spunkymonkey
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Post by spunkymonkey on Nov 12, 2009 20:52:01 GMT
After a fairly scary night-driving lesson a week or two back, I decided it was time to do something about Isabel's frankly awful headlights. She's still got the old 6v candles but they were made even worse by some fairly random beam patterns caused by the problems noted back in July. I know I should have sorted them before now but she's not really been out at night and I can only check them in the dark, which is easier now the clocks have changed I'd refitted the nearside one into its holder properly but didn't think to check whether the holder was actually set to l/h dip. oops Having put that right, the cutoff went the right way but it was hitting the ground about 6 feet in front of the car. Guess the bulb must have been skewed like the earlier pic last time it was adjusted. The offside was another matter. The reason for the bad bulb fitting became clear when I compared the two units - the slot for the bulb location was in completely the wrong place (the big slot is the new one I was in the middle of cutting before I remembered to take a pic) Also, the lens was fitted with its pattern at an angle rather than vertical. It was held in by brown silicone so I'd guess that was a re-fit at some point: All started to come clear when one of the adjuster brackets fell off as I was trying to work out why the l/r adjustment was working as a diagonal one (l/r and up/down at the same time). Now, I'm no great fan of things French but I refuse to believe that even they use black marker pens to decide where to drill brackets in their headlamp factories: It loos like someone has converted a different lamp unit to fit at some point without really considering how they work or how the bulbs are lined up, then glued the lens back in (crooked) after they'd drilled the rivet holes for the brackets So, a bit of Dremmel work, a bit of soldering and a bit of glass glueing was in order. End result, a lamp that holds its bulb in the right place for either left- or right- dip (although it doesn't have the Gucci plastic sliding bit), has a lens that doesn't scatter the light diagonally, and adjusters that actually adjust in the right planes edited to add: the 40/45w bulbs are still pretty awful though ;D
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Bob Scrivens
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Post by Bob Scrivens on Nov 13, 2009 0:31:59 GMT
Blimey Joe Do you need a headlight? with the plastic bits. Drop me a PM. My rear valance is the same, maybe we should see if the club can get them from our friends in Holland? They must be having the same problems.
Bob.
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spunkymonkey
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Post by spunkymonkey on Nov 14, 2009 12:36:17 GMT
Blimey Joe Do you need a headlight? with the plastic bits. Drop me a PM. My rear valance is the same, maybe we should see if the club can get them from our friends in Holland? They must be having the same problems. Bob. PM inbound, Bob, thanks As for the valance (well, half of it - don't think I'll be trying to beat a whole one ), I'm not getting too stressed over it because it shouldn't be an MOT issue and will probably survive as it is until the rain goes away next spring. That said, if it does fail - in January - then it's really not the best time to be sorting it!
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spunkymonkey
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Post by spunkymonkey on Jan 8, 2010 14:45:13 GMT
Took the chance of a nice, balmy, 2 degrees at lunchtime to have a quick look round Isabel before her MOT. Looks like she'll be off-road for a bit. NSF sidelight is hopefully justy bulb, but nowhere to get 6v ones round here so that'll need ordering. Screenwash pump rubber bulb is past repair but I have a separate pump which can be stuck in the dash if I can find valves for it (time to visit a petshop methinks ) Hotspot pipe leak may have to be blanked off for now because it's too cold outside to do more than that with it. Play in the inner trackrod ball joints is worrying but hopefully he'll be kind Then the unwelcome one.....OS floor attached to fresh air for about 4 inches either side of where the seatbelt mount is in the sill is a bit of a sod. The one thing I really didn't want to have for a winter MOT was welding outside in the snow / ice / meltwater
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spunkymonkey
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Post by spunkymonkey on Jan 8, 2010 16:45:46 GMT
Nope, not that I can find. Even the cycle brake cables for the heaters had to come from Halfrauds cos they've put everyone else out of business. And Bangor Halfrauds doesn't seem to stock bike bulbs!
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pauldaf44
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Post by pauldaf44 on Jan 8, 2010 17:18:05 GMT
A mate put a washing up bottle under the dash and fed a pipe through the window onto the top of the middle of the windscreen. With a note saying squeeze me. That passed a Nationwide Autocenter test and there sticklers for the rules.
Paul
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spunkymonkey
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Post by spunkymonkey on Jan 17, 2010 17:20:20 GMT
Now I'm unhappy! We had sunshine and reasonable warmth today so the welder came out to repair Betty's boot stay and reattach Isabel's floor. Betty, naturally, was good as gold and all done inside 20 minutes. So, after lunch, I start Isabel. I suspected that it wouldn't be a simple split so wasn't too upset when I found this: As I attacked her with a brush I started to get a little more worried: Still, it had to be done so I started cutting and welding patches: No problem with that one, but when I started to attack the rest i found there was absolutely nothing to weld to. The whole 1/4 floor is going to need replacing!!!! It was also getting dark. So I've stopped for tonight with the car in bits and a new floorpan to cut, beat and weld. And it's raining tomorrow. And Tuesday. And the rest of the week (except it might be snow again by then). The only plus side is that her owner doesn't seem to be hurrying to get any driving lessons sorted so I don't need to hurry to get the rustbucket-pig-car back on the road.
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spunkymonkey
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Post by spunkymonkey on Jan 17, 2010 18:26:34 GMT
I was thinking more on the lines of a shredder......
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Post by dafdaffer on Jan 17, 2010 18:37:44 GMT
shame you didn't have that shell from veruk, still i have faith in you to get it done
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spunkymonkey
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Post by spunkymonkey on Jan 17, 2010 19:02:30 GMT
Thanks for the vote of confidence, DD. I think I've sussed it......
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Post by iliria on Jan 17, 2010 21:05:26 GMT
thats not the answer if you like having a car shaped sheila
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spunkymonkey
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Post by spunkymonkey on Jan 17, 2010 21:18:08 GMT
Fancy learning to weld then?* * Or at least how to hammer stiffening swages into flat sheet steel ?
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Post by iliria on Jan 17, 2010 23:18:04 GMT
why? thats your job isn't it? lol
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spunkymonkey
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Post by spunkymonkey on Jan 19, 2010 15:20:02 GMT
Err, Yabba-dabba-do ?
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spunkymonkey
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Post by spunkymonkey on Jan 19, 2010 23:51:41 GMT
Didn't leave her like that, of course, but wanted to give Iliria a chance to scream No paint yet and the swaging is a little agricultural but it's MOT worthy and will only be visible from underneath. If her owner wants to show people her bottom then it's not my fault if they run away in shock ;D
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Post by howard on Jan 19, 2010 23:54:59 GMT
Or should that be "Yabba Dabba Don't!".
Is the other side solid, by the way?
I know that when I first picked up Isabel she leaked through the front quarter light. Not that I drove her in the rain if I could help it.
Shame they didn't pick up on that when she was "fully restored".......
Poor Isabel. Mind you, she is 40 this year (almost as old as me!).
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spunkymonkey
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Post by spunkymonkey on Jan 20, 2010 0:02:31 GMT
The other side's surface-flaky but sound so will be getting the wire brush and red hammerite treatment. I suspect most of this has been caused by Anglesey horizontal rain combined with the driver's window not winding up fully and not being used often enough for the puddles to be noticed. I improved the window when we got her here but there's still a 3 or 4mm gap that I'm still scratching my head over
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spunkymonkey
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Post by spunkymonkey on Jan 21, 2010 18:14:47 GMT
Got the floorpan painted (first coat) today. Second coat will have to wait because the drying time on Hammerite in this weather is about 15 weeks The underside has had liberal amounts of seam sealer applied to the overlap and will get a couple of coats of underseal once that's hardened. Meanwhile, I carried on with a few of the other MOT bits to do. Having checked her lights a couple of weeks ago, all indicators and two side lights had decided to stop working! The indicators were a corroded-through fuse and it seems that you simply can't get the short "continental" style ones in North Wales So she got a replacement fusy-bit from one of the standard length ones instead. The n/s/f sidelight was a loose connection on the holder and the o/s/r was a little corrosion in the holder, so they were easy enough. The steering rack also needs adjusting cos there's a little more play than I'd like at the wheel - probably not enough to fail but may as well have it right. Then I decided to change the bodged headlight for the one Bob kindly sent up. No could do. Not only had the unit itself been bodged in at the wrong angle (see earlier post), the bowl itself has been screwed to the bodywork at the wrong angle as well - in the opposite direction!!! So the (correct) headlamp does the same as the old one used to, but going the other way. Arrrrggghhhhhh!!!!!!!! Sorting that out has to wait, though, because that was the point that the rains came. So, remaining list before putting her in for the test is: Underseal, Sort out the headlights, Adjust steering rack, Check wheel bearings (again, rain stopped play), Check brakes (should be fine), Stop the broken hotspot pipe from leaking (may just remove and seal for now) Oh, and anything else that crops up of course
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spunkymonkey
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Post by spunkymonkey on Jan 22, 2010 13:08:22 GMT
Right, she's down to headlamps, exhaust and adjust steering rack from the original list but I've just had to add replace o/s/r wheel bearing - an inch + of play is probably beyond an advise at the tester I use See the parts bin thread for a desperate plea for part numbers.....
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33grinder
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Post by 33grinder on Jan 22, 2010 13:25:12 GMT
An inch of play? Nah, bring her to my MOT tester Joe, you'll be fine!
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spunkymonkey
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Post by spunkymonkey on Jan 22, 2010 13:36:17 GMT
Not sure it'd make it that far without being reclassified as a 3-wheeler
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spunkymonkey
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Post by spunkymonkey on Jan 22, 2010 15:22:55 GMT
Meanwhile, had to attack the hotspot pipe. I was on the edge of just blanking them off but decided to pull the manifold and see what was possible first. As I undid the faulty pipe it fell off in me hand, Guv. The first bit of good news so far with this batch of work came when I'd got the manifold off. The pipe had fractured rather than rusting through and there was about 2mm still sticking out of the ally casting. A few minutes of very gentle mig work later and all sorted ;D The extra little fillet is just cos I discovered that the main manifold pipe at that point is steel as well and a little extra support seemed like a good idea. The whole thing will. of course, be cased in a nice neat layer of gun-gum before it goes back on to make sure it's sealed all the way round.
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33grinder
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Post by 33grinder on Jan 22, 2010 17:28:35 GMT
You've had a touch there Joe. Both my pipes were totally missing on my manifold and my mate couldn't weld it as he said there was nothing to weld to and he suspected it was ally which he couldn't weld onto. Thankfully I had Matt's parts store to raid! ;D
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spunkymonkey
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Post by spunkymonkey on Jan 23, 2010 14:44:44 GMT
Sense of humour is rapidly failing here. Hadn't noticed with it all together but, with the manifold out of the way: They have a "right" and "wrong" way up for a reason! Having struggled with Betty's with the engine in place it's an engine out job this time I've also just got opinions from the MOT testers' forum about the front spring, which is touching the bump-stop: They've confirmed that it's a fail by the book (even though they're not really bump-stops cos they don't prevent further movement). May try pleading the case on that with my tester but looks like she'll be needing a new front spring sometime soon. Which could be fun to find (Danny isn't showing any). Anyone else ever get that "crawl in a hole and hide from the world" feeling
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Post by veeruk on Jan 23, 2010 21:41:44 GMT
You'll need to e-mail Danny as he has a lot of other stuff which is not showing on his website. He breaks DAF's all the time.
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spunkymonkey
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Post by spunkymonkey on Jan 23, 2010 23:00:52 GMT
If all else fails I'll have to but the one on there is intact so hopefully I can find somewhere to reset and re-temper it. Or take the bump-stops off (probably the way to go for the MOT to be honest )
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pauldaf44
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Post by pauldaf44 on Jan 23, 2010 23:20:27 GMT
If you buy it now you may not have to pay postage got a friend coming from holland whos has offered to collect and bring parts to blighty.
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Bob Scrivens
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Post by Bob Scrivens on Jan 23, 2010 23:25:44 GMT
Hi Joe with the headlight is it the rear housing you need to change, if so give me a call, i think I may have a new one.
Bob,
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spunkymonkey
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Post by spunkymonkey on Jan 23, 2010 23:36:41 GMT
Can't really justify it right now, Paul - she's not even my car but is costing a packet* in bits & pieces for this MOT when I have two far more deserving candidates waiting for work Removing bump-stops costs nothing The only real benefit of replacing is that getting the existing one re-worked will put the car off road for longer when it happens. On the other hand, a freshly retempered one is likely to be better and cheaper than a used one that's had an unknown life. * The most it's [i[ever[/i] cost me to get a car through an MOT is £115 including the test and that was a 15 year old BMW 7-series. Isabel's getting awfully close to the record by the time you add up all the little bits.
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spunkymonkey
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Post by spunkymonkey on Jan 23, 2010 23:39:07 GMT
The headlight's sorted, thanks, Bob. The mounting ring had been screwed on about 30 degrees out of line so it was a case of drilling 3 holes and 3 self-tappers to put it back where it should be. Now just need to find a flat wall and a dark night to align it (when the engine's back in, of course )
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