 | Home > Off Topic > Grumpy Old Man Thread |
 
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| Rashers Member Since: 21 Jun 2015 Location: Norfolk Posts: 3530   
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Best wishes, Richard
Enjoy whatever the Bar serves  |
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27th Sep 2018 7:03pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17527 
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You really have to wonder about the retard who 'designed' the TDCi fuel system!
My tank developed a slight leak when full, similar to the old breather pipe problems Pumas are famous for. I knew it wasn't one of the usual hose problems since I replaced all mine with good hoses a few years ago, so out came the fuel tank to investigate. It seems that the leak was due to the outlet and return spigots on the pickup unit rusting and splitting the plastic they're molded into. Pretty poor show, but 11 years and 230k miles takes its toll. So I bought a new pickup (an obscene £230), seal, and retaining ring, and also the hoses that run from the pickup to the filter. Also, since the tank undershield has turned into a horrible diesel-soaked rusty mess I bought a new duralumin one from YRM (a top quality item, much better than the original and a perfect fit). So this evening I put it all back together. Everything went swimmingly well until I needed to remove the old fuel pipes from the filter head. The first and major problem is that some Einstein decided that the best place for this is directly in front of the rear offside wheel, where it gets plastered in crud. To maximise fully the devastating effect of the crud, the filter is then encapsulated in a pressed steel thing which could have been designed to collect the crud (it has an open top but a bottom plate, so it simply fills up). Then, for added fun, the hose connectors are those feeble plastic "squeeze-the-button" connectors which all cars use, which are great when clean and new, but fundamentally unsuited to an off-road vehicle. Once smothered in concreted crud it becomes impossible the squeeze the release buttons. Anyway about an hour's work freed off the fuel return pipe. The pickup pipe has a slightly diffferent connector, and after a further half hour the useless plastic spigot it attaches to broke off the filter head rendering the filtr unit scrap. It took a further hour or so to get the two front hoses off the now-useless filter but I did evetually manage it with anything else breaking. Then the next design masterpiece is revealed - the filter is secured to the backplate of the mud collection device by means of two 100mm long, M8 bolts. The chances of unscrewing an 11 year old, rusted and seized, 100mm long bolt without it shearing are of course next to zero, and both sheared. So then the four M8 setscrews holding the backplate to the chassis have to come out, to allow the sheared ends to be drilled out and the holes Helicoiled. These four screw into nutserts in the chassis, so you can probably guess the next part! Eventually I did manage to get the backplate off, the chassis fixings repaired, the sheared bolts drilled out and Helicoiled, so it should be quick enough to reassemble as soon as I can get a new filter assembly, but what a hassle! It is no exaggeration to say that sorting out the filter took longer than dropping the tank, replacing the pickup, and refitting the tank altogether. A totally poxy piece of 'design' and wholly avoidable had even a single brain been applied. |
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3rd Oct 2018 10:44pm |
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| williamthedog Member Since: 29 Dec 2012 Location: south wales Posts: 3441 
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As you found out Blackwolf, the bolts holding the filter housing are doomed from the start. Mines already been replaced with stainless bolts covered in anti seize compound.
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4th Oct 2018 5:44am |
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| Minch90 Member Since: 15 Sep 2017 Location: Gloucestershire Posts: 236
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Blackwolf
Loved reading your post as feel your pain/imagine the swearing going on/understand the amazement-dismay at LR design features/similarly wouldn’t drive anything else and love servicing it myself. MrsMinch90 says I’m a moron, spot on really. R |
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4th Oct 2018 6:47am |
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| Minch90 Member Since: 15 Sep 2017 Location: Gloucestershire Posts: 236
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#
For me I think the worst design feature in series LR is the gap between the rear chassis rails and the bottom of the tub. Just large enough to trap mud, open enough to allow this to remain damp, and close enough to ensure cathodic corrosion can occur. Sterling work. |
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4th Oct 2018 6:53am |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20566
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Blackwolf. - I cannot understand why on earth LR used so many stupid captive rivunts and captive nuts.
I can only but assume laziness. I was looking at the site panel to roof bolts the other day, I was expecting a simple set of flanged bolts with flanged nyloc nuts or similar set up. Luckily I didn't need to fiddle with them anyway, but to my surprise they are bolts into a rivnut by the look of it. Of course these are likely to spin, and also corroded too. There are also many fixings that aren't even BZP finished or any other form of corrosion resistance at all. Enough to drive you mad, and as you found so many jobs that should be relatively simple to do end up taking twice or triple as long as they need to. 
On a different note, I'm sick and tired of so many people's attitudes on the roads this autumn. We have some roadworks around here for 12 weeks, you cannot go anywhere in peace without rat runners though the back lanes and their attitude is unbearable. The roadworks have been going for 3 months and still a month left. 99% of people are fine, but the lanes get jammed up and there will always be some idiot who will refuse to reverse. I quite understand if someone isn't highly skilled at doing so in a chain of traffic or needs a little extra time to do so if they don't feel fully confident. And I don't mind reversing up or giving way for anyone where appropriate. I cannot however stand those, who belive they shouldn't have to because of their disdain for reversing. (Normally women, but this isn't my point.) Or purely refusing to do so, and making arm waving gestures and so on. It takes so long to get home, its busy - but if everyone plays ball and is courteous to one another we all get home quicker. Except for a minority.
Then you get a main road, a cyclist doing his thing and I overtake and bearing in mind this road is wide enough to overtake regardless of on-coming traffic. So I do, just before a bend due to obvious lack of vision or I would be in an area where it would be narrower and more dangerous to pass. The car behind me also decided it was more than suitable as did I. A BMW comes screaming around the bend in the opposite direction, doing around 65 - 68mph I'd say in the 60 max national limit. No slowing for the bend at all, what happened to hazard perception? They can nearly lock their brakes up and flash their lights at me but they couldn't keep their speed down on a blind bend and keep left as everyone should except for if you have a hazard to pass. Mind you I would have not passed the cyclist if the road was narrower, but you are talking a road here where a HGV could safely pass a cyclist even with on-coming traffic. Seems to me just like some people get some sort of panic when a Defender is coming the other way. And many have no perception of spacial awareness and width at all. At least a lorry driver heading back made up for it all today by really thanking me for backing up for him. I'd rather drive amongst commercial traffic any day, and am not keen on rush hour or weekend drivers. Nearly always car drivers too, and always with some kind of 'attitude' which has no place on the Highways. KEEP CALM AND Drill ON
🇬🇧🏴🏴🏴🇮🇪🇺🇸⛽️🛢️⚙️🧰💪 Last edited by custom90 on 3rd Nov 2018 3:10pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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2nd Nov 2018 7:19pm |
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| Grenadier Member Since: 23 Jul 2014 Location: The foot of Mont Blanc... Posts: 5878  
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^^^ Agree with everything you have to say. People in general are becoming more and more rude (supermarket till, airports, high streets, etc etc), but in cars it is faster, more dangerous and more agressive rudeness. So easy to be friendly and polite. As for driving standards in general, people feel too safe and cosetted in their armoured boxes, to worry about details such as spacial awareness, speed, safety of cyclists and pedestrians, road etiquette and decorum (giving way, priority etc). And then there are people who are merely s**t drivers, entirely unaware of their surroundings, their speed (too slow as much as too fast), basic rules of the road etc, drifiting across lanes or stopping on roundabouts as they get overwhelmed by the information on their satnav apps, on phones mounted directly in their line of sight....
 Monsieur Le Grenadier
I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list..... 2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey |
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3rd Nov 2018 12:42pm |
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| gilarion Member Since: 05 Dec 2013 Location: Wales Posts: 5111  
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What's this all about, I keep witnessing drivers not using indicators, especially when using a roundabout. Are some drivers so lazy they cannot be bothered flicking the indicator stalk? For those who like Welsh Mountains and narrow boats have a look at my videos and photos at..
http://www.youtube.com/user/conwy1 |
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3rd Nov 2018 12:48pm |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20566
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Oh yes, common here too.
As well as pulling out in front of you instead of giving way at roundabouts, especially trying to 'beat you to it' when they see you coming. Noticed a definite decline in driving behaviour over the last 3 or 4 months. Another instance is failiure to ever give way when you signal your intention if you need to change lane say on a busy roundabout. They will just sit there, one after another of them normally car drivers with the attitude I'm here, in my lane and that's the end of it. Selfishness to the highest degree. Won't be long before they'll be fighting over a fuel pump or parking space, oh wait they will already given the chance. Then try and beat you into the shop to pay for the fuel even. 
The joys of living near a liberal city, not. KEEP CALM AND Drill ON
🇬🇧🏴🏴🏴🇮🇪🇺🇸⛽️🛢️⚙️🧰💪 |
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3rd Nov 2018 3:16pm |
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| Rashers Member Since: 21 Jun 2015 Location: Norfolk Posts: 3530
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"Then try and beat you into the shop to pay for the fuel even"
Now, this doesn't happen very often, but it is something that really winds me up. I drive the car (or Defender). I pull up at the pump, I fill the thing up, I walk to the shop, I pay. Simple. Car besides me. Pulls up. Man gets out, starts filling, wifey or girlfriend walks into the shop. Stands at the till, waiting to pay whilst her old man is still filling the car up. Yes, you've guessed it. I am standing behind this women in the queue with the card in my sticky mitten and fuel filler cap on my motor well and truly locked. It's always the woman that is sent in, never the bloke. I suppose it could be the other way round. don't mind them mixing it up a little, you know when the normality of life goes stale:- "Well my love, do you want to fill tonight and I pay, or am I going to operate the pump, and you try to remember which way round the card goes in the BP chip and pin card reader? Remember not to go to the till until I have filled it up" Either way, I don't mind, but don't try paying before the bloomin' car has been filled. |
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3rd Nov 2018 7:26pm |
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| 300TDi CSW Phil Member Since: 03 Apr 2016 Location: Bracknell Posts: 750 
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Or fill your car up and then proceed to do the weekly shop while your car is still sat at the pump with a queue of waiting cars behind it.
1995 300 Tdi Epsom Green - It's a keeper.
Wide Track Sankey- In bits- Gone to a new home M0XQS |
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3rd Nov 2018 7:31pm |
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| Slideywindows Member Since: 09 Sep 2016 Location: North Essex Posts: 1287 
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I try not to get too wound up these days, I just let the idiots get on with it.
But that last one ^ does have the power to get me going!  |
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3rd Nov 2018 7:58pm |
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| stanley Member Since: 18 Sep 2009 Location: Dorset /hampshire Posts: 1033 
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It’s just all too peopley out there !
All I’m going to say is ........ bloody fireworks ! ..... A friend of mines gundog !  Click image to enlarge Been like this for 2 hours . Bless him ! |
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3rd Nov 2018 8:21pm |
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| Rashers Member Since: 21 Jun 2015 Location: Norfolk Posts: 3530
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Poor little fella
Sorry to be a misery, but I hate fireworks. I will say that a professional display is spectacular. A few rockets in the back garden is pants in comparison. Why would you bother wasting your money? The sooner the things are banded for sale to the general public the better. Sorry, but that photo is what makes me feel this way.
Anyway, Nov 5th is just celebrating terrorism, isn't it? |
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3rd Nov 2018 8:42pm |
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