What Have You Done To Your Coupe Today

[Mangoman]

3 hours ago, PTR200S said:

How long had the badges been on , Bill? Was it not early-ish in the year? 

Hi Pete.

Yes, it wasn't that long ago. In fact I saw it coming as moisture used to get into the actual Badge. I did complain and was offered replacements, (a bit pointless as they both were doing it) or a refund, which I accepted. So it didn't really cost me anything. But an annoyance. (See photo).

But at least it gave me a chance to clean up the Grille that came off, (which is now back on) and spray it in a Satin Black - the same I used on the Wiper Arms.

Looks almost like new now....

You live and learn hey.....  

[hughezee]

Sad news on the pooches front chaps and I know personally how hard it is, thoughts are with you both.

Also, bit of a blow with the badges Bill as they did look coolio 

[Mangoman]

Thanks Stu..... Yes, very sad.  We get very attached to our little friends.

And yes, I agree about the Badges - quite annoyed with the quality of some stuff you get these days! They are obviously not intended for external use. Just wish they would say.... Just very fortunate that nothing was wrecked in fitting them!

And thanks for everything. Luckily I decided to explore deeper as at first I just thought it was packing material...lol. But I did give it a really good clean with detergent and degreaser - it had certainly been well used.

I'm waiting to see what happens with the MOT before fitting anything else. But greatly appreciated!!!

Well, I'll soon find out in an hour or so..... Fingers crossed! 

[PTR200S]

On 25/07/2017 at 10:35 AM, Mangoman said:

Hi Pete.

Yes, it wasn't that long ago. In fact I saw it coming as moisture used to get into the actual Badge. I did complain and was offered replacements, (a bit pointless as they both were doing it) or a refund, which I accepted. So it didn't really cost me anything. But an annoyance. (See photo).

But at least it gave me a chance to clean up the Grille that came off, (which is now back on) and spray it in a Satin Black - the same I used on the Wiper Arms.

Looks almost like new now....

 

You live and learn hey.....  

That's really bad for a few months down the line, quite right to complain, nice work on grille looks really smart 

Mine looks a bit sort of gray, certainly off black as it were, are the grilles actually proper black when new ?

[PTR200S]

Well today is wash day, and its raining , no its not its sun shining , no, no its not, its raining, sun, shower, wind arggh,,, ok maybe leave it for today.

Ready to do another ATF change soon.... just not sure how long to give it really,,,  and the PS fluid is yuk again, not as bad as last time but worth having another go at I think.

 

Checked tyres over particularly the front ones, Davanti all ok, few lines on the appropriate thread.. 

[Mangoman]

5 hours ago, PTR200S said:

That's really bad for a few months down the line, quite right to complain, nice work on grille looks really smart 

Mine looks a bit sort of gray, certainly off black as it were, are the grilles actually proper black when new ?

Thanks Pete.

Concerning the Grille, I'm sure they are not as grey as they seem to be, but that is what happens to these dark plastics on cars after a few years as the oils that give it the black satin finish leach out over time leaving it looking lifeless and grey.

This is why I spray them as no matter how much you treat them, or how good the product is, they eventually just go back to the grey colour. At least with spraying it's done - simples...

All I did was rub it down gently with some *Scotchbrite, followed by a good few passes with IPA, (Isopropyl alcohol). No Primer, just straight on with the Paint. I applied about 4 light coats leaving it to flash off, (go from shiny to dull) between coats.

This is what I used:  http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/car-accessories/car-maintenance-accessories/paints-and-primers/paints/?549772161&&cc5_159 

It's the same I used for the Wiper Arms as mine were looking a bit sad.... 

 

***But don't use a Gloss - I tried, doesn't work. Satin perfect***

Cheers, Bill.

[hughezee]

Well I managed to sort out 2 lots of brakes, oil change then diagnostic on a coupe and brake inspection on another coupe in the crappy weather yesterday. However, I still haven't got around to getting my car ready for a MOT although I did manage to finally cut the bonnet and get 3 lots of wax on it between dry spells.

[Mangoman]

Are your Indicators blue, or is that my imagination???

[hughezee]

8 minutes ago, Mangoman said:

Are your Indicators blue, or is that my imagination???

They do look blue, best orange bulbs I've used or seen in a long time and one of the few options that are actually legal OSRAM PY21W "DIADEM"

[Mangoman]

Are they Bayonet or Capless fitting Stu?

And what is the MO to replace them please?

[hughezee]

On 28/07/2017 at 11:54 AM, Mangoman said:

Are they Bayonet or Capless fitting Stu?

And what is the MO to replace them please?

Bayonet fitting and there is topic on replacing them but probably missing pictures ATM, so removing the splash guard clips in the area and pull the guard out of the way and reach in for the bulb holder  

[Mangoman]

Bought some Rear Brake Pads for the Ol' Bitch today. I know they are only Eicher from ECP, but at a tenner + Tax you can't complain, especially as they were delivered Same-Day FOC! 

Ordered at about 11-ish and arrived just after 1pm...!! Not bad

I don't mind fitting cheaper Pads at the Rear, only the Fronts I'm fussy - EBC is Pad of choice. Anyway, Eicher are made at the same Factory - go figure!

Not sure how bad the Pads are that are on there but I wanted to service them anyway, and a bit silly to go to that bother and not fit fresh Pads.

Now to go and find a Video on YouTube...lol.

Ciao boys....

[hughezee]

On 31/07/2017 at 3:09 PM, Mangoman said:

Now to go and find a Video on YouTube

You could have watched rear brakes being done live at coupes & coffee and also seen for yourself how bad Pagid/ Eicher pads really are after 2 years  

[Mangoman]

47 minutes ago, hughezee said:

You could have watched rear brakes being done live at coupes & coffee and also seen for yourself how bad Pagid/ Eicher pads really are after 2 years  

That would have been ideal of course...

Anyway found a decent one on YT - pretty straightforward other than the Piston has to be screwed back in, I suppose that is because of the Handbrake action/operation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPkwer-WcPM

I've fitted Eicher to a few cars and they have been OK - personally wouldn't fit them on my fronts but the rears get so little action, they're quite adequate. Anyway, anything has got to be better than what's in there at the moment....   Horses for courses. Anyway, your brakes are only as good as your rubber......

Ciao boys....

[hughezee]

I've had Pagid on my rears for 14 months they weren't great from new looking at the MOT test across the axle on the same Q&H discs, now they are getting rusty and seeing Dave Brad's the weekend at 2 years old and they were crumbling with corrosion, so back to the blue prints before this MOT

[PTR200S]

3 hours ago, hughezee said:

You could have watched rear brakes being done live at coupes & coffee and also seen for yourself how bad Pagid/ Eicher pads really are after 2 years  

We could still see, if anyone took some pics? 

[hughezee]

26 minutes ago, PTR200S said:

We could still see, if anyone took some pics? 

Well, I took a couple and Geoff just sent me his but not all, so chasing them up.

[Mangoman]

3 hours ago, hughezee said:

I've had Pagid on my rears for 14 months they weren't great from new looking at the MOT test across the axle on the same Q&H discs, now they are getting rusty and seeing Dave Brad's the weekend at 2 years old and they were crumbling with corrosion, so back to the blue prints before this MOT

Cannot comment on Pagit as I've had no experience with them, but nothing like what you say I have experienced with the Eicher Pads. 

And as previously stated, for me EBC is my weapon of choice up front, where it counts..  https://ebcbrakes.com/about-ebc/ 

[Mangoman]

1 hour ago, PTR200S said:

We could still see, if anyone took some pics? 

The Video I found to be quite concise.

[hughezee]

53 minutes ago, Mangoman said:

Cannot comment on Pagit as I've had no experience with them, but nothing like what you say I have experienced with the Eicher Pads. 

And as previously stated, for me EBC is my weapon of choice up front, where it counts..  https://ebcbrakes.com/about-ebc/ 

 

Pagit & Eicher AKA (TMD Friction) Pads use the exact same tooling and friction compound as each other, as they meet the same requirements, just a different level of finish, e.g the Pagit has a shim and coated piston retainer springs etc.

EBC Brakes have their place but I doubt many other Japanese car owners including some other members will support your enthusiasm on EBC, personally, I've never tried their pads or discs on my own car. Although tested plenty on other peoples cars and they can be impressive as matched sets or pads combined with an OEM disc. Although one thing I do know their discs are definitely not up to the job in terms of longevity or hard frequent braking, hardly surprising knowing where they come from.  

[Laird_Scooby]

I second what Stu says on the EBC brakes to be honest Bill. I've driven a couple of cars with them on and found they were a bit "dead" until they had warmed up with some use then they were pretty good. However, they didn't last very long in terms of miles (sub 10k in both cases that i knew of) and when they started to go downhill it was like an avalanche.

In other words, while they were serviceable they were pretty good (once warmed up) but when they got towards the end of their life, it tailed off dramatically.

To be honest they weren't that much different to a properly set up standard (with budget pads, Eicher, Pagid or similar) disc/pad and certainly not worth the extra money for the name. A friend of mine who was going to west Wales regularly from Cambridge at one point literally had the discs and pads glowing orange after his journey.

He renewed them when he got home with standard/budget parts and reckoned they were as good, if not better than the "Essex-Sun-tan Brake Components" as he decided EBC obviously stood for.

I'd rather have brakes that work first time, every time, consistently and without the sphincter-clenching "are they warm enough to work" moment when i need them!

I'm fairly easy on my brakes though, when i first got the Sterling with about 92k on the clock i inspected the discs and pads and decided the rear set would need doing sometime soon but i could leave the fronts for about a year. That was 9+years and about 23k miles ago. I've had the new pads ready to put in for about 5-6 years now and they're still not needed! I might just change them because the friction material is getting old now and not sure if it degrades or what. If it doesn't i may as well leave them another 8 or so years until they're getting close to needing changed!

[Brett]

Just to add to this IV tried EBC green pads and slotted disks on my 7gen.

I have nether experienced such bad brake fade in all the years of driving.

Also after 12 months the disks were shot and had wheel wobble through the brake pedal.

Since then Iv stuck to OEM and nether had any problems.

Lots of People has ask me how to improve braking performance.

TBO disks and pads don't do a lot to improve.

You need an upgrade on calipers.

For example the 6th gen ATR twin pot calipers are a straight bolt on the 7th gen Accord and is far better than any performance pads or disks. 

[PTR200S]

Like Bill I have used EBC pads, first on bikes really, and had no problems, my comments below are mine alone (disclaimer !)

However, would also say that only with either with EBC disks or oe manufacturer disks. Slotted disks are a no,no. 

EBC greenstuff pads on cars are the "road going" versions and are quite adequate for that, forget track days though! Pads like redstuff take more use to get to temperature and for me are too hard for everyday use..

That said, I used several pads types on my GT6, non servo (  ) and the best turned out to be greenstuff. I dont think EBC work well on cheap disks.

Much in the same way I avoid slotted disks or sintered brake pads for road use, they warp / wear away horrendously.

Mintex pads disks seem to last well having used them on quite a few vehicles. Pagid , well I have used them but never kept the vehicle long enough to evaluate long term.

I also firmly believe that everyone uses brakes differently to each other and has much to do with wear and tear, if you were brought up to use the box to slow down in conjunction with the brakes, like I was, then there is less for the pads/shoes to do. Conversely gearbox builds were the norm but simple boxes meant cheap and quick rebuilds.

Now, new drivers are taught to brake and not use the box, to remain in the same gear to the last and neutral thereafter.

I was once pulled by the police for having no brake light whilst riding a motorcycle on very hilly, twisty roads in Wales. I was out with the advanced rider group and I was last man, a police rider came up behind and followed us for a few miles. The advanced group always ride at the speed limit plus 10% in this case 60mph plus on the derestricted single track roads. The police rider followed us into a brew stop, got off his bike and asked me to operate each brake in turn as my brake light was only operating occasionally.

It wasn't of course, I, and others in the group , were taught to drive and ride using the brakes only when required, conversely everyone today seems to be permanently on the brakes, witness the barstewards at traffic lights with their brake lights blinding the following driver! Or the driver who is on and off the brakes whilst driving down a straight road

How does this relate to different manufacturers of pads and disks, you ask?

No idea! But it makes me feel better !!

 

 

[PTR200S]

8 hours ago, Brett said:

Just to add to this IV tried EBC green pads and slotted disks on my 7gen.

I have nether experienced such bad brake fade in all the years of driving.

Also after 12 months the disks were shot and had wheel wobble through the brake pedal.

Since then Iv stuck to OEM and nether had any problems.

 

Like you , if I can I replace with original spec stuff, as long as the price doesn't hurt too much !

Interestingly, you say the the disks were shot and you got wheel wobble.. that means warped disks from heat usually / bad disks...not the fault of the pads except from the point of view they were doing their job properly.

If the disks warped they were bad quality and considering they were slotted which keeps them clean and cool I would have slung them at the supplier for a refund presuming of course the calipers were in good order and not  sticking ! 

Still, I agree, original equipment manufacturer is stuff that has been tried and tested before fitment with millions of hours r&d, why would they be bad? Tin hat on !

[Mangoman]

First of all, I know Eicher are cheap option, and I have not disputed that. That is why I personally would only fit them on the rear wheels... Wow, I hope I don't have to explain that again...

I have never fitted the 'Green Stuff' Pads - I have only ever fitted/used the Ultimax-II Pads, which strangely enough are nearly a quarter of the price.... (£25.00).

I fitted them on my R75 and BMW previously, and now the HAC and all I can say is that everytime there was an improvement! Without question.

And as far as Brake-Fade goes I have only experienced this once on the road driving, (very enthusiastically) a CRX down a long and winding mountain pass descending about 3000 feet in the process, which got so bad I had to eventually almost slow down to a crawl because I had literally no brakes!!! Strangely enough the person sitting next to me at the time, (who was the owner) stated that they had never in 3 years of ownership had experienced this phenomenon...lol. (Their words). Just goes to show......

And to be honest brake fade has just as much to do with shite brake fluid and deteriorated hydraulic rubber hoses than anything else. And this particular problem can often be caused by using high performance Discs and Pads without upgrading the other components like Calipers and Hoses.

So until I personally experience otherwise, EBC will be good enough for me.