The new news 24 thread

[dollywobbler]

Aren't these made entirely of rust and prayers?

 

Indeed. Not even slightly recommended!

[vulgalour]

Beige Princess is a thankless cow and didn't like my attempt to sort her rear suspension as a festive gift.  Both rear pivot shafts are seized, which means I can't reset the trim level to the requisite 11.2" and instead have to make do with 13.5" which is the nearest I could get it.  Garage job for this one, unfortunately, as I don't have the means to unsieze the pivot shaft and reset so that my rear tyres stop rubbing when fully loaded.  If the rubbing tyres become a serious issue, I'll roll the arches, but I'd rather not do that if I can help it.

 

@Ghosty & Dollywobbler:  I shall pass that information on to mein farter.

[Lord Sterling]

Sterling played up something rotton last night. The battery is almost completely dead now. There wasn't enough power to make it idle properly, it kept trying to cut out, when I took it out it drove fine but anywhere I had to stop was heart wrenching as it wanted so desperately to cut out.

 

A new battery is the first thing I need to buy tomorrow. Then it'll be going to my mate Steve's garage to sort this bloody grinding noise problem thats been coming from the passenger side front wheel.

[vulgalour]

Before the light completely failed, I got some work in on the red Princess.  Got the PAS belt and alternator belt off and the new timing belt in place but as usual I can't get the sodding thing to actually go on the top pulley and the colder the weather became the harder it was to make fit so I've sacked that off for a job to do tomorrow.  PAS belt and alternator belt refitted and tensioned anyway as I can get to the timing belt with those in place no problem.  Also torqued the head bolts down and made an attempt to fit the manifold gasket but found that I need an extra pair of hands to hold the gasket, the manifold and the bolts all at once so I sacked that off as a job for another day too.

 

Still, it's progress and that's something.  Beats watching shitty telly and trying to find a nice chocolate in the tin of sweets that just contains toffee pennies and empty wrappers while an aged parent snores in their chair and a young relative is annoying the crap out of everyone with an electrically powered toy of some sort.

 

Finished just in time to update here, get a glass of celebration juice and enjoy a roast dinner with the folks.

[vulgalour]

Somehow or other, my brother's Golf has been moved from the driveway at his friend's house where he and his young family have been enjoying Christmas with his friend's family.  It hasn't gone far, just off the drive, four houses down the street and straight into the rear door of a neighbour's car rear bumper first.

 

Police informed, insurers not yet informed and no idea what the fate of his 26 year old Golf and the neighbour's 11 year old Focus is going to be. Initial inspection looks like a cracked light cluster and bent bumper (it's the side that only had one bolt in anyway) on the Golf and a dented rear door on the Focus.  Neither car is destroyed, they're both quite repairable on initial inspection.

 

I suspect that some drunken/opportunist has seen the little elderly Golf and tried to nick it for a quick ride home/profit.  What's very strange is that the steering lock was on, the ignition hasn't been forced and there's been no attempt to force the door locks.  There's also been no damage made to the roof.

 

I hope he pursues the matter through the Police as it's pretty much impossible for the car to get where it was without someone in it/pushing it but doesn't pursue it through the insurer but instead comes to an agreement with the Focus owner providing both cars are easily repairable.

 

More info if/when I have it.

[dollywobbler]

Did he leave the handbrake off by mistake?

[vulgalour]

Even if he had, the car couldn't have rolled where it ended up without someone steering it and he's a stickler for putting the handbrake on which is shockingly good on the little Golf.

[vulgalour]

Police confirmed my brother's Golf was victim of an attempted TWOC.  Happily, Focus owner doesn't want to pursue the repairs through the insurance as it's not a car-owner's fault.  Nothing structural has been moved, but it has stretched one bumper bolt hole and pushed the rear light cluster back into the rear quarter a little bit.  Going to be a nuisance of a thing to repair to original but not impossible.  Also happily is that no attempt was made to hotwire the car so the ignition barrel, cowling and steering lock are all not tampered with.  Amazingly, his son's christmas present wasn't stolen from the car.

 

If anyone has an early VW Golf cabby rear light cluster for the driver's side, we would be interested in purchasing that without OMGSCENETAXYO.

 

I'm also going to get my brother a highly visible steering wheel lock, so if anyone has one of those to save me going on eBay it would be appreciated.

[M'coli]

That sounds like a pissed-up pratical joke gone wrong.  They've probabaly tried to move it down the street and collided with the focus, shat themselves and shot the crow leaving the golf where it ended up.

[Angrydicky]

Sounds to me like someone tried to push it down the street to somewhere a bit quieter so they could hotwire it without being disturbed. 

 

I haven't got a spare, but get him a Disklok. They are the very best.

[beko1987]

XM's still loosing coolant, some pipe somewhere's obviously fucked still.

[Cavcraft]

In other news it's now 2,997 miles since I last put diesel (a tenner's worth in an otherwise empty tank) into my 306. That edges me yet nearer to the magical 5,000 miles mark.

 

 

 

[skattrd]

Are you running neat veg this time of year Billy?

[Cavcraft]

Are you running neat veg this time of year Billy?

 

 

Yep, have been for probably 5 or 6 months now. It starts first time but dies quickly if not revved slightly, then if it does go two or three goes on the heaters and it's fine. It hunts quite a bit when cold and the performance is a bit sluggish until warmed up, but nothing that worries me even slightly. It was even ok this morning despite a fairly hefty covering of frost all over the car. 

[Lacquer Peel]

XUDs almost run on lard, they're incredible.

[Cavcraft]

The turbo ones aren't as keen though, Len. The 306 hunts like a bastard, revving it's knackers off almost then dropping right down again, and the ZX is a pig to start with too much veg in.

Pretty surprised at the difference between them too, the ZX takes off like a scalded cat, the 306 seems to be playing catch up and is a little harder to keep on the boil when driving.

[spike60]

I ran a Polo 1.9D on 50/50 and it highlighted the injector knock it had for the 1st 1/2 mile from cold and after a while I felt the oil was getting sticky, I thought unburnt fuel was going past the rings into the sump. Fine when even slightly warm but stopped the cooking oil as I don't do enough miles to risk an engine. Perhaps thicker fuel highlights tired injectors.

[Lacquer Peel]

I know you hate VAG TDis Cavette, but my Skoda was brilliant on veg before I chopped its head off to investigate its head gasket. The semi electric pump seems to adjust the pump timing to compensate for thick fuel.

You can advance the timing on yours by loosening the pump and turning it a little towards the engine block.

[Cavcraft]

I honestly wanted to like the 80TDi and the Pisshat, but they were just too unreliable. I think next I will get either an early Berlingo with a Bosch pump, or an early Combo van, the ones with the rusty roof spoiler/wind deflector things.

Cheers for the pump adjustment suggestion, I think if I used it more for longer journeys I'd investigate but it's ok as it is for it's normal daily duties. The TD has been great for longer work, it's far less hard work to keep it at a decent speed. The n/a will hold 80 pretty much all day long, but it's sort of hard work to keep it there as you have to plan overtaking manoeuvres several weeks in advance. Using the third lane of the motorway is a bit like being stuck behind someone in a Scania just about overtaking someone in a Daf, or whatever way round it is in the HGV world. 

 

I may have access to another fuel source altogether, but I don't want to try it as it's akin to running on cherry and if I get dipped it's defeated the whole object of economical motoring.

[dollywobbler]

When did you last change the fuel filter on the Pugrot? They do tend to clog 'em up when you first start using veg.

 

Sirion has been packed with tools and what I hope is useful kit ahead of tomorrow's roadtrip to Scotchland. No idea where we're stopping on our way north, but as the weather sounds utterly horrific, we'll play it by ear and hope we at least get out of Wales. We're aiming to take two days to reach somewhere near Helmsdale. Time to remind ourselves just how big Scotland is. Means I may not be online to wish you lot a happy new year of shite, so I'll do it now. There you go. Just did it. Cavette - means I may not be able to get calendar payment to you swiftly. I'll see if we can find an internet somewhere. Scotland must have it or we wouldn't have half so much Volvo content on here...

[r.welfare]

Bloody impressive veg use that. When I ran one of my 405s on neat soya (or whatever that KTC stuff Costco sells is), it idled high and knocked like a bastard. 50/50 worked much better, but decanting it out of the drums into the tank (via a jerry can) was a faff.

[Squire_Dawson]

Finally rebuilt the Aggy's clutch master today, have yet to bleed and test but it's back on the car and full of fluid to see if there's any obvious leaks. Clutch fluid had been weeping into the footwell for some time, and I wondered why I had only replaced the rubber boot at the end and not stripped it whilst recommissioning the car. Alas, a circlip was holding everything inside and I don't think I had circlip pliers back then.

 

Also hosed off all the salt and shit from underneath the car - always amazes me how much filth is washed off from the wings.

[scruff]

Few months ago wife's Polo failed the mot - front wishbone bushes shot. Trusted local garage quoted a cheap price and I could not be arsed so in it went. Job done, New ticket, bingo.

 

I hardly ever drive it but for the haul down to Cornwall I did, gave it a oil change and check over a couple of days beforehand and all was well. Get a couple of miles from home and it felt a bit wandery. When we stopped for petrol I had a quick look round and wobbled a few bits, checked wheel nuts, couldn't see anything so carried on. Arrived safe and sound.

 

Took it out today down to Lands End for a walk and by the time I got to Penzance it was driving like a pig, lurching to one side when cornering and going over bumps. Pulled into Halfords car park and had another look, then I saw it - two of the three bolts holding the lower ball joint onto the wishbone had vanished, leaving the third (central) bolt acting like a pivot so when cornering the whole hub assembly was free to wobble around like a dick in a bucket. After checking the bolts hadn't sheared I got two M8 bolts and a cheap socket set/tool kit from Halfords (no bloody tools in the car... there is now) and put them in, put the wheel back on and job done. Checked the others and they were megatight so hopefully I was just unlucky...

[spike60]

On my 2000 Polo the three bolts are in slotted holes, presumably to give camber adjustment. It your is similar it needs tightening in the correct place or it will upset the tracking and camber. I found out the hard way!

[scruff]

Top tip that!! I will have a look.

[spike60]

I split mine there when I did the clutch as I didn't have 32mm or whatever socket to hand and it pulled to one side afterwards. When I looked I could see the marks where the washers had been before so put it back there.

[Cavcraft]

To be honest Ian, I've not changed the filter since I'd last ran it on waste veg, so it's long overdue and as stupid as it sounds, I'd not even considered it. I'll pm you ref. calendars, cheers.

 

Mr Welfare: Costco plastic 'drums' are a little harder than smaller bottles, but with a bit of pop bottle as a spout, some rag and old waterproof trousers as a splash guard, it's doable.

The 20 litre metal drums were loads easier once I discovered punching a small hole in the top to stop the glugging, though I do still get that wet trainer feeling occasionally!

[Pillock]

 

 

Pulled into Halfords car park and had another look, then I saw it - two of the three bolts holding the lower ball joint onto the wishbone had vanished, leaving the third (central) bolt acting like a pivot so when cornering the whole hub assembly was free to wobble around like a dick in a bucket. After checking the bolts hadn't sheared I got two M8 bolts and a cheap socket set/tool kit from Halfords (no bloody tools in the car... there is now) and put them in, put the wheel back on and job done. Checked the others and they were megatight so hopefully I was just unlucky...

 

 

 

Worth mentioning it to the garage in case they entrusted it to a new guy or something.... they might assume you're trying to get compo or something and get a bit arsey but they need to know.

 

I had a wishbone done on my Mondeo years back. Took it down to Oxford the next day and it was a bit wandery on the motorway - came off and there was a clunking sound round corners. On inspection, only the locking wheelnut was done up tight - the others were wound out a good three or four turns. Told the garage, they reckoned it meant someone had tried to nick the wheel (just the one mind) but that's a bit coincidental the day after they've had it off, when the nice alloys had been on for three years.

[stuboy]

relised my rear light i put in back of the mondeo is of the BL variety..

 

and my brothers at his future in laws for xmas and neighbours lad come home for xmas.. excuse crap pics he uses a ishite phone

[The Moog]

I found easiest way to do veg cleanly was a watering can. Got a 7l jobbie with big opening in top then long spout (oooeerrr). Doesn't splash everywhere and no funnels to mess about with