Llama

Looks pretty lush. Might get some in red for my bikes.

HUuuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngry. This better be good.

Ah, do you know what the min current it can run is? /no help at all

Could be that there is already one in there that has shorted. Does the speed control actually change anything? that could be broken too.

Could be keen on lift, did not realise it was a loooooooooooong walk last time. Will have my bike though, so if someone else needs I can always cycle.

Yes.

Might make it.

Currently talking to interested buyers about selling the MG. If it goes for the right price, I'll pick this up in a flash. Am meeting the guy on the weekend.

Yeah, I'll let someone else have another go at the other cotter pin. For sitting around for 30+ years it's not too bad I guess. EDIT just went to look at the bikes again, and the cranks straight fell off. Yay CRC. The stems weren't playing nice, and I have one more cotter pin on the other bike, so will leave them to sit for another night or so before taking them in.

Chrome on everything is fucked lol. Ahhhh I see. Will have at the stems today then. This is about the closest I found to a manual online http://www.kurtkaminer.com/HB_1980sUK_guide_5.jpg

Bikes are now back in Auckland, managed to get the other bike mostly apart. 3/4 cotter pins out (and completely bung them in the process). Currently undecided if we are going to try find some OEM parts or replace them with slightly less stupidly designed bits, but that can wait until we get frames painted. Can't get the axle/chainring out on both bikes, but am going to acquire a good torch tomorrow and to some heating+hammering. Anyone how the handlebar holder things (stems?) are attached? There was a long bolt I unscrewed from the top of the steering tube thing, but I can't seem to get it off, even with a rather large hammer and plenty of oil. Have also cut one off them down to the tube, but still no go. Dad reckons they might've been brazed on, in which case I can't remove the headset until choppy choppy of the steering tube.

Arrow (also known as Ms Llama, Alpaca, SHMBO etc) has some relatives that like to leave their bikes in the sea breeze at Pauanui for a veeeeerrrry long time. On a recent holiday there, to keep myself sane, we decided to take two of the unused ones apart, see if we could get them usable again. Turns out they were rather more poked then we realised, so we took them back to Auckland to attack them with a grinder. They were her mothers and her aunties bikes, so both chicky style. Still, it'll do for now I guess. Raleigh sports, V brakes and a internal three speed hub Another Raleigh sports, pedal brakes and freewheeling crank (I think?) After an hour or two an half a can of penetrating fluid... Couldn't get the cotter pins out, nor the forks. Still, pretty fun work I guess, easier that cars at any rate. The plan is get them tidy enough for tweed runs and things.

As I'm about to paint two rusty old bikes, how are you going about painting? Just slap some hammerite on? What other options are there? I'd be interested to know how it turns out.

Needs to use the sarcasm font then.

Why just the LHD ones? If it was the same as MGs from that error, it was because they didn't put a diode in the fan circuit (which ran off the ignition circuit), so you would turn off the ignition but the fan would start acting as a generator and keep the ignition circuit going.

Some companies say trimming the plug will void the warranty. Easy enough to get it sorted though.

Car will be going tomorrow, but likely busy with famz and shiznickle

It's not exactly $400, it varies for item to item. I think you might get charged GST as durty said, but since we don't produce car parts in NZ, I can't imagine their being any duty fees. anyho.

Where did you hear that you'll be getting stung by customs? I'm pretty sure old car parts get exempt or something.

Thought about it, but was going to be $200ish? Don't really have the money right now, not like I daily it either. Head pull out took me 25 min, not too bad for a first time. Longest part was removing the headers

Aite, head checked out ok, but getting it planed, and the exhaust valves resurfaced. Also getting some of the head/block holes size matched (since it is apparently a new head on a older block?). Probably going to get them to put it back together, just because it'll be faster and I would like my car for Christmas. Motorbike sounding much easier to work on atm...

Pipe contact area increases in proportion to diameter. Velocity decreases in proportion to diameter squared. Friction force is proportional to velocity squared (but also reynolds number, which contains a velocity term). So yeah, frictional losses will be decreased with a bigger pipe.

Yeah I don't think it was that bad. It managed to get up to Orewa and back before it started smoking enough to notice... (oops) Thanks for the advice.

I see I see. So little chance of it being cracked then? Don't think I'd be able to get anything done this side of christmas anyway.

So as well as the radiator hose I blew the head gasket the other day. Head is off, will be taking into machinists to get looked at/planed ASAP (anyone have any recommendations?), but is there anything else I should be doing? Will the valves be ok? pushrods etc? I'm probably going to be replacing all the intake and exhaust manifold gaskets because they are poked, and depending on how long the head takes will be looking at the crabs too.