New driveshafts with new outer CV joints and bellows all round
I thought I might regale my MOT experiences this year, as I think it shows how overconfidence and impatience can make your life go for the worse! On Monday 25th with a week left on the existing MOT, I took the old lady to Eurospec for a gearbox and drive shaft swap with an MOT.
They got the gearbox installed that day, but said the MOT will have to wait until tomorrow now, and they’d really like to drive it a bit more to test the gearbox, but me being rather eager said to them, don’t worry about the MOT, I’ll get it done at a place near me in Camberley on Wednesday and drove off happy as Larry
Replacement manual gearbox
This is where I went wrong, I was impatient to get it back because mine is cheaper to run than the courtesy car and I assumed the car would not need any major work and would pass its MOT!
So on Wednesday it failed on two counts, NS brake hose rubbing and rear OS outer bush having excessive movement, or “one of your rear bushes is knackered” as the tester put it. I asked which one, but the car was off the ramp so he described it to me, and I understood it to be the lower control arm outer bush.
The wrong lower arm! but it was very loose
When I got home, I found that it was in fact quite loose so thought, no problem I can replace that with some FTOOC help. 🙂 I also discovered that worriedly Eurospec has not fitted a clip holding the OS front brake hose in place, or a cotter pin on the same hub nut!
I went to Camskill’s site to order a whole new lower control arm, but found they were having a stock take and were closed! I rang Camskill to confirm delivery was possible, but it was engaged constantly, so ordered the part anyway and asked for express delivery for Friday. Finally after calling their Tyres department for clarification, I left a note explaining how irritating it was just taking the parts department’s phone off the hook to screen calls.
First thing the next day (Thursday) Camskill call me to tell me they don’t have the part in stock, they can get it by next Thursday after my MOT expires grrrr! So after it was suggested on the FTOOC, I contacted a local Mitsi dealer in Chertsey who says, yep no problem they’ll be here tomorrow morning including bolts and washers. I’m thinking why so long Camskill??
Nice new rear OS lower control arm
So on Friday I swing by the dealer and pick up the bits and then that evening in the rain, me and my daughter fit the part, which incidentally you really can only cut out using a junior hacksaw; an angle grinder is just too vicious! I adjust the brake hose and go to bed with a smile on my face.
The next day is Saturday and I have a pre booked appointment to have the OS front tyre replaced which has a flat spot.
At Total Tyres in Binfield, a great garage
Total Tyres do their usual sterling job while I sip a Latte in a café across the road, appropriately named “George’s” . I leave Total Tyres to get the MOT retest done and when I arrive I’m quickly and efficiently dealt with.
Moments later I’m shown the actual bush I was meant to have replaced, it’s the outer bush on the lower arm, and is very obviously knackered – how did I miss this?? So another fail!! I drive home not sure what to do, the MOT expires tomorrow and I need it for Monday to drive to work. The tester also pointed out a nail in my nice brand new tyre.
The OS rear lower arm outer bush, this was the one they meant!
Thing is though I can’t replace that bush, it needs pressing in, so rather sheepishly I ring Eurospec in desperation and ask if I can drop it in this afternoon and have a courtesy car :-). No courtesy car, but no problem taking a look at it on Monday if I want to drop it off today, so a friend drives there with me, and at the same time picks up the old gearbox and drive shafts from the earlier work. I’m taken back home, car less and confused about how I get to work.
Thankfully my girlfriend suggests I stay with her on Monday as she lives very near to a train station and very near to Eurospec, so on Monday I take the train in to work, bleh. I call Eurospec who explain they’ve ordered the bushes and will be fitted tomorrow. Yay!
Little Audi A1 1.6 Desiel, pretty pokey and very grateful to borrow it!
On Tuesday my girlfriend very kindly lends me her car, so my plan is to drive to work and after dropping it back at hers, get a lift to Eurospec to pick up my car, and if possible drive it to Camberley to have a retest. On my way back I get a call to say its ready, but traffic is bad so I revert to plan B which is to pick it up, drive it to hers, stay the night and then drive it directly to the test centre for the re-test first thing in the morning.
So I pick it up and first check that they’ve tidied up the couple of things they forgot to do after the gearbox swap, and then notice they’ve replaced all the bushes on both rear lower arms, including camber bolts, not something I asked them to do actually, I just wanted one bush done. But to be honest it’s not something I mind as such, so I settled up and drive away, just grateful they booked me in quickly and the work was done well.
Having a Hunter alignment at Hounslow Tyres, what a great place!
The following morning I drive to the test Centre and behold!! A pass is issued!! But the fun isn’t over quite yet, the suspension’s geometry is all to cock and I still have that puncture. I search for a garage in west London that does a hunter alignment and find Hounslow Tyres not too far away, so I turn up at 5pm, and am pleasantly surprised at what a nice garage it is, friendly people, good work and not too pricey. After some plane spotting I drive home with a smile and a car that is smooth and doesn’t pull to the left!
Now after reading all that, don’t you think it would have just been better if I had not been so impatient, and just left the car at Eurospec for the extra day? Sure they would have to had to order the parts, but I would have been all sorted by the end of the week, and I would have had their courtesy car too! Oh well you live and learn.
FTO-Worx 