I've been a naughty boy...

lol, kit's off. It's still high.
I'm not allowed to cut the roof up or mess with the engine now it's been gassed

But.....limo tints on the windows coming soon, rear spare wheel carrier..drool, & gunmetal wheels as vanorak suggested also approved.
Happy wife, happy life

 

Dark day. MOT failure on.....
upper wishbone, near side

I sort of had a feeling but it's a pita. Fortunately I've got 10 working days 'til the re-test so thats effectively 2 weeks today.

So it's bought forward one of the planned modifications which is to upgrade all the suspension bushes with pu.
We've got a machinist on site at the marina who is a good friend & who happens to own a big press. The wishbones on the syncro are forged & the bushes press out & in. That's good.

What isn't so good is the nearly £600 quid for the full bush kit. It makes sense as I've done the shocks & springs so to complete the suspension the bushes are a no brainer. We'll never be rich

 

rich in other ways though....

 

Sorry to hear that but if it needs doing..... Bank job?

 

Yeah, when you free. We could test your new ARB on the streets of San FranDerby.

 

Ouch, pricey kit, but a once only job at least.

 

Makes me feel a bit better about the 750 i spent on a new clutch and flywheel for my daily yesterday!

 

Oh no! Donuts in the Uni car park?
I don't think, in over 30 years of being a t(w)it behind the wheel, I've ever had a clutch replaced.
Now let's see what happens now I've said it...

 

You've never had a ford then!

I fitted one in my bus in 2003 and ive had two in my Ford (70k cos it wasnt worth not doing it as the flywheel was goosed and now at 12ok). and that's it for clutches for me

 

it's a common problem with the tdci, sadly. Doesn't seem to affect the petrols anywhere near as much...

 

You won't have to walk up to Ben Nevis now ...will you .

 

Well what a beautiful day! Water's up though & we're walking up the pontoon to get onto the boat. Our neighbour has to jump!
Currently the level is about 70cm off the 2012 floods which came across the car park. I don't think it'll get that high....


Anyway, the wishbone is out!


and the bushes are shot


It took a little persuasion, so the lump of metal we use to bang in the mooring pins was pressed into service


Now I'm waiting for UPS to arrive with the new bits. The old bushes are rusted into the arm so we're going to machine them out this afternoon rather than risk shattering the arm by bashing it with an even bigger hammer. Watch this space....

 

Im suffering hammer envy!

 

Oh it's really come into play the last half hour & what an interesting half hour it's been!

We tried pressing the bushes out. Press said no, so a bit of head scratching & I tried to visualise how the bush is constructed.
So deep breath & the grinder came out to cut through the outer cup to fold it back





Once this was done we could see the inner of the bush is a metal top hat, under a nylon top hat with rubber in between as suspected. I knocked out the inner metal sleeve which bought all the top-hat gubbins out with it...



It was then a simple case of hacksawing through what was left in the arm & knocking it out. Simples when you know how

 

Still waiting for UPS...

 

Good old UPS


But despite there being lots of goodies in the box I am only interested, for now, in the wishbone bushes.


Don't get a lot for your money do you? Anyway, following the instructions the first operation is to press the inner sleeve into the arm. Easier said!

Huey is a bit of a metal guru though so 2 thou off & they went in beautifully.


A bit of fiddling, a bit of waterproof grease (Morris K99)...


...a phone call to DC Tyres in Donnington & I'm now the proud owner of a new MOT for Big G.
Yay

 

should feel tighter now....

 

Did you go down or was a phone call enough?

 

Was just gonna ask that.