Suspension sinks on Sundays! C5 X7 that works hard + 206 GTi HDi (and 406 Coupe and 306 HDi). - MattBLancs

[NewcastleFalcon]

All my links work for me. This one should take you to the National Library of Scotland maps
Lancashire Sheet LXX.SW Surveyed: 1891 to 1893, Published: 1894 right on the brick and tile works


The brickworks was at Withnell, next to the railway, with Abbey village nearby

"In the 1870s, ...Frederick Parke set up Withnell Brick and Tile Works, by the new railway line next to Withnell Mill."

https://maps.nls.uk/view/101102198#zoom ... &layers=BT

Neil

[MattBLancs]

I note you're allowed to dispose of 5 tyres per household at that tip. They charge £6 per tyre to dispose of them at the tip down this way
You don't know how lucky you are up there

Wow, charging for tyres is a bit short sighted - do you burn yours or fly tip them

Oh yes, I am generally happy with what they do let us take here.

Though I got told off taking a 20 litre container of engine oil
"trade waste, can't do that!"

"Err, no it's not. It's took nearly 3 years to fill it and it's just being efficient - only doing the messy job of bringing the stuff here once"

"Nah, rules is 5 litres per household per year"

I'm not sure anyone in Lancs Council is aware of how much oil a car typically holds and how many cars in a typical household....

... But they don't seem to be policing it too closely. So long as you arrive with only a 5 litre container on each visit, sorry I mean each year, obviously!

[myglaren]

They don't even watch at the waste oil repository. Last time I dumped any it was 35L, a 25L container and two 5s.
Most of it from my son's motorbikes.

[mickthemaverick]

In the old days I used to take all mine up to the Police skid pan in Bedford. They used to have an oil saturated course and welcomed all donations. We used to go there for driving sessions as well, they ran two cars, a Granada hatchback and a Volvo 343. Both were covered in black gunge and you had to wear plastic bags on your feet when walking to and from the cars, they were discarded as you got into the car, foot by foot and new ones were kept in a rear seat box for when you wanted to get out!! Truly horribly nasty but the driving was great fun with bald tyres at 65psi all round!!

[bobins]

I note you're allowed to dispose of 5 tyres per household at that tip. They charge £6 per tyre to dispose of them at the tip down this way
You don't know how lucky you are up there

Wow, charging for tyres is a bit short sighted - do you burn yours or fly tip them

I've been known to thermally recycle a few over the years

Though I got told off taking a 20 litre container of engine oil
"trade waste, can't do that!"

"Err, no it's not. It's took nearly 3 years to fill it and it's just being efficient - only doing the messy job of bringing the stuff here once"

"Nah, rules is 5 litres per household per year"

I'm not sure anyone in Lancs Council is aware of how much oil a car typically holds and how many cars in a typical household....

I could foresee a problem with my Merc - it takes 7 litres per oil change Then there's the 4 other cars and one motorbike to add in to the equation ! Many years ago the security bod at the tip tried to stop me disposing of my oil in the tank there saying it was 'a commercial amount'. I pointed out to him how many cars we have at home. 'I'll let you off this time, sir' was his response

[MattBLancs]

Ha ha, yes there's plenty of cars that will only be permitted 3/4 of an oil change per year to comply with the daft rule. Hey ho, so long as they don't scrutinise those bringing 5 litres bottles (which hold a bit more than 5 if you absolutely brim them - every little helps!) then I can do what I need to.

On the topic of oil disposal, what's the collective opinion on disposal of:
- gearbox oil?
(I've always put this in with the engine oil)

- old brake fluid?
(I used to put this in with engine oil but read this isn't correct. I read instructions to the effect of "hand it in a sealed container to your friendly recycling centre operator" but when I did that he gave me a look similar to if I'd said "here, can you take this unexploded WW2 bomb off me please?" )

[mickthemaverick]

How long before we have to hire a boat, sail out into the north sea, drill a 200m hole through the seabed and pour the oil back where it came from?

[bobins]

I once asked about where to put a load of used LHM at the tip. The response was along the lines of "It's oil. Put it in the used oil tank" Oh well, I tried !
I don't think it matters to them too much, I just think it all goes back to a depot where they run it through a bit of filter paper then put it in containers and EuroCarParts sell it as there finest 'own brand' stuff

[MattBLancs]

I think there must be some sort of gumpiness course folks who work at the tip get sent on.
Website says "hard plastic: please check with an operator before putting anything in this skip"
So I did ask, obviously. I can't remember specific wording, though the subtext of "well, where else do you think plastic would go you fecking idiot!" Was somewhat thinly veiled!!

[Armidillo]

I once asked about where to put a load of used LHM at the tip. The response was along the lines of "It's oil. Put it in the used oil tank" Oh well, I tried !
I don't think it matters to them too much, I just think it all goes back to a depot where they run it through a bit of filter paper then put it in containers and EuroCarParts sell it as there finest 'own brand' stuff

I would have thought LHM in with the used oil would be OK - after all it is oil. Brake fluid however is definitely not oil - it is alcohol based (except when it's silicon), but presumably it comes as no great surprise to the oil recyclers if their raw material contains some brake fluid.

[MattBLancs]

Interesting, thanks. I'm sure I've seen brake fluid described as a hydraulic oil (as opposed to fluid) but a quick googling doesn't bring up any sources calling it that!

Think I'll continue trying to hand it to the chaps at the top until they can give me a reason not to!
I read it wasn't to go in the engine oil a while ago, so have best part of a litre of old stuff to get rid of.


Gearbox oil, very similar to engine oil (with some Extreme Pressure EP additives) so think I'm ok chucking those two in the same recycling bowser.

[MattBLancs]

Today's job was sorting out the awful racket the C5 makes, for a good while it's had a drone particularly noticeable at idle and over time it's steadily increased both in volume and irritation factor.

Suspects were the alternator bearings and the belt tensioner's idler pulley. Though the later was a new item put on the car in my ownership - hence still pretty much brand new to my mind!

And the answer was....

... Both!

Alternator bearings very noisy, dry sounding.
Pulley bearings noisy, very very free running.

I'd bought a second hand 180 amp alternator a good while back (the one with the dented mounting lug if anyone can recall) and that's sat on the shelf for a good while. In fact I'd lost it but eventually looked into the correct anonymous cardboard box in a place I'd forgotten car parts were hiding.

The pulley, I'd kept the old pulley, machined the plastic away a touch on the lathe and pressed in a cheap new 6203 ZZ bearing a while back. Stuck in place with picture from memory. Why, you might get ask, did I do that all those months ago? Because I wanted to see if I could fix it!
So this "new" replacement installed. Tip for others:
- tensioner is conventional thread (not an anticlockwise item like some)
- tensioner locking pin hole does NOT tolerate the torque applied undoing said pulley bolt just a out usable still but hanging on fairly feebly and the fear of it coming free with my fingers in it more present than usual!

A few pictures:

Replacement alternator installed

Belt routing

Old valeo on the left, new Mitsubishi on the right

[MattBLancs]

Here's a few of the pulley bearing replacement job:

New pulleys were about £8 (but as I've found out, don't last!) new "Dunlop" bearings were about £1.50.

The old pulley that came off has had a new bearing fitted (hence pictures from today) the one just gone on the car was subjected to the same a good while ago.

Decided to try the metal seal ZZ rather than standard two rubber seal variant. Makes it easier to see in future if it's one I've fixed that lasted a reasonable amount of time if nowt else!

[bobins]

Well apparently.... the Dunlop brand bearings name is now owned by BTL-UK ltd (Bearings Transmissions Linkages) based in Kent. An awful lot of other Dunlop branded stuff has been sold off and re-acquired by various companies around the world. Dunlop were responsible for quite a lot in their day, but now various multi-corps seem to own the name to the various sectors.

[MattBLancs]

Had a bit of a googling trawl after tea last night, it's fair to say it hasn't filled me with confidence over the quality of Dunlop / BTL bearings! But will wait and see for myself. Perhaps the latest repaired pulley can come along for ride in the boot for the moment.