Out Run

We can all dream, mate. Few of us are lucky enough to actually live out the fantasy. 😚 The oil looked like it had just been added, 10 miles prior. I sent it off to the boyz in the lab and they said it's a diesel innit, m9, nowt to fret about.

I wrote this up in Trio and it seems I saved it as Rich Text. Is it possible to change it to Plain Text? It doesn't work for me, on here. If not, I'll go back and re-paste it all in. Just not at 01;36. 😅 EDIT: I only f@%£*ng managed.

Pass and back on the road. it’s been thundering up and down the A19 again for a few weeks, now and 10L of unleaded to 60L or so of WVO and she starts like its summer. But do they know how to do anything else? BONUS ALIEXPRESS FREEHUB REPORT: The 4WD on it works way better than it ever did, when running the original vacuum hubs. It’s a bit of a beast now, even on the BFG M/T tyres and works way more like I originally expected. Given that when I replaced the lower arms a few years back (stupid, welded in ball joints...) the steel pipe stubs that the rubber vac pipes connect to, were hanging off on one side and fully snapped on the other, safe to say it wasn’t at its best. As it has been essentially in RWD only, it got stuck a few times, in embarrassingly easy situations. No more! Next time it gets stuck, it will be for a valid reason. ATM I have been keeping the freewheel hubs locked in and alternating between 2WD and 4H, as needed. I left it in 4H when I transitioned from hard packed snow to gritted car park when turning and it bound up on me, straight away. TBH I forgot to knock it off on the dash, but that’s more like it.

and at the same time, found a use for Ford steel wheel nuts, as spacers for my too long front damper top mount studs stuck some new handbrake cables on, as the 10 month old eBay jobshad seized on one side and they come as a single piece affair treated it to 6 wheel nuts again on the OSF at the same time as doing a MURDERED OUT upgrade and banged it in for its MOT. Before. Pah! After. Max Mall Crawler points attained It failed the test, but only on play in a front bearing, handbrake being dog shit and a brake pipe. The thing is almost 19 years old and gets no love – when we did the clutch, that was the first time it had an oil change, in my hands. Whoops – I did the brake pipe, tightened the bearing and actually fitted some E Clips to the handbrake cables so they remain captive as they should, when the cylinder returns.

The fuel tank strap snapped – doesn’t really need this, IMO – I effected a top qualz repair, as see here Carefulling You can't beat a cable tie.

I took it back to ATS, to be told the A/C still leaked. So mobile matey came back out to the house. It turns out that the O Rings supplied by Advanced Radiators were shit. Those were replaced and it was holding the charge. Just the fan wasn't kicking in. The combination of WVO smell and the highly refined* diesel lump, along with occasional serpentine belt squeal meant that the burning smell was hard to pinpoint, initially. Satisfied it wasn’t the compressor, we had a good sniff about, then the whisps of smoke also assisted. A/C rad fan. It had seized up, through lack of use. I reckoned I didn’t need to put 12v to it, to prove this. Fortunately, I had some generic electric fan that I used to have fitted to the MR2 engine lid. As can be seen, it fitted the OE housing a treat, once the DONG WANG unit was evicted. Toyota and SsangYong plugs are even the same. I stuck it on and it kicked straight in. Happy days and cool cabins abound. Then it was back to carting around the doggo, fire wood, MTBs etc and commuting.

We called it there. The engine went back in and I sourced another 3-piece clutch. This was also wrong. I then bought just a friction disc and it was correct. Lots of back-and-forth BS... We decided to remove the very heavy gear/TX box, this time. @filthyjohn was also on hand for reinsertion. We got there in the end...

. Perhaps part numbers may prove useful. As we know, there is scant information out there, foe these things. Clutch kit and flywheel in stock, I arranged a suitable date for @jikovron to accompany me in this endeavour that I really couldn’t be arsed with. We hoiked the mighty OM662 out of the bay, with ease, teasing the MR2 in the background that it was to become a veg slurper. It was then that we learned that although the clutch was the correct 240mm diameter, it was a 25 spline example, not the 22-spline variant that the input shaft required. Who knew? Certainly not the many clutch vendors who don’t like to specify this insignificant* difference. The last pic above, highlights some of rhe desperation, whe n we discovered tbis. What followed was some desperate stuff. Ron stayed in sunny Houghton-le-Spring for the night and we scoured eBay etc. A plan was to drive to Leeds the next day and pick up an ‘in stock’ 22 spline, 240mm friction disc. I rang the seller and after some arsing on, was told that all of the clutches were made to order – WTF?! - and took 2-3 weeks to be delivered. GTF, fam. I then rang almost every motor factor and supplier we could find, in the North East. No go. We tried a place that replaces clutch and brake linings, (pic) but they didn’t want to risk it. Ron then had the idea to try his engineering mate, who kindly drilled the rivets out, with the intention of riveting in the original centre, splined section. It transpires that it differed just enough as to not be possible.

Boxing day '22 marks 6 years ownership of this piece of engineering perfection. So, it's a good time for a catch up on the Korean dream. I've always been one to use the aircon, all year around. But around 5 years in, the ice-cold charge abandoned me. I did a sad, then whacked it into ATS via Groupon, to be told it's not pressurising m8. Obviously, this was expected, but when I asked matey if he knew where it was leaking from, I was told no. Damn. I bit the bullet and called out a mobile specialist. He pressurised the system with nitrogen and his soapy water trigger spray soon found that the condenser was rotten in one lower corner. Score/no surprise. Along with weeping to one of its fittings. I pulled the rad pack out and ordered a new condenser. Given that the car was soon to receive a clutch and I'd have to bodge in the intercooler if I wanted to drive it, I just left it apart for a couple of weeks. When separating the condenser from the coolant rad, the car broke the proud tradition of having never snapped a fastener. Given that some of these have been as small as M6 disc back plate bolts, I let it off, this time. Second time lucky with the condenser, having first been sent not just the wrong one, but one that was way too out of shape to be trusted. I bought a Sachs branded DMF even though the original seemed fine. Along with a three-pieceLUK clutch kit. The clutch has always been high and it has slipped a few times. None more notably than when I lent it to a colleague and he had to abort towing his twin axle caravan, some years ago.

It makes me think that is how most of them probably earned their shattered bodywork. 😂

Mare snar in DH Fowa. Looking forward to the drive to work.

Herrington Park, midday.

Aliexpress stick on tat order, inbound 👌🏻

Lovely, mate. Looks cracking and hopefully it will do you proud!

The WhatsApp chat name is a joke... Some are worthless and some are shitters. My mates and I only have decent ones, though. Top spec, then optioned on top, with powerful engines. Examples like that are a world away from 1800 TDCi Zetecs/Ghias/Titaniums and the like.

Dunno what happened ^ That wasn't my choice of emoji. But yeah, so so many TXS' get shit stuck all over them. It's hilarious, but seriously thins the field. If you want a good nick 2.2, with options and in estate form, it's a small pool to start with. It makes my top spec remapped car with spacers and XC90 brake conversion, Pebble Beach material once it hits 25 years old. 😂

I dunno who these people are, but they clearly know what's up. I received the ultimate accolade for mine, when mountain biking. Two lads with a VW Transporter were loving my bike carrying set up and tyres. 😂 These Santa Cruz riders normally do not lower themselves to talk to the rest of us.

Be quick, mate. The 'enthusiasts' have pur their stamp on nearly all of them. 😵‍💫

😂 He's heard it from me for years.

Another year, another MOT breezed. I haven't used this for a while and when I do, 540Nm always feels brisk.

It depends what you want from a car. For me, I think 90s Toyotas have it nailed. Overbuilt, tough as old boots and as reliable as they come. Some creature comforts and one eye on safety. That's why my MR2 turbo is never going anywhere. The 'best' car I have ever owned though, is one that continues to fly under the radar and is worth buttons. My 2004 Ssangyong RX290. These, to me are pretty much peak 4X4. Mechanical injection, not rust prone, separate chassis, 3.5T towing capacity, veg friendly, comfortable and well appointed, good road manners, good off road (diff a little low), capacious inside. They do anything you ask of them and just keep going and going. Mine's what, 18 years old? Yes it just failed its test, but on some play in a front bearing (sorted), handbrake cables (my fault, forgot to add circlip and they came loose lol) and a brake pipe. I'll sort that this weekend. I've owned this for 6 years, now and it is no bother. Another I really don't plan to sell. Compared to the competition, how many of them can manage an MOT without being or needing welded? At less than half the age, many are a mess. I wouldn't have rated them really when new and expensive, but as a basic, yet comfortable workhorse that you can rely on to fire up whenever you need it and bits aren't falling off it, they can't be touched IMO. Hats off to Ssangyong on this one. #peak4x4

This classic* sometimes gets a top of the line outdoor cover, mind. I'm sure it doesn't scratch the paintwork at all, when I fling the caravan awning material over the screen. 🤪

I went with the carport option, for now. Works a treat at keeping 90% of the weather off and allows for a beneficial breeze to circulate. As said by others, avoid outdoor covers at all costs.

Share the wealth, man. I loaned you the patent for the MAGNAFUNNEL14 and you don't tell me about the spout? sadfaceemoji