The new news 24 thread

[wuvvum]

I drove 20 miles in the Alfa 75 yesterday, from my mate's in Mundesley where it'd been stored to my garage in Norwich. It was my first "long" drive in it, and it ran fine - it's still overfuelling like buggery at low revs due to the fuel pump not being wired up correctly, but once it's cruising it's quite happy. Seemed a little on the thirsty side even on the main roads, but then maybe I'm just being optimistic about what sort of mpg I can expect from a 22-year-old 2.5 V6 with an undergeared 3-speed auto.

 

This afternoon I decided to have a play with one of the Spacys. The throttle wasn't moving and the bloke I bought it off reckoned the cable was seized. After some dismantling it became clear that a) it wasn't the cable that was causing the problem but the carb itself and Spacy carbs are a complete arse to remove. I got it off eventually and sure enough the throttle spindle is seized solid. I've saturated it in WD40 for the time being. I called in at the garage this evening and found that No.2 Spacy has exactly the same problem, but No.3 (the terminally shagged one) had a nice free throttle so I took the carb off that, along with the battery box which No.1 is missing. Tomorrow I'll give the carb off No.3 a good clean, then stick it back on No.1, add some fresh pez and some jump leads and see if the thing will fire.

 

I've been running around in the Laguna today. I've managed to persuade the gearbox to go into Tiptronic mode, which is useful as in auto mode it doesn't always do quite what I want it to. It's still making a very odd noise in forward gears though - kind of like a scraping, rattling sort of sound, which is most noticeable on a light throttle - it more or less goes when I floor it, although that might just be it being drowned out by the roar of the V6. It doesn't seem to do it at all in reverse. I know bugger all about autos so no idea what might be causing it - I've checked the ATF level (a mission in itself as the dipstick is completely inaccessible) and that's fine, so I'm out of ideas... The car still goes like a bat out of hell though, and I've pulled off a couple of overtaking manoeuvres today that even the Rover of Doom would have baulked at.

[Lord Sterling]

Rolled on down to Oxfordshire today to pick up a pair of new Mk1 Rover 800 wings + a trip computer that I managed to convince the seller to sell me. Tried to roll down there mostly in cruise-control mode, but the slow down-speed up environment of the motoray made it difficult. Mind the cruise control did seem to use alot of petrol, almost £40 there and back.

 

The lad who sold me the parts had a Black Rover 827SI in which he has extracted something in the region of 240BHP out of the V6 engine (before he managed to melt the pistons) the lad can build engines, design and construct parts for fun or just out of sheer boredam, when he does modifications he does them with intelligence, not OMgZ 4 LUKKS as many others do which is one of the reasons I like and respect the modifications he makes to his cars.

 

On the way my trip computer started to display 'FULL' on the screen, I've only ever seen this once before on my old Sterling:

 

 

The wings have been sprayed with primer which is better for me so I can get them painted to which ever car I wanted to put them on:

 

 

Now the other trip computer I bought was a little grubby on the rear casing but the LCD displays were perfect, its very hard to find a trip-computer which isnt bleeding on the screen.

 

I had a spare trip computer laying around with a bled screen and scratching on the other, though the rear casing was like new, so I decided to take apart both trip computers to make one good one.

 

Now as amazing(ly 1980s) as they look and how chucky they are, they are actually quite primative things. Behind all the chunky casing is letrally a couple of small circuit boards, and loads of room. The compter has 2 LCD screens, one of the vehicle condition monitor and the other displaying everything from time to fuel used to start stop times and more. In fact, these are actually 2 different computers clipped together to make one:

 

 

I've got probably about 4 (or 6 including the ones in my car) good trip computers. I think I'l stop there for now. Oh wait, I agreed to buy another one....

 

Tomorrow, hopefully I'll try and tackle the radio wires and actually have some music installed into my car.

[dollywobbler]

Wuv - get some proper penetrating oil and some spray grease. WD40 isn't ideal for freeing stuff. There is better stuff out there. Downside is that I've got loads of different cans of stuff... (Halfords spray grease is really thick stuff - great for hinges and the like).

 

As for the scraping sound, my mate's horribly abused Delica does this, especially when cold. I've no idea what it is but it sounds dreadful. He hasn't fixed it yet and is currently driving to Brussels in it...

 

My guess is that the torque converter is knackered, but that is a guess based on knowing that part of an automatic gearbox is a torque converter.

[Shep Shepherd]

Not much going on in Volvograd, but I did manage to get some Hot Wax on The Volvo at work today, in lieu of a proper polishing session:

 

 

Typically, it started to rain as the photo was taken

[dollywobbler]

I've just been offered my stripey BX back. Slight issue - it's in Ramsgate. Bigger issue - it's got a completely knackered wheel bearing. Now frantically trying to make the logistics work so I can decide whether to have it back or not.

[cobblers]

I got the Golf Gti engine fitted in the van, all plumbed up and mostly wired, but the lead wire off the crank sensor fell to pieces in my hands so it's not going anywhere til a new one turns up. Also, out of the 4 alternators, 2 brackets and 3 pulley setups I've gathered, I have probably the only combination of "big" block VW engine alternator gear that won't work together. Bugger. At least the parts I want aren't rare or anything.

[MrDuke]

P.S.A. - In Aldi today they had a tub full of assorted lube sprays - Pentration, Silicone, and White Lithium plus maybe one or two others. All '3in1' branded, think they were about £3 but I've no idea what greasy stuff costs these days anyway.

Also, sets of seriously huge spanners (wheel-bearing spec?) for about £30, not branded but my last set of smaller spanners from there have proved surprisingly tough.

[eddyramrod]

Two bits of news today. In one, I finally bought two used tyres for the pickup. Now for the first time in three years, it has the same size all round! Four different makes, mind... Anyway it passed the MoT so I'm legal again, for two years. Should help it sell. The tester had to give it an Italian tune-up while calibrating the emissions sensors but it worked, that's what matters.

In two, I've finally opened myself a page on Facebook...

[wuvvum]

My guess is that the torque converter is knackered, but that is a guess based on knowing that part of an automatic gearbox is a torque converter.

That was my thought as well, but it only makes the noise in forward gears, it doesn't do it in reverse - surely if it were the torque converter the noise would be present in reverse as well?

 

Anyway, bit of a mixed day today. I fitted the carb off Spacy 3 to Spacy 1 - it had been my intention to strip the carb and make sure all jets were clear / float was set properly etc., but the Philips screws that hold the carb together decided that after 30 years of holding it together they weren't about to stop, so I shoved it on the bike as it is - the bits I could see through the throttle and choke openings looked clean enough anyway. I then took the plug out to check its condition - it's brand new, doesn't look like it's ever fired in anger. In fact initially it wasn't firing at all, but a wire brush to the rather corroded terminals on the coil soon produced a spark, albeit not a particularly impressive one.

 

It still didn't seem interested in starting, and a bit of further investigation found that no fuel was getting to the carb. So I pulled the fuel line off the tap thing on the bottom of the tank, and managed to snap off part of the tap as well. Old Japanese alloy is wonderful stuff. I had to go into Norwich anyway, so I stopped off at the garage and took the (half full) tank off Spacy 2. Quite an easy job as it's just held in with four 10mm bolts which all undid easily, despite looking rusty as feck. Unfortunately once I'd drained the tank into a handy jerry can, it quickly became apparent that the bottom of the tank is covered in muck and rust, so although fuel was getting out of the tap it probably wouldn't do so for very long without getting terminally clogged up. And looking at the state of the tap itself there was little chance of separating it from the tank without something snapping. So I took the tank out of Spacy 3 - this was actually in better condition than either of the first two, and apart from the small amount of petrol in the bottom that smelled like it had been in there since the bike was new, it looked pretty clean. So at some point in the week I'm going to fit this to Spacy 1 and see what happens.

 

I also treated the Rover of Doom to an oil and filter change this afternoon - 5 litres of Asda's finest own-brand 10W40 semi-synth, which the previous owner of the BMW had thoughtfully left in the boot for me. It was actually quite an easy job to do - drain plug came undone easily and the oil filter was easy to get to, although it did take a bit of persuasion with my big f**k-off adjustable pliers to come undone. I have no idea when the oil was last changed, but I've done 8,000 miles in the car since I bought it so I thought it wouldn't hurt.

 

I've actually driven every car in the fleet this weekend - albeit the Volvo was only driven a few feet backwards to improve access to the side door of the garage so as to facilitate moving Spacys in and out. I pulled the Renault 6 out of the garage this afternoon for the first time since the autumn, and it doesn't appear to have gone noticeably downhill over the winter - one advantage of it being fairly dry I suppose. I also borrowed the battery off the BMW and took the 156 for a quick blast round the block - probably for the last time as it's going off for scrap in the near future.

 

The Jeep is still being a PITA with the handbrake binding on, and the Solara won't idle, or indeed run on a light throttle - I suspect a loose or blocked jet in the carb - so those are the first two jobs for next weekend...

[MrDuke]

Four different makes, mind...

 

I've only ever owned one car which had more than 2 matching tyres. It's the shite way, a full set would be letting the side down.

[eddyramrod]

Would it? Oh dear. The Granada has five matching Delta whitewalls, which I bought brand new specially for it....

[MrDuke]

Well, best just put that down to experience and move on...

[alf892]

On Saturday I put a new clutch in a friend's modern (k12 micra) as they had no cash to pay a garage to do it. Not a bad job although dropping driveshafts was a pia due to being seized solid. Just bolting new clutch on and noticed masive end float on crank (measure with ruler job). Crank kanackered at 55,000 miles!? Is this a result of renault's leadership?

[skattrd]

Bollocks - Mitsubishi died on the M62 this morning. It started to overheat in the middle of the roadworks near Leeds, I tried to nurse it to somewhere I could get out of the way (metal barrier blocking off hard shoulder) I didn't make it, the car died. Head gasket definitely gone, god knows what else in the engine has. I've been recovered home and now unsure what to do about chumley next w/end

The car is at the garage awaiting head removal to see what it needs

[scaryoldcortina]

On Saturday I put a new clutch in a friend's modern (k12 micra) as they had no cash to pay a garage to do it. Not a bad job although dropping driveshafts was a pia due to being seized solid. Just bolting new clutch on and noticed masive end float on crank (measure with ruler job). Crank kanackered at 55,000 miles!? Is this a result of renault's leadership?

 

Crank float or loose flywheel?

[Cavcraft]

Bollocks - Mitsubishi died on the M62 this morning. It started to overheat in the middle of the roadworks near Leeds, I tried to nurse it to somewhere I could get out of the way (metal barrier blocking off hard shoulder) I didn't make it, the car died. Head gasket definitely gone, god knows what else in the engine has. I've been recovered home and now unsure what to do about chumley next w/end

The car is at the garage awaiting head removal to see what it needs

 

The Autoshite way would be to lob some K-seal in it, blank off rear view mirrors and turn up the stereo.

[outlaw118]

Escort passed Mot this morning, well, it should do, it's done 8 miles since the last one....now I need to sell it before I change my mind....

[alf892]

On Saturday I put a new clutch in a friend's modern (k12 micra) as they had no cash to pay a garage to do it. Not a bad job although dropping driveshafts was a pia due to being seized solid. Just bolting new clutch on and noticed masive end float on crank (measure with ruler job). Crank kanackered at 55,000 miles!? Is this a result of renault's leadership?

 

Crank float or loose flywheel?

 

 

Definitely end float. Just over 1/8". I got as far as ringing the engineering place I use and found you can't even get the crank metal sprayed due to material used.

[Albert Ross]

Bollocks - Mitsubishi died on the M62 this morning. It started to overheat in the middle of the roadworks near Leeds, I tried to nurse it to somewhere I could get out of the way (metal barrier blocking off hard shoulder) I didn't make it, the car died. Head gasket definitely gone, god knows what else in the engine has. I've been recovered home and now unsure what to do about chumley next w/end

The car is at the garage awaiting head removal to see what it needs

 

 

Garage??? You must be rich.

[skattrd]

Bollocks - Mitsubishi died on the M62 this morning. It started to overheat in the middle of the roadworks near Leeds, I tried to nurse it to somewhere I could get out of the way (metal barrier blocking off hard shoulder) I didn't make it, the car died. Head gasket definitely gone, god knows what else in the engine has. I've been recovered home and now unsure what to do about chumley next w/end

The car is at the garage awaiting head removal to see what it needs

 

 

Garage??? You must be rich.

 

The garage is run by my brother-in-law, so family discount etc.

I must get some pics of the garage next time I'm up there. It's rather old school and does have a bit of shite lying about, abandoned MGB, Wolsey, Morris Minor, Fiat Pandas. At least 3 Land Rovers in various states of repair/dismantle.

[eddyramrod]

Yes, you definitely need to get some pics!

[dollywobbler]

My old BX is coming home. Here's what she looked like three years ago.

 

Looks like Shiply will be getting my business. Quite amazed that people are prepared to receive as little as £200 to transport it 300 miles from the arse end of Kent to a random spot on the west coast of Wales. That'll be a long day! So, looks like I've double my knackered BX diesel count then...

 

Plan is to get the stripey one back in working order and consider taking the Mk1 off the road until I can banish some of its bigger gremlins. It currently has a knackered alternator, iffy hydraulics and was making some rather alarming clonking noises from the front end at the weekend. Not convinced it was just the usual ARB drop links, but I'll give it a thorough going over. Much easier to do if I've got another BX estate for doing the everyday chores!

 

Not sure what the long term plan is with the Mk2. Doesn't really make sense to keep it. Will ponder whether to tart up for sale or consider breaking it for spares.

[Cavcraft]

Who's got the stripey one now Ian?

[dollywobbler]

A friend of mine. He bought it in March last year and has done about 30,000 miles in it. Apart from one suspension unit leak, a failed alternator and now the wheel bearing, it's been entirely reliable. Hasn't been serviced once so I'll get that rectified.

[MrDuke]

Looks like Shiply will be getting my business. Quite amazed that people are prepared to receive as little as £200 to transport it 300 miles from the arse end of Kent to a random spot on the west coast of Wales.

 

I imagine they'll be going in that general direction anyway, just swinging off-route for a couple of hours; if they only make an extra £20 it's better than nowt. I often see transporters going into Holyhead carrying gleaming nearly-new Mercs or Audis, with a solitary Bluebird or Montego stuck on the back, always makes me chuckle.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Ensure all possible measures are taken to avoid paying shiplys extortionate fees. If you are cute you can communicate your phone number to the bidder without their automatic fraud preventer thing picking it up.

[Lankytim]

How do you do that? Googling their username sometimes results in them popping up on a web forum somewhere.

[dollywobbler]

I'm taking the Shiply Hit (SHIT) this time. Might as well give them my money at least once! Booked in for some time in the next few weeks once we find something mutually convenient. It's not going to be a big transporter. Sounds like a small set-up so probably beavertail and a trailer.

[cobblers]

Ensure all possible measures are taken to avoid paying shiplys extortionate fees. If you are cute you can communicate your phone number to the bidder without their automatic fraud preventer thing picking it up.

 

 

I did this and the dopey bastards all still took the job through shiply

[dollywobbler]

Ugh. Battled all day to get something work-related done, so decided to 'treat' myself by fitting the new alternator to the BX. What a fuggin' horrible job! Hideous access and then just getting the thing out was horrific. I fear I've dented the lovely new radiator. Can't test it yet as I'm awaiting a new belt. Also one of those jobs that leaves you absolutely oil covered right up to the elbows.

 

Impressively though, it started very nicely - despite not having any charging for 50 miles. Had to fire it up to get the suspension up to allow me to access the alternator from below. I bloody hate jobs that require access from above AND below.