Routy56 - can you just....

[Routy56]

Then @Jack10 came over - he loves working on cars or plant. Today we did some stuff on the Mondeo project car. Quick as a flash he had it jacked up, on axle stands and wheels off. Then it was suspension strip down the front suspension ready for a rebuild. Quick as a flash he had it jacked up onto axle stands and wheels off

Common Jack get those bolts undone...

....now get those top strut bolts undone...

There you now the fun part starts....

"Well bugger me, look at that a broken spring. Good job we have two new struts, springs, drop links and top bearings"

Today's lesson was - "It's the snags that take the time"
@Jack10 learnt about working rusty bolts undone without breaking or rounding them off

 

[Routy56]

So dropped off Jack at home and noticed that my son in law has a new pickup

Some sort of Ford Ranger Wildtrak thingy. Low mileage and immaculate.
I stick with my reliable old Navara.
We had a conversation about towing electric plugs and adapters. My stuff is all on 13 pin. Remember that trailer I did for his company

 

[Routy56]

And in other news - last Sunday I smashed it at Colchester Half
PB by exactly 6 mins with a time of 2:06:21 giving me a Bronze 1 Club Award

There were thousands running and at mile 5 a voice shouts "Oi Routy" and my Club friend Kathryn snapped the above photo. Gave me such a boost
At mile 10 I was flagging, and I thought, "Well it's only a Parkrun distance to go" and pushed hard all the way to the finish for a PB

At the finish, another shout from amongst the crows goes up, "Dave over here" and I joined these lovely ladies from our Club for a great selfie

 

[Routy56]

Another busy week......

Some of you will remember that my nephew Ben Rout, took on a Barn Conversion in Norfolk back in November 2021...

And I rocked up and laid in the water mains and dug out an L shaped driveway finished with Type 1.
Well said Barn Conversion is almost finished. Ben and Jess get married in May 2025 and it's the last push with trades on site getting it done.
They have been living in a very nice Mobile Home in site for the last 2 years.
My brother, Graham Rout, phoned me recently, "Can you just pop over and help me move the Mobile Home ready for the lorry to collect it next week?"

The Barn conversion is certainly coming together

Mobile Home tight agains the hedge and required moving to a nice angle for the lorry to back onto from the lane.

So my brother tugged it with his Disco 2 and it immediately found the soft. His wheels churned up the Type 1.
It still had their stuff in it and they had gone skiing
So we jacked it out of the ruts, and shackled up my Navara.
Several tugs, running on boards later we got it positioned

Job jobbed and time for fish 'n' chips

Nice detail was the ASHP quietly running, drying out the floor screed and plaster

 

[Routy56]

And this was the local Barn Conversion that I worked on back in August 2021....

So rocked up there earlier this week with my digger and dumper to help them sort out the cables for the electric gates about 400m down the drive

Much bigger and better than the old farm buildings

Solar power wasn't enough so about 400m of SWA had to be pulled into previously installed ducts.
BUT the draw rope had snapped and had to be rodded every 100m.
So my mini and dumper was used for excavations down to the poorly installed duct.

Another job jobbed

 

[Routy56]

Then yesterday @Jack10 rocked up after Parkrun to help on the project Mondeo Titanium X

Bit more fettling, cleaning, paining and bolting new parts together

Jack did a super job with the needle gun, wire brush cup and paint on the hub knuckle assembly

Ready to be bolted to the new strut, spring and top bearing

 

[Storrsy]

Then yesterday @Jack10 rocked up after Parkrun to help on the project Mondeo Titanium X

Bit more fettling, cleaning, paining and bolting new parts together View attachment 70618

Jack did a super job with the needle gun, wire brush cup and paint on the hub knuckle assembly

Nice job well done Jack.Are you demoted to tea boy now Routy?

 

[V8Druid]

And this was the local Barn Conversion that I worked on back in August 2021....

View attachment 70615

So rocked up there earlier this week with my digger and dumper to help them sort out the cables for the electric gates about 400m down the drive

View attachment 70616
Much bigger and better than the old farm buildings


View attachment 70617
Solar power wasn't enough so about 400m of SWA had to be pulled into previously installed ducts.
BUT the draw rope had snapped and had to be rodded every 100m.
So my mini and dumper was used for excavations down to the poorly installed duct.

Another job jobbed

gate set up like that a mile or so away - gave up wit the solar - never worked properly from day one .. just not enough re-charge/sun

can hardly call that a conversion Dave - bears absolutely no resemblance to the original - new build on partial old foot print, more like ... wouldn't get away with that 'round here - looks nice though

 

[Routy56]

Nice job well done Jack.Are you demoted to tea boy now Routy?

Yep and I have trained him with Tea ️ making skills as well. But sometimes I like to step back and make Tea ️ while he gets dirty
Did you spot the biscuits? They don’t last very long when Jack comes over

 

[Routy56]

gate set up like that a mile or so away - gave up wit the solar - never worked properly from day one .. just not enough re-charge/sun

can hardly call that a conversion Dave - bears absolutely no resemblance to the original - new build on partial old foot print, more like ... wouldn't get away with that 'round here - looks nice though

Yep solar was part of the problem but the opening arm wasn’t powerful enough when it was windy. So my mate is also upgrading that as well

As for the barn conversion I guess it was a compromise because many old sheds with big 6 on the roof have been demolished

 

[V8Druid]

Yep solar was part of the problem but the opening arm wasn’t powerful enough when it was windy. So my mate is also upgrading that as well
View attachment 70622

As for the barn conversion I guess it was a compromise because many old sheds with big 6 on the roof have been demolished

yeh can appreciate the actuator wasn't man enough, especially the way it's positioned/operates

 

[Routy56]

Another busy week. On Thursday Ryan phone me about 7am, always a c cause for concern. "Granddad, I've crashed my car. A lorry took the front off on a roundabout"
He was OK and limped the car over for me to assess...

Lorry was in lane 1 and he was baulked in lane 2 turning right. Left hooker from the Stena Hook ferry straightened the roundabout and didn't stop

So we set about stripping the parts and made a list...

4 parts plus fixings etc - left wing, front bumper, wheel arch liner and headlamp.
Complete headlamp was missing - WTF . We later found it complete on the centre of the said roundabout

So before morning tea break we went and got the parts in the correct colour "Yeah mate we got those. £250 for cash"

Another job jobbed - or so I thought....."Can you just turn the wheels the other way so we can tighten those T20 screws on the right side of the bumper to the wheel arch liner"
WTF - the key WOULD NOT turn and the steering lock was jammed.
Tried everything over the next 2 hours and decided that it needs a replacement steering lock and ignition barrel

 

[Routy56]

Part 2 - The Ignition Barrel and Steering Lock debacle

Careful with that ignition barrel and immobiliser sensor - yeah right

Some YouTubers reckon that you can drill them out - too slow and didn't work...

So out came the pointy prybar podger thingy and it soon gave up.
You can see the offending latch that wasn't retracting in.
Think I may have jammed it when pulling the road wheels side to side and clunked into the lock position.

Never mind these things are sent to try us - replacement with 2 keys on order from FeeBay

What about Ryan - well he's a big boy labourer groundworker these days often working a long way from home.
But next week my SIL (his boss) has sent him to B'Ham for the week on a drainage job.
All accommodation and grub supplied

 

[Gecko]

"Yeah mate we got those. £250 for cash"

Geez - got out of that easy. That was mm's from being rightoff

 

[Routy56]

Geez - got out of that easy. That was mm's from being rightoff

Yep - he wasn't hurt and the damage could have been much worse
And 'cos he's got a granddad that can fix stuff it's just cost him the parts.
And yep agree if it had been an insurance job that it would be a 'write off'
Nice little car for his first car, used every day travelling to/from work.
We had to have a 'grown up' conversation about defensive driving etc

 

[V8Druid]

Yep - he wasn't hurt and the damage could have been much worse
And 'cos he's got a granddad that can fix stuff it's just cost him the parts.
And yep agree if it had been an insurance job that it would be a 'write off'
Nice little car for his first car, used every day travelling to/from work.
We had to have a 'grown up' conversation about defensive driving etc

" Danger and Opportunity " Dave

 

[craig]

But next week my SIL (his boss) has sent him to B'Ham for the week on a drainage job.

He`ll get over it eventually, hopefully with no lasting effects

 

[Routy56]

Another busy few weeks - WTF I'm supposed to be retired

"Dave can I just borrow yer Wacker for a day please?"

Love this Wacker - starts first time every time.
My mate runs his own fancying and landscaping business. He looks after stuff like his own, so no worries there.
Picked up and dropped off the same day, all clean and topped up with petrol.

Then did the local 10k Road Race - not a PB but most enjoyable with HR Friends

"Dave can I just leave my MH round your place while next door have the painters in"

Very nice - "It's a Transit with a 'wet belt' so make sure that you get it servicing correctly"

"Dave can you look at my Jaaaaag - it's making a rumbling noise"

Nice low mileage XF - left rear wheel bearing. Know all about these - there are usually snags with seized up stuff.

"Oh and can you just replace the front and rear discs and pads"

15T hydraulic puller to get the splined drive shaft to move.

And some nice Mintex coated discs and pads used to replace all round

Job jobbed for my son-in-law who paid for parts and paid me with dinner and beer

 

[Routy56]

So here's our 16 panel 4kW array installed in 2012. This last week a pair of pigeon have been trying to nest under them

So last weekend Jack and me installed a BirdGo wire mesh system all round the edges. Really good kit with all the clips, gloves and snips.
Brothers old cherry picker made the fiddly job much easier and safer

Job jobbed and time for a beer

 

[Routy56]

Last week has seen a bit more progress on the Mondeo Project
Don't like putting back old rusty parts so, they are either renewed or painted

Pulled the left front strut off

Then got to work with the needle gun...

This shows what is described as "light misting" on MOT advisories

Nice shiny new one ready to be loaded with the time bomb....

And a new lower control arm added to the pile ready to go back on...

Jack comes round today after I've done Parkrun. He's gonna love voting this stuff back on