Bored again!

yep! - I'm bored again - been at the docs today and have been signed off for another 4 weeks :-(

The wind is mental outside so not able to go and potter with the car - Cindy is still not up and running - she's all back together but it looks like I've got a problem with the injector internals - new injectors should arrive in the post tomorrow - then we will be up and running - I've replaced seals on the fuel system as well and checked all the wiring loom under the bonnet - what a long and laborious task that was.
I sat last night and wrapped some trim parts in Carbon fibre sheet - they turned out well, promise I'll put pics up once I find the download cable for my phone.
I had been hoping to get some bike time while I've been off but the weathers been crap - either too windy or icy - and when it's been good enough to go out I've had neither the energy nor the inclination - if the crapiness breaks I'll definitely get out - it's amazing how much I miss being out.

My Genesis Latitude - I tried a few bikes out but to be honest when I sat on this one it just felt totally right - one of those bikes that you just want to ride - so I sure as hell want to get out and ride more.
Yodagoat and Mr Woods took me night riding at Glentress a wee while back - it was a fucking blast and I ordered my own Magicshites as soon as I got back.
I've told junior that all the crap bike stuff round the back of the shed has to go - so it'll be clear out time when we get a half decent day - I'll keep the bits I want to keep and get rid of the rest - it'll still leave one or two projects to do - a Diamondback X-link (99p on Ebay) ; his Specialised P1 (need some 24" wheels) ; a GT iDrive which need a new seat post and an old 80's Diamondback Ascent which was complete bar the front wheel - it still has the majority of its Smoky paint with a purple clear coat on top.

 I do have the bars in the shed somewhere.....................

The original Biopace chainring - i've read conflicting reports on whether it is good or bad - I'll just have to try it myself to find out.

 The paint is only damaged in a few places so I think I'd prefer to try to match and touch in - it would be such a shame to strip and repaint a different colour. And I'll have to get some replacement stickers made up.

Well, must go for a dump so I'll finish there.

Some more Cindy

As I said before, we've decided to keep Cindy for a long time so I've been making up a list of jobs needing doing and a few that are just a bit of pimping!

I like the pimping ones so I've been surfing for pics on the web - I don't think V220's are the usual pimping fodder but I'm amazed at how many smart looking examples there are around - it has to be said though that most seem to be in Europe, especially Germany.

I've already managed to get some shiny bits off the bay of E for a bargainous price so soon Cindy will have a nice stainless steel A-bar and matching side rails combo. Unfortunately the wheels I like are fucking expensive so it'll take me a while to save up for them unless another Ebay bargain appears.

She's got a few wee rusty bits on the edges of some panels so I'll get them all sorted soon and get her paintwork up to scratch and then I'll do some work on the interior - really just a case of replacing the cheap plastic thingies that hold the interior trim in place and sticking some sound insulation behind all the panels so she's even quieter on the inside. The carpets all need a damn good shampoo as well but I'll wait until I can take them all out and do it on the patio one day.

Hopefully by the time summer comes she'll be all nice and shiny and looking good.

Sorting Cindy's injectors

Cindy is our Mercedes V220 - basically the posh version of a Vito van - 7 seats (7 real seats, none of these silly wee fold out things that you get in other so called 7 seaters), full leather interior, climate control, cruise control etc etc - we've had her for about a year and a half and like all other vehicles, a wee bit of TLC is required on a regular basis. We've decided to keep Cindy for a long long time mainly due to the fact that she does everything we need her to do - Holidays, days out, Mountainbiking trips, camping, Scout camps and if you take the seats out she does an Optimus Prime and transforms into a van!

I've done a few jobs on Cindy so far but recently I've been doing what is quite a big job - it's quite scary too!

Due to what many reckon is bad design of the CDi engines the injectors can suffer leakage up the side of the injector due to the rather pathetic 20p washer providing a seal at the cylinder end - this results in bad compression and some rather yucky black carbon deposits which in many cases weld the injector into the hole making it a complete bastard to get out.

Well, armed with replacement washers and a big pry bar I got started - and the fuckers wouldn't come out! - after a week and a half, spraying with oven cleaner, breaking the cam cover and losing the skin from all my knuckles I'd managed to get 2 out but the other 2 wouldn't budge.

Having had a read of what is one of my favourite forums I discovered that I could rent an injector removal tool which would/should pull them out.

Hope it works!

I was desperate for it to arrive so I could get the last 2 out - this was getting personal now. It's a well engineered tool with proper bearings at the top end to make sure that all forces go in to pulling out the injector - and it sure as hell worked - had the last 2 injectors out within an hour - should have hired the bloody thing a week and a half ago!

The only downside is that you have to remove the top from the injector
so the tool attaches solidly - theres some awfy wee bits in there which is fun when you have big stubby fingers like mine. After a wee bit of research and some help from one of the guys on the benzworld.com forum I managed to get the injectors all cleaned and reassembled.

I'd already bought some injector bore cleaning brushes from Mercedes but the remover also came with a handy dandy refacing tool so that everything is nice and perfect for putting them back in.

It's just a case of dropping it in the hole and rotating so that the cutter on the end shaves away the pitted surface and leaves it nice and smooth and ready for the new copper washer to seal everything up.


It's a bit of a slow methodical job made a bit worse by the fact that theres no way to see down the bores other than using a mirror and a bright light - I used my Magicshine bike light as it's really fucking bright and after a bit it all ended up nice and clean.





From this manky mess..................................................................



...................to this shiny piece of loveliness.

Injectors out and cleaned, bores all clean and ready, new thermostat fitted while I had it all apart and a few other wee jobs done whilst I was in there - I'm just waiting on a new cam cover arriving from Ebay - Merc wanted £107 + Vat and I got one on Ebay for £31 - bargain. Once it appears it'll be a case of sticking it all back together and keeping my fingers crossed that all is OK.

I'll stick the next exciting installment up as soon as the jobs done.



Blame it on Yodagoat

It's his fault! - After following his and Coastkids blogs for a while he's badgered  me to have a go myself - I'm not exactly convinced that anything I post will be of interest to anyone but what the hell...............

............So here I am, off work cos I'm feeling like shit and can't be arsed doing much else.

First question - what the fuck can I put on here?  

A bit of Mountainbiking - I got a wee cheap camera recently so I'll start farting aroung with this and put up some bits and bobs.

A few bits about keeping Cindy the love bus on the road - I'm just about finished doing a rather massive job on her so I think this might be my first post.

I'm sure as I go along I'll end up posting even more boring crap but you never know, I might surprise myself and have something interesting  at some point.

I'll have a muck around on here today and see how I get on - must go and edit my profile first and then upload some photos - need to set up a flicker account first and have another coffee.