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34846

General Discussion Area / Re: Tech2 for sale?

« on: 06 June 2007, 09:38:21 »

Is there any merit in the forum buying it?

A whip round amongst the active membership would secure it for less than a single Tech2 session at VX per member, I'd wager. Obviously there are recurring costs to maintain it but it would be a valuable resource for the forum members.

Collecting the funds, managing access to it and the like would not be without their headaches but not insoluble if we want it badly enough.

Jaime and his Tech2 have been a lifeline to many of us (which reminds me, Jaime, I still owe you for some Tech2 stuff - speak to you in Keswick) and we need to think about what life would be like without it!

Failing this, is there any merit in the forum investing in a less expensive diagnostic tool?

Just thought I'd float the ideas. I don't have a feeling for whether they're workable or not but it's got to be worth asking the question.

Kevin

34847

General Discussion Area / Re: Who is planning on doing car work at Keswick

« on: 06 June 2007, 20:22:42 »

Can I bring Sammy, assuming I can find it?

Heavy duty tent pegs, then?

Kevin

34848

General Discussion Area / Re: Who is planning on doing car work at Keswick

« on: 06 June 2007, 15:30:37 »

I still have the prolem of the offside cooling fan being on all the time and draining the battery Sad

I'll bring my multimeter.

Kevin

34849

General Discussion Area / Re: Good luck Theo

« on: 06 June 2007, 09:10:56 »

... so that's why you're not coming to Keswick!

Have a great wedding.

Kevin

34850

General Discussion Area / Re: manual or auto

« on: 06 June 2007, 09:24:50 »

I thought it was unwise to push/roll start a car with cats.

It's always advised against in owner's manuals but for no good reason, IMO. Push starting a manual car is no different from cranking it using the starter motor except the gearbox is turning the crank rather than the starter.

Obviously if the car consistently fails to start you're going to soak the cats in fuel, which is a bad thing, so I guess they're working on the assumption that you've already cranked it until the battery's flat, at which point you should really figure out what's wrong.

If the battery has gone flat because it's old or because the lights were left on there's no problem with a bump start, IMO.

Batteries tend to give quite a good warning before they die

My experience with "maintenance free" batteries is that they die suddenly. I've had 3 battery failures in the last 10-15 years or so. All 3 left me stranded with no warning. On one occasion, I pulled into a motorway services for a coffee, went to restart and the starter motor kicked once then all the electrics died and the alarm went off. Battery totally fubar.

I guess now I've got an auto I should keep an eye on my battery  

Kevin

34851

General Discussion Area / Re: manual or auto

« on: 05 June 2007, 16:28:06 »

I did see a Diesel Westy in Autotrader this week?!

Ahh, the wiesel! It turns up every now and then. 0-60 in 6.0, 60 MPG allegedly  

The logical end of an argument for manuals is a Westfield

You're right. Go to one end of the comfort / dirveability scale or the other. Works for me.

... although I have seen one or two automatic sevens built (and peddled, damn quickly too) by disabled guys. Huge amounts of credit due there. They must have b@lls of steel to drive something that quick on hand controls!

Kevin

34852

General Discussion Area / Re: manual or auto

« on: 04 June 2007, 09:50:31 »

I thought they all were....with paddles on the steering wheel for up/down changes  

Ahh. Now we're talking. Straight cut sequential dog box with paddle shift. Changes gears clutchlessly in about a nanosecond, nice close ratios.  

Certainly makes stirring the stick around an H-gate for a gear look pretty tedious.

Unfortunately I think the noise would get on my wick, not to mention the gearbox rebuilds every 2000 miles.

Kevin

34853

General Discussion Area / Re: manual or auto

« on: 03 June 2007, 23:40:24 »

Horses for courses. Give me a manual any day on a twisty lane. Give me an auto any day when I've got a lot of miles to cover because they're so much less tiring in traffic and, IMO, pretty much as good as a manual unless you're trying to get 10/10ths out of the car.

I'm fortunate enough to have one of each but if it came down to it I think my one and only car would have to be manual.

Also worth adding that if the engine's a bit peaky or doesn't have gobs of power an automatic is a non starter because it can't keep the engine on the boil.

Kevin

34854

General Discussion Area / Re: project 2007/2 SOLO Engine change

« on: 06 June 2007, 09:15:30 »

Why? because I want to.  This is a pride thing and I am going to enjoy every minute of this.

Good on you! I know the feeling. It's immensely satisfying doing big jobs like this, and with all the right tools, it's less daunting that many smaller engine-in jobs.

If you really what to enjoy it, rebuild the engine too  

Hope it all goes well. Have fun!

Kevin

34855

General Discussion Area / Re: The old girls not too...

« on: 06 June 2007, 16:16:26 »

I have had the same mate, bloody forum and omegas.

Remind her that it keeps us (mostly) out of trouble.  

Kevin

34856

General Discussion Area / Re: The old girls not too...

« on: 06 June 2007, 13:59:08 »

First of all I dont do romantic, we have been married for 5 years after all Grin and secondly she would be moaning at me for drinking and talking cars too much so its best I go on my own Shocked

Hmm.. stuffed either way.   So, may as well have a few  [smiley=beer.gif] 's with us and stomach the flak when you get home.

Kevn

34857

General Discussion Area / Re: The old girls not too...

« on: 06 June 2007, 13:42:23 »

Well, it did sound like an ambitious plan. Very efficient use of time and all that, but why do they never appreciate such planning? Does she not like camping?

What about a romantic weekend away for 2 in....  a B&B in... Keswick?  

Kevin

34858

General Discussion Area / Re: WHOS IS THIS THEN?

« on: 04 June 2007, 09:43:50 »

I could never understand on my Miggy the air intake is behind the grill, curved upwards, like a trumpet, each time I wash the car I put a plastic bag over it to stop the water collecting in it, surly rain water would get in there also.

It is a curious piece of design. I assume there's probably a drain hole at the bottom of the curve to let out any water but quite why it ended up that shape I'd love to know. I guess they tried to raise the end as high as possible to avoid sucking water and it's ideally placed to avoid hot air, as it will catch the cold air that's being drawn in by the cooling fans, or rammed in by the forward motion of the car, before it gets heated up by the radiator. I would imagine it probably picks up a bit of heat soak from the rad when not moving so it's probably not ideal for drag racing where you need to make maximum power after waiting in a queue for ages.

Kevin

34859

General Discussion Area / Re: WHOS IS THIS THEN?

« on: 03 June 2007, 23:53:16 »

Cooler air is always better, petrol or diesel. However, I would be surprised if a significant improvement over the standard induction setup is possible and, with the intake that low to the ground, I'd be worried about ingesting water. Ingesting water with a diesel is very bad news!

OK for a track car perhaps but I wouldn't bother for road use.

Kevin

34860

General Discussion Area / Re: Any idea

« on: 06 June 2007, 10:22:36 »

Could it be the metal coolant pipe from the bottom rad. hose to the rear of the block?

Bit of a git to get to I'd imagine...

If nothing's obvious I'd try pressurising the system with it all apart and see if you can spot any leaks. A garage pressure tester, or for a DIY solution, an old expansion tank cap with a schrader valve screwed into the top should do the job. Connect to a foot pump, give it 15-20 PSI max and see what happens.

You'll have to re-connect or block off the throttle body to expansion tank connection  

Kevin