Major body damage - repair

Where serious damage has occurred or large areas need renewal due to neglect, it means that completely new sections or panels will need welding in, and this is best left to professionals. If the damage is due to impact, it will also be necessary to completely check the alignment of the bodyshell structure. Due to the principle of construction, the strength and shape of the whole car can be affected by damage to one part. In such instances the service of a dealer with specialist checking jigs are essential. If a body is left misaligned, it is first of all dangerous, as the car will not handle properly, and secondly uneven stresses will be imposed on the steering, engine and transmission, causing abnormal wear or complete failure. Tyre wear may also be excessive.

    See also:

    Cylinder head - removal and refitting (engine removed)
    Note: The cylinder head bolts must always be renewed after slackening, and a new cylinder head gasket and camshaft cover gasket must be used on refitting. If the engine has recently run, the cylin ...

    Fuel vapour separator (models from 1985) - removal and refitting
    Caution: Refer to the precautions in Section 1 before proceeding. Removal 1 On SOHC models, the vapour separator is located on the left-hand side of the engine compartment. On CVH models, the va ...

    Pistons/connecting rods - removal and refitting
    Removal 1 Remove the sump, as described in Section 8, and the cylinder head, as described in Section 7. 2 Check that the connecting rod and cap have adjacent numbers at their big-end to indicate ...