81 spider question or 2

[81SPIDERMATT]

new to the spider world....81 spider 2000 fi ... just ordered shocks,center support drive shaft bracket.new windshield res and pump, front inner and outer bearings.with nuts. rotors ..brake pads..rebuild kit for calipers in rear...little rubber piece that the radiator sits on.... QUESTIIONS...rear drivvers side caliper is leaking..when i take it off will i need new copper washers to put it back on...should i bite the bullet and get metal brake lines and flex lines also... is there a way of knowing if it time to replace springs...po said springs should be fine but shocks are shot.... should the center support bracket for radiator be hitting the sway bar..when doing the brakes and replacing rotors is there a specialty tool that i am not thinking of that will make things esier (i have a good selection of basic sckets ,wrenches, hammers. got the c clamp.) any tricks..the new washer bottle does not look like the old one and i dont know how to put it in...home made bracket time??. been reading and researching a lot .. maybe i just need a nudge... just finished shocks on my friends vw...so i have the spring compresser but may not need it if i jack the car correctly from what i read... all parts are from IAP....engine was rebuilt recently along with new clutch and rebuilt tranny...new top...new tires...great find great deal...very happy and excited.... but i have to be able to stop...and it is a little mushy on the suspension...quite sure i will be flowing money into more things later...but thought this would be a good start..any helpful advise is most welcomed.... oh the center driveshaft bracket... rubber around the old one is shot... i have never disconnected a drive shaft before...is it easy... iknow i need some thread lock when putting back together right?....matt....oh Grand Junction , Colorado...gonna have to learn how to add stuff to my profiile....see you soon in electrical..right turn signal is sometimes yes sometimes no but left works all the time...and that is another day or week

[adrians]

What a long first question ! ! !


QUESTIIONS...rear drivvers side caliper is leaking..when i take it off will i need new copper washers to put it back on
YES

...should i bite the bullet and get metal brake lines and flex lines also...
ONLY IF YOU REALLY NEED THEM

is there a way of knowing if it time to replace springs...po said springs should be fine but shocks are shot....
SPRINGS SHOULD BE OKAY I'VE JUST HAD MY 1981 SPRING SHORTEN STILL WORK FINE

should the center support bracket for radiator be hitting the sway bar..
YES MINE SITS VERY CLOSE, Others may be able to answer this question better

when doing the brakes and replacing rotors is there a specialty tool that i am not thinking of that will make things esier (i have a good selection of basic sckets ,wrenches, hammers. got the c clamp.) any tricks..
NO SPECIAL TOOLS NEED Only remember that the rear brake piston screws in hence the slot on the face of the piston, the front push in via the use of a G clamp.

the new washer bottle does not look like the old one and i dont know how to put it in...home made bracket time??.
The 81 Washer bottle is squareish and tall and has the pump attached to the bottom should easily fit into the front left hand corner of the engine bay.


just finished shocks on my friends vw...so i have the spring compresser but may not need it if i jack the car correctly from
NO SPRING COMPRESSOR NEEDED. Front shocks drop out throught the bottom of the spring and A Arm, Rear shocks come out sideways with the spring fully release from the body of the car ( must jack the body high up)

oh the center driveshaft bracket... rubber around the old one is shot...
Another to answer this question

Oh and replace the donut of the driveshaft as well.


Adrian

[81SPIDERMATT]

thanks Adrian... donut ordered...1 week and counting till operation begins..matt

[2ndwind]

Matt,
The center drive shaft bearing is important in maintaining stability of the drive shaft. Mine was hanging on by about 10% of the rubber. When you took off from a stop you could hear the drive shaft banging around under there. I took the opportunity to rebuild all the components: flex donut, center bearing and U-joints.

[81SPIDERMATT]

u joints.... did not think about that....i have the center bracket and donut is ordered....when it is off how would i be able to tell if the uu joints are bad...more research and i probably will answer my own question huh.....doing the shocks tomorrow ... that will give me a chance to scope out how to attack the brakes and make a plan of attack for the rotors.. today my best investment so far was a tire gauge....no wonder i was not happy with the suspension...front right tire 12 front left 18 back right 20 back left 43..... what a difference the right tire pressure makes....stupid matt..rim rock drive here i come..20 plus miles of hair pin death curves in the Colorado National Monument ..all ready bought my year pass... I am very anxious to see the difference the new shocks will make...if it is half of the right tire pressure i am going to be like a kid in a candy store... so much fun driving around here

[fiatfactory]

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[81SPIDERMATT]

i will know more when i get it off the car ..but after initial inspection it is the center bracket that seems to be the rattle problem that 2ndwind spoke of... luckily the ujoints are available locally... hoping the rest will be ok....parts shipped yesterday....off to do the shocks.....thanks for the info.... how do you add pictures...or is that a different place to ask this question...after reading a lot here to attempt things i noticed that everyone does enjoy the pics

[wikkid]

Posting pic's:
resize your pic's to an appropriate size to post in this format; upload them to a free site like photobucket; when you are
typing a post, click on the "Img" tab along the top of the post window, and then insert the direct link (url address) to your photo right in between the two bracketed Img's that will appear in your post when you click on the Img tab.

[81SPIDERMATT]

ok think i got it... no pics from today but had these on file.... interior is before new carpet i did from a template i got from here with a 25 dollar remnant...shocks went well... lot of play in the passenger bearings...they are coming with the rotors and brakes.... big difference in the ride... had my dog for the test drive so could not push too hard

[81SPIDERMATT]

[img][IMG]http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc3 ... G_2788.jpg[/img][/img]


[img][IMG]http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc3 ... G_2789.jpg[/img][/img]


[img][IMG]http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc3 ... G_2243.jpg[/img][/img]


[img][IMG]http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc3 ... G_2244.jpg[/img][/img]


[img][IMG]http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc3 ... G_2245.jpg[/img][/img]


[img][IMG]http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc3 ... G_2250.jpg[/img][/img]


think i got it.....

[geert]

not an easy question !

special equip/ brakes : removing the cylinders from the calipers can be difficult : I use my brake system to do that ( one calipers at a time ) : remove calipers from the disk and pads, press brake pedal until the the cylinder comes out or up , only then disconnect calipers from line. put new rubbers on ( on the cylinders ) , rest is discribed in the handbook.
Putting the cylinders back in : make a tool with some metal and scew to screw in the cylinder (if pics wanted, call!).

(sorry for my english )

grten, Geert.

[geert]

.....see you soon in electrical..right turn signal is sometimes yes sometimes no

that's the way a turn signal should work !

grten, Geert.