Don & Gary's Exocet build

[donboy1983]

Well I only managed to get 2 bushes out tonight and sat scratching my head and trying to think how to make this easier, first option will be to try the threaded bar method one I pick up some bar tomorrow :-)

[trident]

Heat them up with a blow torch.. get lots of black smoke and burning rubber and then use an old hammer and knock them out. be careful with the hot melted rubber splatter when you knock them out with the hammer. Safety first … I always say !!! ….. wear long sleeves.

[donboy1983]

Just had a price for grit blasting, zinc primer and powder coat. The subframe parts seem reasonable at £150 all in but the cost for the exocet frame was £340, this does include collection and delivery but still seems a lot. Any one have any recommendations for companies near Andover?

[R2S]

Donboy1983 as trident says you need to leave the blow torch on the bush for quite a while (until they still burn when the blow torch is remove) and there will be lots of black smoke and spitting rubber. the central sleeve will slide out on its own once rubber gets hot enough (although you can also use a bit of persuasion) then simply use threaded bar method to remove whats left.

[donboy1983]

Ok, will have another go tomorrow and do it out side :-)

[danpollitt]

As I said previously fire up the BBQ and put them on the hot coals. It took me 20 mins to get them all out.

[donboy1983]

Well I tried getting the bushes out again tonight and all was going well using the threaded bar and blowtorch method. Until I got to the rear lower arms :-( I got a bit carried away with tightening the threaded bar and failed to notice that the bush had stopped coming out and that the control arm and rod had bent :-( 



i can get a replacement easy enough but just want to confirm that I buy the correct side, can anyone confirm what side this is.


so after not much luck I decided to leave it for the night and come home and order some new parts to cheer me up :-)

[R2S]

Donboy bracket for roll bar and shock fixing sit at back of the arm so it looks like the near side lower arm.

[gwnwar]

That is the left side.. looking from rear..

[donboy1983]

Perfect found a replacement on eBay :-)

[jwagner]

I pulled my rear bushings like this:
miataperformanceproject.blogspot.com/2012/03/prothane-urethane-bushings-nb-struts-ft.html
but used PVC pipe instead of the galvanized stuff in the top pic.  No problems, I hope the fronts go as well.

[R2S]

jwagner, I can see benefit of using PVC pipe (no damage to wishbone housing lip) but my bushes would never have come out using PVC pipe force needed would have destroyed the pipe, I use a large socket but as i said earlier you need to be careful not to damage the edge of the housing. I note the arms in the photos you linked look almost new (not uncommon on US cars) mine are the more common UK condition, rusted to buxxery.

[mrjingles705]

Same here (on the rust) - I've burned out all of mine as they would not have pressed out (tried up to a point before thinking better of it).

[jwagner]

My bushings were pretty well rusted in too.  I tried the PVC pipe because I had it and the hardware store was closed and was fully expecting the PVC to break, but it just worked.  Thickwall PVC pipe is much stronger than you'd figure and it put up with some serious cranking with a 1/2" ratchet, enough to bend the fender washers.  I did drop some oil into the gap between the rubber bushing and the bore and that helped, especially once the bushing started to move.

YMMV on this, and I'm not saying that it's the right way to do it, but it worked for me.

[donboy1983]

I got a second hand lower arm from EBay for £15.00 :-)

I will try my friend at the garage I think and get him to use his press to get the remaining bushes out.

I spoke with Gaz today and they have said that the 350/250 spring rating sshould be fine for road use and track days, looking forward to getting them now as it's the first shiney part I have bought :-)