Life on the edge - the Diary of a C5

[CitroJim]

Hopefully not long now......

I certainly hope so. Biting my nails here

[Xantianut]

Day 7

A parcel arrived today that I KNOW is for me, a set of Torx bits and sockets. Daddy made sure he had the right ones in the set by trying them out in the wind and rain today. I think he's keen to get on with this, don't you?

And there was me, thinking he was a lounge lizard......

[Hell Razor5543]

He is, but he also wants his mobile lounge back and mobile!

[Xantianut]

Two lumpy parcels today, the ramps and the valve spring compressor.

Just waiting for the hose plugs now and he can start work.

Daddy has also said some very unkind things and questioned the parentage of whoever took my engine apart. He thinks my head has been off and not long ago. All the parts he would mark have been marked, apart from the injectors so they must have been left in. I hope it's straightforward. All I can tell him is water is getting into my cylinders and compression gases are getting into my coolant, both of which give me a tummy ache.

He has been marking things on my engine. Numbers on my injectors, masking taps tags on my wires.

[Xantianut]

Daddy is a wimp!

He says it is too cold for him to start fixing me. It's only freezing! He leaves me out in it all day and all night.

At least everything has now arrived, including the angle tightening gauge, trim clips and hose plugs. So I'm just sitting here tapping my tires.

Stir him up, will you?

[Hell Razor5543]

The problem is that when things are too cold they can stick, or, even worse, start getting brittle. You don't want him breaking a bolt in your cylinder head and then needing to take you to a garage you don't know, do you?

Mind you, you could be right and he is a wimp. He could also be adversely affected by the cold, and not able to do any meaningful work on you when he is too cold. I know somebody who has to wear gloves whenever the temperature drops below 5C, otherwise her hands seize up (and end up looking like claws).

[CitroJim]

Working in the cold causes numb fingers that reduce the needs dexterity considerably...

Think of it that he's being kind to you. With numb fingers he could damage you..

Wait patiently until his fingers are nice and warm

[RichardW]

I've recently started wearing the blue nitrile mechanics gloves , and have discovered a double benefit - not only do they keep your hands clean, they also keep them nice and warm this weather. So that's that excuse out of the window

[Xantianut]

Ay up!

This is Otterchops' daddy. What she has not told you is that, as a diabetic, my circulation could be better....

Wimp indeed! Where's my 4 lb hammer?

[Hell Razor5543]

While I did agree that you might be a wimp, I also suggested to Otterchop that you might be adversely affected by the cold!

[Xantianut]

Ay up, James!

She also knows that she will be adversely affected by a 4 pound hammer! Even though I can see it being used in a couple of places. Delicately.

The art of being a fitter is how to use a "Talking*" tool like this hammer delicately. As well as precision tools. Like a pin hammer! Or spanners, socket sets, torque wrenches and the like,

*It's conversation is limited. Usually variations of Grrrrrrrrr.......

[xantia_v6]

She also knows that she will be adversely affected by a 4 pound hammer! Even though I can see it being used in a couple of places. Delicately.

The art of being a fitter is how to use a "Talking*" tool like this hammer delicately. As well as precision tools. Like a pin hammer! Or spanners, socket sets, torque wrenches and the like,

*It's conversation is limited. Usually variations of Grrrrrrrrr.......

A few years ago (actually a few months before the X-type Jag went into production), I was staying at a B&B somwhere in the midlands, and happened to pick up a local paper which had an advert looking for assemly staff for the new production line at the Halewood plant. It included the requirement:

" Candidates should be familiar with the use of common tools such as screwdriver and hammer..." It did not conjure up an image of a quality product..

[CitroJim]

" Candidates should be familiar with the use of common tools such as screwdriver and hammer..." It did not conjure up an image of a quality product..

[Hell Razor5543]

OW! (and more blue language), My Thumb!

[Xantianut]

Ooh! OOOOOOOOOH!!!!!!!

Daddy has put me on stands this afternoon to make a start. All the tools and stuff are here so, hopefully, not long now. Daddy did get a surprise though. Previous Fifis have had their jacking points much closer to their wheels. But I'm bigger!

I'll keep you up to date, friends.