Jobs you've started that you just wish you hadn't
Discussion
My personal number 1: Top duff bush (spelling is correct there btw...)
Fecking thing. Ran out of time last after spending an embarrassing amount of time to move the thing just 5mm. And yes I had the void bush removal tool, however was unprepared for the stray factory welding on the casing that meant a perfect fit on the outer ring was impossible without the need to get the dremel out. Even then it went in on the piss and my temper was past frayed. Eventually had to borrow another car to go away for the weekend break I'd booked and it wasn't even another Tiv. not even close.....
SLK
Fecking thing. Ran out of time last after spending an embarrassing amount of time to move the thing just 5mm. And yes I had the void bush removal tool, however was unprepared for the stray factory welding on the casing that meant a perfect fit on the outer ring was impossible without the need to get the dremel out. Even then it went in on the piss and my temper was past frayed. Eventually had to borrow another car to go away for the weekend break I'd booked and it wasn't even another Tiv. not even close.....
SLK
................. 
The void bush tool never worked for me - I snapped 3 high tensile bolts trying and had the devils own job getting the tool out again.
I didn't fancy using a torch directly so near the tank, so what worked for me eventualy (and your milage may vary!) was using an old chisel heated to red hot to cut through the rubber. Once the inner 'core' was out I cut a nick in the outer sleeve carefully avoiding the mount. I couldnt get the angle to cut it through without cutting into the mount.
I then sharpened the end of a long iron rod into a chisel point. The rod was long enough to reach the bush through the wheel arch, with the other end far enough away from the wing to be able to bray it with a 14lb sledge hammmer without risking dammage on a mis-hit.
Even then it took an astonishing amount of punishment before the sleeve folded and came out.
I didn't fancy using a torch directly so near the tank, so what worked for me eventualy (and your milage may vary!) was using an old chisel heated to red hot to cut through the rubber. Once the inner 'core' was out I cut a nick in the outer sleeve carefully avoiding the mount. I couldnt get the angle to cut it through without cutting into the mount.
I then sharpened the end of a long iron rod into a chisel point. The rod was long enough to reach the bush through the wheel arch, with the other end far enough away from the wing to be able to bray it with a 14lb sledge hammmer without risking dammage on a mis-hit.
Even then it took an astonishing amount of punishment before the sleeve folded and came out.
'Inspecting the camshafts'.
Dropped a spacer I didn't know was there down the inlet tract, passed the valve. Cue me this weekend/week stripping the engine in order to take it out, an order for well over £100 for a new head gasket and misc other bits, and currently several hours trying to drill out the hex-head screw in the offside engine mount bracket since it rounded off. Not to much the blood and sweat of mine that is currently on the floor underneath and around the car. Oh, the cams were FUBAR, so have to change them too, along with several followers. yey.
Dropped a spacer I didn't know was there down the inlet tract, passed the valve. Cue me this weekend/week stripping the engine in order to take it out, an order for well over £100 for a new head gasket and misc other bits, and currently several hours trying to drill out the hex-head screw in the offside engine mount bracket since it rounded off. Not to much the blood and sweat of mine that is currently on the floor underneath and around the car. Oh, the cams were FUBAR, so have to change them too, along with several followers. yey.
Last week I was cable-tying some heat shield to the chassis by the exhaust manifolds after treating them with some zinc paint and new white top coat.
Access on the drivers side is very limited, so you have to wedge your hand between the side of the gearbox and the manifold and manipulate the cable-ties with fingertips.
All fine until my hand wouldn't come back out the way it came, and I was just a few mm too far away to reach my tin of WD.
I did manage to wiggle it out after 5 mins of so, but I was really wishing I hadn;t go started (or at least had had the foresight to bring a mate with me!)
Access on the drivers side is very limited, so you have to wedge your hand between the side of the gearbox and the manifold and manipulate the cable-ties with fingertips.
All fine until my hand wouldn't come back out the way it came, and I was just a few mm too far away to reach my tin of WD.
I did manage to wiggle it out after 5 mins of so, but I was really wishing I hadn;t go started (or at least had had the foresight to bring a mate with me!)
I'm no where near as technical as you guys, but much more useless!
While changing the battery, turned around to talk to an admirer about the car, pushed the passenger door shut as I leant on the car, locking the keys in the footwell of the passenger seat, with boot locked, phone, wallet, house keys and all in the footwell too. Spent 30 minutes with a coat hanger and a LOT of patience to fish them out.
Replacing the alan bolts with nice new shiny ones, turned around again to answer a neighbour who asked me how it was going, and dropped the bolt into the engine, falling straight underneath the drivers side fan. Spent 10 minutes on hands and knees with another coat hanger fishing the damn thing out!
Damn I love this car but it does kill me :-)
While changing the battery, turned around to talk to an admirer about the car, pushed the passenger door shut as I leant on the car, locking the keys in the footwell of the passenger seat, with boot locked, phone, wallet, house keys and all in the footwell too. Spent 30 minutes with a coat hanger and a LOT of patience to fish them out.
Replacing the alan bolts with nice new shiny ones, turned around again to answer a neighbour who asked me how it was going, and dropped the bolt into the engine, falling straight underneath the drivers side fan. Spent 10 minutes on hands and knees with another coat hanger fishing the damn thing out!
Damn I love this car but it does kill me :-)
FUBAR said:
SXS said:
Right, back to trying to sort out this dog crap autoflush system... damn it!
Just buy a shovel?
t like horses mate and the other two st everywhere, a shovel and me dont mix, I'll end up rippin the lawn to shreds just to tear the wet bits of the stool out da grass!I feel two black binliners a week with their crap.... dont have much else room in the bin, whence the automated flush setup which links to my sewage pip in the lawn... supposed to work a treat, but as usual I wrecked it! argghhhhhhhhhhhhh
A quick change of the front shocks on my 180k mile GTti Charade has turned into a full on suspension and brake rebuild.
Still, if it needs doing.........
While there I also needed to repair the front bumper, wheel arch liners, o/s front winf, o/s front headlight, integrated mud flaps and intercooler inlet pipes.
Still, if it needs doing.........
While there I also needed to repair the front bumper, wheel arch liners, o/s front winf, o/s front headlight, integrated mud flaps and intercooler inlet pipes.
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