teaboy
Posted a lot
Make tea, not war.
Posts: 2,125
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Dec 11, 2023 23:47:54 GMT
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Ignition switch is my favourite for BMW starting issues - especially ones with the turn the key I once had a starting problem with the Doc's Audi, turned out to be the headlight switch of all things. Found it by accident when I turned the lights on for some reason before starting it and it worked every time. Turned the lights off and it was a swine to start. Totally bizarre. |
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teaboy
Posted a lot
Make tea, not war.
Posts: 2,125
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Dec 12, 2023 20:43:02 GMT
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I got all my jobs done by a reasonable time today, even the extra, 'can you just...' things went well so I was on for an early-ish bath. I was thinking about doing a bit more sanding then getting another coat of paint on my thingmy but of course, it never played out like that. I ended up having to go on a mercy mission to Scunthorpe which meant that I got home much later than I normally would. It's a conspiracy! I still got home before the Doctor so I had a quick hour doing a bit more sanding but no time to clean it all up and paint it.  That tubey thing on top is what all the pipes from the fuel filler to the tank are fed through. When it is installed it is completely encased inside the chassis leg and will never be seen. You might wonder why I am sanding something which will be totally hidden. I wondered that myself as I was doing it and I finally concluded that it was because I am a complete lunatic. Quiz night tomorrow so it will have to wait a bit longer. Cheers. |
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teaboy
Posted a lot
Make tea, not war.
Posts: 2,125
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Dec 18, 2023 20:18:39 GMT
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Last Wednesday was the Christmas quiz which we didn't win. We came second for which there was no prize. The Doctor got second place in the Christmas jumper competition with her Elf top. That did come with a prize and she garnered a large box of biscuits. I was going to make you all envious by showing a picture of said biscuits but they appear to have disappeared already. As it is that time of year when there are lots of extra demands on one's time, I haven't troubled the shed much. When I was about to go into the shed The Doc Told me that I had to get rid of my best welding top and get a new one.  She is far more extravagant than I am, that would have lasted me another couple of years at least. In the shed I have done a bit more sanding on my thingmys and I masked them up ready. Today I mixed up a drop of epoxy.  This has now been daubed all over both the thingmy and, to a lesser extent, myself. I de-masked once it had flashed off.  I have re coated the pipey thing too.  It is all incredibly boring stuff, I know. Next job is to get some weld through primer on it. well, that is the next job in the shed, the next job for me is to get stuck into this cake before it ends up wherever that box of biscuits went.  I've got lots of travelling coming up over the next week or two to visit members of the clan so it looks like shed time will be a bit hit and miss. I'll have to take it as it comes. If I don't speak before, hope you all survive the festivities. Cheers. |
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That cake does look good!
Its xmas time. I like cake.
Alex and hannah
marahau, tasman, NZ.
I cant wait!
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teaboy
Posted a lot
Make tea, not war.
Posts: 2,125
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Dec 19, 2023 17:18:20 GMT
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That cake does look good! Its xmas time. I like cake. Alex and hannah marahau, tasman, NZ. I cant wait! It is on its way, by carrier pigeon. I am trying to but the Doc is making it difficult for me.  I have officially finished work for Christmas because, as I like to say, some people don't want work. I only do it for the tea and the verbal abuse. What this means is that I managed to get into the shed this afternoon and that I could find the shed without a torch because it was still daylight. The thingmy has now had a couple of coats of epoxy so now I need to get some weld through primer on the bits that are, hopefully, going to be welded. First I did a bit of sanding around where it is going to go. I am using some two component stuff, so I mixed a bit up.  I am hoping that it is a bit more durable than the normal stuff but it is equally as unweldable as any other that I have ever used. I have got it splurged all over the bits that need it.  I've also done the bit that was cut off.  I even put some on the flange of that pipey thing.  With all this done I was feeling very pleased with myself, until I remembered that the battery box needs to go in before the axle panel and it was still screwed to the car and not painted. I quickly removed it from the car and did yet more sanding. It has now had its first coat of stuff.  All the while I was in the shed my cake was shrinking.  The Doctor claims to know nothing about it so maybe it is Fat Al who is eating it, or maybe Elves. Anyway, my visit the family odyssey begins tomorrow so The paint is going to have a few days to cure. I'm going to have a slice of cake now, if there is any left... Cheers. |
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teaboy
Posted a lot
Make tea, not war.
Posts: 2,125
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Here we are, another year over and that means that I am another year older. You may not be aware that my birthday is on Christmas eve. This year, at long last, I have finally got the recognition that I deserve from the lovely Doctor in the form of this birthday card.  Inside it did say, 'To my current husband', so she is still keeping her options open... Car stuff over the festive break has been totally absent due to being forced to have a good time with friends and family. I was fully expecting to get straight back into it when I went back to work but a combination of both monsoons and hurricanes coupled with a degree of inertia meant that nothing continued to happen. As it hasn't rained today it looked like I was running out of excuses so I opened up the tent to have a look at what I needed to do next. The last thing I did before the break was to start prepping the battery box for fitting. With the box half ready I need to prep the car ready to receive it. That means I need to sand off the paint around all the plug weld holes.  Once the battery box is in the next bit to do is the axle panel so I also did some cleaning up around where that is going as well. This is pretty straightforward stuff if a little tedious. Once it was all cleaned up I mixed up some 2k weld through primer and started daubing it on.   All this only took a couple of hours but due to the sub-zero temperature at the end of it I was absolutely frozen. I am hoping to get back up to speed during the coming week, weather and bone idleness permitting. Cheers. |
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braaap
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,746
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A belated happy birthday.
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teaboy
Posted a lot
Make tea, not war.
Posts: 2,125
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A belated happy birthday. Thank you very much. I know that you really meant to say, 'A belated happy birthday you handsome devil'. |
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braaap
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,746
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Nope. I'm not one of these.  |
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teaboy
Posted a lot
Make tea, not war.
Posts: 2,125
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Both the battery box and the section of the car where it fits have been prepped so the next step is to get it screwed back into place ready to be welded. I was going to do that last night after work but when I got home I took my watch off to get ready to go outside and, due to my fingers being frozen I managed to drop the watch on the kitchen floor. I have had it for thirty years and it is my favorite one.  As you might imagine, this dampened my enthusiasm somewhat. I still feel ill when I look at it. Anyway, the battery box still needs screwing in place so I did that tonight.    There is a small tab inside where the rear bumper mount goes, I think it got a bit bent upwards when I was removing the old box so I tapped that down a bit and shoved a tek-screw through it.  I wanted to get the axle panel back up in place to check the fit of that too but it is absolutely bitter cold outside and my extremities had frozen so it will have to wait until next time. It is quiz night tomorrow so hopefully Thursday. Cheers |
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braaap
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,746
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I'm pretty sure Rolex will happily replace that glass for You. Unless it's a fake watch.
But that would probably not have done its service for 30 years.
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teaboy
Posted a lot
Make tea, not war.
Posts: 2,125
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I'm pretty sure Rolex will happily replace that glass for You. Yeah, Rolex will replace it but the price is absolutely absurd.  |
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maf260
Part of things
Posts: 533
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I'm pretty sure Rolex will happily replace that glass for You. Yeah, Rolex will replace it but the price is absolutely absurd. Pricey, but worth it. If you've had the watch 30 years it will have been a decent investment. Get the bracelet tightened while it's in for repair as it's looking a bit baggy! |
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teaboy
Posted a lot
Make tea, not war.
Posts: 2,125
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Jan 11, 2024 20:59:25 GMT
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Sadly, I have to report that we were totally thrashed in the pub quiz last night. One third of our team couldn't make it and we finished down in the middle of the pack. When I got home tonight it was dark, cold and drizzling. I was not overly keen to go outside into the tent but I forced myself to because it won't do itself. I didn't fancy carrying the axle panel from the shed to the tent in the rain so I thought that I would make a start fitting the battery box. I thought I had taken more pictures but I only have this one.  I have only done this back end of the box because when I started the gauge on my gas bottle was almost at zero so this end was all I had enough for. When I took out the tek-screws I drilled the front with a spot weld drill to give me something to weld to. It took me longer to get my gear set up and then to put it all away again afterwards than I spent actually working. I will have to get some more gas as soon as I get the chance. Once I had packed up I gave it a dousing with the current spooge of choice.  I'm going in the opposite direction to where the gas supplier is tomorrow so I'll have to see when I next have the chance to get some. Cheers. |
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teaboy
Posted a lot
Make tea, not war.
Posts: 2,125
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Jan 12, 2024 19:50:52 GMT
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I haven't had the chance to go for any more gas yet. Yesterday I told you that it had run out but I didn't actually get to the, 'oh bum my weld has just oxidised' stage, just the needle on the gauge was right up against the stop. As I am from Yorkshire I like to get my moneys worth out of things so I thought I would hook the bottle up to the gauge on my other welder to see what that said. Well it said there was a tiny bit left so I thought it would be a shame to waste it. I welded up the holes on the outside edge.  And also in the wheel well.  There are just the ones to do on the inside of the boot now, along both sides of the chassis rail.  Actually, now I think about it, the ones on the inner edge need welding from inside the boot and from below because the piece is sandwiched between the chassis rail and the boot floor. There might just be enough gas to do them but I didn't attempt it tonight because I was frozen by the time I had done those bits above. Obviously I stuck a bit of the customary protective spooge on there afterwards.   It's not much but it is all progress. Oh, whilst I was doing this, I noticed that the metal around the battery vent pipe hole is quite pitted and thin.  I'm in two minds as to whether I should cut it out and replace it or just treat it and paint it. Cheers. |
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braaap
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,746
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You surely have mentioned it before, but what is that lilac stuff You apply after welding?
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Jan 13, 2024 10:01:28 GMT
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"I'm in two minds as to whether I should cut it out and replace it or just treat it and paint it." Replace it, it will only sit at the back of your mind niggling away ... |
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glenanderson
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,353
Club RR Member Number: 64
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Jan 13, 2024 11:18:27 GMT
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"I'm in two minds as to whether I should cut it out and replace it or just treat it and paint it." Replace it, it will only sit at the back of your mind niggling away ... Leave it. Then it will sit at the back of your mind niggling away, and you can pull the whole car apart later and entertain us all with how many times you whack your head on stuff and cake. 😉 |
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My worst worry about dying is my wife selling my stuff for what I told her it cost...
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teaboy
Posted a lot
Make tea, not war.
Posts: 2,125
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Jan 13, 2024 21:02:59 GMT
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You surely have mentioned it before, but what is that lilac stuff You apply after welding? It is rust converter stuff, either hydrate 80 or rust buster Fe123, whichever is to hand. "I'm in two minds as to whether I should cut it out and replace it or just treat it and paint it." Replace it, it will only sit at the back of your mind niggling away ... Leave it. Then it will sit at the back of your mind niggling away, and you can pull the whole car apart later and entertain us all with how many times you whack your head on stuff and cake. 😉 Well, I was in two minds but now I'm in three minds... Would you believe it, it is the weekend and it isn't raining. After breakfast at Ten Acres I had to go in to town to take my smashed up Submariner to the watchmakers so it was mid afternoon when I got to go in the tent. I dragged out the welding gear and this is what is in the bottle.  According to that gauge there is barely enough gas for a good fart but let's see how far it goes. I want to do these along the chassis leg first.  I don't have anything that I can clamp those two bits of metal together with and I didn't want to put any tek-screws through there because that would mean even more holes to weld up with my limited gas supply, so I did this instead.  That bit of wood on the jack supported it so that I had something firm to push against to get it tacked together. When I drilled the old one out some of the spot welds were right on the edge of the panel so I taped a bit of copper along the edge.  Getting access to weld those was quite awkward because I am right handed and it is in the back end of the right hand side of the boot. I ended up having to get my leg-over. I don't have any pictures of that, you will be pleased to hear. What I mean is that I had to get my left leg inside the boot to try to get at an angle where I could reach in with my right hand. The chassis leg sticking up also meant that once I had the torch in there I couldn't actually see what I was welding so I had to work by sense of smell. The further forward I went the less of a physical contortion it was but visibility was still awkward. You can see on this bit how the old spot welds were right on the edge of the piece.  I used the same procedure for the ones down the other side of the chassis rail but I didn't take any pictures. That left the underside of the boot floor to re-secure. I did make a start on that. I was able to clamp it up with my long clamp through the hole in the bottom of the 'spare wheel well'.  I didn't complete that section because it was getting late and the temperature had dropped quite a bit and my hands were starting to seize up with the cold. The top of my right thigh wasn't cold because a huge spark went through my trousers then rolled around a bit burning a lovely pattern on me. Luckily the spark landed just outside the penalty area so I should be able to get my leg-over again tomorrow. Cheers. |
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