SimonRHC

If it was a burgundy type thing it could have been Rowan Atkinson. I spotted him on the M40 a few months ago and posted a thesis on Blatchat which was later published in EVO after they had edited it! http://www.blatchat.com/T.asp?id=86675 Cheers Simon

I think Ford have done a Volkswagen – Skoda with turning an Aston Martin into a Jaguar. This is a good thing for us though, it look fantastic and not at all bloated like the old XK. I think it has one of those exhaust by-pass valves like Aston because when the fella hit the gas it sounded like it had spent time at Westlake! Si

Ben Rockey's car and trailer at Oxford services a week last Saturday. It looked a bit muddy. Si.

Hi Simon, The application I have hinted at is a 500kW emergency Gen.-set in the basement of a building in Asia. I think they have “imagen-eered” (pulled out of their ar$e) a test spec which is even more stringent then a (military?) aerospace test specs. They used to fit twin starters but are pushing (on financial grounds) for a single unit which is pulling 2500 Amps! From what you have said it seems that (in some instances) their spec is more stringent then even the helicopter application spec. Cheers Simon

Morning chaps, The starter motor in question is 20hp! It’s really more like a traction motor. It is fitted to Gas Turbine (electricity) generator sets. The customer wants to do installation sign-off tests of 30 seconds on, 5 minutes rest. 30 seconds on, 5 minutes rest. 30 seconds on, 5 minutes rest. 30 seconds on, 5 minutes rest. 30 seconds on, 5 minutes rest. This seems pretty harsh but I was wondering how it compared to the small gas turbines in helicopters for example? I would have thought that aerospace standards would be the highest for electrical starting devices. Do aerospace application demand that the turbines have to be “cranked” for a certain number of times in a certain time period before they are deemed acceptable? Some of our other on highway customers demands the starter can continuously crank for a few minutes so they can be used to pull a vehicle off of a level crossing for example. Does any one know the aerospace standards? Cheers Simon

Good afternoon everyone, I trust you have your feet off the pedals now and are coasting towards the weekend! One of my work customers that makes gas turbines gen-sets is quite insistent that they should be able to use one of my starters to crank a turbine for 30 seconds then rest at ambient (no forced air cooling) for 5 minutes. They repeat this 5 times. I was wondering if any of you aerospace guys knew if there was a spec for aero turbines and if it was as harsh or not? Do planes or helicopter turbines use electric starters? Cheers Simon

Cheers chaps, I think it’s a go. Thankfully the Sony receiver has a signal strength meter in dB’s so I can experiment on direction, acceptability etc. with the receiver and aerial in the loft on a mains extension lead. Then I can take some brave pills and head up the ladder. I wouldn't bother at all apart from the fact that the car on the drive way (small aerial, low height) gets a signal so I think with the better kit in/on the house there's room for improvement. Interesting about the satellite coax being better, it think it's also smaller diameter which should keep "Her-in-doors" happy. We don't have broadband that would be another £180 / year and as The Pub Landlord say's "Nobody can w@nk that fast!". Q Radio is good, but it's not the mighty X! Thanks again Simon p.s. and for the musoo's among you at 5 weeks old baby Sam's current favorite sleep music is "Music for Airports" by Brian Eno!!! Edited by - The Naked Engineer on 1 Feb 2006 12:24:10

Tom_C Thanks for your reply but I have Freeview already. I keep rescanning and X-Fm isn't found so I’m not sure it's on digital, that would be too easy! As for Sky, I want to avoid giving Rupert Murdock ~£150 / year. I am pretty sure Fm is my only hope and if the car-radio gets a signal in the driveway would a tuner and roof aerial be much better? Are my assumptions about the kit required correct? help... ☹️ Simon 😬

Chaps during my daily commute to London Village I listen to X-Fm (Something for people between the age groups of Radio1 and Radio2). The problem is that when I get home I can’t receive it…so sad. The car-radio will partially receive it in our driveway but my Sony (£150) tuner in the lounge won’t. The Tuner currently uses a rubbish wire aerial. Now we have taken root I am thinking in investing in a better aerial. I have had a look around and found this: http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=21107&criteria=FM%20Aerial&doy=1m2 I wondered if I shinned up the ladder and fixed it to the TV aerial, pointed it at London and ran a length of good quality coax to the lounge if the result would be acceptable? Any one had a similar experience? Would I also need a signal booster? I remember from a misplaced youth of reading What Hi-Fi (when it was actually about Hi-Fi) that I could spend £100’s constructing Goonhilly on my chimney stack but I haven’t got £100’s and I haven’t got a chimney stack. Listening on-line is not a suitable solution. Any one have a suggestions how I can get better reception? Cheers Simon

Burgundy with Silver stripe Near Longwick (Bucks). Saturday 21 Jan 06 Longwick roundabout near Princes Risborough about 2pm. I was going from Longwick to Holton (via the Chiltern Brewery) in a Silver Primera to play Hockey (and get beer!) I did wave but the pilot was looking in a different direction. Simon

edh, I have seen a dark blue SV in Beaconsfield. I wonder if it's the same chap? Simon

I think 1) sell you car and buy a 1.4K series. 100hp is plenty for fast road driving IMO. It might be a bit frustrating on track but with the windscreen off for the day you'd get a bit more top end. 2) look into LPG 3) do some thing to reduce the drag I have been through this whole thing myself (1600VX - 24mpg - 80miles/day). I wish i had punted the seven and bought a 1.4K it would have paid for itself by now! Cheers Simon

I was forever driving through Acton in the morning with my hazard lights on trying to get the bl**dy indicators to work. A Mr JW of Ashford once told me that it's good practice to run through all the switches before putting the car away after a run. Since i have been doing that i have had no indicator problems. I "think" the reason was that the hazard switch forms part of the indicator circuit (or something) and when that corroded the indicators stopped. a quick flick of the hazard switch and hey presto the indicators were back. Cheers Simon

Chaps, i also checked the spare and it has the same regular patches, wear pattern (but not so obvious) so the problem has been happening for years. I just can't figure out what would cause this so all sugestions are welcome. Cheers Simon

My modeo doesn't have ABS and i have only locked up once briefly at low speed. Cheers Simon

I have a ‘98 Mondeo. Whilst checking the tires yesterday I have noticed that the left hand front has a strange wear pattern. The inside edge is heavily warn but in patches. The patches are about 2 inches on, 2inches off. You don’t get vibration through the steering wheel and it pulls up straight. The right front is fine. The wheel bearing didn’t seem to be loose when I jacked it up. Could it be the tracking (is this the same as Toe-in / toe-out)? Or could it be a failed damper type thing leading to the tire bouncing down the road? If it is the tracking could it be re-set at a tire fitters and any idea of how much it would cost roughly. Cheers Simon

Phil, every thing between the battery and the starter is effectively a resister. Better joints will help (your comments are correct). Solder is quiet good but can fatigue, crimping is more common. What we tend to do is shorten the cable runs and increase the wire diameter to help reduce volt drop. I am assuming that the battery kill switch would have necessitated an extra cable run. Check that this is of suitable diameter. You could experiment with a twin run of cable to reduce the resistance. At the end of all this you may still need a new starter but it’s worth checking. It is a hunch of mine but I think most K series starter problems are not bad starters but mis-applied starters. WRT to the 12v to 8v volt drop I don’t know if that normal on sevens but for a truck or bus application it’s nowadays 1v to 0.5v!!! WRT the starter with one burnt brush it sounds like one of the brushes has go stuck in it’s holder causing arcing and twice the current in the opposite brush which (on long cranks would over heat very quickly). If heating effect is I^2.R then the effect is not doubled but squared! Cheers Simon

Chaps, Starter motors are only as good as the power the get at the terminals. Maybe all the extra cabling of the battery cut of switch and it's terminals has led to a big volt drop. You could try checking the voltage at the battery and compare it to the voltage at the starter main terminals (probably the fat one marked B+ and the starter casting). then just for fun Convert it into a percentage volt drop then remove the corresponding percentage from you engines power. It may well be a kin to fireing on 3 cylinders! If there is a big volt drop and you can reduce it you might save yourself £'s. Cheers Simon

“Solenoid underneath the motor” Not generally a very good idea unless the casing is fitted with a drain plug. The solenoid plunger which is ferrous can rust and stick or the contacts can fill with water and through electrolysis produce hydrogen and oxygen. I have seen this lead to fires in the laboratory. “Two terminals with bolts, one has a wire which goes directly to the motor as well” The battery positive goes to the solenoid (Terminal 30 or B+) (the one that doesn't have a link to the motor) If the starter is earth return then you will need to bolt it to the chassis or engine to get it to work. If it’s insulated return then it will have a 3rd terminal (terminal 31 or B-) that is on the back of the motor. “A spade connector terminal” The Lucar blade (spade) terminal (Terminal 50, or SW terminal) goes to the key switch, relay or big red starter button. “The motor isn't in direct line with the gear, it offset (may be geared?)” Geared starters are very common now as it’s the best way to get the required torque – speed characteristics from a small motor. “It's silver” Nice! EXTRAS It’s sound practice to disconnect the battery when fitting the starter as the cable to terminal 30 will remain live. Check the number of teeth and the distance over two teeth. The picture on the link looks like a standard SAE 1 flange mounting but check to see if it’s been offset. (pinion not in the middle of the flange) The only other thing I can think of is to check the flange to pinion distance. (On an SAE 1 application it’s normally (but not always) about 46mm just make sure you have “like for like”.) Cheers Simon

Charles’ DB5 Volante dances on pneumatic suspension to Wagner. And since he saw Goldfinger it's got those hubcaps that keep spinning when you stop at the lights! Camilla-Galore! Simon

No, it defiantely was HRH and the blue lights behind the grill were blinding. Simon

Wednesday 5pm Navy blue Bentley tearing along the Western Avenue heading into London. Car was fitted with "Behind Grill Neon" (in blue). Not Snoop Dog in the back but a dear old Lady who looked like the one off of the first Class stamps. Simon

I'd agree with Jason except add that when you push the hood onto the poppers on the windscreen put your hand inside the car and try and push in an equal and opposite direction from inside. Also if the hood's likely to shrink it's worth slackening it off so that it doesn't over stress the screen. Also... Using a hood is not blowsy! I ran my car everyday with a hood on through 5 winters. Starting off on a 50 mile commute with ice on the inside adds another dimension to Severning. It meant I could fit more into it when I moved house and If you squint a bit you could be Steve McQueen in a 917 at LeMans! Many of the aeroscreens only brigade have tin-tops or jobs that don't require suits. Even with the hood I had to roll my left trouser leg up so that only the sock got dripped on. I gave a house mate a lift once and when they asked what I was doing I said it was a freemason's trick and that if I got pulled over by the Peelers they'd let me off! Cheers Simon

Tony C Do you have a cowl behind the head rest? My Mum comutes from Deddington to Headington that way and she keeps going on about a "Caterham" with a cowl behind the driver. But knowing my Mum it could be Mike Hawthorn in a D-Type and she'd be none the wiser! Simon p.s. she has a Ford Ka not a white van.

4pm Friday afternoon. Viper Blue Superlight on a trailer being pulled by a Skoda. Heading from Thame towards Tiddington. Cheers Simon