Bearded Baldy

Damn good deals those, just shits me as i was about to list my little arc welder with tig kit for $550. Might just hoard it in back shed instead, out of sight out of mind etc etc.

Wiper switch turned up today. All 5 points select solidly, they are pretty bulletproof so no further testing will be done until i fit it and it doesn't work. And that could be years away.

Aaaaaaannnnddd car is still in the weather outside. But i just found and paid for something i have been looking for since 2005ish..... AN INTERMITTENT WIPER SWITCH!! This may not seem like a big deal but only having a 2 speed wiper switch in rainy reporoa is a problem. And yes while i could have wired in an aftermarket timer that wouldn't have felt right. So long as david from gumtree doesn't let me down.....

Tldr. They are arse covering and i assume vtnz so won't look any further if you had asked them too. Not a fan of testing stations....

Sometimes it can also be they are not sure if the play is minor in the rack bush (less dangerhazard) or in the rack end/inner tie rod end (more likely to fail sooner. I have come across a few xtrails where this is the case. Easiest way solo to check is to slip the rack boot along the tie rod and off the rack, then have a look at the joint. Slide boot back over with a new tie and job done. Easiest way with help is to turn the wheels to extend the side of the rack with play, and pull down on the rack inside the boot while someone else checks to see if the play is still there. If it is, inner rack end. If play is gone, rack inner bush.

Took bike for a shakedown run up the road, surged and popped a bit. Shone a light inside the tank.... well that is coming off again. Removed and drained tank and carby. I really really really need to build a shelter for the bikes. Under the trees isn't waterproof enough apparently.

Just a bit of wear lol.

Tracked down a second hand hub/knuckle and i hope it turns up early in the week. Will put new bearings in it and throw it all back together for the trip. Everything else is in good shape.

Haven't taken the quad out for a for long long time and have pretty much just used it to move the trailer around. Decided i am going to take it away for my upcoming bday so gave it a once over. Lh front wheel has been on the piss for ages, i assumed wonky balljoint and put it on the oneday list..... Balljoint was fine, a combination of flogged out lower hub and a driveflage/wheel bearing combo that don't actually contact each other was the real problem.

Unintentional semi threadjack. My goal is to reach 400cfm at 28 inch test. Most of what i plan on using it for will be under 250cfm so it should would out ok. I have a couple of alloy heads for my falcon of different styles i want to play with, and i have access to a few ca18 and mx5 heads. Once it is up and running i want to write a logbook of stock head flow levels of pretty much any head i can get my hands on. I will also send a calibration plate to various places to get their readings with. Without knowing if there are discrepancies (there always are, like dynos), it is impossible to know how any headwork would compare to someone elses.

The speed i progress a project it is about time to procrastinate for a few years. I prefer working with steel opposed to timber so might take a prolonged breather before i build the box haha.

@Roman i bought the plans for the PTS bench. Then looked up the price of importing all the gear, exchange rate is murder. Current stockpile list is 3x ali ex motor controllers 6x vac motors 2 access ports Few little bits and pieces. And today finally got around to finishing the pressure/vacuum pickups. Prototype on left to see if i could do it. Thread too shallow and i snapped a drill bit in the end....amateur

Any progress? Making a steady collection of parts here for my project bench.

Shit yeah thats not too bad at all.

Before you buy a new rarespares bonnet, have a gander at alfa motorsport in oz. https://www.motorsportfibreglass.com.au/products/c45/Ford-Falcon-XY-XW

Stupid question. If it works on the bench but not the car, have you tried testing it with the revs up at 2.5k ish. Could be something stupid like the pulley size is too big, so at idle speeds it spins too slow.

Missed a spot.

I was thinking of using rule of 'eye appeal is half the battle'. Unfortunately since i plan on stripping and repainting the underside i can't hide it with shit.

Report him anyway. Being burned is no excuse to be over zealous. How many other cars has he condemned that are more than likely ok?

Report with pics to nzta. Don't need people like that doing shit like that.

Question for the cert guru/s. On the old falcons i can buy a rear swaybar kit. Ubolts onto the diff and requires drilling through the chassis in factory spot to fit the upper link mount. Would it be certifiable to make 3mm steel mount plates to weld to the diff, and instead of drilling the chassis to weld the link mounts on? Am trying to find a decent pic online to show the setup...

Pre wash. Little bit mossy. Took for a drive up and down the road, gps says speedo is bang on at 50, 1k out at 95. Most accurate car i have! Then went to the local boat ramp for a glamour shot. Which shows a distinct line of where the washbrush couldn't reach lol. Found some rust in the upper b pillar so will have a look at that as the next stage now it is back up and running. And water leak at the heater/bypass pipe, which i knew would happen the second i took it apart to flush it.

After modifying the alternator brackets as planned, things still were not going to plan. None of my collection of drive belts were remotely close so a trip into town was needed. Armed with half a dozen of repcos finest i got home and looked at the layout with fresh eyes. And realised i was having issues with the wrong belt. By trying to make the alt/water pump belt go around the crank pulley as a factory fitted one would, there was no way the belt could NOT hit the timing cover. But by fitting only around the water pump and alternator it cleared everything. The p/s pump which i was trying to run seperately off the crank now includes the 2nd groove of the water pump pulley in its belt layout. Gave the cooling system a big flush out, including 7 times each way through the heater until it cleared up. It lives! Hooked up a vac guage and roughly set the fuel mix and timing once it had warmed up. Place is like the castle at the moment so will give it a wash and move the rest of the fleet tomorrow to take it for a test run.

The problem. Intake bits are back together now, have removed the alternator bracket and slotted the holes out 1/2 inch as the alternator sits high enough the lower run of the belt was catching the oil pump cover. Someones 90% effort on relocating the alternator in the past by the looks. Need to replace the earth lead on my welder so i can fill in the original holes. After ignoring the ute for so long it feels good to be making progress. Lets see how long it lasts.