Ask a Shiter

[SiC]

Damn. Amazon reviewers told lies. Explains the supplied fibre washers. There is a pirtex dealer not that far away. Not sure when they open, Google says 24/7 and so does their website. Surely that can't be correct?!

 

I need to convert this to either 1/8" or Schrader valve. My original intention was to attach a Schrader 556 coupler to the end of that pipe.

In answer to my question the pipe is a 1/4" BSP fitting based on the fact that a 1/4" BSP airtool connector screwed into it. I believe the actual connector is a BSPP and not BSPT. Similar but not the same.

 

The Schrader fitting appears to be a 1/8" NPT. Closely similar to a 1/8" BSPT but much more different to a 1/8" BSPP. According to Google...

[Lacquer Peel]

What's this Princess Diana mobile worth? Out of MOT, the hood leaks a little, that interior. 1.8 20v, manual, drives fine.

It's near Aviemore if anyone wants it.

 

 

 

[Guest Hooli]

Any easy ways to find where my aircon system is leaking?

 

a) get it refilled with dye so that under UV light you can see stains where it is leaking

 

2) hold the car under water till you see bubbles

[Guest Hooli]

Or even

 

iii) leak detect spray. it makes a googey coating over whatever you spray it on so you can see bubbles appear. But I doubt you'd be able to see all the joints/pipework to make this work.

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

Washing up liquid?

[Guest Hooli]

Might work, the stuff I've seen in a spray is more gooey so you get nice big easy to see bubbles from slight leaks before they burst.

[Talbot]

Any easy ways to find where my aircon system is leaking?

Garage near me pressurises the system with nitrogen to find leaks. Seems to work too, as nitrogen is a lot cheaper than R134a, and you can then check over the entire system until you find where it's pissing out.

[3VOM]

Garage near me pressurises the system with nitrogen to find leaks. Seems to work too, as nitrogen is a lot cheaper than R134a, and you can then check over the entire system until you find where it's pissing out.

Could I just pressurise it with air and listen out for a leak then? Dye stuff is horrendously expensive and I don't want to spend £25 to stain the carpet under the centre console.

[davehedgehog31]

Seeking four new boots for the Rover -  any opinion on which of these tip the best balance of price v ending up in the scenery. 

 

[sierraman]

I've used the Rovellos before, good tyre.

[scdan4]

I’ve had the Avon’s. Can confirm they have lots of road hangonability. Would recommend.

 

ETA plus made in Wiltshire.

[Talbot]

Could I just pressurise it with air and listen out for a leak then? Dye stuff is horrendously expensive and I don't want to spend £25 to stain the carpet under the centre console.

Yes, but only if you plan on changing the reciever-drier afterwards. The humidity in any air pressurised into the system will saturate the dessicant and make the system not work properly.

[Shirley Knott]

And I've got the Barums pictured on the 940, they're fine.

[clayts450]

I've got the Sailun's on the rear of the Streetshite - no dramas, no premature wear - pretty good tyre - no noise at all, and happy to be chucked into corners without grip lossage in wet and dry.

[SiC]

Barums are a Czech tyre that is part owned by Pirelli.

[sierraman]

Thought Barum were owned by Continental?

[SiC]

You are correct! A mistake on my part.

[jakebullet]

Where do disco TD5's like to leak coolant from? Bastard thing is pissing me off now. I had an obvious pissing out leak from the gasket on the cylinder head outlet. Fixed that. Then discovered fuel cooler drips under certain conditions, fixed that. Just been on a 400 mile dismal holiday, and the levels gone down an inch. When I stopped at the services and came back it was emitting that hot coolant smell, but no obvious leak. I don't think it's head gasket, or it wouldn't smell?

 

Should I a) snake oil it with k seal, b ) keep driving & hope it gets worse enough to spot, c) replace every bloody pipe and gasket in the hope of fixing it?

[Guest Hooli]

Water pumps were always a favourite on older Discos, I don't know if they carried that heritage* over though.

[M'coli]

Not an actual admission of 'detailing' from me, but it might be an idea to clean two years worth of dead insects off of our motorhome, in particular the "quiff" above the cab. I'm thinking that it will probably need a bit of a steep to soften them up first. What's that stuff that looks like Randy Marsh had just come his mutton over a car and how is it applied?

[mitsisigma01]

Snowfoam ? When I used to do my van once in a blue moon or less I used to soak a towel in a bucket of hot soapy water and spread it over the insect graveyard and let it steep for a while.

[Jazoli]

You can get snowfoam lances off eBay in various configs to fit whatever jetwasher you have, they are 13 quid or so, or 24 with 1 litre of jizz.

[M'coli]

Ah. I don't have a jet washer, we don't even have an outside tap. Snowfoam was the stuff I was thinking of, too, but just couldn't remember the name.

It's not so easy to get a towel to stick to the underside of the quiff either!

[sierraman]

Jetwashers are £39 in lidl at moment.

[mitsisigma01]

And a kitchen tap to hosepipe adapter probably about a fiver ish from homebase

[M'coli]

Spen... spending money...? "Nurse! Nurse! Close the screens, he's having another episode!"

[320touring]

Spen... spending money...? "Nurse! Nurse! Close the screens, he's having another episode!"

Obviously unaware he was suggesting it to a Scot who had moved to Yorkshire, as he felt Scotland was a touch frivolous in the spending dept

[oldcars]

Not an actual admission of 'detailing' from me, but it might be an idea to clean two years worth of dead insects off of our motorhome, in particular the "quiff" above the cab. I'm thinking that it will probably need a bit of a steep to soften them up first. What's that stuff that looks like Randy Marsh had just come his mutton over a car and how is it applied?

I use a pump sprayer for snowfoam. You could also get something like this for doing it.

https://www.carparts4less.co.uk/cp4l/p/-/-/-/-/?553772920&0&cc5_1051&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_7-Czuel3AIVEGwbCh0dVAFsEAQYBCABEgKx8fD_BwE

Connects to OMG HOSEPIPE BAN.

 

This is what i use, had it for years and paid no where near this price for it.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PROFESSIONAL-TRADESPRAY-1-5L-PRESSURE-SPRAYER-FOR-CHEMICAL-OILS-W-VITON-SEALS/371296923942?epid=1663417918&hash=item5673057126%3Ag%3ADU4AAOSweW5VUdhc&_sacat=0&_nkw=pump+sprayer+with+viton+seals&_from=R40&rt=nc&_trksid=m570.l1313

[davehedgehog31]

I've used the Rovellos before, good tyre.

The tightarse in me settled for these, £150 for four tyres and front wheel alignment, some not too disparaging reviews online. We'll see what they're like... 

 

Still probably over half the car's value. The 405 has good Bridgestone All Season ones, it would be the bad weather steed of choice anyway. 

[Talbot]

Where do disco TD5's like to leak coolant from?

Water pumps are a prime spot, and are a twat to fit (they go in "from the back") Also, have you checked your radiator recently? The shite that buulds up between the aircon condenser and the rad can often cause corrosion pinholes in the front of the rad, which then leak into the built-up shite, so there's no obvious leak.

 

Also, the top hose bleed point is shit (I changed mine for a metal housing) and the two hoses that go off to the heater matrix often chafe on things and have tiny weeps down the back of the block which you can't see.

 

Thankfully, most of these are accessable. The lower hoses (bottom hose, thermostat housing etc) don't tend to leak.