Ask a Shiter

[Guest Hooli]

I have a bulb on a bit of wire that I use when I'm being technical.

 

Mine's the mk2 with croc clips on the ends.

[drum]

I have the carbs from my GS650 on the bench for strip down and cleaning. In the absence of proper carb cleaner, what's the best thing to use? I have brake cleaner, degreaser, G101, turps etc.

 

I don't want to damage the diaphragms or the alloy body.

[Guest Hooli]

I use brake cleaner, seems to do the same thing.

[DeeJay]

I have a bulb on a bit of wire that I use when I'm being technical.

I can't do electrics since my bulb broke.

[Stanky]

What are the best mechanics gloves to get for under, say, £15?

 

I found a pair of fabric gloves in a car i bought once, the fabric is thin and then have a sort of rubberised/nitrile texture on the palm side so you can grip things. they are quite thin so you can feel what you are doing - and stretchy, though being the 'medium' size, and me being a fat-handed twat they are a bit snug. Large, or XL would be better I think.

 

I've managed to coat them in loads of grot and repeatedly stabbed myself through the fabric and coating and they are now falling apart.

 

I want to replace them, as especially in the winter they are a godsend for keeping your hands warm as you work on cars, and also allow you to grip things like tiny components well - whereas bare skin goes dry and things can't be gripped as easily.

 

what do people suggest? Something like these?

 

https://www.justworkgloves.co.uk/Mechanics-Gloves/AdeptAir-Assembly-Grip-Gloves

 

Are Mechanix gloves any good? They look a bit too bulky for what I want

[SiC]

I walked into the garage to finish off the carbs to suddenly have inspiration for my Distributor test setup. A quick lash-up made this perfectly safe* setup:

 

It works surprisingly well! I get 4000rpm and it draws 10.5A @ 10.69v (battery voltage sagging from the current demand) when spinning the distributor.

 

The motor is for starting RC plane glow engines and so readily available. It's designed to be pushed against a propeller spinner on the front of a model. Like this:

 

Usually the rubber bit sits inside the pulley bit and you push it on. Trying that it more often than not flicked off the distributor. I found it worked better by putting the rubber cone on the end of the distributor and pushing that into the end.

 

Got to think of a slightly more positive way of mounting it but it's a start. Might be possible to replace the pulley with a chuck of some sort maybe?

[catsinthewelder]

Last year the Disastra scraped though the emmissions by the skin of its teeth,  since then it has started using a bit of oil.  Is there any point in taking it for a test?

[cobblers]

Try it. You never know how friendly the tester will be.

[Asimo]

I walked into the garage to finish off the carbs to suddenly have inspiration for my Distributor test setup. A quick lash-up made this perfectly safe* setup:

It works surprisingly well! I get 4000rpm and it draws 10.5A @ 10.69v (battery voltage sagging from the current demand) when spinning the distributor.

The motor is for starting RC plane glow engines and so readily available. It's designed to be pushed against a propeller spinner on the front of a model. Like this:

Usually the rubber bit sits inside the pulley bit and you push it on. Trying that it more often than not flicked off the distributor. I found it worked better by putting the rubber cone on the end of the distributor and pushing that into the end.

Got to think of a slightly more positive way of mounting it but it's a start. Might be possible to replace the pulley with a chuck of some sort maybe?

Stick with the rubber drive. It is asking for trouble to solid drive because it is so difficult to get both shafts parallel and concentric. If you "solidly" mount the distributor and motor to timber with cable ties or jubilee clips, packing pieces etc that should be stable enough with the rubber drive.

[Talbot]

Last year the Disastra scraped though the emmissions by the skin of its teeth,  since then it has started using a bit of oil.  Is there any point in taking it for a test?

Take the air filter out.

[catsinthewelder]

Worth a try isn't it,  I'll find a place that does free retests so I don't have to fix everything else first.

[Mally]

What are the best mechanics gloves to get for under, say, £15?

 

 

 

https://www.toolstation.com/shop/p51069?table=no

 

Something like these. Last quite a while as long as you don't weld.

I buy mine from Autojumbles 3 for £2

[Stanky]

Thankee kindly - exactly what I was after. I need to go to TS this weekend anyway to get my mingebag free screenwash concentrate so that gives a reason to be there.

[Bren]

At least it has'nt deadlocked (yet).

If I lock it with the fob doors lock but then rear o/s passenger door unlocks.

If I use switch on driver's panel all doors lock and unlock normally.

 

I am perplexed.

[DodgeRover]

Last year the Disastra scraped though the emmissions by the skin of its teeth, since then it has started using a bit of oil. Is there any point in taking it for a test?

Yes take it in nice and warm, a decent service would help too.

[cobblers]

I think the Micra uses H4 bulbs, looking to get some LED ones, anyone got any suggestions?

Don't.

 

If you want to see better at night you need to make sure the headlamps are in good order (decent reflectors and clean lenses) then buy quality bulbs and make sure the bulbs are getting the power they should - 12v at the connector etc.

 

LED/HID drop in replacements are absolutely no good, especially in H4 lamps. They'll dazzle the shit out of everyone on dip and full beam won't be any better.

[Guest Hooli]

Disagree.

 

I've got a LED replacement H4 in my GSX14, it's much better than the normal light & has a decent cut off when aimed at a wall. Passes MOTs too. The difference is I can see were I'm going at night now. Can't recall the make though sorry.

[egg]

From what I read online the 652cc 2 cylinder Citroen engine (with electronic ignition) is/was seen as quite an improvement over the 602cc unit. Anyone want to inform me otherwise?

[wuvvum]

LED H4s can be good, depending on the design.  If they are designed with thin rows of COB LEDs very close to where the filaments would be on a halogen bulb, they should be OK.  The problem is that a lot of the cheaper bulbs have bigger LEDs plastered all over the outside of what would be the quartz casing on a halogen bulb, and therefore the light output is far too diffused and the beam pattern will be shite.

[Talbot]

LED H4s can be good, depending on the design.

This.  The difference between cheap shit filament lamps and expensive decent ones is noticeable, but not massive.

 

The difference between cheap shit LED lamps and expensive decent onces is several orders of magnitude.  Goes for household LEDs as well as automotive ones too.

[chaseracer]

When reconnecting a battery, is it -ve then +ve or the other way round?  However I do it, there's a flash and smoke comes out of the alternator.

 

I'm having a cup of tea instead.

[bunglebus]

+ive first, -ive last - but neither should cause the alternator to smoke!

[DodgeRover]

+ve first if you are working on a negative earth vehicle as you have less chance of creating a direct short to earth with the spanner hitting the bodywork.

Other way around for +ve earth

[Mally]

But if it smokes just put the one on.

[Pillock]

A flash from where, the battery terminals or the alternator?

 

Flash from the terminal means something is drawing current as you connect it. A bit flash is a worry but a little spark is probably just a stereo, alarm, clock, stuff like that.

A flash from the alternator means, erm, bad things.

[Des]

For all your batteries, the earth terminal, disconnect first, reconnect last. If an alternator smokes on connection, it's either fucked, or the battery is the wrong way round, and it's fucked.

[neil1971]

My old Almera burnt a lot of oil and I didn't expect it to pass the emissions test but it did, so hopefully you may be pleasantly surprised like I was

 

Last year the Disastra scraped though the emmissions by the skin of its teeth,  since then it has started using a bit of oil.  Is there any point in taking it for a test?

[burraston2006]

I know variations of this question have been asked loads of times but here goes. My boy is 17 later in the year and it's time to start think about getting wheels for him. He's going to agricultural college so would it be cheaper to insure a learner/new driver in a van/pickup or the usual shite 1st cars? If van probably thinking Berlingo/Doblo type of thing. Anyone have experience of these? Mucho Grassyass!!

[Stroller133]

This is stupid, as I’ve already done it? My Peugeot 5008 has 3 dash lights on for auto handbrake, ABS & ESP fault. A Long shot, but I’ve decided to disconnect battery in the vague hope of resetting it. Only the positive is easily accessible so I’ve disconnected there? Is this a problem?

 

Sorry, hadn’t read similar recent posts.

[cobblers]

For all your batteries, the earth terminal, disconnect first, reconnect last. If an alternator smokes on connection, it's either fucked, or the battery is the wrong way round, and it's fucked.

 

When I used to work at Halfords, two lads fitted a battery the wrong way round on a customers newish range rover. Obviously the terminals didn't fit so one was mega overtightened and the other one hammered on to fit. Just as they finished hammering it on they noticed the plumes of smoke coming out of the alternator, but they couldn't get it back off because it was jammed on and now boiling hot as well.