I was about to start this entry by typing my usual opening line.. "It's been a busy week..." so I won't even though it has
Just accept from now on that it's been a busy week, it always is and will save me typing it each week!
Work has been mad this week. Again it always is so from now on, just take it as read each week. More typing saved!
As reported elseware, the financial side is now all up and running and the forum web server is all good again after I broke it. less said about that the better except to say two things: I won't do it again and Webfusion Technical Suppport are pretty good
After a week of mainly working behind the scenes on the forum and having precious little time to post, I'm pleased to say some oil (LHM actually) ended up under my fingernails today
Typically, as I turned by back on the forum for an afternoon, my Internet connection died and rendered the forums inaccessible
That after the internet link had been good for months on end. Sorry about that
On Thurday I received a call from my Pug 205 owning nephew to say his engine would not start again. Regular readers of this ramble will know a few weeks ago his diesel pump packed up due to some contaminated fuel. Seems it's happened again to the replacement pump he had fitted
he's cracked off the injector unions and he sees no fuel coming through so it is the pump again
I have his old pump in bits across my bench and it's repairable so today, now it's warmed up, I've started rebuilding it for him. Honestly, until now it's just been too cold to do the job.
Paul (fatherjack) popped in to see me today. Paul was in the area working and we had made arrangements to have his strut tops replaced on his 1.9TD. It was a good day for it, dry, sunny and breezy but not too cold. The actual replacement was straightforward and a pleasure to do on Paul's early and very tidy VSX. We did it just in time though; on the nearside one daylight could be seen through it and it was distinctly "crispy" under the rubber as well as being distorted. Definitely not very far off letting go at all; caught just in time
One of the new tops was a "New Old Stock" one and the other a new-new one. They had differing gaiter rings on them so on one side it was necessary to replace the gaiter as well.
We ran the Lexia across Paul's Hydractive ECU and as expected, all the usual faults were recorded therein. All reset fine
We also proved Paul's normal/sport switch was woring despite no bulb illumination. The bulb apepars to have gone but what a tricky job they are to replace
Any tips?
All in all a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon was spent
Paul and I also struck a deal on his poorly V6, the one with the duff gearbox. All being well, I collect it next weekend. If anyone is travelling between MK and Lincoln next weekend, let me know as a lift would be appreciated
I've been studying how the autobox works and I may finally have lost the plot here but I'm going to see if it is repairable. At any rate I'm going to find out why it died and have a jolly good go at fixing it.
The downside is that my 1.9TD will have to go to make room. Currently on loan, it'll be up for grabs in May - exactly four years after I bought it.
As soon as Paul left I had to make a mercy dash to B & Q to pick up a new central heating timer for SWMBO's house. She complained yesterday she had no heating but the hot water was OK. One side of the timer had packed up. I dashed to B & Q to get a replacement and caught them not far off closing time. I picked up one but in my rush and hurry I picked up the wrong type. I did not notice until I was wiring it in and by that time it was too late to go back and exchange it for the right sort
I did a bodge on the wiring and thought I'd done it but although the heating was OK, the hot water side was not and with four women in the house, that's the critical bit!!!
Still, all fixed now except I have to go back to B & Q again to get a refund on the wrong one
My eldest daughter had a bit of a smash in her Honda Civic yesterday. She was turning right into a side-road when she got walloped in the side by a 4X4 driver turning right
out of the same side-road. Claimed he didn't see her
Happily he admitted liability at the scene and his insurance company (LV) has already swung into action. They're good but expensive. The 4X4 was brand new with only 220 miles on the clock
makes a bit of a mockery of 4X4s having better visibility than a normal car though....
Nic was fine, a bit shocked but otherwise OK. The Civic looks to be a write-off as the B pillar is damaged. She's not worried as she was soon to trade it in for a Pug anyway. Saves her the trouble
An advisory was issued for an oil leak ?
, but i hasten too ad that i would need a helper to re-locate the strut as that was a little on the akward and heavy side getting it back in place 
) neighbour reported my V6 as abandonded, which resulted in "police aware" stickers on it even though it has T&T 
That will be a picture!