ArtistsRifles

Ah - I think that was just the remains of the old gasket - I'll try to remember to get a photo of the cleaned head before the gasket goes on and the head goes back today.

I like the new site - I liked Beltring too - but the new site opens up different possibilities. Yes, not disturbing the race track is an issue (although the entrance to Kitcheners this year might have affected that) as is the shallow flat arena. But we are only 2 shows in so who knows how things will change/improve for the better in future? We've seen Rex listens - better loo/shower facilities than at Beltring, the bus service around the site and better caterers this year. Yes, the atmosphere is different but still enjoyable and I think as people become established location wise the same level of atmosphere will return. Fuel costs I think are slowly taking heavies out of the picture - both transport and operating and as said by others this was a big year events wise so funds and time have been stretched to the limit. I look forwards to seeing next years show.

Will be there Friday AM - if around look for the OT-90, hull number 151

Them Clive :-D

Don't think it was actually in Kitcheners - in fact I am not sure the first lot were even on site. We were were in aisle 1 just behind the Twickenham Offroaders and were looking out towards the where the storm came in at about a 30 deg angle.

Went to buy a book and came back with a deact Makarov..... World Wide arms were refunding parking fees!

I think the cabin and fenced off supplies you refer to were the armourers location.

Looks like I might be lucky - spent today carefully cleaning off the old gasket material and cleaning the surfaces up and there does not seem to seem any damage to the head itself. Time will tell. It gets refitted Sunday hopefully (daughter is working tomorrow) so - allowing for parts deliveries of a 'stat and hoses I should know by Weds if all is well or not. Assuming of course the thunderstorms pass away again.

The new accompaniment to the S3 Landie arrived on the drive the Sat of the W&P show. It was taken down there running perfectly but, as is the way of things, once there the brake master cylinder decided to give up the ghost!! No prizes for guessing what the first will be! Also got a few body jobs to do - windscreen frame and dash need to be rubbed down and pointed as do the seat frames and heater box. Plus various holes that appear to have no purpose -yet!!!

Right. Stripped the head down and finally got it removed today. What a truly god-awful job it is getting the lump of cast iron out on ones own!!!! Daughter Mk1 has been press ganged into the refit on Sunday. During the strip-down I hit the panic button when a bolt sheared off in the thermostat housing, Turned out the bolt was a short one and was too short to meet the mating face. I got the top housing for the thermostat off (needs a new stat now) and will have to try removing the housing on the scrap engine as the sheared bolt don't want to be drifted out of the lower body. As you can see from the photos below the cause for the blowing noise is immediately obvious. So now I have to clean up the mating surface of the cylinder head then refit it and rebuild the engine. Debating whether to wash the block down whilst I wait for parts to be delivered and give it a coat of paint. Head stripped ready for removal Sheared housing bolt Head off the vehicle Spot the damage Block awaiting cleaning too

Thats what they said about today.... They got it wrong again :-(

Worth something to owners of Series Landies who have the storage rack between the front seats.

Was down there yesterday offloading the OT and a friends Saracen. Very wet and rather muddy where the water mains have been laid. Decided to leave the two vehicles just outside the entrance to Kitcheners than risk scuffing up the ground getting to the pitch. There was a god-awful down pour just before I arrived and when I got out of the car the puddles were deep enough to soak my feet but within a short while the majority had drained away. For those interested - Kitcheners is definitely a LOT flatter than last year and much greener

Lighting switch - turn anticlockwise to the HST position (Head, Side, Tail) for normal lighting.

True - and that I understand - but why one earth does it take exactly 1/4 mile to manifest itself?? At this point it is cruising on a flat level road in 4th. I understand it's a case of loading - there is little other explanation - but why does it not happen as I leave my road going up through the gears and over the user unfriendly council speed humps when there is a serious load applied??

Ah well - as ever the path of life is beset with steaming cowpats from the Devils own satanic horde... :cry: Rain stopped a little while ago so I popped out, get the foot pump out and pumped the back tyre up to 30 again then took her for a spin around the block - and at exactly the same spot as before I get the blowing noise from under the bonnet!!! This is really peeing me off right now - left her running for over 10 minutes at well above fast idle so the engine was at operating temp and she was as good as gold. Take her on to the road - and bang... :cry: Measured it on the sat nav program and it is exactly 1/4 mile and give or take a couple of feet it occurs in the same spot. So - looks like the head is coming off after all. I can start stripping her down tomorrow morning and then - if the gasket set arrives in time - refit on Tursday. Provided it's not a stuffed valve or a crack in the head. Confuses the hell out of me though - why won't it happen when the vehicle is stationary - and why does it take a 1/4 mile to kick in when running - either something is blowing when hot or it isn't.... :nut: :nut:

Well the manifold nuts from Namrick arrived today (excellent service!!) So I thought - what the hell. Crawled under in the pouring rain much to the neighbours amusement and fitted the exhaust back on. Then fired her up, gave it a couple of minutes to warm up and then set the hand throttle to about the equivalent RPM of 30 mph. After 10 minutes at this engine speed there were no sign of blowing noises at all. Can't road test her for the minute as the N/S rear is too soft and I am not going to get soaked using a footpump to inflate it. Fingers crossed for now.

Have to admit - I personally think the ex-mils look better without them. Do you have the mitary headlamps with provision for fitting the IR filters??

It's not that they are too tight mate - its that I always have the devils own job getting no. 2 and no. 4 on every time. I just do the unions up finger tight but for some weird reason I can't get those two to line up to screw on. :-(

If I am right - and the engine has to be getting up to operating temp before the signs reveal themselves it will mean trying to remove screened plugs and their connectors that are both too hot to touch in order to carry out the compression test. Not a problem getting one out - getting it back in without screwing (no pun intended) the threads up could prove to be "entertaining....... What I will do is reconnect the exhaust as the nuts from Namrick should, I hope, be here before the gasket set and take it for a test run. If fitting the other manifold is the cure then all well and good. I suspect it will not be though and after 1/4 mile the signes will return. At that point I feel its going to be a head off job no matter what. Simplest solution is a blown gasket between two cylinders as you say. Worst of all will be a cracked head.

FWIW - headlight surrounds usually got binned! :-)

A true character and a loss to the hobby :-(

Thanks Richard - better order a gasket kit then. Swapped the manifolds today - sliced a finger on a jubilee clip, nice and deep of course. Only diffetence was the exhaust manifold on the engine had bolts whilst the one from the scrap engine has studs! Just as well really as two of the bolts sheared....... :-( Need to get 3 exhaust nuts now but if the head has to come off thats not a priority...

Manifolds off the scrap S3 engine - that uses the one piece composite too Checked the faces and they look good so I am swapping them over.

Looking good :-)