Turbocharger

I've finally got round to fitting Dave (Flyer)'s TruTrac into a diff I've got. Cheers for the advice, we'll have a go at drifting the bearings on to the new centre and see if we can make it all go together.

Just a quick post to say thank you to Mr and Mrs TroddenMasses for accomodating me over the weekend - I didn't fancy changing diff centres in the street outside my terraced house, so they offered their workshop (pictured above). On the way there, one prop UJ started rattling - on closer inspection it appears 'next weekend' wasn't the best time to grease the UJs as all 4 were dry with that weird purple gack that goes with hot running. No problem, I have four new spares in the car. Off came the diff and props to do all the required tasks. Having pulled the diff apart and knocked one UJ out, I realised I had 4 of the wrong-size UJs. Bugger. The new diff centre doesn't have bearings on it - not a problem, we'll pull the old ones off. My puller has three legs, so we made a 2-leg version: This taught us three things: Cheap pullers are made of cheese. Those bearings won't come off easily. No parts shops are open on a Sunday near Gloucester. Bugger. So I now have front wheel drive (with bad jangling noises), a rear diff casing and bits of milk-bottle stopping grit getting into the rear axle, and a shopping list for Monday. To cap it all, we sorted the dodgy steering on his Ninety (tracking) and he went for a test drive with my mobile phone on the wing. This post is simply to exalt their workshop and accomodation though, I shall be visiting again (on Tuesday, actually - when I've got more bits). Can I drift the bearing races on myself - ie are they the same "fit" as a hub bearing?

And since it's longer, it'll give you quicker steering too. Smart!

I'm not sure they haven't just seen a cotton reel and thought "hey, we can copy that!" Has anyone seen failures of the Australian slotted bushes yet?

Sorry - I was hoping to up the pressure and then trade that for displacement by using a higher speed. If it won't drive the gallons any quicker, no matter. It doesn't need any more line tension for what I'm doing, but a little more haste would be handy.

Haven't you got an electric winch? You could stall that, or winch something very heavy at least, but as with other suggestions you'd have to dissipate over a kilowatt of heat somewhere.

Does the ZF74 have a PRV? Would this be a cheap Milemarker tune (with a different pulley)?

Si - do you do X-tinhats? [ducking and covering]

1off 285/75R16 Bronco Grizzly Claw (to replace the one 7Sisters ate) 1off 300Tdi Defender coolant header tank - as a 'nice to have' cos there's nothing explicitly wrong with the one I've got.. yet.

My dad has a more conventional oil burner made from an old propane cylinder. It smokes - lots. Rob's looks like a much more dramatic solution though - where do you put the oil in (continuously)?

Keep an eye on the forum - it'll probably be May now for me but if you're really enthusiastic, organise your own and see who turns up!

Apparently there's a piece about RUPPs and BOATs but I haven't sought a vendor yet to check.

My money's on someone not opening that BT 'junk' mail with the red pages inside...

Two for me please. Do I get a free one with that?

I'll probably get flamed for this but I disagree - take shock absorbers. At the beginning someone had the idea of a tube, a rod and some seals, now there's many people in the market. OMEmu have a good reputation, other people make shocks that fall apart. Now there's a choice depending on your pocket and preference. OK, it doesn't reward the people who are working their guts out to make new and clever stuff, producing truly innovative solutions to individual problems and being clever in the engineering sense that the British have a worldwide reputation for, but that's only half the battle to bringing a product to market. Marketing and manufacture within a budget are also critical aspects and here, Scorpion will always have X-Eng beaten because of the immense capital they appear to be supported by. They've chosen to throw lots of money around and to try to dominate the market - time will tell whether this pays off or bankrupts them! I have to say, Si's strategy is less ambitious but at lower risk and he has my unerring support, if only for getting up and doing what some of us only get as far as thinking about.

I'm afraid to say, in the harsh commercial world you operate in there can never be "gentlemen's agreements" to corner parts of the market. I have to say I'm in favour of such an open market - it can only ever push you to reduce cost and improve quality. Then, the market successor will be the one with the best product and aftersales reputation. I don't think you have anything to fear, Si. That said, acting as an agent for your product and then copying it, that stinks. It's within the rules, but... Bring on the stickers - in a single colour would make it easier to produce!

No, no cake in the end - it was just a 'thon' really. Cake for the next one though!

Hi-lifting it from the hinges, passing and replacing has always been my favourite (ask my Dad, who escaped in this fashion from Bath's Park and Ride site) but this gate had one hinge upside-down. Luckily, one hinge was broken so we just 'adjusted' it for him.

If it helps, bus air systems run around 8bar, 110psi ish.

My pics from today's outing: Within 10 mins of setting off: Andy Cowman introduces himself to the forum in his "Submarine": Following the GPS to find tracks: Even when they weren't evident on the ground! Doe? A deer. Perhaps female. A spot more water: A lineup near Stonehenge: The henge itself: At lunchtime, we stopped alongside a large puddle for sandwiches. As we were packing up, some motorbikes came past, which Chris watched. Since he's a smart cookie, when one dived into the puddle he stepped back to avoid getting wet. Sadly, the Plain used the oldest comedy trick in the book: Overall, top day out despite too many red flags although we hardly saw any snow.

Sorry - noise, vibration and harshness. = 'suspension ickyness'

I've wired up some extra switches for the winch and [blush] some of the free play in the wiring (=antidote to 'just an inch too short') worked it's way down and snagged the propshaft. The 2-core cable (in & out) touched each other and so, whichever switch you pressed, power went to both solenoids. Of course, I switched the switch "in" and there was 12v at the "in" solenoid. Switched it "out" and there's 12v at the "out" solenoid. It never occurred to me to check the opposite solenoid too!

I'd be surprised if you didn't see masses of NVH through them, but you'd have pretty precise steering etc and obviously, considerably more travel.

I don't know, Dad. I've got the ZF74 pump where my power steering should go, but I don't know about 100bars - I've got pipes instead. I thought PTO winches needed bars and UJs to make them work. Equally, I've no idea how quick it is under load although I ought to measure it at some point. I'd need Andy's dyneemamometer though!

Just to close this subject... let's just say my Milemarker remains slow but ultra reliable. It transpires (ahem) if you wire it such that you're telling it to go out and in at the same time, it goes nowhere. I hate electrics.