The new news 24 thread

[artdjones]

13 hours ago, wuvvum said:

The replacement MAF sensor I ordered for the Caliber turned up so this evening I fitted it and plugged the wiring back in.  It's back to running how it was before, overfuelling and kangarooing.  So that was a waste of time and money.  It's obviously MAF-related as it runs fine with it unplugged, but the fault must lie elsewhere than the sensor itself.  I'm not about to try and track it down though.

So that's the car's fate sealed.  Once the MOT runs out it'll be going, probably to the great Mopar dealer in the sky.

Check the egr. Unplugging the MAF may have force closed it. Now the MAF is plugged in the ECU may be trying to drive an egr that has problems.

[Split_Pin]

5 hours ago, puddlethumper said:

Further to the above here is his number plate which is actually BO56 not BO55 which does indicate a certain type of Audi driver I think.

Lots of that type around here.  One occasion where it is absolutely OK to stereotype.

I don't think my Audi could ever be driven in anger though, it's a bit too slow and old!

 

[BorniteIdentity]

The cricket season has ended, which seems to consume every waking moment at the weekend, so I've now run out of excuses.  DIY and chores make a triumphant return to the calendar.

The oil tank needed a spruce up; a few tiny flecks of surface rust where the paint has worn thin but otherwise in good condition for something which is probably 30 years old.  This is good news, as eagled eyed viewers will note that a new tank could not be placed where the existing tank is because regulations.  As it was installed in the 80s, my neighbour has common sense and it's failed to spontaneously combust thus far - we continue.

Anyway, what to paint it with?  Hammerite is shite. (That should be their new rhyming, marketing slogan).  I looked at alternatives online before following the advice of a farmer friend who said "Tractor Enamel".  Good shout, as it's oil and fuel proof, easy to apply and looks lovely when done.  I ordered 2.5litres from a company in the west country who offer over 400 different colours.  On the basis I have some other items (like a mower) that need painting, and have a pipe dream of buying an old truck, I plumped for this particular hue.  What better way to see the results than by testing it on a rusting lump of metal full of oil.

That, friends, is Land Rover Green.  They also sell JCB Yellow, Ford Blue and lots of other official colours - but they would have looked absurd on an oil tank or a 1965 Ransomes Mower.

It'll need another coat, which I might try to apply with a foam (gloss) roller.  But it's dried really quite nicely.

So - another coat, quick tidy up of that corner (tiles came off the front of the house earlier in the year) and then I'll be presented with the next list of jobs that need doing.  Hurrah.

 

[TheOtherStu]

Sold my car! Thanks to those who popped on Facebook and confirmed that I'd put the right info on the ad.

Bizarrely, it's been fairly quiet for a couple of weeks then the last few days, it's gone nuts. 3 people offered me what I hoped to achieve within 24 hours.

Someone came and collected it this afternoon, filled out the paperwork, transferred the dollars and she's gone! Weirdly, I've never been sad to see a car go and I have another MR2 which has already taken up the mantle. But still sad to see it go. I just hope the new owner loves it like I loved it.

[LightBulbFun]

17 hours ago, MarvinsMom said:

though i have definitely had my moneys worth out of the original cones.

 

I wonder how long new cones last these days given that most other replacement rubber components you can get for cars these days seem to split and fail in record time (most scary one for me is just how rubbish modern fuel line is failing after like 6 months, surely that cant be legal!)

so im curious how long modern replacement mini suspension cones last?

 

[wuvvum]

3 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

Also, is it a genuine MAF I.e. Bosch?

Yep, jen-you-whine Bosch.  I've used pattern MAFs on L-serieses before to good effect, but I think modern common rail shiz is a bit fussier.

1 hour ago, artdjones said:

Check the egr. Unplugging the MAF may have force closed it. Now the MAF is plugged in the ECU may be trying to drive an egr that has problems.

That's a good shout actually - there's a replacement EGR valve in the boot so maybe it's been on its way out for a while.  Looks like a bit of a twat to fit though - access isn't brilliant and the pipe mounting bolts are spline drive which I don't have any bits for.

[MarvinsMom]

1 hour ago, LightBulbFun said:

I wonder how long new cones last these days given that most other replacement rubber components you can get for cars these days seem to split and fail in record time (most scary one for me is just how rubbish modern fuel line is failing after like 6 months, surely that cant be legal!)

so im curious how long modern replacement mini suspension cones last?

 

well originally the cones had a 10 year design life, though the chances of a mini making it  that far, back in the olden dayz were slim to nothing?

these ones we are getting fitted are Minispares ones, which  are the same ones Minispares supplied to x-part, so hopefully these will have a good design life to them.

having been stung several times now with cheap chinese (or worse, frankly) shite parts we now only get bits from them. anything we get and don't use, or we get and  have a problem with, they take will take it back and either replace it or refund us (NO credit notes!) with out fuss,

but only time will tell!

 

[dean36014]

New wheels on the van, well chuffed.

[trigger]

If anybody local is looking for something to do on Sunday then we have another one of our car meets on 😊

 

[High Jetter]

6 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

That, friends, is Land Rover Green. 

Looks ideal for the job. Maybe a quick annual roll-over would be a good preventative measure.

[JJ0063]

Right day 4 training done, cat C test tomorrow at 12pm

Im confident in my driving and reversing, what I’m really not confident is the area I’m doing my test. Mansfield/Sutton in Ashfield seems to be absolutely full of people who can’t drive, park anywhere, druggies walking out in front of you etc. I genuinely think if I fail it’s going to be because something unexpected catches me out.

[Vantman]

49 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Looks ideal for the job. Maybe a quick annual roll-over would be a good preventative measure.

Don't forget to paint the bottom of the tank as i have seen these rust out from the inside,so drain any water off on a regular basis--water is heavier than oil so it goes straight to the bottom! 

[Zelandeth]

Eww... pretty convinced that someone in the distant past has tried to fix the non working speedometer on my BX by spraying WD40 (or similar) into the instrument panel.

Not what you want to find.

Anyone got a Mk I BX instrument cluster floating around?

[HMC]

https://amp.theguardian.com/technology/2021/sep/16/home-computing-pioneer-sir-clive-sinclair-dies-aged-81

[Floatylight]

42 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

Eww... pretty convinced that someone in the distant past has tried to fix the non working speedometer on my BX by spraying WD40 (or similar) into the instrument panel.

Not what you want to find.

Anyone got a Mk I BX instrument cluster floating around?

Might of been my Dad, he once brought a radio/cassette player home from one of the lads at work having said I would fix it, the serial number had been scratched out and it had marks where it had been levered out of a dashboard. I'd had a number of stereos stolen so it was a sore point so I told him no, he got the hump and said he'd fix it himself, next thing he's holding the flap open and spraying WD40 in.. 🤣🤣

[Zelandeth]

2 minutes ago, Floatylight said:

Might of been my Dad, he once brought a radio/cassette player home from one of the lads at work having said I would fix it, the serial number had been scratched out and it had marks where it had been levered out of a dashboard. I'd had a number of stereos stolen so it was a sore point so I told him no, he got the hump and said he'd fix it himself, next thing he's holding the flap open and spraying WD40 in.. 🤣🤣

Oh dear... it's alarming how many people think you can fix anything by spraying it with WD40!

To be honest most of it here is just cleanup...the problem is that it's got into everything...and has done this to the filter gels.

*Thankfully* whatever they screen printed the actual speedometer drum with seems to have been unaffected by it.

Realistically though the only thing for the filters is going to be finding a donor dash to pull them from.  I'll touch the borders in as best I can but it'll never be right...and I'm not daft enough to even try touching up the actual legends as I'll only make that a million times worse.

[Ghosty]

On 9/15/2021 at 9:29 PM, puddlethumper said:

Yep an Audi and one of those fast things. I don't know, RS ? or something.

LOL, cooking spec.

[somewhatfoolish]

1 hour ago, Zelandeth said:

Oh dear... it's alarming how many people think you can fix anything by spraying it with WD40!

To be honest most of it here is just cleanup...the problem is that it's got into everything...and has done this to the filter gels.

*Thankfully* whatever they screen printed the actual speedometer drum with seems to have been unaffected by it.

Realistically though the only thing for the filters is going to be finding a donor dash to pull them from.  I'll touch the borders in as best I can but it'll never be right...and I'm not daft enough to even try touching up the actual legends as I'll only make that a million times worse.

Not worth trying to scan then print onto OHP transparency? Granted if a used unit can be found that's an order of magnitude less faffy. I find footering about with symbols like that on potatoshop quite therapeutic.

[Zelandeth]

21 minutes ago, somewhatfoolish said:

Not worth trying to scan then print onto OHP transparency? Granted if a used unit can be found that's an order of magnitude less faffy. I find footering about with symbols like that on potatoshop quite therapeutic.

Not a bad idea.  Not something I want to sink that many hours into right now, but I'll definitely take a scan of them before I put things back together.  I do quite enjoy image repair work like that...but am fully aware of how many hours I could happily sink into it beyond the point anyone would be able to see the difference!

Don't actually have any transparency film in stock either so would need to wait for that to arrive anyway.  I've done a very quick and dirty touch up by hand to make things a bit less obvious in the meantime at least.

Additional: Holy hell laser transparency film is expensive...

Edit: Thank goodness the part I was most worried about survived cleaning unharmed.

That's illuminated by a light pipe effect in the plastic itself (which is edge lit) so would have been pretty much impossible to recreate with the equipment I have on hand.

[Amishtat]

12 hours ago, trigger said:

If anybody local is looking for something to do on Sunday then we have another one of our car meets on 😊

 

Can thoroughly recommend. 700 mile round trip nowadays so I'm out but these are a good day if the weather plays ball. 

[HMC]

Daybreak:

The morning mist gradually lifts over the British landscape….

 

 

[Tadhg Tiogar]

10 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

.....

That's illuminated by a light pipe effect in the plastic itself (which is edge lit) so would have been pretty much impossible to recreate with the equipment I have on hand.

This might be the stuff you need

[Lankytim]

Bit the bullet and purchased a new brake master cylinder from Brookhouse Volvo via their slightly clunky website which arrived in timely fashion and even included a small bag of haribo! 
 

The 145 now has working brakes with no leaks although they’re pretty spongy as still need trapped air bleeding out. Nothing beats the warm fuzzyfeeling of opening the bonnet and finding shiny NEW components fitted as I’m sure any shiters will agree.  I spent most of yesterday opening and closing the bonnet but I think I need to fit more new parts soon to maintain that fuzzy feeling. 

[Tadhg Tiogar]

27 minutes ago, Lankytim said:

..... Nothing beats the warm fuzzyfeeling of opening the bonnet and finding shiny NEW components fitted as I’m sure any shiters will agree....

That reminds me, must remember to order an exhaust section and a flexi pipe....

[Cord Fourteener]

Part for Volvo 740 ordered, from Germany. 

Thanks to HMS Clusterfuck of a Border Arrangement and Delivery Network for throwing excitement into ordering parts from Germany. 

Place bets on when it will arrive...

[wuvvum]

1 hour ago, Lankytim said:

Bit the bullet and purchased a new brake master cylinder from Brookhouse Volvo via their slightly clunky website which arrived in timely fashion and even included a small bag of haribo! 
 

The 145 now has working brakes with no leaks although they’re pretty spongy as still need trapped air bleeding out. Nothing beats the warm fuzzyfeeling of opening the bonnet and finding shiny NEW components fitted as I’m sure any shiters will agree.  I spent most of yesterday opening and closing the bonnet but I think I need to fit more new parts soon to maintain that fuzzy feeling. 

The Haribo is a standard thing with orders from Brookhouse.  I think it's an attempt to make you forget how brutally you've just been arse raped price-wise...

[Tadhg Tiogar]

1 minute ago, wuvvum said:

The Haribo is a standard thing with orders from Brookhouse....

Der Franzose also sends out Haribos with every order.

[catsinthewelder]

I was amused to find a teabag packed into a plastic bag on an order from a breakers with an instruction to enjoy it when you'd finished fitting the part which I did ☺️

[dome]

27 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

The Haribo is a standard thing with orders from Brookhouse.  I think it's an attempt to make you forget how brutally you've just been arse raped price-wise...

The retail side of the company I work for used to send out Haribo with all orders, however post brexit they got caught out on international orders when the bag of Haribo wasn't declared on the customs invoice causing all hell to break loose when thousands of pounds worth of orders were delayed because of a small bag of sweets.

[richardmorris]

Orders of bird food from Jacobi Jayne come with a small pack of very nice biscuits and a little note.