BXProject

[mat_the_cat]

Whilst setting off from my mate's in Bristol to go to a festival, the hydraulic warning light flickered on round a few corners. Bugger, thought I, and stopped in Tescos to top it up. After putting it in high, I added quite a lot of LHM only to find that it made no difference to the float. And there was a rather large spurt coming from the nearside rear strut. It was coming from the return from the bellows (which had blown off)...fortunately, the leak stopped when moving back to normal. Putting it back to high blew the pipe off again, with another high pressure spurt! I've since done another few hundred miles with no problems, so the only theory I have for the cause is that the cylinder must be damaged in the area that the piston seals against in high. I've since looked at the ground where I last put it (briefly) into high, and there is evidence of LHM, so I think the 'normal' cylinder leakage had been dribbling out over the last week or so, causing the light to come on.
Question is, what could have caused the damage? Fortunately I have a new spare sat on the shelf, and if I remember correctly the nearside has the easier union to strut pipe to replace if I need to.
At least it didn't spoil the weekend, which had copious amounts of sunshine, good music and the odd drink or so...

[docchevron132]

What caused the damage?
Well, the material the cylinder is made of really!

It's pretty well known for them to get a bit "wooly" and become a tad incontenant..

Which Tesco's BTW?

Glad you had a good weekend regardless.

[Philhod]

What he said really. The cylinders are quite thick but degenerate in patches of corrosion.

I've tried magic metal repairs....don't bother.

The only succesful repair I made was TIG welding all the external holes (dug em out first) with new ally.....now that worked

[mat_the_cat]

I had thought that they must have corroded through - my last two did just that, bizarrely within a week of each other! However, I drilled the protective shroud when I last changed them to prevent the build up of water (the old ones had a tide mark of corrosion). When I changed the spheres a couple of months ago the outsides of both struts were pretty good.
What seemed to be happening was whenever high was selected, the bellows would swell and pop off the return (or was it the vent?) pipe. To me that indicates internal damage to the bore. Are you thinking that internal corrosion has caused it? I'll open it up once I get round to changing it, have a look...
Chris, it was the Tescos at junction 2 of the M32…where there'll probably be a big patch of soft tarmac by now! I managed to snap a van like your ambulance at the festival, I'll post the pic up later. That was a bigger highlight for me than seeing Hawkwind!

[smiffy]

Chris, it was the Tescos at junction 2 of the M32…

Not far from where I live!

[mat_the_cat]

Ah, my mate lives up near the Wackum Inn in St George.

This is what we saw on Sunday...

[smiffy]

I drive past the Wackum inn on my way to work. I think CG might cream his shorts looking at that FG....

[docchevron132]

Major creamage occurance!
A fucking 420!
Bet it has the dire 2.2 diesel though..
Still, I have a flat pack 40K petrol kicking about!

I fucking love those things... really should do something with mine, aint even started it for a couple of years.

Ahh, Tesco's eastville.. usually full of fucking terrorists.

Suspect you'll find alot of powder towards the top end of the cylinder, they all seem to go at the top end first..

[mickey taker]

Matt said "wackum inn " fnnnaaarr fnnnaaarr yick yick

[smiffy]

it's a sports theme pub...

[Philhod]

Matt said "wackum inn " fnnnaaarr fnnnaaarr yick yick

......................... [tumble]

[Way2go]

Clearly tickled his fancy!

[jonathan_dyane]

Major creamage occurance!
A fucking 420!
Bet it has the dire 2.2 diesel though..
Still, I have a flat pack 40K petrol kicking about!

I fucking love those things... really should do something with mine, aint even started it for a couple of years.

Surely it was only the single-wheeled 350/350 that had the BMC 2.2 diesel? Agree, the above is lovely, and I too rather covet it...

Would love one myself, set out as a space to live in, but at least until then I can settle for pottering round in the fathers...

[smiffy]

Stop, the docs' keyboard will be awash with jizz!

[docchevron132]

too late!
I REALLY want to have a go in that!
Looks fucking lovely!
Even the 550 was available with the 2.2 diesel!
I still hanker after a 900FG, but I aint seen one for years now.
I've got some original BMC sales brouchers for FG's somewhere, must try and find them.

Really have to get mine going now, I miss hooning about in it, hard as fuck to actually pilot, but always brings an enormous smile to the face!
Even at 4MPG on hardcore 4star...

[jonathan_dyane]

Ye Gods, the father's will barely move with the mighty BMC 2.2 Diesel, I can scarcely imagine the slowness of a 550 with the same 'power unit', they must be ridiculously low-geared.

That said, although having the fastest FG of evah must be quite a thing, I would find the 4mpg a tad hard to tolerate...

For lots more pictures of lovely FGs, check out http://www.travellerhomes.co.uk/?s=60

[Fish_Botherer]

Was that 4mpg or 4mph.....

[Philhod]

That will be 4 mpg @4 mph

[docchevron132]

The only 550 I ever drove had the 2.2, it managed 45mph, eventually, and loudly!

I dont actually know how fast mine goes flat out, but I've had it to the heady heights of 80mph (albeit that was the speedo reading from the following car) but it had some left.
TBH it's frightening as fuck at 50 mph so thats fine by me!
If you're really careful with the throttle then 12 MPG is doable, but 8MPG was more usual, and 4mpg being retunred a few times with spirited driving..

[mickey taker]

Matt said "wackum inn " fnnnaaarr fnnnaaarr yick yick

......................... [tumble]

obviously you are not a fan of Viz magazine ,

one of its charecters is Finbarr Saunders who is always overhearing ambiguous conversations

Finbarr does nothing but laugh at the double entendres he hears, making noises such as "Fnarr! Fnarr!", "Warf! Warf!", "Tsssk Tsssk", "Chortle Chortle" and "K-Woo! K-Woo!",


A few examples of double entendres, all taken from issue 138 of Viz:

When talking of his wife's antique camera, a man says "I've spent many a hot afternoon with my face under her hood, flicking away at that button, trying to make those leathery old flaps open up."

When talking of his picture printing apparatus he says "I've got a small Johnson, but it can enlarge to nigh on a foot when it is turned on in a darkened room"

When demonstrating how easy it is to take off the lens he says "A few quick twists of the wrist and it comes off in a couple of seconds... Mind you I haven't had it off in ages, so it was very stiff this morning"

When talking about taking pictures of people he passes on the street, he says "I often startle passers-by when I suddenly pull it out of my trousers and it goes off in their eyes."

When describing the lamp in his darkroom he says "Mine's quite large and glows red at the top"