The new news 24 thread

[Lord Sterling]

Finally managed to stick a new tyre on the spare wheel. There was a bit of shuffle around of wheels as the spare had been put on the front to pass the MOT. The spare wheel was still pretty much clean compared to the other wheel so I decided to have a new spare tyre put on that wheel, the old wheel laying in the boot had the tyre from what was now going to be my spare wheel (If that makes any sense)

 

Now all I've got to do is clean out the spare wheel well and clean up the spare wheel to make it sparkle.

 

Also - Tried some of that Turtle Wax leather cleaner/feed not sure abot the 'cleaner' bit didnt seem to be able to shift anything, the seats are ok but I think they need a clean as does the carpet. Bloody hell, looking forward to that

[wuvvum]

Took the A3 down to the petrol station this afternoon to check the tyre pressures as the OSR was looking a bit low, and the speedo has decided to start working, having been inoperative for at least 18 months. The only thing I can think of is that I replaced the fuse for the reversing lights the other day, but why that would affect the speedo I have no idea. Anyway, it should make it easier to sell, and it also means the trip computer can do its thing properly, so the average fuel consumption readout is now reading 37.5 mpg, rather than the 23.5 it defaulted to before.

[R9UKE]

^ Sounds like a French car.

[Danblez]

After reading a very informative thread over on the blue forum about Coolant/Antifreeze I realised I had put the wrong stuff in the camper as an emergency during the cold snap. So coolant change was set about, drained the rad ok but could I find the drain plug in the block? Decided that it would be better off not snapping that off anyway and so flushed, topped up and flushed 3 times until it was pretty clear and filled up with the correct IAT coolant.

 

http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.c ... 618&page=2

 

Also dropped the oil and changed the filter whilst I was there. MOT time in a couple of weeks so need to do a couple of small jobs before then.

[Cavcraft]

Cheers Mike, Wuvvum. I couldn't afford to trash the Merc so will wait for some dish and go and buy an old banger to razz round Oulton in.

[dollywobbler]

BX door is reattached thanks to using two nails (as temporary measures until I could hammer in the hinge pins) and a trolley jack. An added bonus is that this replacement door has a door check strap that actually manages to hold the door open! This afternoon's fun and games will involve refitting the door latch and lock mechanisms, the window glass and electric assembly and no doubt slashing my arms on those lovely sharp edges on the door gaps.

[barefoot]

Porsche chucked two pints of coolant on the drive at the weekend.

I thought I'd better see what it was larking about at & the rubber had fell off the radiator cap.

- new one - £5 - sorted

 

Oh, and a VC10 appears to be flying circuits at EMA - you wouldn't believe how noisy it is!

[eddyramrod]

Both bikes now sit on inflated tyres! I stripped the old ones off the racer back in 2006/7 and bought new - finally I've fitted the buggers! Rode it around my yard a little bit to celebrate. The brakes are crap. Mountain bike is up and running again too, and Mrs R has been round the yard on hers again. It's all happening on the bike front!

[Negative Creep]

Not sure if I'm being paranoid, but I'm sure I'm starting to detect a bit of clutch slip. Arsebeans (maybe).

[RobT]

MoT day tomorrow for the BX and the anxiety is already building up!

 

I finally got round to replacing the cracked front reg plate yesterday so that's one less fail point. The front brake pads need renewing (which I've got) but I'm hoping it'll get through the test so I can do them at my leisure. It had no advisories last year but that doesn't stop me being anxious.

 

If it passes OK my Dad can have it as my Montego is now more or less fixed.

[DSdriver]

Both bikes now sit on inflated tyres! I stripped the old ones off the racer back in 2006/7 and bought new - finally I've fitted the buggers! Rode it around my yard a little bit to celebrate. The brakes are crap. Mountain bike is up and running again too, and Mrs R has been round the yard on hers again. It's all happening on the bike front!

Great to hear that Mrs R. is well enough to ride her bike, hows's her balance?

[tonedepear]

AAARGH + HNNNGH + FFS. Bloody modern fiat/vauxhalls.

 

Albert will laugh at me, but here it is.

 

Night shift.

 

Plan for the day: sleep.

 

Actual sequence of events: wake up at 11 cos it's hotter than the sun in south facing bedroom. Decide to make the most of sun and get round to changing oil in car. Spend 2 hours rounding off appalling GM hollow sump nut and swearing. Drive to tame garage down the road and offer a tenner to anyone who can loosen said nut half a turn. Stand in sun for an hour watching two of them struggle with it. Gain reassurance that I'm not being soft and nut has probably not been out since factory. Drive to Vauxhall dealer and buy replacement nut. Open can of cheap cider. Cover self in boiling oil. Fit new nut. Fill with new oil. Drop old oil on drive / new trainers. Notice oil filter still in packet. Curse. Walk dog. Go to bed. Labour time 5 hours.

 

Untitled by Tony Lloyd, on Flickr

[cort16]

I know how you feel. It took me three hours to change one disc and set of pads on my 7 series last Saturday. On Sunday I spent another 3 hours doing the other one but had to give up as the nut on the caliper rounded off after the 800ft breaker bar I was using slipped off as I was pretty much sitting on it bouncing up and down trying to free it. Mechanics of the world do not re-fit every single nut with impact guns!

[Pete-M]

The day of 604 has arrived! I've finally driven it on the road.

 

First mile or two was interesting as the front brakes were battling with a few years of rust on the discs but after a couple of miles they freed off and are now sound. Fan belt was a bit loose so tightened that up for now, will replace shortly. New wiper blades and a headlamp bulb sorted a few little minor jobs. Rack gaiters and an exhaust gasket and it should be all good.

 

Ride quality is spaffingly good. Auto box is smooth, nothing rattles and it sat happily at 70 once the brakes had freed off. Ace.

 

It's at the MOT station now, will hopefully have a fresh ticket tomorrow.

[dollywobbler]

Nice one Pete. I think we've all been eagerly awaiting your first drive! Good luck for a pass...

 

Today saw a healthy-sized invoice get paid, so a new front caliper and boot struts have been ordered for the BX. I did try ordering a new ignition barrel for the 2CV but stock seems low at the moment (unless I fancy paying £180!) so that's on hold. Making do with a Dyane barrel resting on the dashboard at the moment. Not ideal, but keeps her usable - which is good as I'm tackling a 180 mile round trip to North Wales tomorrow.

 

Then I'm off to south Wales on Saturday for a slice of Pay and Play fun in the Maverick. I've not got stuck in it yet, but that clean record could be about to come to an end...

[HillmanImp]

Have finally ordered the subframe mounting box so we can crack on with the Lancia. Watch this space........and you will see me throw a hissy fit and then not touch it again for another month.

[Skizzer]

Then I'm off to south Wales on Saturday for a slice of Pay and Play fun in the Maverick. I've not got stuck in it yet, but that clean record could be about to come to an end...

 

Out of curiosity Ian, whereabouts are you Paying and Playing? (I'm not stalking you , just wondering - I failed to find anywhere round here back when I had my Landy, though that's a while ago now.)

[dollywobbler]

No worries. Heading here. Is meant to have some very tricky areas and there's LOTS of space apparently.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Red-Valle ... 2017253566

[Skizzer]

No worries. Heading here. Is meant to have some very tricky areas and there's LOTS of space apparently.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Red-Valle ... 2017253566

 

Looks good! That's an easy run up the road from here as well, so it's a pity the Ninety's chassis dissolved before I discovered it .

 

Have fun, and good luck! Photos eagerly awaited of muddy Maverick at unlikely angles to the horizontal.

[eddyramrod]

Great to hear that Mrs R. is well enough to ride her bike, hows's her balance?

 

Fine, if she can get a bit of speed up. She tried to slip into the gap between the pickup and the house today, at low speed as you do, and collopsed against the side of the truck. It wasn't just random gap-chasing, that was where she planned to dismount. But, er, a bit more elegantly... Riding up and down the drive she seems to be doing ok though. We've just come in from a Quiz Night too, which she enjoyed.

[The Moog]

Got the T25 back from a service and it is like the van transformed! They decided they liked the bus and did loads of jobs for free including sorting out the gear linkage and fitting a Vacuum Advance to the van to improve economy. Drives really well now and the changing from Pez to LPG is definitely dodgy. Will have to fit a new vaporiser next year, think it will be about £90

 

On downside the Volvo is starting to limp along. Front sub frame bush has gone and now squeaks, the VVT pulley is fooked and now pulses at idle and means economy is down(£400 for new pulley), climate control seems to be having spazzy fits and decides on hot or cold a bit randomly and finally the idle is playing silly buggers. Hopefully it will soldier on to July before either baying it or over the bridge.

[ashmicro]

Merc will be gone in the morning. Suspension failure on a 10 month old car is unacceptable. Stealer's were very nice, but pretty useless. They've bought it off me for what I paid as they have a punter waiting for one. Due to the current state of flux in my domestic arrangements I couldn't have kept it anyway. All-British fleet now!

[barefoot]

Filled car with fuel yesterday

I'm going to try playing the hyper-miling game, see if it will last until the strike is over!

[ashmicro]

@Moog

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volvo-VVT-Pul ... 2c559f2121

 

 

I'm told that those cars can suffer from some resonation at idle due to poor routing of power steering pipes. (Some early Rover 75s do this - the pipe vibrates off the inner wing).

 

Maybe worth a look.

[cort16]

I went down to my lockup last night to get some tools for DIY duties and the garage next door I rent my lockup off had pressed the wheel bearing onto the half shaft and didn't charge me for it.

I did the pads the other night so I just have to re-fit the half shaft, the rear brakes and weld up the exhaust and it I'll be smelling the sweet smell of MOT certificate.

[RobT]

BX passed the MoT, that's a relief. Got an advisory on slightly corroded front brake pipes. Once I've changed the front brake pads this weekend either Dad can have it or I'll sell it on, albeit reluctantly, as it's now surplus to requirements. I'm impressed how well it served me over the winter months, maybe I got a good 'un but I was expecting it to be trouble!

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Took all the locks off the Herald and rebuilt them to work with one key. That's bonnet lock, door, ignition, petrol cap and boot all sharing a key instead of having one each. Also means I can carry one keyring instead of having separate ones for car and house. Wish I'd done it ages ago now.

[M'coli]

New oil and filter on the Cavalier today, and a new gasket between the exhaust manifold and the downpipe - but can I find the new conical washer for the downpipe-to-centre section? Can I heck! I love how an oil change can make an engine sound quieter, though.

[Cavcraft]

Merc went straight through the MOT today! One tyre getting close and they advised on front wheel bearings but admitted it might just be the 'normal' amount of play in them.

As if to celebrate the fact, I came home arsed about with the car and one of the front fog light bulbs blew!

 

Just went to view another potential CavCraft fodder-mobile, now having a think about the price as it needs to be a little bit cheaper.

[ProgRocker]

My Nissan Almera has been booked in for a service in preparation of using it to get to and from my new place of work. Have owned the car for 18 months now, travelled just 4,700 miles in it but never had it serviced during my ownership. The new commute will likely be 100 miles a week so it needs to be ship shape. With the service they should tighten the slack handbrake that I was warned of in the last MOT.

 

Also just reinsured it for another year. Last year it was £450. But this year it is £286. Less than 80p a day. Ironic that I will be travelling a lot further in it from next month than at any time last year . I hope that changing my occupation isn't going to bump up the premium: Civil Servant is a fairly safe occupation one would hope (not MI5! ).