The All New, New "What have you done to your Bay today" thread.

Pish tish. I bet they sound like those party blowers

 

No, you won’t, the standard button works fine.

 

Yep, 72 crossover but looks like the later bays apart from the 27mm steering wheel nut. Neil specifically asked the measurement before despatch.

 

Well, having had a half-hearted squint, seems like I can run the existing horn cable down the new column. Yaay!

 

If you cut the flappy end off a whoopie cushion and fixed it to your compressor output, you could make loud flatulence noises every time you pressed the horn button. Paaaarp!

 

My second day of trying to get the drop arm off the splined shaft on the steering box. After a couple of days of applying releasing fluid I have tried a gear puller, double hammer technique (not enough space to get a good strike), blow torch heat, and combinations of these. All have failed. Anybody got any good suggestions before I get my friend to come round with his oxyacetylene torch?

 

Take the steering box off the van! You've got more room to work then. A hydraulic puller and two hammers usually does the trick.

 

I took it off the van and I use a puller but it wouldn’t shift so wound the puller up and left it.
A few hours later there was almighty bang, I found it the other side of the garage

 

My drop arm very nearly took the headlight out on my Golf. They can fly quite a way

 

A good quality six inch three leg puller from Cromwell Tools. An 18 inch breaker bar on the puller bolt. Standing on the breaker bar. Ear defenders for the bang.

Bits of casting can come flying off the cheaper e.g. Laser branded pullers.

Or a hydraulic puller.

Loosen the nut a turn or two, dont undo it completely unless you want all the stored energy to be used in firing the puller into the distance.

I found it easier in the bus, despite the fact you should be able (in most cases) to undo the fixing bolts for the steering box and thread the arm through the hole that is uncovered.

 

My next job at some point.
Will mostly likely entrust the job to a professional outfit nearby.
While sorting out a misfire they had noticed a blowby from the exhaust manifold and discovered this.



Not sure how it got into that state but now sorted with new copper gaskets.
Apparently no.1 cylinder could have a sticking valve due to the idle drop. I must admit that I can't hear it, on acceleration all seems fine. It always pulled well I'm just hoping that adjusting the tappets will sort it. Don't want a sticking valve do I and have to take the engine out etc.

 

Sticking valves are rare, valve guides usually end up worn and leaking oil (grey smoke puff on startup) ..
More likely a loose valve seat caused by heating that loses you compression when cold but usually gets pushed back into place once things warm up . In the end they stay loose. Engine out and inspection time.

 

Hopefully not.

 

What does this mean? Taking the HT leads off one at a time and noting no.1 doesn't make much difference to the idle speed?
This is pretty common but I've never heard sticky valves being suggested as the culprit. My own experience is sticky valves show up at high revs when friction becomes too much for the speed the valve needs to be moving. Slower speeds it has time to fight the friction and close. If it was completely stuck it would be stuck open and clatter like buggery. Remind us (me) of your carb setup.

 

Twin Solex 40's.
Anyway am presently in Norton lidl car park waiting for a yellow taxi ride back to the garage.
It died at the petrol station!!
Will keep you posted.
Cheers.

 

Awwww - bugger

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

 

It went a dream down the A64, nicely at 60 when allowed, noticed that the fuel gauge was reading full which I thought was odd as filling it up hadn't been mentioned by the garage. The gauge can be flighty so thought it prudent to top up the tank and note mileage and intake.
Went to start and it wouldn't fire. Luckily after a bit got started and crept to Lidl in fits and starts to await the taxi.
All sorts to go through. Be very interesting to find the culprit.

 

Sounds like heat soak into "something", the heat builds fast when you switch off. Switching off more or less directly from 60mph+ is obviously the worst case for this. I once drove 1700 at 65-70mph for a tankful non-stop fully loaded for a family holiday. I stopped, filled up, turned my back for a minute to chat and when I looked back the van had disappeared in a cloud of smoke from thin heat soaked oil leaking onto the exhaust. All you gotta do is slow down a bit for a mile first to avoid. My first car was the same, it would go 85mph all day, but if I wanted to stop without boiling the radiator I had to do a couple of miles at 60mph first.

 

On a general note, I've lost count of the times I've known or heard about engine failures, including loose seats, where the owner has said unprompted that it was going notably well just before it went wrong. Too much timing might damage but won't make it go better. Too lean can though. A friend's 2l fits that - servo pipe was leaking as he hoofed along and was just thinking how well it was going when it dropped a valve seat. When I had same problem mine was going well too and I found a split servo/manifold boots. No gauges in those days.

 

That heat soak is scary- my CHT sensor sits at 120C on the motorway doing 60-65 mph.. Stop at services and it climbs to to nearer 150C... before dropping away gradually