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Tickman

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  1. Like
    Tickman reacted to Tommyboy12 in Tommy's A-series Misery - Collection caper!   
    The Beetle had a good run out with a few friends to the new Caffeine and Machine venue near Millbrook proving ground. It's new alternator and properly tensioned auxiliary belt behaved properly and I enjoyed having Bluetooth audio. It's properly cold when it's -1C and you have no heater though.
     



  2. Thanks
    Tickman got a reaction from fatharris in FatHarris - tales of a motoring moron ***More engine work***   
    Excellent progress on an unwanted task.
    You really are rattling through this.
  3. Like
    Tickman reacted to fatharris in FatHarris - tales of a motoring moron ***More engine work***   
    Small jobs tonight.
    Popped the head locating grommet out and pulled the mini gauze filter insert out to inspect.

    Looked pretty clean, bar one flap of material in there. Cleaned out with brake cleaner and reinserted.

    Finally, I got the exhaust manifold studs out - these needed replacing as I had to grind two studs down to get the manifold off. Got them all off, which made me right chuffed.

    Called it a night afterwards.
  4. Like
    Tickman reacted to fatharris in FatHarris - tales of a motoring moron ***More engine work***   
    Half-day update.
    A mate dropped off an engine crane whilst I was at work.

    With the warnings fully read and digested*:

    I gave the seized driveshaft bearing a dousing in oil this morning before work - a sharp twatting with a hammer and chisel freed it up.
    I removed the radiator to remove the risk of damaging it in the ensuing mayhem:

    And started loosening bolts for the bellhousing, bonus was freeing up a pair of wires that had been trapped in the join of the bellhousing and block since I bought the car! These will get a solder sleeves repair in due course.

    I roped the father in law to act as safety rating and operate the crane whilst I jiggled the 'box free, and eventually we got our first reward:

    It's actually light enough to lift myself using the strop so that'll be my method when it comes to lifting it in.
    Anyway, onto the main event. There was a bit of a faff to get the car to a lower position on the axle stands, exacerbated by the need to support the engine at the same time. There was a bit of an issue with access at times but otherwise it was okay.

    Both remaining mounts were unbolted and the engine was free to be lifted.

    And now resting on the deck. 


    Now the awkward jobs begin - stripping the block is going to be a bit of a pain without an engine stand, but hopefully do-able.
    Going to try and get out for a couple of hours tonight but we'll see.
    Cheers
  5. Like
    Tickman reacted to fatharris in FatHarris - tales of a motoring moron ***More engine work***   
    Very few pictures today.
    I sent the bolt removal fella the photos he requested of the offending item, and he said that the block will have to come to him for removal. This was a heavy gutpunch to hear, as this was a shitload of work I was ill-equipped and ill-motivated for.
    First things first though, I bought some penny washers and raided my spare sockets box to make 'packers' to allow me to clamp the wet liners in place with the original head bolts.

    Speaking to a few people and sorting a lend of an engine crane, I elected to crack on and start getting the engine and gearbox ready for removal. Luckily, my mate Dan (former half-owner of the BX) came over, rolled his sleeves up and mucked in with this task.

    With Dan gone home, I got the NS driveshaft out, the OSF one is very stuck in position - suspect the bearing has corroded into it's holder.

    The Haynes manual suggested a 24mm wooden dowel be inserted into the NS driveshaft hole on the gearbox to retain the differential gears, and where was I gonna find something like that?

    Oh, that'll do nicely. We'll ignore the fact that Haynes doesn't mention that it's no required in anything but the earliest gearboxes.
    Oh well. Tomorrow the engine crane arrives to get everything

  6. Like
    Tickman reacted to RobT in The new news 24 thread   
    Bought this last week as something to do.  It came with half a tank of pez so have a viaduct shot instead.

    1.2 HLX with working City mode.  Paint is thoroughly knackered but it drives fine, and will do as a stop gap whilst I sort the Xedos out come MoT time next month.  I initially thought the tow bar was for trailer tip runs, but the seller used it to occasionally shift his MG Midget about.
  7. Haha
    Tickman reacted to Stanky in The new news 24 thread   
    Pah, you're obviously wrong! He would only have needed to work 40 hours a day if he worked 7 days a week, or he could have only worked 24 hours a day if he'd worked 12 days per week.
    Honestly, this is basic stuff man. This exact question was Q1 of my GCSE maths exam. 
    Q. "Paul works in a MG Rover specialist in <somewhere northern>, he moonlights as a chauffeur in a 200k mile Mercedes S-class, how many days a week does he have to work to put 960,000 miles on the S-Class in 12 months assuming he never stopped for fuel or food, pissed in the footwell on the move and did 70mph everywhere, all the time? Show your working"
    A. 12 days per week (crude drawing of a stick man pissing in a Mercedes footwell)
    93 marks
  8. Like
    Tickman reacted to Cavcraft in Unpopular Motoring Opinion Thread   
    Absolutely spot on.
     
    In fact, the Escort it replaced was so absolutely fucking terrible that the Focus could have been made out of mouldy bread and Pot Noodle lids and it still couldn't have been worse than the former. 
  9. Agree
    Tickman got a reaction from Sunny Jim in Supernaut's Cars - 323i / Astra SXi   
    Brilliant news, always nice to have someone else look over your work and get the thumbs up.
     
  10. Like
    Tickman reacted to barefoot in The new news 24 thread   
    Rover 75 - OMGHGF update.
    I can reveal that the MG Rover specialist in Derby are a bunch of out & out tossers  
     http://www.mg-rovermobilemechanics.com 
    'Yes Mate, HGF innit, you can leave it with us, but I doubt we'll get round to it before xmas' . I was advised that with 'the dreaded vat it'd be £168'. Surprisingly the VAT was not itemised and there was no VAT number - Hmmm
    Fuck right off then, I'll have it recovered to a bloke down the road who has no fear of anything. He has had it for about 3 weeks & has had it in a million pieces for much of that time. The new radiator, uprated fan & relay all turned out to be pants, he's replaced the lot again along with a temp sensor and all manner of other crap that I really don't even pretend to understand. It wasn't HGF, but whatever it was, has been well & truly sorted.
    https://www.amosmotors.co.uk
    Would recommend.
  11. Like
    Tickman reacted to HMC in HMC- AUTOSHITE 2.0   
    There was one locally, for a decent price but decided against. Any excuse to buy a car, but lately ive been interested to scour the bargain bucket depths again. After covid things went a bit tits up for the casual banger buyer. Stuff got more expensive! I found it a bit depressing. Ive always been fascinated by how little money can provide a functioning motor car in no need work to be usable. Probably what lead me here back along.
    Lately ive found things changing, and for people prepared to dredge the internet, and sift through crap its possible to get road legal cars again, harbouring no terminal issues for not a lot.
    I nearly bought a 1998 volvo s40 for £250.  1.8 auto. Had a long ticket, and despite apparently a water leak into the rear footwells and some minor scuffs and scrapes it seemed legit.
    I decided against as ive never really lusted after mk1 v40s.  Also having a van/ people carrier is quite handy with the ever changing friend profile resulting from collectively 5 kids between myself and ms_hmc. The need to haul bikes / other peoples kids/ have the interior trashed with dogs gave a specific set of requirements.



     

    Obviously its a bit rough, ready trashed, if you will; but it runs and drives just fine, and has an mot to jan 25. 2.3 manual- im suprised just how rapid it feels. Ideal to fill with booze over on a french trip.
    it was up at £895 (too much imo) but i sniffed a willing seller when it was parked on their grass and hemmed in by other vehicles. Apparently it was bought as a stop gap and no longer needed. Would sir accept £600? Yes, yes he would. Plus according the the vendor he was overwhelmed with messages from old skool ford people wanting him to have the engine but not the rest of the car?
  12. Thanks
    Tickman got a reaction from Supernaut in Supernaut's Cars - 323i / Astra SXi   
    Brilliant news, always nice to have someone else look over your work and get the thumbs up.
     
  13. Like
    Tickman reacted to RayMK in The new news 24 thread   
    Update: 1994 Tipo 1.4ie which FTP'd last July and was recovered to a garage:    Don't get too excited.  Hardly anything has happened except that I've had a brief discussion with the garage.  We agreed that as it was a 'back burner' job in a busy garage it was unlikely to receive attention in the foreseeable future.  In the next week (+/- a few days) it will be made accessible to a trailer or whatever so that I can have it transported to my house where I can tinker with it and generally ponder its future.  Towing is not possible because it is SORN'd and no longer MOT'd or insured. Although I've missed having the option of driving a vaguely interesting, practical, manual car, in all honesty it has been quite convenient to have just two cars outside the house.  My '61 Reliant is still with me and roadworthy/road legal but requires considerable enthusiasm to clear its way out of my garage, something which is lacking these days. It rarely gets driven.
    Rather than just give up on the Tipo (it was tempting), I'm hoping that circumstances will allow something favourable to happen in the next several months. I can always polish it to improve my morale and extend its period of grace for a while.   
  14. Like
    Tickman reacted to Saabnut in How much shite is too much shite? Ready for the NEC and I have to decide on the Xantia   
    After last week’s terrible trip down to Worcester with the closure of the M6 I was not particularly looking forward to the trip south for the NEC show. Left roughly a half hour before I planned and had one of the easiest and best journeys south for many years
    Arrived at my hotel near Preston before 3pm 

    and now on my second beer 🍺 

  15. Like
    Tickman reacted to HMC in HMC- AUTOSHITE 2.0   
    The shad is going tomorrow, the p38 next thursday, but a mingebag OMG MPG chariot arrives tomorrow. £20 annual tax, any guesses?
  16. Haha
    Tickman reacted to Bren in HMC- AUTOSHITE 2.0   
    So the P38 and the shadow have gone?
    Replaced with an MGF?
    An anti climax on a par with going to see Star Wars the Phantom Menace.
  17. Like
    Tickman reacted to barefoot in Wtf is going on with car insurance prices?   
    Just had the renewal for the T2 - £193 up from £186 with an agreed value of £30,000, although it's time to submit new photographs and complete the daft form again. I see no point fucking about with other quotes, do you?
  18. Like
    Tickman reacted to Peter C in 1987 Ford Sierra Sapphire 1.8L - Ready for inspection - see page 20   
    I left the paint to dry overnight and this morning.
    I removed the masking tape and broadsheet to reveal sweet looking bumpers.


    The front grille looks sweet too.
    Next issue, sort out the sun burned bumper trims.

    I have a plan and Amazon have delivered the solution but unfortunately I ran out of time this afternoon to make further progress.
    Definitely more soon.
     
     
     
  19. Like
    Tickman reacted to cobblers in 1987 Ford Sierra Sapphire 1.8L - Ready for inspection - see page 20   
    that's 100% silicone contamination, someone has lathered the bumpers in back to black in the past.
    It doesn't affect primer because that doesn't "flow".
    If using paint from a gun you can get an additive which prevents this sort of thing. From an aerosol you are in trouble - Either strip the lot off somehow and mega mega decontaminate the plastic, or try a bar coat to bury it and then a less finicky top coat.
    Some of the specific bumper/plastic paints we use at work aren't as affected by silicone. We use Monofil Vario+ Texture paint and I've never seen it react like that
  20. Like
    Tickman reacted to Peter C in 1987 Ford Sierra Sapphire 1.8L - Ready for inspection - see page 20   
    @EspenO was right on the money.
    I borrowed my wife's floor steam cleaner, which has a small brush adaptor that is just right for cleaning Sierra wheel arch liners.

    Great tool. No noise, no mess, just steam that goes straight onto the desired surface. I could see brown water dripping down the liners, the steam managed to remove 95% of dirt.

    The liners were clean but not shiny enough for me, so I gave them a wipe over with a tiny bit of this stuff.

    The results speak for themselves.




    I can relax now, knowing that when I drive the Sierra down the road, the wheel arch liners that are hidden behind the wheels, which no one will see, are now nice and clean.
    The rear bumper is fucked. The greyish blueish paint coatings are peeling, it has numerous scratches and two vertical cracks in-line with the number plate lights. Some of the scratches are very deep.





    I rubbed the heavily scratched areas with 120 grade paper, in a circular motion, which got rid off the worst imperfections. I prepared and cleaned the bumper and masked it off. 

    And gave it a coat of primer.

    The front bumper is in better condition but it is far from perfect.



    The bumpers are not black and I have acquired an aerosol can of gloss black. On the basis that I have to fix the rear bumper, consequently I also have to do the front one.
    I cleaned the front bumper and masked it off. The top section of the bumper is black and mostly ok so it will not be re-sprayed.

    And gave it a coat of primer.

    I will leave the primer to dry overnight and spray the bumpers black in the morning.
    The chrome* strips in the bumpers are weathered, especially the front one. I have a cunning plan how to sort them out.
    I had a two minute break for a cuppa and chocolate croissant.

    The front grille was chipped and  cracked.

    I filled the chip and crack with chemical metal.

    Rubbed it down.

    And gave it a squirt of primer.

    I will spray it black in the morning.
    A few minor cosmetic jobs aside, the Sierra is ready to hit the road. However, I still have tomorrow and another four man days (two weekends) to do a few more jobs before the maiden voyage scheduled for the 1st April. I want to clean and spray the front suspension components, clean and re-paint the engine sump and spend a bit more time touching up the brush painted areas. 
    More tomorrow.
     
  21. Like
    Tickman reacted to HMC in HMC- AUTOSHITE 2.0   
    Question. what does a £600 mgf look like?
    This



    Long mot, body good but poor paint, and a long mot. 
  22. Like
    Tickman reacted to grogee in Grogee's spannering (Puma, Maestro , Corsa & Avensis). PUMA MOT FETTLE   
    Corsa is up on stands so I commenced works at 5pm at the work whistle. 
    I started off thinking I'll just change the indicator bulbs which aren't orange enough for the tester (he's funny about that). Unfortunately the one I fitted behind the stupid flat tyre pump kit jigsaw isn't orange enough so it's off to Halfords for some not-shit orange bulbs. 
    The exhaust isn't terrible but I can't be bothered peeling off all the skin and I've got a new one anyway. So I attacked the cat to flexi joint with the ugga dugga and to my surprise it came right off. 
    There then followed 20 minutes bashing but the hammer of truth prevailed and it's apart. Surprisingly un-crusty for 13 years old. 
    I need to find some zorst clamps but that particular element should be ticked off soon, onto the shocks tomorrow. 




  23. Like
    Tickman reacted to grogee in Grogee's spannering (Puma, Maestro , Corsa & Avensis). PUMA MOT FETTLE   
    Changed the oil in the Puma, it's really not done a lot of miles since the last service (perhaps 2000?) but I do it every year thanks to Big Motor Oil propaganda. As a little bonus I treated it to an OEM oil filter although the Bosch one I took off was probably just as good or better. 
    It's got a Pipercross panel filter which I should probably get around to cleaning at some point. I really don't want to buy their snake oil so can someone tell what to use instead, eg could I clean with brake cleaner then re-oil with normal motor oil? 
    It had smelly air con so I gave it a squirt of foamy AC cleaner which works for a while until it doesn't. To cure it I presume I have to pull the heater box out and scrub the evaporator so that's not happening. 
    I checked the tyre pressures which seemed to have gone up from when I last checked which is weird. I can only think it's because of warmer weather. Being a thorough* mechanic I even checked the spare which involves rolling around on the floor. 
    After tomorrow's MoT I'll be bleeding the brakes with some fresh DOT4, polishing the lights and changing the rear bumper. I do need to try and fix the rear washer but I tend to keep the car clean enough that I never use it. 
    Other than that a small amount of beautification eg rusty washers on the bumper rubber. Like I say, it's largely fine, I'm just trying to keep it 100%.

  24. Like
    Tickman reacted to mat_the_cat in Korean Cortina - MOT day   
    I've used this for a month or so already this year, including going down to Rustival so I know it's running reasonably well. Certainly no problems I'm aware of, but still a bit nervous come MOT day.
    But all good for another year!

    I took it to a local Cars & Coffee meet a week ago, and attracted a bit of interest once I'd put the bonnet up...

  25. Like
    Tickman reacted to 320touring in Rank Taxi Two. The Octavia Returns! Time for a stoat 19/03/24   
    Not for me , the joy* of working!
    Instead, a trek to Sunny Lochgoilhead for a walk and a spot of lunch.
    130 miles covered, all good! 17/10 would hoor down single track roads again





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