How much shite is too much shite? Specials and Space

[DSdriver]

following with interest! You should be used to sumps like that with the number of Saabs that have passed through your hands.

[grogee]

20 hours ago, Saabnut said:

Another update is due on the fleet. The AX diseasal is back to its best* and starting easily after the Glow plug relay was stripped, contacts cleaned and a short length of wire replaced. Glad to have it back. The Shitroen  of many shiters is back with the new clutch cable fitted. All is not well with it as it has a few mostly minor faults, some I knew about, some I did not. The rear spheres are shot so it is a bit bouncy, this I knew about and the original plan was to replace them, but that is now on hold. Other faults, one rear light bulb blown (very minor and easy fix) one headlight bulb blown (minor but a twat to get to and may need some serious dismantling to get to the bulb). Neither front electric windows work. The radio will not accept any code (I have the right code) so that does not work. Front fog lights dont work (minor). Then there is the big one. There is a massive current drain when switched off, so bad overnight will see no ignition lights the next morning, so everytime it is left the battery has to be disconnected.  None of these faults are serious, and when the wind drops below storm force and it dries up I can start working through them. None of these things are a complaint, it was a cheap car with known problems. The big problem is I don't like it! My last Xantia was an HDi and I loved it. This is a petrol 2 litre, and is high reving, 60mph is over 3k revs in 5th. Saabs are low reving and I do not like revvy cars. I will give it a couple of weeks, but I can see it getting moved on cheaply unless I grow to like it.

A bit of progress on the Lancia. Got a price for the fuel tank of around £700 as expected, but only a 4 week lead time. I will be ordering it tomorrow. Here is one they did earlier:

Next job was to remove the sump to see what was going on. This car has done 49k miles (fully documented) but has sat for the last 12 years. This is what the sump looked like on removal

After some serious cleaning (apart from the oil pick up strainer that we had not got to yet) it looked like this

The first of the bearing shells was removed, only one until the new shells arrived (they arrived late this afternoon).

These are strange. They are not the usual steel shell/copper/white metal but seem to be some sort of alloy. It has some very shiny patches which could indicate wear. They are an odd make (I cannot remember - I would need to check) but we feel these may not be the original shells, but replacements. These engines are notorious for oil strvation due to surge in the sump when driven enthusiastically, and baffle kits are available.

How are the journals? I managed to clean up some on a Toyota using fine wet and dry and a shoelace... Greybeard trick. 

[Saabnut]

Had a day of running errands, so on the way back called in at my friends to check on Lancia progress. It was well timed, as the last few bits were being fitted before more new oil an another new filter. A full set of shells has been fitted. There was minor signs of wear on the big ends

But much more significant wear on the mains, although nothing I considered worrying

What was intersting was the main bearings appeared to be the originals with Fiat and Lancia markings

But the big ends appear to be replacements

This car has a documented 49k miles and is now on its third set of big end bearings! They do have a reputation for oil starvation if cornering enthusiastically......

The good news is the new shells has stabilised the oil pressure when it gets warm and the knock has gone.

Tomorrow I will be fetching it home to free up my friends ramp until the new fuel tank arrives.

[Saabnut]

Back home and put away in the barn until the new fuel tank arrives....

But this time it drove on and off the trailer under its own power!

[Saabnut]

Well a day of mixed emotions as I am heading to port (Schiedam) to demobilise for the last time. Sad to realise it will be the last time I will look closely at rigs from the sea after 35 years - glad it is all over! Tomorrow I fly home and Saturday morning I start my retirement! It should mean more pictures of cars and less of the sea on here.....

The sun setting on my career;

 

[beko1987]

Retirement will be the best job you ever had! 

[Supernaut]

[Sneaks down the farm track to drink all of Saabnut's tea]

[greengartside]

Congratulations on your retirement dude. 

[dave j]

Congrats on retirement, at least you have a couple* of projects to keep you busy!

[LightBulbFun]

1 hour ago, Saabnut said:

Well a day of mixed emotions as I am heading to port (Schiedam) to demobilise for the last time. Sad to realise it will be the last time I will look closely at rigs from the sea after 35 years - glad it is all over! Tomorrow I fly home and Saturday morning I start my retirement! It should mean more pictures of cars and less of the sea on here.....

The sun setting on my career;

 

Well done on the retirement! given how hard the job is, I am glad your managing to finally get out and are able put your feet up  Its certainly well earned/deserved!

[beko1987]

23 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

put your feet up 

Won't be any time for that 🤣

[big_al_granvia]

Never say never, the sea in in the blood. Even when my dad was dying he wished he was at sea. Apart from recovering from ops he rarely spent a month at home 

[Saabnut]

A week retired and I still have no time! The difference is this time it is up to me what I do and where I go, and that makes a huge difference.

The last few days have been spent getting my Classic 900 'vert Saab ready for MOT as it has been laid up off the road (OK, abandoned in a corner outside) for over 2 years but in 2 and a bit weeks it is going on display at the NEC for the Practical Classics show. No pressure then. A new rear half exhaust was fitted (I have welded it for the MOT for the last 4 tests), serviced it, checked and lubricated everything and tightened up the bolts on the cat. I managed to get an MOT slot today so off we went. Started off great, but going through Dundee the brakes started to stick on after gentle breaking, but were fine if used enthusiastically.

For about 8 years, the brake light switch has been a bit sticky requiring a pull up of the brake pedal with your foot to make sure the brake lights were off, so the sticking brakes were also cured with the same pull up. The brake light switch is a bastard to get to on these old Saabs, being behind the dash on the passenger side, so I have just lived with it. Got to the MOT station by which time the brakes were back to normal.

The tester put it on the ramp, and whilst he was away logging the car on, the brake lights decided to come on (no ignition required on these) so before he noticed, I quickly pulled up the brake pedal up to turn them off. The test started, and the exhaust was blowing, not badly, from the cat joins, yes, the ones I had tightened yesterday. Of course, the brake lights refused to work at all (never done that before) so a failure ensued. Not a problem as the left hand indicator repeater (tested yesterday) decided to call it a day, the wiper blades fell apart in the rain on the way down (new for the last MOT and done virtually no miles), the bungee cord that holds the battery in lost its stretch so an insecure battery and the movement had destroyed the insulation on the starter wire. The good news is despite the exhaust leak, it just scraped the Lamda sensor, everything else was fine. Finally, on the rollers, the offside handbrake decided not to work.

I now have two weeks to get it tested in time for the NEC. I have ordered the bits I need but I cannot start on it until Monday as tomorrow I am off on a collection mission. It will take a few days as it is nearly 500 miles from here, needs to be trailered and my friend and many good beers is on the way back! I will update the collectioning when I can, but it will not really be a live collection as I will be on my own so only update when stopped. Looking forward to meeting another shiter I have not met before on Thursday for the collection.

[Coprolalia]

Congratulations on the retirement! Looking forward to plenty of project updates as you work through the collection.

[cort1977]

Must be the year for brakelight switches, I had to do mine recently and as you advised it was a proper bastard to get to.

[Saabnut]

And we are off…….

[Supernaut]

22 minutes ago, Saabnut said:

And we are off…….

Nah.

You actually set off a good 10 minutes before taking that photo!

[Tickman]

Looking forward to all the activities that you will be able to get done because of retirement.

Safe travels 

[lesapandre]

"The brake light switch is a bastard to get to on these old Saabs, being behind the dash on the passenger side, so I have just lived with it".

Getting down behind the dash with some contact cleaner and WD40 with a long thin flexible tube might be a bodge temp fix?

Good luck with the collection and congratulations on the retirement!

[Saabnut]

First fuel stop 50 miles in

[hairnet]

16 hours ago, Saabnut said:

t is nearly 500 miles from here

Fife then *runs

[Saabnut]

It was all going so well. The M6 south is closed due to multi vehicle accident. Been stationary for an hour but had to get more diesel at the services. Took nearly half an hour to get to the pumps (HFM diesel?). 20 mins and nearly back on the motorway 

[Supernaut]

I find the M6 is almost always a certain level of fuckery, but it does look particularly bad today.

[Momentary Lapse Of Reason]

Stoke Sentinel

"

Motorists are being warned of long delays on the M6 following a three-vehicle pile-up. The motorway is currently shut southbound between junction 15 for Stoke-on-Trent and 14 for Stafford north.

The closure follows a collision between two vans and a car at around 2.30pm today (March 6) with Central Motorway Policing Group currently at the scene. There are hold-ups of 30 minutes with congestion backing up four miles.

Traffic monitoring site Inrix reports: "M6 Southbound closed, long delays due to accident, two vans and a car involved between J15 A500 D Road (Stoke-On-Trent) and J14 A34 (Stafford North).

"At around 3.20pm the road was closed as investigation work will be required. Lanes one, two and three (of four) were initially closed. Trapped traffic is being released past the scene in lane four (of four)."

"

 

"

16:06Hayley Parker

Delays on A34 diversion following crash

National Highways says: "Please be aware that there are currently roadworks reported on the A34 along the diversion route, delays are expected on approach to the closure and along the diversion route itself.

"If this closure impacts on your planned route, please allow extra journey time. Plan ahead, you may wish to re-route or even delay your journey."

 

16:05Hayley Parker

Diversion route

Road users are advised to follow the hollow triangle diversion symbol on road signs.

• Leave the M6 at J15 and take the A500 EB.

• Continue along A500 to its junction with the A34 at Hanford.

• Take the exit to A34 southbound and continue to M6 J14.

• At J14 rejoin the M6 southbound

 "

[Momentary Lapse Of Reason]

trafficdelays.co.uk

"

Region | County: West Midlands | Staffordshire

Road Affected: M6

Description of incident: Location : The M6 southbound between junctions J15 and J14 .
Reason : Road traffic collision.
Status : Currently Active.
Time To Clear : The event is expected to clear between 20:45 and 21:00 on 6 March 2024.
Return To Normal : Normal traffic conditions are expected between 20:45 and 21:00 on 6 March 2024.
Delay : There are currently delays of 1 hour against expected traffic.
Lanes Closed : All lanes are closed.

Type of incident: Accident.

Delay length: Severe Disruption – in excess of 3 hours delay or road closure.

Incident updated: Wed, 06 Mar 2024 16:41:52 GMT

"

[Momentary Lapse Of Reason]

Stoke Sentinel Live

"

16:57Hayley Parker

Ambulance statement

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: "We were called to reports of collision between two vans on the southbound M6, between junctions 15 and 14, at 2.12pm, two ambulances and a paramedic officer attended the scene. On arrival we discovered three patients. A man, the driver of one of the vans, was treated for potentially serious injuries before being taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital. A further man and a woman were also assessed and discharged at the scene."

"

[Saabnut]

Still here

[Momentary Lapse Of Reason]

Stoke Sentinel

"

17:02Hayley Parker

One-hour delays on M6

National Highways says there are long delays of 60 minutes on the M6 southbound between J16 (near Crewe/Alsager) and J15 on approach to the closure.

"

 

The A34 diversion is going to be solid as well.

Assuming you are between Jct 16 and Jct 15.

I would take the A519 south from Jct 15 to Eccleshall then A5013 to Jct 14

or stay on the A519 to Newport,then A41 south to Roundabout with A5 then east to Jct 12.

[hairnet]

premier inn at newport 

escape now

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, Saabnut said:

diesel at the services.  (HFM diesel?).

Yer'll have to cut that out, now you're a pensioner!