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:

    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 ...

    Inlet manifold - removal and refitting
    Note: A new gasket will be required on refitting. Carburettor models Removal 1 Disconnect the battery negative lead. 2 Remove the air cleaner as described in Part A of this Chapter. 3 Refer to ...

    Distributor components (CVH models) - removal and refitting
    1 The distributor fitted to the CVH engine is unlike any conventional distributor, in that it has no main body and no adjustments are possible. The distributor is used purely to distribute HT volt ...