CitroJim's AX, C3 Picasso, Cycling and Running Tales

[CitroJim]

I'm back! And feeling good

Yesterday my ME, having been quiet for ages, decided to really kick me off the edge of a metaphorical cliff I was totally out of it and almost unable to move... That bad

Yesterday I'd have struggled to run 5 inches and cycle 26 feet but today I'm almost back to normal I ran 3 miles and cycled 26 miles earlier today

Amazing how ME can virtually kill me for a day or so and the next I'm alive and kicking again I guess my base fitness is a big factor

Even at the height of it my vital signs were perfect... BP 110/65, RHR 45 BPM, SPo2 99%, Temp 35.2C and weight 60Kg... ME is a 'funny' old sod

The big shame is that it killed my run streak of 163 days I've started a new one

Today, after catching up with all the work that piled up from yesterday, I've been busy fixing my leaky electric shower...

The temperature regulator valve started to leak very badly and was starting to be worrying given the electric bits are not far away from it!

Temperature regular valve

Happily, spares are available and the new one arrived very quickly...

Fitting it was a bit of a (wet) jigsaw puzzle but quite logical really...

New one fitted and assembled

Silly me thought a set of new O rings would be supplied with the new valve...

Sadly not... And in disturbing the old ones I've provoked some new minor leaks The worst being where the valve feeds the boiler... It's gone hard through heat... The other two are weeping too but then again they may have been previously but the valve leak may have hidden it...

The maker of the shower no longer supplies replacement O rings so it's been a case of measuring the old ones and going to eBay for some replacements...

Not a problem, some new ones are on order and then it'll be, now I've done it once, an easy job to fit them. I may even manage it in-sity

Now to catch up on forum happenings It's good to be back!

[Skull]

Good to see your recovery Jim 45 bpm rhr just like the old singles 45 rpm I'd be lucky if mine was under 70 bpm

[mickthemaverick]

Yes that's great news Jim, RHR of 45 is astounding, I'm 66 after lying in bed for an hour!! Shame about the run streak but hey, got a target to aim for again so that's a bonus. I listed a car to complete your collection a few posts ago and the pictures are all a bit hazy, it's not your eyes

[CitroJim]

I did see the white Xantia Mick and thought it was a deliberate soft-focus shot to enhance it's angelic looks...

It looked good like that

[CitroJim]

I started a new running challenge this morning

Big Cow/Strava

That's running 10Km every day for 10 consecutive days in March It's started rather well on this rather chilly and foggy morning

You'd never think today is officially the first day of Spring

Yesterday I checked over all the cars and gave them a good warmup and move around... That includes the Mazda MX-5 I'm still looking after for its poorly owner...

It's poorly too now It leaks like a sieve, goldfish could live in the boot, there's furry mould growing on the carpets, it smells musty and today it was billowing smoke through the cabin air vents and from under the bonnet

The smoke is caused by a significant head gasket oil leak causing oil to drip on the exhaust manifold...

I guess I may soon be busy on a non-PSA car... That'll be fun, something new to learn At least the MX-5 looks easy to work on

[bobins]

Check those roof drain holes just behind the top of the seatbelts on the MX5. They're guaranteed to block up at some point and that can give you wet carpets.

[Peter.N.]

Well done Jim, you are obviously back on form now, don't overdo it.

Peter

[CitroJim]

Check those roof drain holes just behind the top of the seatbelts on the MX5. They're guaranteed to block up at some point and that can give you wet carpets.

Thanks Bobins Spoke to the owner's sister today and I have the gig Will be busy on it shortly...

Meanwhile, a bit of work on Sally, my Saxo... For months she's had a minor heater matrix leak and the curry smell when the hearer first heats up. It quickly fades and then is curry-free for the rest of the journey. Today I popped a bottle of Forte Stop Leak into the cooling system...

Tomorrow's run to Tesco will be the test to see if it's worked... A short road test today suggests it may have...

Also, her starter motor has become a bit intermittent... Just every now and again. I have a replacement on the way but not looking forward to swapping it as access is not good on a TU - it's at the back of the engine...

[bobins]

Check those roof drain holes just behind the top of the seatbelts on the MX5. They're guaranteed to block up at some point and that can give you wet carpets.

Thanks Bobins Spoke to the owner's sister today and I have the gig Will be busy on it shortly...

If you want any pages from the BoL scanned, give me a shout.

[RichardW]

Book time on the starter is only 0.8 hours, Jim, can't be that hard!?!

[mickthemaverick]

Book time on the starter is only 0.8 hours, Jim, can't be that hard!?!

I'm guessing that is if you have it up on a ramp!!

[mickthemaverick]

That's given me an idea Jim, what you need is a ramp with a treadmill under it, then you could run and change the motor at the same time!!

[CitroJim]

That's given me an idea Jim, what you need is a ramp with a treadmill under it, then you could run and change the motor at the same time!!

Good thinking Mick! I like it

Book time on the starter is only 0.8 hours, Jim, can't be that hard!?!

I'm guessing that is if you have it up on a ramp!!

Yes, that'll be it Richard, the job is done all from underneath... Easier in a petrol than a diesel according to the Saxo BoL

If you want any pages from the BoL scanned, give me a shout.

Magic! Thanks Bobins

[CitroJim]

The good news is that Sally no longer smells like a second-rate curry house when her heater is warming up

The other good news:

First jab booked for Sunday and the second one in May If it's nice on Sunday I'll take Daffodil out for a run to the vaccination centre... It's 15 miles away in Northampton so it'll be a good run for her. Oddly, MK has a vaccination centre but it was not offered. Other Over 60's in MK who received their invite today found the same... It was either Northampton or Luton - take it or leave it.

I'd have taken it if it had been 150 miles away I'm that keen to get vaccinated...

And, I'm now exactly 500 miles into my virtual double LEJOG running challenge By now I must be near the Scottish border...

Hitting exactly 500 miles was totally unplanned...

According to the organisers, at this stage of the challenge I should be at Wolverhampton at 283 miles in order to complete by the end of the year... At this rate I'll have it completed by July

[CitroJim]

A busy day today...

New O rings for the shower arrived... Fitted them, no more leaks

Nicely dry now

As the MX-5 was almost out of petrol - so I thought, with permission from the owner's sister I took it to a local petrol station. I went directly there but took a rather longer route home as I was enjoying driving it so much

Before I got to the petrol station I checked were the fuel filler was and then spent another ten minutes trying to find the lever to open the flap

It was well hidden in the centre console oddment box... First I had to unlock the lid of said box!

I must say the MX-5 is a truly lovely car to drive and is great fun. Smiles guaranteed

I think I fell in love with it despite doing all I could not to... My earlier criticisms of the car was an bad attempt to prevent me liking it but on the drive today that all changed... A defence mechanism I've used in the past to keep me away from desirable cars... I used to have a tendency to let my heart rule my head...

It drives magically and handles like an Activa, only without any comfort... Gosh it's hard and harsh And bloody noisy!

But what a car! Yes, I now officially love them

Deep joy!

I will not be getting one of my own though, I can't justify one, can't afford to buy or run one and I have nowhere under cover to keep it as I think a ragtop must be garaged...

And for me, they're just not practical... I can't carry a bike in one

And Daffodil and Sally are going nowhere, not even for an MX-5...

Speaking of Sally...

Her new starter motor arrived today

So that's the next job to do... Typically, her old starter behaved perfectly yesterday...

On the Parcel Force van that delivered the starter from GSF I noted a couple of parcels from Autodoc. That suggests they are indeed delivering to the UK