The new news 24 thread

[RoverFolkUs]

4 hours ago, wuvvum said:

At lunchtime I jacked the front of the Rover up to have a better look at the spring situation.  It's looking a bit awkward to be honest.  The spring has completely come out of its seat and is resting in one of the tread grooves of the nearside front tyre - it's quite firmly wedged in there, even with the wheel off the ground and hence the shock at maximum extension, there's still a fair bit of tension on the spring.  I can just about lever it off the tyre using a 3' crowbar braced against said tyre, but obviously that's not going to help me get the wheel off.  There's nothing else suitable for levering against in the vicinity, and there isn't enough clearance to get the spring compressors in there either.  I'm now at a bit of a loss as to how to proceed - not least how to get the wheel off without the spring going BOIIIIIIING and embedding itself in one part of my anatomy or another.  Any bright ideas gratefully received...

What a complete bastard of a situation that is!

My very sketchy solution would be get the weight back on the car, use a series of ratchet straps and heavy duty zip ties to compress the spring as much as possible so you can get it up in the air again, hopefully with enough tension off the spring to get the wheel off. 

I'm assuming the tyre is salvageable and you don't want to do anything to destroy it?

[High Jetter]

Please, speak to me first. @N19

[N19]

6 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Please, speak to me first. @N19

Noted. I feel it will probably be next summer - the new ULEZ comes in at the end of 2023, so I hope to enjoy it for another 18 months or so. But if/when the time comes I definitely want it to go to a good home.

[Zelandeth]

7 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

Milton Keynes Classic Car Club are holding a breakfast meet this Sunday 6th March from around 9:30am at The Giffard Park pub. The group has a wide variety of cars and all are welcome. This is a smaller meeting usually with around 20 cars. 

I plan to be there, probably with the ex @richardmorris Mercedes E320 Coupe.

Coffee/tea and breakfast are available in the pub along with toilets.

The Giffard Park pub, Broadway Ave, Giffard Park, Milton Keynes MK14 5QN

Might try to make it along to this one, probably be the van... there's no height barrier on their car park is there?

[Barry Cade]

@wuvvum Grab the spring and "wind" it anti clockwise, do it with the car jacked up to lessen tension. You can usually get ot off the tyre no problem, then put a spacesaver on or cut off the tail with a grinder. Was a common issue on the breakdowns...

[Six-cylinder]

7 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Might try to make it along to this one, probably be the van... there's no height barrier on their car park is there?

No high barrier that I remember.

[Six-cylinder]

11 hours ago, richardmorris said:

What’s in the bag? I’d have thought it looks marine rather than auto.

The bag is sewed up and does not open.

[brownnova]

27 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

The bag is sewed up and does not open.

Looks like some kind of weight bag of the side of a boat. Is it heavy? 

[Six-cylinder]

15 minutes ago, brownnova said:

Looks like some kind of weight bag of the side of a boat. Is it heavy? 

Reasonably heavy like it was full of sand.

[brownnova]

I’d reckon a boat or fishing net weight in that case. 

[3VOM]

It's for weighing down temporary road signs.

[Six-cylinder]

19 minutes ago, 3VOM said:

It's for weighing down temporary road signs.

That makes sense, but maybe a bit small?

Do hot air balloons have sand bags like in the movies?

[High Jetter]

The handle is confusing me, it's designed to be carried about. I think you'd have elf n saftee popping up if you started chucking sandbags from a hot air balloon!

[Six-cylinder]

1 hour ago, High Jetter said:

The handle is confusing me, it's designed to be carried about. I think you'd have elf n saftee popping up if you started chucking sandbags from a hot air balloon!

Yes probably.

How about some thing to do with Pheasant shooting as we have that happening around us?

[fatharris]

That's how my day is going, too many duggas through these uggas.



Guess I need to buy some more tools

[Bren]

Discovered a page on facebook called spares or repair cars. Some interesting german tat for sale.

[wuvvum]

Wheel removal has been achieved without causing the premature demise of any members of religious orders or juvenile felids. 

Still a long way to go yet obvs.

[wuvvum]

Aaand it's broken.  Ball joint retaining bolt has rounded off.  I've found my bolt removers but needless to say the size I need is the only one that's missing from the set.  Also the pinch bolt is thus far showing zero interest in coming undone, although at least its head has had the decency to retain its hexagonal shape.

I can feel an embarrassing call to the garage coming on on Monday morning.  If it were any other car it'd be a call to the scrapman followed by a call to the Dacia dealer, but I'm still rather fond of the Rover despite this setback, and it's the first major issue it's had in 3 1/2 years of ownership so I really can't complain too much.

[wuvvum]

Status update: the pinch bolt has now rounded off as well.  I do at least have a bolt remover in that size, which I have hammered on and which is so far gripping very well - I still can't shift the bolt though, even heaving on a 2' breaker bar (it's a shame it's not the offside, I could jump up and down on the bar then).  

I went to Wilco to see if they had any bolt removers in stock, but the only set they had was nearly 30 quid and I was fucked if I was paying that when I only need one size - that's nearly a gallon of diesel at current prices.  The other alternative was a 1/2" socket, to be hammered over the bolt in traditional Autoshite fashion, but they didn't have any of those either.  So I'm no further towards getting the ball joint bolt undone.  I have however managed to find my 12 volt ugga dugga gun which a mate gave me years ago - I've never actually used it so I don't know if it works or not, but I'm going to give it a go tomorrow on the pinch bolt - although I don't actually have any impact sockets big enough to go over the bolt remover so I'm going to have to hope that a normal socket is up to the job.

I've put the spare wheel on for now - it' a 15" wheel with a smaller tyre as well so it just about went on OK with a bit of levering.

[Rust Collector]

I had to go and pay for something today.

I’m quite excited to get it home next week.

[wuvvum]

Zapo!  Fantastic.

[RoverFolkUs]

2 hours ago, wuvvum said:

Aaand it's broken.  Ball joint retaining bolt has rounded off.  I've found my bolt removers but needless to say the size I need is the only one that's missing from the set.  Also the pinch bolt is thus far showing zero interest in coming undone, although at least its head has had the decency to retain its hexagonal shape.

I can feel an embarrassing call to the garage coming on on Monday morning.  If it were any other car it'd be a call to the scrapman followed by a call to the Dacia dealer, but I'm still rather fond of the Rover despite this setback, and it's the first major issue it's had in 3 1/2 years of ownership so I really can't complain too much.

 

2 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Status update: the pinch bolt has now rounded off as well.  I do at least have a bolt remover in that size, which I have hammered on and which is so far gripping very well - I still can't shift the bolt though, even heaving on a 2' breaker bar (it's a shame it's not the offside, I could jump up and down on the bar then).  

I went to Wilco to see if they had any bolt removers in stock, but the only set they had was nearly 30 quid and I was fucked if I was paying that when I only need one size - that's nearly a gallon of diesel at current prices.  The other alternative was a 1/2" socket, to be hammered over the bolt in traditional Autoshite fashion, but they didn't have any of those either.  So I'm no further towards getting the ball joint bolt undone.  I have however managed to find my 12 volt ugga dugga gun which a mate gave me years ago - I've never actually used it so I don't know if it works or not, but I'm going to give it a go tomorrow on the pinch bolt - although I don't actually have any impact sockets big enough to go over the bolt remover so I'm going to have to hope that a normal socket is up to the job.

Nothing more frustrating than being perfectly capable of tackling a job but being set back by lost/a lack of certain tools  

[RoverFolkUs]

4 hours ago, fatharris said:

That's how my day is going, too many duggas through these uggas.



Guess I need to buy some more tools

Time to invest in some impact friendly tools  Should* be impossible to break them!

[horriblemercedes]

30 minutes ago, Rust Collector said:

I had to go and pay for something today.

I’m quite excited to get it home next week.

Well, that's one way to show support in this war!

Seriously, looks great. How cool.

[richardmorris]

5 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

Yes probably.

How about some thing to do with Pheasant shooting as we have that happening around us?

I thought you had to shoot the blighters, not bludgeon them to death with a heavy sack.

[richardmorris]

32 minutes ago, horriblemercedes said:

Well, that's one way to show support in this war!

Seriously, looks great. How cool.

We all have to help in our own way. Personally I’ve ordered a special mystery case of wine with all proceeds to the Ukraine Red Cross appeal.

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, Rust Collector said:

I had to go and pay for something today.

I’m quite excited to get it home next week.

Wtf did you find that? Top shiting! Did you get pics of the other chod there?

[Fumbler]

1 hour ago, Rust Collector said:

I had to go and pay for something today.

I’m quite excited to get it home next week.

Oh look, a friend for the Yugo! Nice buyage.

[cort1977]

2 hours ago, Rust Collector said:

I had to go and pay for something today.

I’m quite excited to get it home next week.

Brilliant! I have dreams of driving one back from Lithuania which are never likely to come true so will have to live vicariously through your adventures.

[Wibble]

1 hour ago, richardmorris said:

I thought you had to shoot the blighters, not bludgeon them to death with a heavy sack.

I’ve seen these used for weighing down gazebos