Heat Wave Headache

Have a look at your callipers....the make will be stamped on them.

Can't see a makers mark with the wheel on ,and just about to set off for the ACE meet so I'll ask down there .I think, looking at the ART diagrams they're Girling so should be right.

I had a chat to the senior technician at EBC last week about their pads. They no longer recommend Green Stuff for performance cars such as Alpines / Imprezas etc. They now recommend Red Stuff. Green Stuff is more suited to smaller Golf GTI type cars. Red Stuff work better at lower temperatures than they used to and are significantly better at higher temperatures. They also do Yellow Stuff for very hard / track use. On the A610 Red Stuff part numbers are 3880C front and 3104C rear. They also emphasise that front and rear pads should be the same material because if say the rears are less effective and fade when the fronts have not, it will cause the ABS to do strange and potentially dangerous things. Geoff

[stephendell]

Front Lucas/Girling

Rear Bendix

So you're telling me that ALL fronts are
LUCAS ( prince of darkness!!! )

[stephendell]

Apart from those

I have tried ebc brakes and clutches extensively a couple of years back and I have to say in my opinion (and several other people who iI supplied with their parts) it is rubbish. The clutch that had had less than 2000 miles use - and pretty sensible use at that, was shot to pieces, the discs corrode badly and the greenstuff pads are no better than standard - again these are my opinions.

Tony, as EBC did not perform for you, what clutch would you reccomend?

If it was that bad I'm suprised the company is still going! Are you sure Paul fitted the right clutch, as I remeber you telling me the R21 Turbo EBC clutch kit wouldn't fit a GTA, but it is the same part number and I know they fit, so you couldnt have has the correct kit on the car..?

I have used EBC pads for probably 10 years and been very impressed with the improved braking performance and reduced fade. They are used my all manner of racing teams so cant be rubbish! I will be changing my A610 to Red Stuff or Yellow Stuff when pads are next needed. The only down side has been a tendency to wear discs more quickly although most modern pads are hard on discs. On my daily Volvo V70 2.5T I have just had some better discs machined up and grooved to try and improve both performance and longevity. I shall use a dial guage when I fit them as if they are not perfectly true, they will get thick / thin syndrome and warp. This is another common problem with modern disc and pad materials.

[Alpineandy]

A mate with a 7 (westfield I think), swears by EBC pads and swears at EBC Clutches...

I agree, Ive used Greenstuff on all my recent racers and find they bite really well when cold. They are soft and wear fast....but they warn you of that on the packet. When I first fitted them to a Rover, it was like a brake upgrade they were so much better than the cheap pads fitted.

On the topic of heat wave headaches, my newly acquired GTA turbo (after only about five miles) broke down on the Dartford bridge. The engine got so hot it melted through a turbo hose and lost all its coolant.

Good old Paul Sage has put it right but when the fan kicks in it sounds like a tractor! Apart from the noise is it safe to drive like this? It does eventually cool down but sounds awful. I suspect it's the bearings in the fan?

Other than this the car is fantastic, the Baley dump valve makes the car sound like you're on a fairground ride, yesterday it nearly gave an old lady a heart attack whilst her Yorkshire terrier jumped into someones front garden in fear..!

mr jon you were obviously born good!

(incidentally should we address you as 'sir' when we meet in person as nobody else has mr prefixing their name?)

'Mr' will do just fine (even her indoors knows how I should be addressed).