Capri Heater - No, Subaru Heater, Part 1

My Capris have been a little neglected for the last week or so as my attention has been directed to one of my other cars, a 1990 Subaru Liberty. This was originally my son's car but is used as a second daily driver. It is a really good car but not worth a great deal and for some months the heater has been leaking slightly into the interior of the front left hand side carpet. From past experience with Capris, I know what a terrible job it is & I knew that if it was to be done in a service centre, it would possibly cost about half the car's worth. So, after reading the manual & a fair bit of research on the web, I got to it. The pictures really tell the story from as it was to finding the heater.

[Click on the pictures if you want to see the real damage!]

Some words of advice - DON'T EVER DO THIS!! BYPASS THE HEATER OR SELL THE CAR!
This would have to be one of the worst car projects I have ever undertaken. Just as well I am retired as it took nearly two full days to get to the heater. Just when you thought the dash board could be lifted out, there was another wire to undo or unclip. It was just a maze of wires. The heater box, which is the larger white box in the centre was leaking from several places & it is right at the top in the centre of the dash.  Seeing the car is 23 years old, I suppose that is not too bad.
After a bit of research & phone calls, I went to the Valley Radiator Works, where Jim was most helpful. They were unable to source a new replacement part but repaired the old one with limited guarantee. That was done in a day & I could certainly recommend their service.
Putting it back together was just a painful & the main concern I had related to the after market car immobiliser fitted to the car. I was determined not to rush it, but again it took me nearly two days getting it back together. A few dramas resulted when you can't find a wire to connect up but eventually it was all back together. I also did a few other jobs at the same time while the battery was out like replacing the valve cover gaskets & spark plugs but that is another story.
I sought advice from the manufacturer about the alarm before I attempted to start it. Would it start or would windows go up & down instead of lights or mirrors? It fired up first go but there were lights flashing & indicators going everywhere. What the hell? I then realised that various switches were on & after turning these off, everything settled down. Yes, everything was working as it should, except as the car warmed up, I realised the heater was on when it was supposed to be off. The cable connecting the dash controls & the heater box had separated so I reached under the dash & turned off the heater which was a very simple fix but I will have to redo that bit. It doesn't require a huge amount of work. Overall, I was very happy to get it back together & working but would I do it again - I don't think so.
In Part 2 of the story, I will show you the Capri heater box & do a little comparison.

Capri Heater - Part 2

These are the pictures taken when I restored the Capri. Things were a lot less complicated in 1970 compared to the Subaru of 1990 (20 years difference). Whilst the heater box is still a metal or plastic box with a radiator & various flaps, the Subaru has heaps more wires & is connected to the air conditioning controls. They both require you to be an acrobat when trying to work on them but the Subaru was built around the heater box by Japanese people with small hands & standing on their heads! I wonder what a new 2013 Subaru Liberty or Audi would be like to work on - that is another 23 years difference.



When I did this I used a number of things that I have learnt in restoring the Capris, such as:
1. Before you even start, get a workshop manual and do as much research on the internet as you can. There were a number of illustrated stories from others who had done the same with their Subaru. I also got very extravagant and bought myself an Ozito lithium screwdriver for $30 from Bunnings which was great for this job. 
2. Don't underestimate the time something like this takes. Even the manual can make things sound not too difficult, like, unclip the wiring from the back of the dash board. This took me about an hour, using mirrors, small screwdrivers and with arms & hands caught in narrow spaces. Train an octopus!
3. Have loads of patience, a good back, a flexible neck, good eyesight & good hearing. I have none of these & when my hearing aides whistle, or my glasses fog up, or my back & neck ache, it is time for a Kit Kat!
4. Take heaps of pictures & at every stage. I constantly was referring back to these when I was re-assembling & I wish, in some instances, that I had taken more. I had to confirm one wiring connection (rear window demister) was missing & I finally found it due to the colour in the photo.
5. Label all the wiring & connectors. I usually use masking tape wrapped around the wire with where it goes. The Subaru was made a little easier with each connection having it own colour & type of connection that made it impossible to connect the wrong wires. This car had extras such as the immobiliser & spot lights which made it more fun!
6. Keep all the screws for each section together. I use envelops or plastic bags & label them. eg radio. I also tape clips & screws to the trim that they come from. I though I did pretty well but ended up with 4 extra screws from the radio area. I have no idea where these went!
7. When you think you have finished, make another check. With the heater, I had to drain all the radiator fluid & then make sure all the clamps & hoses were tight & correct.
8. After everything is back together & working, reward yourself by running around the yard naked, yelling " It's finished! It's finished!" Well, perhaps a coldie might be more appropriate or for me, it's a heat pack on my back! I'll never do it again-until the next time.

Capri - RACQ Motorfest, Brisbane

This is one of the big car shows in Brisbane & in excess of 700 classics were to attend last weekend (14 July). Unfortunately, the day started not too well, weather wise and a number of entrants chose to stay at home. Whilst it remained overcast the rain stayed away for most of the day.
My Capri was the only one there this year and it is surprising how much interest there is in these cars. Many people who grew up in the UK always want to have a chat about the Capri. There was a great display of Cortinas and one took the award for the category.
As can be seen by the photos, there is a very diverse range of vehicles which include Australian, British, American, European, Japanese, Speedway, Military & Commercial. It was also a special anniversary event for Aston Martin & Lamborghini.

Capri Badges

This weekend the RACQ holds its annual Motorfest in Brisbane. Last week, I received all the information about the day, along with the attractive metal badge that comes as a souvenir of the day. I have for many years just placed them on the shelf along with other Capri stuff. I started looking at all the various badges from past years & decided they were too good to just sit there gathering dust so I have mounted them so they can be displayed . I will also take them with me to future car shows.

 

I have badges dating back to 2004 with the larger group being earned by my white Capri & the smaller group being earned by the jewel green Capri.

Let's hope the weather stays fine for this Sunday's Motofest. 

[Double click on the pictures if you want a close-up view]



Capri Oil Pump Leaks

I have been noticing a bit of oil on the garage floor lately & that makes me a bit cranky. That's why last year I pulled the engine out & redid the engine oil seals. Anyway, I thought it was the oil filter as I always have trouble with the filter as the earlier Kent engine has that ridge around the oil pump.

On closer inspection, it wasn't the filter but the outer cover of the oil pump was leaking very slightly. On consulting my trusty big red manual, I found that there was an O ring inside the cover & obviously, that was my problem. Getting the three nuts off to remove the cover was really easy, which is a change for me. Getting out the O ring wasn't too difficult either.

Now, next problem-where can I get an O ring from? I went to a Bearing Store
at Salisbury & the guy was very helpful & found me on he thought was the correct size. Total cost = $2. Went home & tried it & I wasn't really happy with it as I felt it was too loose.

So, back out to Seal Imports at Acacia Ridge where the young guy found one that seemed more suitable and gave it to me free! Yes, free of charge! I thanked him & went back home to have another go with this one. This fit was much better so I bolted the cover back on, hoping that would stop the leak.

Yes, it looks like that has done the trick but I will take it for a longer run on the weekend. Hopefully, the new O ring will have my garage floor clean again.
More on the oil filters later.

Postscript. I have partially solved the leak but created another. It seems that there is just a very minor leak but there is no oil on the floor. If you run your finger under the cover, there is a little oil. However, on re- tensioning the three bolts, one (top left) seemed a little loose so I very gently tried to tighten it & then I thought it had broken off. Every time, I work on the car I am very conscious about breaking studs or bolts so I feared the worse again. Anyway, I removed the bolt & it was intact but there was a bit of metal thread on it so it seems that the thread on the oil pump is damaged. For a temporary fix, I wrapped a few rounds of pink plumber's tape around the bolt & it appears to have held on with a bit of tension but a more permanent fix will be required.