Ask a Shiter

[Honey Badger]

Plan was battens. Cool, didn't know if sikaflex would be tough enough to hold them.

Going to plan it out properly with electrics before doing any work

Give any areas you sand down a wipe with acetone to get any crud or grease off the GRP as that can stop it bonding.

 

Filleting round the edge of the wood gives the adhesive more strength as well, helps spread the load onto the GRP as well.

 

2nd image down on the link, even 5mm fillet on the sides of the wood makes a stronger joint, using a wide lolly stick/tounge depressor to get the shape.

 

http://www.substech.com/dokuwiki/lib/exe/detail.php?id=adhesive_joints&cache=cache&media=adhesive_fillets.png&DokuWiki=64bd07a6b093be683311cd39f53dd8c5

[The Moog]

Is the blue the glue?

[Honey Badger]

Is the blue the glue?

 

Aye, you don't need a big fillet, it's just about spreading the load a bit more

 

Is the GRP curved? If its flat have you thought of using the metal plasterboard laths, metals tend to stick better than wood with some adhesives you can use on GRP, I've never used sikaflex though.

 

http://solarcar.wikia.com/wiki/UMNSVP_Composite_Chassis_Design?file=UMNSVP_Glue_Joint.png

[worldofceri]

Re: Parking ticket. You'd have been better off stopping on the double yellows; you can stop as long as you like on those as long as you're in the process of loading/unloading, which includes picking up and setting down passengers. Stopping in a taxi rank, bus stop, disabled bay (without a blue badge), or on red lines can mean instant ticket. And don't ever stop on the zig-zags of a pedestrian crossing because that can also attract three points on your licence.

[myglaren]

And don't ever stop on the zig-zags of a pedestrian crossing because that can also attract three points on your licence.

 

 

 

 

 

If only!

[HillmanImp]

Never knew you were not able to stop in taxi ranks like that. Will keep that in mind. 

[wuvvum]

Sorry if this has been discussed before, but how are the new car tax rules going to work with tax exempt motors?  Under the current system you still have to display a tax disc, even though it's free.  Are you still going to need to "tax" the vehicle under the new system (kind of a Statutory On Road Notification), or can one just forget about it completely?

[sheffcortinacentre]

nope you still gota go to the po with no money & no paperwork (its on computer now , yeah right) & queue for nothing.

 

nothing like reducing red tape mr camerooooon.

[CreepingJesus]

Seriously long shot, I know; but I wonder if anyone can help here.

 

 

Kay picked up this sewing machine for a few quid the other week. It's not so much its' identity we're puzzled about, but the lack of a Singer brand anywhere on it.

Long story short...Singer didn't make machines for anyone else, so they were always branded as such. This machine was made in their Monza factory in the mid 70's, and has Singer part numbers right throughout. The manual is a Singer one, but without the name. Yet, the serial number appears to relate to Monza production from decades before!  Seems to be all original, so why it's simply branded 'Capri' is causing some head scratching. Help, anyone?

[laser wheels]

Sorry for the stupid question, but if I buy replacement brake pads without the wear sensor does that mean the wear warning indicator on the dashboard of the Sierra won't work anymore?

[cobblers]

yes. It will always be on, unless you connect the wires together.

[cobblers]

Right heres one. I always thought I couldn't tow owt because I passed my test in 2003. But I just went on that drivling licence record thing to see how many points I have and it turns out I can tow like any normal person?

 

"You can drive vehicles up to 3,500kg Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) and up to 8 passenger seats, and a driver, with trailer up to 750kg; trailers over 750kg if combined weight of vehicle and trailer isn't over 3,500kg and the fully-loaded trailer doesn't weigh more than the unladen vehicle"

 

So I can tow a reasonable caravan if things get that bad? And why have a couple of people I know my ages been sent off to do proper trailer tests?

[jakebullet]

I noticed today the fuel filter on my disco 2 was mostly composed of rust with a liberal soaking of diesel. So I banged a new filter on in the hope the leak was due to rust & not a knackered filter head thing.

 

Went for a 3 mile drive, stuck my hand on the filter to see if it was wet or not, and the bastard is OW! hot. Stupid question, is it supposed to be?

 

I know surplus fuel gets returned to the tank, but there's 70 litres in it. Wouldn't have thought it should get that hot.

[panhard65]

Right heres one. I always thought I couldn't tow owt because I passed my test in 2003. But I just went on that drivling licence record thing to see how many points I have and it turns out I can tow like any normal person?

 

"You can drive vehicles up to 3,500kg Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) and up to 8 passenger seats, and a driver, with trailer up to 750kg; trailers over 750kg if combined weight of vehicle and trailer isn't over 3,500kg and the fully-loaded trailer doesn't weigh more than the unladen vehicle"

 

So I can tow a reasonable caravan if things get that bad? And why have a couple of people I know my ages been sent off to do proper trailer tests?

The reason you need another test is that most large trailers are over 750kg. My car transporter is 600kg empty before you put a car on it. You can only really tow those little box trailers and there are some very small caravans that come in under 750kg. With the weight of modern cars you could easily go over the 3500 weight of both car and trailer. We have got a twin wheel 2 berth caravan that come in at 1200kg empty. Once you bung your luggage etc it soon gets bloody heavy

[twosmoke300]

Also be aware when towing any trailer with brakes because that means it has the ability to total more than 750kg when loaded .You can now get done for "potential overloading" . I would be a cock of a copper mind but its possible.

[bub2006]

We looked into these towing laws as we was looking into a caravan. The vectra we have weighs 1400kg approx. It can also tow up to 1300 i think according to handbook. So providing we don't exceed legal limits we are ok as it is less than 3500kg. To be honest i wouldn't want to tow much more than a ton with the vectra as its only got a 1.8 engine.

[sheffcortinacentre]

the potential overloading law as just been sensibilzed (made up word) you know only get done if you have a real load on board.

[Wilko220]

What was the last (European / available in the UK) car to have a straight 8 engine? Anyone ever driven one?

[Richard]

I think that would be something like a 1930s Bentley.

[philibusmo]

I think it might be a Packard from the 50s.

[Wilko220]

I think that would be something like a 1930s Bentley.

I thought it might be something along those lines. Anyone know reason why they died out while six cylinders have continued to be produced both in V and straight form?

[Inspector Morose]

My guess is Packard. I remember doing the head gasket on the Patrick collections straight eight Packard. Side valve but still a bloody ungainly and heavy lump to deal with!

[sheffcortinacentre]

crankshaft stresses due to length I think.

[KruJoe]

Packaging.

[worldofceri]

Did somebody say Straight Eight?

[Station]

Just a question on tax at the end of the month:

 

If I sell a car at the end of the month (eclipsing September/October), what happens with the tax (if I tax it next weekend).

 

And a more 'open' question - how will this work? Will ebay sheisters expect a car to have tax paid for inclusive of price, or will that be a practical impossibility? I can see buyers getting the humph because they don't understand the rules. Thanks DVLA.

[Jon]

Right heres one. I always thought I couldn't tow owt because I passed my test in 2003. But I just went on that drivling licence record thing to see how many points I have and it turns out I can tow like any normal person?

 

"You can drive vehicles up to 3,500kg Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) and up to 8 passenger seats, and a driver, with trailer up to 750kg; trailers over 750kg if combined weight of vehicle and trailer isn't over 3,500kg and the fully-loaded trailer doesn't weigh more than the unladen vehicle"

 

So I can tow a reasonable caravan if things get that bad? And why have a couple of people I know my ages been sent off to do proper trailer tests?

 

Others have answered here but I thought I'd have a stab at this too (and am sure I have done before on more than one occasion), as I think one or two crucial things have been left out. A 750kg trailer is basically an un-braked one, so in the realms of those ERDE ones chained outsides your local Halfords. However, towing anything beyond this means you then get in to the lottery of working out gross train weights, so you have to consider how much your car car weigh full loaded, plus the maximum plated weight of the trailer. Even light single axle caravans are mostly out of the question, unless you get one of those comedy 8ft 1970's jobbies, or a Puck. But towing anything useful behind your VW van, for instance, would be scuppered by the fact its gross weight will take up a fair proportion of the 3500kg MAM. For some reason though, you can go to 4250kg MAM, if the trailer is a 750kg one. Bizarre.

[dave21478]

How do you set off an airbag?

 

I have a spare airbag lying here and fancy trying something funny/dangerous with it for youtube lols, but I dont know how to set it off.....it has three wires to its original plug, one of which is earthed to the airbag casing. Do I just give 12v to the other two? does polarity matter?

 

Its from a Citroen passenger side if that makes any difference.

[Bobthebeard]

How do you set off an airbag?

 

I have a spare airbag lying here and fancy trying something funny/dangerous with it for youtube lols, but I dont know how to set it off.....it has three wires to its original plug, one of which is earthed to the airbag casing. Do I just give 12v to the other two? does polarity matter?

 

Its from a Citroen passenger side if that makes any difference.

Pinched from t'internet, so could be entirely wrong:

 

"12v battery and a trigger switch is the best way of doing it. Also make sure you set it off in a large open area and make sure you place it airbag facing up (as fun as it is to put it upside down and seeing them shoot off into the air).

 

Also the chemicals that react with the electricity to inflate get very hot and can burn your skin so give it some time to clear first before you pick it up."

[Station]

Don't let anyone sit on an airbag when it goes off. You can either:

a) Have him fly into the air and land on the ground, then you all have a laugh and put it on Youtube,

Have the airbag destroy his spine and paralyse him for life, and then get sued.