Dan's 1.6 repairs

[Grapes]

Ah ok I already feared as much. Is there a way to check the ride height? Because visually it looks like the nose is deeper than the rear but that could well be an optical illusion (as I also didn't notice it hanging off to one side). I can imagine that a previous owner or CarJoy already adjusted the suspension to make sure the nose isn't higher than the rear.

I actually just got in contact with a fellow Murena owner and mechanic that lives more or less in my general area (What are the odds of that? ).  Time for coffee and a more expert assessment of the adventure I have gotten myself into

[Anders Dinsen]

I'll see if I can make some scans from the worskhop manual. Measuring the ride height is not difficiult, but requires you get under the car while it's still sitting on the wheels, so you need help from someone with garage with a lift with ramps or a pit.

I'm told that most later 1.6 Murena's were fitted with incorrect rear springs when new and are sitting too high in the rear.

/Anders

[Grapes]

Ah, no problem. I just checked the manual and found it. Section Ka0a 602 right?

[Grapes]

@Anders
Picture of the spark plugs. Completely slipped my mind.

[Anders Dinsen]

Ah, no problem. I just checked the manual and found it. Section Ka0a 602 right?

Ah, so you have it, great! I never got around to scanning as I browsed through my binder and realized I couldn't find where it says how to actually adjust the ride height. There are several sections talking about ride height, but I haven't found the place where they describe exactly how to measure and correct it. Have you been succesful?

[Grapes]

I haven't tried it yet, but I do think that the section I referred to is the one that describes it.

[Grapes]

Simple 14" steel but already much better   
I do miss a little bit of the stiffer feel of the 16" so I may search for 15" alloys but I'm selling the AZEV set.
They also aligned it and informed me that the suspension on the left side might need more work than just new shocks but I'll look at that further with a mechanic.

[Grapes]

Is there any actual advantage to those engine hoods that replace the rear window?

[matramurena]

Nope. It's just looks. Even my v6 has more then enough cooling with the window. Heard about lots of problems with rust because of rain comming in throug the airscoops of these engine hoods though.

[Grapes]

Yeah I can imagine! Well, that's a good argument to stay well away from them. I don't really like how most of them look but I noticed most body kits use them which made me wonder if it indeed either helped with cooling or forcing more air to the engine.

[roy4matra]

Is there any actual advantage to those engine hoods that replace the rear window?

Not that I'm aware of, and they have one big disadvantage in the U.K. (or any country driving on the left).

They restrict the vision over the right shoulder when turning out of angled junctions, especially if they are combined with the slatted covers over the rear side windows, which I see often with those conversions.

It's possible there could be other problems too as the internal window between the cabin and the rear compartment was not designed to be an outside window, and there could be issues with air and water sealing, leading to possible lower cabin temperatures and water ingress in certain situations.  I would also suggest the aerodynamics will suffer slightly too.

Personally I think the Murena looks better with the glass too.

Roy

[Grapes]

Time for a new adventure! :S
So I noticed the gearbox is dripping fluid. I think it already did a while ago but only maybe one or two drops over a long time. If I recall correctly Roy remarked that the seals needed replacing when I posted some pictures of several of my question points last year.
I have the feeling I shouldn't hold this off much longer since the leaking seems to have increased. However I would like to limit the time I'm not able to use this car since it's also my main transport to go to work once or twice a week.
My idea was to get a spare gearbox and just swap it out with the current one so I could be back on the road quickly. However I assume a second hand salvaged gearbox may also need work no matter what the seller will claim about the condition.

That aside I think I've got the following main questions:
Are there any other cars that use the same gearbox as the 1.6 that I can search for if I can't find a 1.6 one?
Where can I find the parts I need to stop the gearbox from leaking? I tried Simon-auto who seem to have much more parts than Carjoy but I couldn't find it on the website.
And just to prepare myself mentally for the task ahead... How hard is this compared to e.g. replacing the seal on the rocker cover or the fuel and water pump?

[GP]

Check this out.....

http://carjoy.nl/matra-shop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=416

[Grapes]

Yeah I seen them. Simon sells them as well at roughly the same price. And although they aren't super expensive, I hate to admit it but I can't afford that at the moment. I've seen second hand ones for a fraction of that. I realise they aren't going to be in an "as new" condition as the ones from Simon and carjoy but I hoped they could keep me driving for a while longer until I can repair the current one. 

[GP]

You could give Harry a call, he might be able to assist and get a price from him for a rebuild?  Obviously shipping is invovled.
I know he does the different 2.2 gearbox as he did mine some years ago,

https://ds-vitesse.com/en/

The job definitely isn't for a novice (probably with limited tools) and has no comparison whatsoever to replacing the seal on the rocker cover or the fuel and water pump.