Big Steve's RB Clio 182 Cup Restoration

Big_Steve_T · May 7, 2020

Coops Mk1 said:
Yes mate it's Janspeed made for ktec, ran same on mine years and yes best fitting 182 exhaust and very oe sound, cracking things

Wow it was a lucky punt then!! 😂😂

Stefan. · May 7, 2020

Got the same exhaust on my trophy.

Agreed it sits spot on!

Coops Mk1 · May 7, 2020

Big_Steve_T said:
Wow it was a lucky punt then!! 😂😂

Tbh thought we talked about it and I recommended it, but I could be wrong as my mind is basically fucked

Big_Steve_T · May 7, 2020

Coops Mk1 said:
Tbh thought we talked about it and I recommended it, but I could be wrong as my mind is basically fucked

You know I think you’re right sir!!! In that case, it was an informed bet!! 😋

Coops Mk1 · May 7, 2020

You're welcome @Big_Steve_T 😘

DomP182 · May 8, 2020

Steve when you dropped the fuel tank did you have much of an issue with the bolts? What size and thread are they, I think I'll put some stainless in their place

Big_Steve_T · May 8, 2020

DomP182 said:
Steve when you dropped the fuel tank did you have much of an issue with the bolts? What size and thread are they, I think I'll put some stainless in their place

It’s no bother sir.. just try to make sure you’re dropping the tank when it’s low on fuel, no fun trying to do it when it’s got a full tank of Fuel.

Wrestle off one of the the one-time jubilee clips that are holding the filler feed and to the tank. Once you get it off, disconnect it and then also undo the fuel tank overflow/breather line as well. Now the remove the fuel filler neck. (Don’t forget the two tor’s screws under the fuel filler cap)
Get in the car and lift up the back seats, to find the dinner plate sized plastic cover for the fuel pump/tank sender unit. Pull the plastic cover up and then un-plug the electrical connection to the tank sender unit. Whilst you’re there, its easy at this point to also disconnect the fuel feed, just push the little tab on the side of the connector whilst pushing the connector against the tank (to allow the latch to come undone) then you should be able to pull it off. There will be a little bit of fuel spilled here, so have some blue-roll/rags ready to mop up.
Get a jack under the fuel tank (with a piece of wood inbetween the tank and the jack) to take the weight of the tank, and then get your 13mm socket wrench and undo the 4 bolts that hold the tank to the car. I’m sure if it’s never been off, some of them will fight you, I always try to undo it, then if it starts to get tight, do it back up a turn or two, then continue to undo it.
When the bolts are undone, you can carefully lower the tank with the jack. At this point you’ll notice that the vapour return connection becomes visible, again same process as the fuel sender line, push the tab on the side and disconnect.
Now you can fully remove the tank from the car

As for re-fitting, yeah a few M8 x 30mm Stainless Flanged Bolts with bigger penny washers will so back in a treat, and not rust on you, like the bloody OE Renault fastenings will..

DomP182 · May 8, 2020

Thanks! That's a good write up there Steve, unfortunately I've got around 1/2 a tank full due to lockdown🙁 1.5mm thread I presume?

botfch · May 8, 2020

Big_Steve_T said:
Well that didn’t take a lot of work...
View attachment 1472418
Removed the passenger side headlight, pulled the 4 small relays out and checked the connections all looked clean.. and then put them back in, and it bloody started first time!! 🙄

So now the engine’s running, I had a very successful evening bleeding the brakes, and then fitting the exhaust:
View attachment 1472417
View attachment 1472419
View attachment 1472420
Don’t think I’ve ever had an exhaust go on a car so easily and so tightly (fitting!)

Thanks for reading 🙂

Typical Renault.

I’ve just bought clip to fix an annoying issue on mine which has now apparently fixed itself..

Big_Steve_T · May 8, 2020

Archtronics said:
Typical Renault.

I’ve just bought clip to fix an annoying issue on mine which has now apparently fixed itself..

I’ve got a Clip system coming in the post, so will be prepared for all the 💩 it wants to throw up at me also!! 👌🏻😁

Big_Steve_T · May 8, 2020

DomP182 said:
Thanks! That's a good write up there Steve, unfortunately I've got around 1/2 a tank full due to lockdown🙁 1.5mm thread I presume?

Yes, standard M8

Big_Steve_T · May 9, 2020

A beautiful sunny day fiddling with the front of the car today. 🌞

New grille prepped for fitting, need to drill the hole for the bonnet switch as they don’t come pre-drilled. 🤷🏼‍♂️ Old one was looking very sorry for itself, and had a few knocks:

Next I dismantled everything from the front bumper to be cleaned:

Whilst I fitted the obligatory Skoda Fabia front Splitter:

I then removed the GASH front bonnet badge that had been crinkle painted (like all the badges on this car) to replace it with a nice new shmoo OE one:

Finished off with a front bumper looking very pleased for itself:

Ordered new fog lights tonight, so when they arrive, I’ll be able to get them onto the car, but before then, I think I’m going to pay a little homage to my R5 GT Turbo Raider with the Fogs... 💛

Thanks for reading 😎

DomP182 · May 11, 2020

@big_fuel tank removal guide worked a treat thanks! On reassembly did you replace the foam tank pad, the black plastic outer casing on mine is perished

Big_Steve_T · May 12, 2020

DomP182 said:
@big_fuel tank removal guide worked a treat thanks! On reassembly did you replace the foam tank pad, the black plastic outer casing on mine is perished

No, mine was in good order so left it well alone. As long as there’s some padding there, you should be ok.

DaveL485 · May 13, 2020

Big_Steve_T said:
Yes, standard M8

M8 is a 1.25 pitch not 1.5.

Big_Steve_T · May 13, 2020

DaveL485 said:
M8 is a 1.25 pitch not 1.5.

Yes, but I didn’t want to get into the thread pitch discussion. If he just buys some M8 Bolts off eBay, they will fit.

#lankyfleabag

DomP182 · May 13, 2020

Big_Steve_T said:
Yes, but I didn’t want to get into the thread pitch discussion. If he just buys some M8 Bolts off eBay, they will fit.

#lankyfleabag

You're quite correct, the ones olive ordered from KAY's are M8 1.25 thread!

Big_Steve_T · May 13, 2020

DomP182 said:
You're quite correct, the ones olive ordered from KAY's are M8 1.25 thread!

Good old Olive, I knew she’d order the right ones. 👍

DomP182 · May 13, 2020

Big_Steve_T said:
Good old Olive, I knew she’d order the right ones. 👍

That's my PA while I'm grafting away at work😆

Big_Steve_T · May 17, 2020

Managed to rope in my dear wife for an hours "Covid-19 Car Crafting"

one evening this week to get the Fog Lights covered in Yellow Vinyl:

Chuffed with the final result, and how they look in the finished bumper:

I know they might not be to everyone's taste, but I love the nod it gives to the car's grandfather (my 5GT Turbo Raider) If i decide to go back to the clear lenses, it's only 10 minutes work to peel off the vinyl??

In other news, I'm struggling to get the car started at the moment. Initially I wiggled the relay box and it started up, so thought the problem was a duff connection in the engine bay... but after no end of wiggling yesterday, I still can't coax a spark out of the coil pack..? I've now traced that the TDC sensor is open circuit, so ordered a new one of those..

#bl**dyrenaults!

Thanks for reading

Big_Steve_T · May 17, 2020

To have a break from the Clio today, I pulled my 5GT Turbo Raider out of the garage and let it idle for a good while to fully heat up:

I was pleased that even though it had been covered in all sorts of crap, it hadn't picked up any damage. I then decided I wanted to re-fit the original Raider wheels and tyres, so I nipped out to pick them up from storage, and then jacked the car up to fit them.

As I've just had a load of brake fluid delivered for the RB Clio project, I thought I would take the chance to change the brake fluid on the Raider, as it's been in there for a good number of years now.. So it was a wheel change, and brake fluid flush & change:

Next thing I want to do is flush & change the Coolant, before I then also change the oil.

Thanks for reading

frayz · May 17, 2020

Yellow fogs look superb, something I’m considering myself. Did you use Lamin-X?

Big_Steve_T · May 17, 2020

frayz said:
Yellow fogs look superb, something I’m considering myself. Did you use Lamin-X?

No it was just a cheap roll from eBay. Didn’t pay any more for the same stuff with a brand name..

I’ve got enough left for another pair of you want it for a couple of quid..?

Big_Steve_T · May 17, 2020

With the Willy wheels off the Raider... I wonder..? 🤔🤔

😆

mossyv6 · May 17, 2020

No!!

Just sell them to me Steve please 😉

Big_Steve_T · May 17, 2020

mossyv6 said:
No!!

Just sell them to me Steve please 😉

Where did you get your 182 wheels refurbed @mossyv6 ??

mossyv6 · May 17, 2020

Big_Steve_T said:
Where did you get your 182 wheels refurbed @mossyv6 ??

I did them myself mate 👍

Big_Steve_T · May 17, 2020

mossyv6 said:
I did them myself mate 👍

Wow!! I’ve got the stuff to do mine myself... but can’t bring myself to do them, I’m not really a painting pro, and know that they really need 2K everything to withstand the road and fitter abuse... and I don’t have the necessary respirators.. etc.

DomP182 · May 20, 2020

Big_Steve_T said:
Hi @DomP182 ,

Interesting you ask that question, I measured the positions bushes in the rear beam accurately before I removed them, and gave the accurate dimensions to the garage who pressed the new bushes in for reference.

When it came to fitting the rear beam back onto the car, I did all of the nuts up until there was only 2/3mm of movement and found that I couldn’t move the beam left to right across the car, but found I could move it from front to back. So I just pushed the beam towards the FRONT of the car in the centre to equalise any tolerance that might be present (and hopefully stop the beam going on skewed...

At the end of the day it’s a mass produced super mini with a bigger engine, so I don’t think it’s worth getting too hung up on it, no doubt Claude didn’t when he put it on at the factory... 😆

Dont suppose you have the measurement for the distance the beam bushes press in Steve?

Big_Steve_T · May 20, 2020

DomP182 said:
Dont suppose you have the measurement for the distance the beam bushes press in Steve?

@DomP182 ask, and ye shall receive:

DomP182 · May 20, 2020

Big_Steve_T said:
@DomP182 ask, and ye shall receive:
View attachment 1475390 View attachment 1475391

That's a absolutely great mate, I'm sure before my beam comes back I'll have another question or two for you! Watching this project has cost me a fair bit but I've also cleared a lot of hidden rust.

DomP182 · May 24, 2020

@Big_Steve_T I'm about to fit febi beam bushes using your measurements, because they dont go tight up to the beam what is to stop the beam moving on the mounts?

Big_Steve_T · May 24, 2020

DomP182 said:
@Big_Steve_T I'm about to fit febi beam bushes using your measurements, because they dont go tight up to the beam what is to stop the beam moving on the mounts?

They won’t. You’ve got to press the buggers in.

DomP182 · May 24, 2020

Big_Steve_T said:
They won’t. You’ve got to press the buggers in.

DIYable?

Big_Steve_T · May 24, 2020

DomP182 said:
DIYable?

Only if you’ve got a press at home, or one of those threaded bar tools. They won’t tap in with a hammer

DomP182 · May 24, 2020

Big_Steve_T said:
Only if you’ve got a press at home, or one of those threaded bar tools. They won’t tap in with a hammer

Hmmm...a bit of invention needed

Amos91 · May 24, 2020

I put the whiteline ones in the freezer the day before, only needed a few taps to slot it in. I've had it aligned since and it's still all within tolerance.

DomP182 · May 24, 2020

Holy crap they arent going in easily, I've made a press from 10mm threaded bar, an old caliper piston with a hole drilled in the end and a big socket but it's not budging once it's got to the taper on the bush. In the freezer for the night!

Big_Steve_T · May 28, 2020

Phoned up my local Renault parts guy:

"Hello Paul, can you still get hold of the original 205110 paint for the wheels on my Clio 182 Cup?"

"Yeah sure, I'll order you a tin"

🤦‍♂️

Bugger!

So I've dropped off the wheels with a local refurbishment place, and they're now going to colour match the OE paint, and get them painted up for me:

Thanks for reading

Big_Steve_T · May 28, 2020

In preparation for the wheels coming back from refurbishment, I fitted a pair of 10mm spacers to the rear axle for that arch filling goodness..

Big Steve's RB Clio 182 Cup Restoration

Honorary Member

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