Ask a Shiter

[dave21478]

Aye, no legal issues I can think of, but tougher multi ply construction will give a slightly harsher ride and they are generally built for toughness rather than grip. 

[inconsistant]

Sum wun left nice bisgits on train should i eat or leave them?????

 

[burraston2006]

Sum wun left nice bisgits on train should i eat or leave them?????

image.jpeg

Do not touch! The previous owner may have licked them/went to the toilet and not washed their hands/covered them in Russian nerve agent!

 

However I quite like these so probably would (as long as you blow on them first to get rid of the germs!).

[Pillock]

What kind of monster buys a full pack of biscuits and only eats two of them?

[AlabamaShrimp]

I think this is seized. Fill it full of wd40 anyway. If it is how hard are they to cut, snap etc?

 

[Kiltox]

Angle grinder. Still takes a few mins.

[MorrisItalSLX]

Bolt cutters on the latch, replace latch. Much easier to cut it than to cut the padlock.

[sierraman]

Cut across the metal latch with a grinder. Take seconds.

[Squirrel2]

Daughter squirrel just received a 'Notice of Prosecution' for doing 35 in a 30. Her last speeding offence was six years ago and she avoided penalty points by going on the 'Speed Awareness Course'. Given the time period that has elapsed since her last offence, will she be given the chance to take another course, or will points be inevitable this time?

 

Thanks.

 

Squirrel2

[Kiltox]

Cut across the metal latch with a grinder. Take seconds.

Some of these are tough bastards - either that or it was a shit grinder

 

Edit - yeah, you meant cut the latch. As you were.

[sierraman]

Crap discs. Can recommend the Titan ones from Screwfix. I'm talking about cutting the hasp, the stainless bit of the padlock will take a bit more doing.

[AlabamaShrimp]

Well I'm hoping it will unlock but I bet I end up cutting through.

 

Not going to be a cheap week

[HillmanImp]

I broke into the garage the Imp was held in with a bolt cutter on one lock and a hacksaw on the other. Depends on the quality of the lock as to the best solution I guess. .

[davehedgehog31]

Quick Q Geezers;

 

My Rover has been treated to a new battery, unfortunately the negative battery post is too small to be clamped onto with any level of tightness, the terminal fits snugly over it, but at it's tightest can still be easily pulled off. 

 

I know you get little shims designed for this purpose, but can anyone recommend a creative bodge? I was thinking of wrapping the post up with some layers of tin foil...

[Slartibartfast]

Daughter squirrel just received a 'Notice of Prosecution' for doing 35 in a 30. Her last speeding offence was six years ago and she avoided penalty points by going on the 'Speed Awareness Course'. Given the time period that has elapsed since her last offence, will she be given the chance to take another course, or will points be inevitable this time?

 

Thanks.

 

Squirrel2

 

I think it's within three years that would disqualify her from being able to attend one, at least according to GoCompare's piece about them.

[Slowsilver]

Quick Q Geezers;

 

My Rover has been treated to a new battery, unfortunately the negative battery post is too small to be clamped onto with any level of tightness, the terminal fits snugly over it, but at it's tightest can still be easily pulled off. 

 

I know you get little shims designed for this purpose, but can anyone recommend a creative bodge? I was thinking of wrapping the post up with some layers of tin foil...

 

Has your new battery got the smaller Japanese-car size posts?

These are quite a bit smaller than the normal ones but your terminals might go almost tight enough to clamp on them.

If so you can buy a pair of Japanese to European adaptor sleeves from the bay of E for about 4 quid.

Just search for "Japanese Car Battery Terminal Post Adapters"

I had to use these on the new battery I bought for the Maxi.

All the standard size batteries which claim to fit won't, as they are too wide to fit between the inner wing and the engine steady bar.

Had to buy one intended to fit a Hyundai to get one narrow enough.

Didn't even know there were two different sizes of terminal until it arrived.

If not, wrapping in tinfoil will work, but I don't know how long it will last.

Thin steel shim (preferably stainless so that it doesn't rust) would probably be better.

[davehedgehog31]

Cheers Slowsilver, found just the article on eBay so have ordered. Will bodge it up with tin foil until they arrive. 

 

It revs quite high for a minute or so after starting if it's been left a wee while, can only assume it's due to the poor contact. Hopefully that and not a shagged alternator. 

[Slowsilver]

Cheers Slowsilver, found just the article on eBay so have ordered. Will bodge it up with tin foil until they arrive. 

 

It revs quite high for a minute or so after starting if it's been left a wee while, can only assume it's due to the poor contact. Hopefully that and not a shagged alternator. 

 

The car may have automatic idle speed adjustment which speeds up the tickover when there is a greater load on the engine due to the alternator outputting lots of amps if the battery is a bit flat because the car has been standing.

My Zafira does this if I turn the (electrically driven) air con on when it is idling.

Or could just be the auto choke is on a bit if it has cooled down.

[dave21478]

Quick Q Geezers;

 

My Rover has been treated to a new battery, unfortunately the negative battery post is too small to be clamped onto with any level of tightness, the terminal fits snugly over it, but at it's tightest can still be easily pulled off. 

 

I know you get little shims designed for this purpose, but can anyone recommend a creative bodge? I was thinking of wrapping the post up with some layers of tin foil...

 

dont bodge it, that will bite you in the arse when you least want it.

 

If its a snug fit but not tightening, then its not japanese posts and adaptors will do nothing.

 

If it looks like one of the ones on the right.....

 

Apart from the corrosion....best pic I could find on the google,...anyway its likely bent and the two parts either side of the split are touching each other before its tight on the battery post. If so, take the bolt out and widen the split by running a grinder down it, or even a hacksaw to shave a few millimeteres off. It will then tighten properly on the battery post before the slit closes up.

[Bag'O'Spanners]

If you spot a transit flatbed with an old washing machine on the back and a couple of 'roofers'  on a church... You could as for a spare bit of lead to wrap the terminals...... They'll have plenty.

[Mr A Lawrence]

now that the rolling 40yr mot thing is on what happens with old stuff that can be plate raped?

 

it used to be that the vehicle needed to be mot'd to take the plate.

 

would a decent plate off an old unusable pre 77 moped be easy to rip?

[panhard65]

now that the rolling 40yr mot thing is on what happens with old stuff that can be plate raped?

 

it used to be that the vehicle needed to be mot'd to take the plate.

 

would a decent plate off an old unusable pre 77 moped be easy to rip?

No you will need an mot or continuous Sorn to plate rape.

[CanaryinManc]

Any advice gratefully received: Gearbox swap 1953 Austin A40 Somerset.

 

My brother and I have just spent most of 3 days replacing the worn gearbox (no 2nd gear synchro) on our A40 for a reconditioned unit and have ended up with a car that won't go at all.

 

Removing gearbox was straightforward if long winded. Next we removed the clutch cover assembly (but didn't dismantle it as it had minimal wear) and clutch disc (also minimal wear) to access the spigot bush or pilot bearing since the gearbox specialist said (reasonably enough) that he would only warrant the recon gearbox if it was changed.

 

Big surprise was that no spigot bush was present at all - I'm not sure how it has happily run for the last 20 years since the clutch was last changed without one.

 

Anyway we fitted our new spigot bush easily enough after 24 hours in the freezer and then tried to use my universal clutch assembly tool to centre the disk while we bolted the asssembly back on. This was thwarted by the centre hole in the release lever plate being smaller in diameter than the alignment tool so we had to remove this plate which is held on to the pressure plate assembly by 3 retaining springs. then replace it after bolting up the assembly. The springs were very fiddly to replace and we may have not replaced one properly.

 

Replacing gearbox was again straightforward if lengthy, once we realised that the rear mountings had to come off and be refitted after the box was bolted in place and it seemed to engage with the engine easily enough.

 

However, when we tried to reconnect the clutch pedal to the operating lever there was only about an inch of movement even at the limit of its adjustment and we broke the operating rod trying to get more. Moving the operating lever manually resulted in minimal movement and a tinkling noise as presumably one of the retaining springs flew off. Gearbox output shaft turns with engine (on handle - I haven't started it) regardless of gear selected so clutch must be permanently engaged.

 

Car has been pushed back into garage in disgust. Any ideas on where we went wrong before we try again. Does the missing spigot bush have a bearing on this? (sorry).

[egg]

Simple one. To depressurise fuel system ahead of a fuel filter change, which fuse do I pull to stop the fuel pump pumping please?

 

 

 

[dave21478]

"FUEL INJ"   (2nd photo, bottom left) Its a relay, not a fuse.

[twosmoke300]

If in doubt battery lead off

[Rave]

Talking of batteries, I've acquired a fair collection, mainly because I live in SE London and you see them dumped on the street quite regularly, and they weigh in for a few quid each. I assume most have been dumped because they're spent, but a few are cosmetically in good nick and I wonder if they might have been chucked as they'd gone flat and the owner needed to get mobile in a hurry. So I was thinking of buying a drop tester, then I can charge and test them all and weigh in the ones that are toast. There seem to be several rebadged variants of this design around, of which this is the cheapest I've seen:

 

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-cvt2-12v-battery-tester/#reviewsBox

 

Any good? Or if not, anything better out there for reasonable money?

[dave21478]

I got one of these second hand.....

 

And it worked well. Just had a quick look in the googles and they are a bit salty to buy new though.

 

Sadly, its another on the "loaned out and never seen again" list.

[twosmoke300]

A proper drop tester that is ! No electronic bollocks .

[Eddie Honda]

A proper drop tester that is !

Pffft!

 

http://autoshite.com/topic/26460-shite-battery-chargers-the-bradex-thread/?p=1110053