| Cambelt |
Service schedule recommends cambelt change every 45,000 miles or three years. Many of our
cars have not even covered 45,000 miles in two decades.
Cambelts do degrade with time and can also lose flexibility on engines which have not been run for some time. Even if your Acclaim is low mileage then a belt change would be a good investment. Belts are available (try Spares page). Cost and time is slightly reduced if servicing the engine at the same time. |
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| Clutch - Judder | This is a particular problem on cars which have been standing for a while. Good news is that, although unpleasant, it does not seem to do any great harm. One car of mine has covered several thousand miles with the malady to no ill effect. Note that an Engine Mount problem can cause similar symptoms. |
| Engine Mounts - Judder |
If you are suffering engine / drivetrain judder on take off or on the over-run then suspect the top bush Engine Rear Torque Rod.
Or, for the more traditional: 'engine mount'.
Refer to Haynes, chapter 1, section 5.32 and photo 5.32b. Hold the top of the bracket extending from the engine and shake it form side to side. Play should be minimal. If it is not, then the bush needs to be replaced. This is a 10 minute operation - the main problem is freeing the bolt which has probably not moved since the car left the factory. On removal, you may note that the old bush does not feel any different to its new replacement. Put the new bush in, however, and and you will find that the play has disappeared. Keep the old bush as a reference should you ever need to acquire another one.If the judder persists then you still have a problem elsewhere - but your time and money has still been well spent. See Clutch judder. The replacement bushes are in short supply. When visiting your motor factor, take your Haynes with you and show them the photo. These can be had for around £20 - see the Spares page. |
| Radiator / overheating / possible Head Gasket failure | Please see the after purchase page. |
| Triomatic Gearbox | Please see the Triomatic page. |
| Tyres |
Take a look at what tyres your car is shod with. If you still have Goodyear Grand Prix S then there is a chance these are getting
on for 20 years old. Indeed, if you have an Acclaim then they may be the original tyres!
The Grand Prix S was a very good tyre - too good, it turned out, for Goodyear as they never seemed to wear out. One of my cars covered 80,000 on one of these tyres and there was still tread to spare. So where's the problem? Well, after a decade of so, tyres begin to stiffen up. Stick a nail (fingernail that is!) into a the tread of newish tyre and it will feel quite pliant. Older ones are tough and shiny and are prone to the following:
This need not be that expensive, for 13 x 155 there is a good Firestone replacement at around £33 per corner. You can get budget types for less and I see no great harm on putting a pair on the rear. I've done this and all seems well. Indeed, the extra flex from the cheaper rear tyres may even balance up the handling - it certainly did my HLS no harm on a rapid run through the Welsh Mountains.... |
| Wiper Shafts |
The windscreen wiper shafts are prone to seizure. This particular affects the inboard (nearside) wiper. When seizure occurs the considerable torque generated by the wiper motor is enough to rip the shaft out of position. This damages the entire wiper mechanism, but more significantly, distorts or even tears the bodywork. Replacement wiper parts can be difficult to source, though a Ford Fiesta system can be adapted without too much difficulty. The body damage is a different matter. Because of its proximity, the windscreen needs to be removed and a plate welded into the scuttle – a tricky operation which may well leave a scar. I know of three cars which have experienced this problem, one of them at just 30,000 miles. To prevent this happening, do the following with both wipers:
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