 down...

It wouldn't be a project without niggles? Right?!

Lotus Elise 111R

Impreza WRX STi

3CorsaMeal

Member

Registered: 11th Apr 02
User status: Offline

22nd Feb 13 at 12:10

Its what car mechanics is about, if everything just undid nice and easy and bolted straight back on then we would all do it.

Buying tools and doing stuff myself was the best thing i ever did. Now i find myself feeling sorry for people who have to pay garages. No wonder cars are so expensive for them and they worry about things breaking. I often see the price they pay and think i could that for about a tenth of that price, but can't be arsed to work on anything other than my car.

Its very satisfying

Kyle T

Premium Member

Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline

22nd Feb 13 at 12:51

Couldn't have said it much better myself.

I'd not even done an oil change before buying this car...well, I still haven't

but the point is I had garages do everything for me.

I can car share with my missus if I break something major, and Subaru parts are actually really cheap from what I've seen so far. Providing I don't blow up the engine, there aren't many jobs on this car which would cost so much that I have to consider scrapping it

I'm learning, I'm having fun - and despite a few frustrations I've not considered giving up yet

I've been thinking about the scratches on the shock insert... it doesn't have to alter my project, at least not yet. The actual drilling/refurb work is done to the exterior of the shocks - so I'll proceed as planned and then I can always quickly swap around the shock inserts from the ones currently fitted to my car when I come to do the actual install. With my new impact gun it should be a 2min job per corner

Lotus Elise 111R

Impreza WRX STi

Simon_16v

Member

Registered: 14th Aug 06
Location: Yorkshire
User status: Offline

22nd Feb 13 at 15:44

You still really make me want an Impreza Kyle! If you are abotu this weekend I might nip over, staying in a house not too far from you for a month

Kyle T

Premium Member

Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline

22nd Feb 13 at 15:54

I'll be around all weekend dude, any time.

Lotus Elise 111R

Impreza WRX STi

Kyle T

Premium Member

Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline

22nd Feb 13 at 15:55

Except tonight

Lotus Elise 111R

Impreza WRX STi

Wrighty

Member

Registered: 28th Feb 04
Location: Howden
User status: Offline

22nd Feb 13 at 21:11

dont think coilovers come with notches in the damper bodies

daymoon

Premium Member

Registered: 1st Aug 08
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline

22nd Feb 13 at 21:26

I had see this earlier I could have brought you my tools

oh well. too late.

If you are struggling in future or need tools to carry on with job just send me a message and I might have what you need.

Kyle T

Premium Member

Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline

22nd Feb 13 at 21:50

Cheers bud, I'll keep that in mind.

Wrighty... gtfo

Lotus Elise 111R

Impreza WRX STi

Kyle T

Premium Member

Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline

25th Feb 13 at 17:50

Postie turned up at work today with some new toys

Now I can forgive you all for assuming i'm a bit of a pro with tools, but I can assure you that I'm actually quite new to all this.

Despite that, I'm pretty sure that this impact wrench is a fairly substantial unit and should see me right with all manner of jobs I may decide to take on

The wrench came with a 17mm, 19, 20 and 21mm socket. The 17mm is perfect for the top nut on the struts, but I still need a 14mm for the bottom nut.

I popped into Halfords on the way home and they only go as low as 17mm for the individual sockets, which leaves me needing to source 14mm/half inch impact socket before progress can continue.

Lotus Elise 111R

Impreza WRX STi

3CorsaMeal

Member

Registered: 11th Apr 02
User status: Offline

25th Feb 13 at 18:39

Snapped bolts and bent sills to look forward too now

Kyle T

Premium Member

Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline

25th Feb 13 at 19:12

I can hardly wait

Lotus Elise 111R

Impreza WRX STi

Kyle T