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chrisbowler

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Posts posted by chrisbowler

  1. I bought a HEADTEC from Whitbread Off Road for my 15 year old son who winch man ed me at the Mike Wolf last year - very light, took a comms unit no problem

    I have competed in many stage rally events, Comp Safaris and other timed events where helmet is mandatory - it is in the rules so you get one - I have a SPARCO Red label helmet that has lasted me 10 years and is still in date - just recently I started doing challenge events as a winch man and also as a driver - helmet keeps you warm and cool, holds the comms unit and is very good for charging thru bracken and tree branches without getting your head and face cut to ribbons - it also saves your head from the inevitable head - Cage strike!!!

    I would get a HEADTEC for price and comfort and I would wear a helmut even though MSA currently do not specify a helmet - soon they will!!!

    Chris Bowler

  2. When the glow plug is screwed into the head, the seal for the combustion chamber is the joint between the stainless steel tube and the point at which the heating element becomes less in diameter - this oil is therefore outside the combustion chamber. There is no other mechanism for sealing the glow plug and the head other than that rim pressing into the head.

    Chris Bowler

  3. I think you will find that the glow plugs on 300 tdI are in a dedicated machined port that arrives in the combustion chamber about 25mm away from the valve seats - there is no way that oil from stem seals is going to migrate back up the glow plug hole - this oil is more likely to have come from the external and down the glow plug port and gathered around the thread.

    Also, how much oil is going to cause a miss fire when engine is cold but then not be apparrent when classic stem seal failure occurs on hot running on - say overrun down hills

    The more I read on this subject, I really do think that the problem lies with lack of compression on 1 cylinder when cold which improves as warm up occurs - cylinder head, piston rings etc

    Chrisbowler

  4. I saw a 300 tdi 3 door once that had a genuine 02 plate registration - problem is Land Rover forget what they build and the cars may sit a thye factory or in holding areas long before they get registered. So a 07 Freelander is probably a 05/ 56 car that just stood about a bit

    Regards Chris Bowler

  5. What if one cylinder pressure was below the point that diesel detonates and as the engine warms up, that cylinder misfires until it gets the correct compression pressure - by this time any fuel being injected will generate white smoke rather than heat and power. Once then engine has reached a temperature, that cylinder begins to perform correctly.

    What pressure/ temperature does diesel detonate at?

    Chris Bowler

  6. To give you a comparission, a customer of mine had a similar problem - he bought a low mileage unit complete from SKAN 4X4 for £1200.00 and we fitted and gave it back running for £600 labour including oils, filters and test run.

    Regards Chris Bowler

  7. Well Neil's comments are a mirror copy of threads written last year on the XTC when numbers dwindled - Last year we all gave the AWDC the assurance that the XL was the way ahead - I seem to remember a poll where very few people wanted XTC and Challenge and the general opinion was a season of 6-8 challenge events and no one wanted to do the XTC so it got scrapped.

    Apparrently CHALLENGE DRIVERS wanted to do a season of CHALLENGE EVENTS so the XL was set up.

    Surprise surprise, numbers are now down and by the look of it, the AWDC event organisation team will soon give up organising events for the Challenge drivers.

    Looking on other forums, there is now much talk of the future of events - cost, fuel, travel to events are all sited as reasons why it is becoming less well attended.

    Sadly you the CHALLENGE members are sending all the wrong messages to the club - one minute you want a series of events in a challenge format - then you do not stick to the diary and support the club. I appreciate that circumstances change but without competitors, the organisers and the sponsors get ****ed off. The dates for this year were set in Feb 11 and have been well planned.

    Sorry to sound off but this is how WE managed to scrap the XTC series which had the makings of a brilliant form of off road motorsport that could appeal to all disciplines. Maybe the XL is next.

    Neil - Can we run an XTC at WERN DU in Jun 11!!!???

    Regards Chris Bowler

  8. Hi - welcome to the forum - comp safari is basically off road racing around a pre laid out course against the clock. Before you start a minimum no. laps are declared.

    Various clubs have different classes based on cc, wheelbase etc - all in all it is like driving the car you stole without the blue lights!!! Some clubs lay out fast stage rally type courses, others lay out more traditional trials sections linked together - mileage anything from 2-10 miles per lap and 8-12 laps per day.

    Check out AWDC and NORC clubs

    Chris Bowler

  9. With regret, the 26 Mar 11 date for the proposed XTC event at SWYNERTON Army Training Area has had to be be cancelled due to no allocation of areas in time to process MSA permit and allow sufficient time to advertise event. Sorry to all those who were planning to attend.

    The way ahead?

    I am still very keen to try and find a venue and date to hold an XTC but will have to keep you all informed once plans become clear.

    Once again sorry to bear bad news -

    Chris Bowler

  10. I am still waiting for confirmation that the Swynerton area is available. Once confirmed, will formally announce event. As we hope to share location with BAMA, we plan to run an XTC course which will be used as a navigation course for all non XTC competitors. This non XTC course will be laid out for ANY vehicle to enter, whilst the XTC course will be set out for AWDC/ MSA rules.

    There is of course only 1 car that is suitable for XTC - TD5!!!! - Remember 2010!!!

    Chris Bowler

  11. By way of an update on how planning is progressing, the provisional date for the 2011 XTC event is Saturday 26 Mar 2011. BAMA like the idea of sharing a site and the XTC formate.

    Event is planned to be held at Swynerton Driver Training Area - this is more or less opposite the private site at BADEN HALL,Eccelshall, Shrops - site used by AWDC, BCCC and ARC for various events.

    As we are hoping to share the site with the British Army and they will be on the site on the Saturday, I appreciate that this may be an issue for those who normally like to compete on Sundays -

    I am just waiting on the final site availability confirmation and once this is in place will formally announce the event. Entry, rules, regs and all other details will follow the same format as previous year. The only slight difference will be that the BAMA crews will compete on the XTC course at a differnet time to the AWDC crews as they technically will be entered on a navigational event, not a Point to Point.

    Will keep all posted as more info.

    Chris Bowler

  12. As said before go for the TDS Goldfish. You can even upgrade them with BOWMOTOR 2 and make then 24 volt. Anything else in the same price bracket is only good if it comes in a big card board box for your kids to play in after Chrismas!!!

    Chris Bowler

  13. The 3 XTC events in 2010 had a good cross section of Comp cars, trial cars and challenge trucks. When I decided to do the XTC and Salisbury, I fitted a winch on the logic that If I got stuck as least I could extract myself backwards as oppossed to using the winch to get me to the checkpoint. I used the winch once at Checkpoint 3 where I got stuck and had to get out.

    At West Harptree, I decided to fit a front winch as West Harptree is an evil site and the general opinion was that Round 1 was too easy for Comp Cars!!! Did not use winch at all and several drivers had a discussion over winches - basically the winch was not what XTC was about - the terrain gouvrned whether a Challenge car could winch the short route whislt a comp car drove the long route 1-2 miles to get the advantage - no site would give this advantage.

    So In short I do not think winches or extreme gear wins the day - reliability is the key - XTC by the nature of it is rough and as is timed, driving across the rough is demanding on the vehicle. Comp cars are capable of withstanding speed but not always the rough. Trialers are capable of covering extreme terrain but not at speed. Challenge trucks are probably the most suited to XTC as they are tough and still have the speed element ( except for big tyres!!!

    There have been no classes in XTC so far - it is drive what you bring and fastest man wins. Can't see how you could introduce classes unless we get large numbers - 20-30 entries - then probably use Comp, trialer and challenge truck classes.!!??

    I hope to get a good mix of terrain on the military areas and will keep the forum posted once I know where the event will be. Clearly plan to try and avoid any dates that clash

    Chris Bowler

  14. Not quite - the FFR 110 had rear anti roll bars fitted as part of the BOWMAN radio project beacause without the anti roll bar,the vehicle was not safe given the increased weight of the radio fits. LR agreed to raise the design weight of the HD 110 if the anti roll bars were fitted.

    CB

  15. Thanks for your support guys. Plan is to find a date that will not clash with either AWDC Comp or Challenge calendars and will try to avoid any major challenge events such as Decider etc.

    I have linked up with the British Army Motorsports Assosiation and if we can run a combined event with their event, we should be able to use the military training area facilities. They normally run an event over a 2 day weekend, however the XTC event will be on the Sunday. More to follow as it is confirmed.

    Chris Bowler

  16. Following on from the AWDC decision to drop the XTC event in the 2011 calender, I am investigating the potential to run a single XTC event in July or September 2011. This topic thread is intended to act as advertising and discusion of the event and once the basics are in place, the event details will be published.

    It is hoped to run the event under the AWDC banner and the venue, although yet to be confirmed will be held on military training areas, hopefully either Salisbury Plain Longmoor, Hampshire or Swynerton, Shropshire. I have support from the AWDC and the use of the XTC course hardware and timing equipment and have a management team in place to organise an event.

    Grateful for any feedback on this subject - I feel that the XTC format has a lot to offer and am prepared to set an event up in 2011 that will offer 2-3 mile rough course with good navigation routes - if successful, and interest is sufficient, it is hoped that a championship could be set up in 2012. All being well, I will confirm event details in early 2011 as to venue, date and further details.

    Chris Bowler

    Cambrian 4X4 Farm

    2010 XTC championship Winner

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