Turbocharger

Fair point - thanks for the tip. I'd not connected it because the two post terminals on the unit are a little too close together and if the ring connectors worked loose they could work round and touch each other - there's no chance if one isn't there! I take your point though, so I'll put a short wire in and insulate it properly.

I've bolted the case of my inverter to the body of the car, I don't even use the neggletive post and just ran one (fused) wire to the possletive. Tested with and without a temporary lead to the -ve, there's no difference.

Bloody hell!

I have some synthetic rope from RogueVogue on here (although I don't know what it is!) - it's grey and has gone quite fluffy with use. It also tends to go 'stiff' after a hard pull - I don't know if the others do this too. I've not broken it yet and would certainly buy more, although non-fluffiness would be nice.

Buggrit - Boggychap is on the money. I'm going to bed, there's too many keys on this keyboard or my fingers are getting fatter.

Sorry - I'm enjoying the best products of France's wine-growing regions at the moment. I was trying to clarify the ramblings that were about halfway through 02's long and rambling post. To clarify: faster water flow is better, until it cavitates. Narrower rad fins (with the same volume flow) will give better cooling despite the fact that the water isn't there for as long. If it still doesn't make sense... ask me in the morning

"Toyota will keep you moooooooving"

Nige - could the 'spring' be from welding distortion when outriggers etc are added after the chassis legs are formed? Bish - I'd say you should leave it alone unless the car's crabbing badly... if it ain't broke

As 02 correctly says, more flow is better. Don't worry about residence time in the radiator, you'll get more benefit from pushing more water for less time than less water for more time, since the cooling is quickest with the biggest temperature difference.

How did you get down there? Bimble through France, ferry to Bilbao and across Spain or just sit on a boat all the way there? How did you plan route / sights and camping, or just head out and wing it?

I'd bet something in the axle location - there's some clamping friction but if you're <ahem> enthusiastic then you overcome the friction and it moves through its clearance. My Ninety does the same thing.

No - lean running gives high temps in petrols because the nasty volatile fuel can't quench the cylinder temperatures, absorbing energy as it evaporates. In a proper diesel engine that's not an issue - you just put fuel in and it burns.

Keith - we do have a tyre guy but he's only doing bus stuff and... well, I've seen him working at 5am, not pretty. The tyre's fine, thanks for hanging on to it for so long!

I bought a 150W one, no real problems until it packed up but it worked well from the ciggy lighter. I've now got a 600W one hardwired to the battery, very pleased with it. It won't quite run a hairdryer...

I've done them with levers before ... and after the three hours of struggling and chasing the bead around the rim, I decided £5 a tyre was a bargain. For £35, I'd rather struggle though!

My road tyres are wearing out, my offroad tyres have a puncture. I want to combine the two sets but in the interim (ie just after my holiday) I want to move some tyres about to get best life out of the TracEdges I have. I want four tyre/wheel combos broken down and rebuilt, so I head out with £20 in my pocket, £5 a wheel. First guy says he's too busy - that's fine. Second guy says he's not really interested in that kind of work - fine too, thanks for the honesty. Third guy says there's a European Directive preventing fitment of second hand tyres - that's b*llocks, but I trot on. Fourth guy says they're too big for his machine - I don't mention the LR-size tyres that he advertises for sale and move on. I don't appreciate being lied to. Fifth guy is open till 5pm, but apparently 'just closing' when I rock up at lunchtime. Sixth guy just flatly says no, since I haven't bought the tyres from him. There's nothing going on in his shop and three guys stood idle (including manager) but he doesn't want my business. Becoming hacked off now. Seventh guy reckons he's liable if a tyre is cut or damaged and explodes on the road, at any point in its subsequent lifetime, so turns me away. Kwik-fit: "Good afternoon sir, no problem, that's £35 a wheel please." I'm gobsmacked. £35? I'd rather struggle with tyre-levers for £140. I'm wondering if it'll be easier to just splash out and buy a set now instead, and leave the two 'spares' at the side of the motorway somewhere. Finally, I went to a real back street in a one horse town, asked to see around the back and then went to the bottom of the garden, and round the back again. I made sure it was a particularly back-street day, spoke to man 'out the back' and pointed out that there was no pressing need for a receipt. There my second hand tyres were wedded with my wheels (and balanced) for £10 a corner. (Of course, the cash machine in nowhereville stings me for £2 to withdraw another £20, but that's my fault for being naive) I used to get tyres knocked apart and back together for a fiver wherever I was passing - what's happened?!?

The TruTrac isn't a locker or LSD, it's a torque biasing diff. If you can get your head around the pictures of how they work, it's a beautiful and elegant mechanism. It behaves exactly like a normal diff until a wheel approaches the limit of traction, then biases (multiplies) the available torque to the wheel with most resistance (and therefore grip). If you lift a wheel, the bias ratio times zero is zero, so no power (like an open diff). As Andy said, you can simulate resistance by dragging the brakes slightly. In the front axle you might find that there's more feedback through the steering - for example, if you accelerate hard in a RH roundabout you might spin the front right wheel. The TruTrac will bias the torque to the LH front wheel, giving you more usable grip but it may pull/snatch the steering to the right too. Of course, if you back off enough to stop the spinning wheel, all will return to normal. I have one in the rear of my Ninety, it's completely transparent on the road unless you're being REALLY silly in roundabouts, and even then only under heavy power. If I find another 24 spline one at the right price, it'll go in the front axle too.

Will Warne - welding Hybrid from Hell - waxoyling Bogmonster - tree-strop rigging ... and as for 'specialist rubberwear'... I'm not sure we need a 'credibility' list Andy, if only because I won't be on it. <sulk> Despite your rules I can see it becoming a clique list and that's not in anybody's interest.

On a level playing field I'm fine (so long as it's not muddy). Look, I know I'm a driving god and my Ninety is as capable as every other. That's why it's got Trac Edges on it, no need for your fancy Simex and lockers. On a serious note, I can't compete fairly because I've got a TruTrac in the back, which puts me in Mod class at an RTV against ARBs which psssht their way around the climbs and corners. I've built a good reliable vehicle, just my interpretation of the 'best' for everything I do with it, not just challenges / RTVs / laning / commuting.

The short route out was to get the punch (and challenge myself) but not put my everyday car past trees that could open up the bodywork like a can opener and see me walking 20 miles to work each day for a week. Round where I live in Bristol, if it's not airtight when I park it up at night I won't still have it in the morning. (Anyone got a cheap pushbike?) I take your point about robbing your score, but as I see it we're all there to have fun. If you know you got a punch and you did it well, all power to you. The scoresheets are available afterwards so you can work out where you did better or worse than other people. If you're just competing for the silverware at prizegiving, I apologise for stealing your cup and I'll buy you one saying 'I beat Turbocharger' if you like. No, hang on, there's 1500 people signed up to this forum...

Following my trip around Yoo-rope last week - take as little stuff as if you were backpacking, plus a few spares and tools for the car. Drive risk-averse, don't do anything stupid where you'll need your winch / sand ladders and you'll be fine. I'd add tie-down points all over the cage - I welded small exhaust clamps to my cage and they're a boon for ratcheting stuff down in the back and on the roof.

Hear hear - at James's last event the punches were laid out tight between the trees, but the end consequence of misjudging was always going to be body damage. As a result, I can't be competitive (at all) so I was taking short routes out / going under tape / cheating to avoid damage. I don't really feel able to compete without sustaining damage (or learning to drive properly, and that's not likely) so I haven't entered a challenge since then.

Chris, As John said above, you need fuel to make boost and boost to burn fuel. You can overfuel to build boost earlier, but you'll see smoke in the meantime. I've got the Thermoman EGT kit which you're welcome to borrow for a week or so (if you come and unbolt it!) if you want to play. I'd recommend £30 on a boost gauge though, very easy to fit.

If my memory is working, in order: Ing-er-land France Switzerland Germany Luxembourg Belgium Holland Belgium (again) France (again) England The basic route was to Paris for two nights, down to Dijon, over to Geneva, skirt the Alps to Lausanne and Zurich, up to Stuttgart (Oktoberfest indeed!) and then to Strasbourg. Finishing up via Brussels and Brugge and back to Calais. We used the autobahns but didn't really touch the French peage. There's so much more to see via the RN.

Hang on