Propshafts

So just before going to Devils Bridge, Wales, I found I needed to replace both Propshafts.

Need to Make an Exhaust.

Need to Make an Exhaust.

My homemade exhaust fell off on my way home from Sixpenny Handley.
It had been on for around two years, but with vibration and engine shaking, it cracked and fell off.

I've made another one out of odd bits of an old exhaust pipe and I've used a bit of flexible pipe in between.
Hopefully, this will help stop the cracking and breaking.

We'll see how long this one lasts.


More to follow.

A bit of a Clean Up.

Off Road on Salisbury Plain.

So after spending a weekend at Sixpenny Handley the Series got a bit DUSTY. 

Incredibly dusty!

A group of us went for a drive over Salisbury Plain. It was great fun, but for the dust. The weather has been incredibly hot for weeks and everything has been drying out. Including the Wet Mud Pits that we would normally take a drive through. These had turned to Mud Pie instead of being a splashy mud run. No matter, we trundled on and on and met up with the British Army, who were out in Tanks and Big Trucks. They, on their own, managed to create an enormous amount of dust. So gradually throughout the day, the dust got thicker and thicker over everything in the Series. 

Time for a cleanup, as I have to load it up for the Series 2 Club International meet at Rutland Water.

I have already washed the outside.

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29th July 2018

Yesterday, I drove up on my Ramps to get the front up in the air, thus creating a rearward slope out the back. Out came the jet wash and washed the back out. Loads of crud flowed out to the tailgate and onto the block pavers below. All the other bits and bobs that was laying on the floor got a wash as well.

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29th July 2018

Today, I have been mostly cleaning the cab out. 

I actually cleaned the inside and outside of all the glass.

As like I did with the rear, I took everything out of the cab and clean all before putting it all back again. Everything is looking clean for once.

Maidy The Carawagon.

Running on Veg Oil

What I do is this. - I go to a Fuel Station with a 20 litre Jerry Can and fill it with 15 litres of diesel and mix in 5 litres of petrol. Give it a bit of a shake with the lid closed and take it home. At home, I get another Jerry Can and put in 15 litres of filtered to 1-micron Waste Veg Oil and then pour in 5 litres of the diesel/petrol mix and a slash of CT60. Lid on tight and give it a bit of a shake and leave overnight. The next day, run it through another 1-Micron filter to give it another clean. It is now ready to pour into your vehicle. However, if you are buying Straight Veg Oil from Costco or wherever, it won't need filtering, so you can just mix it with the diesel/petrol mix and a slash of CT60.

Seized Rear Brake.

So I'm out for jaunt out in the Landy and as I'm coming off the throttle, I can feel it dragging and slowing down. Then, as it gets slower, I can hear the squealing coming from the wheel. It was on the drivers' side and with the window open, I just knew it was that side. So I stop and get out and feel around the wheel where the drum makes contact and sure enough, it's very hot to the touch. Just to check, I feel the other wheels and they are all cold. 

So, it's now a slow trip home and stopping every now and then to check and make sure everything is okay and nothing has fallen off or caught fire. 

Once home, I left it for a day to cool right off in my freezing cold garage. I jack it up the next day and take the wheel off and then spent an hour trying to tap and wallop the drum to free it off of the shoes. The slave cylinder had pushed the pistons out and with the rust and corrosion, they had locked out. 

Lots of squirting with antiseizure fluids and gently tapping with a small hammer and the pistons slowly freed off. I pulled each piston out and cleaned them and cleaned the holes they sit in. Once all clean, I smeared a bit of "Copper Ease" around the pistons and a little in the holes. This should stop them from seizing again for a long time. ... I hope? I'm hoping the copper ease doesn't affect the rubber seals. I was lucky enough to get the pistons to come out and leave the seals in place, thus not losing any brake fluid. However, I did get the wife out and push the pedal and bled that side anyway. To my surprise, there was very little difference in the colour of the brake fluid when bled through.