The worst collection thread ever….and other musings

[Bmwdumptruck]

One bit of better news, while out and about last Tuesday, visiting a job in Mytchet for my friends that run a b+b in Normandy, I popped to see two different guys selling genuine OE VW 15” transporter Alloy wheels.  First guy had 3 bare rims and only wanted £20 to get rid of them.  The next guy had rims with bald knackered tyres badly painted dark grey but wouldn’t take less than £120.  So I now have 7 wheels.  The plan is to pop them over to my Nephews works in a week or twos time so he’ll remove the tyres, but I’ll have to find somewhere to get rid of them as my local council want £12 each and even then limit us to two a year ffs!!   The Nephew will then powder coat the five best rims and i’ll list the last two for sale individually.  He’ll then also swap my good Conti’s from my steels to the alloys. They’ve a good few years left in them yet although they’ll be a bit stretched going onto slightly wider rims.  In a few years when I need to replace them i’ll go up a tyre size. 

[Bmwdumptruck]

 So my moho is just about back together.  
bad bits…..complete fail on the AC fit. Not sure if I’ll try again.  The original seller had another breaker in with a later kit but sold it out from under me.  For now I think I’ll just advertise it and see if I can just sell it on. 
better bits…well I finally managed to fix my oil light and rev counter. I found a connector block that had fallen down behind the fuse box, wriggled, unplugged and replugged the connectors, did that to another earthing block too and tidied up some taped up wires from a previous alarm fit. And the faults gone.  
So now I can her an mot booking, will pop in the garage I use for this on Monday morning.  
 

Update on the Bandit, it’s the only bike I have taxed atm, so is doing all my rides and last Wednesday nights ride saw me total the first 1000miles.  All good so far, still well happy with it. I did get my Pan European mot’d a few weeks back but haven’t taxed it yet.  It does need a service as does my Tenere.  So really need a good day or two in the workshop sorting them. 

[Bmwdumptruck]

Small job on moho out in the heat this morning.  I’d already swapped the original marker lights a few years back, but typical cheap chinese crap haven’t lasted very long and one is now dead.  Managed to find some nicer ones that actaully match some rears that came with the van when we bought it and have lasted well so far.  

 

Also trying to fix the catch that holds the door open.  I’ve had to replace it twice as they’re rather thin and go brittle pretty quick and I end up swiping them off with the wash brush.  So I’m trying to make an aluminium version but I’m really no fabricator.  The wifes currently try8ng to glue the old one back together with added nail gel resin and build up powder to strengthen it…….we’ll see….🙄.  I’m also going to look at an option of using a tent peg bent into a hook the drops into the catch to hold the door more firmly open on breezy days. 

[Bmwdumptruck]

Took the Moho for Mot this morning.  Got it all unlocked, took it for a spin out towardsJ13 to clean the discs off from sitting for a couple of months.  The more I drove it the harder the gears got……..had this before……loss of brake fluid which stops the clutch working before you lose the brakes.  Managed to get to the mot bay, popped the bonnet and topped the fluid up.  Only advisory was the drip of fluids from the undertray!!  
Bloody annoying, we only did the clutch a few years back because the slave was obviously leaking.  That time we just kept topping it up and did quite a few trips like it.  But there was never any drips, it all stayed in the bellhousing and dribbled out as we split the box from the engine.  So I’m kind of hoping we’ve disturbed a pipe joint on the outside somewhere. Looks like I need to get her back up on the ramps and drop the undertray again to see where it’s coming from.  We’re away in just over two weeks, seriously don’t need to pull the box out again!  
I’m also suffering atm, think it’s just heat exhaustion/sun stroke sort of thing, so need things to cool a bit before I can do anything.  

Also need to service my Tenere for the holiday, new tyres and sort a leaking fork leg.  And work and earn a few sheckles…..

[Bmwdumptruck]

So since monday I’ve done nothing. Whatever this is it’s knocked me for six.  Over 30 degrees outside the last three days, the wifes had the AC on most of the time downstairs but I’m in bed wrapped up.  I’ve got the squits, stomach/belly pains, the dizzies and nothing tastes right.  Slightly better today, bar the pains which are actually a bit worse, more constant than before.
So the chances of fixing the moho for our holiday are slimmer than slim, unless it’s just a leak on the clutch fluid pipe rather than the CSC.  I do wonder if we’ve disturbed it trying to fit the AC.  
We were supposed to be heading to Berwick two weeks today, then on the Thursday I was leaving the wife there to chill while I take my motorbike across to FtBill for 4nights to meet up with a bunch of mates I’ve been riding with for ten years or so.  Although I missed last year with Covid, which I’d arranged a special trip to Normandy as a 10yr celebration….  Once back with the wife we move on to Granton and Kinlochchewe for the rest of our hols. 
Starting to think I’ll be heading to FtBill with the bike behind my van, and once I’m back we’ll hitch the caravan up and I’ll take the wife somehwere for 10days or so. 
What a fecked up year this is turning into…..

[Bmwdumptruck]

So a quick look this morning has confirmed my worst fears. The CSC is literally dribbling as it’s operated!!  So box back out at the weekend.  I’ve ordered a new LUK slave, will shift the van on the hard side of my drive Sat morning and start taking sundry bits off, driveshafts, battery etc and as long as the new one arrived my Nephew will help drop the box Sunday.  Luckily I’m starting to feel a bit better. 

[Bmwdumptruck]

Few errands to run this morning including popping my Tenere wheels to my mot man to fit new tyres ready for our holiday.  So about midday I got out, positioned the moho on the hard side of our drive area, in front of my workshop, and got her up on stands.  My nephew arrived as I was removing the wheels, so we proceeded to get the box out.  Except as per last time it wouldn’t come out, the final drive wouldn’t go past the end of the engine and the subframe.  But we realised there was enough room to swap the CSC….great, should make it easy to put back.  Fiddled the new CSC into place, turned round and the fecking box fell out….feck feck feck.  Why couldn’t it stay put another minute so we could swing it back in place.   And of course, two hours later we just can’t get it back up.  It’s weight is all in the wrong places.  Where you need to lift it it’s light and all the weight hangs off behind and to the side, so you just can’t lift it there cos it just won’t stay on the jack that way.  
Try again in the morning.  
Anyone know if you can remove the offside gearbox output splines fitting that joins to the intermediate shaft. I know you can on Sharans.  Thinking it would add clearance. 

[Bmwdumptruck]

Well it’s back in. I contacted mr AC man as I know he does lots on these old T4s and he said he pulls the engine forward from below the diesel pump to the front crossmember with a strap.  So we fashioned up a strap and did just that and he presto it popped back up and in.  Worked our way round getting all the bolts back in the bellhousing and then all the mounts on.  Got the os driveshaft back in and set to to get the ns in, which we did, but we just can’t get the big centre bolt back in the hub.  And after many attempts we’ve obviously got it crossed and it’s just not going in.  So I’ve just ordered a cv joint kit and will be pulling the shaft back out Tuesday or Wednesday!!  Just about finished otherwise, just got that corner to finish and I can connect the battery up. Need to bleed to new CSC too. 
But at least the pressures off a bit and the holiday should go ahead.  Need to get my bike ready now…..

[Bmwdumptruck]

So I fixed the moho, sorted the gearbox slave cylinder.  Got the starter overhauled and fitted a new battery.  Fixed the revcounter issue after testing oil pressures after a bum steer from a so called expert.  I managed to fix the leakimg fork leg on my bike and did oil and filter and a brake service.  Ran out of time to do plugs and check the throttle body balance.  But we managed to get loaded and away as planned. 
Managed to get to North Berwick where I ditched the wife and headed for FtBill on the bike to meet up with my usual guys for the weekend.  Saturdays ride was over Glenshee and the Lecht.  Lunch stop in a very wet Breamer, where on leaving the heavens really opened up and I ended up riding through some proper rain.  Sunday morning my bike was coughing and spluttering like mad. Things improved a bit as it warmed up, but there’s still water in the works somewhere.  Back in North Berwick we got a can of wd40 which has improved things but still running rough.   We moved to Kinlochewe, midge city….. but some of the nicest pizzas in the local cafe I’ve ever had.  Had a ride over to Ullapool only to see the final drive leaking oil all over the back tyre. bugger……. 
Bikes back on the trailer and we’ve moved to Forfar as this sites in town so we can manage without the bike.   Nice site, ok town, hard to say much more about it.  Tomorrow we head home.  I guess the holiday was never really meant to be…..

Next year our usual site near FtBill will be back in action so we’ll be there for sure.  It actually reopens friday, but the wife has to be home by then.