Re: Sunday Was A Bad Day..
Bad luck Guy. Saw you had had troubles on FB.
The motorway is not a great place to have a breakdown these days either. Good job you found that barrier gap.
Hope it all goes well with the new parts and it is no worse than that.
Re: Sunday Was A Bad Day..
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Guy Mayers
I'd been looking forward to the Lancia Motor Club's AGM for a while - it was at the Woodside near Stoneleigh. Unfortunately the car didn't make it, just going past J14 on the M6 the temperature needle rocketed up to the stop and it was too late to pull off, I had to coast a mile & drive it until there was a gap in the steel fencing to pull into in the roadworks. Quick check and I could hear the remains of the coolant hissing in the expansion tank, no way was that cap coming off. Called the AA and an hour later the guy drives by waving, 10 minutes after that a call back to say he can't pick me up and he's arranged for the emergency crews to drag me off. Another half hour later and I'm finally off the M6 with a patrol van. No coolant and no obvious hoses split, he pressure tests the system and it's good but the radiator cap appears goosed. Fills the system up again and we ran it up to temperature and it just puked again. Hey ho, relay home.
Diagnosis is a failed thermostat leading to a blockage, that's damaged the cap. Not sure myself yet, fan belt looks a little slack to me but the alternator warning light is going out. Hopefully that the cause and not a failed water pump. But whatever it is it's time for a new radiator cap and thermostat.
Now the radiator cap was easy enough. A high pressure one was sourced in 10 minutes from Demon Thieves. Thermostat? For a 12v V6? thought that would be easy too but nope. Nobody lists it. Well not true, there was one on eBay in Australia but it was a stupid price. After a few hours on the web I managed to find a company in Germany called Bertelsbeck (
www.myalfagroup.com) who supply the thermostat without the housing so you can swap the guts over. Ordered on Sunday evening (they were shut unsurprisingly) and it arrived today (along with a couple of other bits of build two that I needed and was struggling to get). Radiator cap also landed so now all I need to do is take off the fan belt, measure it and get one ordered so I can get the car back on the road. I hope.
It really is getting harder to find 12v engine parts...
Guy
You don't waste any time Guy I'm sure you will have a belt by Friday and parts fitted by Saturday if not before.
Re: Sunday Was A Bad Day..
Unfortunately not much chance of that Kenny. I need to get the old one off to measure it before I can order a new one and then Saturday is an office outing to Cartmel Races... Sunday will be recovery time from an excess of alcohol (I hope) and Monday, well I'm sure we have something planned!
At least the thermostat is ready to drop in now, old (spare) housing cleaned up nicely and a new copper washer sourced!
Re: Sunday Was A Bad Day..
Motorway is never a good place to have an issue with a car.
I was lucky last year and my 12v thermostat stuck in the open position.
I also had to search the world and eventually found a new one for $70 in a spares shop in New Jersey.
Bless the internet,how hard would it be building/maintaining our cars with out it.
Remember the days of phoning a spares company and asking them to send a catalog...then posting a cheque and waiting for you part to arrive :rolleyes:
Re: Sunday Was A Bad Day..
.... or grovelling in the mud under a pile of stacked cars in some scrapyard in the rain.
Re: Sunday Was A Bad Day..
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Stableblock
.... or grovelling in the mud under a pile of stacked cars in some scrapyard in the rain.
But that could be so satisfying sometimes!
Re: Sunday Was A Bad Day..
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ChrisCar6
But that could be so satisfying sometimes!
Pair of side repeaters for 50p each... Happy days.
Volumex engine & box complete for £400.
