Turbocharger

Note to self: do not learn 'survival Mandarin' when travelling to a Cantonese-speaking region.

I'm going to Hong Kong for a month tomorrow, to work for the bus company out there and see how they do what they do. I know you all won't miss me(!) but for anyone who wants to follow my vocabularially-challenged voyage, I'm planning an online blog (ooh, hark at the modernism). http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/JohnBickerton/

Would that matter? Mine's above the water level...

Mine were both a git to fit - others drop straight on. I presume you've not tightened any of the bolts up yet? I had to resort to mole grips and a tyre-iron to bend it into shape.

If there were a load stacked up in the boot, one next to them on its side and one ratchet-strapped to the spare which was already on the back door then yes, you were spotted. Good effort

^^ he means steering ball joints, not UJs, although I had a look at the UJs and they're fine too. The hardest part is, with him rocking the steering and me lying underneath, there's no movement in any joints, bushes or on the drop arm. The steering doesn't have a 'loose' zone in the 'play' as mine does when it has a ball joint gone either, ie there's little extra resistance when you actually start to turn the corner. That's why I looked at the tracking. Clues?

No, I don't think you can call it a 'line' since he was just waiting behind one empty Ninety...

I was worried about not being able to find Trac-Edges since they went out of production - the place was full of them! I picked up a 750R16 for £2. I also had a chat to Will Warne while he was waiting in a stationary queue for quite a while, but least said there the better I think...

Sorry - I've not been following this thread. I won't be there since I'm going to China for a month, I think TroddenMasses is working that weekend too

Err - kinda. First thing this morning, no trailer light, no indicators. Drove 200yds (as an engineering test, you understand. I wouldn't drive an unroadworthy vehicle to work just because I was late) and the indicators started working again. They were flashing a bit slowly but sped up to normal during the journey. I didn't jetwash the engine bay, nor the interior, that's the odd thing. I did wash out the wiring behind the 'flaps' in the wheelbox of the rear tub though. I'm pleased other people have the trailer light for hazards - apparently the pathetic red telltale in the hazard light switch is a favourite reason to fail a Defender at MOT time.

I made the mistake of jetwashing my car today - now I've got an intermittent fault with the indicators (no, not the once-a-second on/off/on/off fault). Usually when I use the hazard lights the trailer light flashes instead of the indicators (is that normal?) - on the motorway on the way back the trailer light came on dimly but permanently and the indicators flashed much more slowly or not at all. Any ideas?

There're auctions in Bristol at Long Ashton, just next to where we MOT our buses. I know no more than that...

I'd reckon a turbo every 150,000 miles and you could get see 400,000+ with proper servicing. The engine's more likely to die of some catastrophic ancillary failure like an oil hose popping off somewhen, and that's not really mileage related. I'd be happy to see 200k out of mine with the abuse I give it, irregular oil changes and accidental oil contaminations etc.

Matt - if you weren't teetotal I'd question your sobriety... It is indeed a zip line: For those who are concerned about me breaking bits of my winching kit, don't worry - he ain't heavy..... he's my brother. <groan> Credit has to go to Matt though, for pure genius and innovation in storytelling

I say it shouldn't be banned. At least at the moment we know where to look for knocked-off bits - a field near Newbury, and Ebay.

Hope that sorts it for you, Mike. Mine refuses to lock from outside despite the new barrel so I just carry a hitting stick in the cab. On a related note, has anyone managed to fit central-locking to a rear door lock? I'm not too fussed about remote-locking, just a button on the dash would be a boon.

To improve the pinion angle at the propshaft, wouldn't you have to make the arms shorter, to pull the bottom of the axle forward and point the diff nose more towards the gearbox?

Hang on - don't John Craddocks have that huge inflatable tyre at Billing?

Where in Stroud, and Weston?

Back? Pah - I saw you two weeks ago

Gawd, first Henson, now MY OWN FATHER. It's bloody current, did you teach me nothing with those clips round the earhole while I was but a 12 year old, working 28 hours down't pit just to afford my first beard?

I may be speaking out of turn here, but I think Simon's philosophy is similar to yours. Example: He has made an electric skateboard, which interests me. I can't afford to buy one off him (even if his was for sale!) but he's been more than helpful pointing me towards motors, speed controllers etc so I can build my own. I've also had extensive post-alcohol control testing of the same device, all with no profit or benefit to Si. If you wanted to make a disc handbrake and could do all the fabrication yourself but couldn't source a caliper, I reckon Si would sell you one - he supports innovation generally, to his commercial detriment indeed. The gripe is that, advertising and copying aside, Scorpion promised that they wouldn't copy it, then did.

My greatest concern would be, by nearly doubling the geared inertia will you further increase the epic run-on of the 8274? With all the speed and power that'll be available, you'll only need to blip the button if you've only got 100ft of rope!

I've got a momentary toggle switch mounted on the gearstick (don't have to stop winching to engage/change gear - you never know), a socket on the front grille for the wanderlead, and - controversially - a latching toggle switch on the front grille. It's a Milemarker, there's plenty of time to get out of the way. All three are isolated from inside the cab. Toggle switches are ideal in gloves, otherwise go for BIG chunky pushbuttons.