Biopowered - vegetable oil and biodiesel forum
General => Chatter => Topic started by: julianf on October 11, 2012, 08:22:26 PM
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So, we're coming back this evening - i round the bend to somewhere that i know floods, and there's an old fiat in the middle of the water / single track road.
I think he's just taking it slowly, and then i realise he's not taking it at all.
I drive to within shouting distance, but its clear there's no other option : (
Im going to make sure there's some rope in the car before we leave tomorrow. Then i can just throw them a line, and they can be the ones to get the wet feet!
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I was driving up the a41 near Brent Cross in the near side lane, suddenly a mg/rover (lowered/chavved up) cut me up and as he did so he went into the big puddle that was a burst water main and promptly stalled, I drove round him in my Hilux and gave him my most annoyingly smug smirk! HAHA
I did not bother to get out or get my feet wet!
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That Fiat will be gone by morning,they rust quick enough when dry :)
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Around here I look on flooding as an excuse for a free underbody pressurewash!
So did you get out and push him then Julian?
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Heh heh. Reminds me, my uncle, father and myself, were off somewhere in an old daihatsu. We came across a massive flood in the road, with an old Hippy wagon stuck right in the middle, with the Hippy sat on the roof, and all the contents of the wagon floating round in the flood water. It was deep enough that it would be dodgy in the Daihatsu, but Uncle decided to try it. As he drove into the water, The Hippy stood up on the roof of his wagon and shouted "DONT DO IT MAN, YOU'LL NEVER MAKE IT!!"
Doen't seem so funny when its written down, but it was hysterical to see.
We did get through, and did offer for him to get on to our roof, but he wanted to stay with the wagon.
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I remember where I used to live there was a country drive to work and one road would regularly flood - but I'd plow through it in whatever diesel I had at the time while all the people with modern cars would tiptoe about the edges.
Anyway, I got myself a Rover 400 diesel with stuck turbo, which I drove about for a couple of weeks - then one day on the way to work the flooded road was a little deeper than usual but no problem for a diesel car. There were a few people waiting so I drove around them and dived on in.
Got halfway through and CLONK followed by silence. Nothing but the lapping of water against the sills. And a gentle trickle noise, as water found its way in. Not so good. I thought I'd drive it out on the starter but my brain hadn't registered "hydrolock" so it just clunked uselessly at the ring gear.
I opened the door to take a lookie at what was going on, as water was just below sill level. Of course, at that time a 4x4 decided to charge through and the wave crested the sill...
Eventually I got a tow out from a passing Landy and recovered home. It was funny watching the water drain out of it as it tipped up on the recovery truck (this car had only cost me £250 so not too bothered). I took the the injectors out and cranked the water out. Refitted them and got it running again after a few false starts and lots of oily water kicked out of the exhaust - remarkably nothing broken, though it did stink for weeks afterwards.
Little did I know at the time but where the air intake pipe looped in a big U between the air pickup and the filter, the bottom had rotted out - perfect for dangling in floodwater!
The entertaining bit of all this is that the slug of water it ingested freed up the turbo, so it ran better than before. ;)
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HAHA Free and involuntary water injection hahaha Brilliant.
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So did you get out and push him then Julian?
I wanted to get home, and he wasn't going anywhere quick by himself.
Does it make it 'on topic' if i mention that the radiator my shoes are on is bio-powered? : )
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Best way of drying shoes is leave them on your feet, their always dry by morning.........
Seriously, stuff them with news paper, and pull it out and put some more in after a few hours. It makes a heck of a difference.
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This is probably a really bad idea.. but wouldn't microwaving help heat the wet bits up for evaporation?
Only one way to find out..!
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This is probably a really bad idea.. but wouldn't microwaving help heat the wet bits up for evaporation?
Only one way to find out..!
No, It'll over heat the water the leather has absorbed, and damage the leather. In fact, leather shouldn't have any heat at all to dry out. Boots or jackets, newspaper is the kiddie.
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Last year I came across much the same situation with a pensioner stuck in about 18" deep water near Looe.
I very kindly stopped by the waters edge and asked where he was heading - the answer being about a mile up the road. Rather than drag him out backwards I managed to squeeze past, then park at the waters edge with a nice 24mm nylon tow rape shacked to the back of the Disco and the other end in my hand, complete with small car sized shackle on.
The offer was very simple, here is the end of a tow rope that will get you home but the person holding it is not into getting wet feet. You want it, come and get it.
To be fair, the old boy did the walking in the water bit and fixing it to his front towing eyes - after which I not only pulled him out of the water but back to his house too and onto his drive.
I am quite happy to be a good samaritan but it doesn't run to getting wet unnecessarily.
So yes, make sure you carry a rope in there.
A 4.5m long 24mm Nylon recovery rope (which is rated for 12 tonnes) with spliced ends and a few 3/4" and 1/2" shackles are good to have.
If you want one made up, next time I go down to Macsalvors I can pick up some rope and shackles and splice a couple of ends into it it for you?
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Jules,
How much does the rope cost on it's own. Prices on ebay and round here seem extorsionate!
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If you want one made up, next time I go down to Macsalvors I can pick up some rope and shackles and splice a couple of ends into it it for you?
Yes, that would be nice - thank you.
The chap did invite me to push him out with the front of my car. I just wasnt sure i wanted fiat stuck to it though!
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Keep an eye in aldis, and pound shops, privately run hardware stores are good aswell. I've got rope from them and there's nothing wrong with it. i use it for roping trailers, towing and lifting. It wears out eventually, but does fair work. Agri merchants sell it mostly, just buy a length off a roll. No need to pay big money for it.
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I'm after the nylon stuff for it's elongation properties, most cheap rope is ployprop.
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I would say most of what I have is poly. The blue stuff from the agri merchants is Nylon, I'm fairly sure of that. I find the better nylon stuff ties easier. The knots seem to stay better, and its easier to tighten.
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Nylon is soft to the touch and usually more flexible than polyprop.
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I cant remember the cost off the top of my head - I will ring them on Monday and find out if you like. It is, as you quite rightly say, quite soft to handle. It was also white when new although is now more of a brown colour having been used in the mud a few times.