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Dec 17, 2017 13:27:44 GMT
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I'm going to ... try strapping a laser cutter head to my current printer. Sounds like a fun project, and a sensible progression Let me know if you need any suggestions for laser test pieces, I'm looking for several matching 3mm alloy plates (about 12" x 4" ) with some slots & holes cut in them
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As said, find where the water is coming from and stop any leaks. If it's in a damp garage - think about creating some ventiliation, maybe leaving the car windows down to keep the air circulating? I looked at the rechargeable type in the OP link, got told they are small capacity and also expensive to "recharge" (they have a small heater element inside - you take it indoors and plug it in to warm up - and dry out - the unit) Our local pound shops sell "moisture traps", I use a few in the garage and in the corners of the house that attract damp. Cheap, simple, and effective. They are sealed when new - remove the tinfoil lid and they're ready to use. No need for power, throw them away when they are full. gardengnomeathome.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/simple-moisture-solution.htmlMy big mains powered dehumidifier is great for drying rooms but it's too much for a car, my portable 12-volt humidifier is too small to be useful and takes a fair bit of power. Not recommended.
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Options for me would be a separate thread for each car *or* one thread for 70s, another for 90s (so I can bookmark the era I like )
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Plenty of interesting posts so far, a recent quote from my "Wombling" thread should explain mine : I've moved 11 times ( 9 different houses) in 2 months. This is a lot even for me !
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Dec 11, 2017 21:17:26 GMT
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^ Thanks to a tip from dazcapri I went to have a look at a local Rapier ("Hunter in a posh frock") a couple of weeks ago, shame the seller can't decide if he's breakling it or selling the whole car as a donor (it's complete but rotted beyond belief - even the water pump is siezed ) We have snow - what better time to go shopping in a trusty RWD Hunter looking for a new bathroom ( shame I lifted the 4x8 shower panel boards off the roof before I thought to take a pic ) It's always fun watching folks reactions The local plumbers merchant saw the car and thought I was going to pay for the stuff today and come back with a van tomorrow to collect everything. They should know me better than that by now ! In other news ... I've been trying unsuccessfully since before RRG (August) to take the car off the road to do a few jobs, but it's just *too* handy to have available
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Our topic today is "improvisation" - as the washing machine made the usual clunks and other noises but there was no running water Loosening the feed hose behind the machine showed we had good incoming water pressure. Removing the top cover (2 screws at the back then slide off) showed it has 2 identical solenoids to control the water (let's call 1 "main", the other "fancy stuff like pre-wash" ) A test-lamp showed the common white wire had power and the black & blue signal wires were ok, so a faulty solenoid looked likely. Swapping the signal wires changed the "main" solenoid to the extra one, and the other became "main" - unclipping the water pipes from the solenoids and swapping them completed the job Total time : about 5 minutes Cost : £ free Once again it's working fine for my needs ("quick wash" & " wash" ), assume the fancy programmmes won't work - but as I've never used them I won't miss them The machine looks less than 3 years old and has had very little use. Once again - modern technology fails to deliver Overview img.retro-rides.org/i/v/nomad/7dfa1c5bdff9.jpg "Plans are for other people"
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^ @grumpynorthener pretty much covered the points that came to mind for me so there's no need for me to repeat them. The only thing I'd add to his list is the admin / book-keeping, I was told starting 2018 anyone self employed will have to submit quarterly tax returns but I've not checked recently to see if the plans have changed. Good luck with it all !
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Remove the servo - very simple, just 1/2" bolts (3 inside the car, 1 on the bulkhead clamp), then disconnect both brake pipes. Undo the bolt holding the clamping ring to split the servo, Note. Most other servos "twist" together and are difficult to split ! img.retro-rides.org/i/v/nomad/33e3d5a31cff.jpgRemove the large rubber diaphragm, you can then remove the forked "key" that holds the large plastic disk onto the shaft. Tip : turn the unit so the key is at the bottom of the disk, press the large disk to compress the spring. Remove the 3 bolts holding the master cylinder onto the servo casing. Pull the shaft out of the cylindr (it may be stuck - use short sharp tugs) Check the cylinder bore carefully, if worn/pitted/scored consider finding a different servo !Old seals alongside the rebuilt shaft (note both rubber seals have "lips" and need to be fitted the right way around ) Closeup showing the "hidden" pin that holds everything together img.retro-rides.org/i/v/nomad/409b80605cd5.jpgLube the cylinder with new brake fluid and fit the rebuilt shaft. Fit 3 bolts (with locking plates) holding cylinder to the servo casing Fit the large spring / large black disk, and fit the key to hold it all together. - work the assembly a frew times to check it moves freely. Fit the large rubber seal then clamp both halves of the servo together. New bits before re-assembly img.retro-rides.org/i/v/nomad/19708401d47b.jpgDone, ready to refit
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Last Edit: Dec 2, 2017 15:27:21 GMT by nomad
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It's not the servo that's the the problem...... the missing brake fluid is caused by the seals on the master cylinder failing and allowing it to leak into the servo. ^ Top answer - I opened the servo and found about a pint of brake fluid inside We have progress, and most of it is good I bought a servo rebuild kit from Eb@y seller Greenwood, exactly what I needed apart from the large seal which is the wrong size. Not a problem but for info - Hunter Estate Lockheed servos are larger than Lockheed 7" servos Spot the difference Photos - showing helpful sizes - from the Eb@y advert (credit to Greenwood for the images) img.retro-rides.org/i/v/nomad/4d2dcb77022a.jpgimg.retro-rides.org/i/v/nomad/dc56316e48e6.jpgimg.retro-rides.org/i/v/nomad/d4e696ae1d6e.jpg
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Nice find ! There must be a way to use it - even if it's just free water for the garden in the summer. It's getting water from somewhere, if you don't have a high water table it might still be feeding from the gutters which would be ideal. Do you have space for a hot-tub / jaccuzzi in your new extension - "pure local mineral spa water" (please check it's not a septic tank before deciding! ) I *really* like the idea of a fishing gnome, you can have own "hook a duck" pond - hours of fun for kids of all ages ( use magnetic ducks so it's not impossible to get a catch, strap random bottles/cans of booze to the ducks as "adult only" prizes) A hand pump would look great inside or outside, a Belfast sink would match nicely A huge water feature is another option As suggested, I'd be tempted to re-bury it at least until the inspection visits are finished. < boring/sensible thoughts> best ask somebody who knows about these things to have a look at it before you start digging foundations or building near it, in case you loose the gnome pond and your new extension
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Nov 27, 2017 17:27:08 GMT
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Modern technology is not making me happy this month Once again, a new item on the "fix this ASAP list" changed the plans for today. Many years ago I bought new laptop (the only time I've bought new), one of my main "wants" at the time was a big screen so I could watch movies etc when I was touring. Since buying it, I've replacd the screen twice ( a visiting parrot killed one, I drop-tested the next one - it failed!), fitted a big hard drive (1Tb to replace the 120mb it had originally), battery life is now about 2 minutes, and the latest fault is the large screen is loose at one side I'm curious - what do people normally do in cases like this? I decided to remove a few covers and found the rivits had snapped on the screen hinge, drilling them out and bolting should have worked but I decided to go another route A quick MIG session fixed the break - but when I tried there was still a click somewhere - more checking showed a nearby pair of rivits were loose but not yet snapped More mig, and everything is as it should be. If you don't have a mig set - get one ! The plan for tomorrow? Make a start on the jobs that should have been done today
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Nov 27, 2017 17:08:52 GMT
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^ The Hunter already has a couple of LED striplights in the boot - great for moving tat on dark winter nights. I had some cheap LED stop/tail bulbs but for some reason they didn't make good contact in the Hunter so got removed ^^ feedback is always welcome, nice to know some folk find it odd / unusual / interesting
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Nov 27, 2017 16:59:15 GMT
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My partners son has a 2007 BMWe49 cab with only 60K on it ... Needed a new starter. BMW were £700 richer. This is a 3 series! I remember when these were pretty simple cars for simple folk. We have created a monster. ^ 100% true ! I recently got a similar BMW and it's painful to work on (cannot maintain without an OBD scanner tool, new £££ rear light cluster needed if the 10p LED fails, "one-time-only" alloy starter motor bolts - and you need to strip manifolds off the head to get to the starter - new gaskets are £50 ...) forum.retro-rides.org/thread/197691/womble-ing-improvisation-thread?page=4&scrollTo=2368647It's also the only car in the past 10 years where I've had to call the RAC ( it stalled and refused to restart) For comparision, I'm rebuilding the servo on the Hunter this week - removing it took 5 minutes in the street (using 2 spanners + a ratchet) I'm also planning to fix a noisy big end on the Hunter, and am considering just dropping the sump and doing the big ends in the street - should take less time than the starter swap on the newer BMW ! Retro every time !
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Nov 26, 2017 15:42:37 GMT
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Graff city have a black friday sale on paint today.. ^ It looks like the sale is now finished I'm planning to paint a couple of sets of winter wheels ( 4 of each : 13" steels / 18" alloys), suggestions please : - gloss metalic "wheel silver" - should I just get some from the local factors / Halfrauds? Montana - it looks like "Black" is their matt finish, "White" is their gloss range - or have I got it wrong? - gloss appeals as it wipes clean and is cheap - any better suggestions? - 400ml cans look common, any ideas how many I'll need to paint a set of 13" rims ? set of 18" rims? - I'm hoping I can get both sets of wheels blasted beforre paint, do I need primer or just spray direct ? Just in case it's not obvious, painting isn't something I do a lot of !
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Nov 26, 2017 14:57:46 GMT
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Never surprised, I take it for granted the Hunter will get me there and back - because it always has done If anything, I'm surprised by the OP question as I've never thought about it before
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Nov 25, 2017 23:04:05 GMT
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Caution : Modern'ish content follows / user discretion is advised As some folk already know, I mix my time between Retro stuff and new-fangled gadgets. One of my "new" gadgets is a modern'ish BMW, fitted with stuff I'd not even heard about (I normally drive a 70's Hunter as a daily so it's bit of a technology jump ) One of the neat things on the BMW is rather posh back lights - fitted with a mix of traditional bulbs and "everlasting" LED strip lights The bulbs cost £1 each and can be swapped in minutes, the LEDs are soldered on a circuit board - then put inside the sealed light cluster and sold as a complete unit. Can anyone see where I'm going with this yet BMW in their wisdom have decided industry standard LEDs (5mm diameter, never known to fail) are not suitable so have used their own design (4.2mm, tapered, many fail within 10 years) Continuing their "it seemed a good idea at the time", if / when a LED fails, the others near it stop working (they go out in moral support?) There are a few potential solutions : Check the car wiring to make sure the lights are getting 12 volts - you don't want to go any further if your problem is a blown fuse ! Pretend you've not noticed half the lights at the back of the car aren't working (not easy in the dark winter nights) Fit a "good used" 2nd hand unit ( then demand a refund when you discover the LEDs on the new unit don't work) Buy a new light cluster from a BMW dealer (cost was £180 each side when I asked !) Get creative and improvise (tenous link to this thread title) Step 1 : use some kind of cutter ( multi tool or Dremel) to cut the red lens off the light cluster. img.retro-rides.org/i/v/nomad/0cba22cc2870.jpgStep 2 : forcefully remove the inside "cage" without breaking it, so you can unclip the LED circuit board. Step 3 : identify which partcular LED(s) have failed. Options : connect a 9 volt battery, short out each LED in turn, when you do the faulty one, the other 2 will light up (assuming only 1 has failed) connect a 9 volt battery and measure the voltage across each LED, working ones show 2 volts, the failed ones show 6 volts. Step 4 : replace the LEDs, retest using your 9 volt battery. Tip : a solder sucker is invaluable for removing the old LEDs img.retro-rides.org/i/v/nomad/b388a48f0798.jpg img.retro-rides.org/i/v/nomad/8d6bc3d12699.jpgStep 5 : glue the red lense back in place, go to the pub and start spending the £100 you've just saved (fix the other side next weekend for another £100 saving ) Total cost of the repairs ?LEDS £1.30 (including postage for a pack of 20, I used 6), "5mm high-intensity red", Glue. Time for each light : 1 hour strip/rebuild + 1 hour finding the dud LED and soldering. Note : If anyone local needs LED lights repairing, let me know and we might be able to work something out As this is a "non-Retro" update, now is good time to mention I also bought a £30 BMW-specific "C110" OBD2 code reader, very impressed with it. It gives the fault codes recorded by the car, so you can trace faults and identify failing/failed parts. The bad news is it flagged a faulty £90 fuel pressure sensor so the BWM dealer soon got most of the £100 I'd saved by fixing the lights More OBD code reader info forum.retro-rides.org/thread/201100/obd2-scanner-review-come-eventually "BMW - the greatest driving machine" ... I wouldn't know, all I've done for the last 3 months since I bought it is try to fix one problem after another Normal service should resume in the in the next episode, expect Retro and / or other interesting content
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Last Edit: Nov 25, 2017 1:20:34 GMT by nomad: typos..
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Nov 24, 2017 22:04:18 GMT
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. . . It's theirs...they can do whatever they like with it This is the correct answer, same as I can do with my toys - any the other contributors can do with theirs. There was a similar thread on here last year, same views - same unhappy vibe Think positive, live and let live, and look at a nice restoration
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