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Posted

Yesterday, I was meant to be on a train down to Stoke on Trent.

However, I did not get on that train, and I am still at home.

 

I was meant to start training with Openreach today to be a fibre installer. However, on Friday afternoon they phoned me to say they still hadn't got any paperwork through from the 3rd party medical assessment company they use.

I had an appointment with said company at the beginning of July. They only sent me a request form for my GP's contact details on Friday morning.

Thanks to this, I've been bumped onto the next fibre training course, which is a month from now.

 

Meanwhile I have interest from other employers and I'm this close to telling Openreach to shove it.

Posted

Not until you're in the door.

 

Open reach will be full of catastrophe, but much like the public sector there's a lot of benefits if you can put up with them

  • Like 1
Posted
  On 22/07/2019 at 11:41, Supernaut said:

Yesterday, I was meant to be on a train down to Stoke on Trent....

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The weird thing about Stoke is that I've only been there twice, and each time I ended up bringing a car home....

Posted
  On 21/07/2019 at 22:33, Rovorsche said:

Today I needed to put two cars outside my garage, not a big deal you might say but I had to move a lot of crap off the drive and hopefully mow the standing area.

Mowing has been abandoned.
My year old Mountfield will start but not run, hit the primer and it will run a bit longer.
Just needs cleaning I thought, fuel is fresh it started fine on the first tank of the year.

I looked at many videos of how to clean the jets and checked every one was blockage free and would blow through ok.

48340342201_6ef3860e7f_z.jpg

Even the one hidden behind a blocked off passageway, a gentle squeeze with pliers pops out the ballbearing that blocks this bit off

48340499462_eba429b06e_z.jpg

An unrewarding result, the bloody thing will not run unless you reach over and jab the primer every four seconds.

Out of curiosity I thought I would check if you can buy a new jet as a spare, you can as a whole carb for a tenner delivered!
Order placed!
Then an advert popped up for a carb that fits old faithful, a 15 year old mountfield that I put in the shed when a plastic bit sheared off the top of the throttle spindle, Five pounds delivered !
GET IN! Its an Omen, the old beast wants to rise again.

Tupperware Carb didnt turn up, old school aluminium one did.
Five minutes to fit, airduster the fuel tank to evict any spiders, clean the plug.... Pull the starter

Oh, fuck all compression and no more spanner time available for bastard mowers.

 

So both cars are parked in the rolling savannah at the bottom of the garden awaiting spanner time.

The Galaxy has properly lunched its gearbox but its a scrapyard box that had unknown miles and third gear always crunched if hurried.
The epic grinding and snapping noises make me wonder if the drain plug will dispense more metal than oil!

On its way down the garden, even though I walked the course I managed to drive over a garden tool and bugger up a tyre on the Galaxy, at least it wasnt a new one

I would have been much less pissed off if it was the Micra, all those tyres are up for replacement.

Guess what noise the Custurd the Micra made when I did a full lock turn to park it ?
Yes, that noise.

This is all for the greater good though, I have to make space for an R8 and a StreetWise with 70,000 miles between them and I know nothing about K-series engines, what could possibly go wrong ?

 

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Yo Rovorsche, what engine does the mower have? That carb doesn't look familar but the symptoms sound like the issues you get with Briggs and Stratton 148cc engines when the carb diaphragm stretches, which they all do after about 3-4 years. To begin with the primer bulb works, but the diaphragm won't maintain vacuum so new petrol isn't sucked in during running - hence it runs for whats been squeezed in by the priming bulb then conks out when they is used up. if you can get a photo of the engine i can give more info, but its almost certainly not terminal.

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Posted

Buying a new middle exhaust. Then finding out you are possibly being made redundant, due to management fuck ups.

 

  • Sad 2
Posted

Are you returning that ? Asked the young lady behind the counter (bit obvious given I had two boxes (with wiper blades in) and a receipt in my hand).

Yes, one box is missing parts, the other is complete bit doesn't fit.

Check computer, oh, shrug shoulder,.

Store manager wanders in (been there nearly long enough to grow a beard by now).

Those bits don't fit your van (fucking tell me something I didn't know) says the manager.

That's the ones on your website.

No, cannot be, there not listed here.

Turn on phone, show manager their website.

Oh, that shouldn't happen he replies

So?

There's only one for your van.

And?

 

Anyway, finally ended up with correct parts.

You don't need to guess where I was do you......

 

Posted

Burned my fingerprints off reflowing a bad solder joint on some new central heating pipework. Also feels like they're still touching the hot copper even though I finished two hours ago!

Posted

Well with no fingerprints now is a good time to commit all those crimes you've always wanted to, before they grow back.

  • Like 2
Posted
  On 22/07/2019 at 20:33, anonymous user said:

Well with no fingerprints now is a good time to commit all those crimes you've always wanted to, before they grow back.

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That doesn't work with cyber fraud, just so you know. 

  • Like 2
  • Haha 1
Posted

went for a trip in the Focus today

felt like it had a lumpy tickover

it was the dog panting in the back

  • Like 1
  • Haha 3
Posted
  On 22/07/2019 at 11:47, Stanky said:

Yo Rovorsche, what engine does the mower have? That carb doesn't look familar but the symptoms sound like the issues you get with Briggs and Stratton 148cc engines when the carb diaphragm stretches, which they all do after about 3-4 years. To begin with the primer bulb works, but the diaphragm won't maintain vacuum so new petrol isn't sucked in during running - hence it runs for whats been squeezed in by the priming bulb then conks out when they is used up. if you can get a photo of the engine i can give more info, but its almost certainly not terminal.

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Its a "300 series" possibly an E, photo to follow in daylight, much appreciated

Posted
  On 22/07/2019 at 22:14, HillmanImp said:

That doesn't work with cyber fraud, just so you know. 

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Or dixon of dock green detective methods , mind you youd have to rob a post office or somebody who's important for them to give a shit 

  • Haha 2
Posted
  On 22/07/2019 at 22:36, MikeR said:
went for a trip in the Focus today
felt like it had a lumpy tickover
it was the dog panting in the back
My dog has this fault as well. She *hates* travelling.
Posted

Hot bothered and pissed off

Today here in Italy I have finally after almost 4 months and 5/6   160km round trips managed to import my UK reg motorbike here in Italy and get the new Italian reg number and the libretto (vehicle reg document)

And then they tell me I must now go to a different office building dept to get the certificato di proprietà ( owners docs) plus register the bike with local town. And pay for the priveledge.

I go straight there, it is a hot day 34 degrees c, 2 kids in the car and they tell me I must pre-book a visit with them, i.e. not today !!

 

Another round trip of 160 Kms next week

I love the burocracy here in Italy !

 

  • Sad 2
Posted

Just had a call from mech prepping for MOT.

Needs new discs and a caliper, not unexpected, but the steering rack is shot too, going to be around £600.

I'd replace the car but looking for cars is such a pain and son needs it for a holiday in Wales in a couple of weeks.

?

Posted

WTF

I want a new brake master cylinder for my BMW e28, NLA from BMW so I try the USA where there are many e28's

just got this from a parts retailer

We regrettably aren’t able to ship to the UK due to new privacy regulations enacted in the EU, which you will find with many American vendors. I'm so sorry for the inconvenience because I absolutely understand.

Have they got the wrong end of the stick?  This if true will is very bad news for a lot of car owners

now to try some others

Posted

There's a lot of US companies just scared by the idea of the GDPR, with no just cause.  Sadly it's "easier" to lose some business than engage brain.

Posted
  On 23/07/2019 at 10:44, kirton said:

WTF

I want a new brake master cylinder for my BMW e28, NLA from BMW so I try the USA where there are many e28's

just got this from a parts retailer

We regrettably aren’t able to ship to the UK due to new privacy regulations enacted in the EU, which you will find with many American vendors. I'm so sorry for the inconvenience because I absolutely understand.

Have they got the wrong end of the stick?  This if true will is very bad news for a lot of car owners

now to try some others

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If you have friends outside of the EU who are willing to take a delivery, maybe the part could be forwarded on to you that way?

Posted
  On 23/07/2019 at 10:44, kirton said:

WTF

I want a new brake master cylinder for my BMW e28, NLA from BMW so I try the USA where there are many e28's

just got this from a parts retailer

We regrettably aren’t able to ship to the UK due to new privacy regulations enacted in the EU, which you will find with many American vendors. I'm so sorry for the inconvenience because I absolutely understand.

Have they got the wrong end of the stick?  This if true will is very bad news for a lot of car owners

now to try some others
 

 

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Amazon.com still ships to UK

Capture.PNG

  • Like 1
Posted
  On 22/07/2019 at 11:47, Tadhg Tiogar said:

The weird thing about Stoke is that I've only been there twice, and each time I ended up bringing a car home....

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Exactly the same as me.  Chrisjvm citroen and saab

Posted

I preordered a book back in early March (for an April release) through Amazon and I just received an email saying the book I ordered is no longer available.

What woeful service. I have never used Amazon before and I certainly will not be using them again.

I went into town afterwards and bought it straight off the shelf at the local book shop. So much for preordering to get it ASAP.

Posted
  On 23/07/2019 at 12:05, MorrisItalSLX said:

I preordered a book back in early March (for an April release) through Amazon and I just received an email saying the book I ordered is no longer available.

What woeful service. I have never used Amazon before and I certainly will not be using them again.

I went into town afterwards and bought it straight off the shelf at the local book shop. So much for preordering to get it ASAP.

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Unusual.  All my orders and pre-orders turn up early - except the LP I ordered for my granddaughter's birthday.  That took three weeks.

The camera I ordered recently was set to take five weeks, delivered in five days.

Posted
  On 23/07/2019 at 11:22, Asimo said:

Amazon.com still ships to UK

Capture.PNG

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I got quite excited on this as it is half the price, or less, than the ones I have found, but unfortunately it may fit an e30 but probably noy many e28s which have 23.81mm bore cylinders (15/16ths to those like me brought up using proper measurements which ATE must have been using). 

I have been looking for a european source which would avoid high shipping costs, VAT and customs duty, but only second hand so far.

You might say - rebuild it, but kits aren't available for the later e28 master cylinders and I've seen a post that says they not rebuildable due to the way they are put together, and right hand drive and left hand drive are different. 

So it's nearly £250 and a repetition from Mrs K - "I've  told you many times that you should have sold it"

Posted

So it's nearly £250 and a repetition from Mrs K - "I've  told you many times that you should have sold it"

 
Ha! Remind her[in Back to the Future mode] that newer/more complex cars could have been bought but 'low cost/high liability' would have had a lot more £250 /nls repairs required :(
Posted
  On 23/07/2019 at 12:02, 95 quid Peugeot said:

Exactly the same as me.  Chrisjvm citroen and saab

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Ah but for visitors Stoke ( as people think it) is really just lots of smaller towns.  Longton, (proper shit hole), kidsgrove, (acceptable) , Newcastle,  (Parts are quite middle class), Burslem, (There's nothing to be said, apart from run run run), Tunstall (not the best), Stoke,(can't say too much). Theres probably a few more ive missed. 

There's a few suburbs that are quite nice.  I'm working near Trentham Gardens and staying tonight in a hotel in Clayton. Both are quite reasonable places. 

No offence to any one that lives there, but the loss of ceramics and coal and other manufacturing industry must have hit it hard.  There's lots of warehouses on great field sites. 

Posted
  On 23/07/2019 at 16:36, New POD said:

....for visitors Stoke ( as people think it) is really just lots of smaller towns.  Longton, (proper shit hole), kidsgrove, (acceptable) , Newcastle,  (Parts are quite middle class), Burslem, (There's nothing to be said, apart from run run run), Tunstall (not the best), Stoke,(can't say too much). There's probably a few more i've missed...... 

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I ended up in Werrington (for the Ro80), and Mow Cop (for the CX). Mow Cop has some brilliant views but God Almighty the state of the road surfaces are shite.

Posted
  On 23/07/2019 at 14:59, kirton said:

I got quite excited on this as it is half the price, or less, than the ones I have found, but unfortunately it may fit an e30 but probably noy many e28s which have 23.81mm bore cylinders (15/16ths to those like me brought up using proper measurements which ATE must have been using). 

I have been looking for a european source which would avoid high shipping costs, VAT and customs duty, but only second hand so far.

You might say - rebuild it, but kits aren't available for the later e28 master cylinders and I've seen a post that says they not rebuildable due to the way they are put together, and right hand drive and left hand drive are different. 

So it's nearly £250 and a repetition from Mrs K - "I've  told you many times that you should have sold it"

Expand  

Long shot, but have you tried Past Parts in Bury St Edmunds?

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