what a start to a year

[Rotary-Motion]

hi all

you ever get that feeling with a car you owned its starting to cost you money? well check this out what occured over the last 2 weeks...

4x glow plugs (4th or 5th set in 3 years)
2x headolight bulbs
1x side light bulb
4x tyres (had one split all way round doing 50mph) had slight wobble for couple weeks, killed opposite side wheel on back to
heater fan (currently working on today)
brake cylinder (currently working on today)

hmmm all part of lifes rich tapestry of events

 

already had before this:

new cluctch kit
battery
glow plug relay
radiator
exhaust section
2x track rods
tortion bar
brake pipe

i forget the rest...... 

there is one big consolation to all this folks "we all BIO and VEG runners" we can afford these new parts when they come round right??? the money you save i never seem to see though, odd that... bit like packing in smoking, which i did for 7 years, never saw any money there either, but what i did see was i never had any change in my pocket, i could have say a five pound note all week, wierd, never had to break into any money.

[Tony]

Most old cars are like that though, the advantage is that once you've done all these bits that have probably been on the way out for years that chances are it'll hit a period of behaving itself for quite a while!

The Delica has been a bit like that, cost a small fortune in bits but seems to be cruising OK now - touch wood!

[photoman290]

i have been quite lucky. usually use the MOT as a guide to when to change cars. that way it gives you time to shop around for a decent example. the worse one i ever had was a high top long wheelbase transit. spent a fortune on welding, because high top transits are hard to find in good condition. most of the others i haven't paid much for so don't mind spending a bit on them. the trick is to not get in the situation where it fails the mot and you need another car fast. our last 2 BMWs have been fine one or 2 owner ones in pristine condition. not a lot of money either. did take about a year to find  them though. there are a lot a rubbish ex boy racer thrashed ones about. ekk i said BMW and almost said petrol as well. shall go and wash my mouth out with salt, i would use bio but have yet to make any. bloody wet outside again.

[Dickjotec]

My rule of thumb is to replace the car when it takes more than 2 days work to prep it for MOT, usually welding!
Dick

[greasemonkey]

Apart from the rad, clutch, and a couple of others, most of that is service items. I know what you mean though, some vehicles just seem to have a constant list of fiddly little problems.
I've come to the conclusion that some people are very good a spotting when a car needs selling, while it still looks good, but just before things start going wrong.
Its like a phase vehicles go through, once they've had the bits changed, they settle down.
Its like a vehicle puberty.

[Carrington]

Doing a lift pump on my ldv at moment and its a right pain.
Yesterday dropped the lump out the mitsubishi tipper to find a rod sticking out the block and to top it of the wife's car is being scrapped tomorrow . So all in all having a bad motor week

[Carrington]

Ladies and gentlemen the THE LIFT PUMP HAS LEFT THE BUILDING

[McDuff]

Mine started on New Years Eve - went out to celebrate, got to party (still sober) and got dazzled by headlights while reversing into parking space on unlit rural road - that small brick wall stopped me going back, now got an expensive dent in the 4x4

[Rotary-Motion]

well would you adam and eve it! 

got new part brake cylinder to fix on car, stripped back wheel out and got the new cylinder fitted to find its the wrong dam one! looks same except the bkare pipe screw hole in new cylinder is massive and my pipe screw just drops straight in hole, well aint that great, stuck with no car to exchange the wrong part, doh.

 

[photoman290]

not always practical i know, but its always worth taking the old part in and comparing it with the new one. wheel cylinders are always difficult. on the old  series 2 transits they changed them about 5 times in a few months. i have had many a long walk to exchange them. luckily i now live just over the road from the garage.

[Rotary-Motion]

ok managed to phone round few bods to grab a lift, and i now have the new part fitted and bled...

BUT!

it all fits but its 5 mm shorter in length on main casting, now if this effects anything i have no idea, just took her for a delicate drive round the block (bat out of hell) slamming breaks on eratically here and there like a loon, and it stop very well. i guess as long as pistons do there job im ok.

 

[greasemonkey]

This has got the handbrake acting on the same shoes as the footbrake, ya?
Basically, the biggest thing I see is that with the shorter body, it might just try and push the pistons out, but so long as the shoes are adjusted out properly, then there shouldn't be a problem.

Saying it another way, the pistons need to be right in, with the tops of the shoes snug against the pistons, and the adjuster pushing the bottom of the shoe out just not quite touching the drum, then the pistons only need a fraction movement to touch the drum.

[Rotary-Motion]

yeah i had to push pistons right in to get between the shoes at the top.

also i see on there just like the 405 brakes they have those automatic adjusters which are a pain to play with... these keep shoses apart and against drums...