Propshaft Refurbishment

One of the other jobs that needing doing, that the MOT flagged up, was one of the prop-shaft universal joints had some play in it and I had bought new joints in readiness to do the job. Nice weather was forecast for the bank holiday weekend and so I had plenty of time to take a look and work on the prop-shaft.

Once the car was up on the ramps and axle stands the prop was soon removed and dismantling wasn’t too much of a chore, I had to resort to hammering the Universal Joints (UJ) out using an old socket as a punch because my vice jaws wouldn’t open up enough to prise them out using sockets like I did for the poly bushes. Dismantling them gave me a clearer understanding of how the UJs were fitted and how relatively simple they are. Having decent circlip pliers made all the difference as with all my past experiences with circlips being something of a nightmare. With the UJs removed, I set to cleaning up the coupling ends and the shaft in readiness for painting.

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Steering Box refurbished and refitted

At the end of April, I collected the rebuilt steering box from Holman Engineering in Surrey, a family owned small business nestled between houses on a residential road. The rebuild kit I bought in January for a Mk1 Cortina unfortunately wasn’t quite right, the ball bearing races were too small, but I assumed the rest of the kit that included the gaskets and sector shaft bush were all ok. Jeff (Holman Engineering) sourced the correct size ball bearings with bearing races and the rest of the build was apparently straight forward.

Steering Box rebuild kit
Steering Box rebuild kit (MK1 Cortina) – note bearings and cups too small for Corsair application

It only took a couple hours of an afternoon over the Bank Holiday weekend to re-install, though it was a bit heavy and awkward to get the steering shaft up into the interior without the column bracketry catching on nearly every edge and surface. I made the mistake of tightening the bolts to the body/chassis too soon that it left me no wiggle room to attach the bolts to the pedal supports and dashboard. A bit of back tracking loosening bolts, I could wiggle the steering shaft into place and get the other securing bolts under the dash lined up and fitted. I just had to reconnect the steering drop arm and drag link, refit the steering column bits and the job was done.

I had to wait before I could take the car out for a test drive as I needed to get some SAE 80EP (AGL-4) oil for the steering box, but my local motor factor couldn’t source the specific grade I needed. In the end I used Amazon to buy 2 litres so I can use it on the gear box later, as well. A week later when the weather had improved (or had stayed dry long enough) I took the car for a test drive and to serve as a trip to get some more fuel. It felt so much more positive and responsive to my input and was very smooth to turn and drive. Coupled with the new shock absorbers all round the Corsair is much nicer to drive, just a minor misfire to check which could be a failed spark plug as before.

I also took the opportunity to fit a replacement steering column shroud I had bought a while ago, as I had cracked and glued back together my original shroud a few years ago. However, I was missing two bolts, so I had a rummage in my spare bolt jars and found some metric bolts that would fit if cut down and re-cut with a new thread. It was was one of those things that bugged me for a while and now I have 4 bolts to secure the two halves of the steering column shroud.

Steering Box

Mid March and I had time to tackle the steering box removal. I decided to keep the Corsair in it’s garage rather than move it to the other garage/work shop to work on. All I had to do was turn it around facing outwards and then use the passenger door to get in and out of the car.

I took my time starting inside the car, first by removing the parcel shelf before taking off the steering wheel, steering column shroud and indicator stalk, column bolts to the dashboard and a bolt to the pedal assembly. With the car on axle stands, I then worked under the front to separate the steering arm from the drag link and then I progressed to removing the 3 main bolts holding the box to the inner wing. It was all going well and took me about an hour to get as far as the steering box being disconnected and ready to come out.

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New Shocks and the MOT

Finally in to the new year and there was a nice day (Sunday) to get on and fit the rear shock absorbers I had bought at the end of last year. Initially, I had a drive locally in the Corsair, not too far due to lockdown restrictions but enough to blow the cobwebs out and get get some warm air blowing through the car.

Fitting the shocks wasn’t a difficult job as I had read up on it before starting and it didn’t necessitate in too much preparation. I had applied plenty of WD40 to help free off the lower 3/4 inch bolts which didn’t turn out to be a chore. Neither were the top mounts of the dampers, in the boot, but they were awkward to reach and required mole grips as well as the 9/16 spanner to loosen and undo. The old (Monroe) shocks came out easily and I had no idea if they were in poor condition or not so have been kept as spares.

Fitting the rear shocks was a little more awkward and I soon discovered that fitting the top mounts in place first was easier than fitting the bottom mount. When I did it that way first, I had to push the shock absorber up to the mount hole and then try and get the rubber, washer and bolts on before the mount would disappear through the mounting hole!

With the bolts all tightened up and a quick test drive I was happy another job could be ticked off the list and the car was ready for its MOT.

Well, the Corsair failed the MOT with the steering box classed as dangerous and two areas on the rear spring hangers needing welding. The exhaust joints require separating and resealing and there were advisories on a jacking point and the prop shaft rear joint showings signs of wear. So, not a great day and a few issues to sort and while in lockdown may not be done particularly quickly.

End of a Grotty Year

Finally on the 17th December, I got to take the Corsair out for a drive on a dry and sunny afternoon. I went to see Paul at South Coast Customs and Classics near Blandford, Dorset to talk about our VW Beetle and the welding work it would need. It was pleasant drive out and the roads weren’t too filthy with all the recent rain. A few days later the weather was back to damp and miserable and I had hoped to drive the Corsair to West Moors like I had done before not only to collect the dog food but also check out an interior light lens I had seen on Ebay a couple of months ago. These are new in that they are 3D printed.

The quality is good and will allow good light to come through, but my interior light didn’t have a bulb and I wouldn’t surprised if it didn’t work anyway. The original lens was extremely fragile and literally crumbled when I removed it from the light base. These were modelled on the interior light of a Mk2 Cortina but like many parts of the era they are the same as the Corsair. There is another type without the slot for the on off switch, which I think may be for the estate variants luggage area and it had a shallower profile. With this 3D replica the fit is not as neat or snug as the original but where the original was a crumbly mess this more than makes up for that. For the purist (or those seeking originality) they won’t meet expectations but for the rest of us, perfectly usable, check out the pictures.

ford cortina/corsair interior light lens
3D printed interior light lens – Ford Corsair but fits Mk2 Ford Cortina

Message me in the comments with an appropriate non spam type reply and include a genuine email address and I can forward the contact details I have for the person who can make (print) these to order.

Blue Dots

blue dot light effect on Corsair

I first came upon these back in 1990s as a custom tail light effect mainly seen on hotrods or pre 1970 custom cars. By the mid nineties, I was spurred on by a friend in the Capri Club who had them on his Mk1 Capri and subsequently I fitted them on a couple of my Capris. I remember the packaging stating ‘off road’ use only and only got picked up by the police once for the ‘non factory’ lens alteration, so from there on I carried spare unaltered lenses in the car.

Fitting was quite straight forward and now armed with better tools than 25+ years ago, it was an easier job. I ensured the hole in the lens I was to cut was directly aligned over the bulb holder to maximise the final effect. I used a 19mm (wood) drill bit with a variable speed drill, though a 24mm bit would have been ideal. Using a small curved file I enlarged the hole to 24mm so it could house the chrome ring which would hold the blue dot lens. There are four tabs on the chrome bezel ring, two to grip to the light lens and the other two to grip the blue dot. For greater security I used a universal clear glue to hold the blue dots in place.

With the simple modification done, fitting the lenses was all that was required and some low light to get the full effect of the lights with the brake lights on (see video, above).

Front Wheel Alignment

I had the front wheels laser aligned by 5 Square Motors as it is where I have taken the Corsair for the MOTs, so I was seeking continuity. Unfortunately I couldn’t have the chap who did the MOTs as another mechanic was lined up for the job. On the day the wheels were aligned OK, I presume, but when I asked for a check of the bolts on the TCAs and other suspension parts the mechanic tasked with the job claimed he found a couple of loose bolts and decided he didn’t want to sign off the job as safe, as it was work he hadn’t done. It kind of defeated the object of asking the garage to check as I couldn’t do the final tightening of bolts with the wheels on the ground. I’ll now have to do it with the car up on ramps, just hoping the angle of the car on the ramps won’t interfere with a proper tightening of the bolts.

Late one Friday afternoon and I got the Corsair up on the car ramps. I rechecked all the bolts to the TCAs, steering ball joints and top mounts, none were loose. I did add washers to the ball joint ends just for peace of mind after ‘being advised’ by the mechanic that didn’t want to check my work. I later took the Corsair for a decent drive around the locale and the improved feel of the steering was evident as was the general ride. No longer did the car rattle and shake over bumps and ruts in the road. The new dampers had improved the ride massively, so I would call that a result.

Front Suspension Overhaul – Part 5

A little while later: With the delay, due to the faulty new strut stopping progress, it gave me time to reflect on the work done so far and to be completed. Upon closer inspection of the assembled nearside strut, it was evident the top nut needed tightening quite a lot more as my current tools couldn’t reach into the top mount’s recess. I had to buy a 24mm swan necked ring spanner (Ebay) to finish the job properly. Fitting the track control arms with new inner arm rubbers and ARB poly bushes into the front cross member was initially a tough job. However, with a bit of lubrication and some persuasion with my leather faced mallet got them both in position. After I had reinstalled the nearside strut which was reasonably straight forward, I set about putting the brake caliper on. Here was when I noticed the bellows were split and had got mangled up when I inserted the brake pads in September last year.

Ford Corsair offside TCA with new bushes
Ford Corsair offside TCA with a lick of paint and new bushes.
Brake calipers with damaged bellows
Brake calipers with damaged bellows

So, I had the saga of replacing the bellows. Luckily, I had a new spare set I had bought several years ago, but I wasn’t sure how to make them fit, as they seemed too large to fit in the groove of the caliper piston hole. In my haste and doubts, I contacted BCA Automotive to find out where they got the bellows from when they rebuilt the calipers last year. Later, I was on the internet to order two front caliper seal kits from Mev Spares and within a couple of days I had the new set, only to find they were the exact part number as my original spares! One evening in the week, with a renewed approach I tried again to fit the seal into the groove of the caliper and this time they all went in. It was down to a technique of gentle but firm pressure and faith that the rubber would pop into the groove. Having acquired a mini air compressor in the summer (during the carport conversion to garage) I found it invaluable in popping out the caliper pistons and blowing excess fluid in my face.

Ford Corsair P16 caliper replacement bellows fitting
Ford Corsair P16 caliper with replacement bellows being fitted

At the same time as ordering the replacement caliper seals, that I didn’t need, I also ordered a new Meyle top strut mount from a Ebay seller hoping this one would be good to go. By the weekend (12/13th Sept) the part had arrived and I was ready to finish the offside strut assembly, front anti roll bar, attach the brakes and connect them up.

Volvo strut top
Volvo strut top with new mounting holes to be drilled
Ford Corsair strut top (Volvo 240)
Ford Corsair strut top (Volvo 240) fits neatly in existing location and plastic dust cap fits too.

Fitting the anti roll bar with new poly bushes was a more awkward job than expected as I had to re-tap a bolt hole that had become a bit cross threaded and use the jack to help align and manoeuvre the anti roll bar into place.

Ford Corsair offside strut with anti roll bar
Off side front strut and anti rolled bar ready for fitting.

So in nutshell, the new parts I ordered for the front strut refurbishment were:

  • Meyle (Volvo 240) damper Part No. 526 614 0001
  • Meyle (Volvo 240) strut top mount Part No. 514 127 0001
  • Amsteer steering ball joint kit Part No. (as at Sept 2020, no stock left)
  • Inner TCA original (Ford tooling) quality rubber bush from Corsair Enthusiasts Facebook member
  • Superflex poly bushes for TCA to anti roll bar (SF0233KSS) and anti roll bar mounts (SF2045/19)

During the strut refurbishment, I needed to insert 2 large washers to take up the excess space of the Volvo 240 damper in the strut tube, and conveniently, the damper locking nut was the same thread as on the strut. I had to relocate the mounting studs on the Volvo 240 strut top mount to match the holes on the Corsair inner wing. I used two good condition springs obtained from a Corsair Club member on Facebook.

Front Suspension Overhaul – Part 4

Saturday & Sunday: I had to modify the new strut top mounts which required prising out the mounting studs, re-drilling the stud holes to match the Corsair’s inner wing strut mounting holes and replacing the studs. A bit of filing to the holes to the inner wing was required so the new stud locations would fit through, with a bit of a wiggle. I then assembled the nearside strut first, which was tricky but thought I had got it all back together OK, though the top mount looked askew with the spring uncompressed. Dealing with the offside strut I came across my first major problem with the bearing in the new top mount, it seemed to be upside down. It wouldn’t seat properly the correct way up but it would if I turned it over. I stopped at this point and came away to think some more.

Continue reading “Front Suspension Overhaul – Part 4”