Ok, a fresh MOT obtained at 84555 miles, but not without a stuck thermostat at the MOT place. Thankfully, my normally pretty slow brain noticed that the fans weren't kicking in. New(ish) pancake fans, on a new rad, all silicone hoses, and screw in otterstat, so they should be working.
But the rad was cold, as were the pipes. I thought either the water pump had failed or the thermostat had failed shut.
MOT man (who is super good, and always up for a bit of "play time"!) dived in, confirmed the pump was turning, and ditched my (untouched in my ownership
) crusty old stat. The coolant was only two years old, but it had stuck shut with a bit of crust having not been used since last October. Without seals or gaskets, the North London garage man is undeterred knowing full well that half a can of black RTV squashing out everywhere its applied can only be a good thing!!
And how did I get an MOT when I needed yet another wash bottle motor??!!
Thats one for "Tales of the Unexpected"....
Anyway, I've had a full set of vac hoses and fuel lines in my loft for ages. And whats the point of standing on the side of the M25 watching your D go up in flames, wishing you had ditched those OEM Dunmurry fuel lines??
I needed to helicoil on of the M7 threads for the ram horns, replace the stat, replace all the vac lines I could get to, and do the fuel lines. I had plugs (not needed, but done anyway), a dizzy cap and rotor (both fucked), and I wanted to make make sure the throttle butterflies were closing fully.
So I took off the metering head, but didnt have the balls to go into the valley just yet. That will be next. But I now know what WON'T need done when I do go in.
I replaced the throttle cable with one which I had actually been very kindly send by Bozzzy ages ago. I always carried it as a spare just in case. But now I fitted it, and thanked him for it, wherever he is now. Its actually got a really nice (D-perfect!) end on it at the pedal end. A small thing, but quite important to me at least. Thanks mate, I never did get to buy you a pint for it.
I having done all the fuel lines, vac lines, I set up the throttle as per Nick T's instructions.
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=5823(previously, after fitting the new exhaust Nick and Dan had set the mixture and fuel pressures, so they were as good as they could be made at the time- thanks guys)
And its all good! A nice solid idle about 900 rpm (tho my slotted brass screw is nearly fully home), the pedal feels better, and I can enjoy the little bit extra power with the exhaust. Its a good bit noisier too! All the more reason to wish for a low burble, at idle as opposed to a slightly obnoxious noise at 1500 rpm!!
Well, something will break soon, and I'll update, and if not then maybe I'll get round to either the fusebox (thats just 3 years now) the D reverse, or the waterpump, or the fog and brake light mod.
(Or maybe I'll just replace my washbottle and the OEM motor Arran sent me)
Andy