PeteH

Aldi. 15W solar panel, on the garage wall (faces south). Just enough to keep the battery "topped" without over-charge.👍 Pete

👍 I`m of the opinion that it (just) Clamps using the set screws shown? Kev got there first!👍 Pete

Yesssssss!. Had this happen to my best mate. A joint failed on the hydraulic system that served the Ramp system on a RoRo car carrier on passage to docking. The escape fired straight into the turbo charger on the port outer diesel alternator which then ingested the ensuing vapour accelerated the engine to twice operating speed threw the alternator off the board, blacked the ship out in a navigation channel. The Engineer on watch had the foresight to throw a plastic sheet over the turbo inlet, stopping the engine from destroying itself. 20 min of panic with standby power being restored before the inevitable "Stranding" would occur, and a large washing of soiled underwear in navigating circles. Pete

Welding is "easy"? Yeah?, until you encounter your first "thin" sheet of steel. I`ve successfully welded Boiler plate. But still struggle to get a decent "run" on anything under 2mm, that doesn't look as if a pigeon had poop`ed on it!😭 Thankful for the angle grinder!!🤣 Pete

And thereby hangs the tale?. Roller rockers and an uprated pump, I would be inclined to do the same. But not on an unmodified engine.

Ditto, with 9tonne of "fire truck". I wouldn't let them test it. They ran it on the rollers, and then stopped the rollers, handbrake on and then start them up again. Pete

I entirely agree, My point being that IF someone was wanting to do it, and I cannot see the need either. The actual job is reasonably simple, we swapped them out on Pinto`s "back when" in around a hour or less. Now Pinto`s did have a sprayer bar, which used to block for a pastime usually due to neglect. Pete

I think Kevin may be right?. Any "bleed off" of oil will affect the other parts of the system?. Though excessive oil consumption could be avoided by fitting suitable valve stem seals?. Not a hard job, can be done without taking the head off? (The rope trick?) Pete

I had an American R-V (Motor-home) built on a Spartan (Fire Engine) Chassis. The Parking Brake was on the transmission "Prop Shaft", an idea which if I recall was also used by Land Rover on the "series" vehicles?. Pete

The chemistry is quite complex. But we used combinations to descale and clean Steam plant, Usually starting with alkaloid`s, rinse, then Acids, to remove scale, rinse, then another alkaloid to "passify" the surface before introducing treated water back into the Drums. Boiler water treatments are a combination of "art and science". We "just followed orders". I use White vinegar crystals, to clean and descale the heater in my Camper on an annual basis, which I know to be Stainless steel. It` is also very effective to descale kettles etc as well as copper and many other non ferrous items. One has however to be very careful of contact time. Exposing Aluminum to Soda is inadvisable. If anyone has the remotest interest this NZ Download is worth a look?. https://nzic.org.nz/app/uploads/2017/10/8H.pdf Pete

We are a bit lucky. We still have one of the "old time" General Engineering factors (Scotts) in HULL I have had Whit, BSF, UNC, UNF, Fine and coarse Metric and BA from them in recent years. And "Special" HT etc; Be a sad day when they pack it in!. One of the few places left where you can still get Imperial sized drill`s too, and in 1/64" increments!. Pete

Reminds me of the old Trolley buses, we used to grab the upright bar on the rear boarding platform and hitch a ride on our bikes.! Those things couldn't half shift from a standing start! With old conductress` screaming at us.!😁

Beat me to it, SWMBO`s Last Car, Ford B-Max. had full ABS and drum rear brakes too?. A few years back I had a Fiat Based Motorhome with ABS, which had rear disks fitted around a Drum Handbrake system, NOT a very good idea, and hard in the extreme to set up to work effectively enough to pass the MOT!. Pete

I suspect the only real reason to retro-fit a servo, is as an aid to old arthritic knees? (mine😁). The braking is the same either way and determined only by the CofF between pad and disk in relation to the surface area. Asbestos based brake pads where the yard stick to which "progress" (or not) is measured. I have yet to discover what mine are like as it arrived on a trailer with no motive power!. I am aware though that some of the "new" brake pad material can be problematical?. Having seen several postings hereto which seem to be inconclusive. It would be of interest to many I suspect to see a direct comparison under controlled conditions.? Pete

Can you still get blue hylomar? Was very popular at one time. Getting an oil tight seal with a Scraper, engineers blue and a plate, is an "art form", but the "old guys" of my apprenticeship actually managed it. Take my hat off to them, we struggled to get even a decent bearing fit at times. Pete

Don`t know if this is of help?. I have a good(ish) gap above the outrigger on the 13/60. Pete

I`ve been looking at going to the Newark auto-jumble again, not been for several years, perhaps in the New Year. It will be interesting to see what is there in the "new era" post covid.? It`s a day out for me. sometimes take the Camper rather than the car (Mobile Tea bar). Peter

Sadly. There is a distinct shortage of suppliers when you are several thousand miles from land?. The different variations in sizes and the number of holes etc; anything fro 2" to +36" dia. makes it (virtually) impossible to keep the stock updated, the answer was make `em ourselves!. from sheet material. Which we kept in various thicknesses and grades. Pete

Sounds like you have a basic plan to cope with yours?. The only caution I would make is that, Like when I did the House Build, Have a contingency fund!. WE budgeted 10% for that, it disappeared in one go when they "found" running sand, and we had to pile for foundations!. So far, My costs on the 13/60 have been relatively low, but goodness knows JUST how many hours I have put in. And I have a varied background in examination and trouble shooting, across the whole spectrum of Engineering, and access to workshop machinery, which helps. Be nice to see a successful outcome!.👍. WE need to keep our heritage alive, too much is going in the "bin", in the name of progress and environmental concerns without thought for how we got here. I always say, the "birth to death" Carbon footprint on My 13/60, has to be far lower than any "modern". Pete

"one off" hole punches can be fabricated from short sections of steel tube. They will often cut a couple of gaskets before giving up the ghost. Pete

👍 Made literally hundreds of Pipe Flange joints with the same process often using Graphited sheet "jointing" material, small ball peen hammer produces a pattern and on the thinner stuff even a cut. Pete.

That`s, been on the cards for many years. Every time it was raised, there was the "usual" objection around the "why should I pay as much for my Little Mini as Lord Muck in his Roller"? It will almost certainly come back to banding In my veiw. Pete It is now, but back in the 80`s there was a differential. Diesel was taxed lower as a "commercial" fuel. Pete

Only good until the Government "bean" counters cotton on the the fact that this is a good new market in personal transportation to TAX. Before the expansion of Diesel Car use, Diesel was 10p/litre below Petrol (Gas), Now it is anything over 10 or more pence a litre higher. Pete

No comments, re "slitty eyes" and the effects of rice in the diet? Pete

Chris, at that price, I`ll suffer the lack of a "designer label" or whatever.🤣 The saving will pay for some (more) 🍷. Pete