Project Tickman's stuff. Tidy* up time.

[Tickman]

Have you got a link for that solar panel please Tickman. It looks like the kind of mod I should be considering.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272281867335

Then a big sheet of souble sided tape (the full size of the panel) and a charge controller all off ebay.

I bought £20 worth of 4 core cable today (10 meters) that is actually for solar stuff.

[Tickman]

Not been near the camper for a couple of days and usually it would have lost enough electricity to do the engine turns over slower and slower routine, however today thanks to Mr Sun and a few people in China (may have been others involved) the battery was full of electricity and the van just started quicker than it ever has done.

 

Chuffed with that I set about finding the cause of the not functioning indicators on Sonic (Triumph Toledo)

I had a circuit diagram, multi meter, test lamp and a power probe.

After studying the circuit diagram I finally figured out the power all comes through the relay, with the multi meter I was getting 12 volts (or 14 if the car was running) so that seemed fine. Next I used the power probe to supply power and earth to the relay, then my indicators worked. Everyone I had mentioned the problem to said it would be a dodgy earth and I can confirm that it was not a dodgy earth.

 

Using the test lamp on the supply and earth of the relay it would not light, I was getting enough for the multi meter to read 12 volts but not enough power for the lamp. I traced the green wire and it went straight to the fuse box.

I cleaned up all the connections in the fuse box and I now have indicators again.

 

This is the first time I have successfully fault found on a car (without just swapping parts) so I am mighty happy now.

 

None of this would have been possible without two specific items.

First the power probe:

If you don't have one and do any electrical work just buy one.

 

Secondly the home made (not my home) test lamp:

Yes it is a bulb inside a syringe, it came with Gwen the Morris Minor along with lots of other home made things.

 

Now I'm off out to drive Sonic.

 

[Tickman]

The miles I am covering has made the trips to get fuel more frequent. So a decision to move the Volvo on was made. 

It was put on Gumtree and I got loads of replys which consisted of '300' and that was all, it was up for £695.

 

I just let it sit and thought that an actual human being might come along at some point. 

I had a replys with actual words that made reasonable sense.

 

Finally I had someone ask all the relevant questions about the car and want to come and see it. He arrived at the agreed time, looked over the car in a basic manor and then we took it for a test drive where he asked me to drive.

He then handed me the full amount and we did the paperwork. I gave him some back to get the nearside track rod done as it was getting tired due to having to park on the pavement outside the house and away he went back to Edinburgh.

 

I have yet again had great success with Gumtree despite all the lazy and ignorant replys.

 

 

 

[Eddie Honda]

The miles I am covering has made the trips to get fuel more frequent. So a decision to move the Volvo on was made. 

It was put on Gumtree and I got loads of replys which consisted of '300' and that was all, it was up for £695.

 

I just let it sit and thought that an actual human being might come along at some point. 

I had a replys with actual words that made reasonable sense.

 

Finally I had someone ask all the relevant questions about the car and want to come and see it. He arrived at the agreed time, looked over the car in a basic manor and then we took it for a test drive where he asked me to drive.

He then handed me the full amount and we did the paperwork. I gave him some back to get the nearside track rod done as it was getting tired due to having to park on the pavement outside the house and away he went back to Edinburgh.

 

I have yet again had great success with Gumtree despite all the lazy and ignorant replys.

 

Volvo gone.jpg

 

 

REPLIES. Don't let your spelling plummet towards Gumtree levels.

[The Moog]

The 300 replies are gumtrees fault. If you put in an offer it just emails that offer with no context .

[Pillock]

So last weekend we were at Santa Pod when it was tipping it down. We're hardcore tent-campers but whilst everyone was getting irate with the rain, damp tents, mud everywhere etc we were in the pits in a range of friends campers... VW Type 4s and 5s. Electric hookups, comfort, warmth.

 

So now we want a camper.

 

Obvs can't stretch to a modern VW so started looking at oddball alternatives... Renault Master, Transit etc. Anything that's a van with a poptop really.

 

This thread has now scared the shit out of me and I'm about to go and put a deposit on a brand new Transporter.

[Split_Pin]

That's some work on the Talbot camper roof. I like how you just get in with it, I'd still be shilly-shallying right now!

[Tickman]

REPLIES. Don't let your spelling plummet towards Gumtree levels.

I have qualifications to prove I am rubbish at English, I am so bad the following year I repeated the exam and got the same Excellent* result.

 

Slight clue very near the end of the last sentence!

[Tickman]

So last weekend we were at Santa Pod when it was tipping it down. We're hardcore tent-campers but whilst everyone was getting irate with the rain, damp tents, mud everywhere etc we were in the pits in a range of friends campers... VW Type 4s and 5s. Electric hookups, comfort, warmth.

 

So now we want a camper.

 

Obvs can't stretch to a modern VW so started looking at oddball alternatives... Renault Master, Transit etc. Anything that's a van with a poptop really.

 

This thread has now scared the shit out of me and I'm about to go and put a deposit on a brand new Transporter.

Just returned from being away for a few nights with 'Malcolm' and 700 miles done and some genuine good nights sleep. It beats a tent any day of the week. I will completly agree that tents do not need welding though.

[Tickman]

That's some work on the Talbot camper roof. I like how you just get in with it, I'd still be shilly-shallying right now!

If it is broken then trying to fix it can actually end up fixing it. However sometimes after trying to fix it it is still broken, usually it is just broken in another way you didn't already know about though.

[mk2_craig]

I am always amazed at how much those old Talbot vans still change hands for, despite the fact that most of them seem to be one rust blister away from being condemned as total scrap. Great work sorting all that grot out!

[Tickman]

Since the Volvo went we have been using the Toledo and the mx5 for whatever duties are required but I have some house renovations to get done and needed something that I wouldn't be too precious about.

 

With the used car market being such a gamble and being too busy to actually go and look at stuff I was offered a vehicle that fitted the bill for a very small amount of money. I of course did the sensible thing and agreed.

The following morning I was contacted again and asked was I sure and was I fully aware of the 'issues' that were present, I told the seller not to be daft and fired some money over.

 

With holidays and stuff getting in the way today was the day to collect. 

First fill shot:

 

 

It was in sharper focus in real life.

 

There is of course the list of issues that need sorted the main one is to make the stereo work to drown out all the rest of the noises.

 

First fix has been done as the passengers wiper (which I think is about 10 seconds old) tried to disassemble itself so I sorted that at home.

 

Tomorrow it gets put to work.

Special thanks go to 320T for putting up with delays in collecting and putting some liquid dinosaur in it.

[320touring]

That wiper blade is about 200 miles old- glad you got it fixed!

[The Moog]

You going to retire to mx5 now you have a track weapon!

[Tickman]

Alf has been helping out today, this is only the start of load two. It is really quite spacious.

[Supernaut]

Seems like Alfa make bikes now.

[Tickman]

Time to deal with some Alfa issues.

 

 

First one being something missing here.

 

 

That's better. (bonus strange head also not in the picture)

 

 

The squeaks and rattles are a little annoying so time to sort that out.

Discard the wiring harness for the phone.

 

 

Connect the radio up and confirm that it doesn't have a switched live.

 

 

Make sure that the radio can play The Cult. (no point carrying on if it won't)

 

 

Download the manual for the radio and not be able to read it on my phone as it is too small / my eyesight is rubbish so play about with the settings until a 'powersave' mode is found and when this is switched on the display goes blank instead of being lit with the clock.

 

 

Feel much happier about the radio now working and wonder why I didn't do this 300 miles ago!

 

Alf is worming his way in already...

[Tickman]

Took Alf to the workshop today and had a look for all the knocks and bangs. 

I couldn't find any loose ball joints at all, either at full droop or with the hub jacked up so I am none the wiser on that front.

However I did find this on the drivers side:

 

 

Passenger side wasn't much better really, both inner boots and the passenger outer has a cut.

All put back together after the check over and drove home.

 

Still really liking it, I am currently choosing this over anything else!

[The Moog]

The engine is very lush.

 

Squeaks not so much. Glad it is getting looked after.

[Dave_Q]

The bangs could be ARB bushes, they're buried in there on the top of the subframe so hard to see. 

 

Alternatively our 147 has just had 2 x top wishbones and that has fully silenced the suspension, there was play in the bushes which was evident when removed, but not so much when trying to prod the suspension.

[Tickman]

The engine is very lush.

 

Squeaks not so much. Glad it is getting looked after.

 

'Getting looked after'.....erm...

 

The bangs could be ARB bushes, they're buried in there on the top of the subframe so hard to see. 

 

Alternatively our 147 has just had 2 x top wishbones and that has fully silenced the suspension, there was play in the bushes which was evident when removed, but not so much when trying to prod the suspension.

I will try and get a look at them next week. 

So your wishbone bushes were the issue and not the ball joint end of the wishbone. I shall also see if I can sense any movement there.

Thanks for the pointers.

 

The engine feels like it is surging a little if you try and do a steady 30. I am guessing this is connected to the boost leak. After driving other stuff it is a little strange to have to regulate how much of the accelerator I need to press instead of just ON and OFF.

[320touring]

'Getting looked after'.....erm...

 

I will try and get a look at them next week.

So your wishbone bushes were the issue and not the ball joint end of the wishbone. I shall also see if I can sense any movement there.

Thanks for the pointers.

 

The engine feels like it is surging a little if you try and do a steady 30. I am guessing this is connected to the boost leak. After driving other stuff it is a little strange to have to regulate how much of the accelerator I need to press instead of just ON and OFF.

It is deffo squeaking from drivers top wishbone.

 

Re the surging, yep only happened after the boost leak issue.

[Tickman]

Time for a bit of old school tinkering. Ben lives at home in the garage at the back of the house that is accessible* by the very narrow path down the side of the house. It will get the Minor through but nothing else.

 

He has been sitting here for too long.

 

 

I decided to have a look at getting him going yesterday and was getting no spark but only had a nearly flat battery to use.

Battery sorted and time for proper investigations. 

The no spark was the coil so that was swapped for one of the many spares I have which gave spark.

I have air as the garage is not in a vacuum so the only other part of the triangle was fuel.

There was no 'ticking' from the fuel pump and it is getting 12 volts so I put some fuel down the neck of the carb and it coughed and spluttered almost to life.

Next was taking the lid off the float bowl which was a very dry place so that got filled.

 

Time for the next attempt and away he went

 

 

He is running rather rich so that will have to be sorted.

 

 

That I am calling a success.

[Tickman]

Sorting out some stuff today and came across what I think is the only picture of my first car.

I was obviously well ahead of my time with taking pictures from far away.

 

 

Yes it is a photo of a photo so I am just continuing the rubbish photo side of it.

 

Alfa is doing what it needs to do and I haven't even looked at the Minor since last week!

[Split_Pin]

Hope to see Ben at a future Scotoshite meet. I have loved Minors since I got Paul Skilleter's book about them in the late 1980s

[Tickman]

Hope to see Ben at a future Scotoshite meet. I have loved Minors since I got Paul Skilleter's book about them in the late 1980s

Sorry to disappoint but I don't own a car trailer!

[Split_Pin]

I'll take that as a yes!

[Tickman]

Alfa update, one month in and just over 1500 miles has taken it to just over 171000 miles. The last tank gave 47mpg with the worst one calculated at 40mpg. That I am very happy with.

 

All is not happy in Alfa land though as I have had my first failure.

 

 

Seriously that is all that has gone wrong. Admittedly it has a few* issues that will need looked at but it is doing a fantastic job at the moment.

 

I should probably get on with sorting out my fleet issues, maybe tomorrow...

[320touring]

Phone the POLIS!!!!

[Tickman]

Phone the POLIS!!!!

Just checking the warranty* documentation instead...