120L 1983 and some questions

[120Fin]

Hello and greetings from Finland!

My wife has a 1983 model 120L with some minor issues that i need help with.

First, the gearbox leaks oil a bit from the front where gear linkage goes in and the rubber boot has almost disappeared. What kind of seal and boot i need to fix this?

Second, i would like to lower the front by replacing original springs with shorter ones. I have hears from somewhere that Ascona B´s rear springs would fit, could that be true?

Third, how big of a job is to change the timing chain?

 

Thanks!

[petergarforth]

Forget the gearbox.....they pretty much all leak....but replacing the rubber boot would sort it. I've never heard of Opel springs fitting but if you cut 1.5 coils from the front springs it will drop it to level the car.....either that or buy lowering springs....Speedpro.CZ sell a pair of -35mm front springs. Timing chain is - sump off, oil pick up off, fan belt and alternator off, distributor out...remove cover and then undo the crank and camshaft bolts.......fit the chain 12 links between the marks as per the dealer (or Haynes manual) guide. 

If you read English well then a Haynes manual is worth getting.....it will be of good assistance on most jobs. 

[TMB]

On 16/06/2019 at 21:30, petergarforth said:

Forget the gearbox.....they pretty much all leak....but replacing the rubber boot would sort it.

 

No it won't, the boot is just a dust seal. It's the O-ring that leaks. Number 4 here...

 

 

 

[petergarforth]

Ok then.....the rubber boot will go a long way to contain it. I've just been to look at my spare box and there is no O-ring rubber seal where the diagram you posted shows, it is a metal end with a groove for the boot to fit onto......perhaps the 4 speed box is different though. 

[TMB]

It's an O-ring that fits in a groove in the housing. You won't see anything from the outside. The end housing has to come off to replace it. A world of pain just for a little O-ring.

[120Fin]

Thank you very much for help.

As i was under the car looking for that O-ring i found out that fuel tank leaks pretty badly from left upper corner. In fact, the tank holds only about 20 liters of fuel before it starts to pour out.. darn.

I´ll have to sort this out too, and to my bad luck there seems to be no new tanks available and no donor wrecks anywhere close.

Well, at least i now have parts to do the timing chain, front and rear shocks and front brakes while searching for a better tank.

 

How difficult is it to replace king pins or their bearing sleeves when i cut the front springs? Right side clunks a bit.

[KenONeill]

@120Fin - You might find that fuel tank sealant will work, or that a patch can be brazed in (dependent on being able to find a truly competent brazer or welder, and on having another vehicle available).

[120Fin]

Well.. The tank is off the car but it seems to be solid.

Only place i can think of where the leak could have come is the top left breather line. But somehow i can´t see that this very thin tube could produce such a massive leak, although the original tube was in very poor condition. 

I filled the tank to the top with citric acid which cleaned it to almost as new and no liquid leaked out. It "must" be the breather tube even if i doubt it.

We´ll see if this is fixed after i manage to install the tank back to it´s place cleaned and painted and with all new tubing and fill it up.

 

[120Fin]

Fuel tank is now back under the car with all new tubing and does not leak anymore. Yeah!

With that done, all the former smell of fuel has gone away which indicates that it is now leak-free.

While restoring the tank, i also got to fix the leak from transmission, new rubber boot took care of that as the leak wasn´t very bad after all.

Front brakes were also overhauled, new clutch master cylinder installed and i cut 1.5 coils from the front spring which not only leveled the car but also improved handing quite a bit when i paired them with new shocks.

Still to be fixed:

- Rear brakes need overhauling, but i need the hub puller to do that which i need to fabricate somehow

- Rear brake lines are good but the "distribution thingy"(?) is almost corroded away so it needs to be changed

- New water pump

- Timing chain....

- New headlights as old ones are almost non-reflective

[KenONeill]

I don't understand the term  "distribution thingy" in context. Photo?

 

Headlights - 7" round, 2 x 5.25" round, flat or faired rectangular? There's probably someone who can help, but they need to know which type you have...

[120Fin]

8 hours ago, KenONeill said:

I don't understand the term  "distribution thingy" in context. Photo?

 

Headlights - 7" round, 2 x 5.25" round, flat or faired rectangular? There's probably someone who can help, but they need to know which type you have...

Sorry, i don´t know the correct word for the "distribution thingy", it is the little alloy box at under and rear of the car that brake line from front connects and then goes to both rear wheels. It has almost perished.

 

Headlights are rectangular, as in this picture:

[TMB]

I remember replacing my alloy three-way brake pipe connectors with the brass type like this...

 

[petergarforth]

15 hours ago, TMB said:

I remember replacing my alloy three-way brake pipe connectors with the brass type like this...

 

 

Yes I replaced mine with those too......you will probably end up having to replace the entire brake pipe system because the blocks disintegrate and the pipes bend. I started at the back of a car 2 years ago trying to replace that connector and ended up replacing every last cm of pipe! 

[TMB]

Yeah, had to replace my pipes as well.

[120Fin]

Hello again!

 

The Skoda got an MOT today with no problems except that rear brakes are a bit sticky, so rear brake overhaul it is.

Drums seem to need a hefty puller to get out, any ideas where i could source on out? I´ve heard that some have fabricated a puller tool from an old wheel but haven´t seen any pictures of one. Any suggestions?

I have a pretty heavy duty 3-leg puller but it could not get the drums to release even when hitting the drum with a big hammer.

I will replace all the pipes aswell as the alloy 3-way connector just will not let pipes loose..

[wambobby]

https://www.sykes-pickavant.com/products/suspension-tools/hub-pullers/296

its the type i have had a few decades, works every time on my S types

Edited 18 July, 2020 by wambobby

[120Fin]

Hello!

 

A year has passed but i didn´t manage to do the rear brake overhaul so it is to be done this summer.

The car developed quite a problem, for some reason reverse gear does not want to be found.

All forward gears work without a hitch but when trying to select reverse, the gearbox just goes to fourth gear and gear stick returns to the fourth gears place.

If i hammer the gear stick to right, i might sometimes be able to get to reverse but as the car is my wife´s summer car and she is the one to drive it, that is no option.

 

What kind of adjustments are there for gear selecting? Those four bolts that secure the gear stick can be adjusted but they don´t help here.. also the plastic ball at the bottom of the stick is good.

[120Fin]

On 14/04/2021 at 23:15, 120Fin said:

Hello!

 

A year has passed but i didn´t manage to do the rear brake overhaul so it is to be done this summer.

The car developed quite a problem, for some reason reverse gear does not want to be found.

All forward gears work without a hitch but when trying to select reverse, the gearbox just goes to fourth gear and gear stick returns to the fourth gears place.

If i hammer the gear stick to right, i might sometimes be able to get to reverse but as the car is my wife´s summer car and she is the one to drive it, that is no option.

 

What kind of adjustments are there for gear selecting? Those four bolts that secure the gear stick can be adjusted but they don´t help here.. also the plastic ball at the bottom of the stick is good.

Answering to myself, the fix was easier than what first thought..

The small rubber piece between the front and rear gear linkage segments(between seats) had perished so that it seemed to be in ok condition at first sight, but actually was missing the whole bottom half and thus didn´t allow the linkage tube to turn enough.

A new piece was cut from some similar piece of rubber and reverse gear was found again.