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lee16v 16 Valve
Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 1429 Location: Devon, UK
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Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 8:22 am Post subject: Steering rack boot replacement...........Oh joy! |
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I've known about this for a while now because before my last mot I noticed a small split in the nearside boot. Not having enough time to do the work then I spun the boot around so the split was out of sight of the mot tester.........and it passed!
I've been putting it off as it's a pig of a job but I've hatched a plan.........a cunning plan no less.............and I'm off to do it now..........
I'll let you know how it goes. |
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JeremyC Gold Cloverleaf
Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 583 Location: Petersfield, Hampshire
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Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 8:52 am Post subject: |
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Keep us posted as mine need doing though I do have the fallback position of a spare rack. _________________ '93 Black 33 1.7 16v |
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john 33_16v 16 Valve
Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 1406 Location: herts, uk
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Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 12:17 pm Post subject: Re: Steering rack boot replacement...........Oh joy! |
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lee16v wrote: |
I've been putting it off as it's a pig of a job but I've hatched a plan.........a cunning plan no less.............and I'm off to do it now..........
I'll let you know how it goes. |
Is it as cunning as a Fox that has just been awarded an honoury degree for his prowess in the art of cunning?
Actually quite intrigued- does it involve superglue or a bicycle puncture repair kit?
John _________________ If it aint broke, fiddle with it until it is!
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93 33 16v Mirtle Met
08 Fiat Grande Punto Exotica Red
90 Yamaha FZR600 Genesis- Silky white/red/blue |
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BigAl P4
Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 2990 Location: U.K Surrey
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33bits 16 Valve
Joined: 23 May 2009 Posts: 1067 Location: Clevedon. North Somerset
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Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 9:46 pm Post subject: |
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cunning sounds interesting, i've sold a few racks to people who only need the boots but would prefer to change the rack than fight with a boot job!
A good friend of mine who is a 33 owner has a trick for changing the boots, he uses a 2ltr drinks bottle, cuts the bottom off, fits it over the end of the rack then covers it in grease to allow the new boot to slide over the bottle. Is that your cunning plan Lee? _________________ 155 sportpack
33 16v Sportwagon
33 Permanent 4
33 16v (for sale)
156 JTS sportwagon
contact me for any 33 parts. Alex, 07896-327708
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paulhide P4
Joined: 20 Dec 2003 Posts: 1607 Location: Oh Beautiful Billingham
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lee16v 16 Valve
Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 1429 Location: Devon, UK
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 9:12 am Post subject: |
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Well, it worked!
Started with a brand new boot.
Then I cut a straight line through it using the moulding line as a guide
I then cut a strip off the old boot approx 15mm wide, cleaned all the surfaces well and superglued it on the inside of the new one so it overlaped. (you could cut up another new boot for this as they are cheap)
I then put it over the rack and glued it in place starting with the end nearest the steering arms linkage. Working outwards i then glued each rise and fall of the concetina seperately until i reached the end nearest the wheel. As this end is very tight and wont force together by hand to glue I put a thin piece of wire through the boot ends (thick rubber) and twisted it to make a mini vice( see picture). Once the glue has gone off this piece of wire can be cut off and then the boot ties can be put on. (I also spun the boot around so the join was out the way of prying eyes!)
This is basically a home made split boot. I know there's no substitute for doing the job properly but although still quite fiddly this is a quick way of doing a pig of a job. I'll keep my eye on it to make sure everything stays as it should but I think it will be ok as there aren't the same forces as on a cv boot and the glue is amazingly strong ( I tried parting the strip I glued on and it wouldn't come away even with alot of pressure) |
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paulhide P4
Joined: 20 Dec 2003 Posts: 1607 Location: Oh Beautiful Billingham
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 9:18 am Post subject: |
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Nice thinking - must have been those two knocks on the head you received during EXTREME SUNLONGER _________________ Owner's Club 33 Registrar. Now from P4 & S2 1.7 QV
http://www.alfa-pages.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=5188 |
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lee16v 16 Valve
Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 1429 Location: Devon, UK
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 9:20 am Post subject: |
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BigAl P4
Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 2990 Location: U.K Surrey
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 9:47 am Post subject: |
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Nice one lee,
I was thinking of doing the same thing to mine minus the part where you used a strip of the old one, as mine is in bits. I was going to attempt to glue along the cut, good thinking. Will that strip on the inside foul anything as it’s now thicker? Would it help if the strip is shorter, by the amount of the ends of the new one, so you don’t have to use the small wire? Does the boot compress/expand a lot? Will superglue last as it’s a solid set glue rather than a rubberised one? _________________ x2 33 16v
pictures http://www.alfa-pages.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=5203 |
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paulhide P4
Joined: 20 Dec 2003 Posts: 1607 Location: Oh Beautiful Billingham
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lee16v 16 Valve
Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 1429 Location: Devon, UK
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 11:42 am Post subject: |
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Al,
I put the strip in to give a bigger surface area for the glue. I don't think just glueing the edges together would work and probably why split cv boots fail so easily because of this. The strip doesn't foul anything and if you look at the third picture I stopped the inner strip short of the ends so the outer diameters stayed the same. The wire clamp is needed as the fit is tight over the end. As for the glue not being rubberised, not sure it really matters as there is no real force on it like twisting. Like I said, I'll keep an eye on it and see how it goes but I don't see any problems. Say for instance it lasts a couple of years.......I'd rather do this every two years than take the rack out at all. |
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john 33_16v 16 Valve
Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 1406 Location: herts, uk
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 3:09 pm Post subject: |
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lee16v wrote: |
I'd rather do this every two years than take the rack out at all. |
Agreed. Nice job, the extra strip very clever. I think and hope it'll hold up.
In the olden days when i worked at a garage, and before you could buy those hopeless split cv kits, we had a guy that used to come in about once a month for an expensive genuine subaru cv boot to make and re make his own split boot over and over
John _________________ If it aint broke, fiddle with it until it is!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
93 33 16v Mirtle Met
08 Fiat Grande Punto Exotica Red
90 Yamaha FZR600 Genesis- Silky white/red/blue |
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BigAl P4
Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 2990 Location: U.K Surrey
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 4:09 pm Post subject: |
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hey lee,
thanks for explaining, i see it now on the right side but not the left.
Deffo going to do this to mine, now where to get the boots from?? no alfa dealers anywhere. _________________ x2 33 16v
pictures http://www.alfa-pages.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=5203 |
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paulhide P4
Joined: 20 Dec 2003 Posts: 1607 Location: Oh Beautiful Billingham
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BigAl P4
Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 2990 Location: U.K Surrey
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lee16v 16 Valve
Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 1429 Location: Devon, UK
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:26 am Post subject: |
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Got mine from Mangoletsi Al. Approx £6 |
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BigAl P4
Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 2990 Location: U.K Surrey
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Sudmeister Alfasud
Joined: 31 Jan 2008 Posts: 55 Location: London, UK
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Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:13 pm Post subject: |
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That's a top repair Lee, sounds like it should hold but keep us posted.
Alfarama fitted new gaitors to my 33 last week but it ended up costing me £300 (ouch). Pig of a job though and I just couldn't face it. I'll try this next time.
The car goes in for MOT tomorrow, the first for nearly 2 years so hopefully I'll be going again!
John _________________ Alfasud 105Ti Green Cloverleaf
33 16v |
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lee16v 16 Valve
Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 1429 Location: Devon, UK
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Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2009 2:52 pm Post subject: |
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Sudmeister wrote: |
That's a top repair Lee, sounds like it should hold but keep us posted. |
Cheers John. I intend to keep a close eye on it and will report how things are going. Looks like i saved a fair few quid then!
Hope the MOT goes ok and you're back in a 33 again. |
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Sudmeister Alfasud
Joined: 31 Jan 2008 Posts: 55 Location: London, UK
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Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 6:02 pm Post subject: |
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Phew - Got the MOT from a friendly MOT station, they said the brakes were pretty poor but gave me a ticket anyway. So I'm back in an Alfa again! Feels good... _________________ Alfasud 105Ti Green Cloverleaf
33 16v |
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lee16v 16 Valve
Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 1429 Location: Devon, UK
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 10:27 am Post subject: |
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That's good John.......enjoy.
The brakes were pretty poor by MOT standards but pretty good by 33 standards |
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BigAl P4
Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 2990 Location: U.K Surrey
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Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2009 10:55 am Post subject: |
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lee16v wrote: |
Got mine from Mangoletsi Al. Approx £6 |
I just called mangoletsi and they said last one they sold was last year to a Mrs Harvey in 19 aug 2008 with part number of 9943449. They are now no longer available. _________________ x2 33 16v
pictures http://www.alfa-pages.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=5203 |
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RFlower Alfa 33
Joined: 17 Feb 2004 Posts: 432 Location: S of France
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Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 11:07 am Post subject: |
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Just found boots here, don't know how prices compare there in UK, but cheaper than I can get in France
http://www.discountcarparts.co.uk/ _________________ Dick Flower, Nr. Carcassonne. '94 Trofeo 1.4 ie (F), '93 Imola 1.3/1.4 ie (now for breaking) (F), '91 1.7 ie (GB)(spare car), '86 Sprint 1.5 QV (F). '87 VW Syncro camper (F), '73 NSU Ro80 (F), '99 Fiat Seicento (F) |
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BigAl P4
Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 2990 Location: U.K Surrey
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