Stuff you have fixed today

[Dcal]

Today I fixed a Blue Point 3/8 stubby ratchet I recent bought on eBay.

It was cheap because it didn't have the lever or plunger to operate the valve, but at £18 I thought it was worth the chance.

I used 1mm stainless to make the lever and a piece of 4mm welding rod took care of the plunger.

1mm is maybe a bit light, I put a kink along the length and it works fine for now. I can always remake it with 2mm.

I put a nice flexible tail on it, gave it a drink of air tool oil and it operates as intended.

I used it straight away when replacing the cam belt on the Mrs car and I'm really quite impressed.

I might keep a look out for a 1/4 drive one.
I was going to go battery power but I think air better suits my needs.

I also have a 1/2 inch Lidl air ratchet and it's awful, no power and incredibly noisy, so I'll look for a better make.

 

[Dcal]

Another little job completed for a mate.

View attachment 458574
A piece rescued from a skip. Part of a larger piece judging by the damage to the bottom lead strips.
Fortunately I came across some lead ages ago. It's weathered nicely in the garden, but another example of value of the 'Don't throw anything away' mantra.

View attachment 458575

One of two pieces cut from the tangle.

View attachment 458576

Using my trusty Solon 65W iron, a stainless steel brush, and some Telux flux, it's now back together. A brass loop was also fashioned from a piece of scrap, shaped, and soldered to the top, so that he can hang it somewhere.View attachment 458578

He didn't find any other bits by any chance?

I need some glass to repair a screen that looks very close to that and I can't find anything new or secondhand that colour.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Got this for little money.

A quick test showed it was in good condition. But needed some attention.

Getting some help in polishing the bowl.

New seals and the needle cleaned up. The pump washer Cup seal was in good condition.

oh Bother, one seal is not fuel tight. A strip down and a tiny bit of carbon was removed.

 

[sako243]

Welded on a washer and teased them out with the pump pliers.

Why a washer and pliers rather than just weld a nut on?

I'd have thought a washer as a spacer (not welded) and a nut welded onto the stud would be a nicer way? It's the way I've usually done it.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Nice Alloy Tank Beatice stove. Nice little addition to my collection.

When stripping down the screw seized and tore out the the insert.

Tried pulling up tight again, bit it had to be removed.

When I fitted an M8 thread insert, the alloy was to thing to grip it, so a friend said try this.

It would of worked if the 6 minute 2 pack glue worked.

A clean showed I had pin holes.
So trimmed up some brass, sing a 2 pack metal glue had them sealed.

New wick needs to be trimmed. The bung was a suitable rubber bung.

The heat was soon converting red oxide to black.

Smoking.

 

[8ob]

Why a washer and pliers rather than just weld a nut on?

I'd have thought a washer as a spacer (not welded) and a nut welded onto the stud would be a nicer way? It's the way I've usually done it.

I always start off with a washer to get an unobscured burn on the whole stud, stage two is a big nut welded to that washer if the pliers don’t shift it. This one went with a few rocks back and forth.

Bob

 

[JOEPRO]

Got this little MS201 back together and first start today- running excellent

 

[Blobber]

Fed up with those cigar lighter USB adaptors that get a connection some of the time depending how you wiggle them I bit the bullet and splashed out on some fine chinese produce, the little rectangular panel in the centre console pops out so it was nice and easy to cut the hole, we now have a hard wired illuminated USB socket and the cigar lighter can be used for its designed purpose

 

[Bullet2012]

the cigar lighter can be used for its designed purpose

But where does the humidor go ?

 

[leadpig]

Got this little MS201 back together and first start today- running excellent

View attachment 458845

View attachment 458846

View attachment 458847

Always wanted one of them , have to make do with the ms211cbe

 

[droopsnoot]

Fed up with those cigar lighter USB adaptors that get a connection some of the time depending how you wiggle them I bit the bullet and splashed out on some fine chinese produce, the little rectangular panel in the centre console pops out so it was nice and easy to cut the hole, we now have a hard wired illuminated USB socket and the cigar lighter can be used for its designed purpose

A job I need to do on the Audi, so I can have the dash cam and the phone on at the same time. Bought the socket months ago, found a place that's easy to mount it but nicely hidden, it's probably an hour's work, but it's still sitting on the bench somewhere.

 

[Blobber]

A job I need to do on the Audi, so I can have the dash cam and the phone on at the same time. Bought the socket months ago, found a place that's easy to mount it but nicely hidden, it's probably an hour's work, but it's still sitting on the bench somewhere.

Its funny how little things like this make life so much easier, get on and fit it! I wont post any pictures of the phone holder installation as thats a bit below par

 

[droopsnoot]

Its funny how little things like this make life so much easier, get on and fit it! I wont post any pictures of the phone holder installation as thats a bit below par

That's another thing I need to do. Went to Home Bargains, saw a reasonable mounting for £2.99, bought one to test whether it would go in the cars and what type of bracket I'd need to make (windscreen isn't big enough to have stuff like that stuck in it, and suction cup mounts don't last long for me), went back and bought two more so I have one for each car on the road, and they're sitting in the cupboard. At this rate the show season, when I need them most (though mainly for the GPS speedo), will be over.

 

[Keithmac]

A trip down memory lane!, probably 15 years back Piaggio Vespa had a real problem with fuel pumps, must have fitted 30 or more under recall.

Zoom forward 13 years it seems they haven't learnt their lesson..

2021 Vespa GTS with less than 800 miles comes in for none starter when hot (classic fuel pump failure). Luckily it did it when he brought it down for us to check his problem.

Have to take the engine out basically to remove the fuel tank to access the pump hanger assy, bit of a ballache.

New pump was £280 but no stock available in UK, backordering any Piaggio Group part is a waste of time (strung us out for 6 months on a £350 throttle body and we eventually manage to cancel that one).

Managed to source him a decent 2nd hand pump, only option really.

 

[Red'n'Black]

A trip down memory lane!, probably 15 years back Piaggio Vespa had a real problem with fuel pumps, must have fitted 30 or more under recall.

Zoom forward 13 years it seems they haven't learnt their lesson..

2021 Vespa GTS with less than 800 miles comes in for none starter when hot (classic fuel pump failure). Luckily it did it when he brought it down for us to check his problem.

Have to take the engine out basically to remove the fuel tank to access the pump hanger assy, bit of a ballache.

New pump was £280 but no stock available in UK, backordering any Piaggio Group part is a waste of time (strung us out for 6 months on a £350 throttle body and we eventually manage to cancel that one).

Managed to source him a decent 2nd hand pump, only option really.

View attachment 459331View attachment 459332View attachment 459333View attachment 459334

Do even twist-n-go scooters use EFI instead of carbs nowadays?

 

[Keithmac]

Do even twist-n-go scooters use EFI instead of carbs nowadays?

Yes, this is a Vespa GTS 300 HPE. The GTS's have been fuel injected since 2008 (maybe earlier).

Very complex system, they have all the trimmings plus ASR (traction control).

It's Euro Emissions related, there are a very few carbed 50cc scooters but they run lambda sensors and a mess of solenoids for mixture control.

The stop start Honda Forza / PCX, Piaggio Medley etc use the stator and flywheel as the starter motor, when they shut down at a stop the ECU will rotate the crank with this system to get optimal engine position for re-start. Amazing technology really.

 

[dobbslc]

I remember fixing a spares or repair Aprilia 50cc scooter years ago, one of if not the first fuel injected two strokes.
I'll see if I can find the piston that came out of it.

 

[Keithmac]

I remember fixing a spares or repair Aprilia 50cc scooter years ago, one of if not the first fuel injected two strokes.
I'll see if I can find the piston that came out of it.

Those were DiTech, we had all sorts of problems with those!.
Suzuki did one as well, possibly same system as the Aprilia.

Think Peugeot also did a fuel injected 2 stroke too?.

I think I've still got the tool to fit the carbon seals to the cylinder head (that could be the Peugeot?).

They ran a crank driven air pump for the stratified charge iirc?.

 

[Keithmac]

The Aprilia had an electronic oil pump and the claimed it would do a service interval on one oil fill, the bottle was quite small as well.

When they dumped DiTech and went back to carb, mechanical oil pump they left the small oil tank in the design. We rebuilt quite a few that had run out of oil (even though there's a boomin big low oil warning light on the dash..).

 

[Geoffm]

I built this trailer 15-18 years ago and it has spent its life outside. It used to see regular use, and it’s first trip was to pick up 1.1T of sand for the kid’s sandpit. I thought the Toyota Camry brakes seemed a bit week.

The paint protected it fairly well with a heavy zinc primer, but the ply deck had seen better days. It hasn't seen any use other than to store junk to go to the tip since I bought a 1.5T tipper truck a few years ago. I went to use it a few weeks back and the lights wouldn’t work. The rubbish spring clips always gave trouble with the light bulb connections.

Enough was enough, so I fitted LED lights (ta AliExpress), then looked at the deck and sides and decided they were poorly. When it was upside down, I stood on the ply and it all fell off… I also found a couple of rust holes in the box section where it had rusted from the inside so welded those up.

A combination of scope creep and terrible weather means this little job has taken weeks, and still weeks to go…