The new news 24 thread

[HillmanImp]

Also, I performed and oil and filter change on the 2CV today. Easy! Er, no. The filter put up one hell of a fight and I can only assume I must have failed to sufficiently lube the seal last time (a year ago). Had to pour the drained oil back in, drive to a local garage and was then able to borrow a HUGE truck-size strap wrench. That did the job, once I'd jacked the car up to get sufficient room beneath it. 

 

The filter looked like this in the end.

 

 

I had similar problems changing the oil on the Visa the other day. I went to the garage and got a hammer and screwdriver but after the last time I did that* I thought I would give it one more go with the chain and it came off.

 

* When I first got the Scirocco now owned by Barefoot, the filter would not come off so I hammered a screwdriver straight through it, out the other side and into some live wires which then set fire to the oil and other detriment around them causing a panic. Thankfully I had a fire extinguisher nearby and put it out before any damage was done. Phew!

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

After much nagging I've set up a Facebook for my work but now I've done that I'm not sure I want to use it at all.  I've heard variations of "Oh, Facebook is the internet" enough times for me to think people think there's a market on there for me to access I could be missing out on.

 

Now, it might just be my general paranoia, but does anyone else regard it as pretty scary how much information FB want you to put in?  Life events, work history, location, telephone and e-mail details, family, friends... it's like they want me to put my entire life story into their system.

 

Then there's the concern that everything appears to be connected to FB, so how do I keep it out?  FB's habit of automatically linking to things if you want it to or not is quite worrying, it was a bit of a battle to get it not to think my Photobucket account was connected to my brother's FB and even now it occasionally reverts my avatar on Photobucket to his FB avatar for reasons I still can't fathom.

 

Facebook, along with others, is already tracking your internet activity through the "+1", "share" and "like" buttons on most websites. I recommend installing a browser extension like Ghostery, which lets you choose what is allowed to track you and what isn't.

 

 

I'm not one of those people paranoid about privacy, but as I don't even use any of the social networks I don't see why I should be providing them with any of the data they want without getting anything in return!

[saucedoctor]

Internet Explorer 11 doesn't like Ghostery (I think it installs, but doesn't work).

 

SEP says "No" as well, although I think this may be a false positive because of the way Ghostery behaves.

[Micrashed]

I passed my pharmacology exam.
I am frankly flabbergasted and had already booked the day off in March for the resit.

Two more exams to go and a 20,000 word portfolio. By the end of the month.

[Sloth in a bowl]

I'm not convinced that would have worked. Would probably have just ended up wrecking the filter, but leaving the head attached to the engine or something. 

 

Been there, done that, swore at the Fiat, the world and his dog.

[Lord Sterling]

Bit of a mixed bag of grin/grump here.

 

Grin:

I may be going abroad.....

 

All, none or even one of you may remember that I mentioned being up in 'Northwich/Middlewich' last week. The reason for this was because I had been invited up for an interview with a holiday company. Today I got a call from the company and although I didn't get the job I'd applied for (bloody MS Excel ) they did offer me another job. This will likely mean that I will be leaving England for a good few months, it'll also give me the opportunity to actually find a job on the continent and hopefully stay there. I'm not entirely sure where I'm going to be based but it may be in Holland

 

Grump:

For the past few weeks I noticed that the coolant in the Sterling has been getting lower. Today I had a spontanious look under the bonnet and noticed that the bloody expansion tank was completely empty. I carefully filled it up with a 1.5L bottle of coolant/water mix, ran out of that so popped to the local motor factirs and picked up another bottle.

 

I noticed next to where the Sterling is usually parked a puddle of oil/water mix (because it had been raining) so I'm wondering if there is a leak somewhere rather than OMGHGF. It's something that needs sorting anyway as I would like to take this car with me abroad.

[Negative Creep]

As you may remember I was quoted £660 to fix the brakes on the Volvo, which would probably have written the car off. Luckily Twosmoke300 gave me a much more reasonable quote so went down to Redruth today. Didn't take him long to change the parts (rears were absolutely fubar'ed so rather lucky I got it checked when I did), top bloke, and although the weather was foul and the car filthy, I decided to head further into darkest Cornwall





Then I ran out of road

[M'coli]

I passed my pharmacology exam.

Congratulations! Well done that man.

I am frankly flabbergasted and had already booked the day off in March for the resit.

Have you told the missus you've passed? Free day off in March if you haven't!

[eddyramrod]

+1, well done Micrashed!

[twosmoke300]

Was good to meet my first fellow member Mr N Creep !

Lovely car and a pleasure to throw spanners at.I always find volvos very hassle free to work on , well engineered and laid out.

Hope to meet again soon.

[Micrashed]

Congratulations! Well done that man.

Have you told the missus you've passed? Free day off in March if you haven't!

Ah, ummm, yes. Hadnt thought of that. Bugger.

 

Still Im on leave all next week and had planned (and told the wife) Im spending all day every day in the Uni library to finish off the written work (as home is just too damn noisy and busy). So there is no reason at all that I couldnt perhaps pop into a local nearby massage place and spend a couple of hours with someones hands working themselves all over me.... And then pop to the pub for a leisurely lunch and read of the paper.

 

Or I could finish writing a reflective account of prescribing in the community using Johns model of reflection.

[dugong]

All, none or even one of you may remember that I mentioned being up in 'Northwich/Middlewich' last week. 

 

 

 

[beko1987]

 

* When I first got the Scirocco now owned by Barefoot, the filter would not come off so I hammered a screwdriver straight through it, out the other side and into some live wires which then set fire to the oil and other detriment around them causing a panic. Thankfully I had a fire extinguisher nearby and put it out before any damage was done. Phew!

We tried this on my mates 90 when he first got it (think the plate was D701 SW something). Nothing normal was working, so hammered a screwdriver through. Twisted, and the whole fucker popped off the plate at the top, which was still screwed hard in. Whacking it with hammers and screwdrivers didnt work, so we ended up taking it in turns to hacksaw away at this plate until finally with more bashing the fucker split.

 

Never had one that bad before! Although doing the meriva if it's still hot results in much burnage from the fannymold

[Lord Sterling]

 

 

Sorry Jon, I didn't think to say owt. I'm not going anywhere for the next few months anyway, I'll deffo be at Shrewbury meet if you are going there.

[cort16]

I glued the washers back together on the ZX then the mounting clips snapped off. I changed the fuel filter, took it for a spin and it conked out after 2 miles. I reprimed it and it ran fine for a 10 miles run and didn't conk out once. Definitely running much better on the 10 mile run although it feels like there's flat spots in 3rd when booting it. 

[beko1987]

I glued the washers back together on the ZX then the mounting clips snapped off. I changed the fuel filter, took it for a spin and it conked out after 2 miles. I reprimed it and it ran fine for a 10 miles run and didn't conk out once. Definitely running much better on the 10 mile run although it feels like there's flat spots in 3rd when booting it. 

Mine did the flatspot thing until repeted ragging sorted it out. Was on a 1.4 pez though

[cort16]

I think this one is having problems kicking it's chip fat habit.

[scruff]

I would put a small cup of petrol in the (near full) tank and gun the shite out of it - or if you are feeling flush fill the filter with Forte diesel treatment (other brands are avaliable) and carry out the aforementioned Italian test drive. 

[oman5]

I've finally got a week off work, time to pay some attention to the poor neglected P6. sadly the weather has other ideas, the car is outside and I don't have a garage. I got as far as changing the rad on monday before it started raining and it hasn't stopped since.  

[barefoot]

Fuck 

 

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Shock Horror

 

 

I'd never seen it before & look at me now.

[Bobthebeard]

Not exactly news as such, but interesting (to me at least). Have been clearing out the shed and found that a half full 5 litre tin of black Waxoyl circa 1995 has rusted through and is now seeping out the contents. At least the shed floor won't rust for a while......

The tin needs welding though!

[Mr Livered]

Have been clearing out the shed and found that a half full 5 litre tin of black Waxoyl circa 1995 has rusted through and is now seeping out the contents.

Your Waxoyl rusted away? Shit!

[Bobthebeard]

Your Waxoyl rusted away? Shit!

Surprised me too.... The Waxoyl is fine, it is just the tin that rusted!

[Jim Bell]

Well. Trigger has died.

He was a great contributor, and I shall miss him.

[barefoot]

Fuck 

 

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Shock Horror

 

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I'd never seen it before & look at me now.

 

Posted the same on a Volkswagen forum to be met with complete indifference!

 

We should ALL do the pineapple thing on here!

[Bobthebeard]

Well. Trigger has died.

He was a great contributor, and I shall miss him.

Just out of interest like, why do you keep changing your forum name Mr Peas? Gone from Barry Shitpeas to Very Brownpeas via Jonny Poohpeas etc...

Peas being the common denominator.......

Just wondered!

[alf892]

Well. Trigger has died.

He was a great contributor, and I shall miss him.

yeah saw that..real pity

 

How long do you reckon is 'decent' before asking his mrs if she will take 150 quid for the stripped out Cortina?

[trigger]

Why wait until i die, I'm sure she'd let you take it away now if you offered her a puppy in exchange.

[dollywobbler]

Disco 'buyer' has been in touch via email, claiming he can't get hold of me on the phone. That might have been true for the entire five minutes before he emailed me as I was out of reception area. Told him to call after 3pm. Nowt so far. Dispute still open. After four days, I think I get my money back. Hate being in this 'have I sold it/have I not' loop.

[Jim Bell]

Just out of interest like, why do you keep changing your forum name Mr Peas? Gone from Barry Shitpeas to Very Brownpeas via Jonny Poohpeas etc...

Peas being the common denominator.......

Just wondered!

No real reason. I'm just idiotic.