1988 240Gl estate advice needed!

[LankyTim]

Ive just obtained a nice 2.0 5 speed manual 240 GL estate, but it needs some restoration work. The car is rust free apart from one bad area inside the Drivers side rear door shut. Where the top of the sill meets the panel for the rear quarter (infront of the rear wheel) theres a seam thats completely rotted out. Theres a hole about 2 inches across and 5 inches long all the way along,doubtless more prodding will make it much larger. You cant see the hole when the doors shut. The rest of the cars in good condition though. Are repair panels availiable for this part of the car? Maybe just easier to weld the door shut :-)

Also the brake master cylinder needs either replacing or repairing. Would the master cylinder from a 740 fit? Can you get seal kits for these? I can get brakes,but only with my foot to the floor, though pumping the pedal makes things slightly better. Theres plenty of fluid in the master cyl, so none is escaping. Also the brake lights dont appear to work.

One other question, what are the 2litre injection cars like for towing? can they handle a large trailer as well as my much missed 2.3 carbed 240?

Any advice is much appreciated, Looking forward to the grand M.O.T ceremony!

Thanks

Tim Rodgers

lankytim@hotmail.com

I know what you mean re the 2.3 carb version 240 a cracking motor.
I don't think you can get past the mot by welding the door shut as because the chassis doe'nt go all the way from front back the sills are classed as a part of the scructure.
Just clean it back to good metal and weld a patch over it,it's a darn site easier than gobbling about underneath.
I got a master cylinder from euro car parts and it was'nt to expensive.

[Clifford Pope]

Europarts master cylinders are very cheap and in my experience well made.
Read the posts about replacing MCs, bench bleeding, etc. I know this can be a contentious subject - I have always replaced MCs without needing to do any brake bleeding at all, but others have vehmently disputed that this is a) possible and b) useful. I can advise if you want to know how.

My 1993 2.0 litre is fine for towing. I regularly pull an old Sprite caravan, or a trailer full of manure. Even grossly overloaded it seems to cope, albeit a bit slowly. If you keep within the loading guidelines it is fine.

When I fitted the one I got,I bled the lot as the system will always benefit from a fluid change.

[Clifford Pope]

Very true, but you don't have to let air in to do it. You can bleed off at each nipple until the fluid runs clean.
You may be lucky doing a complete refill and bleed from empty, or you may suffer all kinds of difficulties trying to reset the octopus pressure sensor, or getting airlocks out of the rear pressure limiting valves. Why tempt fate when there is an easy way of avoiding any potential problems?

[LankyTim]

I was planning on flusing the braking system anyway, but i wasnt aware that there could be difficulties on the 240's The fluid does look a bit grotty, and ive got cans and cans of nice new brake fluid. As for welding the door up, i wasnt serious. if i did that every MOT id soon have to get in and out through the sunroof!

I have always just fitted the item required and bled the system.To this time I have never ever experienced any trouble doing it like this always on my own.