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Panda (Classic) My Purple Panda Parade Progress log

Introduction

Well folks, after keeping it under my hat all week (to avoid any embarrassment if the ebay winner actually collected the car) I have bought the purple panda parade from another user on here, neeny. They had sold it on ebay, and to cut a long story short the winner of the auction didn't collect, so the transaction was cancelled, and I offered to buy it in his place (I had actually nearly bid on the car on the original run but I confused myself and thought it was LHD which wouldn't have been any good to me) So I made the trip to fife (and on the way crossed the forth road bridge and saw the forth rail bridge which is a bit of an ambition of mine) and collected it. It took some getting used to driving! My current daily is a Citroen C2 GT, and the two cars are very very different. I have prior experience driving Fiats, as my first 3 cars were a mix of mk1 and mk2a puntos, and the first car I ever drove was my dad's tipo.

Anyway I digress, I drove it home in blizzard conditions and am very impressed with it! The only thing is that it has sat for a while and the brakes are very spongy (not a criticism of the previous owners, they were extremely honest about the car and answered all my questions, they were very kind and nice people and I hope to see them again, perhaps at a show) The Mohair twin sunroofs were slightly damp on the inside (again, not a criticism, it has been extremely wet in Scotland recently, and there is only so much it can take) not leaking or anything, just slightly damp, so I aim to treat this with fabric water repellant. There are some decals and stickers on it which aren't to my personal tastes, so I will remove these, and keep the ones which are to my taste :) The rear sunroof needs a new strap, so I will need to source one of these, or get my fiance to make a new one if I can get a hold of some leather or rubber if I find they are unavailable :)

I am very pleased with my new purchase, and consider myself very lucky to have managed to get it, the buyer on ebay should be kicking himself! And also I am very lucky to have met such kind people as Janine and Stewart, and to have found a forum with such helpful people. Anyway folks lets get down to business...photos! I apologize for the poor quality of some of these photos, it was dark before I took some of these and it is very cold so my hand was shaking. Hopefully you join me on my journey folks :) The panda is currently in my garage being aired out in an attempt to part dry the sunroofs before I bust out the hairdryer tomorrow :)

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^what Mr. P. Haze said.

when regarding panda gear boxes, ep oil will.. eat it.

of course, we could go all out and tell you what oil the gear box should use.. but it is hard to get hold of. if you can find it, its called SAE 80w/90 GL-3 (it MUST be SAE and MUST be GL-3).
it goes by another name called ZC 90.

if you want to be bored to death i even did a youtube video on it, which can be viewed here.

sorry guys.. i just had to.... :D
 
Dump it....you now have two different oils in there as well as the type that eats yellow metals... I. E what's in your gearbox.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.... Get the 20/50 I suggested.

Well thats a bit of a kick in the teeth, I didnt realise the panda gearbox had brass, copper or bronze in it. Now I have to wait till I can get the attachment from my dad again, or buy one, and get some oil from halfords (n) budget is going well :( and if I take a chance on the very small amount that I put in then I will potentially do irreparable damage to my gearbox (n)(n):(

Aah well you live and you learn. I never even thought to check the haynes manual for the recommended stuff, I assumed the stuff my dad had (which Ive used in previous Fiats) would be ok.
 
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Sorry to hear about this problem for you Cameron.

It's making me think about changing my gearbox oil as I don't know if/when Fizzles has ever been topped up or changed with the correct oil.

What does 'gearbox oil' do to panda gearboxes and why?

*sound of can of worms being opened*
 
Sorry to hear about this problem for you Cameron.

It's making me think about changing my gearbox oil as I don't know if/when Fizzles has ever been topped up or changed with the correct oil.

What does 'gearbox oil' do to panda gearboxes and why?

*sound of can of worms being opened*

Well Ive checked into it, and this is the answer Ive got:

"EP additives are corrosive to yellow metals such as brass and bronze"

"Certain types of EP additives are designed to react with metal surfaces under elevated temperatures to protect them under boundary lubrication conditions. These types of additives are often referred to as “chemically active”, and at elevated temperatures (greater than 140 to 150 F), they can indeed start to react with yellow metals. For this reason, apply caution when selecting gear oils for worm drives; the ring gear is often a yellow metal alloy.
A good way to check to see if an oil is “chemically active” is to look at the specification sheet provided by the lubricant manufacturer. On the sheet, you will typically see a test referred to as “copper strip corrosion” (ASTM D130). This tests how chemically reactive an oil is to copper and copper-containing alloys. For gear oils, a 1a rating is typically a good indicator that the oil is chemically inert, while higher ratings (such as 1b or 2a) might indicate possible problems when used in certain gearing at elevated operating temperatures. Often, a lubricant manufacturer will specifically state “this oil should not be used in gearboxes containing yellow metals”; other times, the manufacturer will simply state that the oil is appropriate for “steel-on-steel” applications – the implication being that they should not be used in situations where the ring gear is brass or bronze."
 
Sorry mate....I can't think of a subject which has been discussed on here more than the problem of gearbox oil..

Another type I have used is Comma diesel engine oil. It is listed in their blurb as being used in panda gearboxes.
 
The stuff I had in Grumbleweeds Y10 'box was 1b. Ran with that for over 100000 miles in a 'box which already had 150k on and it's in considerably better nick than the 40k box I've just put in (dammit!) so I think that's going back on at some point. The wear on that 'box is astonishingly minimal for a box that age so...controversially, unless anyone has a higher mileage box to compare, I'd say the yellow metal issue can't be that major. Definitely not going to chew away your gearbox as soon as you roll off the drive with it in anyway so don't panic. Mixing oils probably more of an issue though so for now if you have enough gearbox oil lying around I'd say drop what's in and refill with whatever you've got & don't fret.
 
If you only put a bit in it should be ok to drive.

I would imagine so, but I will still have to change it as soon as I can :/ Luckily the oil you mentioned is on sale in halfords just now as part of their "Save 30% On ALL Halfords, Mobil & Castrol 4L & 5L Car Engine Oils" So thats something at least, I just cant believe I made such a schoolboy error as to not check the haynes manual, normally I am obsessive about checking these things :(
 
Sorry mate....I can't think of a subject which has been discussed on here more than the problem of gearbox oil..

Another type I have used is Comma diesel engine oil. It is listed in their blurb as being used in panda gearboxes.

Sound of large bucket of worms escaping....:eek:

:idea: How about a sticky (and locked for mod only for reasons I'll get to) for facts & figures? I've lost track of how many times I've answered questions about tyre sizes and pressures for someone by checking handbooks. Not to mention oils, and antifreeze :rolleyes:

A handy recommended oils and pressures, capacities etc would be useful. Then we can just say read the thread!! We could then have alternatives known to be ok, like 20/50, and slightly bigger tyres. I'd want it locked to avoid silly comments and debates about antifreeze in black with yellow spots - you know what I mean!! Would this be useful purple haze ?
 
Sound of large bucket of worms escaping....:eek:

:idea: How about a sticky (and locked for mod only for reasons I'll get to) for facts & figures? I've lost track of how many times I've answered questions about tyre sizes and pressures for someone by checking handbooks. Not to mention oils, and antifreeze :rolleyes:

A handy recommended oils and pressures, capacities etc would be useful. Then we can just say read the thread!! We could then have alternatives known to be ok, like 20/50, and slightly bigger tyres. I'd want it locked to avoid silly comments and debates about antifreeze in black with yellow spots - you know what I mean!! Would this be useful purple haze ?

As a person who has asked these questions I think it would be a great idea, it may be routine and boring for you old hands but for us newbies it's essential information. Locking it though would spoil all the fun :p
 
Will certainly think about a general guide although the sticky section is getting a bit big... There are how to do sections on the forum for classic panda stuff already with handy tips.

Click on guides at the top of the page...
 
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