Today I mostly .....

[Zelandeth]

This evening I spent a couple of hours attempting to help a guy get an old Saab 900 with a serious fuelling issue going. Virtually everything's been checked/replaced yet the fault persists - it's just massively over-fuelling. Did actually manage to get it to run briefly and blanketed several houses worth of street in a dense black fog in the couple of seconds it was going for. I was over there because we were trying my old warm up regulator which is about the only bit which hadn't been changed.

Scratching our heads on that one a bit...likely I'll be heading back at the end of the week for round two!

[Zelandeth]

Fixed my parents lawn mower again. Exhaust fell off last time it was used apparently. Turns out that the nut from the top mounting stud had disappeared, the entire lower mounting stud had done a runner, and the head-silencer gasket was pretty well shredded. Chances are from the look of that it's been loose and blowing for ages.

Quickly figured out the holes in the head were just standard M6 threads, so went out got some threaded rod and some matching washers and nuts.

Not really much I can do with the combined gasket/heat shield...so slathered the offending area in firegum and have crossed my fingers. Doesn't seem to be blowing at all though and the heatshield is secure - it used to flap around a bit. Seems to be running better in general as well - so not sure if it has indeed been missing backpressure for a while - not to mention that it's now noticeably quieter!



Was quite surprised to find that it's actually a proper silencer not just a tin-box expansion chamber. Actually has proper baffles in it and weighs far more than I expected it to...probably half the reason it fell off! Bottom stud at least won't be doing that again as it's got a locknut on both ends now!

Heatshield will need bolted back on next weekend - didn't have a deep enough socket to get to it with me today (the bolt holes are quite deeply recessed in it). I've also given the cover and such a coat of paint as it was looking rather scruffy.

Will also be going over the whole thing next week I think in search of loose nuts and bolts - the vibration from the over-revving incident last month may well be responsible for a lot of things like this!

[Neil Chowney]

... went to see Adam Ant in Basingstoke..... well Saturday actually.

[Neil Chowney]

In that case just forget I mentioned it..........

[excossack]

Purchased a new toy......Makita BHP451 18v drill.

Went to Frankie Dettori's and Marco Pierre Whites new local restaurant
http://www.mpwfrankieshoylake.co.uk/ for afternoon tea with the Mrs. Today it is 7 Years married

[GvidoR]

Today I mostly...

...sold my iPhone 4S.

[Neil Chowney]

You could always get a proper job........

[excossack]

Did a trip to B and Q to purchase a bag of plaster
Plastered part of the bedroom ceiling where I removed the stud wall. Plastered part of the wall.
Replaced some of the plaster board
Fitted a new brass TV aerial wall plug face plate
Built some Ikea flat pack furniture(still more to do)
Cleaned out the filters on the Dyson

[Neil Chowney]

You could always get a proper job........

why, are you employing? I'll be your rep in France
(it's got to be better than re-writing code that doesn't work!)

Maybe, what are you like at rust couselling?

[excossack]

Did some more painting (walls and ceiling). Got bag packed for tonights trip to Leeds for a Windows 2008 server training course.

[LINCSLADA]

This weekend well since friday ive been sat at a festival on stanby for recovery duties for public parking im there with 4x4 response.getting loads of intrest in the niva.

Cheers Gav

[excossack]

Which event are you at? oh and how are those strobe lights holding up?

[LINCSLADA]

Hi John its a small music sort of hippy fest spirit of the marsh its called at theddlethorpe near the sunshine coast that is mablethorpe.

Strobes are holding up brillantly infact i had some pics but there on my old comp which buggered up so i will get some fresh ones.

Cheers Gav

[Zelandeth]

Today I mostly...

Attended a classic car show in Alford...which I completely and totally forgot was on until we arrived there! Staff kindly let me take the Saab in though even in spite of my not having pre-registered, nor turning up until half way through the event.



Nice varied turnout there, weather even held up!

Felt a bit "under dressed" so to speak in that because I'd forgotten the show was on that I'd not done anything to clean the Saab up for it - still it's kept pretty tidy most of the time anyway so didn't look too out of place.

[Zelandeth]

Well, today I mostly went to work...

Highlight of the day though was getting a test run out in a 2001 Bluebird AARE.

Very nice driving thing actually. Ride's a bit bouncy as it lacks the air suspension that seems to be all but expected these days and is usually seen on products from this side of the pond, but certainly not uncomfortable. Not from the driving seat anyway...even if I was more concerned with not killing us than critique of the vehicle to be honest. Steering's light and precise, brakes are progressive but have incredible stopping power if you stamp on them (like when I nearly drove in front of that van at a roundabout...oops...), good visibility save for the inevitable offside mirror getting in your way, and power to spare...darn thing's quicker off the mark than any car I've got. Limited to 56mph but you hit that like a brick wall even up hill...definitely would run out of revs before power if you took that limiter off I reckon.



Hopefully will be out in that one again sometime soon.