And here we are again, the night before the MOT test!
I’m pleased to say that the EML has stayed off with the new lambda sensor in the manifold, I did the usual pre-MOT checks for things I could actually fix and it all looks OK. All lights function as intended, there is screenwash in the bottle, wiper blades are good enough, tyres have plenty of tread. Oil is fresh and up to the full mark.
I put a quarter of a tank of super unleaded and half a bottle of cataclean in it and will cross fingers and toes for tomorrow. There is no obvious corrosion that i can see so my main worry is the emissions. The last couple of years its squeaked through with 1.03 on the HC test (limits are 1.00 +/- 0.03) so I’m hopeful that the cataclean will do its magic!
I intend to have a chat to the garage tomorrow about whether they have any appetite for serious work on it. I’d like to sound them out on stem seals and piston rings to try and remedy the oil consumption issues. I’m not sure if they want my tatty old heap rare and valuable neo-classic blocking up their premises though when they could be banging out brake pads and oil changes. Option B is to sound them out about their professional opinion on the engine rebuild specialist nearby. I have had some work done by him donkeys years ago, fitting a helicoil kit on a 1960s 2t stationary engine, which I was entirely happy with - but this would be a rather more involved job.
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fingers crossed for you. Im sure it will squeak through again.
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To my mild amazement, I have a fresh ticket on the Sirion.
Indeed, its a clean pass - not a single advisory! Even my point of concern - the lambda at fast idle - actually improved vs last year, getting a reading of 1.01. So I think a combo of the brand new upstream O2 sensor and dose of cataclean has helped there too.
I had a chat with the garage about piston rings and steam seals, their view was most likely rings as it never smokes on first startup, but does if you take the revs up above 5000rpm. I asked about their appetite for getting involved and was given a polite but firm ‘no’ - a combo of the amount of work involved and the likelihood of something breaking which would need parts shipped from Japan to fix makes it too much jeopardy for them which I can completely understand. I did ask about the local engine specialist and they said that which he’s not cheap, he knows his onions and that they have worked with him before. I may pay him a visit in due course to understand ballpark figures for the work and whether he can deal with the car whole, or if he expects the engine delivered to him on a pallet or similar.
Anyway, positive news!
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Yay Great news on the pass. I have never heard of cataclean before but I guess it must help a little.
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Interesting, I assumed it was an international product - every day is a school day!
It bills itself as a magic potion which cleans the catalytic converter innards, I’m somewhat skeptical that it survives the combustion process with enough potency to do any meaningful cleaning - however I can fully believe that when mixed with the fuel with high enough concentration it temporarily makes the fuel burn cleaner, getting a good enough reading to go through the emissions part of the test.
Anyway, got the result I wanted and only had to spend £15 on a can of magic gloop to get there!
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15 for magic goop for a result thats wanted aint a bad price to pay. I guess I havent heard of it as here emission tests are not all that common unless you get nicked and have to go to the epa for testing. I did get done once for sound but in all fairness of that car the exhaust manifold was pretty damn loose. haha
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