Ask a Shiter

[spike60]

Many years back I worked for the Forestry Commission and the Escort vans didn't snap belts, they just pulled the teeth off. The 1.1 CVH were supposed to have a belt change at 40k IIRC, if missed they rewarded you with bent valves about 10 miles later..... No problems with tensioners etc that I remember though.

[Rusty_Rocket]

The only time I've seen a timing belt break was on a Citroen AX.  It ripped apart, I assume due to old age.

Much more likely is the teeth stripping on a very cracked belt, or, of course, component failure.

[twosmoke300]

Ive seen a few cambelts die of old age . They seem to shed teeth due to perishing

[myglaren]

My Volvo snapped a timing belt in use.

I had changed the cylinder head a the camshaft had seized, clogged oilways

 

On replacing the head I didn't have another belt (stupid) so re-used the original - Sunday afternoon in Whitby, not a hope in hell of getting a new one.

 

Worked fine until 10 miles south of Washington.  Engine went deathly quiet and I rolled the car into a layby.

 

A police car pulled in behind a few minutes later and wouldn't let me stay with the car in case someone ran into it.  Gave me a lift to a pub where my mate was who dragged the car home.

 

So, it was in use but shouldn't have been!

[willswitchengage]

Can I chuck my old paper counterpart licence in the bin now or do I still need it?

[overrun]

Can I chuck my old paper counterpart licence in the bin now or do I still need it?

 

I have the counterpart and have lost the card.

[Landy Mann]

In theory bin it, in practice I believe the can still be of some use when hiring a car abroad and the company isn't uptodate with the latest electronic methods of the DVLA to check your licence for endorsements.

 

Sent from my XT1068 using Tapatalk

[skattrd]

Auxillary belts:

 

I was about to order a new PAS belt for the Honda, I can read off the old one 10A0900 ... so, 10mm wide 900mm long. I checked online for this belt and they have letters after this as well, what do these mean? eg 10A0900C.

[Sigmund Fraud]

Auxillary belts:

 

I was about to order a new PAS belt for the Honda, I can read off the old one 10A0900 ... so, 10mm wide 900mm long. I checked online for this belt and they have letters after this as well, what do these mean? eg 10A0900C.

 

IIRC it has to do with the cross-sectional design of the belt.

 

If you're in doubt which is the right one for your car, just check what the lovely people at Gates recommend.

[gordonbennet]

Can I chuck my old paper counterpart licence in the bin now or do I still need it?

 

I've kept mine due to the DVLA having form for losing licence entitlements and then refusing to accept that someone who's been licenced and riding/driving a particular vehicle type for 40 years was ever entitled, this applies mainly to motorcycle licences but wouldn't the first time they lost HGV entitlements either.

 

So mine kept just in case i ever need to prove entitlement.

[cort16]

what's the point of the chiny chin chin on this recovery wagon?

 

[Norbert]

Loads of weight in the chin bumper to help counterbalance if something heavy is on the spec lift?

[rantingYoof]

My 2 penorth...

 

Cam belts do not break in service.

 

Water pumps, pulleys, tensioner and idlers seize or snap out go loose or whatever but the fault is never the cam belt.

 

This above came from a gates sales manager and I have no reason to disbelieve him.

 

The car I had in mind started off in life having 8yr 80k intervals but the tensioners kept going after just 40k or 4yrs, which would have pretty much the same effect (as I have learnt that they are under highest strain stop/starting frequently), so the manufacturer lowered the interval!

 

 

I did a proper gamble with Mason the Lexus, which had a stamp on the engine showing a change at 60k or so in the year 2000...but when it's your own car that you've sourced yourself then you are happier taking the risk.

[cort16]

Loads of weight in the chin bumper to help counterbalance if something heavy is on the spec lift?

 

That makes sense. The guy is selling 2 wagons that are the same make and model but only one has the chin, which confused me.

[Richard]

Could it be a crude sort of impact cushion?

[Timewaster]

Loads of weight in the chin bumper to help counterbalance if something heavy is on the spec lift?

What he said.

 

Stops the truck doing a wheelie.

I had a mate with a transit spec lift and his front bumper was cleverly fashioned out of a section of lorry trailer chassis.

[Noel Tidybeard]

what's the point of the chiny chin chin on this recovery wagon?

 

somewhere warm to sit with mug of tea/coffee whilst you watch the apprentoid "learn the ropes"

[The Moog]

Is there any issue with taking a non high performance car on a trackday? 

 

Specifically thinking about the Starlet at Knockhill.  Is it going to be mega disappointing as everyone is caning it round very fast? 

[scdan4]

No one is timing you. 

 

Go, have a ball.

[skattrd]

Is there any issue with taking a non high performance car on a trackday? 

 

Specifically thinking about the Starlet at Knockhill.  Is it going to be mega disappointing as everyone is caning it round very fast? 

 

A mate took a base spec Carisma around Cadwell, which was quite humorous.

 

My little Daihatsu Cuore was always the slowest thing on straights on track, which never bothered me. In slower cars you learn to brake later & carry the speed more, I find it quite rewarding.

[320touring]

I've has 320i and a saab 9-3 lpt on trackdays at the hill-guid lolz

[The Moog]

Cool. Looking at the knockhill one on 28th August.

[stephen01]

If a car goes for a retest, should it technically go back in the garage? or can they 'look' and pass it?

[twosmoke300]

Depends if it's failed on any measured items ( brakes , emissions or headlight aim )

[stephen01]

two tyres and poor spray on the washers, thing is the garage never even checked the items just handed out a cert.

[twosmoke300]

They must trust you

[stephen01]

it was a friend, she took advantage of one of these cheap MOT's only to then be charged a re test fee of 15 quid, she was miffed that they didn't even take her car back in.

[loserone]

SWMBO's K11C micra was treated to a new* exhaust a few months back.  It sounded like it was blowing, but I couldn't see or hear any leak.

 

Took it back to the garage which fitted it, and they could also find no leak, but agreed with the noise.  They returned and exchanged the backbox, thinking it might be a duff baffle or something.  The noise remains.

 

Prior to this escapade, she was getting 290 miles from a tank, but now only 250.  

 

What gives?

[Richard]

On the back of a Haynes manual, it lists the covered engines as:

 

1.6 litre (1588cc)

1.8 litre (1731cc)

1.9 litre (1855cc)

2.0 litre (1948cc)

 

Why isn't the 1731cc engine a 1.7? Its closer to 1700 than it is to 1800.

Likewise, why isn't the 2.0 litre a 1.9?

 

Is a 1702cc engine a 1.8? Someone please put me out of my misery.

 

Because the Marketing Department have decided they need a 1.8 and a 2.0 in the line-up, also they would end up with two 1,9s if they did it properly.

 

There have been a few examples, the 1769cc 1.7 XUD, the 928cc 1.0 Sunbeam, the 2144cc 2,2 Audi Coupé etc.

[gm]

Is there any issue with taking a non high performance car on a trackday? 

 

Specifically thinking about the Starlet at Knockhill.  Is it going to be mega disappointing as everyone is caning it round very fast?

 

I suppose it depends on who is running the event, what condition the car is in and how it is driven - I was up there on Sunday in my 1.6 mx5 sharing the track with some scarey quick cars - racing evos, skylines, a track prepped ferrari, but driver etiquette was very good all round. I got out of the way on the straights then chased them round the twisty bits.

Occasionally you get some nob in a knackered bm (I'm not suggesting that you are btw) who thinks he's at driftland and needs to be sent home.

 

August 28th is a 'hot hatch' day so your likely to be in the company of saxos etc, I reckon you'll have a blast in the the starlet - it's loads more fun when the cars are of similar performance.