Scoobys 827 Sterling aka "Project Galactic Dawn"

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Re: Scoobys 827 Sterling aka "Project Galactic Dawn"

Post by scoobyh123 » Fri Jun 22, 2018 9:54 am

It was late last night when i finally got off ebay Charles and i still hadn't made my mind up! Narrowed it down to 4 which i further narrowed down to these two this morning :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Magnet-Car-K ... 1438.l2649

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/392060259129

After about 7000 seconds consideration, i went for the second one for two main reasons - first the LED display is blue so will match the rest of the Sterling and secondly, the multi-function rotary knob appealed as it's easier to find than one of half a dozen buttons.

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Apparently it's also compatible with Apples Siri so i-Phone users can be humiliated through several speakers at the same time! :lol: :P :wink: :D
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
'99 Jag S Type 3.0 V6 SE


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'94 827 Sterling saloon
'88 Volvo 760 V6 Estate
'95 827 Coupé LPG gone but not forgotten!

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Re: Scoobys 827 Sterling aka "Project Galactic Dawn"

Post by scoobyh123 » Fri Jun 22, 2018 7:58 pm

Managed to get the amp (semi-permanently) installed today.

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The cable ties are there because i need to make a new mounting plinth but will do the jo for now. Sounds a lot better than no noise at all from the back! :wink: :D
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
'99 Jag S Type 3.0 V6 SE


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'94 827 Sterling saloon
'88 Volvo 760 V6 Estate
'95 827 Coupé LPG gone but not forgotten!

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Re: Scoobys 827 Sterling aka "Project Galactic Dawn"

Post by scoobyh123 » Thu Jun 28, 2018 9:20 pm

I finally found a radiator, manual one and external ATF cooler and after my success with the amplifier, the speakers died!

Ignoring that for a moment, i took a lot of pictures while doing the rad etc.

After doing a bulk-upload of 49 photos, firstly from my phone to my PC and then from my PC to postimages, after waiting several minutes with my computer telling me it was uploading at 7.7Mbps, i got there in the end!


Not going to put all 49 photos in this one post - that would be silly! :lol:

I'll put the better ones in so it's still likely to be "pic heavy" - here goes!

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Difficult to see, that was when the cone disintegrated in the first rear speaker to die! Second committed hara-kiri a few minutes later. More of that later on, for now, this was how the radiator job started - note the can of WMP next to the battery! ;)

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Slam panel removed :

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Air filter box etc removed for access to bottom hose and ATF cooler pipes from the box :

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Spot the difference! ^^^^^ Finally got the rad out - those ATF hoses were steel wire reinforced, 1000psi constant hydraulic hoses! :roll: New ATF hose pushed into position to minimise leaks :

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The old rad from front and back - wasn't long for this world at all! :o

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This is more like it!

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Fan switches and new seals plus the clips from the old rad to hold the fan switches in - they don't fit!

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The bungs in the new rad where the fan switches go. The correct clips have little "ears" that lock in when turned, similar to the "ears" that can just about be seen on those bungs.

Fan switches glued in with RTV sealant awaiting new clips :

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Also used the RTV to repair the resilient mounts for the condensor. Left to cure :

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Now for some bright and shiny stuff! The new ATF cooler in place, secured with the strange but effective cable tie things that go through the radiator or condensor behind, have a 3-4mm thick self-adhesive pade between the two then are secured with the disc and a collet, a bit like a valve collet but a complete circle except for one gap. The dis has conical inserts for the collet to tighten it.

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Found this 1/2" drive extension and 8mm socket when i removed the fan below it!

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No wonder i had trouble shifting the old ATF cooler hoses :

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Weird fan switch clip arrangement on the old rad :

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Easy to see where the old rad was leaking :

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There's always one bolt that won't undo or shear :

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Got there though :

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All done! Funnel with extension is for topping the ATF, may have overfilled slightly but nothing untoward during the test drive, engine braking seems improved, perhaps because the ATF is running cooler making the torque converter more efficient.

The new fan switch clips :

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No photos of those fitted as it's hard enough to see to fit them, never mind getting the phone in there to take a shot!

Now for something completely different :

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Had these a couple of years, bought for the Coupé and never fitted. One of the old speakers :

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TARFU!! And then some! :shock: :lol:

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That's better! :D

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Ready for fitting.

Apart from the noisy clutch bearing on the A/C compressor and a minor tweak needed on the tracking, it's pretty much there mechanically now. Next thing will be the LPG conversion but the Volvo will come first for that treatment!

There are loads of other jobs to do on the project but so far, each has improved life in general without being glaringly obvious to an onlooker. :wink: :D
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
'99 Jag S Type 3.0 V6 SE


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'94 827 Sterling saloon
'88 Volvo 760 V6 Estate
'95 827 Coupé LPG gone but not forgotten!

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Re: Scoobys 827 Sterling aka "Project Galactic Dawn"

Post by zcar12 » Fri Jun 29, 2018 11:35 am

Good work Dave. I am glad that it was you doing the job and not me. My patience with such jobs is not what it was. Should give you a few years of peaceful motoring.

Loved the audio work too.

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Re: Scoobys 827 Sterling aka "Project Galactic Dawn"

Post by scoobyh123 » Fri Jun 29, 2018 12:07 pm

Thanks Nick - my level of patience has increased with the time i need to do the job - main bit took about 3 days and there was a day each end of prep and tidying. It's the sort of thing i would have done in a matter of hours when i was able!

The audio work really needs re-doing to be honest, the wood i used for the speaker rings isn't in great condition. I have a few cheap, nylon bread/chopping boards, all 1/4" thick that are strong, flexible (not too much), waterproof and resilient enough to make better speaker rings.
For now though, it sounds good so i'll not complain! Nobody would hear me over the music anyway! :lol: :wink: :D
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
'99 Jag S Type 3.0 V6 SE


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'94 827 Sterling saloon
'88 Volvo 760 V6 Estate
'95 827 Coupé LPG gone but not forgotten!

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Re: Scoobys 827 Sterling aka "Project Galactic Dawn"

Post by austinpowers » Sat Jun 30, 2018 12:38 am

Cracking job there Dave :D

I must say i'm not a fan of those "see through" jubilee clips, ever as good as the more expensive "normal" ones.
1989 Rover Sterling in Atlantic blue 35k miles. - Sold
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Re: Scoobys 827 Sterling aka "Project Galactic Dawn"

Post by scoobyh123 » Sat Jun 30, 2018 8:52 am

Thanks Andy, i'm not wildly keen on those see-through clips either, they don't tend to be as strong as the proper Jubilee clips. In fairness though, there's little or no pressure in the ATF cooler lines so they're just nipped up tight enough to grip the hose so it grips the pipes. As such they should be good enough for the job. :wink: :D
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
'99 Jag S Type 3.0 V6 SE


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Re: Scoobys 827 Sterling aka "Project Galactic Dawn"

Post by Charles827si » Sat Jun 30, 2018 4:58 pm

Good work there Dave. Just wondering if your planning to use this car for towing due to fitting the ATF cooler?
Charles 'Yorks'
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Re: Scoobys 827 Sterling aka "Project Galactic Dawn"

Post by scoobyh123 » Sat Jun 30, 2018 6:02 pm

Thanks Charles - not planning on using it for towing, although it's nice to know i can now if i want. The new rad is for a manual so has no provision for ATF cooling at all.

The original "add-on" cooler was about 3/4 of the size of this one, i went slightly larger to account for the fact there is no OE cooling for the ATF now.

The best price i had for an automatic radiator was £202 + VAT and then they found they couldn't get hold of it from that source. As such it nearly doubled in price for the one they could get hold of.

The manual rad came out at £127 give or take some shrapnel and the cooler about £38 - financially it's a no-brainer but the real clincher is that now there is no chance of the coolant getting into the gearbox if the heat exchanger springs a leak. I lost two gearboxes and ultimately my last SD1 because of that! That one was a real peach as well, immaculate inside and out, excellent V8 lump, went like stink and gave me the best economy of any V8 i've owned.

At least i won't have to worry this one suffers a similar fate! :wink: :D
Cheers,
Dave

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Re: Scoobys 827 Sterling aka "Project Galactic Dawn"

Post by scoobyh123 » Sat Jul 14, 2018 9:10 pm

A bit more of an update!

First, a few pics, just to set the scene so to speak!

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First, the combined twin USB charging socket and voltmeter - more of that later!

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Second, a pair of boot lamps. In need of refurbishment and a pair of LED bulbs - oh yeah, and the hole cut in the right hand boot trim for the extra lamp!

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That's the boot lamps after refurbishing - stripped down, lenses went into the dishwasher and the metal components were polished using a cheap (£2) battery toothbrush, Solvol Autosol and a microfibre cloth. Quite a result!

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The LED bulbs, allegedly 1120Lm each, more like for a pair! Either way an improvement even over a 21W bulb that would melt the lamps sooner or later!

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A pair of VAG group slide out cupholders................ :shock:

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The new cig lighter surround - i had to file those little ears because they are designed for a very thin panel - the mounting panel in the ashtray is considerably thicker!

Once in and powered up, a blue LED bulb fitted in place of an incandescent one, gave a good spread of blue light - nice and bright!

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Piggy-back connectors sorted, waiting for the cable i've ordered for the USB sockets and rear cig lighter to arrive now.

Now that i've just shown a load of photos that are only loosely connected to the car, i'll explain a bit more!

This is how the upper console trim looks from the factory..........................

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................... or is it? That photo was taken after this one :

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It wasn't a hard conversion but it was fiddly, needing a fair bit of thought about measurements, thicknesses and so on. On the good side, because of how i fitted it into the upper console, it's strengthened it and (unless i'm mistaken) won't need any further braces as i've used the framework of the upper console trim as part of the structure of the cupholders so they strengthen each other. I even managed to re-use the piece i cut out to make the slut for the cupholders on the front of them as a strengthener and also something to keep them level as they slid out or were pushed to release them. Epoxy adhesive holds it in place, with the locating holes used for the studs on the wood trim lining everything up nicely and trim tape holding the wood trim on, as there's not enough space to get the nuts on the studs inside the cup "drawers" - enough room for the hole to line things up, just not the nuts!

As mentioned above with the ashtray and cig lughter, i'm waiting for some flat twin flex to wire up the USB/voltmeter and rear cig lighter so the cupholders etc will stay out until i can do that.
I can also use the power feed to the USB sockets as a control power feed for the heated seat switches, i can pick up a lighting feed from the sunroof switch and fit a relay somewhere for each seat heating element, controlled by the switch.

I'll get more photos of it all once it's back in the car but it's slowly coming together! :wink: :D
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
'99 Jag S Type 3.0 V6 SE


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'94 827 Sterling saloon
'88 Volvo 760 V6 Estate
'95 827 Coupé LPG gone but not forgotten!

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Re: Scoobys 827 Sterling aka "Project Galactic Dawn"

Post by scoobyh123 » Fri Jul 20, 2018 10:53 pm

Well the cable arrived for wiring up the USB socket :

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You can just about make out the voltmeter reading on it.

This is how it left the factory :

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Or is it?

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Cupholders fully installed and working! I've also run the cable in for the rear cig lighter, going to order another blue one (i have another blue LED to light it up with) for the rear ashtray.

Also in other news,i've invested in a dash-cam that covers not just the front but the back as well, the added bonus is that when reverse gear is selected, the rear one doubles up as a reversing camera and even has the parking lines on the screen with auto-switching to reverse camera mode when in reverse.

Fitting it will take a lot of thought and experimentation - trying to find the optimum place to mount the camera, run the wires etc. Mounting it on the number plate light plinth is the obvious place in terms of vision, however as the bootlid is shut it will cause shocks and vibrations through the camera. Perhaps on the towbar bracket would be better - time will tell! :wink: :D
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
'99 Jag S Type 3.0 V6 SE


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'94 827 Sterling saloon
'88 Volvo 760 V6 Estate
'95 827 Coupé LPG gone but not forgotten!

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Re: Scoobys 827 Sterling aka "Project Galactic Dawn"

Post by n1tr0_9 » Sun Jul 22, 2018 12:09 pm

Nice to see a write up of the auto box cooler, as I need to do exactly the same thing on my mk1 827.

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Re: Scoobys 827 Sterling aka "Project Galactic Dawn"

Post by scoobyh123 » Sun Jul 22, 2018 12:55 pm

Thanks James - i plan on fitting a filter in the return line when i do the next part-change. By then the ATF should be nice and clean and the filter will help keep it that way. Hopefully i'll get some pics when i do that as well.

Something i have noticed is the performance of the box is more consistent when it's hot than it was on the old oil to coolant heat exchanger cooler, shifts are more positive and smoother and the torque converter feels more efficient as well. All in all, a greater improvement than i expected!

How it performs in winter might tell a different story but hopefully there'll be no problems. :wink: :D
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
'99 Jag S Type 3.0 V6 SE


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'94 827 Sterling saloon
'88 Volvo 760 V6 Estate
'95 827 Coupé LPG gone but not forgotten!

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Re: Scoobys 827 Sterling aka "Project Galactic Dawn"

Post by Manalishi » Sun Aug 05, 2018 5:04 pm

Just had a read through and, wow - Excellent thread and effort here Dave, impressed with all the fiddling.

I have a few questions from earlier in the thread.
1: The deadening soundproof material, how much did you use for the boot? Surely one of those 3m rolls would be enough? I guess it's worth doing, using a bit thicker mats? Did you use a hot air gun or a hairdryer to shape it into place or is it a cut and paste job?

2: The drains from the sunroof in the boot, I'm not sure which they are? :S Would water pour out of them if I started to hose the sunroof with my garden hose?
Henrik
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Re: Scoobys 827 Sterling aka "Project Galactic Dawn"

Post by scoobyh123 » Sun Aug 05, 2018 6:02 pm

Thanks Henrik - it's the fiddling to sort the little details that helps make the overall difference bigger.

I wouldn't recommend using anything thicker on the sound deadening to be honest, by the time the OE insulation is back in and then the carpets as well, it gets quite tight for refitting trim such as the centre console, back seat and so on.
I haven't used much in the boot as yet, just what you see on the arches but still want to remove the trim from the parcel shelf and fit some to that - it has a tendency to vibrate, especially with the music turned up!

It's thin enough to stretch to shape and self adhesive so yes, you can more or less cut and paste it.

It's surprising just how much difference it makes, even at that thickness. Changes the 800 from being just another 800 into the what the 800 should have been in terms of noise levels. Even the infamous "Honda Roar" tyre noise is muffled so much as to be non-existent.

As for the sunroof drains, you can just about see the right hand one to the left of centre in this photo :

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You can see the shiny black hose from the sunroof entering the "valve" which is more of a rubber elbow that goes through the inner wing into the wheel arch. Where they join is where they're likely to leak.

Also pull the valve/elbow out of the inner wing and check the end isn't blocked - a common fix for blockages is to snip the very end of the valve (which looks a bit like the reeds in a woodwind instrument) off with a pair of scissors to make it more open.

A garden hose won't have sufficient quantity or accuracy to test the drains. Park so the front of the car is higher than the back, open the sunroof and get a jug of about 1L of water and pour it into the sunroof liner just underneath the glass panel. Then observe the drains to see if any water comes out of the join - it shouldn't but you should get a small trickle/puddle under each drain valve on the floor.
Worth physically checking the fit of the sunroof drain hose in the valves - the hose shrinks in diameter and length so can easily leak even if it looks ok. :wink: :D
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
'99 Jag S Type 3.0 V6 SE


Image
'94 827 Sterling saloon
'88 Volvo 760 V6 Estate
'95 827 Coupé LPG gone but not forgotten!

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